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As we approach summer and prepare to (hopefully) spend a lot of time at the pool or the beach, you may be thinking about what you’ll need for your baby to join the festivities — especially if there’s a kiddie section at said pool or beach. And that’s a good thing, according to the swim instructors we spoke with, who told us that the best way to encourage a love of water is to get little ones in it as soon as possible, so they’re comfortable by the time you can sign them up for more formal lessons (which the folks we talked to highly recommend, as drowning is the second-leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control.)
Luckily, it doesn’t take much to introduce babies to water (hello, bath time!), and there are programs all over the country that can help when your kiddo is ready to go from tub to a bigger pool. There is also a lot of gear — including swim diapers, wetsuits, and even toys — to help make that first dip fun enough for your little one that she’ll want to go back for more, according to our experts. Read on for the best things that our pros — among them Jim Spiers, the CEO of New York City– and Houston-based aquatics education program SwimJim; Heidi Reiss, a co-owner of Brooklyn-based kids’ swim school Aquabeba; Brendan O’Melveny, chief aquatics officer and baby swim specialist at Imagine Swimming; and Mary O’Donoghue, senior aquatics director at the YMCA of Greater New York — recommend using to introduce babies 36-months-old and younger to the water.
Depending on the program, babies can start swim lessons as early as 2 months. At this age, they’re not exactly swimming, but rather — along with their parents and caretakers — learning to be comfortable in the water. All a baby needs to get started is a pair of reliable swim diapers and a swimsuit, which together are crucial for keeping fecal matter contained, our experts say. (If poo does escape into the pool, it has to be shut down for health reasons.) Three of our experts recommend reusable swim diapers, and both O’Melveny and Reiss prefer ones by Finis. “Swim diapers should have stronger elastic around the waist and thighs. The less openings, the better,” says Spiers. O’Melveny agrees that Finis diapers work well: “They’re simple, effective, and have a wide range of sizes, colors, and prints to choose from.”
When it comes to swimsuits, Reiss and O’Melveny say you don’t necessarily have to get your baby a traditional one if you get a good swim-diaper cover, like a Happy Nappy from British company Splash About — which Reiss requires young swimmers to wear at Aquabeba lessons. “Splash About has the best product on the market to date,” says Reiss. “It is made of neoprene and fits over the swim diaper. It’s secure around the waist and thighs to lock everything in.” O’Melveny agrees, saying that the wide bands keep everything solid from getting into the pool, which in turn keeps water (and swimmers) healthy. Reiss also likes that they look like bathing suits, and says they’re even good for older babies who might be potty trained, but still have to wear a diaper in the pool and might not be thrilled about that. “Children forget to use the bathroom when they get into the water,” she says. “They need that layer of protection, and because it mimics a swimsuit, it’s not stigmatizing or traumatizing.” The Happy Nappies come in a bunch of fun prints and colors in sizes from newborn up to 3 years.
Huggies Little Swimmers Disposable Swim Diapers
$21 for 40
$21 for 40
Two of our experts say using disposable swim diapers is also fine — as long as they’re covered by a swimsuit — noting all the major brands make them, like this inexpensive set from Huggies. Reiss says you could even put a disposable one under the Finis diaper if you’re really worried about accidents in the pool. Regular diapers, however, should not be used under any circumstances, according to our experts. Because they are designed to absorb liquid, they will become bloated in the water and eventually erupt, spilling gel beads everywhere. “Swim diapers do not have that,” says Spiers. “They’re literally just to contain any kind of fecal accident, and not necessarily the urine and stuff like that.”
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Warm Belly Infant Wetsuit
$37
While the swim instructors we spoke to say they try to keep the water temperature warm enough to be comfortable for young children — around 90 degrees at Imagine Swimming, for instance — sometimes that isn’t possible, especially if it’s a shared public pool. “Most pools are much colder, and a wetsuit can be really helpful,” says O’Melveny. So if you want to put your baby in wetsuit for more coverage, he recommends one by Warm Belly. But, he cautions, “if you have a warm pool less is more,” because “if their bodies are all covered, they don’t get the tactile sensation of being in the water,” which he says offers all kinds of neuromuscular benefits, especially to infants. “They get so much more feedback from the water than when they’re moving in the air,” he says. “We generally recommend getting them in the pool with a diaper and diaper cover, but if the water or air is cold, it’s better that they’re warm enough to stay in the water for more than a few minutes.”
$37
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Stearns Puddle Jumper Infant Hydroprene Life Jacket
$45
$45
O’Donoghue says that life jackets are introduced during at least one session of the YMCA’s eight-week infant program, Swim Starters. “One of the things that is a big key to our program is getting them used to wearing life jackets,” she explains. “During the summer and other times depending on where you live, there’s a lot of boating activities. The best way to ensure the safety of young children is to have them in life jackets. Sometimes our class is the only time they get to try them on, see what they’re like, and how to move in them. Suddenly you’re going boating somewhere and you’re like, ‘I’ve never put this on my young child before.’” If you’re looking to buy one for your child, O’Donoghue says (and the other experts agree) that the key is to look for something that fits securely and is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard, like this one by Puddle Jumper. Aside from life jackets — which generally should only be used on a boat or in low-visibility, open-water swimming — our experts discourage the use of other inflatables, as they provide a false sense of security to both parent and child, and can get punctured and malfunction. And even with a life jacket, “there’s no substitute for focused adult supervision,” cautions O’Melveny.
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When the baby is ready, another item to consider is a pair of tiny goggles, which O’Melveny says “can be a big motivational tool.” But he stresses that before you introduce the goggles, it’s important for babies and toddlers to swim without them “so they get used to the sensation of water in their eyes.” This is all about safety: “If a baby ever falls into the water accidentally, there’s a good chance it won’t be wearing goggles,” O’Melveny says, so swimming without them at first will help prepare little ones for such incidents. But once the youngest swimmers are familiar with being in the water, he adds, goggles can help them actually see underwater and make what can still be a foreign situation feel a bit less scary. He recommends introducing goggles around the time a child starts to walk and having them swim with and without a pair “to make sure they’re comfortable both ways.” O’Melveny’s preferred goggles, like our experts’ preferred swim diapers, are made by Finis and come in a couple of models. The Fruit Basket style, he says, is “the best all-around fit and seal for children 1 year and older.” The Mermaid model, meanwhile, has soft gaskets that make it “great for children who are uncomfortable with anything around their eyes.” And if goggles with a traditional rubber strap feel too constricting or don’t stay on, he recommends the Frogglez, which have a soft neoprene split strap that provides a bit of cushion and won’t tug at hair.
Alex Toys Rub a Dub Squirters for the Tub
$8
The experts we spoke to all agreed that swimming for infants should be fun. At the YMCA, for example, “it’s all fun and games,” says O’Donoghue. “If you think of Barney, or any of the children’s programming, it’s all about repetition: songs, games, getting acclimated to the water.” O’Melveny agrees. “The key to our mission at Imagine Swimming is to foster a love of the water in our students,” he says. One way to do that is by using toys. “They’re really fun, but they’re also intended to teach particular skills,” he says, like getting babies used to having water on their face, or going underwater. “Alex Toys makes really good little squirt toys shaped like animals, sea pirates, and all different kinds of stuff. They look great, the quality is good, and you can just fill them up with water and squirt.”
$8
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at AmazonReiss and O’Melveny both use something like a watering can or rain bucket at their schools to produce a sprinkle of water on their young swimmers’ heads. “That can be really fun for kids to play with,” says O’Melveny. “It’s useful to get them acclimated to having water on their bodies, face, and hair.” You can use just about anything that has holes. Reiss recommends a simple watering can, while O’Melveny told us he uses the Adventure Swim Rainbucket at Imagine Swimming. A third option comes from contributor Reagan Stephens, who told us, “A mom friend gave one of these little white clouds to my oldest daughter when she turned 2. You fill the toy with tub water, then use your finger to plug the little hole on top; when you release your finger, water rains down from tiny holes in the bottom of the cloud.”
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Swimming is a really popular activity to do with your baby, and I agree that it can be a lot of fun! That being said, getting your baby ready for the pool (and ready to go home from the pool) is something of an exercise in patience. Don’t be fooled, taking your baby swimming is a process. Gone are the days of arriving at the pool, leisurely getting ready to get in the pool, a quick shower, and then taking your time getting showered and dressed again once your swim is finished. No no. That’s just not what swimming is like with a baby. Lucky for you, the process of taking baby for a swim is something I have done more times than I can count, and I’ve learned a few things along the way! Allow me to share them with you so you can be prepared for the event that is baby’s first swim.
Let’s start with what you need to take baby in the pool. First, you need a swim diaper. Most pools (at least where I live) require that all children under 3 years of age wear a swim diaper AND a plastic pant. Two year old potty trained? He still needs a swim diaper and plastic pant. What’s the deal with swim diapers anyway? Well, a swim diaper is designed for one purpose and one purpose only: to catch poop. Don’t try to “save time” by getting baby in their swim diaper and swim suit under their clothing at home, putting them in the car seat, and then driving to the pool. You will only arrive at the pool with a wet baby and wet car seat. Not fun. Not fun at all. A swim diaper does not absorb pee. It doesn’t absorb anything, and there’s a really good reason for that. If a swim diaper absorbed liquid, then the moment you carried your baby into the pool, the diaper would become saturated with pool water, and sag right off your baby’s bum. Whether you are using a disposable swim diaper or a reusable cloth swim diaper (the latter being my preference), neither one will absorb pee. So if you opt to take swimming lessons with your six month old baby, yes, all those babies in the class are peeing in the pool. Bumbini Cloth Diaper Company has a great selection of reusable cloth swim diapers, if you’re interested in going that route!
This brings us to the plastic pant. This has been a subject of debate conversation in many Facebook groups I belong to as of late. If baby is in a reusable cloth swim diaper, do they still need to wear a plastic pant over it? The answer is yes. I know your cloth swim diaper might be the cutest darned diaper ever. I get it. I really do. However, you do not want to be the parent who didn’t put their baby in a plastic pant and ended up contaminating the whole pool with their child’s poop. Disposable or reusable swim diaper, just put the plastic pant on over it. Any pool that requires a plastic pant will sell them, and they usually cost less than $10 (and of course can be used over and over again). Do most swim instructors check the babies when they get in the pool? Probably not, though it has happened in at least one of my baby swim classes. Does that mean you can get away without using one? Probably. Should you skip it? No. A swim diaper is designed to prevent fecal matter from contaminating the pool water. Think of the plastic pant as your swim diaper’s insurance policy. It’s there to (hopefully) catch anything the swim diaper doesn’t. Depending on the type of pool you go to (my preferred local pool is a salt water pool), a fecal contamination may require that the pool be drained, sanitized, refilled, and here’s the worst part, REHEATED. Have you ever taken a baby into a heated pool that was just refilled? No? I have. It’s cold. It’s really cold. It’s the kind of cold where every baby in that class is bobbing around shivering, and half of them are screaming. Don’t be the parent that caused that. I’m not saying that the plastic pant is the be all and end all, and will absolutely hold in poop. If your baby has a poop leak and they were in a swim diaper AND a plastic pant, at least you can feel better about the situation by knowing you took all the right measures to prevent that from happening.
Now that we’ve covered the most important requirements for taking baby swimming, let’s get to the other stuff. And there’s quite a bit of stuff. To save time (and this one will save you time), you should wear your swim suit under your clothing on the way to the pool. This way you simply need to remove your clothing and you’re good to go. This brings me to a very important item you DO NOT want to forget to pack. Underwear. Bring a pair of underwear for yourself. Don’t forget it. If you’re breastfeeding and you’re a leaker, bring breast pads and wear some under your suit for the trip from your house to the pool. Don’t forget to take the breast pads out before your pre-swim shower. You’ll also want a towel (hooded or not, your call) for baby, and a towel for yourself. Don’t kid yourself. You won’t actually get to use that towel, but it will be where you put your soaking wet baby to get them dressed after their own towel is too wet to lay them on. If your baby is old enough to be standing in the shower before/after the swim, you may want to bring some sandals for him, and you definitely want flip flops or sandals for yourself. You can bring your own lock for the locker, or rent one from the pool. If you rent one from the pool, it will come with a key attached to the largest safety pin ever. Don’t bother trying to find a spot on your swim suit for the safety pin where your baby won’t grab at it. Instead, pin it to the towel that you’ll bring out to the pool deck. A swim suit for baby is another great item to pack with you. It is totally optional though, so if you have a swim diaper and the plastic pant, a swim suit is just icing on the cake. Don’t forget a hair brush and hair elastic for yourself too! You’ll need somewhere to put all the wet swim gear, and for that I recommend a reusable wet bag. The final must not forget item: a clean diaper for baby!
Now that I’ve covered the basics of what you need to swim, let me tell you what the entire process is like. You’re going to arrive 20 to 30 minutes before the class starts. Since you’re already wearing your swim suit, you’re going to start by getting yourself totally ready for the pool. What do you do with your baby while you’re doing that? Very good question. At the pool we go to, I can hang my baby up on the wall. Sort of. They have these handy seats that pull out from the wall where you can strap your baby in. These are amazing. Failing that, there may be a play pen in the change room for stowing babies while moms get dressed. You may want to bring baby’s infant bucket seat so you have somewhere to put baby, but keep in mind that these take up precious space in the change room, and your pool may or may not allow you to bring it out to the pool deck (mine does not). If none of those options are available, there’s the floor (now’s a good time to bring out that towel you brought for yourself).
Okay, so mom (or dad) is ready for the pool. Time to get baby ready. Be prepared to be in very close quarters with somewhere around 16 moms and 16 babies all vying for the 3, maybe 5, spots on the bench where you can put baby down to get them into their swim gear. If you aren’t lucky (or pushy) enough to get a spot on the bench, it’s back to the floor. Once you’re both ready for the pool, check the clock. If it isn’t less than 5 minutes before the class starts, you’re going to hang tight. Everyone (including babies) needs to shower before getting in the pool, and you don’t want to do that too early or your baby will be really cold. Ideally, you’ll shower with baby and walk out onto the pool deck just as the instructor is inviting the class into the pool. That’s what I call perfect timing.
Once the class is over, the real fun begins. It’s time to get yourselves showered again, and try to get a coveted spot on the bench. You’re going to get baby dried off and dressed first. If you have long hair, it’s a good idea to quickly squeeze out as much water as you can from your hair so it isn’t dripping all over your baby (this is pretty much the only time you get to use your towel). Once you’re not dripping water everywhere, dry off baby, attempt to remove the wet sticky swim suit, plastic pant, and swim diaper from baby. Dry them off again. Put on that nice fresh diaper, get them dressed, and (if you can) hang baby back up on the wall. Now you can use the last dry corner of your towel to dry yourself off and get dressed. Toss everything in the wet bag, and you’re done. Then pat yourself on the back because you just successfully took your baby swimming for the very first time. If you enrolled in a class, guess what? You get to this all over again next week!
Have you ever forgotten to bring something with you when you took your child swimming? How old was your baby the first time you took him or her swimming?