Swimming at 3 months

[katylou25]

Just took DS for his first swim - and he absoultely loved it! However......... we got lots of comments like should you really be bringing a baby this small swimming - hes a stocky 'proper' boy IYKWIM, we didn't keep him in very long and as I said he really enjoyed it - so whats wrong about it????

What???? All 3 of mine have been since 3 months old and they are perfectly fine! In fact, it's brilliant because they are now 4, 2 and 7 months and not one of them has fear of water and ds1 who is just 4 is out of armbands already!

Message withdrawn

I took mine (12 weeks tomorrow) for the first time on Friday. He also loved it. He even managed the shower! I was lucky and got supportive comments from others.

Screamed blue murder in the changing rooms though. I ended up very stressed trying to get us both dressed - how do you do it?

Just ignore the screaming! It doesn't matter does it?!

If I take ds1 and ds2 on my own (can't take 3 so leave ds3 with my brother usually) I go in a family changing room so it's enclosed and they can't run about.

If we all go, dh has ds1 and ds2 in a family changing room and I take ds3 with me in the ladies. If he cries it's just tough!

I guess not. I'll try wrapping him up and getting myself dressed first next time.

I guess not. I'll try wrapping him up and getting myself dressed first next time.

Dophus, I do that - I wrap him in the towel all warm (out of his swim nappy though) and get myself dressed first.

Ignore them katylou, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. DD's first dip was at 13 weeks in an open air pool in Newquay.

Think it's a brilliant idea taking them early - you stick to it and ignore them! I'm sure you'll all have a fab time!

I think it's great to get them in the water early. As long as they have had their injections there shouldn't be any problems.

Thanx for the reassurance ladies! Will go again next week and bah humbug to the old moaners!!

No idea why they'd make comments like that. Madness.

As for getting changed, I take myself a dressing gown rather than a towel. Strip & wrap baby (mine aren't babies anymore though!), remove my swimsuit and put on dressing gown (wrap hair in small hand towel) and then get the child dressed. By the time they're done, I'm dry and can just get dressed quickly. The dressing gown doesn't fall off like a towel would. You can usually get dressed safely with them on the changing table (assuming a family changing room).

As long as the pool is warm I really can't see a problem. Dh took dd swimming (admittedly in a private pool) when she was about a month old. I know I was still bleeding postnatally so couldn;t go in with her.

What on earth do these people think swimming is going to do to harm your ds.

I take her old toweling dressing gown to the side of the pool. So the second we are out of the water she is wrapped up and warm. Then sit her down & plug her into a banana / raisins etc. I then get dry before she does (at least I don't drip all over her then!)

I took dd swimming at10wks, she was fine. Loved it, even the underwater dunks! She's enrolled on a little dipper course. Have also taken her to the local leisure centre pool with ds1+2 (4.5 and just 3), people around us were just full of gushiness over how cute she was!! No comments re her age just how great it was that I was introducing her to water at such an early age and how she obviously enjoyed it.
I'd ignore any neg comment and carry on regardless.

How long (age) does the dive reflex last?
How long can you dunk them for?

I didn't pluck up the courage to do it.

Dophus, start by saying "DS, ready, go!" and scoop up a handful of water and splash his face/head. This will get him used to getting water on his face and also makes him associate the "DS ready go" phrase with the fact that he's going to get wet.

When he's used to this, and your feeling brave enough, do the ready go bit, lift him up slightly and then a quick down, under and up again. And LOOK HAPPY when he comes up! Praise him and make a fuss and they don't realise anything untoward has happened.

They don't stay under for long - you can build it up so they're "swimming" for a few seconds (seems like longer!) and DS2 was eventually able to swim nearly 5m underwater before he was 3. Not much use as he was meant to be coming up to breathe

Crikey in New Zealand I took ds to newbron swimming classes at 6 wks it was high summer though and they capitalise on the newborn reflex to paddle upwards
ds was swimming carrying himself to the surface at 8 wks
Very scary though

How very silly. You would have known if he was not happy and IME most small babies love it. Getting dried/dressed is generally a nightmare but you cope. I started taking my two together when DS was 3.8 and DD was 5 months and even now 6 months later its still a challenge. I take them both their dressing gowns and a banana. Get them out of swimwear into robes and plug in a banana each. Then dry/dress myself. Then nag DS to dress himself (he's generally too busy being nosy) while I dress DD and then finish off the 3/4 DS hasn't got round to. Other thing is little babies get really tired swimming so are generally fairly wingy in the changing rooms but your chances are good for a nice nap afterwards.

just to echo dophus's Q - should you do the dunking by any particular age? ds is nearly 6m and i haven't plucked up the courage (or managed to get him to a baby class) either yet.

re dressing, i've started getting dressed myself while he's wrapped in a towel, and giving him a small toy to play with as distraction. the only way to avoid too much whinging is to take him out of the pool before he gets too tired - so two quid for about 15-20mins in the pool (grrr...).

well was not put off and took him again yesterday and he loved it again and this time I got loads of positive comments so was just a bunch of old moaners on Sunday I guess!

well was not put off and took him again yesterday and he loved it again and this time I got loads of positive comments so was just a bunch of old moaners on Sunday I guess!