Page 7 | Putting baby in washing basket in public

TottenhamCake · 2026-03-31T11:58:51+00:00

im really keen to find a more practical and safe way of washing my baby (4mo) after his swim lessons. Washing him in the shower feels like a disaster waiting to happen. I like to get him washed there as well, as he’s so exhausted I can’t get a bottle in him before his nap, and hate the thought of chlorine lingering on his skin. im thinking of getting one of those foldable laundry baskets and using as a kind of bath. The shower heads there aren’t fixed to the wall so this could be done. Will I look like a complete lunatic though? Or does anyone have any better ideas??

Madthings · 31/03/2026 20:33

https://www.infantswim.com/

Infant swim rescue or ISR. Its always one adult per baby and it says from 6months and they are taught self float and other rescue skills. Its pretty impressive and have heard positive things about it but some find it controversial.

Give your child the competence, confidence and skills of aquatic safety with Infant Swimming Resource's Self-Rescue program

Infant Swimming Resource, Self-Rescue instruction for infants and young children.

https://www.infantswim.com

Givethemacall · 31/03/2026 20:39

If you really feel you need to do it - do it. Your kid - your call.

but I had a child with severe excema and we swam as much as we could when they were little - their skin was so bad they often needed hospitalisation during their first few years as excema so severe - but for swimming - I held them and rinsed them off in shower at the pool to get rid of the worst of the chlorine then went home and bathed and creamed them in their lotions and potions.

if you feel the need to carry a portable bath - go for it - but I’m doubtful it’s really necessary.

TheBirdintheCave · 31/03/2026 20:44

tripleginandtonic · 31/03/2026 13:22

Isn't that what everyone does?

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We don’t even do that. We just dry off, go home and shower there.

sweetpickle2 · 31/03/2026 21:08

Booksandwine80 · 31/03/2026 20:33

Yes I obviously mean an instructor per baby, I think people are acting deliberately obtuse. Anyway, I’m out 😂

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To be fair you replied to a comment saying “only one adult in the water”. I was not being deliberately obtuse, I genuinely misunderstood your comment.

Booksandwine80 · 31/03/2026 21:10

sweetpickle2 · 31/03/2026 21:08

To be fair you replied to a comment saying “only one adult in the water”. I was not being deliberately obtuse, I genuinely misunderstood your comment.

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The I fear how you cope day to day. As if I would mean a baby on its own in a pool 😂😂

sweetpickle2 · 31/03/2026 21:13

Booksandwine80 · 31/03/2026 21:10

The I fear how you cope day to day. As if I would mean a baby on its own in a pool 😂😂

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Well yes this is why people were so shocked and challenging your comment in the first place, because they thought you meant a baby in a pool with only one instructor.

Now you have clarified for me and the many others who misunderstood your comment, no harm done.

mathanxiety · 01/04/2026 01:50

YANBU about the laundry basket.

YABU to take a 4 month old baby to swimming lessons. There is no need at all to take a baby swimming and no way a baby that young would learn anything or benefit from it.

Wait until your baby is about 3/ 4 and can stand up in the shower - lessons would be useful at that age.

Neurodiversitydoctor · 01/04/2026 08:01

mathanxiety · 01/04/2026 01:50

YANBU about the laundry basket.

YABU to take a 4 month old baby to swimming lessons. There is no need at all to take a baby swimming and no way a baby that young would learn anything or benefit from it.

Wait until your baby is about 3/ 4 and can stand up in the shower - lessons would be useful at that age.

I disagree completely babies love swimming, humans are semi aquatic mammals drawn to water, by waiting till a baby is 3 or 4 they will be frightened of the water, if they have been swimming regularly then much easier. The term lessons is misleading mostly it is playing in the water, splashing and singing. Good for babies and parents.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/04/2026 08:15

Madthings · 31/03/2026 20:30

I think people are reading this differently. I read it and I think the poster means classes of 4 or 5 babies with an instructor each. Not one instructor per 5 babies which of course would be unsafe.

I have seen classes like this too where you pay more because you are not getting in another adult is. This is more common with those safety lessons teaching babies even very young hoe to flip and breath and float. They even learn how to float if they fall in wearing clothes. More popular in Australia, the states etc they start when babies are really young but by 9-10months babies have learnt how to flip and float. Obviously they have to keep practicing for the skill to stay and as they get older they teach them more ie to swim to the edge and hold on etc.

Anyway the op sounds like she is doing regular swim session where she gets in with baby but then is struggling with slippy, tired, fractious baby showering afterwards the laundry basket idea works, one with holes so can sit or lay baby in it and shower them and if they are content to lay in it you can showr yourself. Wrap them with towels for warmth. I did it when camping.

You can now also buy little bath/shower baby seats and portable devices for this. I just used folding laundry basket. It stops working once they can pull to stand as then its unsafe as they can tip it over. My youngest is now 10 so not done it in years, but with 5 little kids it was an easy way to safely put baby down and quickly shower siblings/myself. And then dump all wet towels in basket and get a child to carry it back to tent whilst I carry baby.

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Going off on another tangent here, but taking 5 children swimming? Every pool I went to had a rule of no more than 2 children per adult (and that was hard enough with one who was a distinct flight risk - and a lot faster running barefoot on wet surfaces than I was).

BudgetBuster · 01/04/2026 08:23

mathanxiety · 01/04/2026 01:50

YANBU about the laundry basket.

YABU to take a 4 month old baby to swimming lessons. There is no need at all to take a baby swimming and no way a baby that young would learn anything or benefit from it.

Wait until your baby is about 3/ 4 and can stand up in the shower - lessons would be useful at that age.

I took my baby since 4 months old. He absolutely adores swimming. He is 2 now, and is a great unassisted swimmer.

At 4 months it was 20 mins in the water, playing games, splashing and interacting with other babies.

Madthings · 01/04/2026 09:32

NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/04/2026 08:15

Going off on another tangent here, but taking 5 children swimming? Every pool I went to had a rule of no more than 2 children per adult (and that was hard enough with one who was a distinct flight risk - and a lot faster running barefoot on wet surfaces than I was).

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I didnt take 5 kids swimming on my own no. I was talking about showering when camping. The laundry basket technique is how I kept baby safe in shower whilst i shoerred myself snd sll the kids. And also then transported the wet towels back to tent. :)

Comtesse · 01/04/2026 09:39

Neurodiversitydoctor · 01/04/2026 08:01

I disagree completely babies love swimming, humans are semi aquatic mammals drawn to water, by waiting till a baby is 3 or 4 they will be frightened of the water, if they have been swimming regularly then much easier. The term lessons is misleading mostly it is playing in the water, splashing and singing. Good for babies and parents.

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SOME babies love swimming. Mine always screamed their heads off when they were tiny, but were ok later on.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/04/2026 11:08

Madthings · 01/04/2026 09:32

I didnt take 5 kids swimming on my own no. I was talking about showering when camping. The laundry basket technique is how I kept baby safe in shower whilst i shoerred myself snd sll the kids. And also then transported the wet towels back to tent. :)

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I was going to put the medal I'd mentally allocated to you for taking five kids swimming away, but you took them all camping instead. So you still get a medal for that!

I'm the 5th kid the one that put her off having any more.

Madthings · 01/04/2026 11:54

NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/04/2026 11:08

I was going to put the medal I'd mentally allocated to you for taking five kids swimming away, but you took them all camping instead. So you still get a medal for that!

I'm the 5th kid the one that put her off having any more.

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I had more, who was a bonus baby, and had he been my first he would have been an only 🤣

Definitely taking the medal, my 4th turned 18 recently. First 5 close together. Eldest all left home, adulting, working etc and I was like actually where is MY medal for getting them to adulthood 🤣 only 2 to go... and the youngest is definitely the one to test me the most... 8 years to go....😂

Natsku · 01/04/2026 12:00

NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/04/2026 11:08

I was going to put the medal I'd mentally allocated to you for taking five kids swimming away, but you took them all camping instead. So you still get a medal for that!

I'm the 5th kid the one that put her off having any more.

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Also the 5th kid here, but I prefer to view it as they didn't want any more children after me because who can improve on perfection?

SapphireOpal · 01/04/2026 19:21

If he's exhausted then just rinse him, change him and feed him - don't faff about trying to bath a knackered baby in a washing basket!

Daftypants · 01/04/2026 19:22

Jane143 · 31/03/2026 14:16

Surely if babies are very sensitive to chlorine it would be better to not take them swimming while they are still so young. Just practice splashing around in the bath at home would be less of a faff than carting washing baskets along with all the other paraphernalia that goes in the changing rooms . Then when they are older and skin less sensitive try swimming pool then. I doubt a 4 month old really benefits from swimming pools until able to toddle or sit up

Taking small babies to a swimming lesson is a lot of extra work and faff .
Once mine were toddlers they went to lessons but I had to wait till the term started and they were about 18 months old by then .
You needed to be in the pool with them until they turned 3 , then they moved up a group .
I found that fine as they stood up in the shower area themselves and we both got a decent rinse off but I didn’t wash my hair .
my youngest was sensitive to the chlorine so definitely rinsed them off thoroughly

Sillyname63 · 01/04/2026 19:22

Bet by the end on the month there will be at least half of the other mums will be doing the same.😂

SapphireOpal · 01/04/2026 19:23

mathanxiety · 01/04/2026 01:50

YANBU about the laundry basket.

YABU to take a 4 month old baby to swimming lessons. There is no need at all to take a baby swimming and no way a baby that young would learn anything or benefit from it.

Wait until your baby is about 3/ 4 and can stand up in the shower - lessons would be useful at that age.

I agree that lessons are not necessary, but my 9mo has been going swimming with me since he was about 2mo and absolutely loves it (and has definitely learnt to kick/splash!)

JLou08 · 01/04/2026 19:47

Yes, you'd look like a lunatic and you'd likely be getting in people's way. Just shower with him. It only takes a couple of minutes and will be safer for him and those around him. Putting him down whilst you fill a bath is what sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

Bunnycat101 · 01/04/2026 19:50

When I did baby swimming the pool was a private one so basically just had a toilet and a shower. Pretty much everyone just changed the babies and took them home. They lived. However, there was one person that decided they must have a long shower and therefore prevent access to the toilet which became problematic for the toddler classes when you had little ones desperate for a wee.

Switcher · 01/04/2026 20:04

One of mine was so wriggly and slippery I couldn't do that, so I just washed him at home later. Didn't cause any issues.

SP2024 · 01/04/2026 20:08

Mydustymonstera · 31/03/2026 13:16

My bigger concern was always how to wash my own hair, it seemed such a chore not to be able to get it done while already wet!!
you could look into the sort of baby carrier you can use while in water it sounded perfect for the post swim shower (but like a load of extra cost to solve that one tiny problem)

I’ve never once got my hair wet taking my babies swimming until they got much bigger and were jumping in themselves…! How are you getting so wet your hair needs washing?

Widgets · 01/04/2026 20:41

Is there time to fill a baby bath and have a full wash in shared showers?!, I thought leisure centre showers were for quick rinse in and out! To give everyone time to use them. Are you taking baby bubble bath / shampoo? How long do you spend in the showers after swimming!

vickylou78 · 01/04/2026 21:17

Just hold the baby while you shower surely