Safety and hygiene
What if my child is ill?
If your child has a chest, ear or eye infection then swimming must be avoided until it has cleared. For health and safety reasons, we have been advised that you should not bring your child into the pool, during or for 2 weeks after suffering from diarrhoea. Going swimming is unlikely to worsen any condition such as a mild cold and will not increase the likelihood of an ear infection unless your baby has a perforated eardrum. Please do not bring your child with anything that could be infectious, such as chickenpox (considered infectious until all the blisters have dried up). Often, children are exhausted after an illness and need some time to recuperate before returning to the pool, energised again.
Does my baby need to have injections before taking him/her swimming?
You can take your baby swimming regardless of whether they have been vaccinated (information from NHS website). However, after a vaccination it is unlikely that you child will feel able to swim on the same day.
What if my baby is tired or hungry?
If your baby is tired or hungry, then they are unlikely to enjoy the lesson. For breast or bottle-fed babies, there is no problem feeding them immediately before or after the class (or even withdrawing for a few minutes during the class). For older babies on solids, you will need to leave a little time before the class to prevent regurgitation in the water (which would cause a pool closure and cancelled lessons).
Along for the ride