Providing constant, focused supervision is the most important thing you can do for baby or young child who is learning to swim or is in or near water. Playing in the water, whether it's learning to swim or just splashing and paddling, is lots of fun for babies and young children. And knowing how to swim is an important skill that can help keep your child safe all through life. That's why getting started with swimming lessons once your child is old enough is a smart strategy. Even if your baby isn’t ready just yet, you might consider doing water play to get her primed for swimming lessons in the future. POGP. 2018. Fit for the future: essential exercises and advice after childbirth. Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy. POGP booklet [Accessed May 2018] Once your baby is comfortable floating, try putting their ears under the water. The best way to do this is to hold them lengthways across your body with one hand under their head and one supporting their bum. Slowly lower their head so their ears are underwater. It’s a new sensation for babies, as the water muffles their hearing.

If you want to find out more about swimming with your baby, visit Swimming.org Opens a new window. Swimming.org is a national body and provides information for parents about swimming with babies and children.It’s important to know that newborns and infants younger than 12 months old aren’t yet able to raise their heads above the water to breathe, so swimming lessons aren’t yet appropriate for them. Find out when you might start your little one on swimming lessons, and the signs of readiness to look for. Make sure that the deep and shallow ends of your pool are marked, and never let your child dive into the shallow end

I have never really come across an adult and child lesson that takes place in water deeper than standing depth, so you’re not having to tread water and deal with the baby at the same time. Swimming is a great all-round form of physical activity. It’s ideal if you want to be more active and stay healthy, whatever your age or fitness level. You might find attending one of our NCT New Baby courses helpful as they give you the opportunity to explore different approaches to important parenting issues with a qualified group leader and other new parents in your area.Some private baby swimming classes start as early as four weeks. There's no need to wait until your baby is immunised (NHS 2016) before taking him to a pool. There are lots of things you can do to make swimming fun for your baby and help boost his confidence in the water: Start off with sessions of 10 minutes and build up to 20 minutes. If your baby is under a year old, limit your time in the water to 30 minutes maximum. If you're not sure whether your child is ready for swim lessons but you want to start, your pediatrician can help you decide what's best – and help you find a good swim program. The gate of the fence should be self-closing and self-latching. The latch should be at least 54 inches above the ground, and the gate should open away from the pool.

It’s a good idea to keep your pool covered, but a pool cover should never replace the use of a fence If your baby enjoys their time in the water then that’s great, as Swim England share plenty of benefits to them having a splash about:Make sure you have everything you need before you leave the house. For example, towels and nappies (swim and regular). Some parents also get their own swimming costume on under their clothes too. But note: do not forget to take your own underwear. Many a parent has been there, doing the dash home without the underwear. Get yourself changed first Our support line offers practical and emotional support with feeding your baby and general enquiries for parents, members and volunteers: 0300 330 0700. Find out more about learning to swim, safe and comfortable ways to hold your child while in the water and details on at home activities or any other equipment you may need before going in the pool.

a b c "Unintentional Drowning: Get the Facts". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention . Retrieved 18 August 2014.

Knowing how to swim is very important, as it can help prevent drowning. Studies have shown that swimming lessons can help reduce the drowning risk for toddlers and young children between the ages of 1 and 4, so you may like to take this into account when deciding when to start your little one on lessons. Pedroso FS, et al. 2012. The diving reflex in healthy infants in the first year of life. Journal of Child Neurology 27(2):168-71. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21881008 Opens a new window [Accessed March 2022] Take it from us: it is in no way selfish. It’s sensible to wrap them in a big, warm towel while you get yourself sorted first. You can sort them out when you’re dry and dressed. Think about a proper baby class Hong Nguyen, B (2003). "Swimming lessons for infants and toddlers". Paediatrics and Child Health. 8 (2): 113–4. doi: 10.1093/pch/8.2.113. PMC 2791436. PMID 20019931. Don’t leave toys in or around the pool, as these are enticing to children even when it’s not swimming time