Baby Survival English

Welcome to Baby Survival Swim!

An effective and comprehensive swimming program that respectfully teaches a child, from 10 months of age, “water competencies” and the ability to self-rescue, during a 4 week course.

Founded in 2005 by Toti Fernández, paramedic, triathlon world champion, author, entrepreneur and a mother with the purpose of preventing drownings, the leading cause of accidental death in children under 5 Y/O, and the second, in the 5 to 14 age range. (C.D.C.).

Drowning is quick and silent. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), on it´s drowning prevention policies, recommends “Layers of Prevention” one of those layers is teaching children, experientially, «Water Competencies» in the event they find themselves in the water unexpectedly. 

Baby Survival Swim meets all AAP recommendations: type of swim lessons, water quality and temperature. One of our programs starts from 4 months of age.

Our Courses

Adaptation 
to Water

4 to 9 months of age.

With approval from your pediatrician.

Self  Rescue

9 month-old to 7 year-olds.

Advanced 
Swimming

 

For the Self-Rescue Course Graduates.

 

First Aid and CPR

Duration: 5 hours.

Testimonies of Survivors

Michelle Viau de Falla
Michelle Viau de FallaGuatemala
Lee mas

A few weeks ago we were on vacation and in the hotel's deep pool there were some inflatable games (climbing wall, slides, etc). My son was playing there, along with my husband. Then, my 2-year-old niece arrived, who also wanted to get into the pool. My husband turned to the edge

to grab it and that's when he heard a "splash" in the water. It was my son, who had thrown himself off the slide without waiting for my husband to receive him. My husband was holding my niece and since he was halfway up the pool and it was deep, he began to see how my son kicked to keep from sinking. But in that moment, in a matter of seconds, he put himself in a back float position and stayed floating, waiting for my husband to go get him. Taking my son to the course is one of the best decisions I have made for him. It is really reassuring to know that he will be able to be safe in a dangerous situation in a place where there is water. I never thought it could happen to us, but in a second, even when my husband was there with him, something happened that if I hadn't known what to do, it could have ended badly.

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Nancy Meneses Dobois
Nancy Meneses DoboisGuatemala
Lee mas

Last Monday we went swimming, my husband stayed with the children in the kid´s pool while I went to the restaurant on the 2nd level. I walked over to the balcony that overlooks the pool to tell them it was time to get out, and my husband went out

to get the towels but left the kids in the pool. I saw how our little son lost his balance and sank, and in a couple of seconds he was already doing the back float! No matter how much I shouted to warn that he had fallen, no one heard me. Although there were many people in and out of the pool, no one noticed, not even the two lifeguards on duty, since they were all watching the the world championship soccer game. Hans stayed on the back float until my husband came back. The course not only teaches children the tools to save themselves but also gives them the security and self-confidence to make decisions in times of emergency.

Vi como nuestro pequeño, Hans, perdía el equilibrio y se hundía, y en un par de segundos ¡ya estaba haciendo el back float! Por más que grité para advertir que se había caído, nadie me escuchó. Aunque había mucha gente dentro y fuera de la piscina, nadie se dio cuenta, ni siquiera los dos guarda vidas de turno, ya que todos estaban viendo el partido de la Copa Mundial de fútbol. Hans se quedó flotando sobre su espalda hasta que mi esposo entró a sacarlo. El curso no solo les enseña a los niños las herramientas para salvarse, sino que también les da seguridad y confianza en sí mismos para tomar decisiones en alguna situación de emergencia.

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Eduardo Garcia
Eduardo GarciaGuatemala
Lee mas

I have two children ages 3 and 2. I was in a hotel pool with Javier, three years old, while on the other side of the pool I saw my little two-year-old Adrián fall into the water. I ran to rescue him. They were seconds of anguish.

Upon arrival, my son was calmly floating on his back calling out to me. I realized how important the course had been. Baby Survival Swim not only saves lives but children can enjoy the water safely

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Adriana Naim
Adriana NaimGuatemala
Lee mas

Thank you so much Baby Survival Swim for teaching my daughters how to float and survive in the water! We were able to see the good results just a few weeks after finishing the course. My second 2-year-old daughter fell into the water.

She immediately managed to float up and scream for help. We were all around the pool with her but no one had noticed that she had fallen. Thanks to the course and her learning, my daughter was able to float long enough to call for help."

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Salvador López
Salvador LópezCasablanca, Marruecos
Lee mas

Three years ago, in the middle of winter, we made a trip to our beach apartment located in a town called Sabinillas, very close to Malaga. My children love to go there because we have a pergola with a garden and a swimming pool. A few minutes after arriving,

screams and cries could be heard coming from outside. We ran out to see what was happening and we found my 3-year-old son Ubai in the middle of the pool with his little face out of the water, let's say he had done the back float, it wasn't perfect but enough to save himself, he hadn't finished the course . He maybe he had done about 3 weeks but thanks to this, he was able to save his life. His father pulled him out of the water, we sheltered him and he kept crying because he got scared. Now we remember that and we know that the Baby Survival Swim course had been the best investment we could make, even more so without knowing that it would really save my son's life.

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Kenza Belkahia
Kenza BelkahiaCasablanca, Marruecos
Lee mas

Kayss started his Baby Survival Swim course when he was 17 months old. He cried a lot but in the second week he was already doing "the back float". His crying changed tone, it was no longer fear, but complaint. He cried for 4 weeks

but he always did what Monica asked him to do. Outside the course he refused to enter a swimming pool. When he finished the course he continued to go once a week to practice and now learn to swim. Something clicks on Kayss and he stops crying and now he wants to go to his class and starts to love the pool. One day, we were in Marrakech at my parents' house, where we have an indoor pool, inside a room that the door is always locked. Kayss was a little over two years old, when suddenly, I see him coming all wet. When we went to check, the gate to the pool was open! He must have entered, approached the edge for some toy, and fell into the water, but he managed to get out on his own. He was proud but a little scared. Thanks to Baby Survival Swim, we were not victims of the tragedy of losing a child by drowning.

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Pascal Jeampi Capdenat
Pascal Jeampi CapdenatCasablanca, Marruecos
Lee mas

Ferdi was 4 years old when he took the Baby Survival Swim course. We had just moved from London to Casablanca, and decided that the intensity of the course and the short duration of it was a good option for Ferdi to learn to swim as quickly as possible.

Ferdi was very athletic, and an obedient boy so it didn't take long for him to learn to do the back float. He graduated, and we decided that he should continue once a week so that he could learn swimming technique. Ferdi loved going to his classes, he improved, socialized, played and felt comfortable in a warm pool. A few weeks ago, we were on Lake Bin El Ouidan in Morocco, fishing while standing on a raft. Ferdi lost his footing and fell into the water. I saw him fall, and before throwing myself to catch him I wanted to see how he reacted. I was excited and filled with pride when I saw him swim faster than he had fallen towards the shore. At that moment I said to my son: "Do you realize that what you learned with Monica saved your life?" And he replied: "yes, thanks to Monica"

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LAURE AFFELOU
LAURE AFFELOUMohamedia, MARRUECOS
Lee mas

It happened in the Mediterranean Sea when we were camping in the north of Morocco. At one moment, my eyes were focused on Lilo (my 3 year old son), he was pushing the limits feeling very confident swimming underwater after a month at the beach. Suddenly I heard people screaming and running towards the ocean

as they had just seen a one and a half year old boy lost in the sea. I looked in the same direction but didn't have the same reaction: They were running to rescue the poor kid, I was walking calmly, congratulating Ness on his “self rescue” and for floating so well on his back. When I pulled him out of the water, Ness wasn't laughing of course, but he wasn't panicking either. What he didn't expect was that the witnesses would start calling me names and yelling at me. They clearly considered me a bad mother and a potential murderer. I tried to explain to them that I knew my boy was safe when I saw him floating on his back, he had finished his 6 week course of Survival Swim and was the best floating baby on the back float. But they did not listen or understand me. At one point I got angry for being attacked on this point that I consider to be the opposite (I am a mother hen, over protective. I struggle and made an effort for my children to go from Mohamedia to Casablanca (approx. 50 km), every day for 6 weeks for them to take the Baby Survival Swim course, while working at the same time). My reaction was to throw Ness into the water, and let him do his “survival show” in front of the attackers. They couldn't believe it even with their own eyes! His angry faces turned to happy faces, as if they had seen an angel or God himself. This time, they queued up to give Ness a kiss. I know, he is an angel!

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Stéphane y Murielle Lorilloux
Stéphane y Murielle LorillouxCasablanca, Marruecos
Lee mas

I am very sensitive about the subject of drowning accidents in children. In fact, I am an Emergency Doctor at SAMU (Emergency Medical Services) in France. I have had to face several situations of children who have suffered accidental drownings where death has occurred or they have been left with brain damage. It's always the same story, everything happens so fast

a few minutes, even seconds when these tragedies occur. Even the protections mandated by law in France and many developed countries fail (alarms, barriers, fences, the door that someone forgets to close...) Children fall into swimming pools, lakes, canals, etc. On a personal note, my two-year-old daughter, during a summer, got overconfiden with the wings (arm-floats) from days spent in the pool. One day she forgot that she did not have them on and jumped into the water. There was never a sound to alert us or any "splash", and she went straight to the bottom. I was lucky to see her and save her, but for a long time she didn't want to get into a pool. This is the reason why we never wanted to have a pool where we lived. When someone told me about the Baby Survival Swim courses taught by Monica Fernandez, I contacted her, after a few questions, I signed up my two daughters, ages 3 and 4. I even took them out before school after talking to the school principal, since Monica didn't have space at the times that were convenient for us, but for me it was a matter of priority. After the 6 weeks of the course, the result was magnificent, I was so proud to see them swimming like little fish, independent and safe, always turning around to float on their back either to take a breath or to rest and continue to grab the wall . After the course, they continued with Monica learning swimming strokes. But the base, the safety of it, my first priority! Thank you a thousand times Monica!!

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Ruthie Pichotto Comte
Ruthie Pichotto ComteAguas Calientes, México
Lee mas

I have 2 sons: Ian who took the water competency self rescue course at 18 months-old and 3 year-old Noah, which whom I hadn’t been able to take him to the course cause we live in Mexico and because of the pandemic and the travel restrictions didn’t allow us to fly to Guatemala. A few weeks later, we were at a hotel’s roof pool, my husband was right next to the children and my father next to him.

The phone rang and I stood up and turned my sight away, My husband turn to say something to my dad, and writhing seconds, Noah lost his footing and went under but as soon as he fell, he floated and started screaming “mommy, mommy”, I threw my phone a rushed to the pool, my husband was closer so he jumped to pick him up; he told me I swear I turned for a few seconds, to say something to your dad, when I turn hearing the screams. I took the towel and comforted him. I told Noah that he did what he was supposed to do, he was crying. We were in shock about how fast it all happened, we were directly supervising our sons. With Ian, who took the course, I never had the chance to see if the course worked (nobody wants their child proving it’s survival skills). I do believe that if he hadn’t learned to float and scream, I would be telling the same story. The course’s technique is effective and I am great-full Baby Survival Swim exists and works.

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Fadoua Moussamih
Fadoua MoussamihCasablanca, Marruecos
Lee mas

I am the mother of two boys, Mamoon, 5, and Hamza, 3 and a half. My oldest son, when he was only 2 years old, fell into the pool at home. Luckily I was there. After this incident, Mamoon did not want to go near a pool again. I started taking them to the Baby Survival Swim courses in Casablanca, Morocco, in mid-June 2009. At first it was hard because the boys didn't want to get into the pool.

The instructor was very patient, and at the end of the first week they themselves asked to go. After the 4-week course, they were totally independent, swimming and back float to breathe. In the middle of July, I was having dinner with my husband inside the house when I heard Hamza crying, shouting “I'm cold. I'm cold. Hurry. Hurry." We ran out to the garden, and there he was, Hamza in his pajamas and slippers all wet. Mamoon, my big one, began to laugh at her brother in a mocking tone "Hamza fell into the pool and came out wet" That is when I realized the importance of this Baby Survival Swim course. The lives of our children are priceless! My son was saved thanks to what he learned in this course! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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Sara Fernández Valencia
Sara Fernández ValenciaCasablanca, Marruecos
Lee mas

Hello, my name is Sara Fernández, and now I am going to tell you how the Baby Survival Swim course that my son took saved his life. I am Spanish, but I have been living in Casablanca for several years; I met Mónica Fernández through some mutual friends, she explained to me the courses she taught, survival swimming and

I decided to take my son, who was one and a half years old at the time; What I didn't know at the time was that this decision was going to save my son's life. First, I need to explain that I consider myself a "super protective" mother, a "mother hen", one of those who do not take their eyes off her child for even half a second. One placid day in May, I met with several of my friends and their children at a friend's house. As it was spring, it was not yet scorching hot and some children decided to get in the pool and others, like my son, decided not to change and play ball in the garden. We were sitting just three meters away from them. We watched while we chatted… but it was then, in tenths of a second, that I withdrew my attention, when I heard my son call me, “mama, mama” I immediately directed my gaze to the garden, which is where I had been a minute ago, playing ball; not seeing him nervous, I looked around because I didn't know where his screams were coming from... my surprise was, when I approached the big deep pool, I saw him in the middle, fully dressed and with shoes, floating on his back while he called me . I went in to take him out calmly, because he was calm, he felt safe doing the back float. He transmitted serenity to me, he wasn't scared… he knew what he had to do, he had done it many times with Monica. It was when we got home that when I told my husband about it, we were fully aware of what it could have been, and how our lives could have become hell, for that split second when you lose your attention. Taking him to the survival swimming course has been, for the moment, the best investment and decision of my life. I hope that this testimony will help many mothers make the decision to take their children to the “survival swimming” course, in order to avoid a tragedy, as, thank God, didńt happen to us. Thank you Baby Survival Swim.

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María Yáñez de Canahuati
María Yáñez de CanahuatiCasablanca, Marruecos
Lee mas

When we lived in Morocco, the good weather made it possible to have a swimming pool in the garden of the house. But its location, so close to the exit door to the living room, scared my husband and me for our daughter, who was 18 months old. Therefore, at 10 months we decided to enroll her in the Baby survival Swim self rescue course.

We were convinced that it was the best and safest option not only because we had the pool at home, but in case we went on vacation or to friends' houses with swimming pools, or to the ocean. We were also convinced that it would be something we would never have the opportunity to verify, since we never take our eyes off her every time we were in the garden and we always had the access door to the pool closed and locked for security. One day, while my husband and I were bathing in the pool with her, when we got out of it, while we were putting on the towel, she fell into the water. I can't even say that my back was turned and I didn't see her, that I answered the phone or that I was careless. My daughter's leg was touching my knee when she fell!!!!!! but, although both my husband and I were about to jump into the water to get her out, we wanted to see how she reacted on her own: and we verified that the course was effective!!!! she did exactly what she had repeated in her class so many times: When she resurfaced, she laid on her back to breathe and very calmly, as if it were a game, she called me. Since I didn't pull her out, she rolled over, swam, and rolled back onto her back to breathe again. And so on until she reached the edge and she was able to hold on, which was another of the exercises she did in class. Although we (not her) were nervous, it was a precious moment in which we could verify that she could save her life in case of an accident and fall into the water. It has been without a doubt one of the best things we have done for her and the best money spent on her. What we liked the most and what influenced us to take the course is that it was not a simple swimming course but rather individualized attention for my daughter with her instructor. In those 10 minutes there was no one but the two of them in the water and the instructor had the commitment to teach my daughter (with games, laughter and a lot of love as well) to save her life in a dangerous situation. I will always be grateful to Baby Survival Swim for something so important.

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jenny castillo
jenny castilloGuatemala
Lee mas

My daughter was saved thanks to the course. We went to Iztapa to show a couple of American friends the Pacific Ocean. We asked a boatman to take us across the channel to see the Ocean up close, none of us had life jackets because it was just 20 meters to get to the other side. The boat's propeller got tangled in some seaweed and our American friend jumped out of the boat and into the water to untangle it. .

When he jumped the boat did not resist the force of the jump and turned over (we lost phones and a tablet). It was not deep because we could stand on the muddy bottom and the water was up to chest height. The first thing I did when I stood up was to desperately look for my daughter. A few seconds later I see her 10 meters away floating. She was crying, she was scared but she had managed to position herself in relation to the surface and was floating on the back while we came to rescue her. Thank´s to Baby Survival Swim my daughter was saved. In that murky water we wouldn’t have been able to find her if she had been under the surface.

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Mauricio y Paola Valladares
Mauricio y Paola ValladaresGuatemala
Lee mas

In just 4 sessions I was able to appreciate the value of the course. My daughter Camila, after finishing her class, fell alone into the deep end without any adult inside. Thanks to what she learned in just 4 classes, she floated on her back until the instructor got in the water to lift her up. This curse is just amazing.

Paola Bruni de Lorenessi
Paola Bruni de LorenessiGuatemala
Lee mas

My son Marcelo was on an infallible when his cousins ​​accidentally made him fall. I watched him fall from the dining room. Seeing the incident I screamed and ran to his rescue. As I approached the shore I watched as he kicked to the surface and floated to await rescue. Just what he learned in the Baby Survival Swim course.

Marcelo applied the techniques learned. The course is 100% worth it. As much as we take care of them and be cautious, it is best to give them the tools. It is up to them to survive and that they have that last option if all else fails.

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Jamie Sherman
Jamie ShermanGuatemala
Lee mas

Yesterday at lake Atitlán in Guatemala, we were having breakfast, Matías my 3-year-old was playing by the poolside and, without anyone noticing, he fell in the pool, fully dressed and tennis shoes. He floated on his back, didn’t scream for help but was floating and breathing, the girl he was playing with warned us. Thank you Baby Survival Swim, I never expected to see the effectiveness of the course, you never want to test it, but the last layer of protection did save his life.

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Baby Survival Swim in Your Town

Be a Baby Survival Swim Center in your city and offer our 3 safety-focused swim programs.
Age from 4 months to 7 years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What courses do you offer?

We have 4 courses:

 

WATER ADAPTATION: Psychomotor development focused on aquatic safety and independence. Ages 4 to 9 months. 2 times a week. The value of the course is Q2,400.00 per month.

 

SELF RESCUE:  «fend in the water» (submerge, float, reach a shore, hold on, ask for help, swim with clothes). Ages 10 months to 7 years or older. The course lasts 4 weeks, from Monday to Friday. The value of the course is Q4,800.00.

 

ADVANCED SWIMMING: Only for students who have participated in our Water Adaptation or Self-Rescue programs.

 

FIRST AID and CPR COURSE:

from ECSI (Emergency Care and Safety Institute). International Certification, valid for 2 years. Check the rates.


Our method is based on «work-reward», 10 min of individual class and 10 min of play with the super water toys. We have biosecurity measures.

At what time are the classes?

You choose the lessons timing according to availability. We are open from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:30.

Where is your location?

We are located ate:
15 Calle 1-11 Zona 10
Waze: Edificio TerraEsperanza
Guatemala

Do you have other programs?

We have 2 more programs:  Adaptation to Water for children from 4 to 9 months and the Advanced Swimming Program for children who have graduated from the self-rescue program, from 10 months of age to 7 years or more. The classes are individual. Our instructors are certified coaches under the American Swimming Coaches Association who also have an international certification in first aid and CPR from ECSI (Emergency Care and Safety Institute). Institute).

Is the pool heated?

The pool water meets all the recommendations for babies from 3 months. The water temperature is 32.5 degrees Celsius (91 F).

 

The water temperature is 32.5 degrees Celsius (91 F).

Will my baby cry?

The answer is probably YES. Children under 3 years of age have a natural rejection towards strangers or strangers, which is totally normal at that stage of development. Also at these ages they lack «awareness of danger» nor do they know fear or respect for water. 

 

If your baby cries, be patient, after a couple of days the instructor becomes an acquaintance and a new trusted guide.

Why is the class just 10 minutes long?

It’s 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes of class and 10 minutes of play. Classes are every day, from Monday to Friday a total of 20.
10 minutes is the proven attention span time at those ages. The method is based on repetition and the development of muscle memory, optimizing Sensory-Motor development. The 10 minutes of class are continuous. You do NOT have to wait for your turn, the class is personalized and adapts to each individual child. The instructors are professionals, highly trained and with international certifications.

Why are the classes every day?

The Baby Survival Swim Self-Rescue program is effective because the classes are every day. The child retains enough to be able to move on to the next day. This is how they learn to crawl and walk, practicing every day. This is how they also learn to fend for themselves in the water.

 

Is there a trial class?

We do NOT do test class. The children arrive in a new environment with a strange new instructor. A test class does not give reference to a method that requires a process where immersing the face and eyes are necessary sensations to learn to swim, in addition to floating. Parents should research, evaluate, and decide what type of swim program is most effective for their child. Just as a mother does not give a syringe so that it becomes familiar and decides whether to accept it or not, parents give the vaccines that the doctor recommends and it is not one but several, and they hurt. It is the same with a Self-Rescue program or «flying in the water», it is NOT a fun or recreation course.


Kids don’t like it at first for the reasons I explained.

Do you receive children with special needs?

Our method is personalized so the instructor adapts to the child’s abilities and temperament. We strongly believe in inclusion. We have worked with children with autism, Asperger, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome.

 

What certification do the instructors have?

Each Baby Survival Swim instructor undergoes 80 hours of in-water training with a Master Instructor and real students, in addition to receiving academic training in anatomy, physiology, child psychology, behavior and development, sensory-motor learning, and how each of these relates to the aquatic environment. They are certified coaches by the ASCA (American Swimming Coaches Association) and have an international first aid and CPR certification from ECSI (Emeergency Care and Safety Institute). Care and Safety Institute).

What can I expect and for how long?

The objective of the course is for a child to learn safety in the water, this is more than learning to float, swim or rescue himself. Respect the water.

In less than 4 weeks, your child will learn to roll over and float, call for help and wait for rescue, or reach the edge of the pool. 

This is a basic course to prepare children with the security layer that they always carry if the other barriers fail.  

If your child still doesn’t like his classes, we recommend enrolling him in the advanced classes so that, learning to swim in cu, he enters the magic of enjoying the water safely.

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