Water Babies | Underwater Photo Shoot

In July my nephew Riley had an underwater photo shoot with Water Babies, and I couldn't resist sharing the photos. 

 Babies have a real affinity with water, and because they’ve spent 9 months floating in the womb, being in warm water feels much more familiar to them than being on dry land. However, this early confidence usually diminishes with time, which is why my sister started swimming lessons with Riley at a young age.  

The lessons focus on teaching water safety, and with drowning the third-biggest cause of accidental death among children under five in the UK, learning to get to the side, hold on, get out and/or swim could save your child’s life one day. These vital safety techniques can be taught from birth and we were happy to see Riley holding onto the side independently after his first term. 

My sister found swimming was fantastic for Riley's development, with each lesson providing a physical work-out and stimulating all 5 senses, and with each lesson burning up to 300 calories, mums and dads get a work-out, too. 

The shoot was based on activities from his normal lessons, with the photography carefully interwoven. The best time to photograph your baby us between 3 and 9 months old. Before then, they can be too small for the frame, and any later they tend to be such strong swimmers that it’s sometimes tricky (but not impossible) to get the shot. 

And forget the stories you might have heard, you can start swimming from birth - even the NHS agrees that you don’t need to wait until your baby has had his or her vaccinations before they go swimming.