Swimming with the baby

Before I moved to Yorkshire and started work as a biomedical scientist I was a part time lifeguard, and because of this I love swimming!

My parents took me swimming when I was 6 weeks old and just threw me in (apparently this is a thing and loads of people did it!) But I hated it apparently so I didn't go again until I was 8years old.  I didn't really get into swimming properly until I started dating a lifeguard which is who got me to become one.

I wanted my baby girl to have a better initial relationship with the water, so we took her for the first time last week and again this week, I think we are going to try and make it a regular thing for a Sunday morning.

It was £16.20 for baby, hubby and me for 2 hours, although babies are only meant to be in the pool for a maximum of half an hour as they get cold really quickly. There is a designated toddler pool which is open to the public from 11:15-3:45 and we tend to go for it opening. 

The pool itself was meant to be warmer than the normal pool but it has been cold both times we have been, which hasn't been very good for baby!

We dressed her in a swimming costume, we do need to get her a baby wetsuit, and no armbands or floats as they are all too big for her!but holding her works just as well!

Last week she got really excited immediately and started laughing and kicking her legs and splashing in the water, we were so impressed with her! We lasted the full half an hour before we took her out and she cried when we did get out. But this week the water was colder so she took about 5 minutes to start kicking her legs, and then after about 10 minutes she started crying. She was cold so we took her out, although I did offer to go and get her warm while hubby went on the slides in the other pool or did some proper swimming but he said no.

We did discover that the water is warmer in the middle of the pool but that is where all of the older babies play and baby doesn't like getting splashed loads!

Hopefully next week it will either be warmer or she will have a wetsuit to keep her warm :)

When did you take your babies swimming?

Xxx