When can an infant go swimming?

What to Know Before Taking Your Baby to the Pool

Safety Tips for Swimming with Infants

Understanding Readiness, Safety and the Gentle Beginnings of Water Confidence

Many parents ask when it is safe for their baby to start swimming. It is a lovely question and an important one. Babies are born with a natural affinity for water; they have spent nine months surrounded by it. Introducing them to a pool safely depends on a few key factors: age, health, temperature and environment.

When is it safe to start?

In the UK, most health professionals including the NHS agree that babies can start swimming from around six weeks old or as soon as you feel comfortable taking them. There is no official requirement to wait until after vaccinations as long as your baby is healthy and the pool is warm and clean.

However, some parents prefer to wait until the first set of immunisations at around eight weeks, simply for peace of mind, particularly if their baby was premature or has recently been unwell. Both choices are perfectly valid. If in doubt, it is best to check with your GP or health visitor.

What matters most: warmth, hygiene and calm

The first experiences of water should feel familiar, not cold or startling. Look for pools kept between 32–34°C, especially for babies under 12 weeks or weighing less than 6 kg. Cooler pools can be suitable for older or stronger infants but sessions should be brief 10 to 20 minutes is enough at first.

Other details to consider:

• Choose quiet times or small, calm sessions;

• Make sure the pool water is clean and well maintained (a faint chlorine smell is fine; strong fumes are not);

• Hold your baby securely, keeping most of their body submerged so they stay warm.

A natural connection: the infant dive reflex

Babies are born with an extraordinary ability called the dive reflex or laryngeal reflex. This instinct, developed during their time in the womb, causes them to hold their breath and close their airways automatically when water touches their face. It is nature’s way of protecting the lungs a small reminder of the environment they have just left behind.

This reflex usually lasts until around four to six months of age and in some babies up to nine months. After that, it gradually fades as their nervous system matures.
When introduced gently and safely, early water play can feel completely natural for a young baby. It is not about teaching submersion but about honouring this innate comfort with water and allowing it to evolve gradually into conscious confidence as they grow.

Signs your baby is ready

Every infant develops at their own pace. Some enjoy water early, others need a more gradual introduction. Signs your baby might be ready include:

• Relaxing and smiling during bath time;

• Holding their head steady (often around three months);

• Feeling settled in new environments and with gentle movement.

If your baby becomes unsettled or cries it does not mean they dislike water; they may simply be tired, hungry or overstimulated. Try again another day when both of you feel calm and unhurried.

What are the benefits?

Gentle time in the water can support early development in subtle, interconnected ways. Floating, kicking and reaching strengthen coordination and promote sensory awareness. The water’s resistance builds core strength while still feeling effortless.

Swimming can also:

• Encourage better sleep after calm physical activity;

• Support circulation and digestion;

• Deepen the bond of trust and touch between parent and child.

These are not lessons but shared experiences the opportunities to explore weightlessness, warmth and rhythm together.

Practical preparation

A few small preparations can help the first experience go smoothly:

• Feed your baby about an hour before swimming so they are comfortable;

• Bring two towels one for poolside warmth, one dry for after;

• Use swim nappies as most pools require them;

• Keep the session short and wrap your baby warmly afterwards;

• Avoid swimming if your baby has a cold, fever or has just received vaccinations . Waiting a few days helps prevent discomfort.

Safety and reassurance

Always keep your baby within arm’s reach and maintain constant eye contact. Even shallow water can become risky if attention drifts.If you are not confident in the water, let your instructor or partner know calmness is what babies respond to most. Avoid submerging your baby or putting water over their face unless you are guided by trained professional. There is no need to rush this stage; the goal is comfort, not performance.

A note on readiness, not rush

There is no single right age to begin swimming. What matters most is the quality of the first experience gentle, warm and free from pressure. Whether your baby begins at six weeks or three months, early familiarity helps them feel safe and confident later in life.Water becomes a space of calm awareness rather than fear, a continuation of the world they once knew before birth.

In summary

• Babies can begin swimming from around six weeks or once parents feel ready;

• There is no need to delay for vaccinations, though many parents prefer to wait;

• Keep the pool warm, quiet and clean, and limit early sessions to about 20 minutes;

• Focus on connection and comfort rather than technique;

• If uncertain, check with a GP or health visitor first.

A gentle beginning

For babies, water is never truly new only rediscovered. Handled with care and calm, those first movements in the pool become a continuation of the world they came from: fluid, nurturing and full of quiet discovery.At NAGER London, we see those early moments as the foundation for lifelong confidence not through teaching but through trust.