Frequently Asked Questions

Babies should be fed at least 1 hour before entering the water to allow food to be digested. If the class time does not suit your babies routine, please talk to our teachers to see if you can change classes to a more suitable time.

Babies may be hungrier (and sleepier) after swimming due to all the exercise, so they may need a big feed after the swim!

You can take baby swimming from birth as long as his/her cord is healed and mother and baby have had their 6 week check.

You no longer have to wait until they have had their immunisations any concerns should be discussed with your GP, Health Visitor or by visiting the NHS website.

To avoid any accident babies must wear a double system, by this we mean a swim nappy (this can be disposable or one that can be washed) and a Happy Nappy.

Your baby will need:

Disposable swim nappy and a Happy Nappy

Baby wet suit (optional)

Be confident, be positive and practice, practice, practice.

No person, not even a strong swimmer is ‘drown-proof’, however your baby will learn skills that will buy them time should they fall into water accidentally – for example how to back float and how to get to the side and hold on.

This is different for every child and will depend on many factors.  However if you practice, your child could be swimming short distances between 2½ and 3 years old. Our aim is to encourage water confidence and safety skills from an early age and then develop these skills towards independent swimming.

Yes, make the teacher aware you can’t swim and stay where you feel comfortable and confident.

Of course it’s great for Dads to be involved but, because of limited space it’s not possible to have both parents in the pool during lessons.  On the other hand, Dads are welcome to bring baby to the classes every week.  If one parent is only going to be attending on an occasional basis, try and ensure they go to practice with you so they are aware of the types of exercises we are doing and are confident when the come to class.

Yes.  The more you take your baby swimming and practice the skills you have been learning in class, the better your baby will progress.  Remember to take some toys and alternate exercise with play.  If you can get together with some other mums in your class to practice, this will help with exercises and make the sessions more fun too!  It is especially important to practice during the breaks for holidays.

The main skills we will be working on are: holding on, turning in the water and learning to back float.  All of these skills are safety oriented and are incorporated into fun exercises you and your baby will enjoy.

There is clear evidence to show that babies who start swimming around 3 months old are more independent and less fearful of new situations.  They also show better results with regard to intellectual performance and have greater precision in motion, better coordination and better balance.  Swimming helps to strengthen your baby’s heart, lungs and most of all it is a fun skill that can be enjoyed together by the whole family and could ultimately save your baby’s life.