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Original poster

Babies in swimming pools..etiquette please??

31 replies

BurnAfterReading · 09/01/2011 20:14

The whole family has been invited to a wedding in May (which for us lot it means a good 3 hour journey),so we have all booked a room in the hotel on the night of the wedding, some of the family are booking a few nights - anyway it's already been mentioned that they cannot wait to take my dd swimming in the hotel pool, which (provided dd seems okay) I'm rather pleased about - it will give me and DP a nice break for a while.

Anyway, DD will be almost 7 months and I'm not sure about swimming pool etiquette for babies...are there special nappies to go beneath a costume? (assuming she needs a nappy) or do i just put a normal one on her anyway?

What do I do? I dont want to turn up to the pool (in what is a very posh hotel - too posh for me lol) without the correct gear.

Flame me for being daft, it's a genuine question - my first child and we've never been swimming....thought you guys might know

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RhinestoneCowgirl · 09/01/2011 20:17

You need a swim nappy - these can be disposable or reusable. Don't use a normal disposable as it will swell up embarrassingly in the pool... n.b. nappy is mainly there to catch any poo, piss will end up in the water...

PigeonStreet · 09/01/2011 20:17

You can get disposable swim nappies as well as fabric ones which do the job just as well. I would definately put her in something. The last thing you want is the pool being evacuated and the big fishing net being brought out to fish your dd's poo out of the pool

BookcaseFullofBooks · 09/01/2011 20:17

A disposable swim nappy and then an outer costume nappy is the norm I think.

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MoonUnitAlpha · 09/01/2011 20:18

Disposable or reusable swim nappy plus swimsuit.

PigeonStreet · 09/01/2011 20:19

All the supermarkets do them. Reusable ones are pretty good although they obviously cost more initially. If you are planning to go swimming a lot I would get a fabric reuseable one.

westlake · 09/01/2011 20:20

you get special swimming nappies which are sold alongside normal ones in the supermarket. You can also buy little swimming costumes but i am not convinced they are necessary. Take towels and wipes to the poolside. my ds was sick when he came out of the pool the first time he went and this was very handy. it also helped to keep him warm by having the towels close at hand.

getting dry is another game entirely. i am yet to find a way of showering with ds afterwards and don't bother. easier to go home to do it.

enjoy it, it's great fun :-)

Original poster

BurnAfterReading · 09/01/2011 20:20

thanks people, swim nappy it is then :)

Can't believe I asked the question in the first place but as they say, it's not a silly question if you don't know the answer!!!

Much appreciated all !

OP posts:

plantsitter · 09/01/2011 20:23

Can I suggest you go swimming with her a few times first? DD was freaked out the first time we went so it might be a good plan to get her used to it before you go to a posh hotel!

Original poster

BurnAfterReading · 09/01/2011 20:26

thanks plantsitter - great idea!!

The wedding is in May, so will probably take dd swimming in April (as it gets a little warmer)

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lurcherlover · 09/01/2011 20:58

Can I ask a similar question here? DS is almost 11 weeks and I really want to take him swimming - he loves having a bath in the proper tub so he can float about and I think he'll really like it. My mum has got him some swim shorts from M&S which say they have a fitted swim nappy - essentially it's a thick terry lining. Does he still need to wear a proper nappy as well? And once at the pool, how long should we go in the water for? I don't want him getting cold. Do I need to buy a float or something to put him in, or do I just carry him in my arms? And afterwards, what do you do with baby while you are getting dry/dressed? Our baths have those unisex cubicles to change in and I'm not sure if there's a big family one - I assume so, but I can't just put him on the floor, can I?Sorry that these are daft questions but I'm feeling a bit daunted by it all!

Blatherskite · 09/01/2011 21:00

Would second the taking her swimming beforehand idea. My DD was so clingy the first few times we went in the pool that she wouldn't even go to her Dad!!

She's improved now though and is having her first swimming lesson tomorrow :)

From experience, I would say you need disposable swim nappies and a swim suit rather than a costume. At almost 7 months, she'll still need some help regulating her body temperature, especially when wet so the neoprene suits really help keep them warm and happy. Take a towel into the pool area too. Once out of the water, you'll want to get her wraped up ASAP before she starts shivering. IME babies can only manage about half an hour in the pool before they start getting cold and then you'll want to get her wrapped up and warm as soon as you can.

Doramustdie · 09/01/2011 21:03

Swim nappy and some kind of neoprene costume/wetsuit type thing. Pools are cold for babies! And it's disappointing if they are hysterical about the cold water!!

Blatherskite · 09/01/2011 21:08

Lurchlover - depends on the pool. I know some insist on 2 layers so you would need a swim nappy too even though it's not entirely necessary.

You can get floats but for the first few trips, you might be better off holding him as he'll feel much more comforted in your arms and your body heat will help regulate his.

I'd plan for half an hour max for the first trip.

A thick towel on the changing room floor is your best bet for changing. It's easy while they're immobile. Changing a baby when they can roll over and crawl off is more of a challenge :) I took DS from 6 months old and it's much easier now he's almost 4 and can pretty much change himself. DD is at the rolling and crawling stage so tomorrow will be fun!

BornToFolk · 09/01/2011 21:10

Check with the pool. Some have strict rules about what kind of nappies babies should wear..others don't mind so much.

DS pretty much always wore a reusable nappy as we went swimming ever week so it was cost effective. Never bothered with neoprene suits and DS never seemed cold. He's always been a chunky fella though so has his own way of keeping warm!

Something to bear in mind - disposable swimming nappies don't absorb wee so put them on at the last possible moment.

Lurcherlover - no, you don't need anything under those shorts (unless your pool says otherwise.

I've never used floats/seats, just held DS.

Start off with a 15 min swim and see how he goes. Watch for blue lips, shivering etc and get out when he looks cold.

Check with your pool whether you can take your pushchair to poolside. If you can, dress your DS first (I used to take a cheap dressing gown to put on myself while I sorted out DS), then put him in the pushchair while you sort yourself out. Try and time it so he needs a feed afterwards. It's best for babies to swim on empty stomachs (to avoid posset in the pool!) and the feed afterwards will warm him up.

Good luck! I've taken DS swimming since he was about 4 months. He's now 3 and practically swimming on his own. We both really enjoy it.

Beasknees · 09/01/2011 21:16

Also if your baby is feeding take some rice cakes or banana or something for them to nibble on when you get out of the pool. I find it easier to give my ones a snack and get dressed myself as the boys ( 2 1/2 and 15 months) would inevitably sit in a puddle and get all wet whilst i dry myself.

ilythia · 09/01/2011 21:17

YY to swim nappy plus thick costume, not the strappy little things as they will get cold veyr quickly.
We used to go swimming in a hydrotherapy pool as it was much warmer and they woudl last maybe half an hour.
Keep a towel at poolside for them, they will start to shiver and go blue rather alarmingly if you don't

Oh. And dont take photos. My friend and I got into rather a spot of bother for that

MumInBeds · 09/01/2011 21:20

Also check with the hotel if there are restrictions on swimming times for under 16s, we went to a hotel for a wedding last year and were disappointed that the only time children were allowed in the pool clashed with the actual wedding.

PavlovtheCat · 09/01/2011 21:21

most private pools I think request double nappy cover - which is a disposable swim nappy and then the usual swim nappy over the top. this means that if your LO poos, it will not leak quickly, and you will have time to notice/vacate without disrupting the pool.

We used this type of thing when we took DD for baby swimming lessons with disposable underneath.

PavlovtheCat · 09/01/2011 21:23

although, using a happy nappy we were in a hydrotherapy pool too so she was toasty.

mjovertherainbow · 09/01/2011 21:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

TheFarSide · 09/01/2011 21:25

Well, as a non-parent I'm very relieved to discover that there are such things as swim nappies.

I usually give babies in pools a very wide berth.

Now I don't have to worry any more.

TheFarSide · 09/01/2011 21:28

Mid you, what about diarrhoea?

llareggub · 09/01/2011 21:28

I put my DS in a reusable nappy with one of those all-in-one suits over the top, which seems to keep him a little warmer than swim shorts.

We go a few times a week and have used quite a few pools, and in my experience, hotel pools can be a bit nippy so don't expect too much of a swim! IKEA sell a great hooded towel which is great for throwing on them when you get out of the pool.

I usually shower with the baby in my arms, strip them down, then wrap in a big fluffy towel so that they are nice and warm, and get myself dressed first. My DS has often fallen asleep wrapped in his towel and has stayed asleep while I've dressed him, so he is obviously pretty relaxed!

PavlovtheCat · 09/01/2011 21:31

thefarside i guess, if baby has the squits, nothing is going to stop that bad boy coming out...

PavlovtheCat · 09/01/2011 21:32

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