when can babies go in swimming pool?

[Mandymoo]

is it after their first jab or do they need all 3 before they can go in a pool?

All 3 jabs

given that the things they are innoculated against are not carried in a pool i dont see what the jabs have to do with it! (thats my PERSONAL opinion though!)

little dippers do baby swimming and their youngest baby has been 2 days old (if i remember the leafelet correctly!)

so i would say they can go swimming from whenever... some babies dont have jabs and they go swimming!

My birth to 5 NHS booklet specifically says that babies do not need any jabs before going swimming.

I took DS when she was about two months - so before she'd had all of her jabs. I checked with my HV and was told there was no need to wait.

The only thing about taking them when they are very young is that she found the pool quite cold, and we only stayed in for about ten minutes. She's now 8 and a half months, and we usually stay in about three quarters of an hour now, but I'd check the temperature if you're going to take your baby when they're quite little.

Having said that, BabyRed's so comfortable in the water now - I'm really glad I took her so soon.

THe new advice says that they don't need to have all their jabs. But if you look at some recent under cover samples taken from pools you'll see that they are not as clean as they are supposed to be!

As soon as possible IMO.

Erm, polio can be contracted in the water apparently. I was shocked to learn this.

polio is so rare in this country, how many cases have you actually heard of being caught in a swimming pool?... saying that my mum caught it from a sandpit - in 1948!

take your baby swimming as soon as your ready!!

the nurse at my GP's looked it up for me in their advice they re given. I was told after the frist set of jabs was fine.
The reason they used to say after all 3 is that in theory because they re using live altered virus to innoculate, it can come out if baby has an accident in the poolo and in theory it may be possible for the virus to mutate and infect a non innoculated person in the school.
This is a very reomote possibl=ility though sothey have changed the advice.
Basically whenever you feel comfortable after the first set of jabs.

what about links to asthma from all the chlorine in the pools ?

I would put baby in a paddling pool in the back garden, but wouldn't take one to a commercial pool.

Tenalady, I think polio can be contracted in the pool cos it is a live vaccine and it's babies who have the polio vaccine and then go in the pool that pass it on. That's why you can't take them immediately after that jab.
Could be wrong but that's what I was told.

polio vaccine is no longer live -

yep - polio vaccine is no longer live so its fine to swim. I took ds swimming at 4 weeks (although its in a hydrotherapy pool so the water is 36 degrees.

In theory and the Dept of Health website tells you this, it is fine to swim from newborn, you do not need any jabs to do it. However, if the water is not warm then its best not to take them till 12 weeks as they dont have enough body fat to retain their heat in the pool. Ds, now 12 weeks has a wetsuit for a normal pool now, but goes in the hydrotherapy pool every week in just a swim nappy happy as larry.

Oops. I stand corrected!

mandymoo, a baby does not need its vaccinations before swimming in a public pool. however, it is recommended by health and safety guidelines that a baby should be 6 months before you take them swimming.
this is because; very young babies tend to chill easily
and although chlorine/chemical content should be at correct levels to kill any troublesome bugs in the water, this can vary greatly at different pools. trust me im in the know!
all that aside, i took my 1st child swimming at 3 months and he loved it.

babies under 3 months can't be in a pool under 32 degrees celcius, but they do not need to have had any jabs.

I was told that dd didn't need to have had her jabs first. Her first dip was in an open air pool in Cornwall at 3 months. I've always found that it wasn't the temperature of the water I needed to worry about, it was making sure that she was well wrapped up immediately she got out of the pool. I used to stick her straight into a hooded towelling dressing gown and get her dressed first.

i took my daughter swimming at about 3 weeks she was not bothered then but now i cant get her out the water so i say the earlyier the better.
just have a nice warm towel near by as they need as soon as u come out

did you just hold her in the water as she would be too small for one of those floating seats at 3 weeks wouldn't she?

I take ds swimming once a week on a structured course through the Waterbabies site.

The pools (afaik) are specially selected because they are warmer than public pools. They tend to be school pools so are a bit warmer for the kids.

It's not cheap, but personally feel it's worth it. Ds was quite wary for the first few sessions but loves it now and it has also made a huge difference to bath times too - he used to hate them.

Just returned from a weeks holiday in Turkey with my 13week old. She 'swam' in the pool everyday and loved it. She has always adored loved being in our bath and hates her baby bath.

When I asked the doc he said she didn't need to have completed her jabs to go swimming.

We took DD for her first swim in the baby area of our local swimming pool at 12 weeks. Nice warm water and not deep or too noisy. She loved being held under her arms and moved around on her front (head out of water, she can hold it by herself). She also liked being supported under her tummy and head and 'floating' on her back. Since then she's started really splashing in her baby bath - time to move into the big bath I think!

There is a really good baby swimming resource here loads of articles and diagrams about babies and swimming. They took their baby at 6 weeks old, they say you can take your baby at any age depending on the temperature of the water.

Bobbi.

I took dd at 8 weeks. Have always used neoprene baby wrap on top of swimming nappy which helps to keep her warm & happy. Sooner the better o)

Babies under the age of 2 should not use a swimming pool.

Lung tissue is very sensitive to damage from DBP disinfection by products. DBP can cause a sensitized reaction leading to an allergic reaction or asthma 10 years latter.

Also the blood brain barrier is not fully developed, so exposure to chloroform or cyanogen chloride can cause nerve damage.

Germany is now recommending than children under 2 do not use pools. The public pools in German have much higher standards than pools in the UK. Indeed in the UK there are no standard, and essentially no training of pool water treatment staff.