Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To leave baby in pushchair, at the side of the pool, while I go swimming?

220 replies

Zootopia · 22/09/2016 16:05

Hi, not sure if this would be unreasonable or not.

I have a son who has swimming lessons. It's at a country club, so you need a membership card to even have any kind of access to the pool and it's pretty small in there. Just some nice seating around the sides. I have a newborn baby who I'd rather not take swimming when DS is there as I like to focus on just him in the water (he is 3) and he is encouraged not to use floats, as he can swim underwater, but we're just getting him to do it on top, so not an option for the time being. Also, I'd just rather wait until I do baby classes.

Would I be unreasonable to leave baby in pushchair (asleep) while I go into the pool with DS? It's not mother and toddler classes, it's just him and a couple of other children but I can still use the swim lanes and would be nice to swim. Also, he likes to have a free swim before lessons start.

Thanks Smile

OP posts:
LtGreggs · 23/09/2016 09:23

Ask the pool. People do it here with very young babies - not pushchairs, but a carseat or maybe a carrycot.

Saracen · 23/09/2016 09:23

YANBU but you will get so much grief from other people that it won't be worth it.

BastardGoDarkly · 23/09/2016 09:23

Tragic and totally irrelevant Middle

MiddleClassProblem · 23/09/2016 09:24

RB68 in so shocked you would be so nasty to say such a thing!

Beebeeeight · 23/09/2016 09:26

At under a month post partum you should be resting not swimming.

There's a risk of uterine infection-it's not worth it!

Where's the dad in this?

He can take his son swimming!

brodchengretchen · 23/09/2016 09:35

Is this a wind-up? Because responsible, dare I say 'normal', parents make babysitting arrangements when taking other DC swimming.

...Don't they?

willitbe · 23/09/2016 10:05

I personally waited til my second child had received second lot of immunisations and I had passed my 6 week check. Then I took to pool. When I got to the swimming pool, I would breastfed the baby, then changed them into a swim nappy, but was left at side of pool in car seat with a towel covering, while sleeping. So no danger of overheating at side of pool. Then I would take my son into the pool. My older child (15 months) was in a swim vest as he always had been.

When my younger one woke up, I got out with my older, I would pick up my baby, then we all three went back in the pool, a fun bonding time for all of us for a short time.

Gradually as the baby got older, the time sleeping for the baby was shorter and the time in the pool all together was longer.

The pool was invariably empty when we were there, occasionally one other parent and child as it was a parent and child session, it was always quiet. It was easy to see the baby and hear the baby. The lifeguards were always supportive and still remember us doing it 12 years later!

Sensible precautions are needed:

  • you need to be able to see and hear the baby (quiet pool environment)
  • you need to prevent risk of overheating for the baby
  • whatever the baby is sleeping in, must not be on wheels
  • you need to be able to know that your older child will get out immediately when asked, in order for you to go to check on the baby

Enjoy!

hownottofuckup · 23/09/2016 10:41

I keep my newborn within eye sight - I carry her round in her carry cot or have a monitor on her. I wouldn't ever leave her unattended or without a monitor for more than a minute or so.
Shock is that all the time or just at the pool?

Superstar90 · 23/09/2016 11:14

All the time when she's under a month old. Who leaves their newborn baby unattended? Anything could happen (sick, accidentally get blankets under their head, poo) . I go swimming - I leave my newborn with my DH for bonding and take the toddler and swim up and down with her.
The swimming pool is the ground - not sure how the op expects to be able to into a carrycot on a sun lounger.
Surely the other children having the lesson have parents there too - can't the op make friends with them and ask them to keep an eye.
What does she expect to do in thr changing room after - have the baby in a carrycot/pram in the showers?

Superstar90 · 23/09/2016 11:15

In the ground - look into a sun lounger

Soubriquet · 23/09/2016 11:15

So you never leave your newborn baby for 5 mins when you pop to the toilet?

Or do you carry them with you there too?

Wow my two are lucky to be alive really aren't theyv

Superstar90 · 23/09/2016 11:17

A said more than a minute or two- don't know how long you take in toilet! Grin

Soubriquet · 23/09/2016 11:32

I take my time Grin

It's the 5 mins peace and quiet I can get. Until Dd figures out how to open the baby gate anyway

BastardGoDarkly · 23/09/2016 11:42

Having the baby nearby in this setting is exactly the same as having it in another room to nap though? The op can hear her baby cry?

hownottofuckup · 23/09/2016 11:46

Fair enough Super but not everyone feels the need to be within eyesight of their newborn at all times.
Re showers, there are some on the poolside me and DC used with carseat at the entrance. Failing that, shower at home.

BreadPitt · 23/09/2016 12:00

From my experience country club pools can be vastly different from public pools.
Certainly the one by me is a much smaller pool with wide areas to the side that has sun bed type loungers and tables and chairs. It would be quite reasonable to think a baby could be left out of the way on a lounger whilst the parent swam.

From experience a

user1474627704 · 23/09/2016 12:08

I cannot believe that you are seriously, actually asking the question!! Water is the most dangerous of all...accidents happen so easily and I am sure that you would not forgive yourself...surely a swim for yourself at that time is not that important!!

Yes, OP, don't you know how often newborns in carrycots levitate spontaneously off a surface, through the air and into a swimming pool, all in the blink of an eye, and soundlessly?
Happens all the time, how very dare you take that risk?

Or, in non crazy land, its fine as long as whoever runs the pool says its fine.

WhisperingLoudly · 23/09/2016 12:22

All the time when she's under a month old. Who leaves their newborn baby unattended? Anything could happen (sick, accidentally get blankets under their head, poo)

superstar What do you do at night? Do you and your DH adopt a watching shift pattern?!

PrivatePike · 23/09/2016 13:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

user1474627704 · 23/09/2016 13:31

Don't be. It's only an issue if you are completely insane.

PrivatePike · 23/09/2016 13:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Zootopia · 23/09/2016 13:39

My goodness.

No, I'm more than happy to hear everyone's views, I have been reading and taking everything on board, did you not see my first posts? I then got 'aggressive' and 'defensive' when people start claiming that I'm not looking after my baby or I don't know what it's like to have 2 and that your whole life changes, etc. I do know this, but I was just trying to think of an idea and it seems like it has worked for loads of people.

Where is my DH? He's working all day, long shifts, so we can put food on the table and you know? Take care of our children, because we do actually do that ConfusedHmm so I look after them in the day. DS will start nursery is January. However, I can cope and I'm not depressed... I'm just taking them out and am quite fine doing so, if it was too much, I wouldn't do it. However, just because I'm defensive about people saying I'm not giving her what she needs, doesn't mean I'm not coping.

I should feel lucky I have the crèche option? What's that supposed to mean? It's a country and golf club, they pretty much all have crèches, so if you feel unlucky, I'm sure you could go and find one? I do also have to pay for it, yes it will be cheaper, as I have a membership, but it still costs.

Anyway, they haven't answered yet, but will get back to you when they do Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
Zootopia · 23/09/2016 14:28

Oh, and I do know when I stop bleeding. The first time someone asked, I have the answer, people then coming along and saying that it doesn't stop until 3 weeks so I would wait clearly decided to take my first answer as I have misunderstood it. I stopped bleeding after 2 weeks.

OP posts:
Florathefern · 23/09/2016 14:57

OP you asked for opinions. If you post on a public forum, you will get replies from people from all different walks of life and different experiences. It doesn't mean some are right and some are wrong, they are just different. Please don't get annoyed if the responses differ to the ones you wanted to get.

skyyequake · 23/09/2016 15:00

Flora I think anyone would get a bit wound up if they were accused of not looking after their child properly, having PND, and being too stupid to realise if they're bleeding out of their vagina or not, just from asking a simple question on the logistics if going swimming with two under 5 Confused

Swipe left for the next trending thread