Hi! I have a 3 and a 4-year old who really enjoy swimming! Their poor little bellies get so full of air from jumping into the pool, they get awful diarrhea every single time they swim and have a lot of accidents! I have tried mylicon drops but that did not work. I know there has to be some simple answer that I am unaware of. I have also tried just burping them but couldn't get anything out. They will not wear nose clips and really don't understand the whole "plug your nose" thing yet. They plug it until they hit the water. Please, any suggestions that could make our pool days easier on us???? Thanks
I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the diarrhea is from 'drinking' the water. My son is 3 and when he 1st started swimming he had diarrhea too.
Hi C.,
What your children are experiencing is a distention of the belly. It can actually very dangerous in young children especially if they are playing hard in the pool. You are right when you say that it is gas but that gas can make breathing more difficult. If they are getting diarrhea they are drinking too much water.
The reason I know this is because I am a Certified Infant Swimming Instructor and in my 10 minute lessons I have to burp children at least 2 or 3 times due to their air intake.
What you can do to help:
1. No eating or drinking 1.5 hours before going in the pool.
2. No dairy 2 hours before.
3. Apple products of all kinds make the distention a lot worse. Also foods like pineapples, peaches, honey, celery, and spinich.
4. Our lessons are 10 minute individual lessons for this very reason because it is so dangerous, so you may want to limit their time in the pool or at this the exertion of their play.
5. Laying them on their left side will help get out some of the burps and will at least force them to rest for a while.
I felt compelled to answer this email because I see so many distended bellies of children just playing in the water and many parents don't realize how dangerous it is. It can cause the child to be unable to take deep breathes which could render the child listles, uncomfortable, and pale.
I hope this helps.
E..G
Drowning Prevention Specialist
Certified ISR Istructor
www.infantswim.com
Certified ISR Instructor
Maybe no food before they go to the pool just fruits and veg?
hi, my son takes swimming lessons, he's been taking since he was 11mo old,now he's almost 4. Anyways, the teacher has us put a towel on the edge of the pool when he's ready to get out and have him lie on his left side and pat him on his back with another towel draped over him till he burps real good. It sounds funny for a bigger kid, but those are the rules and it works because his stomach is all extended when he gets out from swallowing all that air from the lessons. try it :) also, apple juice and sugary food increases gas in the stomach naturally so during swimming lesson season he's only allowed to drink white grape juice, per teachers request. If your kids are swimming alot it may be something to consider. Hope this helps good luck!
Hi C..
Most likely their diarrhea is from swallowing pool water. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do except maybe give them a snack that helps their poop stay a bit harder....bananas, chocolate milk, rice usually work. If you know you will be at the pool, you might want to stay away from juices....they make the poop soft. Stick with water or milk. Hope this helps.
