The first time you take your baby into the water is pure magic. The look of wonder as they experience buoyancy for the first time; the delight of a little splash - these are the experiences that will feel like a lifetime of memories you will be able to share with your family. But there is so much more to it than pure joy and connection, early experiences in the water have developmental powers for your baby.
At Incy Wincy, we are truly passionate about supporting parents throughout this wonderful journey. We believe that introducing your little one to the water will be one of the best, most incredible and rewarding activities you can do together, and you simply need the right equipment and a gentle approach.
Boosting Physical Strength and Coordination
Water serves as an ideal 'first gym' for babies, while the resistance from the water provides an outstanding all-around workout, with movements that help strengthen the core, back, neck, and limb muscles, giving your baby a foundation of muscle tone that will help them learn to crawl, walk, and move. Every kick, splash, and wriggle is exercise!
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In addition to muscle tone development, swimming also helps babies develop 'cross-lateral coordination'. This simply means that both sides of the brain are working together. The movements associated with swimming activities, like kicking both legs and moving both arms, help develop cognitive function and overall coordination.
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Finally, swimming will help develop their balance and body awareness by floating and moving in the water- both essential skills when they start to learn to sit, stand, and walk.
Once your child progresses into toddlerhood, Swimming Aids (such as kickboards or arm bands) can be introduced to further isolate these movements and build strength and confidence.
Stimulating Cognitive and Emotional Growth
The advantages of swimming go far beyond the physical aspects. The unique sensory atmosphere of a swimming pool provides strong stimulation to your baby's developing brain.
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A Multisensory Experience: The sensation of cool water on the baby’s skin, splashing noises and bright visuals of the water and pool will develop new neural pathways in your baby's developing brain.
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Confidence and Self-Esteem: Whether you are supporting a baby to learn to float on their back or achieve some other new skill, there is an incredible sense of accomplishment they will feel. These small accomplishments will lead the baby to be more confident in their future experiences with new things.
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Creating a Bond: Skin contact, engagement and shared excitement all will strengthen your bond with the baby. Swimming is free from distractions so that you and your baby have ample time and space to enjoy connection through touch and play.
The Essential Swimming Kit
To guarantee these initial experiences in the water are all safe, comfortable, and relaxed, the correct items are essential. Having the right Baby Swimming accessories allows you and your baby to unwind and concentrate entirely on having fun.
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Swim Nappies: A normal nappy will just swell up and become heavy in the water, whilst a swim nappy is specifically designed to be lightweight and adequately keeps solids contained. The more high-quality baby swim nappies with adjustable fasteners, the less chance for leakage into the pool whilst keeping the pool hygienic for all swimmers.
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Swimming Floats: For the youngest swimmers still working on their head and neck control, a suitable quality Swimming Floats, such as a swim seat or ring, is essential to provide some safety to the baby. Swim floats will hold the baby up whilst keeping the baby comfortable and safe while freeing their hands to splish-and-splash.
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The Perfect Swimsuit: As your child gets older, a suitable fitting comfortable swimsuit is exactly what you will need. There does not have to be anything too stylish about a baby swimsuit, but a practical baby swimsuit or baby swim shorts made from soft and quick-drying materials are what is most important in and out of the water.
Conclusion
Baby swimming is an enjoyable and immensely valuable experience that is beneficial to your child in so many ways, developmentally, physically, cognitively and emotionally. It strengthens their physical body, creates stimuli for their developing brain, and connects you to one another in the special bond that is starting to develop between the two of you. It is an investment in their health, their safety, and their joy, and it will pay dividends for the rest of their life.
At Incy Wincy, we are committed to offering each parent the highest quality and most trusted equipment to make this experience as special as possible. Our adjustable swim nappies are award-winning, and our swim accessories are designed specifically for your baby's safety and comfort!
Shop the Incy Wincy collection of essential baby swimming gear equipment to support your child's development today!
