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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be grossed out by this?

52 replies

swimmingwithbaby · 08/08/2022 20:29

I have a tendency to be over anxious around germs and contamination/ illness, so I need some perspective here.

When I take my 1 year old swimming (private classes that we pay for each month), one of the activities the instructor has us doing is to put some water in our mouths and "spurt" it out so that baby can see you doing it. The theory is that they will mimic you and therefore it's supposed to teach them to spit water back out and not swallow it if they get it in their mouths.

Anyway... I feel really grossed out by this. There's 4-5 other parents and babies in the class at the same time and the pool isn't huge, and we are standing in relatively close proximity to each other when this is happening. All I can think is, am I putting water into my mouth that's now mixed with other parents' saliva?

Honestly it really makes me feel unwell and I'm at the point of saying to the instructor can I sit this one out please?

But I don't want to look odd by saying that. And my baby has also started to sort of mimic me and blow raspberries back at me when she watches me doing it, which suggests she's learning from it, so if it's beneficial I don't want to just stop doing it.

Anyway... am I anxiously overthinking how gross this is? Or is it genuinely gross? 😩

OP posts:
Yourearealboy · 08/08/2022 20:31

Gross. But only because you are overthinking it. If you accidentally got water in your moth when swimming you wouldn’t give it a second thought.

FinneusMum · 08/08/2022 20:32

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Gentleness · 08/08/2022 20:33

It's a bit gross but not very gross. I'd tolerate my stomach churn for the sake of my child learning that lesson. And I think I'd be brushing my teeth (irrational I know) afterwards and drinking something with lemon juice or cider vinegar in, but in practise I would probably forget.

Sunnyqueen · 08/08/2022 20:33

YANBU pretty gross and completely unnecessary

Original poster
swimmingwithbaby · 08/08/2022 20:33

Very good point. I wouldn't think twice if I was just swimming by myself and had to spit some water out. I think it's more the deliberate action of spurting it in close proximity to others thats grossing me out. 🙈

OP posts:
Blowyourowntrumpet · 08/08/2022 20:33

I can see your point, especially since there will be urine in the water. Wouldn't bother me though

pimlicoanna · 08/08/2022 20:33

You're in a pool where everyone is basting their genitals! I really wouldn't worry about someone spitting out a bit of water.

vodkaredbullgirl · 08/08/2022 20:34

Don't do it then.

sunsetsandsandybeaches · 08/08/2022 20:34

I mean, public pools are gross anyway.

MsBallen · 08/08/2022 20:35

That's why pools have chlorine in them.

dehloh · 08/08/2022 20:35

pimlicoanna · 08/08/2022 20:33

You're in a pool where everyone is basting their genitals! I really wouldn't worry about someone spitting out a bit of water.

Surely it's more having the genital water IN her mouth OP is concerned about?

Mosaic123 · 08/08/2022 20:36

I think the chemicals in the water will kill off pretty much anything.

The act of spitting is fairly revolting but in this case necessary and not gross.

Original poster
swimmingwithbaby · 08/08/2022 20:37

Surely it's more having the genital water IN her mouth OP is concerned about?

Yes! 🤢

OP posts:
Original poster
swimmingwithbaby · 08/08/2022 20:38

I don't ever submerge my head or face in pools anyway, I'm not comfortable with doing it. So putting my mouth under and deliberately allowing water in then spitting it out again... it's all a bit much. But if my baby is learning from it I'll continue and just grit my teeth!

OP posts:
RenegadeMatron · 08/08/2022 20:39

You’re worried about other people’s saliva In a public pool? There’s far worse in there.

But - that’s what the chemicals are for. And why you should definitely spit any water out, rather than swallow it.

dudsville · 08/08/2022 20:40

I think public swimming pools are gross anyway, but that request would earn my first ever "hard no" response and get me out of the water immediately. I realise from what I've said that i come across as a someone worried about contamination. I'm not. But shared body water in my mouth, nope.

Haudyourwheesht · 08/08/2022 20:40

There's a lot of adult head submerging in baby swimming lessons so it's going to becomes far more uncomfortable.

fifteenohfour · 08/08/2022 20:41

I mean you've been swimming your whole life and still here alive and kicking. You would have done the exact same thing as a kid over and over again spitting water at other people and you are still here. Pool water is like swimming in bleach anyway there is so much chlorine in it.

Original poster
swimmingwithbaby · 08/08/2022 20:43

@Haudyourwheesht

There's another one called face dips where the instructor has us dip out entire face in and come up smiling so baby sees it's nothing to be scared of. I totally understand the rationale for this and I'm board with that, but I really hate submerging my face in water so I've just told the instructor I can't do that one as my contact lenses will come out 😂 Which is also true, but it wouldn't be the end of the world as I have spares in my bag. It's just a convenient excuse as I don't want to admit that I'm uncomfortable doing it. The instructor always demonstrates that one with my baby so she sees it anyway, and she does copy!

OP posts:
pimlicoanna · 08/08/2022 20:46

@dehloh but she's not putting it in her mouth. He is

ImEasyLikeSundayMorning · 08/08/2022 20:48

I was in the baby pool with my toddler at the time and a brown piece of sweetcorn floated past me.

No water would be spurted out of my freaking mouth.

Original poster
swimmingwithbaby · 08/08/2022 20:54

pimlicoanna · 08/08/2022 20:46

@dehloh but she's not putting it in her mouth. He is

I am putting the water in my mouth? That's the whole point of my post.

OP posts:
RenegadeMatron · 08/08/2022 20:55

But isn’t the point that - a unlike an adult - a baby/child doesn’t have any qualms about pool water being in their mouth, and so has to be taught to spit instead of swallow….?

Original poster
swimmingwithbaby · 08/08/2022 20:58

@ImEasyLikeSundayMorning 🤢 that's horrendous!

OP posts:
Gentleness · 08/08/2022 21:10

Wearing contact lenses when swimming is another big nope though, also for hygiene reasons.