Swimming Pool Baby Changing

gwni

Hi,

One for the fathers on here - I took my baby son to Avoneil Swimming Pool and was unable to find any baby changing facilities in the Male Changing room - The attendant ended up tell me to use the Accessible Changing room as that was the only place with a pull down changing tray that I could strap him onto while I got changed - not ideal as you still can't really turn you back while they are on them and also I was using a room for people with accessiblilty needs. Spoke to a mother with a baby and she said that the female changing had a playpen for the babies while they get changed. My wife contacted the centre later on and they confirmed only the female changing had a playpen.

This does seem a little bit sexist as it's not only mothers that take their babies swimming, but in general, does any male changing rooms in other swimming pools have baby changing facilities and if they don't, what do you do with the baby while getting changed(apart from giving the baby to the wife to change!)

Thanks

BatCat

Hi,
That is a bit of a pain. I would raise the matter with you local councillor (provided you actually live in Belfast city ).
When my kids were smaller I took them to baby swimming lessons and the done thing was to fold a towel to make a mat, put that on the bench, lie the child down on that and change them. The smart thing was to change yourself first having previously wrapped the baby in a towel or used one of those towel ponchos then handing the child a snack so they are distracted (as they're usually tired after swimming) and don't try to run away. Once you're dry and changed then change them on the towel mat thing. If your child is very active and still in an infant car seat, then bring that with you and restrain the child while you're getting changed.
I would have thought the toilets should have a fold down changing station in it, but to be honest I can't remember if the women's changing room does.
Please do not change your baby in the women's changing room, even to make a point.

sill

BatCat wrote: »

Hi,
That is a bit of a pain. I would raise the matter with you local councillor (provided you actually live in Belfast city ).
When my kids were smaller I took them to baby swimming lessons and the done thing was to fold a towel to make a mat, put that on the bench, lie the child down on that and change them. The smart thing was to change yourself first having previously wrapped the baby in a towel or used one of those towel ponchos then handing the child a snack so they are distracted (as they're usually tired after swimming) and don't try to run away. Once you're dry and changed then change them on the towel mat thing. If your child is very active and still in an infant car seat, then bring that with you and restrain the child while you're getting changed.
I would have thought the toilets should have a fold down changing station in it, but to be honest I can't remember if the women's changing room does.
Please do not change your baby in the women's changing room, even to make a point.

Gosh if one of my daughters had to go through all the hassle you've just described to take her baby for a swim the first thing i'd tell her to do was use the playpen in the gents.Sill

wifeforlife

Armagh pool has unisex changing rooms, which works well for us as a family, especially with more than 1 child, it's good to have my husband doing hairs in the shower and me drying and dressing.

I'm not sure of any other places though

starnight_2

IIRC Lisburn has family changing rooms and Grove has unisex changing with lots of cubicles

tanith

we have unisex changing rooms too with several large rooms with baby changing tray and a playpen available to use.. sounds like a blooming faff for you what a shame.

yorkshire_lass_3

The Ards leisure centre has individual changing rooms with some larger than others so if you are a Mum taking in a son over the age of 7 (I think that's the age they are expected in the men's changing room on their own?) then that's handy. Also, Aurora & Lisburn Leisureplex would be the same re changing rooms.

Or a Dad taking in a daughter too.

When my children were small I used to take a cheap buggy with me, get them ready & strap them in whilst I got ready. Never had a problem with the buggy being taken but it would be a bit of a risk.

warmhands.coldheart

gwni wrote: »

Hi,

One for the fathers on here - I took my baby son to Avoneil Swimming Pool and was unable to find any baby changing facilities in the Male Changing room - The attendant ended up tell me to use the Accessible Changing room as that was the only place with a pull down changing tray that I could strap him onto while I got changed - not ideal as you still can't really turn you back while they are on them and also I was using a room for people with accessiblilty needs. Spoke to a mother with a baby and she said that the female changing had a playpen for the babies while they get changed. My wife contacted the centre later on and they confirmed only the female changing had a playpen.

This does seem a little bit sexist as it's not only mothers that take their babies swimming, but in general, does any male changing rooms in other swimming pools have baby changing facilities and if they don't, what do you do with the baby while getting changed(apart from giving the baby to the wife to change!)

Thanks

What !!!!!!!!!! Men looking after a baby, isn't that woman's work???
I'm only KIDDING. I know exactly what you mean..... I take our 3 kids swimming once a week while my wife goes to a fitness class and I personally think people look at me like I'm some estranged father who gets the kids once a week to take them swimming.. Heaven forbid a man should take his baby and children out.

I also find there are limited children's changing facilities in male changing rooms especially older leisure centres.

I wouldn't go in all guns blazing writing to councils etc. just yet. I would say just write a nicely worded constructive letter to the manager of the centre making a few little suggestions and see what they come back with...

BatCat

sill wrote: »

Gosh if one of my daughters had to go through all the hassle you've just described to take her baby for a swim the first thing i'd tell her to do was use the playpen in the gents.Sill

Should point out that I am actually female and the various tactics employed above were how to deal with swimming pools that lacked baby changing facilities.

gwni

Thanks everyone for your replies. I had e-mailed avoneil directly using address found on the belfastcity council website asking for confirmation on the facilities for baby changing in the male changing and if it would be possible to get a playpen as per the female changing - still received no reply. My wife has also e-mailed the 'leisure' address from the belfast city council website but also no reply. She did contact the council through facebook and they have asked today for contact / phone details so they may contact me in the next few days.

warmhands.coldheart

gwni wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your replies. I had e-mailed avoneil directly using address found on the belfastcity council website asking for confirmation on the facilities for baby changing in the male changing and if it would be possible to get a playpen as per the female changing - still received no reply. My wife has also e-mailed the 'leisure' address from the belfast city council website but also no reply. She did contact the council through facebook and they have asked today for contact / phone details so they may contact me in the next few days.

I find e-mailing generic e-mail addresses is a bit of a hiding to nowhere as you just then get the whole I passed it to such and such and they were to deal with it.... Find a name of a person in charge and write to them specifically.

good luck anyway and keep us up to date on what happens...