Going to the swimming pool with a new born - are there any flaws in my plan?

[Charingcrossbun]

Just want some advice from more experienced mums! I'm the v proud mum of a baby boy 6 days old!
DP and I joined our local (literally round the corner)
Gym when I was pregnant and went swimming everyday. I'd really like to continue. DP has suggested - once my stitches heal - the 3 of us go (with baby in the carry cot bit of the pram) then one of us swims whilst the other sits with baby poolside (they have loungers) and then we swap, same for showering. Obv if the baby hates it and screams we'll stop but can any one see a flaw in the plan? Is it completely impractical...

No,not at all. Sounds perfectly doable to me.

Aw, congrats! Sounds like a good plan. Depending on your baby he may just sleep in the carry cot, or may want to come out and be cuddled/look around. Either way you'd both get a swim.

If there's a baby-suitable part of the pool then you could take the baby in for a splash about too from 6 weeks or so. We used to do the taking turns thing but with one of us in the pool with baby, or cuddling baby in a towel after he'd had enough. But maybe not possible if it's a gym pool?

Now we have two "babies" it's more taking turns who supervises which child...

I think it's practical but I'd rather go on my own, then send dh on his own once I got home.....

sounds fun! see if you can dunk the baby in too some days. there is no need to wait for jabs - baby already has immunity from in utereo.

have fun!

Only flaw that I can see is that you haven't specified that you should be the one to shower first .

If you're BFing, IME you don't get much time between feeds in the early days - therefore the plan is you hold the baby whilst DP swims (maybe you feed baby in the cafe if there is one...) then you swim whilst DO holds baby. Then you shower and change, run like hell because baby will need either a nappy change or a feed by then, your DP changes and joins you...

Problem with DP changing first is that he will then be totally bored by the time you've changed, but baby will need a feed, so your DP will keep saying 'hasn't he finished yet?'!

I has c-sections with both so wasn't really ready myself to go in a pool till 6 weeks, but we took both DC in with us from that point. Both love the water, we usually spend 2-3hrs in the water now. As long as small babies are warm, they,re usually v happy in the water. You can buy neoprene swim wraps which are brilliant, buy you extra time. Have fun!

I was bleeding still for the first six weeks so obviously going swimming was out. After that there's no reason why not.

we took dd swimming at about 6 weeks old and she loved it and still does (7 months) so definitely do it!!

Brilliant - thanks ladies.

I wouldn't put a baby that young in a public pool. If they swallow any water they can get really nasty bugs and if they do then it can completely strip the gut of friendly bacteria and they end up with diarrhoea for a fortnight.

Sounds like a fine plan. Both mine went in the pool regularly from 4 weeks old or so. The Waterbabies website has good info on taking small children in pools re health etc. Obviously you should only take your baby in when you're ready/comfortable with it, which might be soon or could be in several months time. Have fun.