PARENTING
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Sarah Dawson OUTLINES EVERY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ACE THAT FIRST POOL TRIP WITH YOUR NEWBORN our first time in the pool with your baby is a moment you’ll never forget. There’s something magical about a baby in water – born with the natural reflex to move their arms and legs when supported in the water, as well as hold their breath and open their eyes underwater, babies really are natural swimmers. There are no rules as to when you can take your baby swimming for the first time – the NHS advises you don’t need to wait until after their immunisations – so it’s up to you when you feel ready to take the plunge. Get baby used to the water at bathtime, with plenty of splashing. It can be handy to play with bath toys and sing songs while they bathe, then use these as reassuring prompts when you’re in the pool for the first time. Just make sure the pool water is warm enough – 30°C for a baby older than 12 weeks or heavier than 12lb, and 32°C if they’re younger or smaller. The first year of life is crucial to your baby’s development, and swimming has an impressive number of benefits. Ali Beckman, technical director and head teacher at Puddle Ducks, explains, “Swimming is a truly amazing activity, facilitating development of higher brain functions, core muscles and coordination. In fact, swimming gives your baby the opportunity to develop all of these skills earlier than their non-swimming peers.” Studies have shown that, on the whole, babies who swim have much better balance out of the pool than those who don’t. Swimming is the only opportunity babies have to move freely, plus all that grasping for the colourful swimming toys is great for their early motorskills development. It’s not just the physical benefits that get
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the thumbs up. Swimming is so important for a baby’s emotional development, too. “It’s the only time your baby can feel truly independent,” says Ali. Signing up to baby swimming lessons gives your little one’s brain a workout, as they learn to respond to certain key words and thrive on the repetition. Not to mention meeting their fellow bathers “Classes are a fun and socially stimulating activity for both parents and babies,” Ali explains. As well as all of this, swimming classes are a great way to bond with your baby through all that skin-to-skin and eye contact. “The bonding experience is second-to-none,” says Ali. “It’s a time for you and your baby to relax together, plus it helps your baby build confidence in the water, and you, too, if you
time in the pool can affect their super-soft, delicate skin. “Chemicals used to disinfect swimming pools are known to dry out skin,” explains Dr Stefanie Williams, Dermatologist and Aveeno Baby expert, “but if you take the correct precautions before and after time in the water, baby skin can be protected. Wet skin is less absorbent that dry skin, so by rinsing your baby in non-chlorinated water (or at least less chlorinated) before getting into the pool, you can reduce the amount of pool water absorbed by your baby’s skin. I’d also recommend washing away the chlorine straight after you’ve taken your baby swimming, using a moisturising wash like the Aveeno Baby Dermexa Wash.” If your little one has eczema, it pays to be extra careful when taking them swimming, as the pool water can irritate baby’s skin further. “In this case, I’d recommend applying a lipidrich barrier cream all over your baby, such as Aveeno Baby Dermexa Emollient Balm, before they get in the water,” suggests Dr Williams. “It’s also worth speaking to the leisure centre to find out what time they add more chlorine to their pool, so you can avoid swimming directly after this, and ask what the temperature of the pool is too. The warmer the water the more likely skin will dry out – especially eczema-prone baby skin. Finally, be mindful of how long your baby is spending in the water – a newborn should start with just 10 minutes in the pool, building up to 20, then 30 minutes max, until they’re over a year old.” It goes without saying that any outing with a small baby can be a little daunting – throw in the prospect of wrangling them out of wet costumes and swim nappies, while desperately trying to keep your towel firmly wrapped
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lack water-confidence.” It’s a fun way to give your baby some undivided attention, plus it’s great for your fitness (not to mention providing a bit of structure and sanity to those hazy newborn weeks), is something both parents can get involved with and can even help improve baby’s eating and sleeping patterns – music to our sleep-deprived ears! Classes are the perfect way to start a habit that will hopefully last a lifetime. “Encouraging a baby to take regular exercise, such as swimming, will make it easier to establish a healthy lifestyle in the future,” Ali explains, plus, what could be more important than teaching them a potentially life-saving skill? One thing to keep in mind when introducing your baby to swimming, is how spending
PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCK/EVGENYATAMANENKO
INSTILLING A LOVE OF WATER AT AN EARLY AGE IS SOMETHING YOU’LL NEVER REGRET
