What age can babies go to a public pool?

Now that it is summer, how little did you take your baby in the pool?
I’ve seen mamas with babies in the pool nearly right off the gate and I’ve seen mamas wait until babies are 6+ months old and just do a baby pool with fresh water from a hose.
What are all your pool-going tips?
Sunscreen, length of time in water/sun, favorite flotation devices for babies, shade givers like hats and sunglasses? Do you use water diapers or just a bathing suit?
New FTM here clueless!

7 Likes

We waited for my son until he was older because little babies tend to like being warmer. Sunscreen cannot be put on a baby until at LEAST 6 months old! And there are these swimming trunks that I use that are amazing and they are called iplay! They have a built in diaper that you can wash and it’s super convenient and easy instead of trying to take a wet water diaper off!

1 Like

We take them in as newborns. We just make sure they have rash guards and a floppy hat. My infants loved the pool, they often would fall asleep in it.

We didnt take ours in a pool till closer to 1

I’ve read no sunscreen until 6 months so we pretty much kept her covered until then. No floaters, we just hold her. We put a swim diaper on under her bathing suit :slightly_smiling_face:

My second baby was born in a pool. Lol they can learn to swim at a super young age so dont be afraid to get that baby wet! I apply sunscreen every few hours to my 4 year old and just keep my baby in the shade… We like sunhats with the chin strap and sunglasses if your kids let you. :wink: I just use regular float rings and noodles for my son. His rings dont have the search any more but they have floaty rings that babies can sit in. Those are nifty

My daughter has been in the pool since 3 months old and LOVES it. I didn’t put sun screen on my daughter because of the chemicals in it, but she stayed shaded mostly the whole time.
Get her a little float with a little shade on it! They sale them at the dollar store!

We took our little guy in yesterday. He turned 6 months yesterday as well.

2 Likes

Did the newborn class at 2 months, at a swim school (indoors), used disposable swim diapers and the cloth swim diaper cover

First time was in our swimspa a week or two after his 2m shots. I had him in a swim diaper and a swimsuit/rashguard (no sunscreen on itty bittys!! It makes it horrible)

We were out total of half an hour, and I held him in the pool until he was old enough to sit up and then got him a baby floaty with a sunshade. Now he wears a puddle jumper and I keep him in arms reach. He loves the water (23mo)

1 Like

Our daughter was about 2 months old first time she loved it. For outside just get a sun shirt and shorts to minimize exposure.

I’ve taken all of mine around 2 to 3 months old. We held them no sunscreen keep them covered best as possible

We took them in right off the bat in a swim diaper and a T. We’d keep it short and then get them into the shade because tiny babies can’t have sunscreen on.

Babies increase in their ability to regulate temperature from not at all to fully functioning from 0months-2 years. In the first 3 months they are especially susceptible to cold temperatures and fevers, but the minimum age on most swim lessons, for this reason, is 6 months to be safe.

It’s really up to you and your doctor on when it’s safe and baby is ready, but just make sure it’s a warm pool or a nice day, but also not too hot as they can overheat just as easily as become too cold.

You can always watch for shivers or flushed faces as a sign of when to get out.

Also, important to note that their skin is also very sensitive to sun before 6 months, so you want to limit overall time exposed. Though avoiding sun and swimming indoors poses sensitivity risks because of chemicals in the pool.

There are also different pathogen risks to each body of water, which is why at least six months is again suggested for baby’s immune system.

As a general rule, most say:

-Wait until 6 months.
-Swim outdoors with fresh water.
-Wear lots of baby skin approved sunblock and/or full body coverage swim wear (depending on if you waited until after six months when babies can have sunblock).
-Swim somewhere within the window of 10-2p for extra warmth from sun, but seek protection from the increased rays.
-Be vigilant and get out if baby is too hot or cold.
-Do not swim for extended periods of time and get baby back to normal temperature ASAP after exiting water.
-Wash before and seal skin and hair with conditioner/lotion/etc to lock out chemicals and pathogens (and then rinse after).

Again, these are just general guidelines and considerations though. Every baby is different and it should be discussed with a doctor in regards to your individual baby.

2 Likes

I always rubbed baby suncreen in my hands real good then rubbed them down. So they had a little protection but not tons on suncreen. All my kids were water bugs from very early ages. Even just in a bath they loved the water so i just held them til they could sit up on their own then i used the baby floats with the sunshade.

My son is 5mo and went in today!

You should be waiting until they are over 6 months. There are so many germs in public pools.

This float is BOMB for babies. My sons 6mo and loves to float around the water in it.

1 Like

My son was 5 months when I first took him to the lake beach by us. That’s just how old he happened to be when it was June lol. I kept a swim shirt and hat on him his float had a shade and we had canopies set up on the beach. I’ve seen a lot of things lately saying not to use sunblock on babies but I used babyganics on him back then and he did fine with it. I had never been told not to at the time.

id say after first set of shots

My oldest was born at the beginning of May, so I took her swimming straight out the gate. We had our own pool though, so I knew exactly what was in my water. My younger two weren’t really born during swimming season, so I just waited until summer came around again.

My first was 2 months old (born in March). Second was about 6 months old (born in November).

No sunscreen until 6 months, try to use natural or baby when you do nothing with aerosol and apply to a test area 30 minutes prior to a full body application. A rash guard and hat for babies. And a no real diapers in the pool