What is Baby Swimming?

Baby swimming represents a parent and child programme of movement using experienced guidance in warm water up to chest or shoulder height, taught in groups in a playful atmosphere. It also encourages free movement in the water that could eventually lead to a child working safely across the pool unaided when they are about 2.1/2 years old (if swimming reguarly from a baby). It is a very rewarding, bonding and special place for parents and their children. It is for this reason that we run classes at the weekend as this is the ideal opportunity for those working during the week to have this time with their children and we see many fathers at the weekend.

Benefits of taking your children swimming

Excellent environment to exercise heart and lungs, muscles, co-ordination and connection tissues; parent and baby bonding; helps to recapture stages of motor development in premature babies; children sleep longer and more deeply after swimming; movement of the water stimulates the nerve fibres lying under the skin creating a relaxing effect. Babies who develop their swimming abilities are often more alert for their age, with a better eating and sleeping pattern.

Swimming with Baba Seahorse

Class size

Our classes are usually between 7-10 parent and baby pairs and take place in warm pools. Babies and children of non-swimmers can progress at the same rate as those children of families that can swim, and each session is with a parent and child in the water. Both parents are welcome at certain venues only, however this is subject to space only, and is not guaranteed so please ask. There is one instructor and one helper at each pool venue.

Children are individual with differing developmental stages

We welcome the fact that each child is an individual and, although our lessons have an overall goal, we appreciate that sometimes your little one may have other life stages to consolidate too. There is a lot of growing to do in the first year of baby's life, and the 'vocal and personalities' stage tends to emerge from around 13-18 months to between 3 years old. Whatever is taking place on dry land may come through in the class and we try to facilitate teaching for the gentle souls to develop at their own pace and to help the more eager children to focus. For example, different stages could be teething; learning to sit up, to crawl, to walk, to talk; starting a new nursery; a new brother or sister; the parent forgetting to have fun too; just moved house or a new child has joined the class.

Safety and Games

We shall encourage activities that are relaxing and fun whilst at the same time developing your baby's skill in the water. You are important to your child's feeling of security in the water and you shall be shown how to hold children securely in the water and to enhance their feeling of well-being in the water. You shall accompany your child in its development and motivate them through play (and yes, we like to encourage playful, noisy songs and games) and movement exercises. These techniques will help you when you take your child to other pool activities and when you swim as a family, such as on holiday. Your safety is important and we also show you how to teach your child to learn to wait, and to enter the pool safely on the teacher's or your instruction only.

Reflex movements to conscious movements of arms and legs

Initially, a baby's swimming arms and legs movements are instinctive and reflex movements and it can appear that they are swimming. These reflexes can be stimulated as preparation for unaided swimming in the future from around the third year of life. It is based on encouraging the development of a newborn baby's natural swimming reflex in water into a conscious movement of the legs and arms. Our techniques help to substain and build the reflexes in younger babies to the natural development of voluntary arm and leg movements in the water, and then to your toddler swimming.

Conscious and alternating arms and legs

For older children, we shall be teaching them to make conscious and alternating arms and legs movements for themselves. If you take your child swimming from toddler age, the age they start to swim shall depend a lot on your child's confidence and being happy to let water on their face. We ask that you encourage and motivate your children as they will only swim if they move their arms and legs. They will learn to swim with a lovely body position if they are happy to put their face in the water.

Bonding

There is a feeling of love and security in the water and it is the best and most efficient foundation for the skills that will enable children to eventually swim and to become safe in the water. A baby is familiar with water as it was lodged safely in the waters of the womb and is one of the reasons why most babies have such a positive reaction from being in the water. Baby swimming consciously strengthens the parent-child relationship and through early contact with other babies of the same age will further your baby's development particularly in the personality, social and motor skills.

Special needs

Children with special needs can benefit from swimming as it can complimement physiotherapy (please always discuss your child's particular needs with your GP/teacher, submersions may not always be appropriate for every child). Babies that wear a hip harness also benefit greatly from unrestricted movement in water. Please note that although we can help with your child's swimming progressions, we are not experts in your child's specific needs and it may be helpful to have guidance from your paediatrician too.

Caesarean section

The classes offer gentle exercise and are particularly beneficial to mothers who have had a caesarean section (please obtain your doctor's approval first).