The truth about baby underwater swimming

Can babies actually swim underwater? How do they breathe? Are they really ok?

The Little Nessies’ team hear lots of wonderful questions like these every day.  There has been a huge growth in baby swimming lessons over the last decade as we start to understand more about babies and their reactions in water. So why are babies such natural swimmers and as they get older, does this natural ability change?

Babies are born with natural reflexes which are stimulated by water and yes, babies can actually swim underwater from birth.  However, we recommend you have some help from a specially trained Swimming Instructor, so that you can be shown how to encourage and transform these reflexes into key skills in the water.   Just like our Little Nessie Joshua pictured below:

Let’s get a little bit more scientific…….what are these reflexes and what do they do?

• The ‘Amphibian Reflex’ causes your baby’s arms and legs to move which can be seen when your baby’s face is in water or they are on their back.  It really does make them look like they are swimming.  
• The ‘Righting Reflex’ which will help babies (from approximately 4-5months old) to lift their head. Parents will be familiar with this reflex in action at home when babies are doing ‘tummy time’.  This reflex helps in water too.  When babies are on their tummy, they will lift their head up to hold their face above the water. 
• The ‘Diving Response’ is stimulated by baby’s face being in water and helps the body to use oxygen more efficiently.
• The ‘Gag Reflex’ kicks in if water gets in their mouth and stops water from entering the trachea, then ultimately the lungs.  Babies have not yet learned the skill to spit water out from their mouth so this gag reflex triggers them to swallow the water instead.

These natural reflexes will disappear during the first year of your little one’s life and most of the natural instincts will be replaced with learned skills in the water.

Babies, toddlers and children learn through repetition. In class, we use repetition of different activities to help encourage voluntary skills such as leg kicking and breath control which will supersede the reflexes as they start to naturally phase out.  The use of key words and phrases also help your baby to link certain activities in the water with their experiences so they know what to expect and the sensations they will encounter.   Don’t worry our instructors are there with you every step of the swimming journey to keep you both on the right track.

All of the above sounds wonderful – start your baby on their swimming journey early and their natural reflexes will be a huge benefit. Little Nessies welcome babies from around 12 weeks old and can be a wonderful bonding and rewarding time for both parent and baby as they learn to trust one another in this new stimulating environment.

If you haven’t managed to get time in the pool with your little one while these reflexes are strong, don’t worry but keep in mind the earlier they can start, the better.  We will cover another blog soon on Toddlers in the pool and how we can best overcome some watery wobbles…….until next time keep splashing!