Taking 4 month old swimming - stupid question

[ER1992]

This is probably a really stupid question but I'm planning on talking my 4 month old to baby swim lessons. I'm just feeling a little anxious about the whole getting changed before and after situation. So my plan is to wear my own swimsuit under my clothes to drive there in and get myself undressed first and then get DS undressed and ready to swim. Then to get out of the pool I'm planning on taking a robe to put around myself while i get DS dry and dressed first and then myself. My question is where do i put him while I get dressed? The pool we are going to has individual changing units and isn't big enough to take pushchairs in plus i wouldn't want to leave it anywhere incase it got stolen. My only thought is to take a spare large towel and folding it up several times and laying him on it on the floor hoping he doesn't get wet. Am I totally over thinking this? What do other's do? I'm planning on going before hand with DH on a weekend but obviously we will both be there to take care of DS when one of us is getting changed

Most public pools have some changing cubicles with a changing table in.

Sorry, just re read and it’s a lesson. Ask the lesson organiser, they generally have a suggestion and some providers will sell you a waterproof roll up changing mat or put up a travel cot in the changing room if there is space in a communal ladies changing - I haven’t needed one at any of the pools I’ve used so far.

It's a public pool as well but ill be going during lesson time so I'll have to race the other mums to a changing cubicle with a baby changing unit in it haha

Most have travel cots - why not pop down and have a look

Yes a lot have a playpen or little chairs with a five point harness that are attached to the wall.

I'll check it out when I go with DH before lessons start

Can he sit? What about taking a bumbo? I used to do this but can't remember at what age when he could just sit. Because he'd cry in the playpen and there tended to be other babies in it.

No he can't sit yet. Possibly will be by the time we go but who knows? If he is though that is a good idea

Take a change mat! It's made my life a lot easier with my DS if no cubicles free with baby change or playpen. He's 15 months now so I wrap him up in a towel and get myself changed after swimming then him, sometimes the other way round! When he was tiny I would always change him first so he wasn't too cold, then lie him back down. Definitely go with your swimming costume already on, makes life a lot easier!

At the pool I take mine to (since 4 months) we all just put the babies on the bench on a changing mat next to the lockers. Awkward as hell but doable!

Folded towel or take your changing mat if it's a very wet room! I went swimming for the first time last week with my 3 month old and took way too much stuff! Felt so silly! But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be getting changed. Enjoy!

I take a bathmat with me to put on the floor to lay my 7-month old on, after he's dried and dressed. It then gets washed with our swimming towels. I stand over him while I'm getting dried to stop him rolling away. Our swimming pool also has mats and a playpen but they're often in use.

Another tip that someone gave me is to just put the baby in a zip-up onesie/sleepsuit afterwards to save time getting them dressed in proper clothes.

Take a waterproof changing mat (you can buy roll up ones in large Boots stores/ online). Towel on mat on floor (so they don't roll off). Dry and dress baby. Leave baby on mat. Dry and dress yourself. Or wrap baby in towel on mat with nappy on (important). Dress yourself. Dress baby.
I put all towels/clothes/etc in a (nice) supermarket bag for life for ease.
4 month old is easy, it's when they start crawling away it gets tricky.
Once mine got to escapee toddler age I started using a cubicle or if there was no cubicle I would find a corner bench and trap them in the corner with the bag and my body.

Thanks for the tips feeling a bit more confident about it now and hopefully it won't be as bad as I thought it would be

You could take the car seat in with you, I found this easiest as during baby swim lessons there are usually a lot of baby’s needing changed (taking up all the baby specific areas) and if I had car seat I could just bring it into a normal cubicle with me and once baby dry and dressed just clip them in :) then get yourself ready. No worries re rolling etc

We started lessons at 4 months too. Our pool has a stack of changing mats that you can pop on the floor and a playpen. In out pool you are not allowed to take car seats into the pool or changing room as they take up too much space. Agree it's when they start crawling that things get tricky!!

Some public pools have little fold out tables for babies, like changing mats. I would take a spare towel to place on one of these for hygiene reasons (if they even have them of course).

Perhaps a changing mat for the floor?

I used to take the car seat (if you have the type of car seat that’s easily moved). I would put DS or DD in the car seat once they are dry and dressed.

Pack everything into an ikea bag with an extra towel in the bottom. They can lay in the bag whilst you get dressed - totally waterproof so you can put it on the floor if there’s nowhere else to put it.

A couple of tips - take your cossie off before putting the robe on and get baby dried, put on nappy, wrap up warm and then feed them.
If it’s a nightmare just wait until your little one is older.