Baby, aged two weeks, learns to swim (From This is Hampshire)

Baby, aged two weeks, learns to swim

12:14pm Tuesday 2nd October 2007

• Print
• Email
• Share

A REAL life water baby is proving you are never too young to start swimming.

Evelyn Broad, from Botley, took up lessons in Winchester at the tender age of two weeks and is already having a splash.

The buoyant baby, who is now four weeks old, has been having a whale of a time at the specialist Water Babies lessons held at Shepherd's Down School in Compton with mum, Charlotte Salmon, and is even able to go underwater.

The lessons, run by New Forest couple, Budge and Ali Poutney, give mums and dads the chance to introduce their babies to the water under their professional guidance. The babies gradually learn to float on their backs while being held by their parents throughout the course, which also sees the babies having fun by being bounced in the warm pool while their mums and dads sing them nursery rhymes.

Tiny Evelyn, like the other tots on the course, has no fear of the water and even gets so relaxed that she often falls asleep during class.

Miss Salmon, 25, said: "I think she likes it because it's quite warm and she finds the water quite soothing so she falls asleep!"

The first-time-mum said she decided to take up the lessons after reading an advert for Water Babies in a pregnancy magazine. She wanted something to do with Evelyn while she was still young and, as the first in her group of friends to have children, wanted a chance to meet other mums.

She said: "I've always liked swimming and I was quite nervous when I had her so it's given me that little bit of confidence in handling her, especially in the water. It was a bit scary at first but the instructor is really nice and helpful so you soon get into it.

"There's very little you can do with babies when they're that young. There's things like gym tots but that's when they're a bit older so this is great."

Instructor, Ali Poutney, said: "Mums with really young babies struggle to find things to do. Water Babies is great for the babies because they have a natural affinity with the water and it introduces them to it at a young age and helps them to improve their co-ordination. It's so nice for the mums and dads too because they find it's a social event and they meet other parents."

Mrs Poutney, who has been teaching for 10 years, added that it was perfectly safe and that it helped babies develop their survival skills and gave parents confidence in handling them in the water under professional supervision.

Evelyn is the youngest child that Mrs Poutney has taught and is fulfilling her destiny of being a water baby, as Miss Salmon was keen to have a water birth but missed the opportunity as Evelyn was born three weeks premature, before arrangements could be made.

A 10-week Water Babies course costs £105 and sessions are also held at Osborne School in Andover Road, Winchester. For more information telephone 01794 399888 or visit www.waterbabies.co.uk.

• Print
• Email
• Share