My baby will be 2 months old in just a week and a half. Since it is summer and the weather is hot, I would like to take her in the pool. Of course I do not plan on taking her out in the peak heat and sun hours. I plan on bathing her as soon as we leave. And I do not plan on having her in the water longer than 15 minute stretches at first. Since it is summer, my doctor has assured me that we do not have to live indoors. She advised about covering her and keeping her in the shade during peak sun hours. She did advise about a good sunscreen that we can use on her at this age. She said that the risks of not using one in the south during the summer far outweigh the risks of using it on her under 6 months old. We plan on using a family member's private pool at first.
Wow! You guys are fast! :) Thanks sooo much for keeping it positive. I definitely don't plan on getting her head wet just yet. :) Btw the sunscreen I was advised to use is Vanicream Sunscreen.
There are quite a few sunscreens that are safe for babies under 6 months old. Vanicream is a good brand, but if you can't find it you can also use anything by California Baby, Blue Lizard, Badger, or Mustela (there are others too).
The main thing you want to look for is zinc as the main sunblocker, not the chemicals that most sunscreens contain.
I would. :) As long as you use common sense and follow your mommy instincts, she will be fine.
You might look into getting one of those baby floats that has a sun canopy on it. :)
Sure you can! All of the cautions you stated above sound perfect. I take my 4 month old to the pool.
Can I ask which sunscreen your pediatrician recommended for her? I have mostly been keeping the baby in the shade (my husband and I take turns sitting with him while the other plays with our 3 year old), so I have not used much sunscreen on him yet but want to be prepared since as it gets hotter he will definately be getting more pool time!
Just be careful about keeping her warm after she gets out of the pool. Babies can have a very hard time regulating their body temperature no matter what the outside temp is. Be sure to dry her off right away and change her clothes immediately even if you plan on staying outside. A cold wet bathing suit and swim diaper will make it harder for her to regulate her own temp. And a bath when you get home to get off the cholorine.
sure you can! I was swimming with my daughter when she was only 2 months old. She was born in March, so it was perfect timing by spring! She loved it.
As long as you protect her from the sun, I really don't think you need to be concerned. She will probably love being in the water.
When my youngest was a baby, he was in the pool because big brother was in the pool. I used as little sunscreen as I could (because it's not recommended before 6 months) and put him in loose, white cotton clothing. I'm pretty sure I found some long sleeve onesies (probably made by Gerber) and some pants and put those on over his swim diaper. I also placed his carseat very close to the pool. When he fell asleep, I just placed him in his carseat, lowered the shade, made sure he was a safe distance from the pool and played with big brother.
I wouldn't worry about letting baby play in the water.
All of us spring and summer babies were in my grandparents pool our first summer out. Many of us were swimming before we could walk. Ditto, I had my son in when he was little.
Absolutely take her in the pool. I always liked an indoor, heated salt water pool the best when my kids were babies. Make sure if you are in a chlorine pool you give her a bath after so her skin doesn't get too dry.
I didn't join a pool until my kids were older. I preferred the control a baby pool gave me over the situation -- the babies could sit in just a couple of inches of water while I dangled my toes in -- it's just as important to supervise in a couple of inches, but for some reason, it felt more manageable than a full-fledged pool. Also, there was no risk of some odd bacterial outbreak or funky things that can happen in a public pool. You won't have that at a private pool, but it's just a matter of personal preference and a sense of control.
It's ok as long as your are careful. Most public pools use way too much chlorine though. I would not put her in more than mid-chest though, just to be careful.
