Anyone with positive stories about a baby who hates swim class?

[Sls668]

My baby is nearly 6 months. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I was adamant she’d go to swimming classes. I hate swimming, always have done and can swim but am not confident in the water. I didn’t start swimming classes until I was older (maybe 7ish?) and hated every lesson. I could never going to friends swim parties and was always a whimp in the pool on holiday which always bothered me if I made new holiday mates!
Anyway, fast forward to now, we are due to do baby’s 3rd swim class this week and, so far, she’s cried for the other 2! Not screaming upset crying but just moaning and wanting to be kept in at my body at all times. She has always been a Velcro baby and perhaps a little more of a cautious soul so it didn’t massively surprise me but she does love a bath so I was hoping for a positive reaction.
I’m thinking to give it a couple more weeks and, if she still hates it, to give up for a year or so until she’s bigger and has more understanding. I guess we’ll lose out on the money which is annoying but not the end of the world.
Basically, my question is has anybody else’s baby hates swimming at first but warmed to it after a few sessions? May I get a pleasant surprise in the next couple of weeks?

By the way, I don’t need the ‘they can’t teach babies to learn to swim’ etc comments. I wanted her to go to be water confident and for something for us to enjoy together.

Not a baby because he didn't go to baby swim class but my DS hated swimming, he used to hyperventilate if he had to let go of the side. Aged 7 I took him for 1 term of 1 to 1 lessons at 8 he was scouted by a swim club at his school.swimming lessons, aged 9 he got a silver medal at County level. Its never too late even if she doesn't warm to it now she has many years ahead of her.

I actually don't know many people whose babies liked swim classes (I certainly didn't enjoy them as a parent!). My eldest didn't like them. She loves to swim now and swims probably about as well as others her age.

My DS used to cling so hard to me at 6 months I often got pinch marks on my arms. We persevered and around 12 months something clicked and it was hard to get him out of the pool. There is hope. We pushed through as we felt that swimming (well at least floating) is an essential life skill

@mindutopia that’s the problem, all the other babies in the class love it and are merrily splashing around 🙈

@Kettledodger that’s good to hear, although I don’t know if I’ve got it in me to keep going for another 6 months!

@Hellocatshome thank you, I know she’s only tiny and we’ve a lifetime to go. I just had a vision that isn’t really happening!

Is the water really warm, and do you put a neoprene velcro suit on your baby? Babies get cold really quickly and definitely won't enjoy it if they are cold.

I felt just like you OP, took DD to classes last September when she was 6 months. She was the only baby that cried and screamed throughout tue whole class. I felt like such an awful Mum. We lasted 3 classes before me and DH said that it wasn’t worth the stress. It was a 10 week course so lost loads of money, plus they made you buy a woggle and swim toys 😬

We had a velcro baby who was the same. She's better now, aged nearly three, but still doesn't like water on her face! Our second DC loves the water and has a gay old time.

Before i had kids I thought nurture was the be all and end all in determining personality, but nowadays I think nature has a lot to do with it!

So DS loved swimming lessons as a baby, DD hated them. So I stopped. We restarted when she was about 18 months, and then she loved them. And it made no difference to how quickly she learnt to swim in comparison to DS.

What worked well for my son was taking him to the swimming pool a lot and just having fun. He taught himself to swim after a few years. Having said that the class just sounds like it is supposed to be fun also. Definitely follow your mum instincts and don't let the instructor push you into pushing your baby.

DD hated baby swimming. At age 11 she was a regional backstroke finalist.
Baby swimming is for you not baby.

I did baby swim classes last autumn with an 7/8 month old and she didn’t enjoy it most of the time, I haven’t swum with her until a couple of weeks ago due to lockdowns til classes restarted and now she’s 13 months she’s loving it. Just being a bit older and more aware etc has made an massive difference, as well as being much more predictable on nap and feeding times, means that her lesson is now always at good time - mid morning. It may just be too early for your little one to enjoy it.

A good baby swim class won’t mind at all if your baby cuddles into you all class. They also won’t push the baby or mum to do things they’re not happy with. One of my friends babies was like this in our class. She came round very gradually. By age two all four of our toddlers were swimming independently and loving it.

Took DS1 as a baby and he hated it. Stopped and started him at 3 when he could go in the water without me. He didn’t adore it but he didn’t mind, learnt to swim and is a perfectly decent swimmer. Kept him going until he was about 10. Didn’t even bother trying with the other 2. They did a crash course at 3 and carried on until 8/9 and are both decent swimmers.

Honestly I think baby swimming has to be one of the biggest wastes of time. Just get them going to a proper old fashioned class from 3 and start with a half term crash course to get them goojg

DS1 hated it - he was THAT baby in the group. We binned it off. Did plan to restart age 3, but COVID. Hoping to start him in lessons this year.

My children both disliked swimming classes until they were 3+ and could go in the pool without me. Wish I’d given up the classes sooner, so much easier when they started pre-school lessons and I only had the child to change at the end!

Dd2 was a pain in the arse with water feckibg babies. She was swimming fine at 5. Don't worry about it

Ours swam from a few weeks but I’d had them in the bath with me since birth, splashing around and being confident in my arms whilst their heads and faces got wet.
I think leisure centre pools are horrid and often echoing, noisy, cold or hot and sticky and hot and full of chlorine. Rarely are public indoor pools comfortable. I’m not surprised the baby dislikes it, to be honest. I think the risk of continuing is that you put them off for ever. I’d be tempted to forego lessons but take them regularly during quiet times and use the bath or sea for water confidence.

Thanks guys, you’ve all pretty much echoed what I was thinking! Just to note it is a private small pool so she’s not cold and the instructor is great, she always encourages me to adjust the exercises to what my baby is comfortable with. It’s a no forced dunking class too which is why I chose them so she’s not had any dunking experience that’s put her off!
I think I’ll give it a couple more weeks and if there’s no improvement, we’ll just call it a day until maybe next year

Mine loved the water at 6months but didn't learn to swim. Started formal lessons at a out 4yo and really hated that. We stopped for a while and went back to it later. He became a very decent swimmer and swim club member.

@Sls668

Thanks guys, you’ve all pretty much echoed what I was thinking! Just to note it is a private small pool so she’s not cold and the instructor is great, she always encourages me to adjust the exercises to what my baby is comfortable with. It’s a no forced dunking class too which is why I chose them so she’s not had any dunking experience that’s put her off! I think I’ll give it a couple more weeks and if there’s no improvement, we’ll just call it a day until maybe next year

Life's too short isn't it. I found the baby swimming movement a bit evangelical. Dd1 really took to it and was swimming lengths at 2. Dd2 was a horror about it all until she met a lovely instructor at the council pool when she was 4/5 and learned to swim in a couple of weeks no drama. Don't sweat it and if it's not working choose another activity. I really thought that with dd1 the best thing about it was sensory stimulation completely one to one with mummy with no distractions and that's why she likes it

I started mine at 7 weeks (!) and she hated the first few classes. After about 5 she stopped, after about 10 there started to be some enjoyment. If I had another I’d wait til about 4-6 months before starting I think.

Ours is in a 34 degree pool and my daughter was still getting cold. Once I bought one of the little wetsuits she was so much happier. She still wears one now at 2! Might be worth considering.

@modgepodge

I started mine at 7 weeks (!) and she hated the first few classes. After about 5 she stopped, after about 10 there started to be some enjoyment. If I had another I’d wait til about 4-6 months before starting I think.

Ours is in a 34 degree pool and my daughter was still getting cold. Once I bought one of the little wetsuits she was so much happier. She still wears one now at 2! Might be worth considering.

Sorry should say ‘after about 5 she stopped CRYING’

We live right beside the sea and all my dcs can swim but omg swim classes for 6 months olds? I think its sort of ridiculous and if your baby hates it stop going. I brought my first born as I think with the first child it's easy to get caught up with needing to do classes. Total waste of money, all the babies look freezing too in swimming pools at that age. We splashed around in the bath instead, honestly I just cringe so bad at the stuff I did with my first born , library time for 6 month olds when basically he just wanted to bf or try to stand up.....
Watch out for ear infections too, can really end up damaging ears and so so common with small babies in pools.

Oh God the dunking
Also you don't know that they aren't cold, they can't tell you.