The Benefits of Baby Swimmimg: A Guide from Puddle Ducks

Baby swimming is one of the most amazing experiences you can share with your baby!

Babies have a real affinity with water. They spend nine months in the womb, and more and more expectant mothers are now choosing a water birth as the most natural introduction to this world. Water is recognised as a warm, supportive environment during labour and provides a natural transition for your baby from the womb to the “outside world”.

Babies can be taken into the water from birth (Puddle Ducks welcomes babies in their classes from as young as a few weeks); they do not need to have completed their injections and very young babies love the freedom, massage and gentle exercise that the water offers. The benefits to both parent and baby of swimming together are immense and include:

• Plenty of eye contact
• Plenty of skin contact – it’s a wonderful way to bond with your baby
• Helping you and your baby feel relaxed and confident in the water
• Makes swimming a fun and socially stimulating activity (for both you and your baby!)
• Even parents who can’t swim can enjoy relaxing in the water with their bab

There are further benefits for your baby too, especially if you join a fun, progressive class:

• It is the only time your baby can be completely independent (when experiencing gentle submersions)
• Only in the water, can a baby move freely and develop actions they wouldn’t otherwise be able to in their first year of life. This gives “swimming babies” the opportunity to develop crucial higher brain functions, core muscle development and co-ordination far earlier than they would otherwise be able to
• Even though gentle, baby swimming classes provide a complete physical work-out: strengthening your baby’s heart, lungs and respiratory system, which again aids development of the brain.
• Regular swimming often improves eating and sleeping patterns.
• Learning to respond to key words (within a few months) can make your baby sharper mentally, increasing levels of awareness and understanding as well as improve communication between you.
• Encouraging a baby to take regular exercise from such a young age is also an extremely healthy routine to instill which may prevent childhood lethargy

But most importantly of all, swimming as a baby should instill a love of water for the rest of your child’s life.

Puddle Ducks baby and toddler swimming classes teach your child to swim, be safe and have fun in the water. As a national swim school that has been established since 2001, the Puddle Ducks programme is carefully structured with a strong ethos of putting your child’s happiness first. Here is a short video of our classes.

Our baby and pre-school programme is offered through five levels:
Floaties (0-6 months), Splashers (6-15 months), Kickers (15 months – 2.5 years), Little Dippers (2-5 years) and Dippers (2-5 years)

We run classes 7 days a week at the following locations in Hull and East Riding:
The Village Hotel Hull, Everlast Fitness Club Hull (formally DW Fitness), Nuffield Health Hull Marina, Frederick Holmes School and The Palms Leisure Club (Carnaby). Find the latest timetable on the Mumbler Weekly Classes section here.

For more info call 07825 269146 (Monday to Friday 9am-1pm), email [email protected] or visit their website here or  facebook page here. 

NB This is an Advertorial Feature for Puddle Ducks