Taking a newborn swimming

[GraceH24]

I'm hoping to start taking my 5 week old swimming soon. Any tips to make it a enjoyable time? Also any recommendations for a good swimming nappy?

Personally, I’d wait until after she’s had her 2, 3 and 4 month jabs.

No need to wait for jabs!

Put your swimming stuff on before you go and wear very quick/on off clothes. Then you can strip to your swimming costume quickly and then get her ready. For us, after the swim id wrap mine in a big towel and lie them on a changing mat - I’d then get dressed very quickly myself. Once I was dressed I could get them changed/dressed - generally into a fleecy onsie (single layer of clothes for speed) and whizz us Home as fast as possible. I always chose to shower/bath us at home as found babies and young kids are shattered (and sometimes fractious) after swimming and therefore the aim was to get to the car as soon as possible

You don't have to wait for jabs but personally i'd leave it for a bit. Don't think tiny babies get much out of it (baths are probably just as exciting for them and less stressful) and getting changed/keeping warm is such a faff esp this time of year - you'd probably only manage 10-15 mins unless in a hydrotherapy pool.

Happy Nappy swimming nappies over a disposable (or reusable) swimming nappy are what you want. And probably a neoprene wrap for a small baby. Big fluffy towel ready for as soon as you get out.

I took my DD from 6 weeks and she loves the water. I'd recommend taking a couple of towels for baby, so you can wrap baby up and keep them warm as soon as you get out.

I used Asda's little angels swimming nappies and they did the trick.

Enjoy your swim! Xx

Swimming nappy you’ll need a disposable one (remember this isn’t absorbent so put it on at the last possible minute before you go in the pool) and a neoprene one over the top such as a happy nappy. The neoprene one needs to be tightly fitting to contain poo (and therefore is difficult to get on and off)

We started at 12 weeks and have gone once a fortnight , he's not 10 months and is so confident in the water !

We always use a zip up babygrow to put on him afterwards , much easier
Also it's never both me and my husband that get in the pool , we take turns as it's easiest if One of us can sort the baby out as the other gets themselves dressed

Are you going solo or with another adult? Swimming class or casual? If I remember rightly, new mums can't enter swimming pools for six weeks after birth due to infection risk, so give that a google too.

We took dd at 5 weeks. You need disposable nappy, neoprene nappy and then either swimsuit or some sort of baby wrap to help keep them warm.

Take 2 towels, one to cover her in when you getout water and another one to actually dry her with.

Not sure why people think you need to wait until after jabs anymore

Are you going in a hydro/warm pool?

I think guidelines are 12 weeks or 12lb before using a cooler pool, but check as DD is two and these things change.

We did waterbabies in a hydro pool from 10 weeks and she loved it. Pricy but worth it for the warm calm atmosphere (I hate chilly splashy public pools).

I always made DH come with me. But lots of towels and a good changing mat would be my advice. Strip baby off and wrap them up, safe in the mat on the floor, then do you, then dress baby. Baby will probably want milk sharpish afterwards as well (and then a sleep).

It is such a fun and happy idea. And they will devour their milk afterwards.

Also thinking of taking DD 3 months swimming.

Is it a normal nappy + neoprene wrap? Will a swimming nappy do instead of these?

You need swimming nappy and then a neoprene. Double protection for poo!

NOT a normal nappy that will just absorb the water.

It’s swimming nappy plus neoprene nappy over top in a lot of pools - double bagging! A normal nappy will not work as replacement for swim nappy as PP asked as it will soak up too much pool water and bloat. It doesn’t need to be disposable though, I use a reusable swim nappy which has poppers and Velcro sides and was under a tenner. I use disposable nappies otherwise but the swim one is great. We swam in a hydrotherapy pool to begin around 10 weeks and my baby was very chunky for her age but a lot of younger or skinnier babies cried miserably even in this warmer pool and with the wetsuit style suits on. Mine’s still wasn’t too happy for first month whilst getting changed but was fine after that. I’d probably leave it a bit later with a second, until 4/5 months maybe. Neoprene swim wraps are good for first few months (thicker swimsuit which is warmer for them and also just Velcros into place) then just a bit unwieldy and unnecessary when a big bigger and temperature less of a concern. Agree to big towel and a zip up babygrow then in car seat with fluffy blanket.

Not a good idea this early!

Just put them in the bath!! That’s like a swimming pool to them at this stage.

Seriously - what’s the rush?! Why would you put them at risk?! Of germs , of accidentally swallowing water, expose them to chlorine etc??

I took DD from 7 weeks. She was my pfb and it really helped increase my confidence of handling her as she was a wriggly monkey!! I wrapped her in a towel on a neoprene mat while I quickly dressed, then dressed her. To start with she wore swim nappy, neoprene shorts and a neoprene vest. Went on to wear a lovely swimming costume at about 12 weeks I think.

We had a warm swimming pool when my kids were little and they went swimming when they were very little. (We lived in a hot country). I think it was completely pointless! It's good for a few photos and it's fun to say little Jimmy first went swimming when he was a few weeks old but mostly it's just a faff.
It fun for the Mum but I don't get what's in it for tiny babies. When they were a bit older I can see that it's enjoyable for them.

I'd not bother until they were a few months old.

Swim nappy and heated pool, the local ones will be cold for babies. Try waterbabies if you want to go regularly, heated pools and good way to meet other parents and teach water safety to little ones.

Completely pointless. Run a bath and stay home! I made this mistake with my first baby. It’s horrid cold and stressful. Children learn to swim when they are about 6 when they have proper lessons anything before that is utterly pointless but weirdly “going swimming” makes some parents feel as if they get a badge of honour or something.

Took DS from 6 weeks. We take lots of towels for DS and I have a micro fibre dressing gown from Decathlon which I pop on whilst I get him dressed. It keeps me warm and usually dries me off. He gets the munchies afterwards so we have to factor in time for a feed, he's now 4.5 months and loves it!

@MsTSwift couldn't disagree more! I love taking my daughter swimming, she is nearly 1 and goes under water quite happily. We did waterbabies from 6 months and will pick it up again next summer.

It has never been stressful, and the only cold time is getting her out the pool and into a towel, takes about 10 seconds.

A bath is not the same as a swimming pool.

Local pools are fine for babies, aim for ones between 30-32 degrees.

For those saying babies don't learn to swim.until 6, that is mot the only aim in swimming. Its about teaching water confidence, and preventing fear of water

My DH started at five weeks with mine, but it didn't seem to make her like water any more than she did already and she did a lot of screaming. She was better with me though. If I have another, I won't be starting swimming with them until about four months, I think.

E- coli and other bugs are prevalent in pools and pool changing rooms. I really would wait until both you are at least past 6 week check and the baby is older.

Nice for the baby to have fun in a foetal position in a bath bucket.

Took my son weekly from 2 weeks and he loves it. Just take plenty of towels (I always had 2 bath sheets for my son each time) and easy to get on clothes and get him as snug as quickly as possible. You can get fab suits for them with arms and full body/legs with built in happy nappy which keep them toasty. Then I always take him straight in the shower with me to get under the warm to remove the suit and straight into a dry fresh towel. Have a lovely time (it won’t do him any harm, you can’t “catch a cold” etc from swimming.... being viruses generally means cold water won’t do it for them contrary to some of the rumours/silly sayings)

I'm on team 'pointless' with this one. I took dd once at about 6 months. Yes, there were small babies who were seemingly confident in the water, but it was the norm for the new ones to be crying for the whole lesson, it was grim. Give it a year or so until your baby can actually understand whats going on, at a month old, get snuggled down in bed and give them some more milk!

I took both my DDs from 5/6 weeks. Keep it fun and start with just short times in the water. Ask about for parent and baby swim sessions, ours are in the warmer "play" pool but without the waves or slides on.
I'm a big fan of the swim brand Splash About for neoprene wraps, nappies and snuggle suits for afterwards.

Enjoy