Swimming Babies

I was told by the YMCA that 6 mos. is the age they feel that an infant will benefit/be able to learn from a "class." Younger babies may not be able to "learn" the moves, etc. Infants love water and can be in it from birth.

HI H., I think they suggest to start swimming at 6 months because a babys skin any younger then that is usually so sensative that the chemicals in a pool will only make them irritated, and probably dry. My parents just changed their pool from the traditional chlorine to a salt water, and it leaves your skin smooth and soft, not dry. But not all public pools are salt water, so I think it is because of the water, same thing with using sun block before 6 months, most peds advise after 6 months to use sun block, again because their skin is very new and sensative. Just food for thought!
M.

It is fine to take him in the pool at that age. As a swim instructor for the last 15 years I would recommend it. Just make sure you rinse him after you are done so the chlorine does not dry out his skin. Swim classes usually don't start until the are 6 months because that is when they can usually interact a little more and almost sit on their own. It just has to do with development not safety.

H.--

I don't know about age restrictions on babies swimming-- perhaps it varies from state to state-- but if your son is considered old enough, he will certainly need a life preserver and ought to have constant supervision when in the water.

At the beach one day about six years ago, my friend's four year-old son told his mom he was finished swimming and so she removed his life preserver. However, unbeknownst to her he then returned to the tidepool where he'd been playing and ended up drowning; tragically, his mother didn't realize he'd returned to the water 'til it was too late. I realize that your baby is too young to walk or swim away on his own, but I share this story in hope that it might help prevent similar tragedies.

--C.

We put our daughter in the Pool in Cancun when she was about 4.5 months old. We used a baby float ring and we holded the ring and took her around the pool. My daughter was not able to sit on her own either, but she did fine. Swimmimg classes also began @ 12 weeks as mommy and me class.

Hi H.,
I know you are not supposed to put sunscreen on babies less than 6 mos., you're supposed to keep them in the shade. I would also avoid exposing a baby under 6 mos. to chlorine, their skin is so sensitive. It only takes 20-30 sec for what is on your skin to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Sunscreens over 30 spf may cause chemical burns on children.

A little about me: I have a 2yr boy & 5 mos old girl, have a stay at home business so I can raise my babies. Been married almost 3 yrs and lived in Florida for 5 yrs, if you want any advice on beaches let me know!

I'm sure you've gotten a ton of responses by now, but we had our son in swimming lessons at 3 months old (the Australian Swim Schools will start them at this age), and he did just fine. He's now 7 months old and loves to be in the water.

Fascinating that out of seven responses, thus far, no one has addressed the following issue: Is the pool outdoors? Will your baby be exposed to direct sunlight? I would be just as concerned, if not more, with sun exposure than with water temperature and chlorine levels. You want to be concerned about your son's exposure to direct sunlight. And although a hat will help with sun that hits from above, remember that the sun's rays reflect off of the water. Doctor's don't recommend using sunscreen until 6 months because of the chemicals that are in it - and the child's body that can absorb them - that's why you don't see too many newborns "taking in the rays".

Hello.
My son took lessons from 9 months old. His doctor said the reason why babies shouldn't start when they are too young is because if they drink too much water it will mess up their electrolytes. I would just talk to your pediatrician. Other than that it should be okay as long as you aren't worried about sensitivity to chlorine.

Have fun!

Hi H.,

I would go ahead and take your son in the water, if you think he will be comfortable because of the water temperature. You probably already know if he will enjoy playing in the water or not because he either likes his baths or not.

One thing to think about that no one else has mentioned, that can be an issue for some children is water in their ears. My daughter had a lot of ear infections and pool water can make matters worse. If you decide to take him swimming, do not allow water to get in his ears. I'd also be hesitiant about letting his mouth get too close to the water to, you dont want him drinking it or swallowing it. Also, be careful of sun exposure.
Have a great trip!

T.

You know, I have a feeling I'm gonna get hate mail for saying this... hahaha.. but I have a friend, who is from New Zealand and what they do is teach the babies to swim. They have an innate natural instinct to float, and what this class offers is teaching them to use it, so that after taking those classes, it's almost next to impossible for a baby to drown. It's one of the most brilliant things I've ever seen. Apparantly in New Zealand they do this all the time. I took my son into the pool (indoors and heated) when he was three weeks old, and let him go under water... he was perfectly fine. By six weeks old, he was clamoring to get into the water, and would smile and bubble under water.. He truly IS a fish! What I did immediately after of course was rinse him off of the chlorine, and lather him up with lotion. I also put swimming plugs into his ears so that not too much water got into them. He LVOES LOVES LOVES water, and now he's 18 months old, and can swim alone.. Of course that doesn't mean I let him go alone! But he can float, and can swim. IT's amazing what you can do if yout each them at a young age.. My oldest two I was SO PARANOID, I refused to let them in the water until like two years old... It's normal to worry! Don't worry so much, and just be aware of the sunscreen you use, like the other moms suggested and the chlorine content. SWIM away, they're little fishes! OH, and another note, one other mom suggested something very good, listen to your baby's instincts.. some babies can only tolerate about fifteen to twenty minutes... You'll know! You know your baby best! Have a blast!!!
S.

Yes, You can take him into a pool with you holding him.
Even though some people think we evolved from sea. We really did not learn how to swim innately. As long as you are holding your baby , it will be fine.
I wouldn't start swimming lessons for some time.
N.

absolutly it's o.k. to take hime into a pool. Just don't put him under the water. Swim classes don't start until 6mths, because they know to hold their breath. Before that it's not a natural reaction and may breathe in water. The water wont hurt just be sure to keep his head above the water. They say it only take 3 sec for a baby to drown.
have a great vacation

T. H

Hi H.,
I had my son in the pool at 2 months (in the kiddie pool). He was fine. The baby cannot go in the jacuzzi though - too hot and way too many germs for you and the baby.

Have fun on your trip.

We started doing swim lessons with our daughter when she was six months old and there were babies there as young as 2 months. Babies under six months are actually better at holding their breath. The pool we go to has been heated to 92 degrees and is indoor. I was told the reason doctors recommend waiting until six months is because that is when you are able to put sunscreen on them. If you are going to be outdoors I would just be VERY careful about sun exposure...they can burn incredibly fast at that age. There is nothing wrong with taking them in the water when they are that young.

Yes, you can take him in a pool! Just make sure you have sun coverage; hat, protective clothing, umbrella, etc.. Sunscreen isn't usually recommended until 6mos, but I'd recommend finding a good natural one and testing a little part of his body to see if his skin will tolerate it.

Have fun!
M.

Hi H. -
I know you've had several responses all ready, but just wanted to share what we did. We live in Palm Springs where it's nice and warm most of the time and both my boys were very young in the summer months. I took my first son in the pool by 6 weeks. He was slathered up in sunscreen - I used the Aveeno baby - he wore a hat, and I also had one of those UV ray protective t-shirts that I used on occassion. My second son was in by 6-8 weeks as well. Neither of my boys had issues with cholorine or sunscreen. I made sure to always lather them up in lotion after we got out of the pool. Now my boys are 2 and 8mths...both LOVE the water. I'm not an expert by any means, but I see no problem with taking your little one for his first swim.

I think the only concerns I've ever heard is if things are too chlorinated, it might be tough on their skin or concerns about being in the sun too long. I would think if you pay attention to both those issues, you'd be fine.

Hi H., Babies at 6 months can hold their heards up on their own very well, and have some control over their are and leg movements, if you go into a pool and hold your baby in the water thats fine, just try and keep the wanter out of their ears. J.

I think partly because you can't put sunscreen on babies younger than 6 mths. I used to take my girls in, but it was after 4pm, and only for 5-10 minutes. Hope this helped. :)

Hi H. V:
I have a 2.5 year old son and we have been doing swim lessons since he was 8 months old.
I think it should be ok to take your son in a pool but probably not underwater in fear of ingesting the chlorine. Also, just rinse him well afterwards to get the chlorine off. I personally emphasize this b/c my son tends to get excema and it's worse when I don't rinse him well.
But,the 6 month rule for swim lessons is that they want the babies to be able to hold their heads up well prior to a class. And, by 6 months, most kids are able to do that.
Also, I would consult your Dr if you have any further concerns. Good luck and have fun! ***Mom of a very active 2 year old**

It is fine to take your baby in the pool, just make sure he has a lot of sunscreen on and use a hat to cover his head. We took our son in the pool right around four months and started swim lessons at six months. I think the only reason they start swim lessons at six months is to ensure the child can hold his head up and has some motor skills to learn what is being taught. Have fun!

actually I used to teach swimming lessons! The mommy and me classes don't usually start until (at the earliest) 6 mos, but most start at 9 mos. They don't usually start unitil then because the classes are suppost to help them get familiar with water at that age to help them start to swim. This being said, a 3 mos. old is fine to be in a pool. I woudl not keep him in for long because at that age the tempature change would be what I would worry about. If the pool is 98.6 then don't worry about it. If its colder, or hotter then that minimal amount of time in the water is fine. A dip in the pool to cool off can be a lot of fun at that age. Its a new experiance! Just keep in mind the amount of time spent in there. I would say 5-10 min max.

You can start taking them swimming as early as 2 weeks old.

We took our son in the pool younger than that and he loved it. Just make sure it's a clean pool. The swim lessons don't start till later just because they won't get much out of it. THey love the water, they were in it for 9 m in you! Enjoy!

We took our baby girl in our pool, well in a way. It was actually the jacuzzi. We heated it up to about 90 so it was not to cold. She was 4 and a half months old. I think if the water is to cold it may not be a good idea, at least that is how my pediatrician felt about it. Other than that it is okay. I don't know that I would feel comfortable in a public pool because of urine and the high chlorine content though. We know what is in our pool.

Swim away! I cannot say why lessons don't start until 6 months, but I have heard of no dangers prior to that. We put our daughter in the pool at 5 months - only because it was too cold prior to that as our pool is unheated. Needless to say, she loves the water and is a fish! Have fun!

The reason you can't take babies swimming is you can't get water In their eyes/ears due to the bacteria presant in pool/ocean water. Also Sun screen isn't approved till babies are 6 mos min. If you do take baby in the pool just take care to maybe just dip her feet in with a wide brimmed hat on her. That's what I did :-)

When I wanted to introduce my daughter to swimming in a pool our pediatrition was concerned about the chlorine levels. We did a small "patch test" exposing only a little of her skin to the chlorinated water. I had horible visions of her reacting to the chlorine and having a rash on every inch of her body. She had no problems and enjoyed the water. She was upset when we took her out because her lips turned a little blue. Enjoy your trip to Florida!

Hi H.,
I don't know why they don't start classes earlier, but I had my 4 month old in the pool. Maybe they don't offer it, because at that age they get tired quickly and lose interest quickly as well. My baby liked the water, but only for about 15 minutes at a time. I'm sure if he doesn't protest there's no reason you couldn't take him in. I'd b careful of sun exposure though!
Have a great trip,
S. g.

you can start as early as 6 weeks. Its best to try and avoid the chlorine, instead find a saline pool but not always possible. Just sunscreen and sun hat but 3.5 months old is def old enough to take a dip! have fun!!!