A'Swimming We Will Go
Peeper had her first swimming lesson this evening - "Aquatots" at the local YMCA.
She seemed a bit apprehensive, and whined a little while we were in the water, but didn't really cry. I suspect it was more about being cold (I was cold, too!) than being scared.
The class is only thirty minutes long, and we basically just sang a few songs (most of which Peeper was already familiar with, so that was good) and swooshed the kids around in the water different ways ("...if they will let you...").
Then we had sort of a "free play" time - with toys! - while the teacher came around and met each kid individually and took them for a bit of a swim.
Peeper was quite apprehensive about that, but did okay, since they didn't get very far from me.
Although she was wearing a shirt, the instructor spotted her scar immediately, and asked about it, and specifically asked how her lungs are, and quizzed me on whether we had permission from her doctor for her to be swimming and going under water.
At first, I thought she was talking about getting the scar wet, and I told her that she'd been released for bathing as soon as the incision was healed, but then she said that she's had kids who've been told not to put their heads underwater "until they are a certain age."
Oh, hmm. I'd not even thought to ask about that.
We were told that she has no activity restrictions, but I guess it can't hurt to check specifically about swimming.
She's got her nine-month (!) check-up next week, so I figure we can ask about it then (not like she's planning to do any underwater swimming within the next couple of lessons - if at all), or we might just give her cardiologist a call, to be safe.
After the lesson, it was quite an adventure getting us both dry, warmed up, dry again (warming up required a shower) and dressed to come home.
Next time, I will put all our swimming stuff in one bag and just take that in, rather than the whole diaper bag, and I will leave it in the locker room, rather than lugging it to and from the pool.
I will also take at least three towels for each of us, because by the time we got to the locker room, our towels were soaked, and then we had no way to dry off after showering!
So, all in all, I'd say that I learned more at this lesson than she did.
When I take Alice swimming, I also bring along a wet bag to stuff our wet suits into, or in Alice's case, her cloth swim diaper... what is this obsession with making baby girls wearing bathing suits? Seems to me that wearing a suit adds an extra step!
ReplyDeleteWe've got wetbags for diapers, but they're not big enough for both our suits and towels, so I ended up just rolling all the wet stuff together in a wad!
ReplyDeleteI had Peeper in a (cloth, of course! ;-) ) swim diaper and a rashguard shirt.
If we were outside, I'd definitely use the shirt, for sun protection, but debated about it for an indoor pool.
When I saw that none of the other little girls were topless, I put it on her (Silly, I know.) but then the teacher was recommending shirts even for the boys, to help keep them a bit warmer in the water, so I'll stick with it.
Funny, I'd have NO problem with her swimming in just a diaper, but I will not put her in a 2 piece - or many of the 1 pieces that I've seen!
People keep giving Alice bathing suits (one pieces and two pieces) and I feel bad--she's never worn any of them, mostly because they won't fit over the swim diaper anyway. The pool where we usually swim is heated, and FWIW, most clothing don't offer sun protection anyway, unless they are specifically designed to do so. I like those little wetsuits, though--the shirts with the mock neck and the matching shorts--perfect for playground sprinklers!
ReplyDeleteI really like Badger sunscreen and California Baby Sunscreen--very waterproof!