When did you first take baby swimming?

[karen01]

I am just interested to see how old your baby was when you took them swimming. Also did you put the underwater and let go, or did you just keep them above the surface.

DS is 12wks, he has been swimming, but mainly floating a boput with my hands supporting his back whist he laid back and kicked. I have let him go under and he seems fine. But some mums at clinic were on about letting the m go under water and letting them swim under ( but this needs to be done before 6 months). I did go to try it but then I chickened out as I felt so sorry for Ds.

I would like to read about some experiences please.

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I used to take mine from very small and lots of mums did this ducking. The swimming instructor explained to me that they have a mechanism (flap?) that disappears after a few months and this stops them drowning. Makes sense really when they've been in the amniotic fluid. HTH

I took both my dss at 12 weeks but I never let go of them as I chickened out as well. However, age 9 and 10 now they are both fantastic swimmers. They both swam 25 metres without armbands at 4 yrs old and last year they both swam 5000 metes for the Butlins swimathon. They also swim for our local club and sometimes enter galas. We do just go swimming for fun as well of course, and even when they were younger it was great on holiday because they are so confident in the water. I just used to take them swimming regularly, let them splash about or whatever. Then they swam with armbands and it just sort of progressed naturally that they asked if they could take them off and they swam without them. I am especially glad ds1 is so good at swimming as he hates football and games and so swimming really improves his confidence.

Thanks for the advice.

There is a mums and tots swimming session some mornings here so I will have to see how young the sessions are for but there shouldn't be a problem.

I am trying to find pampers swimming nappies in the small size. anyone know where I can get them on line or uk as I could always get family to send them out ot me.

Hi Karen

For one reason or another, we only got round to taking ds swimming this summer (22 mths). He absolutely loved it! One thing we've done from birth though is not molly coddle him in the bath. When his gets his hair washed, dh tips a jug of water right over his head (slowly) and makes a game out of it. He has never worried about getting his face or his head wet. We encouraged splashing too to get him used to the fact that water is fun, not something to be afraid of.

For the first couple of years, it's more about water confidence and then actually moving through the water can start.

We've got "aquanappies" from John Lewis and a Boots own brand swim nappy too.

muddaofsuburbia- ds loves going in the bath and doesnt worry when water goes on his face ect. he just laughs, coos and kicks, so i suppose i am half way there.

after their 3 month booster and always held them...they loved it (ds 9 and dd 7 1/2 now absolutely love the water and have no fear whatsoever)....enjoy the time with your baby

Maybe I should have added that I already have a dd of 8 .I first took her at 8months but she screamed she wouldn't settle in the swimming pool until about 2 1/2. She is now a competant swimmer but I want ds to enjoy it from as young as possible.

kareno1 yes dh and I heard about this and you know after we had dd we used to dunk her under the water from about 4-5 months...just for a few seconds and you know she can swim under water without fear and has done so froma very early age (3 I think) get your ds dunked soon he'll love it (the sooner the better though)

Jacob went swimming when he as 8 weeks after his first set of jabs. If you go with your SO, one of you can push your baby through the water to the other whilst the other one circles your ahn ds underwater to create a current that pulls the baby towards you. Another thing, if you do dunk, make sure you have a big happy smiley face on you when baby surfaces and not an anxious ;are you OK?' face