Swimming & Boating with Baby

If she is too young for a life jacket then she is too young for a boat. They sell infant life jackets sunscreen is a must!!!! And maybe an umbrella!!!

There ARE life jackets that fit infants. I had my 6 day old on a normal boat and in a life jacket the whole time. And stayed out of the sun between 10-3pm and when we did go out, always covered with hat or something.

I grew up in the hollow underneath the steering wheel of a boat. Your baby will be just fine :)

They make infant life vests. My DD wore one last year on a pontoon boat. And she wore sunscreen (Aveeno) from very early on.

If she's too little to safely be on a boat (no vest definitely = no boat), then spend time on the dock while the rest go out. Trade time out on the water so you get some boating in now and then while someone else is with the baby. When we went to Bermuda when DD was a year old, DD and I spent more time on the beach than in the water, and we didn't go snorkling with the rest of the crew. But it worked out. This may just not be the year for you and DD to do it all.

Check out onestepahead.com for super sun gear.

Infant lifejacket is a must.
Baby sunscreen
Swim hat for baby
Never turn your back
Can lie baby next to you on ground on towel and NEVER leave.
Just keep a vigilant eye and make it a super short trip. :)

My son was also a Feb baby and by May was on the lake. He had an infant lifejacket and was held in the shade...with a hat on. We also nursed on demand to prevent dehydration.

One Step Ahead (onestepahead.com) makes some really great sun/beach stuff (bathing suits, tents, umbrellas, etc.) And no sunblock until 6mo.

Keep her in the shade as much as possible and limit her time in the sunlight. A hat to block out the sun's rays is recommended.

We have a pool and what I have done for all my kids was to put their playpen out in the backyard and then I bought one of those umbrellas you can clip on to things (I think I bought it at either Target or Costco?) I clipped it on to the side of the pack n play and whoala! Instant Shade!

You can clip those umbrellas to anything...swing, carseat, playpen...whatever you are gonna bring!

I also suggest investing in a good hat for the lil' bay girl too!

My daughter was 2 months old at the lake. We didn't take her on the boat but she was in the water.
As soon as any of the grandkids were old enough to fit the smallest life vests they were in the boat. My sister's 8 month old was and so were the 2 year old and the others.
We used the baby sunblock and she was fine. It's in a pink bottle, Water Babies. I think, it's been 10 years since I've used an infant sunscreen.
Oh and I had one of those baby islands too. It's a floaty thing with a top and sides. She loved it.

Our 3 kids are 3, 6 and 7.5. We own an open-bow ski boat that we have used only on Lake Michigan because of where we keep it. Since the lake can become very rough at times, and our boating situation isn't suitable to short trips, and since we have 2 other young children to manage as well, we waited to take the kids boating until our youngest child was 1.5 years old rather than trying to boat his first year, when he would have been about your daughter's age (he was born in Jan.). Had we been on a calmer lake and had the ability to go out for just short periods of time, rather than hours at a time, we would not have hesitated to take any/all of our kids when they were your daughter's age.

We found that bringing an umbrella stroller on the boat the first year that we took our youngest child out was a great help. He was no longer in an infant car seat by then, but if we had taken him on the boat when he was 5 mos. old, we would have brought that on board as well. The stroller and/or infant car seat can provide a stable environment for your daughter to fall asleep in and can provide shade if equipped with a sun shade. Although our ski boat, like your pontoon, has no cabin so there is a lot of potential for sun exposure, we do use the bimini top for shade.

We always put life jackets on our kids when they are on the boat, including infant life jackets (under 30 pounds). Assuming that your daughter is not abnormally small, I would think that an infant life jacket would fit her just fine at 4 mos. and older. Someone suggested that a life jacket may be required in WI. According to www.ehow.com, that is not the case, although "The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources requires that all boats carry a wearable, Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device for each occupant. Boats that are 16 feet long, or larger, must also carry an approved throwable PFD. The DNR strongly recommends that children wear life vests whenever they're out on the water, but Wisconsin law didn't require it as of June 2010. The state legislature was considering changes in the law." You can read more at eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_###-###-####_wisconsin-requireme....

For me, I was far too paranoid to take her out on the boat (last summer, she was 1) but I did have a life jacket just in case......I just couldn't relax so auntie babysat while we went out then I came back and we traded. But we did enjoy plenty of beach time. They do sell baby swim suits that are fuller coverage and come with a sunscreen rating themselves, they kinda look like spandex t-shirts or surfer gear, a big sun-shade hat and they do sell baby sunscreen (i think it's called "water-babies") just don't put it on her hands where she could ingest it and you should be fine. If it makes you feel better you can use zinc oxide as sunscreen instead, it's a physical barrier rather than chemical and (i think) non-toxic...I'm sure there's a another mom out there who could confirm that either way. Have fun!!!

For sure invest in those spf 50 body suits and hats; www.coolibar.com:
http://www.coolibar.com/infant-toddler-girls-swimwear.html

But since she can't really wear sunscreen yet, your best bet is to really limit her sun exposure as much as you possibly can :)

My opinion is to bring a sitter. Bring Grandma or someone else trustworthy with you. I don't think that your baby will want to be in the heat out on a boat or have all that wind in her face while the boat is moving regardless of sunblock or life vests. Lifevests are terribly uncomfortable! She's simply too tiny for that kind of fun. I tried boating with my then 13 month old last summer on a pontoon and he was miserable. It just wasn't going to work. We even tried boating just in the evening when it was cooler and he was still miserable. I ended up laying out on the deck at the house we rented while he napped to get some sun while the rest of the family enjoyed the boat.

buy her a long sleeved rash guard. A lot of swim suits out there are a bikini bottom paired with a long sleeved rash guard. Also buy her a hat. Take her on the boat. They do make infant life jackets. Buy one just to have on the boat. On a pontoon you can have your pack n play when she's that little to put her in when your're boating and need a break from holding her. Once she's 6 months, she can start wearing sunscreen. Until then the rash guard and hat and even sunglasses can protect her as well as shade on the pontoon. No big deal.

She can wear a life jacket and at least in the state of Texas (not sure about up there) is required by law to wear one when on the boat I believe its till age 12 now. THey make infant life jackets which will be a little big to begin with but she will grow into it. I recomend going to your local boating store to buy a high quality one (trust me its worth it)

Yes, they do make infant life jackets and she should wear one if you are taking her one the water. That is a must!
For sun protection keep her in the shade AND put a sunsuit and hat on her. They make those in infant sizes as well.
We had all of the above since our first summer and so far my three year old has never had a sunburn... not even a little one.
Good luck!

I'm guessing you're not going to dress her in baby bikinis and lay her directly in the sun- so I bet if you have her covered and out of the sun as much as possible, she'll be fine. Natural Vitamin D is SOOOO good for babies, and letting her get 5 or 10 minutes of sun on her skin (without sunscreen) a couple times of day will be great for her.

That said, you should definitely check with your pediatrician, but the problem with sunscreen before 6 months is NOT necessarily due to allergies or sensitivities- it has to do with the absorption into her system. So if you put a little sunscreen on her face and arms, that is WAY different than lubing up her entire little body! You should be okay with a little sunscreen on a SMALL percentage of her body- and there are lots of natural sunscreens on the market.

Check out this Dr's reasoning. http://www.ivillage.com/sunscreen-safe-babies/6-n-136823

My rules no one on a boat or on a lake without a lifevest ever. She should have a thin full onsey and a hat. Most pontoons do have a canopy area or she could be I'm her car seat and use the handle to create a canopy with a thin blanket. Remember you will no be free to enjoy the day. As you will have someone who cannot swim in your charge so consider a land based sitter and have a break and a fun day.

Life vest, sunscreen and a sun blocker. I picked up a tent like thing that blocked the sun from the top and 3 sides for my kiddo when she was a baby. We never used it, but it was a great idea!! Where in wi do you go? You can have it!

1. Use the sun shade on the pontoon and keep her under it
2. Consider going to OneStepAhead.com and buying a sunsuit or LandsEndcom to buy her a "rash guard" (sun shirt) and skirt style bottom and matching sun hat. They offer more consistent coverage than sunscreen.
3. DO use sunscreen - waterproof/sweatproof is best. Put it on BEFORE you go out in the sun with her, at least 20 mins so it absorbs fully. Don't forget her feet!!! Their feet stick out of carriers and things so make sure you put sunscreen on the tops of her feet.
4 . Do get her sunglasses too - I know it sounds like overkill but they can damage their eyes, esp with all of the light reflecting off the water.
5. Bring her carseat so she can sleep in it instead of putting her on leather seats.
6 HYDRATE! Dehydration is one of the worst things that happens to the kids in summer. Either formula, breastmilk or cold water.
7. If you notice her getting hot, you can put baby wash clothes soaked in water to help her cool off.

Here's a link: http://www.parents.com/baby/care/skin/save-your-babys-skin/

They sell great beach umbrellas everywhere now. Invest in one, go on the trip, and spend the time there under the umbrella on the beach. Pack a cooler with great snacks and drinks, bring some cards and a great book. You'll find that people want to come hang with you. Even if most of the group goes out on the boat, you could invite one person at a time to hang back with you and you might find that you have some really meaningful one-on-one conversations during those times (which can be rare during family get togethers). Personally I'd feel comfortable taking my baby on the boat, but if you don't that's OK and it's your call.

Don't forget to dress baby in lightweight, cotton clothing so she doesn't get a heat rash.

I just read some of the responses and wanted to add that I absolutely would NOT put baby STRAPPED into a car seat on the boat. I'd just hold her. Pontoons usually go slowly, so I'd just make sure that they do go slow so she's not going to go like flying out of your arms on a quick turn or something.

My middle child was 5 months when we bought our pontoon. We got an infant life vest and took both the pac n play and the infant car seat on the boat as well, for times when we weren't moving. Talk to your pedi, sunscreen says not to use on infants younger than 6 months, but I'll bet she tells you to anyway. There is an all natural sunscreen I have heard about but not tried.....Badger something or other.....and my girlfriend swears by it. I might try it this summer.

If you have a pontoon, does yours have a bimini? You might be able to purchase a new one and that will provide some shade for baby as well.