Swimming

cottonlily84

When is it ok to let LO swim?  She will be about this age during the summer and we go camping to parks with lakes and the beach.  Is it ok to let her play in "dirty" water.  What about pools with all the chemicals?

clineak

We are starting DD in swim lessons at the end of February. She'll be 7 months by the time they start. The minimum age to start is 6 months. Our pedi has no problem with this. What do you mean by "dirty" water? Like a lake? If that's the case, then my advice would be the same as if you let her swim in a chlorinated pool--give her a good rinse afterward! Have fun!

jsong

We are starting swimming lessons next weekend. LO will be almost 7 months old. We want LO to get comfortable with the water and hopefully learn to swim at an early age bc of our pool. He'll get a bath after each lesson. 

jmo866

We started parent and tot swimming 3 weeks ago, so just about 5.5 months. The place we go says it is open from 3 months to 36 months old, and there are babies of all ages. As for swimming in lakes etc. I'm not so sure what I'd do about that. I guess if the water is clean enough for you to swim in it would be fine for the baby, although I would probably just not want him drinking it!

cottonlily84

Yeah dirty water as in lakes/ocean, not treated water.  There's a state park near our house that has a beach area on an Army Corp lake we go to alot.  I would like for her to take lessons at the Y or somewhere but I haven't checked into infant classes yet.  She really loves the bath so I think she will be a water baby anyway. 

jmo866

cottonlily84:

Yeah dirty water as in lakes/ocean, not treated water.  There's a state park near our house that has a beach area on an Army Corp lake we go to alot.  I would like for her to take lessons at the Y or somewhere but I haven't checked into infant classes yet.  She really loves the bath so I think she will be a water baby anyway. 

I hope you have better luck than we did lol... DS loves his bath too, splashes, laughs, the whole bit. So, I signed us up for 10 weeks of swimming at the Y, and had to pay because we are not members. Turns out he hates it and is scared to death LOL... 3 down, 7 to go!

swimiz500

I took DD as soon as her umbilical stump fell off around 7 weeks. This was in a chlorinated pool. But I would definitely take her in a lake or something this summer, or even now if it was warm. Just try not to get it in her mouth, and give a good bath after! Have fun! 

amri24

I am a swim-a-holic so we took ours to the pool at 5 wks. He was only in for a few minutes though. We took him a week or so later and pretty regularly since then. He started swim lessons at 6 months too (30 min long). We just make sure he is very warm (a shirt or rash guard hekps keep their bodies warm) and keep it to 30 min. Right when we get out, we shower up!

Amitchell0626

We have been taking DD swimming since she was 2 months. She loves it! We take her to an indoor pool with a big baby/kiddie pool, it's like a giant bath tub.

jani7

Make sure to check the lake out.  Some of our lakes have been tested positive for e coli and poisonous algea.  I would definitely not want him drinking or getting it in his mouth.  

cottonlily84

Thanks for all the advice!