Infant in Pool

At my daughter's 4 week appointment asked her pediatrician if I could take her to the pool and he said yes. She has been in the pool ever since. We usually go about once a week and she loves it. She is almost 14mos now and we have never had a problem with chlorine.

I have worked at a pool for 13 years and as long as you rince him off after wards he will be fine. The chemicals aren't strong enough to harm him. He might have dry skin afterwards. I had my son in the pool at 6 weeks and he was fine.

I understand your concern as I had them myself. I think that most pools offer infant mommy swim classes for 6months and older.......... I'd wait until then. Pool season is over today anyway and better safe then sorry.

I took both of my kids in the pool at 4 weeks. After we got out, I made sure to wipe them down with wipes quickly and then just gave them baths when we got home to rinse the chlorine off. I also made sure to soak their bathing suits after too so chemicals don't build up.

Enjoy the time in the pool with your little boy! It is a great way to build up their muscles and help him burn energy.
A.

my daughter was a month and a half the first time she was ever in a pool or in the ocean the doctors didn't say anything. Just got with your gut feeling.

We installed a salt water system for our pool. We have noticed a huge difference in our skin. In addition it does not have the same potential effects (e.g. asthma etc) as a normal chlorinated pool. We are thankful every time we swim in it and we can hardly swim in chlorinated pools anymore. You can even open your eyes without them getting red. The upfront cost is higher, but its easier to maintain and less on chemicals in the long run.

My husband is handy and was able to save a ton of money by ordering it online and installing it himself.

My daughter was in an indoor pool at 4 months. My doctor said that 6 months is a good starting point, but we used our judgment (as she was healthy and developing well) and she was fine. I'd worry more about sun exposure in the water (if you're outside) or the baby getting too cold. My daughter only stayed in the pool about 20 minutes before she was getting blue lips.

I'd wait until he got his 2 month shots at least before taking him to any public place where he could be exposed to germs. After that if you feel he's healthy enough to be in the pool, take him. If his skin reacts badly to the chlorine, talk to your doctor. I don't think one dip in the pool is going to stunt his growth or permanently damage his skin.

I read (somewhere) that you shouldn't put babies under one year of age in a swimming pool.

Don't take them in the pool until after they have their 6 month shots.

I've been told no swimming and/or sunscreen until six months of age.

I wouldn't take a baby that small in a pool personally. You're right about the chemicals. Chlorine is a lung irritant and baby's skin is much more sensative than ours. If you did take him in I would give him a bath immediatley. You might want to check out Dr. Mercola's website and put something like 'pool chemicals' in the search and see what comes up.

It wasn't warm enough when either of my children were that young, but if it had been (or if I had gone to an indoor pool) I would have swum with them. If you are worried about it, treat him like you're supposed to treat hair (and no one really does): get him wet first in the shower so his skin has soaked up moisture, put some lotion on him to lock in the moisture, then take him in the pool. If he shivers or feels cold and has blue lips, it's time to get out.
Have fun:)

We have a pool and our youngest two (twins) were born in July of last year and were in the pool around 4 weeks old. They were born at 36 weeks and I asked our doctor about the pool at their one month check up. He said they would be fine just not to keep them an for extended lengths of time. It's been so nice we were out in the pool yesterday.

Just use your judgement unless the doctor has said otherwise.

I worried just like you did so I just waited to take my son to a pool that had chlorine in it until he was about 6 months old. I think that you would have to worry about exposure to sun more than exposure to the chlorine. Just don't prolong your son's visit in the chlorine water and make sure that you rinse him off right away. You can always also check with your pediatrician.

Go to the website www.drweil.com and type in chlorine. Dr Weil is a very well known MD health practitioner in the USA. He states chlorine is a health hazard and may trigger asthma and exzema in children. Among adults it has been linked to other types of health problems including certain types of cancer. Rinsing off after being in a chlorinated pool does not remove the chlorine from the skin.
On a personal note, our ten year old granddaughter has been on a swim team for the last several years. She developed asthma approximately one year after starting swimming and now has eczema also on her hands. There is no family history of either. She uses a rescue inhaler before swimming as everytime she gets close to the pool she starts coughing.
Now she uses arbonne's detox rescue wash to remove the toxins including chlorine after she swims. However this product is only for older children and adults. Anybody interested in this product can contact me.
Hope this info helps. On Dr. Weil's website, he explains how the chlorine reacts with the airways. M. RN

I wuld say to buy a pool, they have the little baby pools all over the place. That way there is no chlorine. I am allergic to bleach and am unsure about having my son in it because he may be too.

The problem with putting him in a pool so young is that the water might be too cold for him. Other than that there is nothing that is going to harm your child in a pool. The chemicals and Chlorine are not going to harm him. Just get him wet in the shower first and when you are finished shower him and clean his body with a soap of some kind. I would advise if you do go to a pool try and indoor pool during the day when it is not that busy. If you go to an outdoor pool or even an indoor pool during busy hours he might get frightened with all the noise, or he might get splashed which could frighten him. My son was in the pool as soon as he could hold his head up by himself and he has been able to swim since he was 2. I however still keep him in a floatation device since i just dont trust him 100%. Good luck and have fun.

Our firstborn son was in the pool when he was about 2 mo old. He loved it!! His love of the water has continued throughout his life. He is now alomst 27. If you are concerned about the pool chemicals, be sure that you give baby a good bath after the pool and apply lotions to prevent his skin from over-drying. My advice: Enjoy the water and create in your son a love, rather than a fear of water.

Hi B.,
My husband and I have a pool and hot tub in our back yard. Maybe I am not paranoid enough but I've taken all 3 of our kids in when they were babies. They were born in March, April, and May so they were all pretty small their first summer. I mostly took them in the hot tub as I was afraid the pool would be to cold for their little bodies, but that was the only reason. They all loved the hot tub, I think it just felt really good to them. Of course, make sure their head and face don't go in the water, and you can pop them right in the tub after to wash off the chemicals. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, just have fun with them :) They are a little more vulnerable as us, but not much, they have the same skin we do! Just put sunscreen on him the same way you do for yourself!

Have fun and enjoy what's left of summer!
V.

I have 3 grown children and as soon as their umbilical cord fell off, I had my kids in the pool. The chlorine didn't seem to bother their skin at all. The good thing is they really enjoyed being in the pool, it was like being in bath water. Several of my friends had babies around the same time as I had mine and we all enjoyed the pool with our babies. Plus it was good exercise for us.

Chlorine is what initially triggered my son's excema. I try to keep him away from it...

No need to worry. You can bring your son in the pool. The chlorine and other chemicals will not harm him. All of my kids were in some type of pool at a very young age and nothing happened to them. Go ahead and bring him in the pool.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7, and 4.

you should be concerned about the chlorine and other chemicals on his tender skin not to mention what the little guy will inhale into his tiny lungs that could do damage to his respitory system. If you do put him in the pool make sure you at the very least rinse him off with something mild. I personally wouldn't have my infant around such harsh chemicals. Good Luck