Would you judge me?

JuneBug86 · April 2013

I'm probably over thinking this, but I need some opinions!

I take DS to our local pool a few times a week. He is in love with the water slide there. He's only 2.5 so of course he has to sit on my lap as we go down together. It's not a crazy fast speed slide or anything, but it is a big 2 story slide that twists 3 times then you land in water about 4 feet deep (and DS wears a life jacket at all times in the pool area and is never out of arms reach from me). I have to admit, it's a ton of fun, and I think I enjoy it as much as DS does.

I'm not worried about our safety or anything, it's a safe slide with lots of life guards watching, but I'm worried I might get looks or get judged for going down the water slide with a pregnant belly now that I'm showing. Like I'm doing something that pregnant women shouldn't be doing for safety reasons.

It's just that DS is a typical toddler that you can't reason with at this point. If we go to the pool at all, there is no keeping him off that slide (and he's no where near old enough to go down by himself). So, would you judge me and give me "looks" for going down a big twisty water slide?

sooner1981 · April 2013

I don't make it a habit to judge, and don't think that going down when you are pregnant is a big deal if your doctor has said it is fine.

But one of the most common ways that toddlers break their legs these days is from parents sliding down slides together with them. The engineering on slides is specifically for one person, and your body weight could easily snap his leg on one of the twists. This exact thing happened to one of my good friends at their neighborhood park. She is a tiny little thing, and went down a slide with her 2 year old, and at the bottom, he just burst into tears and screams. The ER doctor said that he sees that injury fairly often, and that parents always feel super guilty about it, but that slides are only meant for one person at a time and especially not meant for two people of such different weights to go down together.

JuneBug86 · April 2013

sooner1981:
But one of the most common ways that toddlers break their legs these days is from parents sliding down slides together with them.

Really! Wow, I did not know that. I actually never even heard of that before, but it makes sense. That pool is filled with young kids and toddlers with their parents, and there is always parents going down the slide with young kids and toddlers around 2-3, and the life guards never mention about that risk. You'd think they would...

sooner1981 · April 2013

JuneBug86:
sooner1981:

But one of the most common ways that toddlers break their legs these days is from parents sliding down slides together with them.
Really! Wow, I did not know that. I actually never even heard of that before, but it makes sense. That pool is filled with young kids and toddlers with their parents, and there is always parents going down the slide with young kids and toddlers around 2-3, and the life guards never mention about that risk. You'd think they would...

I don't know...if the lifeguards are just teenage kids or other people without medical training, it may have never been brought up. But the ER doctor just made my friend feel a little dumb for not knowing that it was so dangerous.

I just googled it, and here is a great article that explains it better.

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/23/asurprisingriskfortoddlersatplaygroundslides/

JuneBug86 · April 2013

sooner1981:
JuneBug86:
sooner1981:

But one of the most common ways that toddlers break their legs these days is from parents sliding down slides together with them.
Really! Wow, I did not know that. I actually never even heard of that before, but it makes sense. That pool is filled with young kids and toddlers with their parents, and there is always parents going down the slide with young kids and toddlers around 2-3, and the life guards never mention about that risk. You'd think they would...

I don't know...if the lifeguards are just teenage kids or other people without medical training, it may have never been brought up. But the ER doctor just made my friend feel a little dumb for not knowing that it was so dangerous.

I just googled it, and here is a great article that explains it better.

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/23/asurprisingriskfortoddlersatplaygroundslides/

Thanks for the link. It's actually not just teens working at the pool. We go to a military base gym with a pool, not like a YMCA. I'm surprised they don't have stricter rules in a place like that if that risk is so common.

karo112 · April 2013

I agree with everything the PP said.

I, personally, would judge the life jacket more...but that's just coming from an ISR mindset...most people wouldn't have the same opinion

Bunkster2008 · April 2013

I'm surprised your pool even lets you go down at this point. Our pool has 'slide rules' and you can not ride with someone, wear a life jacket, or go down if you are pregnant. So I have three shots against me this summer so LO will not be going down. Thankfully, she has no idea that it is even there so it will not be an issue.

If there weren't the above rules, and what I now know from this post, I wouldn't judge someone for going down. So before I wouldn't have judged. Good luck this summer with no slide!

RunningGal900 · April 2013

Bunkster2008:
I'm surprised your pool even lets you go down at this point.nbsp; Our pool has 'slide rules' and you can not ride with someone, wear a life jacket, or go down if you are pregnant.nbsp; So I have three shots against me this summer so LO will not be going down.nbsp; Thankfully, she has no idea that it is even there so it will not be an issue.nbsp; If there weren't the above rules, and what I now know from this post, I wouldn't judge someone for going down.nbsp; So before I wouldn't have judged.nbsp; = Good luck this summer with no slide!

Same here. Ours doesn't gonintonthe pool, but into shallow water if that makes sense, but ds isn't allowed on it at all.

karo112 · April 2013

RunningGal900:
Bunkster2008:
I'm surprised your pool even lets you go down at this point.nbsp; Our pool has 'slide rules' and you can not ride with someone, wear a life jacket, or go down if you are pregnant.nbsp; So I have three shots against me this summer so LO will not be going down.nbsp; Thankfully, she has no idea that it is even there so it will not be an issue.nbsp; If there weren't the above rules, and what I now know from this post, I wouldn't judge someone for going down.nbsp; So before I wouldn't have judged.nbsp; = Good luck this summer with no slide!
Same here. Ours doesn't gonintonthe pool, but into shallow water if that makes sense, but ds isn't allowed on it at all.

If he can't swim - I think that's a great desicion. Here is why I have never ever allowed my kids in life jackets, floaties or anything else.

IS IT OK TO USE FLOATIES, RINGS OR FLOATATION SWIM SUITS FOR MY CHILD TO PLAY IN THE WATER UNTIL SHE IS READY TO LEARN TO SWIM? HOW ABOUT A LIFE-JACKET?

Flotation devices give children a false sense of security and hold them in postures that are not compatible with swimming skills. If a child learns that he can jump in the water and go into a vertical posture and he will be able to breathe, he is getting the wrong idea about that environment. Flotation devices are for children who cannot swim. Children, who cannot swim, should not be allowed to learn that it is safe to play in the water while relying on a crutch. Life jackets must be worn in a boat or around the water when there is the potential for an accidental submersion; they are not a substitute for the ability to swim or for adult supervision.

kimbo1216 · April 2013

We are taking DD to schliterbahn this summer. I fully intend in taking her on some of the tube rides. My theory is that if little babies can do it, so can I!

I also don't really care if someone who does not know me judges my decisions. Frankly it's their problem, not mine.

So I say if you feel fine, go for it!

BlessUrHeart29 · April 2013

sooner1981:
I don't make it a habit to judge, and don't think that going down when you are pregnant is a big deal if your doctor has said it is fine. But one of the most common ways that toddlers break their legs these days is from parents sliding down slides together with them. The engineering on slides is specifically for one person, and your body weight could easily snap his leg on one of the twists. This exact thing happened to one of my good friends at their neighborhood park. She is a tiny little thing, and went down a slide with her 2 year old, and at the bottom, he just burst into tears and screams. The ER doctor said that he sees that injury fairly often, and that parents always feel super guilty about it, but that slides are only meant for one person at a time and especially not meant for two people of such different weights to go down together.

This. It happened to close friends of mine. Dad was riding a twisty slide with his 2 year old daughter. It was awful. We all got educated on that pretty quickly.

shelley1002 · April 2013

I would not judge a pregnant lady for taking her toddler down a pool slide if I didn't know about legs breaking on slides. I would wonder if you knew about that and may give you a side eye. I heard about that while I was pregnant with DS.