any advice on baby swimming for the first time?

[spongecake]

hi there, i am taking my 8 month old to baby swim for the first time this week. any advice welcome-what to do, what to avoid...

are you going to a class?

get a towelling dressing gown or a hooded poncho thingy so you can just bundle baby up and then dry yourself. take snacky things as they are always starving afterwards. change nappy sooner afterwards than normal as they drink half the pool and wee for britain. enjoy yourselves.

hold baby close to you for the first few minutes so they feel more secure.

agreee if you can as well take the buggy/get a changing room with the seat get all ready at home so only stip in the pool, then get baby dry/dressed/in seat give them a snack and also have water a the ready (DS always wants a drink after as well)

also arm bands and a ring work well.

Take a snack for afters, swimming makes them very hungry.

Towel for the floor and a spare plastic bag to put all wet things in. money for the locker.

and make sure you wear clothes that are easy to put on and take off, same goes for the lo. trying to frantically squeeze your damp self into your clothes afterwards can be a pita

Alson practice what you have done in the pool that week , in the bath and it will be old hat to them the next lesson, and they wont be frightened

splash about baby wraps are great for keeping them warm in the pool

Lots of love and reassurance and happy noises after you dook their head under the water. If they know it's OK it becomes easier for them.

Take them to a 'water babies' class - they are fantastic. My dd has gone since 12 weeks and loves it. She can swim underwater and hold onto the side. She is 9 months now. When she is in the bath she thinks she is at the pool and really goes for it. It is great for their confidence in the water.

Be prepared for the fact that you may only be in the pool for 10 minutes at first. My ds has always loved swimming but got cold very quickly when v. little - even in warm pools.

these are great, thanks! its a proper baby swim class in a heated baby pool. i will sort out his easy clothes and easy for me too, thats great advice.

what I wish I'd taken the first time was another adult just while I got my bearings and worked out how I was going to do things.

I also now put DD in a babygrow/pyjamas after the swim as it's easier and quicker than getting her properly dressed.

And yes you may well only be in there for 10 minutes first time - my DD stayed in the pool for 15 minutes first time but she was fast asleep for the last 5

I took a hooded bath robe to put on while getting DS dressed so that I didn't drip water all over him or get cold.

I found a mini baby wetsuit (proper one - like a mini version of an adults one with arms and legs) on ebay. I think they do them from age 1 upwards. If your little one enjoys the swimming but gets cold quickly try to get one of these rather than just the vest type baby wetsuits. My DDs have poor circulation and are fine swimming in these but find the vests of realtively little help.

You'll probably do this as a matter of course but just in case...rinse LO off well in the shower afterwards (without swimming cossie) and rinse any swimming cossies well too. A build up of chlorine on the skin can give some babies a nasty looking rash

Ditto the snack - swimming makes them hungry, thirsy and then tired. Ditto the easy to wear, towelling clothes too.

I learnt all this the hard way, wish I'd used brain and asked here first [envy}

well its tomorrow! wish i could take along another adult but dh is working and i don;t know anyone round here.

brill idea re pj's for baby for after and thanks for all the other tips

we go to waterbabies lessons.

i wear my cossie under my clothes. dd has a fleecy sleepsuit for afters - she just gets dried v quickly and i plonk her in the car seat while i get dressed. i wear a skirt so i can do myself in sections if i need to amuse her. i also make sure to have snacks/ toys to hand to feed and distract. bring a changing mat - easier to put her on the floor and cover in copious towels - it feels freezing after the pool. i also bring a small bag to keep purse / mobile / car keys at the side of pool. bring plastic bags for nappies/ swim nappies/ wet cossies etc

enjoy

dd loves it!!

I had no other adult to take either but it would have been lovely. Report back on how it goes. I am nosey and persistent so you will not escape.

spongecake - hope swimming went well.

for you not knowing anyone where you are. In a similar situation myself just that the few I do know I just don't seem to 'gel' with.

hats off to you if you remembered all those tips.

talktothebees - pmsl

talktothe bees !

was great, remembered tips - however grumbled to chap in car park how there was no mother & baby parking, place wasn't signposted etc, communal changing rooms (!) and he turned out to be the manager serves me right for being a bit grumpy in the mornings....

class was nice and so were the other mums and babies. can't wait to take lo again next week!

glad you enjoyed it. I have been slacking off on the swimming the last few weeks but you have inspired me to make a bit more of an effort.

oh 'tis me TTTB with my festive panto hat on!!