The main aim of your submersions will be for you as the parent or guardian to relax and allow your baby to submerge when they are comfortable and ready.
Making your movements gentle and smooth will be paramount to your babies enjoyment of their time under the water. If this happens underwater your baby will not only be shocked and unhappy but they will have had a big gulp of water. When a baby is startled they will throw their arms outwards and take a breath in. Fast and sudden movements also tend to startle and frighten babies. Babies under the age of three do not have enough neck strength to hold their head forward against the strength of the water so when forcing or pushing through the head will tip back and the water will go up their nose (this stings). Try to use natural movement and not force your child through the water. All your movements when submerging your baby must be smooth and controlled. Allow your baby to ease in and become relaxed with what you are about to do. If your babies body seems tight or they are straining to keep their head up or if they are saying or making no sounds or gestures please DO NOT submerge. If they eyes are closed the airway will be as well so even if their mouth is open the water can not get passed the throat.Īt this point you will also need to be reading your babies face and body language to ensure they are relaxed and ready for the submersion. Focus on your babies eyes not their mouth. Move with your baby ensure you can see their face, and use the verbal cue, lift on the word under and if your babies eyes are shut they are ready to submerge. You must hold your child horizontal in the water as a vertical submersion will push the water up their nose (this stings). The verbal (1,2,3 under) and a physical cue, which is a small lift on the word under. Keep in mind that your baby does have two cues. Once your baby has learnt the verbal cue it is time to move onto submerging.
Waiting until your baby is ready will mean the outcome will be a comfortable relaxed swimmer. It is important you allow your baby to learn the cue and engage the reflex before you attempt submerging. This conditioning can be started from birth. Eventually your baby will hear the words and will shut their eyes on cue. Use the cue 1,2,3 under and gently wipe or pour the water over your babies face. To condition your baby to engage this reflex on cue use a wet hand, wash cloth or a small amount of water in a bucket or cup. With enough practice you will find your baby will hear the words 1,2,3 under and will shut their eyes on cue and that is when they are ready to submerge. To teach your baby to use this reflex on cue we add the words 1,2,3 under and engage the baby’s reflex. The reflex we use to condition the babies is a falling reflex, when your baby shuts their eyes their epiglottis (throat) will close over as well. Up until the age of three years old your baby has a reflex that we use for submerging. Most babies under the age of one will not complain if they are being submerged incorrectly which make this age group extremely dangerous.Īt Aquatots we fully condition our babies to submerge and below are our tips and tricks so you can also have a happy and safe time in the water with your baby. Without waiting until your baby is conditioned to submerge by placing them underwater their air way will be open and the water that enters the mouth will go straight into the stomach and lungs.
Not only will you end up having a child that will have a fear of swimming or the water but your are also running the risk of secondary drowning (and or Hyponatremia/water intoxication (m.)
It is extremely important that parents are fully aware of the dangers of submerging babies that have not been conditioned to submerge correctly. With the weather warming up and more and more parents venturing to the pool to cool off and have a bit of fun with their little ones we thought it would be a good time to go over the technical side of submerging children under the age of three.
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