Matronation is in fashion. There are courses in most public swimming pools and in gyms. The benefits of matronation or swimming with babies are numerous, mainly that babies enjoy this activity and therein lies their success. But let's look a little more about swimming with babies.
Or rather we should say the baths with babies, because in reality, what it is to swim, they swim rather little ... But it is not that they are small Phelps or Weissmüllers, but to benefit from many other aspects of the bath, which go from the motor skills to self-esteem and affectivity.
Lose the fear of water
The aim of matronation is that they become familiar with the environment and learn, as time goes by, to float and stick their heads. Children lose their fear of water, and although they are too young to acquire and develop autonomy in this environment, we could say that they are not at all unknown, since they have been in liquid during the months of gestation, in mom's womb .
Thus Babies are perfectly equipped with reflections that make their development in water easier. Now, their movements are freer and babies acquire agility and, with the passage of time, safety in water, as achieved thanks to autonomous flotation. This security and confidence result in your self-esteem.
Psychomotor development
The baby of a few months can not easily get out of the water, still does not walk or crawl. In water it gives an important agility and freedom of movement (within which we support them). Already as children, they acquire notions of displacements and distances, greater sensitivity to their own movements and ultimately a greater gross motor coordination, which they will improve.
The resistance that water offers to the movements of the baby favors muscle development, and some children can advance the moment of crawling or the first steps by having more capacity and strength (although it does not have to be related, and sooner or later all babies do).
Younger babies play with their parents with boards, rubber balls, mats, "floating churros" and floating toys to make pool activity easier and more fun. Only as the years go by they will go to the cork boards, and they will be able to make their first strokes, mastering the different techniques and styles.
Cardiorespiratory Strengthening
Swim, move in the water, strengthens the heart and lungs By making them work. Breathing in the pool, exercising, increases the efficiency in oxygenation and blood transfer. At this point we must remember that for babies with respiratory problems or allergies there are certain risks of swimming, and that in some countries it is not advised in these cases.
Strengthen the emotional relationship with parents
It is usually recommended that the parents take a bath with the baby, and thus, enjoying a pleasant activity, the emotional bond is encouraged, confidence in parents is reinforced. Mutual knowledge grows and increases the love and trust between them. The presence of the father or mother in the water is also essential during the first days, in which babies may be afraid of novelty.
In addition, parents learn to interact with the kids in the water, what exercises to do with them and how to continue enjoying midwifery outside the courses. Because ultimately, more than a didactic or pedagogical experience it is a playful experience, where play and fun predominate. This emotional strengthening increases the baby's self-esteem.
Recreational socialization
Babies start to develop in a social environment with other babies and adults in a playful environment, accompanied by their parents, without trauma. "Knowing" other children, monitors, other parents, and sharing activities with other babies will give you confidence to communicate with others and help you build the image of yourself.
Considerations for secure matronation
Finally, we must remember that in Spain the Spanish Association of Pediatrics did not advise against swimming with babies, despite the news that talk about possible respiratory problems in children due to excess chlorine and some other risks of swimming for babies and children.
What is important is choose specially prepared swimming pools for babies: according to the AEP itself this increase in risk does not occur if there are levels of chlorination of water within the established limits and the aeration of the facilities is adequate.
In addition, there are other water disinfection mechanisms other than chlorine, which is the most problematic component, so there are more possibilities to choose the best baby pool.
In short, taking into account the above considerations, if there is no medical contraindication and the pool is adequate, the benefits of matronation or swimming with babies are numerous, mainly, and leaving aside future sports "achievements", which little ones and parents enjoy when they are encouraged to share these wonderful moments.
Photos | tomeppy and deanwissing on Flickr-CC In Babies and more | Children who abuse swimming pools are at greater risk of asthma and allergies, Attention to excess chlorine in swimming pools, Child swimming, not advised in Germany for allergy cases, Matronatation, water babies
