Chlorine and a 4 month old?

[Sashi]

Hi Ladies -

I was just wondering, as I forgot to ask the pediatrician yesterday at our 4 month WBV if my son is allowed in an indoor pool at this age? I am not sure with the Chlorine, etc. We are going away this weekend and I need to know whether we should pack bathing suits!

Thanks in advance!

[MrsBeckyLP]

I have a friend who is a physician's assistant, and she takes her son swimming in her mother's chlorinated pool all the time. She told me the chlorine isn't a concern, but I didn't ask how she knows that or where she gets her info!

[TracyDP]

I think it mainly depends on if your baby is allergic at all to chlorine. I took my baby swimming in an indoor pool at 6m old and she did fine, I just made sure to give her a bath afterwards to clean off all the chlorine. I would have taken her at 4m too, but we didn't have access to a pool then. I never asked my ped so I don't know what she thought of it. :o

[Sevilla]

I would be fine with splashing and such, but I probably wouldn't immerse the baby and I would make sure to bathe afterwards to wash off the chlorine - it can be very irritating to the skin.

[PookiePrincess]

Sashi, I wouldn't worry too much about it. We have 2 sets of friends who had babies last February and their babies were playing in the chlorinated pool at 4 months old (this time last year). We're actually planning on getting together with them tomorrow and will take the baby in the pool for the first time. The only thing I've read is a concern with diarrhea from swallowing pool water, so just make sure not to immerse him fully when you go.

[Marisa]

We took DS1 in the pool on vacation when he was about that age. We were only in briefly (it was way too hot/bright to stay out in the sun -- 110 degrees in Tucson) and we showered when we got back to our hotel room.

[jennylou]

We were in a pool at 3 months. :) We stayed in the shade (from a building) and probably were only in about 10 minutes.

[karlatta]

DS was swimming starting at like 6 weeks. Maybe sooner. I was just careful to make sure he was rinsed off well and stuff.

I didn't have a lot of options, as I was a SAHM with an 8 year old, and she wanted to go swimming, so we did. No way would I have survived the summer without some sort of outdoor activity for the kids, and in Texas, the pool is the only way to be outside and not roast.

ETA: DD didn't swim until 7 months, but that was due to how her birthday fell.

[ejs]

We were told to wait until 6 months, just like with sunscreen.

[lil_nance]

My kids weren't in at that age just because we didn't have access. But in regards to the sunscreen my ped pointed out that your skin doesn't magically change at 6mo. I asked because DD was only 2mo this time last year and there were times we had to be outside. I would think for a limited time with bath afterwards should be fine.

[MrsBeckyLP]

But in regards to the sunscreen my ped pointed out that your skin doesn't magically change at 6mo. I asked because DD was only 2mo this time last year and there were times we had to be outside.

(Our ped told me sunscreen was OK too. DD is only 7 weeks old, and it's crazy to think she won't be in the sun at all this summer. Of course I try to keep her in the shade, but there are times that's just not possible.)

[karlatta]

(Our ped told me sunscreen was OK too. DD is only 7 weeks old, and it's crazy to think she won't be in the sun at all this summer. Of course I try to keep her in the shade, but there are times that's just not possible.)
Yup, my first was a May baby. No way could I keep him out of the sun entirely until he was six months old. We did sunscreen before it was allowed, but I was careful not to put it on his hands or where he could get it in his eyes/mouth.

[jimmysgirl424]

This actually came up when DD was about a month old because SIL has an above-ground pool that DH was wanting to take her into. Our ped said absolutely no above-ground swimming pools till she was a year old because the chlorine concentration is much higher than larger, in-ground pools. She said in-ground pools themselves were fine at 6 months old. (her reasoning on the chlorine levels is that baby's skin is so sensitive that she would be concerned that the chlorine would have damaged it)

Guess all doctors are different, huh?

[SarahKatG]

We took our girls in at 3 months and 4 months, both ok'ed by the ped.

And her opinion on sunscreen was that it's better to wait until 6 months, but if you have to choose between sunscreen and a sunburn, choose the sunscreen. (Of course, that is common sense but it's good to remember)