2.5 yo being sick in swimming pool

[cornflakegirl]

DS2 has been sick the last two occasions that we've been swimming (several months apart). Not due to illness, just swallowing too much pool water. DS1 used to swallow his share of pool water, but I don't think he was ever sick.

I'm not really sure how to stop him swallowing water - he wears a float vest and splashes around fairly independently, with his face generally out of the water. I discourage DS1 from towing DS2 around and other activities that could make him swallow water. But it seems that he swallowed loads of water today - when he threw up, it was gushing water, with the odd bit of partially digested food (sorry for TMI).

Apart from making sure that we leave it as long as possible after eating (it was probably about an hour after lunch today, I'm thinking we might need to leave it a couple of hours), are there any other tips to stop this happening?

How old is he? Might be worth having a session in the pool where you or Dh hold him/ keep his mouth above water the entire time so he doesn't associate swimming with being sick.

The quickest way to solve the problem is to teach him to swim or get him lessons :)

He's 2.5 (in thread title). I can't get him lessons till he's 4.

I don't think it's an association problem - just swallowing the water.

shorter swimming session may be

Try letting him splash about on his tummy in the bath so he learns to keep head up. Am seeing improvements in DS ability to do this so am hoping he will not drink the pool when I take him next week for first time.

idont - yeah, might have to do that - which is a pain because we already tend to have to get out before DS1 wants to.

candr - he's not on his tummy in the pool - he's upright in a float jacket. we've been taking him swimming since he was quite small so you'd think he'd have worked it out by now - apparently not!

Does/did your ds suffer from reflux? I ask because DS (16mo) does and this is an issue that we always have when he goes swimming. He really can't help it as it's a problem with liquid and he seems to love having a drink from the pool weirdo. I personally don't worry about it as there are worse things which children do in swimming pools! I just swish it to the nearest filter and hope no one has seen it

suburban - nope, no reflux. And I'd agree with you for a little bit of spit up - doesn't work so well when they appear to have swallowed their own bodyweight in pool water. I honestly don't know how he manages it!

Maybe he's a bit less tolerant of chlorine than your other DS, so he just brings it bck up again?

My DS is 2.2 and I just keep telling him not to swallow the pool water...that's all you can do I think!

I would hold onto him the whole time regardless of float vest and anytime mouth goes near water, I would shriek "no drinking!". Would also repeat over and over and over that DRINKING SWIMMING POOL WATER MAKES YOU SICK - before you go.

Although having said that, I am not sure why he is drinking water in the first place. I took mine swimming a lot and both are now good for their ages (6 and 4). I do remember having to shriek no drinking at my DD a few times when she was younger, but it's something you have to take a hard line on because they just think it's funny.

Make sure he has a drink of water before swimming so he doesn't actually feel thirsty/need a drink.

If he keeps being sick, I would stop taking him until he can quit drinking the water. Swimming pool water is absolutely filthy and has all sorts of bacteria in that aren't killed by chlorine.

Beans / pinktrees - yeah, I will have to keep a mega close eye on him. I mean, I obviously keep a close eye on him already, but sometimes I'm behind him and can't see what his face is doing - will have to watch him like a hawk.

Not sure I see the point of holding on to him though - I think he'd probably prefer not to go.

I'm fairly sure he wasn't thirsty before he went. But thinking about it, he has started messing about drinking the bathwater more recently, so maybe it's just a phase. Hopefully he understands consequences well enough that we can train him out of it.