Georgina Grace - Tips to Remember		  
   
  • Take the telephone off the hook. You don't want anything to interrupt one of the most beautiful bonding opportunities you will ever experience with your baby. I recommend that fathers really become involved in the bathing of their newborn baby son or daughter as it will give them the opportunity to build a close relationship.
     
  • As the baby becomes older and moves into the bigger bath the father can even get into the big bath with the baby. I had countless hours of enjoyment in the warm bath with all three of my beautiful daughters.
     
  • Never leave an older brother or sister in charge of a baby or toddler in the bath, as last year many little ones drowned in the bath while mum or dad thought they were safe with an older brother or sister under the age of five.
     
  • Make sure you check the water temperature with your elbow and have it comfortably warm.
     
  • Position the baby bath so that it is on a safe sturdy surface and out of all draughts.
     
  • Don't answer the doorbell or any knocks during the bath time. Your baby's safety and enjoyment is paramount.
     
  • Never leave your most precious possession alone in the bath.
 
   
  Danger lurks. My good friend Robert Raftery puts it so beautifully in poetry.  
     
 
Water is blood in this crackling dry land
Like crosses she's anchored to this great mass of sand
We've used her abused her in flood fire and drought
And cursed her retreat when the crops were in doubt.
This life-giving liquid can quench thirst and thrill
But quick as a wink she can bite back and kill.

 		  
   
 
Remember:

We are not trying to make Georgina Grace an Olympian like her famous mother but rather:
 
  • Give her a respect for water so that swimming may be enjoyed as a healthy activity.
     
  • Teach her skills that may one day save her life. Particularly when she reaches that dangerous mobile inquisitive stage in her physical development.
     
  • Open up a whole new environment for her that will give her countless hours of enjoyment in her formative years.
     
  • Supply new watery stimulation that will help her grow into a happy healthy well-adjusted girl with a big dose of self-esteem.
     
  • Give you information and recommend reputable products that will make caring for your baby a whole lot easier.

Even though we are told that a baby when placed under water stops breathing so as not to inhale water I would never submerge a young child without pre-conditioning it with a simple process that begins at bath time. I would warn all parents about submerging an infant without adequate pre-conditioning for submersion. Preconditioning a child involves the development of its water adjustment skills and breath holding capabilities.

Once you have the baby comfortably in the bath you can start preconditioning your baby for its first in pool experience.
 

  
 
Preconditioning for Submersion 		 
 

Steps to take:

- Fill a cup with water.
- Hold the baby steady.
- Use trigger words e.g. the baby's name "Ready Go"
- Wait one second.
- Now pour the full cup of water on the Baby's forehead.
- In this case the trigger would be "Georgina Grace! Ready Go!"

 		  
 
I have found that my dad's old saying "A faint heart never won a fair lady" is a good motto. Don't be frightened to empty the cup quickly on the baby's forehead. The full cup is much better because the water runs quickly over the baby's face.

"Most parents are a little hesitant and often trickle the water over the baby's face."
 
 
 
A slow trickle can make the water-pouring experience a long one, and for this reason I recommend a full cup quick pour. The real secret is to keep the trigger words, "Georgina Grace! Ready Go!" rhythmical and constant.

A warning to all parents - do not continue the "water-pouring conditioning" if the baby shows any signs of distress.  It is better to come back to it at the next bath. The bath should be a memorable happy experience for both parent and child. This preconditioning the child is very important and should form part of your child's daily bath-time routine.
 
 
Once the child masters conditioned breath-holding it can be gently progressed through the basic elements in the Baby Learn to Swim process:  Submersion, Floating, Propulsion, Turning & Breathing.		  
 
In the first month every time you bath your baby make sure you perform these simple bath time preconditioning steps. Watch your baby carefully and never push the conditioning process if your baby shows any distress at all. If there is something wrong, your baby will invariably cry. Without speech this is their major means of communicating with parents.

If, by chance, they happen to sniff a little water don't be alarmed - a squeaky toy will distract them. A little baby's concentration span is very limited. If you are careful, watch your baby's response to the water-pouring experience, then react with love and care your baby will never know the fear of water.

You will be a long way towards preparing your child for their first submersion without fuss or trauma. This regular preconditioning will soon become as easy for you as it is for your beautiful little dolphin.

 		  
     
     
 

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