Where do I put baby while child is in swimming lessons if pushchairs aren't allowed poolside

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My child is at swimming lessons but im pretty sure prams aren't allowed at pool so what do you do with baby whole swimming lesson and while you are sorting child out before and after?? I have had this situation before but can not remember what I did with baby

Car seat?
Sling?

Sling or car seat?

I took the car seat in IIRC.

I used a car seat, baby just sat on the side of the pool. It was beautifully warm and humid, he used to doze off without fail.

I just carried them in a sling or baby carrier, then held in my arms while watching the other DC at swimming lessons.
I didn’t like to use car seats outside the car because of the risk of asphyxiation if a baby is in a car seat too long.

Oh thankyou very much all I hadn't thought of that, I have a prolapse so I can't carry anything at all so can't carry car seat or baby in sling either too heavy, I should have said he is nearly 6 months

Bumping this for any other ideas... Same dilemma but with 2 babies so slings and car seats are not really options as do not have enough arms or strength! Ideally I can take the pram as far as possible, shove DC1 poolside and leg it back to the babies but I don't know.. not prepared to leave them alone anywhere unsafe of course but not sure if any staff will be around or anything like that. Going to the first lesson just with DC1 but that is not an option for me every week so I need to figure it out when I go this week

I think you could call the pool in advance and let them know you need assistance? Present them with the problem- medical prolapse so cant carry, or have twins so can’t carry and see if they have a solution. They might allow you a push chair “pass” under the circumstances.

Alternatively, you could get to know another parent and ask them to take your DC with their DC for changing before /after while you wait in observation area or outer part of pool.

Have you got anyone to watch them? That's the only way I can do it - my DMIL comes to look after my baby while I take DS to his lesson as we go on a weekday. We couldn't do it otherwise (or would have to be on the waitlist for a Saturday slot). There's no buggies allowed in our changing room and it's very much one adult per family as there's not enough room at lesson swap over time.

Yeah the “I can’t carry anything” was a fairly key piece of omitted information! Since you have already navigated this situation in life and have just forgotten what to do, maybe the pool manager can look back at the CCTV for you and let you know?

I don't envy you @NC1602 sounds very hard.@planD that's a really good suggesti1thankyou I will do that.@Wagglerock I don't have any one else unfortunately all working,@SweetBabyCheeses99 im guessing yiur a very bored strange character in real life

Typing while lying down feeding baby sorry for spelling errors

While getting older child dressed - our pool has a small baby jail playpen with foam mats on the floor to plonk a baby in while you get older ones changed
Can you check if you’re has the same? And if not, suggest they get one

During lessons, sitting on your lap with books and toys

In lockdown, we (swim club/swim teacher/swim lessons) got used to coming beach ready, and leaving in a towel and crocs. Sales of those towelling hoodie things sky rocketed. Shower at home. I would 💯 do this if I had to do my time at swim lessons again, saves the hell that is the changing rooms.

The leisure centre near me has pushchairs you can borrow for this purpose. Maybe call and ask.

There are play pens at the pool we go to, in the changing room

Not being able to carry baby seems tough OP. We have a very good baby carrier from
Baby Björn that helps to support your back very well so not really heavy but with a prolapse even that is probably not an option. Second pp who say ask the swimming pool manager to make an exception or can someone, your mother or MIL for example, come with you and hold the baby? Or can you reschedule the lessons for the weekend if your DP/DH works during the week so they can come with you.

Do you have to go in with child? I take my 5 year old in swimmers with dressing gown and crocs and strip them off and shove him through the door. I wait outside then he gets sent back out, has dressing gown and crocs put back on and back to the car we go!

Otherwise I’d use a sling - it won’t make your prolapse worse (you are presumably lifting the child in and out of pram etc anyway).

Obviously not what you’re doing but ours was in a weekend class so dh could take him and I stayed home with baby.

It’s a nightmare. I had four under six at one point. I took towels with me and put the newborn down on them while changing the elder ones. Not ideal but we all survived.

We only have one child however we are not allowed in to help so our way would still work. We take him in swim shorts and nice thick fluffy dressing gown and flip flops or crocs. Go as far as you are allowed and just by the pool area we help him with his hat and goggles and he slips off dressing gown and shoes and gives them to us and goes in. At the end he comes out puts dressing gown back on and slips on shoes, towel on the back seat just to be sure and sort him out at home where you can put baby down easily and have time to make sure he showers and gets dressed again.

I think holding baby upright in your lap as you quickly dry and change older DC would be good. Skip the shower until you get home.

I left my pram at the viewing area and carried baby through the changing room and handed my older dc to their swimming instructor. Then walk back through the changing room to the viewing area/room. Watch my older children do their lesson. I have the option on either putting baby back in pushchair or let him sit on my lap.
When it is time to pick the children up, I usually take the pushchair with me but leave it at the changing room.

Thankyou very much for all your ideas I really do appreciate it alot so kind 😊 mother and MIL not an option unfortunately, loving the suggestion of calling and asking for options they may have buggies etc hadn't even considered calling them, unfortunately being in a sling carrying that long does make it worse hes quite heavy but lifting in and out of pram etc doesn't help either but not as bad as sling (wish I would of done my pelvic exercises after my first 😓)

The pool had a playpen when we went. If you have an older child, we could watch from the cafe with pushchairs