Water procedures are extremely beneficial for infants. But if some mothers limit themselves to bathing the baby in a baby bathtub with a support under the back, then others go further, even following the well-known slogan “swimming before walking!” Probably all mothers have heard at least something about infant swimming, and many, with varying degrees of success, practiced learning to swim in a home bath, or in the pool of a district clinic. The Motherhood portal suggests turning to the history of infant swimming, getting acquainted with the theoretical basis of this technique and mastering some practical skills using specific examples with photographs!
Swimming for infants in a home bath. Photo - photobank Lori
Part I. Theoretical aspects of infant swimming
From the history of baby swimming
Pediatricians began to prescribe hygienic water baths (toilet baths) to infants aged 10-16 days as a mandatory requirement at the end of the 19th century. Hygienic baths for infants were exclusively passive in nature and were performed on a stationary basis at a constant water temperature in the bath of 37-35°C.In 1962, the instructor-rescuer of the Moscow swimming pool, I.B. Charkovsky, used a kind of incubator bath for a premature baby weighing 1 kg 600 g, followed by training in diving, games, and swimming.
The first school for swimming and conditioning babies in full baths was organized in 1966 in Australia by practical trainers, the Timmermans, who tested the swimming technique on their daughter. The Timmermans' experience was quickly adopted in the USA, Germany, Japan, England, and Czechoslovakia.
In 1979, at the Children's Swimming Research Institute, specially created on the basis of a pediatric clinic in Munich, the existing experience was summarized and analyzed by doctors and swimming teachers under the leadership of Professor K. Vetke. In 1971, Heinz Bauermeister, who was directly involved in teaching swimming to infants, reported the results of his work at the World Conference of the Medical Committee of the International Swimming Federation.
More than 700 infants were taught to swim. Almost all of them turned out to be immune to colds, developed faster than their peers, and were much more active.
A great contribution to the promotion and agitation of swimming and hardening of infants in the USSR was made by the President of the International Medical Committee of FINA, Zakhary Pavlovich Firsov, who published a series of articles and organized several television programs about this type of swimming. Professor Ilya Arkadyevich Arshavsky conducted active research in the field of physiology of swimming in infants and campaigning.
Hardening with water, sun and air baths, and physical education for infants were given great importance by outstanding figures in Russian pediatrics, Professors A.A. Kisel, V.I. Molchanov, M.S.Maslov, G.N.Speransky, A.F.Tur.
In the USSR, swimming in organized centers at children's standard clinics in Moscow began in 1976-1977.
The importance of learning to swim in infancy
Success in primary and repeated disease prevention, normal development and upbringing of infants can be ensured only through a complex of all measures for care, nutrition, and taking into account the biorhythms of sleep and wakefulness.In utero, a child develops for 9 months in a liquid environment, in antigravity conditions, and is born with swimming reflexes that fade away without consolidation at the age of 3-3.5 months.
Physically helpless and unable to move in a coordinated manner on land due to the abrupt transition from relative weightlessness during embryonic development to the effects of gravity after birth, the child is surprisingly active and emotional in a full bath. The specific gravity of a baby due to the large amount of lecithin fats is less than the specific gravity of an adult, so the baby has positive buoyancy and easily floats on the water if he has developed and learned the skill of swimming. The breath-holding reflex when immersing a child in water is of specific and important importance, which is successfully used in teaching infants to swim and dive.
Systematic daily swimming lessons can teach an infant to swim by the end of the first year of life. We must remember that swimming skills acquired in infancy remain for life, provided that lessons are continued at 2-3 years of age. Stopping swimming for 1-2 months leads to a loss of swimming skills that need to be restored again.
Raising swimming, gymnastics, massage and hardening in the family is of great importance for raising a harmoniously developed person from early childhood.
Systematic exercises in hardening and swimming in full baths:
- They evoke pronounced positive emotions in infants - joy, smiling, humming, squealing, which turn after a swimming session into persistent inhibition reactions - sound, healthy sleep.
- Simultaneous strengthening of both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and the musculoskeletal system leads to normal development of infants, reducing mortality in the first month and year of life.
- Swimming procedures stimulate appetite and increase metabolic processes along with an increase in digestive function - the basis for the normal development of infants.
Contraindications to classes
Swimming procedures are stopped if the child expresses displeasure by crying or screaming, as well as if “goose bumps” or trembling appear.Contraindications to swimming are: diseases in the acute stage, contagious skin diseases, developmental disorders that preclude the possibility of swimming.
Medical supervision and practical consultations
The best form of monitoring the dynamics of the baby’s health is the control of a neonatologist, pediatrician or family doctor, who are aware of the peculiarities of the course of pregnancy, childbirth, and the first days and weeks of the baby’s life.Swimming consultations are recommended at least once a month. They are carried out by swimming consultants and/or medical professionals in a children's clinic or at home. The child's parents must receive at least 12 consultations during the year.
Part II. Preparing for swimming
The basis of infant swimming is:- swimming on the back and chest with manual support,
- offline support, and finally
- independent swimming.
The nature of swimming in all cases is interval - the swim is followed by a short rest. Swimming begins on the back at the age of 5 days and alternates with swimming on the front. Depending on individual inclinations, one type of swimming may predominate.
The passive reaction when swimming on the back can be used to relax infants. Swimming on the chest in most babies causes more active motor reactions, which should be used to activate the child from the first month of life.
Preparing for swimming
One of the most important principles of teaching infants to swim is the stimulation of movements, which are carried out by the teacher during swimming with one hand.Correct assimilation of movements is facilitated by special swimming gymnastics on land for the arms and legs in the position on the back and chest, both in reciprocal and symmetrical coordination - king and breaststroke.
Activation of the child’s movements when swimming usually occurs at the 8-9th minute as a result of a specific motor mood and improved muscle hemodynamics.
Games in the water
An infant is not a miniature adult. This should be kept in mind when conducting a swimming session. Games and toys in a wide variety of forms help create the necessary background of positive emotions and stimulate the baby's rowing movements.Toys must be prepared in advance. They should be
- safe (preferably rubber and plastic, non-breakable, non-fading)
- clean,
- bright,
- not small so that the child can immediately see them on the side of the bathtub, but not huge so that the child can easily hold them in his hands.
Gradual dosing
The basis for carrying out a set of physical exercises is strict adherence to the rules of gradual dosing at each stage of development of an infant.For example, the increase in the dose of swimming in each lesson should be in the range of 10-15 seconds, and the decrease in water temperature at the end of each month should be 0.5 C. In other words, activation of motor functions is achieved by increasing the number and stimulation of movements, and achieving a high degree of hardening - a steady decrease in the temperature of full baths.
Particular attention is paid to the gradual immersion of the baby's head. In the preparatory period, at the age of 1-2 months, only the mouth is immersed in water for 2-4 seconds, which helps to train holding the breath through the nose. At 5-6 months, when the child begins to play with toys, he can be allowed to take out sinking objects from the bottom of the bathtub, in a sitting position, gradually increasing the depth, in this way stimulating the immersion of the head with the nose, and then with the eyes.
Resuming classes after a break
Classes interrupted due to illness or other reasons should be resumed as if they were being carried out from the very beginning, with strict adherence to the rules of gradualness. Swimming lessons after illness are resumed only after consultation with a doctor and as prescribed.Forcing swimming doses. Temperatures and dives
Any forcing (sharp increase) of swimming doses, decreasing water temperatures and increasing the time and number of dives is prohibited. For example, immediately reducing the bath temperature to 30°C or diving with your nose under water for 10-15 seconds. at the age of 1-1.5 months in the preparatory period should be strictly prohibited.Place of study at home and equipment
Swimming and hardening can be carried out in a regular home bath, similar to a bath in a water treatment room or smaller in size. Next to the bathroom there should be a changing table, diapers, napkins, cotton wool, room and water thermometers.The table shows that the increase in swimming time for each month corresponds to 2-5 minutes, and the monthly decrease in temperature is equal to half a degree Celsius.
Part III. Infant swimming practice
Starting swimming lessons
The optimal age for starting classes should be considered 5 days - 2 weeks. At three months, the revived swimming reflexes fade away, and it is much more difficult to carry out activities with the child. Therefore, 3-3.5 months is the latest date for infants to start swimming. After three months, swimming lessons are more individual and more labor-intensive.Manual supports
Position of the child on his backThe heaviest, sinking part of a child's body is the head. Therefore, all manual support is carried out under the head and at the same time the neck and upper back.
Manual support can and should be varied.
* double manual support when swimming on the back with four fingers under the back, neck and head, two thumbs lying on the chest;
* one-handed "bucket" support, 
* one-handed support with a “half ring” - the thumb and index fingers cover the neck, the hand is located at the back of the head and slightly to the side, without interfering with the baby’s rowing.
One-handed support with a “semi-ring” and “bucket” allows you to stimulate strokes with your free hand.
As soon as the child begins to row correctly, the nature of the support changes. In the supine position, double support is provided with three, then two, and finally one finger under the back of the child’s head.
All types of support should be carried out very softly and gently and extremely freely, giving the child the opportunity to demonstrate the instinct of self-preservation that underlies swimming reflexes.
When swimming on the back, lifts are easier and more comfortable than on the chest, and are always carried out with the ears submerged.
On the chest
* it is most convenient to support the head with both hands behind the cheeks and slightly under the chin.
One-handed support on the chest is carried out with a “bucket” and also with the thumb, its back side under the child’s chin, the other four support under the chest - the second hand with two fingers slightly supports the back of the head (support with a “grip” - the index and thumb). The chin support helps to “lock” the mouth to prevent the baby from drinking water.
* Support under the chest
Offline support
Independent swimming of a child on his back is best accomplished with autonomous head support using foam floats inserted into the pockets of the cap and located behind the baby's ears.
1. The cap should have a string-ribbon (in addition to the ties) threaded through the bottom of the cap. She pulls the larger hat down to fit the baby's head. Then, using these ribbons, when the hand is removed from under the head, the floating baby is led through the water.
2. Put on the cap before immersing yourself in the bath.
3. The cap must be dry.
4. Let the baby play with her in advance (during the day).
5. Having lowered the cap into the water, still support the baby’s head first, gradually releasing your hands.
A baby can swim with this support at 3-4 months, moving his arms slightly to the sides for balance. The baby can be transferred to the pool while he is actively rowing and balancing. Autonomous supports when swimming on the chest are more difficult; as a rule, they should keep the shoulders and chin on the water line and can only be used if the infant’s upper limbs are well-motorized.
Please note that of all the offline support, the best one is this cap. Neither a Cheburashka cap (ears) nor a collar under the neck can gradually accustom a child to independent swimming.
Diving and diving
1. Immerse the mouth of a one month old baby under water for 2-3 seconds. allows you to train and hold your breath through the nose. Usually in these cases, holding the breath is determined by the sensation of a hand supporting the chest - the child stops breathing - for a few seconds (4-10).
2. Momentary immersions of the mouth lead the child to immersion of the nose, which all babies breathe.
Diving of the nose, and then the eyes, usually occurs during independent play, in a sitting position, when the child takes out an object from the bottom of the bath.
Immersion of the mouth under water must be carried out with double manual support in a standing position from 3-4 to 6-8 times per lesson.
As practice shows, all children, except infants with a runny nose, do immersion of their mouths under water. While the baby is crying, immersing the mouth is strictly prohibited due to the danger of water getting into the respiratory tract. You cannot perform mouth dives during the maneuver because of the oncoming wave entering the nasal passages.
During games, in a sitting position, the child immerses his mouth well.
Independent movement towards the toy while holding your breath is a prelude to independent swimming. In principle, a child can be trained by an experienced methodologist to dive headlong under water. Experience shows that many parents carry out such forced immersions with their children, starting from 3 months. However, the degree of the art of teaching varies among parent trainers. Therefore, this technique is designed only for forced immersion of the mouth and independent immersion with the head in games.
A child who has learned to hold his breath while immersing his mouth, nose and head, and who knows how to row well with his hands, can swim independently.
Independent swimming
The transition to independent back swimming, as can be seen from the above, is relatively simple and consists of a gradual decrease in manual and autonomous support, while the strength of the baby's strokes and the ability to hold the head on the surface of the water become quite sufficient. Swimming on your back, as a rule, is not associated with holding your breath and diving, and therefore is more accessible to learn.Reduced offline support
The floats from the cap are removed in pairs from different edges, starting from the top. As soon as the baby adapts to the reduced number of floats and feels confident, you can safely remove a couple more.The photo shows that the last 2, lower ones, remained on the cap.
but here the cap is no longer needed (the child is 4.5 months old)
The child is 6 months old. He lies on his back on his own and loves it.
Child at 6 months. swims through the bath independently, pushing off the side and rowing with his hands. The adult's hand is nearby.
Photo 13
Photo 14
Another thing is breast swimming. In infants, as well as in swimming mammals - dolphins, whales - movement in water is associated with diving and holding their breath. It is natural, therefore, to first teach the baby to hold his breath and dive independently, and only then, provided he has good rowing movements with his hands, to use voluntary sliding and “torpedo” type exercises.
Movement training
Correct control over the execution of arm strokes and kicks in freestyle and symmetrical swimming strokes is of utmost importance. So, for example, in many babies the classic kick (photo 14) can be practiced and reinforced using the breaststroke method on the chest.When swimming on their back, babies can row their arms well from head to hip if they are correctly “showed” this stroke first on land and then in water (photo 13). During practical classes for infants in the clinic, the methodologist-consultant must timely determine the time of transition from swimming with manual support to swimming with autonomous support and transfer the baby to the Malyutka pool for systematic swimming lessons in “big water”.
As practice shows, it is possible to switch to autonomous support when swimming on your back at the end of the preparatory stage of training (3-4 months), and transfer the child to the Malyutka pool from 4-5 months, provided there is good balance and quality of strokes.
Improvement in swimming can be carried out at the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th stage of classes, when it is possible to improve the skills acquired by children on the basis of innate swimming reflexes, the help of the second signaling system - by means of words. The use of the words “row”, “push”, “dive” is just as important and necessary as, for example, the words “mom”, “dad”, “grandmother”, because they are associated with the vital ability to swim.
Part III. From theory to practice
Swimming training for children under one year old can be divided into 4 stages.First stage – PREPARATORY
Age: 5-15 days - 3 months, congenital swimming age. Classes begin after the umbilical wound has healed.ON THE LAND(introductory part) - A set of preparatory activities from 2 months consists of massage, general gymnastics, swimming gymnastics.
Special swimming gymnastics (simulation of swimming) can be conveniently carried out on land and then repeated in water, fixing innate swimming reflexes:
Moro reflex - a symmetrical embracing movement of the hands when patting the buttocks (4-5 in the first lesson and 8-9 at the end of the stage).
Robinson reflex - tonic - firmly holding an object (in the first lesson 1-2 times and 4-5 times at the end of the stage).
Talent reflex - arc-shaped bending of the body while stroking the skin between the spine and shoulder blade (1-2 at the beginning and 3-4 at the end of the stage).
The Bauer reflex is a crawling phenomenon, or breaststroke with legs. On the chest - pushing off with the legs from the palms of the hands (4-6 at the beginning and 8-10 at the end of the stage).
Reciprocal hand stroke from head to hip across the side (4-6 at the beginning and 8-10 at the end of the stage) on the back and imitation of a crawl-type hand stroke on the back and chest, as well as a symmetrical hand stroke from behind the head to the hips (4- 6 at the beginning and 8-10 at the end of the stage).
Reciprocal movements of the legs on the back and chest (4-6 at the beginning and 6-8 at the end of the stage).
SWIMMING IN A FULL BATH(main part). "Double" manual support on the back and 8-10 wiring along the length of the bath ("shuttle" wiring). One-handed support on the back with a “half ring”. Baby's ears in water.
Double manual support on the chest with a “bucket” under the chin and wiring, one-handed support with a “bucket”, as well as one-handed support with the thumb under the chin, the rest under the chest and wiring with turns along the length of the bath (25-30 times).
Stimulating breaststroke legwork on one-handed palm support and after a push from the side (10-14 at the beginning and 20-30 at the end of the stage).
The toilet is carried out at the end of the lesson at all stages. Feeding is performed after 15-20 minutes. after finishing the voyage.
Second stage - SWIMMING TRAINING
Age: 4-6 months, designed for infants who have passed the preparatory stage, adapted to full baths and a water temperature of 35°C.Further development of fixed swimming reflexes is carried out with the help of words. The procedures are carried out in a playful manner against a background of positive emotions. The child floats on autonomous support and with its maximum weakening on the back and chest; swimming volume 32-42 min.
ON THE LAND(introductory part) - Increase the dose of massage, general and special gymnastics by 3-4 minutes. Development and complication of innate reflexes:
Bauer breaststroke on legs towards the toy (4-6 times),
Talent - performing a swimmer's pose on the palms (3-4 times)
Robinson - weighted pull-ups (3-5 times),
Moro - embracing with arms (10-15). The exercises are accompanied by the words: “push”, “row”, “hold”, “pull”.
SWIMMING IN A FULL BATH(main part) - Swimming on double and one-handed support in the position on the back and chest, as well as on autonomous support, weakened as much as possible.
“Sliding” (instant lowering of the support for 1-2 seconds) is well performed if the child is able to hold his breath. While sitting still, dive independently for toys. All the time when swimming, a decoy toy is used, the movements are accompanied by the words: “swim”, “row”, “push”. There are many games in the water such as “storm at sea”, “torpedo”, etc.
The child stands and walks in the water with support under his arms.
Third stage - SELF SWIMMING
Age: 7-9 months.The third stage of independent swimming is designed for infants trained to swim in the second stage, adapted to a full bath and a water temperature of 33.5 ° C; duration - up to 42 minutes.
Children dive underwater on their own.
ON THE LAND(introductory part) - Increase the dose of massage, general and special gymnastics by 2-3 minutes.
Crawling to a toy in a playpen with a ball and toys.
Swimmer's pose: hands pressed to the hips, extended to the sides, forward.
Pulling up by the fingers of the methodologist from a position on the back and chest.
IN WATER(main part) - Swimming on the back and chest with and without manual support behind a toy, swimming with autonomous support.
Independent diving under water (diving) for a toy.
Fourth stage - IMPROVEMENT OF SWIMMING
Age: 10-12 months. The fourth stage is organically connected with the previous one. At the last stage, infants can independently swim the entire length of the bathtub and the Malyutka pool, visit the water treatment room 3 times a week, and love to dive long and deep for toys.The total training time is 62-72 minutes, temperature -31.5-30.5°C.
ON THE LAND(introductory part) - The total time of massage and gymnastics reaches 10-12 minutes. and more. Games on land lying down, sitting, standing with a ball and toys.
Performing on command various positions of the swimmer in the position on the back and chest. Perform leg and arm work with or without the help of an instructor. Try dolphin rowing and breaststroke with the help of an instructor.
The exercises are accompanied by conversation using special swimming terms both on land and in water.
IN WATER(main part) - Start of the lesson - games in the water with sinking, floating and hanging toys. Independent swimming along the length of the home bath (2-3 times without stopping) and the Malyutka pool, swimming with toys, on toys. Sliding with arms outstretched, hands pressed on the back and chest. Swimming on legs breaststroke and crawl with the help of an instructor and independently. Long and deep dives for toys, jumping in water, games.
Stages of learning to swim in classes
STAGE I1st SWIMMING LESSON
Children's age - 5 days - 2-3 weeks; duration of classes - 10-15 minutes; bath temperature - 36.5°C.
1. Slowly enter the water with your legs and lay on your back with double hand support.
Slow wiring along the length of the bathtub (shuttle wiring), guiding it to the near corner of the bathtub with the head and turning the legs to the far corner, and turning the head towards you and slightly up.
Push with your feet from the bath and drive in the other direction (drive with turns), ears in the water.
2. The left hand under the back of the head and back, the right hand with a “bucket” behind the chin and right cheek - turn to the “bucket” (the child’s chin is strictly above the water line).
Intercepting the left "bucket" under the chin with double hand support under the chin in a position on the chest.
Posting in the chest position on double manual support with turns at the ends of the bath.
When retrieving and turning, strictly monitor the position of the mouth above the water line.
3. One-handed support on the back in a “semi-ring”, turns at the ends of the bathtub and interceptions from one hand to the other.
Support with one hand and guiding on a “bucket” under the child’s chin.
Support with one hand (right) - thumb under the child’s chin, the rest under the chest.
4. Stimulation of kicks and strokes with arms in the position on the back and chest on one-handed support with the free hand.
5. Toilet (wash) the child, get out of the bath and wipe, dry the ears with cotton wool.
NOTE: Massage, general and special gymnastics are carried out starting from 2 months; in 5 days - 3 weeks, exclude mouth immersion and carry it out only from a month.
Stage 2(I month) - immersion of the mouth in place, continuation of the exercises of stage 1.
Stage 3(2 months) - demonstration of massage, general and special gymnastics.
Stage 4(3rd month) - free support technique, weakening support, push and pull technique with arms in the water.
Stage 5(4th month) - testing autonomous support such as a cap with a small manual support on the back, swimming for a toy on the chest with manual support, reaching the toy while sitting.
Stage 6(5th month) - reducing the autonomous support on the back, getting a toy while sitting from the bottom of the bathtub, plunging the mouth and then the nose, transferring the child to the “Malyutka” pool if he has the ability and swimming lessons three times a week in the water treatment room, three times - Houses.
Stage 7(6th month) - minimal independent support on the back, swimming on the back without support. Swimming with independent support on the chest, weakening of autonomous support on the chest, games while sitting.
Stage 8(7th month) - minimal autonomous support on the chest, swimming on the chest with instant lowering of the manual support, playing in the water while sitting and standing.
Stage 9(8th month) - improving back and chest strokes, exercises such as “torpedo”, diving for sinking toys, a bottle. Games in the water while sitting, standing, or walking with various toys.
Stage 10(9 - 12 months) - continued improvement in independent swimming on the back and chest, improvement of independent dives, games.
NOTE: At all stages of training, specific movements are accompanied by the words “row”, “swim”, “dive”, “push”.
Dive training plan
Helps develop the respiratory system, vestibular apparatus, as well as develop emotional and volitional qualities - courage, strength, endurance.Classes in a large bathroom at home, preferably under the supervision of an instructor. In the first part of swimming - swimming, as described above, mainly swimming on the back and in a cap. Next, diving is carried out (2-3 times, 3-4 figure eights and dives), alternating with rest and exercises on the water.
Preparatory stage
Child's age - 1 week - month.
The child simply floats with the help of hand supports on his tummy. Makes so-called “figure eights” - swims around the perimeter of the bathtub, turning around in a “figure eight”.
Stage 1.
Starting from a month, you can teach your baby to hold air. To do this, in a prone position, after 3-4 figure eights, you must say: (Baby’s name), dive! And immediately blow into the face. Children usually hold their breath. On the first day, repeat this exercise 2-3 times.
Each stage ends when the child has mastered a new skill.
Stage 2.
Everything is the same, only after the words: name, dive! Spray in the face. After a week you no longer spray, but water. Holding the baby under the chin with one hand, and with the other, after the words “dive!” scoop up water and pour it on top of your face. It looks like washing.
Move to the next stage only after you are sure that the child is not just closing his eyes, but is definitely holding his breath.
Stage 3.
As expected, first 3-4 “eights”. After the first “baby, let’s dive!” pour water on your face again. The child must remember WHAT to do after this command. Then again 3-4 “eights”, the command “dive!” and diving. To do this, you hold the baby's head with both hands and sharply immerse it under water. And immediately take it out and continue the figure eight movements.
keep it that way
For the first – second – third time, 1-2 dives are enough. Be sure to pay attention to the baby's reaction. If he didn't like it, it's better to put it off until next time.
Next, swim according to the scheme: swimming on your back, turning over on your stomach, 3-4 figure eights, diving, again 3-4 figure eights, diving, again 3-4 figure eights diving. Rest on your back. Exercises (push-ups, walking, etc.). Again a cycle of figure eights and dives, rest, play, a cycle of figure eights and dives, rest on the back. ALL! Swimming ends. Thus, you will have about 9 dives per session.
But if the baby is capricious, you see that he is dissatisfied, do not stick to the scheme. Do what your child likes. Or maybe he's already tired. Just finish your swim early.
Stage 4.
When your baby is used to diving, start diving underwater. This should take 1-2 seconds at first. If you see that the baby is getting enough of the trapped air, gradually increase the time one second at a time. So one week you can dive for 1-2 seconds, the next 2-3, then 3-4 and so on. But during this time you don’t just immerse the child under water, but dive a distance underwater. All dives participate in the same exercise cycle as stage 3.
Stage 5.
It differs from stage 4 in that, having immersed the baby under water, you release him and he swims on his own. After the words: “Baby (name), let's dive!” you need to sharply immerse your head under the water, as if push it forward and let go. At first you quickly pick him up, but each time you increase the time he spends under water on his own.
Here you can see that the baby is swimming, and the hands of an adult are nearby. But they don't hold it:
dived 
we surface 
surfaced 
Conclusion
I'm not a swimming instructor or a doctor. The doctor is my husband, and I am an educational psychologist. I wrote about diving based on my own experience. So, for example, my children swam in water that was not 30 degrees, but not below 34. They didn’t like it below.
At the end we douse ourselves with cold water after bathing. The pediatrician told us that we need to gradually reduce the temperature of the water for dousing (the same as in the bath). But children like it better when they are doused with very cold water. After the bath, the cold water burns them and they (especially the older one) squeal with pleasure.
Our eldest daughter is 4.5 months old. lay on the water without any support, swam through the bath on my back and dived with pleasure. The middle one learned to float and dive by 6 months. The youngest learned to swim from time to time - there was simply not enough time for daily “swims”. Nevertheless, all three children, when they found themselves in an open body of water, were not afraid of water, they swam with pleasure, dived, and swam independently at the age of 3.
The best person to help you learn swimming and diving, of course, is a specially trained instructor. But, if, despite all your efforts, money and time spent on activities in the pool, your baby goes to the bath without pleasure, cries and refuses to swim, do not be upset. There are some children - well, they don’t like to swim! After all, not all adults are fans of water treatments either. It’s okay, there are still so many sports and games in the world in which your baby will show the best results.
And for such children, we can recommend gradual, gentle bathing in a diaper (for the first time) and then in the bath with their mother. This is the opposite view of teaching infants to swim. It is based on the assumption that free swimming and, especially, diving of infants is stressful for a child, because water is an alien habitat for people. Therefore, each parent himself chooses the desired approach to raising and strengthening his child. This article is not a call to teach infants to swim, but only advice for those who want to do it.
Classes will be successful for parents who are confident in the benefits of the activity and are not afraid to do something special with their child. Although swimming and diving have long become the most common.
Be confident in your abilities and success is guaranteed!!!
The article used:
“Swimming of infants” (Methodological recommendations) Ed. V.V.Shitskova Moscow, 1978. The recommendations were developed by pediatrician V.A. Guterman.
“Swimming before walking” Z. P. Firsov, Moscow, Physical Culture and Sports, 1978
After the birth of the baby, fathers and mothers are overcome by a burning desire to immediately begin to develop the child. But how? He's very tiny and can't do anything...
Useful from all points of view
Swimming is an amazing sport. Almost all the major muscles of the body are involved here, and the load on the spine (and, therefore, the risk of injury) is minimal. Swimming develops the cardiovascular system, increases endurance and has a beneficial effect on breathing: the lungs expand and their volume increases. Most newborns love water: they spent nine months splashing around in their mother’s tummy, and therefore they are still more comfortable in the bath than on land.
Water is especially useful for premature babies: the body weighs less in it, and babies quickly catch up with their “land-dwelling” peers who were born at a normal weight.
Like a fish in water
Experience shows that a one-year-old baby who can swim is real. First, children learn to swim underwater, then little by little they begin to float on the surface. Hence the conclusion: in order to teach a child to swim, he must first be taught to dive. In most cases, kids are not enthusiastic about this idea, and a lot of persistence and patience is required from parents so that the baby understands: diving is great. Many fathers and mothers doubt whether the game is worth the candle, that is, whether it is necessary to waste time and nerves on teaching a child to swim. At the age of five he will learn like all normal children! Let's try to weigh the pros and cons.
A word from supporters of early swimming. Here are their arguments:
- Swimming improves your health, and the ability to hold your breath under water develops your lungs.
- Early swimming is a guarantee that the child will not be afraid of water and will not drown if he accidentally falls into the water. Statistics show that children drown (a lot of children!) every year, and in 78 percent of cases they choke in shallow bodies of water and even ordinary puddles, unable to hold their breath.
- After swimming, the children sleep soundly. Swim with your baby and sleep peacefully at night!
- Diving is a good way to rinse your nose and treat a runny nose.
- Swimming with your parents in the pool is a great holiday for the whole family.
- By swimming, you learn to communicate with your baby and understand the signals he gives you.
Objections from opponents of early swimming:
- The first diving experience often ends with a heart-rending scream of a baby and a pre-infarction state of the father, mother, and grandmother. Isn't it better to protect the parents' nerves and the child's psyche?
- If an older child is not afraid of water, he may well take the initiative and try to swim in a pond on occasion (naturally, without adult supervision). Do I need to say what such an initiative entails?
- At a more conscious age, teaching a child to swim is much easier.
- What kind of trust can we talk about between a child and parents if the mother puts the baby under water with her own hands? To be fair, we note that if the first difficulties are overcome, the child is calm about the water: he knows that his mother’s hands are nearby there too.
- By the time a baby is six months old, the bathtub becomes too small for swimming, and not everyone has a pool near their home.
Mom is the best teacher
All authors of early swimming methods agree on one thing: there is no better teacher than mother. The key to success is mother's confidence. If you decide to teach your child to dive, you need to start after birth: after all, by three months the breath-holding reflex completely disappears. Ideally, the first time the baby is taught by an instructor who shows the parents what and how to do. From the age of one and a half months, you can go to a special children's pool, where the “infant group” is engaged. Such pools have now appeared in kindergartens and clinics in Moscow. There you can do a lot of useful exercises, for which the bath is too small, and for older children the pool is a great opportunity to swim to their heart's content.
Only the brave conquer the seas
Our mothers and grandmothers bathed their children in special baths, with the greatest precautions: so as not to catch a cold! But kids are happy to splash around in a regular, adult bathtub, if you give them the opportunity. You can start swimming when the umbilical wound has healed. Sterility in the bath is not at all necessary: just wash it well before bathing. There is also no need to add potassium permanganate to the water, but if the baby has irritation on the skin, bathing with a decoction of the string will benefit him. Sea salt baths are traditionally used to treat children with nervous system disorders. Such baths have a stimulating effect, so they are not recommended before bedtime.
The water should not be too warm: in cold water, children move actively, but in warm water they fall asleep. Don’t be afraid to keep the door open - the child catches a cold not so much because of the cold, but because of the change in temperature (this is exactly the effect you will get if you move your baby from a heated bathroom to a cool room). Many parents are afraid that water will get into the ears, and insert cotton wool there during bathing. This is completely unnecessary - water cannot cause middle ear diseases.
How long to swim in the bath? Look at the baby: someone is ready to bathe for a few minutes, but someone cannot be pulled out of the bathroom without a scandal. If your baby is an active bather, keep a steady stream of warm water running to keep the bath warm. Pouring cold water after bathing is a great way to harden your baby; it can be used from the first days of life.
Everyone is swimming
The baby is immersed in water immediately. If the mother talks to him and explains what is happening, the baby feels more confident. He, of course, won’t understand the words, but his mother’s friendly intonations will certainly reach him. Some children like to swim on their tummy, others - on their back. Start the procedure with what your baby likes best. When bathing on your stomach, support the head under the chin with your right hand, and place your left hand on the back of the head. You can cover his mouth with the thumb of your right hand; besides, many babies happily gnaw on their mother’s hand - this adds courage to them. In this position, the child is “led” around the bathroom forward and backward and in figure eights.
Select the pace of movements individually: some kids love sharp turns and waves, when the bathtub almost “overflows its banks”, others prefer to move slowly. Bring the child close to the side: when he feels support under his feet, he will push off and swim to the other end almost on his own. When the baby floats on his back, support the head with one hand and the butt with the other. Many children really enjoy turning from back to tummy and back. You can also swim in a vertical position - in the “frog” position. In this case, with one hand you support the baby under the chest, and with the other you press the bent legs to the tummy. This position resembles the position in which the baby was in the womb; children love it very much.
The most crucial moment is diving. When the word “dive” is said, they gently blow on the child’s face or splash water on him. As a rule, at this moment the baby closes his eyes tightly and holds his breath. Then you can briefly dip its head in water. When the child has become comfortable with diving and can hold his breath for a few seconds, you can try letting him swim freely (not for long!). The kids really like it. Over time, the baby will learn to swim the entire bath underwater.
In the pool you can catch a floating toy, dive with mom and sing “Baba sowed peas,” and also float on mom or dad’s chest and belly. For grown-up champions, jumping from the side into the water causes a storm of delight.
If something suddenly goes wrong with swimming (diving, swimming) at home, a trip to the children's pool and a consultation with an experienced instructor will put everything in place.
There are special devices for bathing infants - arm guards, a “mermaid cap”, leg cuffs, fins. The instructor will show you how and what to use. But experts are unanimous on one thing: do not give your child an inflatable ring. This initially creates incorrect body position and harms further learning.
Captain, captain, smile!
As a rule, babies love water. But when it comes to diving, the roaring can begin. After two or three attempts, at the mere thought of diving, parents are horrified and give up on this idea. Here are some ideas to make diving fun.
- Walk your child around the bathroom at the same pace, then (literally for a second) dip his head in the water and, as if nothing had happened, continue moving.
- Sing a song or recite a poem, and do not change the intonation and tempo: the baby should hear his mother’s even voice both under water and after surfacing.
- Swim together! Nothing calms you down like a mother if she herself is relaxed and calm.
- Feed in water. Children open their eyes under water, and if the baby sees his mother’s breast right in front of him, he will swim to her no matter what, you can be sure! And the reward will be mother’s wonderful milk, which the baby will receive when it emerges.
- The sound of flowing water has a magical effect on children, so don't turn off the tap: the gurgle calms the little swimmer.
- Notice which movements your child likes best and move on to them immediately after surfacing. This could be vertical jumping or a frog pose.
- Make the bathroom attractive: hanging bright toys and colorful balloons from the ceiling is a good way to distract your child.
- Be sure to find a way to calm your little one in the bath. He must leave her without tears, otherwise he will develop a persistent fear of water.
And one more thing: bathing should not be a duty. There is no need to take up swimming and diving just because it is fashionable and the neighbor boy knows how to dive. If you don’t have the heart for it, your baby won’t get any pleasure from the water.
Personal experience
I absolutely love swimming. And when the child was born, I decided that swimming was what we needed. From the very beginning, I saw that the baby liked to swim: he immediately calmed down in the water. But he dived, frankly speaking, without delight. We started going to the pool. And after the very first lesson, the kid changed his attitude towards diving: at the word “dive” he broke into a smile and, emerging, burst into laughter. When he saw a bathtub or a swimming pool, he impatiently waved his arms and legs, saying with all his appearance: “Hurry into the water!”
When my little one began to sit, we quickly mastered jumping off the side, and by the age of one year we were splashing with the whole family in a large seawater pool. The baby confidently swam underwater from mom to dad and back, and everyone had great fun.
A friend also decided to go swimming with her child, but the baby reacted to the diving with heart-rending screams. The mother decided not to torture the child. Yes, her perfectly healthy three-year-old child cannot swim, but I don’t think he suffers much from this. I have no doubt that they found other ways to make communication harmonious and joyful.
Article provided by the magazine "Family Doctor" 
Discussion
You know, we also had such a problem, but then little by little it began to get worse, we started adding calming herbs, extracts, toys, laughing together))) and you are still wondering, we are still doing everything the same and everything is fine!! what have you tried??
Answer to
_____________________________
Renat Khamitov 13.9.2008
_____________________________
It is impossible to “put such children on the water”, which means you cannot teach them to swim technically correctly. - for more details, see Question No. 7 here: http://swim7.narod.ru/pam.html
10/12/2008 15:15:59, Shcherbakova Yu.M.But experts are unanimous on one thing: do not give your child an inflatable ring....
Please tell me, why can’t we give you an inflatable ring? Our daughter has been swimming with a circle around her neck since she was 4.5 months old. Does this threaten us with anything?
My son was born full-term, but early, for a week while he was overfed, I cried looking at his thinness and bluish heels (considering that he was being discharged from the family home within a day) And the fear of catching a cold set in my mind, bathing him, he didn’t have time to squeak, I was already near him. I just started bathing him when he was two weeks old. But then I read several articles about swimming (unfortunately, we don’t practice swimming) and my son and I started swimming in the bathtub from three weeks old. At first it was scary how to hold him correctly, I was afraid to let him into the water. Now we both enjoy the activity, Maloya because he likes to swim and I because I like to watch him like to swim. This is my second child and I can compare the development of the eldest and the youngest. The physical development of the youngest at 2 months is ahead of about 2 weeks, despite the fact that we are not breaking records , we’re just splashing around amateurishly. It’s a shame that I wasn’t interested in infant swimming during my first birth, the delight in a child’s eyes when a child understands that he’s going to swim is worth a lot.
02/23/2008 15:23:59, SibelEvery parent wants their baby to grow up healthy and fully developed. Today there are a lot of developmental techniques for infants that allow you to make your desire come true. Including infant swimming. Is this really such a useful activity or just a fad when you can start swimming, at home or in the pool - there are many questions. The time has come to find answers to them and provide new mothers and fathers with all the necessary information, because any mistake can cause harm to their beloved baby.
As is known, in medicine the attitude towards various types of developmental activities is quite ambiguous. Swimming is no exception. On the territory of the USSR, they learned about this technique thanks to Igor Charkovsky, a rescue instructor, who in the 60s made a special tank for water activities with his premature daughter. By 3 months, the baby not only improved her health, but also significantly outstripped her peers in development. Charkovsky began consulting maternity hospitals on the introduction of infant swimming into practice. However, after a couple of years, the technique was considered dangerous and was banned. And only in the late 70s they started talking about infant swimming again, largely thanks to a book about swimming for newborns, published by the chairman of the swimming federation, Zakhary Pavlovich Firsov.
At what age should you start training?
Having experienced the excitement of the first bath, you probably noticed that your baby splashes happily in the bath. And more courageous parents also know that if the baby is lowered with his head under water, he will hold his breath and feel quite comfortable. The explanation for this is an innate reflex, thanks to which the baby remembers the time spent in the mother’s belly, swimming in liquid. However, by 3–4 months, the reaction to being in water will begin to fade, so it will be much more difficult to accustom a toddler to swimming. Conclusion: you need to start swimming lessons with your baby at 3-4 weeks. This is due to the fact that
Principles of infant swimming
The success of the classes depends on how well the preparatory work is done. If you make a list of principles for swimming with babies, then, in addition to what has already been mentioned, starting from 3–4 weeks, you can highlight 4 positions.
Training methods for newborns and infants
Swimming lessons with infants should be systematic, that is, not only regular, but also corresponding to certain proven methods. At the moment, there are 3 popular systems of work, each of which has been tested by more than one generation of infants.
Firsov's technique
The goal of working on this system is that by the age of one year the little one should:
Work towards achieving the set goal is progressing gradually. It begins with explaining to the baby that he will swim, then the baby is lowered into the water, and after the period of adaptation to water is completed, the child is supported under the tummy or back and placed on the water.
Charkovsky's technique is very controversial, be careful!
It is worth noting that this activity system was developed for premature babies, so it may not be suitable for babies born at full term. Charkovsky's principle is surprise and sharpness: the baby is quickly immersed under water with his head, then taken out and immediately immersed again without delay. One lesson lasts at least 30–40 minutes. In a short moment of surfacing, the baby manages to take a breath of air, but while there is no oxygen in the body, the brain is nourished in a more intensive mode due to the body’s reaction to danger. Such stress helps to develop more intensively physically and mentally.
The technique is widely criticized among specialists for its danger to the brain - as a result of prolonged diving, the baby develops hypoxia. It is difficult and even dangerous for the child’s life to independently implement Charkovsky’s method in practice.
Vladimir Guterman’s technique is the most popular today
In the 60–70s, the author worked in the largest outdoor swimming pool in Europe, “Moscow,” where he observed children involved in therapeutic and sports swimming. Subsequently, this experience was systematized into its own methodology. It consists of 4 stages:
The benefits of this activity for babies
When thinking about swimming lessons with a baby, parents should clearly understand: their goal is not to educate an Olympic reserve, but to strengthen the health of the little one. Swimming allows you to achieve very high results in this, namely:
The main principle of swimming with a baby is that the process should be enjoyable.
Arguments against: possible harm
Every medal has a downside, and swimming is no exception.
Please note that the arguments concern cases where classes are conducted according to all the rules. And the list of harm caused by swimming in violation of accepted norms is endless. This also includes infant mortality due to careless handling of an infant in water.
When is it necessary to swim?
Unfortunately, many toddlers are born with health problems. But some of these disorders can be successfully corrected by swimming:
Contraindications
It is very important to pay attention to situations where swimming lessons for a child can aggravate already serious health problems:
Working out at home
Kids react very sensitively to the mood of adults, so start classes in a good mood. And one more thing: you should be comfortable.
Preparation
Don't expect to stand for a long time leaning over the bathtub - put a chair. Have a clean diaper or soft towel ready to dry your little swimmer after the activity.
This is interesting. In the absence of drafts, pediatricians advise slightly blotting the child’s skin and carrying him into the room naked - this is one of the elements of hardening.
To prevent young parents from being nervous, an inflatable lifebuoy or a special cap with foam padding can be used as a safety measure. All actions with the baby in the water must be accompanied by a calm and confident voice.
Communication with water should begin by immersing the little one’s hand and then the foot. And don’t forget to accompany all actions with your comments.
Support for the baby can be carried out in two ways: under the back of the head (the baby lies on his back, and the adult picks up his head under the back of the head) and under the chin (the baby lies on the water on his tummy, the chin in the adult’s palm).
Exercises
In fact, swimming at home can be just as exciting as swimming in a pool. You just need to choose the right exercises. It is important that they are approved by a pediatrician.
"Turns and Pushes"
Instructions:
The parent's help in this exercise is reduced to a minimum: support the baby in the process of pushing and turning over.
"Splashing"
The exercise is performed while lying on the water on your tummy. While supporting the baby by the chin, you need to show him what funny circles on the water are formed from splashing.
“Catching up with the boats”
Instructions:
"Eight"
This exercise can be started when the baby masters moving in a straight line.
Instructions:
"Let's ride on a swing"
Instructions:
"Let's dive!"
Exercise causes fear in some parents, but children, as a rule, are not afraid of it, in fact, some even look forward to it.
Instructions:
This is interesting. We start diving only after the baby has already bathed a little.
How to teach your baby to swim in the bathtub at home - video
Swimming in the pool
Depending on their preferences, parents choose group or individual pool lessons.
Preparation
It is very important that the baby is properly assembled into the pool. Have to take:
Swimming equipment - photo gallery
You can make a swimming cap yourself: just attach foam blocks around the rim. A lifebuoy in the bathroom is needed more to reassure the parents than for the baby. A swimming cap will help you avoid getting your hair wet, but it’s unlikely to protect against water getting into your ears.
Many manufacturers of children's goods produce special swimming trunks and diapers.
Everything you need to know about swimming pool classes
If the child is used to the trainer and responds well to him, then the mother may not go into the water at all, but watch the process at the side.
On average, a pool session lasts about 90 minutes. Of these, 20–25 are spent on a preliminary warming massage for the baby. True, the first lesson lasts only 10 minutes, each subsequent training session the time increases, and within a month you will reach the average timing.
Exercises for training in the pool are identical to those used for training in the bathroom.
This is interesting. Swimming can be combined with hardening. To do this, some parents pour cold water on their little ones after class, but few of their children enjoy this procedure. Therefore, doctors recommend simply letting the body dry without wiping it - this is also an effective hardening technique.
A set of exercises with an infant in the pool - video
Benefits of swimming lessons at home and in the pool - table
| In the bathroom | In a swimming pool | |
| Comfort for the child | A newborn baby is still getting used to the new environment, so children under one month old are recommended to study in a special baby bath with their mother next to them. This way the child will feel the presence of his mother nearby, and the small space will not cause fear. | Very often, newborn children are afraid of large water, extraneous sounds, and noise. After all, not only they, but also other children are engaged in the pool. That is why it is recommended to bring children aged two to three months to the pool. |
| Lessons with a trainer | Doctors recommend starting early swimming exercises only in the presence of a specialist. When mom gets used to it a little, you can study on your own. But often calling a trainer to your home is problematic and expensive. | In the pool you can choose an individual schedule, choose the instructor you like and be completely sure that the classes will be carried out correctly and usefully. |
| Safety | Very often, mothers who try to practice infant swimming on their own do not know the principles and methods of training. Water can get into the baby's lungs, and this is life-threatening. | In the pool, classes are held only under the supervision of experienced specialists, so the child and mother are completely safe. |
| Exercises in groups | Very often, children do not want to swim on their own: they are scared, uninterested, etc. At home there is no opportunity to carry out exercises with several children. | In a group, the child pays attention to his peers. When a child sees that others are swimming with pleasure, he is not so afraid to try new tasks and exercises himself. |
| Conditions | In this regard, a home bath comes out on top. Mom can prepare boiled water without chlorine, wash the bathtub or large bathtub well, and can be sure that no infections are scary for her baby. | Often, chlorine, which is used to disinfect water, causes allergic reactions, problems with the respiratory system and digestion, when swallowing water from the pool. There is a risk of catching some kind of infection. |
Pediatricians' opinions
Doctors for the most part are very positive about infant swimming. True, many of them still advise practicing at home in order to reduce the risk of harmful microorganisms getting into the baby’s digestive tract, as well as on his skin. Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky, like his colleagues, insists that swimming is useful only when it is carried out in compliance with all precautions, and the baby is in a good mood. In addition, pediatricians often emphasize that bathing in cool water promotes sound sleep for the baby, and is also an important step in the hardening process.
Doctor Komarovsky about swimming for infants - video
Modern parents have been practicing infant swimming in the bathtub since the birth of their baby. Although the percentage of those who doubt the need for this procedure is still large. Let's try to figure out whether it is necessary to take up swimming at such an early age.
The benefits of swimming for newborns
Early swimming is not just a daily hygiene procedure, but a means of developing a baby, helping to master certain skills and building a sense of confidence.
The water environment is a familiar element for babies. While in the mother's belly in a liquid environment, the baby acquired a swimming reflex, which persists until the age of three months. Therefore, bathing is a pleasant and useful activity for a child.
Research has shown that the benefits of infant swimming are as follows:
- Good physical development: “floating” children are less likely to catch colds and learn to crawl and walk independently earlier. Water procedures strengthen the immune system, relieve increased/decreased muscle tone, and prevent rickets;
- Improving the thermoregulation system. Regular swimming exercises develop the ability to maintain a constant body temperature, increase susceptibility to changes in external conditions, reducing the risk of disease;
- Increasing blood hemoglobin by stimulating the release of red blood cells, provoked by difficulty breathing and lack of oxygen during swimming;
- Strengthening the lungs, heart and blood vessels, stimulating blood flow and normalizing blood pressure;
- Formation of correct beautiful posture. Unloading the spine and joints and the effective work of all muscle groups in water develop a strong muscular corset for the spine;
- Cleaning the maxillary sinuses is a good prevention of a runny nose, washing the nose and killing harmful bacteria;
- Strengthening the immature nervous system. Water procedures soothe, improve sleep, increase stamina, improve appetite;
- Training in proper breathing, promoting the development of the bronchopulmonary system and the ability to hold your breath;
- Improving blood circulation in the brain vessels due to the effect on the skin and small blood vessels contributes to the early mental development of the baby;
- Gentle skin massage;
- Socialization of the child: the fear of water, including open bodies of water, disappears, which increases his safety;
- Joint communication strengthens emotional attachment, establishes warm, trusting relationships;
- The main thing is that during the process of active bathing the baby rejoices, smiles, communicates with his parents, making all kinds of sounds, and then sleeps soundly and for a long time.
When to start swimming?
A natural question for parents who have seriously decided to master the tricks of swimming for babies in the bathtub is at what time to start swimming in the bathtub. Experts advise from 2-3 weeks of age. By this time, the child will grow up, get used to new conditions and will not lose swimming reflexes.
The umbilical wound can also serve as a reference point. As soon as it heals, you can start swimming with your baby in your home bath. There is no reason for parents to worry: water is the natural environment for a newborn. It is important for adults not to scare the baby, gradually accustoming him to water and mastering new movements.
To be sure, before starting classes, it is better for parents to consult with a pediatrician or swimming coach, and, if possible, conduct the first swim in a home bath together with an instructor specializing in infant swimming. He will give recommendations to parents on swimming techniques, teach how to hold the baby and show simple exercises.
Bathroom preparation
Before starting the procedure, you should first wash it with a regular cleaning agent, then with soda/laundry soap and rinse thoroughly.
Pediatricians do not advise maintaining excessive sterility: strong immunity must be formed by coming into contact with various microorganisms.
Water temperature
The average temperature of the water when bathing should be 34-36 °C; as the child gets used to it, it should be lowered. Before 3 months, the water temperature cannot be less than 32 °C. If the liquid has cooled slightly during swimming, do not add warm liquid and bring it to its original state. This is how it should be, a gradual decrease in water temperature is a good way to harden the body.
An indicator of comfortable conditions will be the baby’s behavior:
- if the dive is accompanied by crying, then the water is too cold;
- if it is actively floundering in the water, the temperature is optimal;
- passivity and relaxation are an indicator of excessively warm liquid.
The newborn must be fed at least an hour before bathing. Swimming should be accompanied by constant communication with the baby.
Massage as preparation for swimming
The basis of swimming for infants in the bath is positions on the back and chest with manual support or special devices and independent movement.
It is important to prepare the baby for such actions with the help of massage and special swimming gymnastics, lasting 20-30 minutes. and requiring strict adherence to the execution sequence.
You can massage your baby on a changing table or a regular table. Place the naked baby with his back on a hard surface. Start with light stroking of the limbs from the bottom (hands and feet) up. Turn over and stroke your back and buttocks. Lay on your back and massage your stomach, chest, neck, head. Similarly, following the sequence, knead the child’s body. You should massage the abdomen with four fingers of your right hand, performing movements in a circle clockwise.
Preparatory gymnastics
After massaging, begin swimming on land, which will help you master the stroke movements.
To do this, you need to perform 10 approaches of the following exercises:
- Wrap your hands around the ankle of a child lying on his back and alternately move his legs up/down;
- With your knees and hips bent, place your baby in frog position. Spread your limbs to the sides, hold, slowly straighten, returning to the starting position;
- With the baby on his back, stretch his upper limbs to the sides. Holding your hands, perform stroke-like movements. Then raise your arms and begin to repeat movements reminiscent of breaststroke swimming;
- Turning the baby over onto his stomach, perform the steps of the two previous exercises.
After performing massage and gymnastics, you should move on to the process on the water.
Newborn swimming procedure
Many experts advise initially swimming exclusively at home in the bathroom, and after one year of age, mastering specialized children's pools.
The basic rules of swimming are strict adherence to the gradual dosing of the procedure as the baby develops. The increase in time for each lesson should be 10-15 seconds. (monthly variation 2 -5 min.), cool the water by 0.5 °C.
The emphasis should be on immersing the head. When training holding your breath through the nasal area in a 1-2 month old baby, lower it into the water for 2-4 seconds. along the mouth opening. A six-month-old child can be allowed to retrieve objects from the bottom of the bathtub from a sitting position, gradually increasing the depth and stimulating the immersion of the head to the eye area.
It is strictly prohibited to sharply increase the duration of procedures and reduce the temperature.
Swimming on your back is relatively easy to learn. The position on the chest requires training of the respiratory system and proper immersion.
Classes without equipment
The exercises are easy to perform and are accompanied by voice commentary or reading special nursery rhymes and jokes. The basis is made up of three swimming positions: shuttle, figure eight, cross, alternating walking and standing.
Here is an approximate set of exercises performed immediately after massage and dry gymnastics:
- Taking the child under your arms with his back to you, gradually enter the water, starting from the lower extremities. While pronouncing the phrase “stand”, hold for 15 seconds. level vertical position. The chin is fixed strictly above the water surface;
- At the “let’s go” signal, walk through the entire bath, making sure that the baby first leans on his feet, and after a while learns to step;
- Signal “stop” again and give 15 seconds. for a break for the baby in a standing position. This is a necessary procedure to prevent motor fatigue;
- Holding with both hands, place the baby on his back with the ears and sternum immersed in water. It's okay if he can sip a little water;
- Perform the “shuttle” exercise, moving from edge to edge of the bathtub and pushing with your feet. Hold the child lightly with your hands, allowing the self-preservation instinct to work. As the baby gets older, use a one-handed support that allows for strokes;
- Place your newborn in an upright position. While saying “stand,” hold the position for 15 seconds, clasping the neck area from behind with your left hand. The right limb of an adult under the chin of a child;
- Using your right hand, place your baby on your chest. Signal with your voice “swim” and, holding it with both hands, move around the perimeter of the bathtub, drawing a figure eight on the water. Using caution, perform 6-8 repetitions and return the child to an upright position for 0.25 minutes.
- Without forgetting to comment on the actions, repeat walking through the bath and resting.
- Do the “Cross” exercise. Holding your baby on his back, slowly make a diagonal sweep from one corner to the other. Alternating between standing and resting, repeat 6-8 times.
You can see more clear and detailed instructions in the video below.
Remember that rest should be equal to half of the entire swimming procedure. Throughout the entire cycle (3-4 minutes), communicate with your child. On average, in one session a child will swim about half a hundred meters and walk 6 m. Do not forget about gradually increasing the duration of the complex.
These exercises can be performed while bathing with your baby in the bathroom. The adult will become a kind of support for the baby. It is convenient to hold it on your knees, clasping the head with your hands, and you can rock it slightly. It is good to place it on the parent’s stomach and chest, fixing the top of the head.
It’s okay if your baby takes a sip of water during class. Innate reflexes will prevent it from getting into the respiratory tract, and coughing and sneezing will help naturally rid the body of unnecessary bacteria. It is important to continue bathing afterwards.
Learning to dive
The diving procedure is complex and necessary for the health and safety of an infant. Teaching this skill should begin with teaching your baby the voice command “dive/dive” and pouring water on his forehead and face.
You need to really dive in the second month of performing a cycle of water procedures and do it from a position on your chest. When swimming in a figure eight, dive every three exercises, saying the command and splashing water in your face. At first, the child will be able to drink a small amount of water, this is not harmful. When the baby is ready reflexively (squints his eyes, closes his mouth and holds his breath), lower him completely under the water for a few seconds.
Swimming accessories
If you are afraid to hold your baby in a filled bath, you can use special devices.
For home use, a hat and...
A cap with inserted foam blocks will greatly facilitate the task for parents, helping to keep the head above the water. When buying a hat, choose cotton fabric. When swimming, be careful not to get water into your ears.
The circle for newborns is an inflatable chamber with a recess for the chin and fixing Velcro. In this case, parents only need to control the little one. Using this accessory allows the baby to move independently and move its limbs. It can be used from birth.
To make bathing fun and useful, add a variety of toys to the bath.
If you have the opportunity to swim with your child in a special children's pool, then it is worth purchasing arm protectors.
The main condition is not to leave it unattended and constantly monitor the condition of the baby.
In what cases should you refrain from swimming babies in the bath?
Before you start bathing with an infant, you should consult with your pediatrician, as there are a number of contraindications to water procedures.
You should refrain from them if your baby is diagnosed with:
- inflammatory processes in acute form, accompanied by an increase in body temperature; with elevated temperature;
- diseases of the epidermis;
- presence of wound surfaces;
- purulent inflammation;
- mental pathologies, seizures;
- cardiovascular disorders, congenital heart diseases;
- renal and hepatic failure;
- infections.
You should not carry out water procedures if the baby is crying or nervous.
If distraction with a toy does not work and the tantrum continues, reschedule the activity to avoid unpleasant associations later.
Remember that you cannot:
- deal with a tired, sleepy, hungry child;
- rush things, forcing them to master new elements for which the baby is not ready.
- be in a bad state of mind, nervous: it is important to remain calm
- stop training if the first procedure is unsuccessful.
Remember that a mistake made once can deprive a child of the desire to swim forever.
The main goal of parents is the pleasure and health of the baby.
Diving of infants.
How to dive?
Why dive?
How does the brain and the whole body work during diving?
Water safety
Parents' mistakes
Myths about diving
There are a lot of letters, this post is for those who want to, but are afraid to dive with little ones!
HOW TO DIVE BABIES
Parents are afraid to dive on their own, and this is justified and competent!
Because it is necessary to understand how and what happens in the child’s body and, at a minimum, know safety precautions and know how to help a child if he is choking.
“Let's dive!”
The team most babies dive with. And before you really dive in, you should prepare your child and yourself, i.e. practice. This is completely safe and EVERY parent can do it.
speak the command loudly and clearly
blow on the face
and pour water from top to bottom (the palm of your hand is enough, you can do it many times)
The parents' task is to monitor the child's reaction. As a rule, the child takes a breath, holds his breath and begins to actively jerk his arms and legs - the instinct of self-preservation turns on and the child begins to save himself.
You can water it on the head with a team for 5-7 days - this time is necessary for parents to make sure that the child REALLY holds his breath and real diving can be safely carried out. I strongly recommend that you do at least your first dive with an instructor.
So, let's move on to diving.
We do everything the same as when preparing for diving + diving under water, quite confidently and quickly for literally half a second. We take it out vertically facing ourselves. We smile and praise!!!
WHY DIVE at such a young age?
Children's safety on the water. Children who know how to dive will be able to save themselves in an unforeseen situation. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ARGUMENT.
Love of water and lack of fear of water in adulthood. It is enough to conduct a survey among those around you: “Are they afraid to dive? And what feelings do they experience?
Swimming and diving children are DIFFERENT! They are more confident, more physically harmonious, and intellectually developed.
Swimming and diving children are less likely to get sick. The previous post is about this.
PARENT MISTAKES:
They are abruptly lowered under the water and the child does not have time to take a breath above the water and takes it underwater. Accordingly, the children slurp.
They scream and scold each other if something doesn’t work out. The child is more frightened by the screams of adults than by the situation itself.
They stop studying if something doesn’t work out right away. It makes sense to practice on a toy, watch a video, invite an instructor, but don’t stop.
PHYSIOLOGY OF DIVING IN INFANTS
So how does a baby's body work while diving?
When a child goes underwater, he takes a deep breath.
Next, the baby holds his breath and the body, in panic, begins to save vital organs - the heart and brain. Accordingly, these organs are intensively enriched with oxygen. And when the child emerges, he begins to actively breathe and saturate the body with oxygen in reserve.
I hope I have convinced you that the brain does not experience a lack of oxygen, but rather is intensively enriched.
SAFETY WHEN CHILDREN DIVING
Let's watch a child when he is choking on milk. What are you doing? Place it in a column! What is the child doing? Clears his throat! Surely this has happened to you more than once?! Everybody is alive? Great! Then he will definitely cough up water!
If, however, you accidentally or deliberately immersed your child under water and he drank water:
Take the baby out of the water VERTICALLY facing you! Yes, there have been cases when mothers throw up their hands in panic)
Smile and praise! It is important. It is better if the child sees a smile rather than frightened eyes.
Under no circumstances should you scream or even scream. You can scare and discourage the desire to swim for life
Most often this is enough!!! Briefly again: reach, smile, praise.
If a child coughs, sneezes, screams - great! Everything is fine!
If the child is not breathing (this happens EXTREMELY rarely, do not be alarmed) you need to know WHAT TO DO. Option 1: Quickly put the baby on your knee - butt above head, i.e. hanging over the knee and doing percussion (tapping) massage on the shoulder blades. Option 2: Hold the legs with support under the chest or just the legs, head down, face down.
I recommend practicing on a toy. EVERYONE who is somehow connected with children should be able to do this: parents, grandmothers, nannies, teachers,...
MYTHS ABOUT INFANTS DIVING
children develop fear…..My comment: isn’t it scary for a whole 9 months with your mother in the water? Children continue to live in their element and it is not fear that appears, but confidence and trust in water. With the right approach.
diving babies refuse to breastfeed......My comment: 99% of my moms breastfeed. No one has yet refused because of diving)))
DISADVANTAGES OF DIVING
you need to do this every day
a full bath of water costs money * 30 days = maybe a thousand rubles a month worth of water (help me calculate the budget)))
They may judge you and say that you are a crazy mother.
addictive, I want to do even more work with the child, because... The result is seen not only by you, but also by the doctors.
the pharmacy will remain without profit, your child will not get sick! This is true!
If you need advice, I'm ready to help. 89264454505 for those who are in Moscow and nearby. yuliyaermak.com skype for all all all
