Babes In the Water

Baby in the Water






Building water confidence from a young age

 We recommend joining a scheme which follows the National Plan for Teaching Swimming.

 Are the lessons structured towards an awards scheme? The ASA has a range of Duckling awards specifically designed for this age group, which can be a great incentive.

It is important that both adult and baby feel comfortable with the set up of a class and have time to prepare for the lesson in advance



Medical
You can take a child of around 4-6 months swim¬ming, providing the conditions are right. However it is
unwise to take them swimming much before this
as they become chilled very easily. Never take babies to the pool with open sores or upper respiratory
infections.

Thinking about joining a class
The best age for children to start water activities
is around 4-6 months after they have had their
immunisations. This is not a condition of entry but
it is recommended. Before enrolling on a course
you need to find out the following information :

 Is there a pre-course meeting or information
leaflet to help you find out more information?

 Timings – do they fit in with the other demands
on your time eg. Picking up other children?

 Is the teacher qualified – ASA Teacher Certificate
(Adult and Child Water Activities)?

 How long are the lessons – 30 minutes maximum
is recommended?

 How are the lessons structured? Are there aims and objective for the course?


Babes in the Water
Where do you start?

Bath time is a great opportunity to familiarise your baby with a water environment and to prepare them for future activities in the swimming pool. Remember that your baby has been immersed in fluid for 9
months before birth and will almost certainly be
comfortable when put into water soon after birth,
as long as they feel safe.

Initially keep bath time short, reassure your baby
by smiling, talking to and maintaining eye contact.
Bath time should be fun for both adult and baby
and as washing still remains a priority it is an ideal
opportunity for your baby to become comfortable when being immersed and encourages adult
confidence when handling the baby in water.

From an early age babies will instinctively move arms and legs when immersed in water and will soon be smiling and happy. They should be encouraged to feel the support of the water but there are many activities, which your baby can experience and
learn from before moving to the swimming pool environment, usually around 4-6 months.

Initial activities
When putting a young baby in the bath always ensure that there is a non-slip bath mat and that
baby’s head is well supported. The initial focus should be to ensure that your baby is happy in
water, gradually becomes accustomed to feeling water on the face, begins to feel the support which
water can give and becomes familiar with moving their legs


Moving to the swimming pool
If your baby is well accustomed to being in the bath at home there should be few problems associated
with transferring to the swimming pool. However, some babies will find the transition a little daunting
and a few simple steps can make it a pleasurable activity for both adult and baby:

 Give your baby a very light snack 15-30 minutes
before visiting the pool.

 Arrive in plenty of time so that you are not
rushing and can stay relaxed.

 Take a familiar bath toy, this can help to put the
child at ease.

 Take a swimming costume for yourself and
sufficient towels for both yourself and baby.

 Avoid using nappies as they fill with water
and become uncomfortable and heavy. Use
a specifically designed disposable swim nappy
or costume.

 Have a positive attitude.

Rest before the lesson
Your baby should be alert when coming to its classes – a tired baby needs warmth and a snug place to
sleep – a pool is none of these. Water awareness
classes tend to make baby tired and you will find baby ready for a short nap after the lesson.

Get to know each other
Make friends with the other parents and babies. This will help make the lesson more relaxing and
your baby will learn more easily. If baby is enjoying the play with other babies they are less likely to get bored. Watching others enjoying the water will help your baby to join in and enjoy the water.


Points to always remember
 Submerge to your shoulder level. Babies held out of the water will soon become cold.

 Watch baby’s face – baby’s face is nearer to the water than yours. If you become distracted baby’s face may fall below the water. By watching their face at all times, you are also aware of baby’s reactions to the lesson and can respond quickly.

 Keep moving – your baby becomes aware that by moving their arms and legs they will stay afloat. Movement also generates heat, if you remain still in the water you and your baby will become cold

 Freedom – children eager to learn must be given freedom. You will have to experiment to find the best way to hold your active baby and which buoyancy aids might be useful.

 Be adventurous – do not be over cautious – use your imagination and play games.

 Allow the timid child time to adjust – do not hurry a baby who is cautious. Be patient, babies will learn in their own time.

 Understand why your baby is crying – babies communicate by crying and do so for many reasons, the least likely is being in the water. If you get out every time your baby cries they will begin to associate water with crying.

swimsuit for men and women

Women's swimsuits



Girls wearing one piece swimsuits.

One-piece swimsuits•
tank suit, leotard or simply one-piece: probably the most common form of one-piece swimsuit, the tank suit form is inspiration for the subsequent creation of the tank top as a mainstream article of clothing. The name "tank suit" is derived from the term swimming tank, an obsolete term for what is now called a swimming pool.

• monokini: a term used for different styles of one-piece swimsuits inspired by the bikini style. Most commonly, a monokini is a bikini bottom without the corresponding top, worn by women, that leaves the breasts bare. Sling bikinis are sometimes, though not often, referred to as monokinis.

• thong swimsuit: One-piece swimsuit with thong back, buttocks exposed, otherwise ordinary


A woman in bikini

• sling bikini: also known as a "suspender bikini", "suspender thong", "slingshot bikini" or just "slingshot". The slingshot is a one-piece suit which provides as little, or even less, coverage (or as much exposure) as a bikini. Usually, a slingshot resembles a bikini bottom, but rather than the straps going around the hips or waist, the side straps extend upwards to cover the breasts and go over the shoulders, leaving the entire sides of the torso uncovered, but the nipples and pubic area covered. Behind the neck, the straps join and reach down the back to become a thong.[citation needed]

• Pretzel suit: a one-piece suit similar to a sling bikini, but the straps encircle the torso around the bottom of the ribcage, forming a very high-sided bikini bottom; instead of the straps passing over the neck and down the back, they simply encircle the neck, joining the straps which pass around the midriff.

• other types include stringbodys, halter-necks, maillots and plunge fronts.


Two-piece swimsuits

• bikini
o Thong, T-back or G-string
o tankini (A tank top combined with a bikini bottom)
o Freedomware, a two-piece suit that sits on the hip when folded up. (Can be worn by skinny dippers)



Men's swimsuits




A U.S. Marine in Jammers





A boy wearing boardshorts
• bikini: The style varies from a speedo to thongs or g-string
• thong: Style varies with pouch design, materials, colors and back (including Y-back, V-back and T-back variations)

• g-string: Minimum coverage front and back
• boardshorts: The length goes down to the knees
• swimming shorts or "trunks" (not referred to as trunks in Britain). Most French swimming pools forbid these for sanitary reasons.

• jammers: a type of men's swimwear worn primarily by competitive athletes to obtain speed advantages. They are made of nylon and lycra/spandex material and have a form fitting design to reduce water resistance. They provide moderate coverage from the mid-waist to the area above the knee, somewhat resembling compression shorts worn by many athletes. They provide greater leg coverage than speedos or competitive briefs, although they also have slightly more water resistance.

• speedos or briefs (trunks in Britain)
• Tangas, thongs, t-backs and g-strings.

Swimsuits types and styles

Swimsuits are designed to cover at least the genitals and in most cultures women's breasts. Men's swimsuit styles are shorts, trunks, boardshorts, jammers, speedo-style briefs, thongs, g-strings or bikini. Women's swimsuits are generally either one-pieces, bikinis or thongs. The most recent innovation is the burqini, a more modest garment designed for Muslim women; it covers the whole body and head (but not face) in a manner similar to a diver's wetsuit.
The monokini, a style of swimsuit that most often takes the form of a bikini bottom without the corresponding top, leaves a woman's breasts uncovered. Monokinis are quite common in many places throughout South America[citation needed] and Europe, though due to particularly stringent taboos they are almost never seen in the United States, except in places with a strong European tourist influence. For pre-pubescent girls leaving the chest uncovered is sometimes considered acceptable.
Special swimsuits for competitive swimming, designed to reduce skin drag, can resemble unitards. For some kinds of swimming and diving, special bodysuits called diveskins are worn. These suits are made from spandex and provide little thermal protection, but they do protect the skin from stings and abrasion. Most competitive swimmers also wear special swimsuits including partial and full bodysuits, racerback styles, jammers and racing briefs to assist their glide through the water and gain speed advantages (see competitive swimwear).
Swimming without a bathing suit is a form of social nudity. Special nude beaches may be reserved for nude sunbathing and swimming. Swimming in the nude is also known by the slang term "skinny-dipping". As an alternative to a bathing suit some people use their trousers, underpants or T-shirt as a make-shift swimsuit. At beaches norms for this tend to be more relaxed than at swimming pools, which tend not to permit this because underwear is unlined, may become translucent, and may be unclean.[citation needed]
Swimsuits are also worn for the purpose of body display in beauty pageants. Magazines like Sports Illustrated's annual "swimsuit issue" feature models and sports personalities in swimsuits.