Can babies swim naturally? Short answer. No. You might think they can because most babies, not all, are born with a diving reflex commonly referred to as the mammalian diving reflex or diving response.
The Mammalian Diving Reflex
It enables babies to hold their breath when submerged underwater instinctively. ⚠️ Warning: Don't dunk your baby without knowing how to condition them to hold their breath on command.
It optimizes respiration by preferentially distributing oxygen stores to the heart and brain, enabling submersion for an extended time.
The diving reflex disappears at around six months of age. And just because most babies, not all, have this reflex, doesn't make it okay to submerge them before they've learned how to hold their breath by way of conditioning.
Many Swim Schools Teach Parents to Blow in the Baby's Face
They blow in the baby's face just before submerging them. Blowing in the face stimulates the trigeminal nerve, which causes the baby to hold their breath involuntarily.
However, this method is harmful for two reasons. First of all, that's how we spread germs. Especially in the middle of a pandemic, which is the current situation as I write this sentence.
Secondly, if you submerge a baby after blowing in their face, you are essentially forcing them under the water. And forcing a baby to do what you want them to do should never be part of teaching babies how to swim.
And finally, submerging a baby after blowing in their face doesn't guarantee that the baby won't ingest water. It will still happen from time to time, mostly because they're being submerged against their will. However, ingesting a little bit of water is not the harmful part. You'll know when a baby ingested or swallowed a little bit of water unintentionally because they'll cough for a few seconds after the incident.
Do This Instead
The best alternative is to take the time to teach your baby to hold their breath on a verbal command. With this method of conditioning, your baby will build confidence and develop a love of the water—our primary goals.
Take the Free Course to Learn How to Teach Your Baby to Hold Their Breath
Take advantage of my FREE course. You'll learn how to condition your baby to hold their breath. Once your baby has mastered this skill, the likelihood of ingesting water becomes less of an issue than if you were to choose the alternative method of stimulating the trigeminal nerve.
Want a head start? Get my free course — How to Prepare Your Baby for Swim Lessons (0–8 months).
