How Soon Can I Take My Newborn Swimming?

Super idea! Babies are used to being in "water" for 9 months. You will have so much fun! Most public pools have great mommy-baby exercise classses you may want to check out, especially if it's something you love to do. One word of CAUTION: No regular diapers...I learned in scuba diving that drowning due to diaspers is one of the leading causes of death for infant/toddlers - because of the boyancy of diapers they will float on top, thus keeping the baby's butt afloat, however, baby's necks are not strong enough to hold their head above the water (so without the help of an adult)they drown. GOOD NEWS, they do make two options that I know of. There are reusable swimming pants (around $6) that I use for my day care kids when we go to the pool and there are also diapers that are designed just for swimming. Both are "sanitary" and bigger toddlers don't mind the swimming pants where they may not like the diapers once trained. By the way...they do infant births under water and start them out from the first moment of life "outside" of the womb! Many happy swimming times and blessings to you!

If you haven't done so already, you should DEFINITELY check out Waterbabies, they are awesome. www.waterbabies.net

They start off slowly with your child and teach all sorts of great survival skills and help get them accustomed to water. I started when my daughter was about 6 months old, and within a few weeks I could take her underwater! I highly recommend them. We now go every Sunday to the pool!

It's never too soon to take your baby swimming! In fact the earlier the better! My daughter has been swimming her whole life and she is very confident and capable in the water at 17 months old.

Make sure if you take her to swim lessons you go to a qualified school. I highly recommend DolFun Swim Academy for newborns. Debbie (owner and instructor) is an expert in infant swimming and physiology, she will teach you correctly. If you wait until 3-4 months, many of the other pools will take him too. Otherwise I would just take him with you to open swims or a family pool for water fun.

Make sure you get cloth swim diapers too. They work better, save money in the long run and many pools will only allow you to use cloth. Disposables are not sanitary and will leak in the case of a runny accident causing the pool to be drained and heavily chemically treated which isn't good for anyone. :(

Also, bring some baby shampoo and body wash to get the chlorine off your little one after the swim. If possible find a salt water pool for a healthier swim option.

Other than that, go have fun swimming with your baby. It will be a great bonding experience, help develop his motor skills and allow him some fantastic freedom of movement!

Hi E.-
I've heard anywhere from 4-6 months is good. Just be sure the pool is kept very warm or your little one will get chilly. I swam with my daughter, Wren, at 6 months and the class and pool situation were a little much for her. I think a more calm scene would have been better at that age. We did dive her under the water with no problem. Up until about 6 months they have a reflex that automatically closes off when water is poured on them or you dive them, headfirst, under the water. We didn't continue with the lessons at that age but continued to condition her to hold her breath by pouring water over her head and saying: "Ready, Wren, swim" , then I suck in my own breath and then pour the water. This was taught to us by our instructo. She is now 19 months old and loves swimming. She gets cold if not moving. She will allow us to dive her under the water and that reflex of breath-holding is still present. I'm pretty sure it's because we kept up the sequence in the bathtub. Have fun! A.

i took my daughter at 8wks and she loves the water.

what a great gift to give your child! love of aquatics is life long. i am an arc water safety instructor. american red cross recommends 6 months of age for parent/infant swim skills development. check with your local pool to enroll in a class. there is great info on water adjustment and pre-swimming skills that lay the foundation for life long swimming. more than anything else though, have fun in the water. your child picks up on your emotions. if you love it, he will too...enjoy!

Check with your pediatrician first. You can also look into a water babies program I work at Good Sam and we have one here.

The classes usually start at 6 months. The only thing that I would be concerned with is the drop in body temperature and the chlorine. The Ymca has a saline pool for children that is 97 degrees. Try to find a warm pool in your area.