Baby Swimming

Are you planning to bring your baby/infant to swim?

The preparation to take before your first trip to swimming pool (taken from here plus some addition from us):
- warm bottle for after the swim if you are bottlefeeding
- A towel, preferably one with a hood or a towelling dressing gown
- A snack (swimming makes babies hungry)
- Books or toys for older babies
- A few of your baby's bath toys to play with
- Don't forget your nappy bag
- Lastly, "minyak telon" or "minyak kayu putih" :-)

We read from here that the optimal age to start babies is between 6-12 months. They are comfortable, the water feels natural.

The benefits of taking your baby swimming are numerous and include (source: here):
- to promote the development of higher functions of the brain. Swimming gives babies free movement, meaning they can develop actions they wouldn't otherwise have had the opportunity to experience;
- strengthening your baby's heart, lungs and respiratory system - which again aids development of the brain;
- improving core muscle development and co-ordination;
- regular swimming often improves eating and sleeping patterns;
- learning to respond to commands can make your baby sharper mentally, increasing levels of awareness and understanding;
- it's fun, socially stimulating (for both you and your baby!) and an excellent way to bond with your child.

However The American Academy of Pediatrics states that children are not developmentally ready to learn to swim until they are 4 years old.

It was a very exciting moment when we took Adam to swim for the first time. He enjoyed it and refused to stop. The water was cold and we only allow him to swim for 10 mins.