Your baby can start swimming with us straight from birth (babies under 12 weeks or 12 pounds can only swim in select pools). If your little one is premature, always check with your doctor before starting your lessons. As long as your baby is deemed medically fit, it should be absolutely fine for them to attend lessons once they are past their due date.

Babies love familiarity, so getting them used to the water beforehand will help them prepare for the lesson. 
Having a bath or shower together is the perfect place to start. Laugh, play, splash and natter with your baby to reassure them that being in the water is a fun, safe place to be. 
If you can, pop down to your local pool. You don’t have to be there long, but getting them used to the atmosphere of the pool will mean they’re more relaxed for their first lesson. 

All you need is comfortable swimwear and a towel. Bring goggles if you’d like to go underwater too (make sure they have clear lenses). But don’t worry, if you’re not a confident swimmer you won’t be forced to go underwater.

Based on health guidelines, your baby doesn’t need to wait to have their vaccinations before starting their Water Babies journey. Our pools are kept well-sanitised, and so coming to swim is the same from a vaccination standpoint as any other group baby activity.

Happy Nappy – Every water baby* must wear our double diaper system at their lessons, which means a disposable or reusable swim diaper with an approved neoprene Happy Nappy or Splash Jammers over the top. You don’t want to be the party pooper of your lesson (literally).
Changing mat – A small roll-up one so you can safely change your little one on the floor.
Towel – To keep your baby toasty after their lesson.
Wetsuit – To help keep your baby warm if they are sensitive to the cold.
Warm hat – Little heads get cold easily after swimming. A hat helps keep them cosy on the way home.

*if your child is over 4 years old and potty trained, you need to wear Splash Jammers, but not a diaper underneath

We’ve had many babies swim with us with eczema! We recommend using prescribed barrier cream over the affected parts before popping them into a sun suit/ wetsuit (otherwise holding your little one will be quite slippery! If you’re ever unsure, please speak to a health professional for advice on your baby’s skin.

If it’s just the sniffles, then it’s fine to attend your lesson. But if either of you have a temperature, then best to skip class that week. If you or your baby have any significant illnesses, including flu, Covid-19, ear infections, chicken pox, vomiting or diarrhoea, then please stay at home.
We also ask that any sickness or diarrhoea symptoms have completely cleared for at least 72 hours before your lesson. When it comes to any medical condition, we always ask that you check with your doctor or health practitioner before coming along to your lessons.
If you or your child has a strep A infection, you should stay away from swimming lessons for 24 hours after you start taking antibiotics. This will help stop the infection spreading to other people.

Each of our facilities are different, but every pool provides changing room facilities which are suitable for you and your baby. Bringing a water proof changing mat also means that no matter where your lesson is, you can easily change your baby comfortably and safely.

For details on your desired pool, please ask your local office.

We only swim in pools which have been heated to at least 29°C, and most of our pools are at or above 30°C.

If your baby is under 12 weeks or 12lbs, any pool you swim in will be a minimum temperature of 32°C. Babies over 12 weeks and 12lbs can swim in 30°C pools and toddlers between 1 and 2 years can swim in 29°C pools so long as they are wearing a wetsuit. Don’t worry though, we’ll make sure you’re always in the right temperature pool for your little one.

Carers and babies need to be ready to jump in as soon as the class before them has finished!

For your first lesson we recommend giving yourself lots of time to get acquainted with the facility and make sure a wrong turn on the way doesn’t cause stress.

Once you know the facility, we recommend arriving 15 minutes before your lesson to give you and your baby plenty of time to get ready, but not enough time to be bored!

For babies, we’d recommend feeding one hour before the lesson starts – keep the meal a light one! But, if they need milk closer to the lesson, do go ahead and feed them.

For toddlers, we advise leaving an hour between them eating solid food and them swimming. If there’s anything that you’re ever unsure about, get in touch with your local office. They’ll be happy to help.

It’s absolutely safe for your baby to go underwater. That’s because they are born with a reflex called the ‘laryngeal reflex’, or ‘gag reflex’. This kicks into action when your baby feels water on their face, nose or throat. When your baby goes underwater, the soft tissue at the back of their throat (called the larynx) closes to block the entrance to the airway.

Using your little one’s natural reflexes from an early age, we prepare them to go under the water through word association. This means that as the reflex fades, controlling their breathing becomes a learned response.
But we’ll never, ever submerge a baby that isn’t ready or prepared to go underwater. You can be rest assured that your baby is in safe hands with us.