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width="1" height="1" //divpLie flat on your backs, ears under the water and kick, kick, kick those
legs.' These instructions could be heard in any beginners' swimming lesson but this class was for
babies only and my nine-week-old daughter was among them. According to modern parenting wisdom, you
are never too young to learn a new skill, and Lucy and Andy Orr, who run Glynn Barton Cottages in
Cornwall, which cater for parents of under-fives, are tapping into the trend by adding baby
swimming lessons to the list of attractions. Their five-day courses are a good way of introducing
your newborn or toddler to the water. /ppMy baby, Agnes, loved it. Obviously I don't know that for
sure because, genius child though she is, she can't yet talk. But she only cried once or twice
during each half-hour session and mostly adopted a happily serene look./ppDon't expect your baby to
be zipping up and down the pool with a perfect butterfly stroke by the end of the week, but they do
'swim' underwater after a fashion. At first it's nerve-racking; with both hands around Agnes's
body, I had to push her gently under the surface of the water, head first at a 45-degree angle, and
then - terrifyingly - release her. Sarah reassured us that the baby's 'diving reflex' kicks in,
causing the epiglottis to close over and block the throat so no water can get through. This is why
you often see picture of babies swimming under water with their mouths open. As soon as the baby is
underwater, she will begin to kick her legs and glide up to the surface where you lift her out and
give her a cuddle. The 'swim' only takes a few seconds./ppIn truth, I didn't enrol Agnes in the
course just for her benefit - my daughter Beatrix, 21 months, and I got to stay with her in one of
the eight 18th-century cottages and enjoy all the other facilities. /ppLucy, a former charity
events organiser, and Andy, a landscape gardener, bought Glynn Barton nine years ago when Lucy was
pregnant with their eldest son. It was then a tired two-star complex, which they renovated to
create the four-star family paradise it is today./ppWithin two minutes' walk there is a playroom, a
soft play barn, an outdoor area with toddler cars and bicycles, an adventure playground and the
indoor heated pool. No excuse for the kids to get bored, and keeping them entertained requires
minimal effort from mum or dad. Being a mile from a public road and set in 13 acres of beautiful
grounds also makes it a safe place for children to run free - a rarity for Beatrix, living as she
does in a busy part of London./ppIt is like being in a hotel without the restrictions of set meal
times and all being crammed into one bedroom. The cottages are tastefully decorated and contain
everything a family needs - high chairs, cots, stair gates, toddler crockery, DVD player,
dishwasher and microwave - and look out over the stunning Cardinham valley with its patchwork of
fields. There's a midweek maid service and no need to cook. An on-site shop sells home-made frozen
food, which is pretty tasty, and local delicacies, though it doesn't stock basics such as bread,
milk or eggs (it only takes five minutes in the car to get to the supermarket in Bodmin). Oh, and
there's a babysitting service so you can spend ridiculous amounts of money in Rick Stein's Seafood
Restaurant in Padstow, which is a half-hour drive away, if you're feeling flush. /ppA holiday with
babies and toddlers is rarely relaxing, but the idea at Glynn Barton is for parents to have a break
too. While dad entertains the children, mum can have a massage (a beautician can be booked to come
to your cottage), or, in my case, go to bed for a kip. While I hope the highlight of our stay for
Agnes was her swimming lessons, I'm in no doubt that for Beatrix it was the animal feeding. At 9.30
each morning 'Farmer Andy', as the children call him, doles out food pellets to the children and
explains how to throw them to the two donkeys, four sheep, two pigs, chickens and small herd of
Highland cattle./ppBeing a city girl, Beatrix is all too cocky when she sees an animal in a book or
on the television, mimicking their grunting, braying or baaaa-ing, but show her one in the flesh
and she's terrified. Not so now. By the end of our stay, she was stroking the chickens, holding out
pig nuts for the kunekune pigs, Huxley and Preston, and patting Muffin the donkey. /ppFor me, tired
by the night-time demands of a hungry baby, the key to Glynn Barton is that you don't have to pack
up the car and go out if you don't have the energy; all the facilities and swimming lessons are
included in the price, so you may as well make the most of them. However, the cottages are well
placed for day trips. Other, more adventurous, parents with older children visited beaches on both
the south and north Cornish coasts, the Eden Project, Newquay Zoo, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, and
the Bodmin and Wenford steam railway, all a 30-minute drive or so away./ppBeatrix and Agnes didn't
seem anxious to explore much either. Beatrix thought she had entered Toddler Land and was happy to
remain there, and Agnes was exhausted by the swimming and slept for much of the day. Her teacher,
Sarah Scheele, of Swim Academy for Babies, says better eating and sleeping patterns are two of the
benefits of baby swimming; given Agnes's monster appetite and daytime dozing during our stay, I can
vouch for this. Sarah also thinks the lessons can help women get their pre-pregnancy figures back
because there's a lot of holding baby at arm's length and swishing her through the water. I think
this is wishful thinking. Cutting out cake and crisps is the only way I'm going to shift those baby
pounds./ppLots of people sign up for safety reasons. Sarah is confident she can teach the babies to
float on their backs unaided and to make their way to the side of the pool and hang on if they
accidentally tumble in. Sarah fell into a pond when she was three and was dragged out unconscious.
When her sons were born - they are now three and four - she took them swimming and enjoyed the
lessons so much she decided to train to be a teacher./ppFor me, the lessons were as much for myself
as for Agnes. They gave me the confidence to take her into the water. Although I was terrified when
she did her first underwater swim, now I can push her under the surface and watch her reappear a
few seconds later without thinking I've drowned her. I can also guide her around the pool on her
back with my fingers lightly supporting her head, and push her through the water as she clings on
to a float in her tiny pink wetsuit. Sarah's enthusiasm is infectious and there are lots of songs
and splashing about in each lesson to relax the babies and help them to enjoy the water. /ppIn
Agnes's sessions were two other babies with their dads. Darcie Metherell, aged seven months, was
top of the class, grinning widely as she was put through her paces by her father, Paul. His wife,
Jo, who takes Darcie to lessons at home in Marlowe, said: 'Paul says I look at him as though he's
about to drown Darcie when we're in the pool together so it's nice for him to learn the techniques
too.'/ppI must go back to Glynn Barton with my husband, who was left at home during this trip, so
he can learn the moves and leave me to catch up on some sleep or have that massage. Who said going
on holiday with toddlers was stressful?/pp· A two-bedroom cottage at Glynn Barton Cottages
(01208 821104; a href="http://www.glynnbarton.co.uk"www.glynnbarton.co.uk/a) costs from pound;510
per week in low season including swimming lessons, while a three-bedroom cottage can cost up to
pound;1,790 in high season. /pp· Lessons for children over three will be run from 11-26
February. Baby swimming courses for children under two will be run again next November./ph2Treats
for mum and baby/h2pstrongBaby Yoga, Mamaheaven/strongbr /strongKington,
Herefordshire/strong/ppThese weekends are yoga retreats that are tailored for babies under 18
months and their mums. Alongside the classes are massage treatments, workshops, talks, organic
suppers and lots of time to talk through all the issues around new motherhood and childbirth. The
weekends take place in the Penrhos Court hotel in Herefordshire and also at Can Talaias, an
agroturismo in Ibiza. /pp· The next weekend at Penrhos runs from 5-7 December and costs from
pound;475 for mother and baby, including courses and meals. Call 01273 671762 or see a
href="http://www.mamaheaven.org"www.mamaheaven.org/a/ppstrongBaby Massage, Swinton /strongbr
/strongPark Hotel, North Yorkshire/strong/ppBaby massage has been proven to provide relief from
newborn ailments such as colic, wind and sleeplessness and can be a gentle form of bonding for mum
and baby. The spa at Swinton Park offers a course in baby massage techniques (pound;60 for 1hr 15
minutes), alongside other family-friendly facilities including a fantastically equipped playroom,
lots of baby paraphernalia (cots, bottle warmers, listening devices etc) and plenty of
activities./pp· Doubles from pound;140, cots pound;35. Call 01765 680900 or see a
href="http://www.swintonpark.com"www.swintonpark.com/a/ppstrongBaby Spa, Thermes Du Midi,
Belgium/strong/ppOne of the first spas in Europe to have a 'mother and baby institute' attached,
which offers a five-day programme for mums and their new babies to relax, be pampered together and
help overcome some of the rigours of childbirth. Mums get some time of their own with various
therapists, and babies get their own massages too, while there are relaxing bath therapies that
both can share./pp· The five-day package costs about pound;400 for all treatments, nursery
services and lunches, but not accommodation. Call 00 32 87 772 560; a
href="http://www.thermesdespa.com"www.thermesdespa.com/a /ppstrongBaby Play, Calcot Manor,
Gloucestershire/strong/ppIf you're after something simpler that combines lots of stimulation for
your baby - and lots of relaxation for you - Calcot Manor offers fantastic children's facilities,
play area and toys for newborns upwards, with a top-notch spa and luxury rooms. /pp· Doubles
from pound;230 BB. Book on 01666 890391; a
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