9 mo DS Starting Swim Lessons tomorrow -- questions

[CharlotteMommy]

My 9 month old DS is starting swim lessons tomorrow. I've plan to have me and him both changed and ready to go when we leave the house. He'll be wearing a swim diaper, rubber pants and swim suit. I'll also be bringing 2 towels - one for him and one for me, and a change of clothes for the both of us. Anything I'm forgetting? Also, any advice on the logistics of using the changing room after the lesson? DS just started crawling, and I am just imagining the scene in the locker room (both of us wet and me trying to change him and me while maintaining my sanity). TIA for any advice, tips, etc.

[newg]

don't forget that a swim diaper doesn't hold liquid in!!! We would put DD in her suit...with swim diaper.....and then throw a regular diaper on over her suit incase she peed in the car.....then I wouldn't have a carseat to clean!

If you're going by yourself an umbrella stroller may help keep DS in one spot while you change into dry clothes.....I see moms at our pool with strollers all the time.......I would totally do it if I was going by myself.

[doberbrat]

swim diapers arent waterproof i would keep a reg diaper on him till the pool

[carolinamama]

Not sure how far you live from the pool, but swim diapers are not absorbant so I usually change into those at the pool with a younger child so I don't end up with a mess in the carseat. You could even put the diaper under the swim diaper and pull it out once you got there.

I've always changed in the locker room. You can take a stroller to park your DS while you change so he isn't crawling all over. This time of year, you do probably want to change before going outside.

Have fun! My boys love the pool.

[SkyrMommy]

DD and I have been swimming for about three months now with our local recreation program. First - I have to say so much fun!!!

The program is later in the evening so we go to it in her footie pjs with swim diaper & swimsuit on underneath. I go with my suit on under my jeans and top. After swimming I wrap her in the big towel & head into the locker room to shower off & change. I strip her down to nada & use a washcloth in the shower to rinse off as much of the chlorine as possible. I set her in her carseat on the floor all wrapped up like a burrito - my friend has her little boy up in his stroller with a towel around him. I change as fast as I can and then lay out my big towel on the floor, lay her in her towel on top and get her dressed in her real diaper & pjs. She wiggles around, but is usually pretty wiped from the swimming & playing so doesn't try to crawl away from me. Once she's dressed she's buckled into her seat on the floor & I tidy everything else up quickly to go. Then it's off to home & sleep.

I do bring a large zip plastic bag for all wet/chlorine things to throw in the wash & always have an extra swim diaper and wipes just in case she makes a mess on the way to the pool.

Have fun!!!

[Roni]

Yes, what everyone else said--change him when you get there. It depends on the set-up of the locker room what the logistics will be, but everyone is going to be in the same boat with squirmy kids. Is there a family locker room, or will you be in the ladies' locker room? Sometimes there are different sections for different groups of people. If you are in the ladies' locker room, just stay away from grumps (i.e the mature women's water aerobics class--just saying), & hang out where the other parents are, & you should be fine. If you are already in your suit on the way to class, it should be easy getting there. After class, maybe get him dressed first and put him in an umbrella stroller, then change yourself. Mothers usually help each other coral their kids, & it all works out most of the time.

Oh, and have fun!!!!!

[CharlotteMommy]

So glad I posted this question -- I had no idea about the (non) absorbency of the swim dipe, and probably would have eventually found out the hard way! REALLY appreciate the information. If any other mamas out there have any additional advice, it is VERY much appreciated. Thanks so much!

Roni, to answer your question -- there is a family changing room, so I think I'll be in good company. :)

[KrisM]

If you can use the women's changing room, I'd do that. IME, family changing rooms are small with only a couple of rooms to change in. You can't change by the lockers, since it's "family" which includes dads and daughters :).

I always changed myself first at that age because it was inconvenient to bring a stroller in the locker room. So, I'd wrap DS up in a towel and sit him on the bench and quickly change. Then, I'd change him, and get our coats on and gear packed and head out. If I changed him first, he'd be sitting on a wet bench in dry clothes.

[bubbaray]

If you can use the women's changing room, I'd do that. IME, family changing rooms are small with only a couple of rooms to change in. You can't change by the lockers, since it's "family" which includes dads and daughters :).



:yeahthat:

You could also call the pool and ask if they have strap-in seats in the family change room for babies. Ours has that. However, when I went by myself, I brought my own stroller. I would put a spare towel down under the baby, quickly dry myself, then use a dry towel on the baby. Take a spare towel just in case the baby pees/poops on the towel.

[Momit]

I would literally wait until <5 minutes before your class to put on the swim diaper. One time when Grandma & Grandpa came with me to class, we got DS ready a few minutes earlier so we could take some pictures and sure enough - he peed right through the swim diaper while he was sitting on Grandma's lap!

[wendibird22]

Bring flip flops! IMO walking around the wet pool floor and wet locker room is gross. I can't stand stepping in stagnant water.

eta: once the weather warms up I personally wouldn't worry about changing myself. Last summer we'd change DD1 into dry clothes the wrap a towel around ourselves and go. Easy for me to shower/change at home.

[Roni]

Ooh, yes, flip flops or slides.

Let us know how it went!

[CharlotteMommy]

Thank you all for your advice. We went swimming this morning and had a blast. It's amazing how quickly those thirty minutes flew by! DS even fell asleep on the way home afterwards, as a result of all that activity. I don't remember the last time he just conked out in the car like that! I am looking forward to our remaining lessons this month. Thanks again.

[TwinFoxes]

Umm, somehow we did an entire session of swim and never knew swim dupes weren't waterproof until now! :bag: I guess we got lucky!!

You might want to look into a wetsuit depending how warm the water is. Our girls enjoyed swimming a lot more once they had theirs.

Our pool supplied towels, that could be one less thing for you to worry about. You might want to take a snack for yourself, I was always hungry after our class.

[Roni]

[QUOTE=TwinFoxes;2646187]Umm, somehow we did an entire session of swim and never knew swim dupes weren't waterproof until now! :bag: I guess we got lucky!!

You might want to look into a wetsuit depending how warm the water is. Our girls enjoyed swimming a lot more once they had theirs.

LOL--It took me a long time to realize about the swim diapers, too. An accident in the stroller made me realize it.

Our Y has a really warm teaching pool, but for swimming in a lake, we do use a wet suit or a lighter thermal suit.