Baby swimming: from what age and why?
What does baby swimming mean? And how can baby swimming promote your child’s later motor movement skills? You can find out everything about baby swimming here.
When and where to do baby swimming?
- Suitable for:Â The course is suitable for children from the age of three months. Some children stay at baby swimming until they learn to swim. Then, of course, an age-appropriate group should be present.
- Time:Â Courses in baby swimming take place for about ten weeks. A course hour usually lasts around 30 minutes.
- Provider:Â The DLRG (Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft) or local swimming pools often offer baby swimming courses. In almost every city you should find such an offer.
- Cost:Â For a ten-hour course you can expect costs between 60 and 80 euros.
What happens during baby swimming?
In baby swimming, your child does not really learn to swim, but you learn certain hand movements and techniques that help and support your child in his movements in the water. This experience is about playful experiences that your baby can make together with you. With singing and movement games, your child will be brought closer to the element of water in a playful way during baby swimming.
Where does baby swimming come from?
The idea of baby swimming was born in the 70s. It was pointed out that unborn babies grow up in liquid, and the body feeling in the water is thus continuously preserved. Baby swimming today falls into the field of water aerobics. Diving exercises, for example, are intended to achieve better safety in the water.
When do you start baby swimming?
From the third month of life, you can make the swimming pool unsafe together with your child every week. But you should make sure that the temperature of the water is between 32 and 34 degrees, as the warm water relaxes the muscles best and your baby feels so comfortable. Specially heated pools are therefore provided for the baby swimming courses. Do not stay in the pool for more than 30 minutes, because afterwards your child is exhausted and can cool down more easily despite high temperatures. It’s important that you recognize the time when the fun turns into discomfort. If your child has an infection or feels generally unwell, you should postpone the visit to the swimming pool.
Why take a baby swimming course?
Your baby will be influenced much more intensively by the movements in the water than by those on dry land. Its freedom of movement is much greater and it can move in a way that is otherwise not possible. In addition, baby swimming supports the following things:
- You will learn important and, above all, safe grips and holding techniques. So you can move more safely in the water with your baby during future swimming pool visits.
- Your baby also learns to move more purposefully. His later motor skills are promoted.
- Water affects all organ systems, especially your baby’s breathing. By the way, the small lungs are trained by the water pressure.
- Your child can relax and be active in the water at the same time.
- The close body contact and the touch are certainly just as nice for you as for your baby. Carrying in the water promotes the relationship between you and your baby: trust and responsibility develop.
- The ability to perceive is improved by the special properties of water, such as moisture and resistance.
- The sense of balance is stimulated.
If you are unsure whether baby swimming is right for you and your offspring, you can go to a trial lesson and watch from the edge of the pool or maybe venture cautiously into the water.
Preparing for baby swimming
Before the first visit to the swimming pool, you can practice with yourbaby in the bathtub. The water temperature in the bathtub should be 37°C for the first baths. Since the water in the swimming pool is cooler, you should slowly get your baby used to the water temperature in the swimming pool. The best way to do this is to slowly lower the temperature in the bathtub. In addition, you should have a toy for your baby in the bathtub. If it splashes unpleasantly, toys distract. As a familiar element, the toy can also accompany your baby to the swimming pool.
What your baby needs
- Put a swim diaper on your baby to swim. This prevents the “big business” from getting into the water. If you want, you can put a swimsuit on him, but that doesn’t have to be the case. For girls, a swimsuit is rather unfavorable. It covers the perceptual organ skin and the substance looking out of the water also removes heat. Make sure that the swimming trunks are not cut out too high at the leg and close firmly at the stomach.
- In addition to the right swimwear, you need two (bath) towels and a bathrobe for your baby.
- For showering, you can take a baby shower gel for your baby, if you normally use it. You should shower with your baby before and after swimming so that sweat, fat and chlorinated water are rinsed off. Many babies don’t like to shower, so you can skip the head at first.
- Swimming in chlorinated water dries out the skin. Therefore, cream your baby after showering better with a skin care cream.
- Also think about a fresh diaper and changing clothes.
- After swimming, many babies are hungry and thirsty. You can breastfeed it or take a bottle with you. A warm drink also regulates body temperature at the same time. If your baby is older, you can also take a porridge with you. After eating and drinking, most babies fall into a deep sleep. Baby swimming not only makes you hungry, but also tired!
What you need for baby swimming
- Swimwear
- a bathrobe
- one or two towels
- for hygienic reasons maybe a pair of bathing shoes
- Shower clothes and a cream
Respiratory protection reflex: Why babies can dive
The respiratory reflex is innate and is triggered by the contact of the face with water. It stops your baby’s breathing activity and protects the airways from water. The breathing reflex disappears over time. But when exactly varies from baby to baby (usually around the 6th month of life). Therefore, small babies can hold their breath and dive underwater.
However, diving in baby swimming courses is still controversial. Although babies can do it physically, it is unclear and probably varies from baby to baby whether they enjoy it. Unfortunately, the baby cannot be asked beforehand. Many children react rather shocked and with a loss of trust in their parents – at least in the short term. It is best to form an opinion before attending a course and perhaps talk to the course instructor about the topic before the course.