Baby swimming

[ErinMummy]

Is it worth paying for baby swimming lessons? I have taken my 3 month old swimming a couple of times and don't know whether to just keep doing that on my own. Or do you get a lot more out of the paid for lessons?
Thanks for advice all x

I didn't worry for my dd, just kept going regularly alone. You can end up missing loads with illnesses etc and they aren't cheap. I will wait until dd is 3/4 to book formal lessons so that she really understands. Going regularly is enough to build up water confidence

I did Chapter 1 and 2 of Waterbabies with DD. It was brilliant and we both loved it. We went until she was about 10 months old, but couldn't continue due to returning to work.

I'm not sure if you get a lot more out of it than you do when going on your own. DD did underwater swims with Waterbabies, which I wouldn't have even attempted independently. It was staggered over so many lessons to build yours and babies confidence.

Not a particularly helpful reply there. If you're just wanting to build babies confidence, then just keep going the two of you. If you feel you need something more structured, then sign up. I will say, they aren't cheap though!

We started from 6 weeks old. DS loved it and they taught me how to hold him properly in a few different positions. It gave me confidence and he has developed a love of swimming. We go every week now and he is confident and happy. I only did the baby swim lessons up until 12 months.

We did Water Babies until DS was 2 then he developed a fear of the water (not uncommon) and hated it so we gave up. Feels like a lot of money wasted for us TBH but most of the toddlers in the class were very water confident by the time we quit so obviously works for many.

I'm currently doing chapter 2 waterbabies with my 5 month DC and we started when she was approx 8 weeks. I did it mainly to get the confidence to bring her into the pool but as you're already doing that it probably doesn't apply. A lot of underwater swims which I don't really see the point of but I'd have never dared attempted them on my own. Some useful positions for holding DD but I wouldn't really call them lessons. DD won't learn how to swim from them. I won't continue with waterbabies when I return to work though probably would if they did classes at weekends.

I would just carry on with that you're doing and book your DC for proper lessons when they're older. Though if you can afford it it might be useful to book for chapter 1 (10 sessions) to pick up a few things.

We did up to chapter 6 of water babies with DS starting when he was 5 weeks old. We only stopped because they changed the time of the session and we couldn't make it.

I would do it again, it's pricey but I'm not a confident swimmer and wouldn't have felt comfortable putting DS under the water (for example) by myself. They teach you really useful techniques and it's structured to build on what you learn each week. DS loves the water and is able to fearlessly climb out and jump in by himself now at 17 months as well as being happy to be underwater. I would never have been able to teach him all that myself.

Mine started 12months and 6 months at council lessons and had lessons until they got their bronze medallion in their teens and once they were 16 did their nplq.

I think it depends on how how confident you are in the water, and how sociable. Our local leisure centre did PAYG classes for under 2s - which were cheaper than Swimbabes/Waterbabies etc and you didn't pay for if you missed a week. I'm a very good swimmer, but I loved the social side of things - I would have got bored just puttering around the pool with DS by myself. I made friends with a lady who was a bit scared of water and thought the baby classes would help her!ad well as her baby.

If it's something you enjoy keep it up but your baby isn't going to learn to swim until at least 3 or 4 years old at the very earliest.

We do swimming lessons but we have only just started and dd2 will be two in January - I'm not convinced going earlier would have done anything other than get her used to water - which you don't need the classes for. We don't do waterbabies but an independent group through our local sports centre and it is brilliant - the teacher is lovely and the class is relaxed but structured .

Look at Laurie Lawrence on YouTube. He's an Australian Olympic swim coach who didn't believe in teaching babies swimming until he became a grandfather. Now he's a huge advocate of teaching babies water confidence and his videos are shown during swim teacher training. I am a trained Austswim teacher of water confidence and swimming to babies and children and although I have taught classes to babies under a year, I think you can do most of it yourself if you watch some videos and are reasonably confident yourself in the water. Just make sure your baby is enjoying it and don't be afraid to leave if it all gets too much / too cold etc.

My dd was swimming 25m before her second birthday, it was normal where we lived and kids were in the pool 365 days a year, don't believe anyone who says it's not possible.

We did one term of puddle ducks when daughter was 5 months but my mum was ill so didn't sign up for another term. Found a fab class run by local council which was £1 a session in the council pool. We went till I went back to work then we did water babies from 11 months till 3. We stopped because we moved house and found some council lessons nearer that are a third of the price. They are good but pricy and did feel like I was forcing her to go in the end as she didn't want to do it. Though she does love water and does teach them to be safe around it.