Dispatch from Shanghai: Baby Swimming and Infant “Spas”

All you mums in Shanghai, this one’s for you!  Here’s the latest  from one of our Sassy Mamas on the Bund.

As avid surfers, my husband and I feel it’s important that M be a water baby. At six weeks old, we started taking her to Club Baby, an infant ‘spa’ where M would get a massage followed by a 20 minute swim in a one-baby pool aided by a rubber neck floaty. Though a bit uncomfortable looking, the neck ring never really bothered M that much, and the swimming and massage seemed to help her colic.

Now that she’s graduated from floating in a 20 gallon barrel, I take her for swimming lessons with Multisport, an expat run operation that provides various coaching services in the city. M’s weekly lessons are 45 minutes long with a group of six other babies near her age. Our class meets at the gorgeous, heated pool at Lakeville Regency near Xintiandi, though lessons are given at a number of locations throughout Shanghai. During class, M’s Australian instructor takes the babies through a series of exercises designed to get them comfortable in the water and teach them about safety. So far M loves it – and while she may not be ready to hang ten during our next Bali trip, she can starfish float with the best of them, and I guess that’s a pretty good start.