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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be terrified of pushing my baby under water

47 replies

MummySunshine · 28/05/2012 18:41

A few of my friends are going to be attending 'aquatots' and have been -pressuring- trying to convince me to go with them. I've been told you push your baby under the water and they take a picture but no harm done because babies don't swallow the water etc etc

AIBU to think I'd never ever be able to do that?! And have any of you done anything similar?

OP posts:
OldGreyWiffleTest · 28/05/2012 18:43

My son went under water from about 3 months old (he also swan under water for 8 years until he finally mastered swimming on top!).

MrsTerryPratchett · 28/05/2012 18:44

Grin You don't push your baby under you dunk them and only if you are happy to do it. If you tell the person running it you don't want to do that bit, they aren't going to force you.

FWIW, DD loves being dunked and has been since she was tiny. I credit her wilful disregard for danger love of water to this.

Hopandaskip · 28/05/2012 18:48

My older son swam under water from six weeks and learned to swim on top unsupported at three. At sixteen he is a fantastic swimmer. My younger son did not know how to hold his breath as a baby (unusual if you do it early enough) and so we did not dunk him until he learned how as a toddler. He is a good swimmer but it took him longer and he isn't as strong in the water as my older son was at his age.

It would have been cruel to keep my older son out of the water. He adored swimming as a tot.

BombasticAghast · 28/05/2012 18:50

My Dts started going to the pool at 6 weeks. Now at 2 1/2 they still LOVE the water.

Hopandaskip · 28/05/2012 18:50

Oh and my older one would jump in himself as a tot and loved bobbing around underwater and waving to me.

Hopandaskip · 28/05/2012 18:52

I really wish I had a picture of him doing it underwater. It seems like a dim and distant memory now :(

caerlaverock · 28/05/2012 18:52

Shoving them under water is very cute but ultimately pointless as at some point they catch on that being shoved under water isn't ideal

dixiechick1975 · 28/05/2012 19:09

Maybe got and watch a class?

Pushed under water makes it sound terrible.

I did waterbabies with DD and enjoyed it (and have the photo of her underwater)

They don't put them under day 1 - you build up to it in a fun environment. You get used to what the baby and you are comfortable with.

ceeveebee · 28/05/2012 19:33

We have bern taking our DTs since they were 12 weeks old. The 'shoving' them underwater has a purpose, it is all part of learning to hold their breath underwater. They also learn how to hold on to the side if they were to accidentally fall in. These are potentially life saving skills, they do not do this just for a cute photo op.!

Princessgenie · 28/05/2012 20:13

Titch started going at 6 weeks; and has been underwater at every class. It's very gently done and the aim of it is that they don't grow up scared of the water; and they teach them not to panic if they fall into water and to turn immediately to whatever they can and hold on tight and pull themselves up so their face stays out of the water.

My friends two year old will push herself in from a sitting position on the side of the pool and immediately turn and hold the rail.

We did an underwater shoot with her recently and she giggled and laughed all the way through so don't think she was bothered about it.

They also, pre about six months have a reflex that means they do not need to hold their breath under water it happens automatically but you teach them gradually how to hold their breath so when that reflex goes they know not to breathe in.

We really enjoy it - but talk to the teachers, go and watch a class and see what you think.

Oh, I also talked to my midwife and health visitor about it and they both said it was a good idea.

frankie4 · 28/05/2012 20:16

My friend did this and her ds developed a phobia of water . She ended up giving him private lessons and he only started being happy about going in the water at the age of 7. He was even terrified of baths!

otchayaniye · 28/05/2012 20:18

never did lessons but dunked my first from 8 weeks ( strong swimmer from 2, underwater, diving, etc) and have started dunking second

otchayaniye · 28/05/2012 20:19

we live in a swimming pool so they HAVE to like swimming!

ceeveebee · 28/05/2012 20:20

otchayaniye, you live in a pool? Is it not a bit wet?

chocolatchaud · 28/05/2012 20:22

Have dunked all of my DCs from early on, and they are all water-babies. They just have a slightly surprised look on their face as they surface, but don't cry.

Definitely take your baby swimming, but don't dunk if you don't want to!

Bumdrop · 28/05/2012 20:28

I never dunked my dd, started taking her swimming at 4 months,
Saw alot of mums dunking, one stoopid moo holding her baby under water til he opened his eyes, i used to just look away, and play with dd
I was egged on to dunk, but just refused !!
Didnt want to scare / force dd
Not dunkingndidnt hold her back, shes 4 and can swim a width unaided .

ReallyTired · 28/05/2012 20:35

I think that baby swimming is a bit pointless. I took ds swimming, athough no dunking babies.

I feel that the risk of glue ear from swimming lessons is too high. Most children learn easily at four or five years old whether they have been swimming at 12 weeks or not.

maddening · 28/05/2012 20:37

I take ds to puddleducks- he loves it - now he sits on the side and when I say to jump in he does with a big grin on his face

DeepPurple · 28/05/2012 20:38

DD has been swimming since she was 4 months. She's 2.6 now and she loves it! She's a very confident little swimmer. FWIW for those worried about ear infections, she's never had one...

DeepPurple · 28/05/2012 20:39

But YANBU for feeling that way.

thisisyesterday · 28/05/2012 20:39

i did it with ds2 when he was really little and he was realy upset! so never did it again lol

if you don't want to do it just say no.

WilsonFrickett · 28/05/2012 20:45

Your council may also run baby swimming, ours does and it was something like £4 per lesson as opposed to the ridonkulously high Aquatots fees. And the classes were brilliant.

caerlaverock · 28/05/2012 20:47

i like the lessons when d was little because it gave me confidence with her in the water and it was a fun thing to do, and setting that routine of going swimming means she is a great swimmer now but yes i imagine if i had started when she was 4 she would still be great.

GodisaDj · 28/05/2012 20:50

We also go to Waterbabies and have done since dd was 13 weeks. She loves it.

Like someone earlier said, they build the underwater swims up, you don't just dunk them straight away! Grin

You can get your dc used to water on their face by saying name, ready, go and after go put water in your hand and stroke your dc's head and face. Repeat this 3 times then praise them. Do it in the bath and the pool. Eventually they close their eyes and hold their breath as they know what's happening. And they're then use to water on their face.

The underwater swims follow the same format - as you say name ready go and pull them under water, letting go or swimming through a hoop etc - its amazing really that they can do it at such a young age. Dd is 9.5 months and laughs when she comes up from under water. They also teach safety like holding on, apparently 5 'waterbabies' in the last 2 years have survived pond accidents by getting to the side and holding on - amazing really.

YANBU to not want to do it for a picture, especially if your dc hasn't never been before and you certainly shouldn't feel pressurised by friends. Just tell them how it's making you feel, they'll soon stop.

Waterbabies do a taster session normally that's free so you can see it first hand.

PestoPenguin · 28/05/2012 20:50

YANBU

I know one child who became phobic about water after this was done to him as a baby.

I also have reservations about doing it with v young babies, because they keen their mouths open and simply swallow the water. Good idea? Really?

By all means take them in the pool if they enjoy it ( and honestly, not all do), but I simply do not believe teaching them to swim underwater using infant survival reflexes does anything for their long term swimming abilities. I have 2 DCs having swimming lessons (started aged 3) and I see no evidence that those taken weekly from infancy have any greater abilities. Indeed many children who started a bit later aged 4/5 'catch up' v quickly with those who started at 3. A lot of it comes down to physical development/maturity.

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