to have said something to this man at the pool about his baby? Or should I have said something earlier?

[TickledOnion]

At DD1's swimming lesson today, a man got into the public bit of the pool with a 7 week old baby in just a swim nappy. The pool is at a private gym and quite a pleasant temperature for adults but too cold for an almost naked baby. I take DD2, 8mo, swimming there with a swim nappy, swim pants and a wet suit. (Possibly overkill, but she seems quite happy).

I was really unsure whether to say anything and asked another mum who agreed with me but also didn't say anything. They stayed in for about 10 minutes and then I saw them again in the family changing room. At this point I mentioned to the man that you can buy wetsuits for babies as it can be quite cold in the pool. He said he didn't know and asked where he could get one.

Should I have said something earlier? Or nothing at all? The baby didn't seem unhappy and luckily the man took my comments as well meaning advice rather than criticism. More a WWYD than AIBU?

sock but you didn't comment on whether the baby needed one, you said baby wetsuits were "another useless baby related product" and "for parents with more money than sense".

Can I ask - I think someone else asked up thread - would you have said it if it had been the baby's mum?

I would have thought that had the man been interested in baby wetsuits, he would have approached you or one of the other Mums after swimming and said "by the way, do you rate those suits?", "do you think they're any good?" etc - thats what I do when somone has something baby related I think might be handy.

Monkey - it is unnecessary to call OP a twat and against guidelines. If you read thread, she has admitted she was wrong about needing a wet suit and why she thought young babies wanted them. I assume you are never wrong? If the man's confidence was shattered by a piece of information "you can buy wetsuits for babies as it can be quite cold in the pool", then he is as insecure as your posting style sounds.

That doesn't keep a baby warm, you dingbat. See how much skin is exposed? It does NOTHING to retain heat.

scheherezade i didnt need to as it was obvious from the op that the baby didnt need one and was in no distress and only in the pool for ten mins.

and i also specified in my post that wet suits for indoor pool use are a useless baby related product for parents with more money than sense, or do you feel i should have also specified for a baby who is not distressed by pool temps.

wet suits? For a pool ?

Sure you dont mean "cottonwool"?

a wet suit? In a pool? I will never understand how some parents make such hard work of babies.

Wet suits? Babies? Swimming pools? Eh?

Think OP has maybe got the point now, having already admitted she thinks she was BU. Some of you could start a fight in an empty room

at insecure posting style.

Im just a bitch Im afraid.

And I get to the point instead of floating around it.

Go swimming. Concentrate on your own bloody business.

God help the OP if she ever saw a baby that really did need intervention.

You sound nosey and gossipy

I really think that to try to help if the baby is obviously distressed and the parent/carer looks lost is one thing....
But this baby was perfectly ok in the hands of a seemingly perfectly capable adult who was being very sensible about having baby in the water for a short period.
Having said that,you sound lovely op,and I think the response you got must have reflected your approach being made out of concern rather than anything else.

Some babies really hate the water if it is too cold for their tastes. My DD would happily go in freezing cold water - she is a water baby for sure. My friends son screamed during swimming if temp was slightly cooler than a bath, she borrowed a wet suit from another mum and he was happy. I don't get why anyone is frothing at the mouth about this

I think very young babies are noticeably more comfortable in the wetsuit/wrap things. I also think neoprene nappy covers should always be compulsory.

Pfft at 'our swimming school'. I bet they recommend the wetsuits with Water Babies Rock/ Puddle Ducks Rule emblazoned across the side do they? Bloody baby swim lessons. Sorry pregnancy hormones making me narky.

And yes, a wetsuit does keep the heat in. My baby is much happier in one than without one.

YABU

Would you really be happy if some random stranger decided to criticise your parenting? If he had been putting the baby in danger then that's different but obviously both baby and dad were quite happy

You were also assuming you knew more than him, maybe he's a dab hand at the baby swimming thing? I was advised once by a pregnant woman with no other dc that I was breast feeding my baby 'all wrong' I did (nicely) explain that actually he was number 6 and I had bfed them all so I was pretty happy with how it was going, she insisted I was wrong because she had just been on a course about it

GoSakuramachi they do keep a baby warm, someone lent me something similar for ds, but it turns out he is rubbish at regulating his temperature and so he overheats in the pool when he wears one!

I think it's the way that you say it that could cause offence.You sound lovely -unlike some of the posters on here.Why do people feel the need to name call?Babies struggle to regulate their body temperature,a wetsuit helps to retain warmth?What is the issue?The baby would soon let you know if it was in distress either way.

it couldn't possibly keep any heat in. Look at the link. Not physically possible.
Just makes you feel a bit better about your pfb.

It's the gossiping about it with another Mum that bugged me. Poor bloke enjoying his swim with his baby no doubt, while two women gossip about how he's fallen short, when actually he hasn't at all.

GoSakuramachi, I do not need to look at the link. I own one, and it does work. I am not sure why you think it is not physically possible. Have you ever worn anything made of neoprene?

Yes. But if your entire arms, legs, neck and all are not covered by neoprene, and the area that is is not watertight, there is no mechanism to retain heat. Thats not my opinion, thats physics.