Ice Swimming
Getting your baby used to water early is important from a safety point of view and it’s great fun too. “Your child won’t be co-ordinated enough to learn to swim properly until he is two or three, but you can get him to feel confident and relaxed in the water and make swimming a fun way to exercise for both of you,” says midwife and health visitor Julia Youll.
When can I start swimming with my baby?
Parents used to be advised to wait until their baby had had their immunisations at two, three and four months before they took their babies swimming. But government health experts no longer believe this is necessary, so it’s really up to you when you start taking your baby to the pool. “There are no medical grounds for waiting until your baby is immunised. However, most pools start classes at around 12 weeks,” says Libby Tucker, a swimming teacher who specialises in parent and child courses. Remember too, that a noisy public swimming pool could be daunting for your newborn, so it may be worth waiting until he’s a bit older. You will probably have to wait until you’ve had your six-week check before you can go yourself, anyway.
What does he need to wear?
Swim nappies are a good investment but aren’t compulsory in most swimming pools. Most pools do insist that babies wear a swimming costume of some kind though. “Don’t worry if your baby has an accident, as staff will know exactly what to do,” says Libby Tucker. Water wings aren’t suitable for babies under one but there are other swimming aids available for this age group.
What you’ll need to take
Before your first trip to the swimming pool, phone ahead to find out if there’s a playpen, pushchair access and changing tables in the changing room. You’ll also need to take:
• A warm bottle for after the swim if you are bottlefeeding
• A towel, preferably one with a hood or a towelling dressing gown
• A snack — swimming makes babies hungry
• Books or toys for older babies
• A few of your baby’s bath toys to play with
• Don’t forget your nappy bag.
Introducing your baby to water
Here’s how you can help your baby learn to enjoy splashing about in water:
• Make bath time fun. Gently splash water over his body or lay him on his back and move him gently through the water.
• When you first start going to a public pool, make sure you go off-peak. Ask a friend to come with you or join a mum and baby session. If you feel relaxed and confident, your baby will, too.
• When you first get in the pool, make sure that your baby’s face is close to yours and that you have eye contact, holding him close to you. As you both relax and feel more confident you can extend your arms and swish your baby around.
Making water fun
Here are some ways to help your baby enjoy the water and learn the basics of swimming:
• Let your baby splash and play with his bath toys — throw one a few feet across the pool and ‘zoom’ him through the water to retrieve it.
• Put your mouth under water and show your baby how to blow bubbles. This is an important lesson for babies to learn, as they can’t inhale water if they are blowing. For young babies, blow a toy across the water and get him to blow it back, or at least mimic you blowing.
• When he can sit up, usually at around six months, sit your baby on the side of the pool and sing Humpty Dumpty. When you get to the line “Humpty Dumpty had a great fall”, lift him down into the water with a splash.
• Lay him on his back with his head resting on your shoulder. Encourage him to kick his legs.
• According to Libby Tucker, it’s safe to dip your baby under the water for a second or two — some research shows that young babies don’t inhale when under water — but you may feel more confident doing this under the guidance of a trained baby swimming teacher.
What precautions do I need to take?
To keep your baby safe while swimming:
• Check that the temperature of the pool is between 84 degrees F and 86 degrees F — if necessary, the swimming pool attendants can check it for you.
• As soon as your baby starts to shiver, get him out of the pool and wrap him up warmly.
• Start off with sessions of 10 minutes and build up to 20 minutes. If your baby is under one, avoid staying in for longer than 30 minutes.
• If your baby has a cold or seems unwell, avoid going swimming.
• If your baby has a skin complaint, check with your GP to make sure that the chlorine won’t irritate his skin.
Starting lessons
Ask whether your local pool does swimming classes for mothers and babies or has special mother and baby sessions. The following organisations run swimming courses for parents and babies:
• The Institute of Swimming Teachers and Coaches (ISTC), tel: 01509 618 700. For a list of mother and baby swimming teachers in your area write, enclosing a cheque for GBP2.50, to: ISTC, Harold Fern House, Derby Square, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 5AL.
• Little Dippers UK, tel: 0870 758 0302. Specialises in teaching babies to swim under water. Courses are run in Sussex, London, Kent, Oxford, Wimbledon, Redhill, Brighton, Plymouth and Chester.
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