DS is 7.5 weeks - have read differing things about when you can take them swimming, ranging from birth to 3 months after jabs to 6 months. Does anyone have the official line on this?

I have been told that you can take them from birth, but some pools require them to have their first jags before they can go. Check with your local pool, and go when you both feel ready.

You can go from birth although as my local pool was quite cool I went with DD when she was 2.5 months! She loved it and we go once a week if we can.

our paediatrician said whenever you like - we took DS at nine weeks. He said none of the diseases you vaccinate against you can get in pools, so the jabs are irrelevant.

birth is fine

the stuff they are vaccinated against is not commonly found in swimming pools

You can go from birth but bear in mind you'll be in there for a matter of minutes when your baby is so young - they get very cold very quickly.

I would save your money, stay at home, run a deep warm bath and "swim" in that!

I agree you can take them from Birth now,one of the factors before was that the Oral Polio they are given,is passed out in their dirty nappies,and is potentially infectious to anyone who hadnt been immunised against Polio,so if they had an accident in the pool....But now Polio is combined intheir injections so isnt given by mouth anymore,this then takes away the risk.But IMO alot of virus's and infection can be contacted via water,so I personally wouldn't take my baby until they were as fully protected as they could be,ie.after their last injections.Thats just my opinion though.

Not found in Swimming Pools,but anyone with these infections such as whooping cough,(you would hope that a child with a persistent whoopy-type cough wouldnt be taken swimming but.....)Meningitis,Pneumonia etc. could potentially "infect the water.All the other infections that are contagious before you know they have it,can be passed on via droplet infection etc.I just feel the younger they are the more at risk if infected.My daughter had Pneumonia this year aged 3 years,she picked that up from who knows where by droplet infection,if she'd been under 2 years old she could have died from it,luckily her immune system was maturer,and with the help of intravenous antibiotics she was able to recover well.As I said before just my opinion.

DS was in Waterbabies lessons from 9 weeks, DD was in the pool at 7.5 weeks initially in hydrotherapy pools which are a bit warmer than leisure center pools (also smaller and probably cleaner than some) DS is now 4.5 and swims unaided, is currently working towards his 10 metre distance badge (proud mum) DD is now 2.5 and isn't so keen but 'swims' happily with the aid of a woggle (long sausage float thing) and me paddling alongside! I think early exposure to the water has made a big difference in their level of confidence around water.

forgot to add, this is who we started lessons with....and we also have some superb photo's

www.waterbabies.co.uk

I also got conflicting advice so just decided to go for it and took her at 8 weeks. She loved it and we now go twice a week. Shame the pool isn't a little warmer but wetsuit on order so I don't have to curtail her fun.

I would check when the pool is quietest as with a re ally young one its better ifthere isn't much splashing or noise.

I took ds at 4 months, he'd had jabs sets 1 and 2 and had third set not long after first swim lesson. Asked GP and Health Visitor and they both said its fine.

We were lucky in that his first lessons were held in a lovely warm baby/shallow pool at our local school which is warmed and cleaned very regularly. The class was limited to 8, and age matched (all under 1 when we started), the teacher was lovely, had great rapport with the kids, singing songs and using toys etc. She also showed us the best way to handle little ones in the water so we were confident.

DS is now coming up to 2, still adores splish-splash class and is the most confident and happy little boy in the water. Think its really important they go early so they don't get scared of the whole idea later on.If you can get into a great class, it is brilliant.