Some parents can’t wait to see their baby splashing around. That’s understandable–introducing your baby to water can be a time of joyful discovery. The most common way for babies to first experience water is in the form of a bath, though many infants will quickly graduate to supervised time in a swimming pool or other aquatic environments. 

Exposing your baby to water early and with robust support and supervision can help to foster a comfort in and love for these types of environments. Water play can also be a significant source of enrichment for babies. Parents and infants alike will often enjoy gentle splashing and caressing, giving them a chance to create happy memories together and enhance their bond. 

It’s important for parents to always observe water safety best practices. In general, babies should always be carefully supervised while in water. It’s important to never leave your baby on their own. But if these best practices are followed, bath time and pool time will often become the highlight of the week–for both parents and babies.

How to Introduce Babies to Water

Water is a critical part of everyday life. As an adult, you use water to wash your hands, brush your teeth, bathe, exercise, and more. Providing babies with a positive first experience in the water can help make these tasks a little more joyful both in the short term and in the long term. For parents, this means that taking a slow and gentle approach is often the most effective.

There are a few ways that you can help your baby have a good experience in the water. First, make sure that the temperature of the water is nice and comfortable. Avoid water that’s too hot. You may also want to make sure that your baby is well fed before water time begins. This will avoid an infant that is hungry (and, as a result, cranky) during bath time or pool time. Consider gently speaking to your baby while bathing them, as this makes the experience both more interactive and more comfortable.

Absolutely avoid doing anything harsh or rash, such as quickly submerging your baby or using very warm water. This can cause your baby to associate water time with discomfort. Additionally, take care to avoid getting soap or shampoo in your baby’s eyes when possible (this includes shampoos and soaps specially formulated for infants). Taking a thoughtful, gentle, and gradual approach to water time can often be the most effective approach.

General Water Safety for Babies

Spending time in the water can be important and enriching for babies. However, it doesn’t take much water to represent a serious drowning risk for infants. As a result, parents must be vigilant and aware at all times around the water. Some of the most important safety guidelines include the following:

• Supervision: Do not leave your baby unsupervised around the water at any time. Make sure your baby is visible at all times. This includes even during sponge baths or in very shallow water.

• Stay close: Your baby will still require support while in the water. It’s recommended that parents stay within touching distance of their baby at all times.

• Use floatation devices: Other than bath time, make sure that your baby is using a floatation device that is appropriate for their age and weight. This does not include water wings, as water wings do not afford the same level of protection and safety.

• Be aware of your surroundings: Know the water hazards around your home or in places where your baby will be spending time. Try to mitigate these hazards as much as possible.

If you have questions about water safety, make sure to talk to your baby’s pediatrician to get comprehensive safety instructions.

How to Get Your Baby Ready for their First At-Home Bath

Most babies will undergo at least one bathing session within 24-hours of birth. This will usually take place at the hospital. In cases of home births, this first bath will often be performed by a medical professional or under medical supervision. 

This is different from the first at-home bath, which takes place much later–after the baby and family have returned home. This first at-home bath can really occur any time that the parents and the baby are ready for it to occur. There’s no set timetable that parents need to follow or set time by which the first bath must occur. 

When deciding when to bathe your child, there are some things that parents should keep in mind:

• Avoid a full bath until your baby’s umbilical cord stump has completely fallen off. Use sponge-bathing techniques until then.

• Likewise, continue to use sponge bathing on circumcised babies until the penis is fully healed.  

• Until they start crawling around on the ground, babies won’t really get that dirty that often. This means that there’s no reason to rush into the bath or, once baths begin, to bathe them every day. However, regular bathing can help prevent diaper rash and skin infections, so it’s important not to let your infant go too long without a bath. Many first time parents believe that frequently bathing your baby may dry out their skin, but this isn’t generally true.

• When possible, invest in a dedicated baby bath. This can make the bathing experience more comfortable for your infant and easier to accomplish for parents. 

• Make sure to use proper technique when holding your baby, supporting their head and neck through the process. If you are unsure of what this technique looks like, make sure to ask your baby’s pediatrician during their regular wellness visit. 

• Keep a bathing routine. Your baby will quickly get used to this routine, which can make bath time less stressful (for both parents and infants).

• Try to gather all of your supplies for bathing ahead of time. Again–you don’t want to leave your baby unattended for any reason, so get everything together ahead of time. If you do forget something, wrap your baby in a towel and bring them with you to go get it.

Usually, the goal of bath time is to keep your baby clean. But keeping your baby comfortable and enthusiastic can make the process go more smoothly. This can make bath time a fun, memorable way to create lasting bonds with your baby.

How to Introduce Your Baby to Swimming

It’s possible to introduce your baby to pools and aquatic environments very early on. However, it’s important to do this under robust guidance and supervision. Each parent will need to assess their own comfort with pools and swimming, but it is certainly possible to make these activities safer for your infant.

Some best practices to consider when introducing your baby to pools include the following:

• Start by gently splashing or lapping some water onto your baby to help get them familiar with the sensation (including the temperature).

• Make sure your baby is appropriately dressed. This includes a waterproof diaper. 

• When entering the pool, try to keep your baby’s shoulders in line with the water level. It’s very important never to let your baby’s head submerge below the water.

• Before entering the pool, make sure that the temperature is warm but not hot. If the temperature isn’t right, consider swimming a different day (if you can’t change the temp). Depending on where you are swimming, you may be able to ask the pool attendant to check the temperature.

• Being in a pool can be very energy-intensive for babies. Start with only ten minutes at a time. Eventually, you can increase that to 20 minutes (and then 30 as a maximum), but start slow so your infant has a chance to get used to the energy expenditure.

• Remove your baby from the pool immediately if they start shivering. Once out of the water, wrap them in a warm towel. Babies can lose heat very quickly in water, so keep an eye out for this.

• If your baby is swimming in chlorinated water, it might not be a bad idea to apply some baby-safe moisturizer afterwards. Chlorine can really dry out the skin.

Because swimming is so energy intensive, naptime will often quickly follow pool time (and babies will often sleep more soundly at night, too). Once pool time is over, check in on your baby to see if they are hungry or want a snack.

How to Make Water Time Fun

Playing with your baby in the water can be very enriching and help to form stronger bonds between you and your infant. There are plenty of ways that you can make water time more fun. For example, you can try gently splashing your baby with water (though you should avoid splashing their face when you do this). You can sing to your baby and introduce fun toys. All of this makes water time more enriching.

You can also spend some time helping your baby to float in the water. This will give your baby some new sensations to experience and process–and it will help to build trust between you and your baby.

Incorporate Water Time Safely

Water time can be an important and enriching part of your baby’s development. Prioritizing safety can help ensure that both parents and babies feel comfortable exploring aquatic sensations and environments. Bath time and pool time can create precious memories for parents and be an important milestone for infants. 

If you have questions about how to keep your baby safe around water, make sure to talk to your child’s pediatrician. You can schedule an appointment at our Northbrook or Chicago offices!