Swimming infants guidelines. Baby swimming basics in the tub and pool

Swimming with infants is no longer news to most parents. However, until now, many are very wary of him. After all, it is so unusual - a very small child and suddenly calmly behaves in water, which is absolutely not characteristic of the environment for human life. Let's try to figure out whether water activities with kids are useful or harmful. Is it worth doing such an unusual activity for a baby?

Recall that a developing baby spends its entire “historical period” of pregnancy in the uterine cavity, surrounded on all sides by amniotic fluid, which performs a number of important functions for its growth. Amniotic fluid serves as a natural protection for the baby from environmental influences, and also takes an active part in metabolism.

A born child enters the air as an alien environment for him, causing the need for independent breathing. But swimming reflexes remain for several weeks. Therefore, it has long been known that a newborn child keeps well in the water, can swim and breathe properly at the same time.

This fact has not gone unnoticed by some parents and doctors. The question arose before them: is it possible to use this “phenomenon” for the benefit of the child? If you continue to exercise with the baby in the water, then the swimming reflexes will not fade away. Moreover, the baby will develop extraordinary, receive certain unusual incentives and improve health. After all, everyone knows that water is a unique means of treating and preventing diseases.

Enthusiasts for this idea sprang up spontaneously in various places, but the method was not popular. Unless they looked at the experimenters as eccentric people. Sometimes they were simply called pests of their children's health.

To see how children can swim in a regular bath and what pleasure swimming gives them, you just need to watch this video review:

How it all began

In the 60s of the last century, the rescue instructor Charkovsky tried to nurse his premature daughter in a specially designed container and achieved amazing success. His child swam like a marine mammal. At the age of three months, the development of the girl began to outstrip the children of her age on the physical and intellectual level. A few months later, the daughter was already swimming in the adult pool, having excellent night vision, and could dive to a depth of several meters.

Interested people began to invite Igor Charkovsky to maternity hospitals, to the Children's Home, where he carried out his technique with premature babies in reservoirs of his own design. The results exceeded all expectations. The method was simple, safe and effective, but extremely unusual. It went against the basic medical doctrines of the day. Therefore, permission to introduce the widespread practice of swimming for infants was not received. The method was considered dangerous.

The development of infant swimming was more progressive in other countries. And very soon they created special research institutes dealing with the development of children in the aquatic environment. The pioneers in this area were the Australian Timmermans family, who have been swimming with their daughter since she was 16 days old. They also managed to achieve amazing results and open their own school, to which parents with children from various countries began to travel. The technique very quickly began to spread in America, Europe, and Japan.

The Ministry of Health of the USSR approved such initiatives only from the end of the 70s. The chairman of the swimming federation Firsov, who published a book on children's swimming, provided more assistance to this innovation. Soon, departments were opened in almost all children's medical institutions, in which children, together with their mothers, took special swimming and recreation courses.

What is the meaning of breastfeeding

Teaching infants to swim allows them to develop more harmoniously. First of all, we are talking about physical development.

Swimming improves the respiratory characteristics of the lungs, strengthens the cardiovascular system, develops the musculoskeletal system, liver and kidney functions. Early swimming has a particularly favorable effect on the central and peripheral nervous system.

Water exercises cause the activation of immune reactions, stabilize the metabolism, and contribute to the active work of the hematopoietic organs. Children involved in swimming from infancy rarely suffer from pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.

The mental background of little swimmers also looks more stable than that of other kids. All types of memory develop more actively, an even emotional background is observed, affective outbursts occur less frequently. Children learn faster and more productively.

How swimming affects individual organs and systems

Being and moving in the water have a specific effect on the baby's body. Consider how swimming affects the child.

1. The cardiovascular system.

During swimming movements, blood circulation is activated, the walls of blood vessels and the heart muscle are strengthened. Additional exposure to water causes a more active movement of blood through the vessels.

1. Respiratory system.

Swimming deepens the respiratory movements, making them rarer. The drainage function of the lungs is enhanced, which contributes to the prevention of infectious diseases. Blowing the nasopharynx cleans it more actively. Runny nose and colds in such children are rare.

1. Central nervous system.

Swimming activates blood circulation in the vessels of the brain, improving its nutrition and excretion of metabolic products. Water itself as an environmental factor has a positive effect on the work of mental reactions, improving mood, increasing cheerfulness.

1. Musculoskeletal apparatus.

Water evenly distributes the load on bone structures, muscles, ligaments and joints, contributes to their harmonious development, preventing excessive development of individual links of this system. The propulsion apparatus is strengthened by overcoming the resistance of water.

1. Urinary system.

Active muscle movements cause increased heart work, accelerate blood flow, and contribute to the productive work of the kidneys, which remove toxins and harmful substances.

1. Skin covers.

Contact of the skin with water leads to increased function of the sweat and sebaceous glands, opens additional pores, and improves skin respiration. A larger amount of blood, including that released from the “depot”, passes through small skin capillaries, while simultaneously stimulating the process of hematopoiesis.

note: as you can see, swimming is a universal stimulator of all vital functions of the child's body and has a positive effect on the activity of almost all organs.

What are the indications for breastfeeding?

Swimming is useful for all children, except in cases of contraindications. But there are painful conditions in which it is simply necessary. What are these diseases and pathological processes?

• muscle tension (hypertonicity);
• muscle lethargy (hypotension);
• low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg);
• children born after caesarean section;
• joint diseases (dysplasia, arthrosis);
• congenital musculoskeletal defects;
• torticollis;
• infantile cerebral palsy.

When Should Infants Swim?

Important:contraindications to infant swimming are determined by the doctor individually for each baby.

You should refrain from water procedures if the child has:

• acute inflammatory processes with elevated temperature;
• skin diseases with secretions;
• wounds;
• purulent processes;
• mental illness with convulsive seizures;
• pathology of the heart with the presence of cardiovascular insufficiency;
• progressive renal and hepatic failure;
• infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, syphilis, viral hepatitis.

In more detail about the indications and contraindications for water procedures, the pediatrician, Dr. Komarovsky, tells:

The best time to start classes is three weeks after the birth of the baby. After 2.5-3 months, reflexes are lost. Teaching a child to swim can be very difficult. In this case, you will have to postpone classes until 3-4 years old, when the baby will be able to understand and follow commands.

You can start baby swimming both in a home bath and in a common large pool. The main thing is with the parents.

If you want to learn how to teach your child to swim and dive in the pool, watch this video review:

Important: For the first lesson, you need the help of an experienced instructor.

The water temperature at the beginning of the procedures should be 35-36 degrees. Then it must be gradually reduced. In this case, the child should feel comfortable. Some parents swim with their children even at low water temperatures. The effect of hardening is very high. But here it is important to understand the goals of the procedure and not to overdo it.

note: When bathing, the child must be completely in the water. If it is partially submerged, it may simply freeze, even with active movements.

The duration of the voyage is selected individually. In some cases, children are in the water for about an hour. But usually up to 30 minutes.

Special exercises have been developed during classes. Each of them takes into account the characteristics of the child, probable illnesses. It is necessary to perform exercises after the advice of a doctor and instructing a specialist.

Is there any harm in breastfeeding?

This debate has not subsided for more than a dozen years. At the moment, there is no unequivocal answer to the question posed, since neither in our country nor abroad have large-scale multivariate studies of this issue been conducted.

We will not even raise the problem of child mortality as a result of the inept actions of adults and the choking of a child. Let's put emotions aside and look at the very essence of the newborn's swimming reflex. This protective reflex is necessary for an infant to save a life in a critical situation; it helps to stay on the water for a few seconds until one of the adults snatches the child out of the water.

What happens when learning to swim in the first weeks of life? Artificial stimulation of this reflex, i.e. with our own hands, we deliberately and regularly create a stressful situation for the child, put him in conditions that the baby perceives as a threat to life. How this may affect its development over time - no one knows.

Moreover, nature found it necessary that the swimming reflex in a child fade away after a while. What will result in opposition to the natural processes of your particular baby? It is unlikely that anyone will ever tell us about it. In addition, if a person learned to swim in a more mature childhood or already as an adult, he will be able to do this until the end of his days. But the developed ability to swim the baby will still disappear over time, and then the already matured child will again have to be taught the basics.

A number of pediatricians also speak about the dangers of infant swimming, noting that in swimming babies the risk of diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract is 4 times higher than in children who do not swim. In many babies, the gastrointestinal tract also suffers. This is caused by the presence of chlorine compounds in pool water, which have a detrimental effect on the immature immune system of infants, especially when water is swallowed.

Psychologists are also sounding the alarm, claiming that grown-up baby divers are often hyperactive, unable to maintain mental balance, prone to extreme sports and bouts of uncontrolled excitement, and lose their sense of danger.

As you can see, when considering the problem of infant swimming, one can meet with absolutely polar opinions. Where is the truth? The truth, as always, is probably somewhere in the middle.

Do you want to know how not to harm the baby by bathing him? The physiotherapist talks about the safety of water procedures in this video review:

Chumachenko Olga, pediatrician

When and how to start classes with the baby?

You can start swimming lessons when the umbilical wound heals, usually in 2-3 weeks. At first, parents take care of the child in an ordinary home bath. When the bath becomes small for the baby, and he acquires basic skills, you can go to the pool. As a rule, this happens at 2 months.

Nine months before birth, the baby was swimming in amniotic fluid. And if you do not scare him away, then he will gladly accept the water in the bath.

You need to deal with a child when he is in a good mood, he is full, does not want to sleep, nothing interferes with him. You must be cheerful and friendly. It is desirable to turn swimming lessons into an exciting game that will give pleasure to both you and your child. You need to be patient and not rush. Gradually increase the load, gradually add new exercises. Remember that your main goal is not the achievement of the result, but the pleasure and health of your baby. Children's swimming is not difficult, and all parents can learn it. You must be calm, and your hands must confidently and securely support the child. The child feels your mood. It is important not to cause fear, overwork and distrust of water in him. Once a mistake is made, it can permanently discourage a child from learning to swim.

A baby does not know what fear is, he is not afraid of water. During his stay in the womb, he was constantly surrounded by amniotic fluid, and if the child has fear in the bath, then the culprit should be sought among the parents as soon as possible.

How can parents gain confidence? If you want to teach your child to swim, it is also advisable to practice in the water during pregnancy. Parents who love the water and know how to swim have more confidence in the expediency of exercising with their baby. Read the manual carefully. Imagine how you will perform supports in the water. Pick the right time and you can start. Swimming lessons are held in a large bath. Because in a small bath it will be as uncomfortable for a child to swim as in a regular one. What should be the temperature of the bath water? According to the method of Z.P. Firsov, the temperature in the first lessons can be 37 degrees, in the fifth lesson -36.5, in the ninth - 36, in the fourteenth - 35.5, in the twentieth - 35, in the twenty-fourth - 34 degrees. Further, the water temperature drops to the temperature of a conventional pool - 28 degrees. We usually start at a lower temperature. You must choose the temperature for the child individually. He should be warm and comfortable in the water, but at the same time, the water should not be too warm to encourage the child to make active swimming movements.

As a rule, the water temperature for a child just born and weighing up to 4 kg should be about 35.5 – 36 degrees, and for a plump child, with folds should be 34-35. AT In any case, you select the temperature for your child, focusing on how he behaves in the bath.

During the first lessons, you and your baby will feel more confident if you dive into the bath together. This is not required for later sessions. You will stand in front of the tub and bathe the baby. Plain clean water is collected in the bath. You need to take care of your child every day. The first lessons last 5-10 minutes, then 20 minutes. From the moment you enter the pool, you can practice for 40 minutes.

Method Z.P. Firsov designed for classes within 9-12 months. The ultimate goal is to teach the child up to the age of one, firstly, to independently stay on the surface of the water for 20-30 minutes, and secondly, dive to a shallow depth, reach the toy from the bottom and swim underwater for 7-8 seconds. Thirdly, being in light clothes - a summer suit, shoes, socks, a hat - jump off the side of the pool in clothes into the water and in these clothes stay on the surface of the water for 2-3 minutes. The latter seems to me especially relevant in the light of the statistics of tragic cases that have occurred over the past year with children. It turns out that a large number of children die from drowning every year, and the strangest thing is that in 78% of cases children die in ordinary puddles, that is, they fall and die terribly from the inability to hold their breath in this way. By teaching a child to swim from infancy, you will forever save yourself from this tragedy.

At first, we studied Firsov's methodology, then - the experience of his foreign colleagues, and over time, our own experience came. The methodology you are about to read is based on our experience in teaching newborns to swim. It is somewhat different from the basic methods and is one of the modifications of the soft swimming methods and seems to us the most optimal.

Immerse the child you need to slowly, gradually, after checking the temperature of the water so that it does not seem too cold or too hot to the child.

The dive starts with the legs in a vertical position.

At the same time, you can calmly explain to the child that he will be in the water, that now he will swim. Then, when he gets used to the fact that he sank into the water. You calmly translate it into a horizontal position and at the same time support it from below. Supports at first should be stronger so that the child feels secure. Later, supports fall under a smaller area of ​​​​the body. If you are in the bath with the child (as a rule, the father is at first, because it is not recommended for the mother to take a bath while there are lochia), the child can be kept on bent knees, you can put your hands completely under his back, and wrap your palms around head and shake the child in this position. You can put it on your stomach and on your chest so that the child's head is above the water.

When you start classes, being in front of the bath, the most convenient support is this: the left hand is under the back of the child's head, and with your right hand you grab the hips either from the outside, or between the legs, or from your side, as you wish.

Try to keep the child in the most horizontal position in relation to the water while swimming on his back, which contributes to the rapid learning of independent swimming. Don't worry about getting water in your ears. The child was constantly in the amniotic fluid inside the womb, and it got into the ears. If you start classes before 3 months, you can not be afraid of the harmful effects of water on the baby's ears. For all the time of classes, we did not have a single case of inflammation of the ears in children.

First, you make small wires on your back along the tub back and forth, and then, preferably, master the figure eight movement along the maximum length of the tub. You support the child, as in the previous exercise, and cross your arms during the turns. You can change the speed. In general, there are children who like slow, calm movement, and there are children who like it when an adult sets a sufficiently high speed. Such wiring on the back is the main exercise that prepares the child for independent swimming on the back.

The next exercise is repulsion from the wall of the bath. It is performed as follows. You hold the child under the back of the head, bring the child with his legs to the side wall of the tub, set two legs with his feet directly on the wall of the tub and slightly move the child to the side. He kicks off with his feet. And how much he pushed off, so much you take him back. So that the child feels a direct dependence: how strongly he will push off, how far he will sail. Some children do this exercise easily and immediately, others are not very willing. But, as a rule, over time, the child likes this exercise and he rejoices, sailing far back.

The next wiring is done in a pose on the stomach. The child lies on his stomach, the head is above the water. With your left hand, you grab the back of the head, with four fingers of your right hand, support under the chin, and with your thumb cover the child's mouth. Firstly, this technique insures against water getting into the mouth, and secondly, the baby will swim more calmly by sucking on your finger. In this position, you swipe back and forth at low speed, and then move on to the movement of eights, the same as when swimming on your back.

There are children who willingly swim on their backs and on their stomachs, there are children who prefer swimming on their backs or on their stomachs. It is better to start classes from the position that is more pleasant for the child. Then, with games, jokes, gradually move to the position that you like less. If you don’t like some exercise, it’s better to switch to another exercise, but don’t take the child out of the water and don’t press it against you, because this can lead to a general reluctance to do anything in the water later. Therefore, if you don’t like swimming on your stomach, then you swim on your back, if you don’t like it on your back. then profit. If you are tired of both this and the other, you are prayed to take a pose for rest.

Resting posture, vertical. You support the child under the chest so that both of his "arms were thrown over your right arm. At the same time, you can either support the head and back, or pour water on them. The child, as a rule, calms down in this position. There are children for whom the position is more acceptable rest is not horizontal, but reclining on your side.After a few lessons, you will understand the characteristics of the child, adapt to them, and it will become much easier for both of you.

Do not try to take the child by force. The main thing in the first two months, while you are swimming in the bath, is for the child to get used to the water and feel confidence in it. At first, his posture will be more tense, and the further, the more relaxed. In addition to these basic postings, you can rock the child so that he feels the water better. As long as the child is calm, he likes the activity and he actively participates in swimming - continue the activity. When you see signs of fatigue - the child begins to whimper, act up, arch, or his nasolabial triangle turns blue - the lesson should be gradually ended. After your child learns how to correctly perform the wiring on the back and stomach, swimming lessons will lengthen, will bring him pleasure and you will see that he trusts the water, you can start diving.

Diving is a necessary component of teaching a child to swim independently and the main thing that will save you in the future from the danger of drowning a child.

You will be calm on the beach, that your child can play in the water, nothing bad will happen to him. How to start teaching a child to dive? This should be done gradually. At first, when the child swims on the back or on the stomach. You give a loud, clear command: “Attention, dive” or “One, two, three, dive!” And at the same time blowing intensively into the child's face. He will wince, close his eyes and hold his breath. This should be repeated for several days. When you master this exercise, you can move on to the next one.

On the command: "Attention, we dive" You splash the child in the face. It is desirable so that water does not get from the bottom up into the nose. You will notice that the baby also holds his breath. Then you can perform the following exercise in the supine position. On “Attention, we dive” you lower the child a little deeper into the water so that only the nose and mouth remain on the surface, and the forehead and eyes cheeks so that they sink under water. And finally, if you have mastered all these exercises, you can move on to real diving.

The first dive is best done when the child is very well tuned, relaxed, has already swum for some time. It is better to perform it from a position on the stomach. You give a command and submerge the child for a second in shallow water and bring him to the surface.

At the same time, you do not let him go under water. When a child appears above the water, for the first second he will have a misunderstanding and an expectant reaction: “What was that?” You should praise, say that the child did everything very, very well, that he dived wonderfully. Then he will not burst into tears and will want to dive next time and please you again. At first, diving should be done 2-3 times per session. After you have mastered short dives for some period of time, you can move on to longer ones.

Near one edge of the bathtub, you dive the child, run along the entire length of the bathtub and emerge at the other edge. Over time, dives can be extended to 5-6 seconds under water and for a short time the child is released under water, then picked up and brought to the surface of the water. More than 5 dives, in principle, is not recommended at the initial stages, but you can adjust them according to the reactions of the child. The main tasks you face in teaching your child to swim in the bath are friendship and trust in the water and the ability to dive without swallowing a lot of water. By this time, your baby will be 2-3 months old, and you can move to a large pool.

There are a number of advantages in the pool: firstly, the water level is higher and the water holds the child better, and secondly, there will also be mothers with children, and children miraculously adopt what other children have already learned and start swimming better next to them , thirdly, it will be more convenient for you to support the child when you are with him in the pool, and not tilted over the bath.

In any case, we recommend using assistive devices from 2-3 months of age. This is the Little Mermaid set. The main component is the “mermaid crown”. She puts on a child from about 2 months of age so that he can lie on the surface of the water on his own.

From birth, the child has a stepping reflex. Sometimes this reflex is not very clearly expressed. It is difficult for a child to walk on land. But if you put a rubber mat on the bottom of the bath, take in not as much water as for swimming, but so that it reaches the child to the chest or a little higher, take him under the armpits and slightly tilt the body forward, he will walk very cheerfully along the bottom baths.

Children learn to walk in the bath much better than on land.

You only insure, look and there is no need to be in an inclined position all the time, supporting the child. Over time, he will learn to lie on the water without any help and without a "mermaid". At first, you support the child quite strongly, then you support the child much weaker, only with your fingertips, then the “mermaid” supports the child, from which you gradually remove the cubes through one. Then, during postings, you release your hands for a short time and again

When you move to the pool, the basic exercises and postings will remain the same, but the depth of the water and the spaciousness of the pool will help you diversify these exercises in every possible way.

You can diversify diving. The child can dive with you. You can hold it behind your back and dive together. You can keep ahead of you, and then he will emerge first, and you after him. You can swim on your back, while the child will lie on your stomach and chest. The kids love it. Two adults can be against each other, and a child who is already well

learned to dive push from one adult to another. He will swim a meter and a half, and then another adult will accept him, wait until his breathing returns to normal, and in the same way direct him to the first one. For swimming on your stomach, you can use the "mermaid necklace", it will support the head, and you will not need to do it with your hand. There is another way to more calmly transition from supports to independent swimming - these are “mermaid pendants”. With them, you support the child lightly to help him balance correctly on the surface of the water.

You can use a circle with a small diameter and teach the child to work with arms and legs at the same time on the circle. An older child can be placed on the side of the pool. You, being in the pool, call the child to you, and he will dive towards you. As a rule, children really like this exercise. To diversify activities, you can use various inflatable and floating toys, as well as toys that you can dive to the bottom for. At first, you can dive for one toy, then you can throw several rings or objects that the child can simultaneously grab and emerge to the surface. The child also likes such exercises very much.

Any way of swimming is based on the ability to exhale air into the water after a deep breath. This child needs to be taught. You can do this exercise. The child lies on the chest in a horizontal position supported by pendants or a belt. You lean towards his face and gently say:

“Look how mom or dad does. We blow on some water like this.” At the same time, you gain a full chest of air and slowly exhale it to the very surface of the water. The child sees circles forming on the water. He likes it and he tries to reproduce this action. You can blow on a light boat or any toy so that it moves through the water, and encourage the child to do so. After a few sessions, demonstrate to the child exhaling into the water, immersing the mouth and nose in it. The bubbles that form on the surface of the water will attract the attention of the baby, and he will want to do the same.

In the home bath, you can bathe the child naked, and it is better to wear panties or swimming trunks in the pool, because sometimes he can poop while swimming or diving. And in order not to dirty the water in the pool, it is desirable that the child has something to wear. In swimming lessons, consistency and regularity are very important.

As a rule, good results are achieved by those parents who calmly, but constantly work with children. At first in the bath every day or at least 5 times a week, then when you go to the pool - 2-3 times a week. In this mode, the child does not lose the acquired skills. Swimming gives him great pleasure.

With swimming lessons, your little one will learn a lot. He will learn to stay on his back, swim on his tummy, and most importantly, he will learn to dive, and this reflex will be fixed in him forever. But the most important thing is that you can give your child a unique joy.

Hello my dears - everyone who is interested in the development of children before and after birth. The topic on which I would like to talk with you today is so complex and controversial, it causes so much controversy that it is impossible not to touch on it, but at the same time it cannot be fit into the framework of one article. Therefore, today I will only give you, as they say, a topic for reflection. How to proceed is still up to you. So, today we are discussing diving babies.

Everyone knows that the baby needs to be bathed daily. But we are used to the fact that this should happen in a baby bath, and not in an adult bath.

But today, more and more often you can hear talk about how useful it is for newborns to swim and even dive. What is the use? Is it really necessary to teach kids to dive into water almost from birth? Proponents of this idea give the following arguments:

• Diving preserves and develops the innate reflex of holding the breath, which completely fades away without development by 2.5-3 months. In the future, it will be much more difficult to teach a child to dive without choking.
• Having acquired an early diving skill, the child will be protected from the risk of accidentally choking or drowning when playing on the water.
• Being under water, the nasal passages of the crumbs are cleared, which is the prevention of rhinitis.
• When diving, the lungs of the baby develop.
• Children who are taught to swim and dive at an early age develop better.

And others warn

However, while preparing for our conversation with you on this topic, I also encountered a very negative attitude towards this process. In my opinion, the arguments of the opponents of early learning to dive are no less convincing. Like any person, they "penetrated" me and made me think much more seriously: "Is it necessary"? Here's what really bothered me:

• Water is an element close to the newborn, but immersion in a large volume of water, where the baby does not feel boundaries (as it was inside the mother), causes him not just stress, but superstress, a sense of mortal danger. (But inside his mother he felt safe, and that is what he expects from her now.). Later, this early psychological trauma can cause all sorts of phobias, psychoses. Scientists have proven that most of them develop precisely after traumas of a very early age. Having matured, a person no longer remembers anything about this, but fears and phobias remain, it can be extremely difficult to eradicate them. You probably have friends who are wildly afraid of something (darkness, spiders, enclosed space, heights, water). So the roots of these troubles are most often here - in the period of a person’s life, about which he will later remember nothing, which means that it will be extremely difficult for a psychologist or psychiatrist to find the cause of their appearance.
• If a trainer in the pool teaches a baby to dive, the baby may develop a fear of the world around him and a feeling of a break with his mother, who not only does not protect him in a situation where, in fact, they begin to drown him, but she herself hands over to a stranger who, for some reason, then it will do it. If mom herself tries to make a dive from a toddler, experimenting with a baby at home in the bathroom, then having experienced such violence in infancy, the child then often experiences a strong negative attitude towards her - a person who is called upon to ensure his safety, but instead exposes his own child with his own hands tests.

• Scientists involved in the study of early childhood diving have come to the conclusion that at first, being ahead of their peers in development, such children in adolescence begin to noticeably lag behind them.
• In newborns, the nasal passages are shorter and narrower than in adults. Therefore, they breathe more shallowly than we do. They need this for adaptation - this is how the level of oxygen in the blood decreases somewhat (after all, it was like that when the baby lived inside the mother). Gradually, it rises, and the baby's brain develops without negative consequences. During diving, the amount of oxygen needed for the normal development of the brain is very sharply reduced, which causes asphyxia.
• Due to the special structure, the nasal and ear passages of infants are very sensitive to prolonged exposure to water. This leads to inflammatory processes - otitis media, aspiration pneumonia, and some other troubles.

But, I have already said, it is up to you to decide how much it really harms your child. I can't impose anything here.

Teaching a toddler to swim

The only thing I have no doubt about yet is the need for such an event as teaching the baby to swim. It seems to me that it is better to do this at first at home, where there is less risk of catching some kind of infection from the water. What are the benefits of swimming for babies? Yes, much more. It:

• Training of the cardiovascular system.
• Skin and muscle massage.
• Strengthening the musculoskeletal system.
• Strengthening the whole body and its protective forces - immunity.

The baby also has congenital reflexes for swimming, so you can start classes as early as 2-3 weeks. To do this, it is important to create the right conditions:

• Thoroughly wash the bath after other family members and thoroughly rinse the detergent so as not to cause an allergic reaction in the baby.
• Choose a time when the baby is full, happy, healthy (no fever, no colds).
• If the crumbs have problems falling asleep, evening swimming will help him tune in to a sound sleep, giving him a charge of positive emotions and a feeling of fatigue.
• Never leave him alone in the bathroom at once: this is a large space in which he does not feel "shores". But it is extremely important for him to feel secure until the age of 3, remember? Therefore, always hold your pet with your hands, talk to him cheerfully, smile - so that he constantly feels your support, protection, calmness and positive from what is happening.

We won't make a rower

Swimming babies is, in fact, the process of them floundering in the water for their own pleasure, and not a full-fledged adult process. Now it is important for us to preserve his innate reflex, and not to teach him a full-fledged swimming technique. He will easily master it later, when he grows up.

By the way, a very important point: it is necessary to provide the baby with continuous water activities. At first - at home, and when he grows up, make sure that he visits the pool. Otherwise, the process will be interrupted, reflexes without support will fade away.

Adaptation: for or against

By the way, this is another important point. Today, many for swimming babies acquire a special circle that supports a small head above the water.

It seems to me that it is necessary to accustom a little one to such things only when he has already fully mastered and feels calm in the bathroom, when he can survive being weaned from your hands without feeling a disaster.

If you want to teach him to swim with a circle right away, then still at first support with your hands so that he feels his mother.

Only girls, I want to warn you that there are contraindications for wearing this device that you need to know about so as not to harm the baby:

1. - hypertensive-hydrocephalic syndrome;
2. - viral infections;
3. - recovery after birth injuries;
4. - skin diseases (pustular lesions on the neck, congenital epidermolysis bullosa).

Here is such a difficult post for me today, girls. I think he will make you seriously think about the question: is it worth your child to dive "from a young age", or do you consider yourself to be one of those parents whose main rule is "it's better to overdo it."

Or maybe some of you have more weighty, confirmed arguments "for" than my "against"? Write to me about it, let's discuss it, because the topic is really interesting and serious.

As always, don't forget to press the social buttons and subscribe to my updates. I look forward to your feedback, questions, suggestions - what else would you like to know. I will try to cover all the topics of interest to you. See you soon girls!

All parents dream that the child grows up healthy, smart and strong. This is quite realistic to achieve if you start taking care of the physical health of the baby from his very birth. In the first months after birth, swimming will be an ideal way to improve the health of the baby.

The benefits of this type of physical activity for newborns are undeniable:

Early swimming hardens the body and strengthens the immune system. Regular visits to the pool in the future will lead to the fact that the baby's body will steadfastly resist colds and infections.

Classes in the pool train all muscle groups and contribute to the development of proper coordination of movements.

In addition to the healing effect, classes in the pool also perform therapeutic functions. Special therapeutic exercises under the supervision of physicians will help get rid of hip dysplasia, hypotonicity and muscle hypertonicity, and also turn out to be very useful for children with cerebral palsy.

Classes with a baby in the pool have a positive effect on his nervous system. In addition, appetite improves and sleep normalizes.

Psychologists say that while diving, a child overcomes the water column, as a result, such personality traits as purposefulness, courage, determination, perseverance are formed in him.

However, many parents are worried, is it dangerous for babies to swim? In fact, for a newborn, being in the water is very comfortable. Of course, he should be in the pool only under the supervision of adults who have completed infant swimming courses. Training is necessary on the one hand for the safety of the baby, and on the other hand, so that classes bring maximum health benefits.

The Institute of Restorative Medicine offers courses for infant swimming instructors, after which graduates will receive all the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct classes with newborns in the pool. Specialists of the Infant Swimming Department have created an intensive training program that includes both theoretical and practical blocks.

After completing the course, you will gain knowledge about the basic swimming techniques for babies, understand how to improve the health of a child, analyze the main indications and contraindications for newborns in the pool. Most of the Baby Swimming: Train the Instructors course consists of practical exercises. During them, there will be an opportunity to learn how to properly hold the child on the water, conduct special gymnastics, harden and relax him.

Learn comfortably and easily. We provide students with a convenient class schedule, so you can easily find the most optimal time. Teachers are always ready to help and explain complex topics of the course in more detail. We also offer flexible tuition prices and various discounts, so you can purchase a course at a bargain price. After completing the course, a certificate of the established form is issued.

Most modern parents are fond of early developmental techniques, including teaching newborns to swim. What is it - a newfangled hobby or a necessary condition for the harmonious development of the baby? Is it necessary to teach babies to swim, when to start and how to do it so as not to harm children's health? In our article we will try to answer these and other questions.

Why is swimming good for babies?

From birth, children are already able to swim: they can hold their breath under water and enjoy splashing in the bath. This is explained by congenital reflexes - before the birth, the baby in the mother's belly was in a liquid environment. By about three to four months, this innate reaction fades away, and it will take much later to teach the baby to stay afloat.

However, the essence of such activities with a newborn is not to make him a future Olympic champion. Increasingly, pediatricians are talking about what baby swimming brings invaluable benefit.

1. Regular water procedures teach children to be calm about temperature changes. Thanks to hardening, immunity is strengthened, which reduces the likelihood of colds, promotes dynamic physical development and helps prevent various health problems.
2. The result of systematic training is the formation of a correct, beautiful posture, a strong muscular corset for the children's spine.
3. Water exercises are much more effective for improving the motor system than massage and stroking. They strengthen or, conversely, relax the muscles of the back, arms, legs and neck. By the way, young swimmers start to crawl, stand up and walk earlier.(what a child can do at 1 year old).
4. During bathing, when the child has a little difficulty breathing and the body does not have enough oxygen, the child's body additionally secretes red blood cells (erythrocytes), which contributes to an increase in hemoglobin levels.
5. Swimming and diving have a positive effect on the lungs and cardiovascular system, help stimulate the blood supply to organs and normalize blood pressure.
6. When the child dives, the flowing water clears the maxillary sinuses. And this is the prevention of a cold in a newborn. The children's nose is also washed, all bacteria, dust particles and possible allergens are removed.
7. In water, the child calms down, gets rid of fears. Also, water procedures strengthen the bond between mother and baby, taking time for the baby to swim, you can better understand his body language and gestures, which will allow you to quickly find mutual understanding with your baby.
8. A child taught to swim from birth will not be afraid of open water.

Another undoubted plus is that many children, after swimming and diving, quickly fall asleep and do not disturb the young mother almost all night. What, you see, is important!

READ ON THE TOPIC:

Check out the article: what to do if the child is afraid to bathe in the bath and useful article how to bathe newborn babies

Rules for swimming with a baby

Teaching a newborn to swim will not be difficult for parents if you follow the basic recommendations.

Optimal age

Training should start from three to four weeks. Firstly, by this time the umbilical wound heals. Secondly, the child gains weight, gradually adapts to the new reality. Finally, infant reflexes (swimming and breathing) have not yet died out.

Bath preparation

All procedures should be carried out in a familiar environment for the crumbs. Before diving, wash the bathtub with ordinary laundry soap, and rinse it once a week with soda, not forgetting to rinse thoroughly. Be careful with a solution of potassium permanganate and herbal decoctions - a child can swallow liquids. After getting the basic swimming skills, you can move on to more professional lessons - in the pool.

Water temperature

Perform the first workouts at an average temperature of 35 ° C. It can be reduced little by little, but remember - small children under three months old should not swim in water whose temperature is below 32 ° C. To create ideal conditions, monitor children's behavior:

• if the baby cries when immersed for several minutes, the water is too cold for him;
• if he whimpers at first, and then falls silent and actively flounders with his arms and legs, you have chosen the optimal temperature;
• if he is too relaxed and passive, the bath is too warm.

DETAILS: The optimal water temperature for bathing a newborn baby

During bathing, the water gradually cools down, but do not rush to bring it to its original temperature. This is the meaning of the procedure - the babies are hardened.

How to do baby swimming lessons?

Water procedures should be performed approximately one hour after a meal: the baby is not hungry yet, and the milk has already been digested. Another important point is to deal only with well-rested children in order to avoid tears and whims.

Leaning over the bath, holding the baby in the water, is quite difficult - it gets to both the back and shoulders. Try doing this while sitting in a chair. Be sure to cover the floor in the bathroom with a rubber mat so that it is not so slippery. Take a clean diaper with you - you can wipe the newborn with it after the swim. You can also wrap the baby in it before bringing it to the nursery. However, if there are no drafts in the apartment, doctors recommend blotting the skin of the baby a little, without wiping it dry, and taking it to the crib naked. This is another effective way of hardening.

So, everything is ready for bathing - the bathtub is filled with slightly warm water, and your child is in a great mood. First, touch the surface of the water with his hand, then immerse the child's feet in it. Lower your baby vertically while talking in a confident, calm voice.

In infant swimming, two types of supports are used: under the chin and under the back of the head. In the first case, the baby lies on the water with his stomach down, and you hold his head so that the baby's chin is in your palm. In the second option, the child lies on his back, and you pick up his head by the back of his head. Try both positions and choose the one that your child likes the most.

Basic bath exercises

(at the end of the article there are many video instructions on what exercises you can do with a newborn in the bath)

If you think that water procedures at home are an uninteresting event, then you are mistaken. Of course, the baby will not have the opportunity to perform complex somersaults under the guidance of an instructor, but you can do a few simple manipulations on your own.

Advice: For your own peace of mind, purchase an inflatable “life buoy” or a foam cap. They look quite nice and help the baby to be on the surface of the water even without mother's support.

• Pushes and turns

Bring your baby's feet close to the walls of the tub. Feeling the support, he will start to push off the sides and try to swim. At this stage, your help is minimal - you just need to support the baby, who will roll over from his back to his tummy.

• splashing

The child lies on his stomach, completely immersed in water, and you hold his head by the chin. Show him how unusual the circles running across the water look if you splash a little.

• "Let's follow the boat"

Starting position, as in the previous lesson. Place a bathing toy in front of the baby and try to get it out, while saying: “Look, our boat is sailing away. Let's get her." It is necessary to gradually increase the speed and length of the "distance".

• "Eight"

When the baby learns to move in a straight line, try moving on to the next lesson. It can be performed both on the back and on the tummy. "Draw" the child the number 8, individually selecting the speed of the task.

• "Swing"

Turn the baby on his stomach, holding the head by the back of the head and chin so that it remains above the water. Simulate back-and-forth and up-down swimming (dipping and lifting), making smooth movements.

Attention, let's dive!

Perhaps the most difficult element of infant swimming is diving. And it is difficult not for children, but for parents because of the fear that their beloved child will choke. However, a child from birth knows how to hold his breath, he only needs to be reminded of this.

Before dipping the baby with his head, you should prepare. Say the keyword "Dive!" and blow the baby in the face. He immediately closes his eyes and holds his breath. We repeat the exercise for 10 days.

Then the task becomes a little more complicated: after the agreed phrase, you need to blow and sprinkle water on your face. Have you mastered this stage? Proceed, in fact, to full immersion. Try to make the first dives when your little swimmer is in a good mood and has had time to swim for a while. Say a familiar command and lower it not very deep for a couple of seconds. Later, the dive time can be increased to five or six seconds.

Contraindications to exercise

Before starting systematic water procedures, consult with your pediatrician. He will explain if this activity is suitable for your offspring, and identify possible restrictions. Swimming is contraindicated in the following health conditions:

• disorders of the musculoskeletal system, which require fixation of the limbs;
• congenital heart disease;
• purulent dermatitis;
• colds and viral diseases (after a course of treatment you can swim);
• disorders of a neurological type, which are accompanied by convulsions.

Remember that you can not insist and force children to bathe, swim and especially dive. Such efforts will not add health to the crumbs, but, on the contrary, will lead to psychological problems.

So, baby swimming is an extremely exciting and extremely useful event. The child is immersed in an environment familiar to him, develops the muscular system, strengthens the immune system and learns about the world around him. Toddlers who started swimming from the first days of life adapt better to the conditions of kindergarten and school. Isn't that a good reason to take up swimming with your child?

READ ALSO: Overview of popular methods of early child development with video consultations and films -

P.S. You can search the Internet for two books by the authors Nikita Yanuschanets and Z.P. Firsov "Swim before walking" and download for free.

A selection of video instructions for baby swimming

Every mom wants her baby to be healthy and harmoniously developed, she carefully looks for age-appropriate activities for the baby. From about the tenth day of life, you can independently teach the baby to swim and dive in the bath. Learning to swim is an important stage in the life of many modern families. Literally from birth, children are able to reflexively hold their breath. This is due to the fact that for 9 months in the womb, the baby is in the aquatic environment - amniotic fluid. After three months of life, the child forgets this skill, and learning to swim is more difficult. Any pediatrician can confirm this.

Swimming lessons: why is it needed?

Learning to swim and dive has a positive effect on the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory systems of the baby's body. Regular exercises contribute to good posture, develop a muscular corset without causing damage to the joints and excessive load on the spine. When diving, water enters the maxillary sinuses, which is an effective prevention of the common cold. So, learning to swim helps to increase immunity, improve sleep and appetite. In addition, thanks to water massage, skin elasticity increases, muscle tone normalizes. These are just some of the benefits of breastfeeding.

Before you decide to teach your baby to swim in the bath, you should consult with your doctor. There are diseases in which classes in water are prohibited.

Swimming training (namely, acquaintance with water) should be started in an adult bath so that nothing hampers the baby's movements. Ask your dad or grandma to help you. You can swim no earlier than an hour after eating, when your little one is full and calm.

So, watch "How to teach a baby to swim in the bathroom" (video):

How to teach a baby to swim in the bathroom - tips from an experienced mother Evgenia

When we talk about learning to swim and dive, there are a few key points to highlight:

• First you need to prepare warm water (about 37 degrees). Over time, it can be gradually reduced by 1 degree and brought to 25.
• The baby should be dipped very carefully. You need to lower the child into the water in an upright position and very smoothly.
• Every movement of the mother must be confident and calm. It is important to control your emotions, if the mother is afraid, the baby will also begin to worry and may be capricious. Then the procedure will have to stop.
• When the baby begins to be active, relax, turn it over on the tummy. You can hold the baby by the body with both hands or hold the chin with one hand and the back of the head with the other, he can lie on your arm with his chest. Choose the most comfortable position for both of you.
• After the little one gets used to it, tries to make swimming movements with arms and legs, you can proceed to holding your breath and diving. Have your helper (dad or grandma) say, "Dive." And immediately gently blow the baby in the face, at this moment the baby reflexively holds his breath. Next, you need to pour a little water on his head, for example, from a plastic cup. From my own experience, I know that at first even just bathing such a tiny creature is very scary, so diving should only be done when you yourself are mentally prepared for this. Replace the cup by submerging your baby in water for 2-3 seconds. Gradually increase the time spent underwater.
• Don't forget to give your baby a break. Learning to swim is a pleasure, not a survival marathon. Let the baby relax, swim on the back. Put one hand under the baby's head, and with the other hold it by the chin.
• If the child clearly expresses his dissatisfaction, cries and tries to roll over, of course, it is worth stopping learning to swim.

Try to start diving as soon as possible, while the baby still remembers this skill. Very often, mothers, worrying about their child, deprive him of the opportunity to go forward in his development. Do not worry if the child accidentally swallowed water. Learning to swim involves such a moment. This happens quite often. So calmly, without panic. Water will not harm your baby.

And one more thing: when you decide to teach a baby to swim in the bathroom, remember that in this case it is very important not to forget to praise the baby for every even the smallest success! Your support will give him an extra boost.

So you know how to teach a baby to swim in the bath. Dare! As the experience of brave mothers shows, learning to swim necessarily gives great results.

When the baby is 2 months old, start visiting the baby pool, where, under the guidance of an experienced trainer, you will achieve excellent results!

Do you want to see your baby happy? Give him the best moments! See how babies learned to swim in the pool:

What do you think about teaching children to swim? Share your opinions and experiences.