My daughter was five months old and I enrolled us at our local YMCA. As soon as we got into the water, one of the instructors took my baby girl and abruptly dunked her underwater and spun her around. When she was face up - she was gasping and had a look on her face I will never forget! She was shaking, too! I was told to use "one finger" under her head to support her to float. I felt so bad, since she was born I did everything to avoid injury, pain, cold, hot whatever. It was all shattered that day. When I finally got her out of the pool, she turned her head the other way from me. She was upset and I felt so guilty. I called my husband crying and he drove over immediately, confronted the "instructors" and demanded our money back. (A small fee, I forget, but..) My daughter developed anxiety and fear of suffocation and I know it's from that terrible experience. It is possible that things have changed, but I live with that regret every day.

My baby was injured due to the inadequate facilities for parents and babies. There is no private space for parents to change and there are no toilet facilities for parents with babies. I believe the provision is not compatible with the Equalities Act 2010. I queried this with Water Babies and was told to put my baby on a wet dirty floor and to change a tampon in a public area. I can’t believe my family have been subjected to such horrendous, discriminatory and damaging treatment in 2022. I’m appalled.

It has been so much fun swimming with Water Babies. first with my daughter and now with my son who is due to finish this term. They both looked forward to the classes so much every week. They still remember all their teachers and loved all the games and songs. It has given them both such confidence in and out of the water. The best thing is that they've learnt to persevere even when they found it difficult and you could see the pride they had when they did achieve it. My son is only just 4 and is now completely independent in the water - and has recognisable front crawl, back stroke and breast stroke. Its AMAZING.

Whirl wind experience. Booking on, lovely lady and easy process. First session, warm pool, nice instructor. Dunking was done at the end of the session. My baby was upset so agreed not to do. The other babies were fine though some cough and spluttering. Second session, 4-5 dunking in this session. My baby is not up for dunking yet at all so sat out on those activities. Basically sat in a pool with my baby for £17. Granted the entering and exiting the pool safety is good and other activities like Humpty Dumpty is good. Felt very excluded though when it came to dunking. Mould around the pool and wonky tiles. Changing facilities tiny, can’t accommodate 8 babies and mums. I had to go in the sun bed room which was covered in dirt and hairs. Just rank. Cancelled today due to disgusted with facilities to be honest and too much dunking. You can do this before the 3rd session if read the policy, for those mums worried about getting out of it. Though the hefty £50 admin fee is a shocker. I have asked for a breakdown of this fee to understand better. Overall, will not use again. 2 star just because instructor was pleasant. I have emailed complaints so awaiting their reply.

My 2 year old son was booked onto a class which was far too advanced for him. We questioned this at the time of the trial class and was told he’d be ok and could catch up despite never having been swimming before. Having paid the course money and now on lesson 5 it was clear that they are moving way too fast for him, with a different teacher every week. He was left terrified today. Awful company who tells you anything to get your money.

We singed up Our 6 month old daughter for the first chapter at Great Ormond St Hospital. Although the teacher is good, the changing facilities are very poor for what we pay: only one changing bed for ten babies t use before and after the class. Some mums end up changing their babies on the floor! There are no nappy bins so we have to take dirty nappies with us and throw them outside the hospital! The worst of all though is their policy, they are trying to get you to sign automatically to the next chapter! I called to cancel 30 minutes past the deadline and they charged me 30 pounds for giving me a refund saying that was their policy! I would definitely NOT recommend water babies. Having searched online there are cheaper and more customer/parent friendly swim classes for your little ones in London.

Whilst the instructors are very good and the lesson content is good the organisation of this is awful. We have been using water babies since my child was six months old and she is now two and a half years old, we have paid on time each term and never missed a payment to secure a place at our weekly lesson. We were sold the swimming lessons as a course that would take our child up to approximately 4 years old however we have now been told that due to the swimming pool not being big enough our lesson is being cancelled. This would be ok but we have not been reserved a place anywhere else and have been told that we have to wait and see if anyone else drops out and a space becomes available. This is a disgraceful way to treat customers (and children) who have been swimming with waterbabies for 2 years already (investing a lot of money and time in the course), and have never been informed at any time that the facilities used by waterbabies would not be good enough to complete the course in. The cost of the photo-shoot is also extremely expensive and I did not like the pushy 'hard sell' approach that was used to try and get us to spend more. Unfortunately I would not recommend waterbabies due to the experience we have had.

After having called many swimming schools and asking about the facilities I settled on Water Babies. There sales pitch was convincing with the lady on the phone saying how fantastic the facilities are and how clean etc. I then proceeded to book myself into their lessons at the Hilton Hotel..Two weeks later they cancelled this and offered an old peoples home pool. At different dates & times. They then cancelled this as well a few weeks later..I was then re-booked into Bedelsford school pool.....This is where the real HORROR then started. After being cancelled on again three times in a row for this last option we finally got to start. (After the lady reaffirming that this delay was due to renovations and how fantastic this pool was etc.) I drove all the way to Kingston to be there for at least 15-20 minutes before the lesson so that I could change my little one as well as myself.. I was greeted at the fire exit by a grumpy old woman asking me to take my shoes off at the door. It was windy and raining and I was holding a baby in a car seat plus our bags and I was wondering where shoudl I put all of this whilst I take my shoes off?? The floor was WET, MUDDY dirty and unhygienic. When I pointed this tout to the lady at the door she said yes it is but they clean the floors during the week. (!!!!) So as helpful as that sounded I did not take off my shoes but put my own shoe covers on which I had taken with me and tried to find a changing room...There isn't ANY. Whilst I was walking in there was an ongoing class with 10 babies + 2 parents each. And the class that was straight after had the same. There was a wet and mouldy room which they called the change area but there was no area to change at all. Two cubicles with no seats or benches where filled with mops and builders equipment. The other three were so small that I could not get in there with a baby let alone a baby and a bag. There was NOWHERE at all to put the baby, no chairs. no benches no mats NOTHING. I appropriated some sort of hospital bed which I had to disinfectant and proceeded to change my daughter all the while wondering what to do with myself when my time came to get changed...!!! There was no where to store my bag either as the floors where soggy and disgusting and the class that just ended came out of the water needing to change as well. So that is 20 babies and close to 30-40 parents trying to find out what to do with themselves in area the size of a small bedroom with no facilities that was so disgusting and appalling that I just wanted to cry. From the sounds made by the other parents it seems that I am not the only one who was shocked at being swindled by this company. Will be putting in a complaint and asking for my money back and if that fails the ombudsman is next. NEVER have I been so thoroughly disgusted and disappointed! We have booked ourselves in for private lessons which work out to be cheaper than this and 300% more enjoyable and pleasant than this!

The pool and facilities at Kingston Water Babies are substandard to least. You have to enter the facility via the fire exit door and immediately take off you shows, which is a nightmare with full gear and baby in tow. It becomes even worse when you leave the facility as you have to walk across the wet floor put down your baby and bag on to a wet floor just to put your shoes back on. The lessen is well structured but the pool is too shallow and you have to bend all lesson long. Also, when the previous class leave and the new class arrive they have to leave via the only entrance which is directly next to the pool. In winter this lets in a horrendous cold wind which is just asking for poorly babies. The changing rooms are mixed sex and only have four "cubicles" which is not even close to being enough. All in all I am not impressed and from past experience from other water babie pools I naively expexted better.

Water babies, Wat an absolute waste of money! Can't fault lesson content or instructor although £15 a lesson I expected more than 30 min lessons! Changing area and pool etc that we attended were not fit for purpose, couldnt have swung a cat in the place! Then the photos are just the icing on the cake, £200 for 3 photos on a memory stick, that does not include photo shoot as this is included in fees paid at the beginning and they have the cheek to charge pnp! Totally disgusted at the price, especially knowing their target audience is mums off on maternity leave! Wouldn't return to water babies if they paid me!!

If you read their terms and conditions, you will never join them. They cancel classes last minute and rebook you for next terms even you have told them at least 3 times that you do not wish to continue taking lessons. Groups are made of at least 7-9 babies. For the length of the lessons, which are half an hour, the babies hardly have chance to learn anything. I feel that my baby is more afraid of the water after the lessons. Also very expensive. I do not recommend Water babies to anyone.

We have had four lessons at Cobden on Hagley Road and I have to say that these lessons are extremely overpriced given how poor the changing facilities are. They are tiny and cold with no room to swing a cat. We are using half the hotel pool and with a full attendance of 8 mums there is little room to move around. I was told by the office that they appreciated the room in the pool was tight for the first 10 lessons, so charging me £150 seems pretty extortionate. The pool is on the cold side and I was advised to buy a baby wetsuit yet another charge on top. There was a 'deal' on the photoshoot and you could buy a couple of photos for £250!!!! Need I say more. Maybe other venues are better. The lessons were ok, I have to say the swimming teacher was lovely. If you do book make sure you do not get caught out by the automatic rebooking for the next term. I will chase up Harborne Pool as there lessons are extremely good value for money as opposed to this racket.

My baby loves the water, I really enjoyed seeing her face light up in the pool at just months old & loved the confidence she got by learning to go under the water. However, I wish I had listened to my gut feeling and gone elsewhere, right from the off it seemed too expensive and communication was very poor. Water Babies have fast ruined what should have been happy memories. These are franchises so it's hit & miss and the service you get differs hugely across the regions. We has to miss lessons due to illness, no one asked where we were and neither a refund nor catch up classes were permitted. Fair enough it's a business right. But they have a disgusting practice of blatantly stealing the next terms fees from your bank account, without asking, then refusing to refund it! As were moving house so could not attend the next term but it seems you have no right to decide not to attend for any reason. They gave me some garb about deadlines and small print. In my view it's deceptive and unnecessary shoddy practice. I was told I could use £120 as credit towards a photo session instead but now almost £400 later with a memory stick of the wrong images I'm being told about small print again and fighting to get the images I chose. They want me to pay more for more images although it was their error. I told them I didn't want a photo shoot as didn't have the money but felt reassured then pushed into it. Have seen friends great underwater images for £35, I feel sick. The lessons do seem geared up to train them to be underwater for the shoot rather than getting to the edge of the pool for safety as their promo suggests. I doubt I will get the images I paid for because of the bad attitude I'm getting from power tripping franchise staff so I'm on here especially to warn people off. I'm sure Water Babies will see this review because lots of positive feedback on here seems to be answering back to any negative reviews rather than the simple honest reviews of parents.

I enrolled my baby into waterbabies as I wanted him to learn survival techniques eg the ability to turn into his back and cry for help if he fell into water or to turn and reach the side as soon as possible. It very quickly transpired that the main focus of the classes is to get the babies underwater. I fundamentally object to forcing a baby to go underwater when it may not hold its breath. The post-dunking coughing and spluttering demonstrated by most of the babies further reinforced my concerns. If waterbabies are all about teaching survival techniques then I am confused as to why there has only been one example of teaching babies to hold onto he side by week six of lessons and yet every week we are encouraged to hold he babies under for longer and longer. I believe there is a reason for this and is is because waterbabies classes are geared up to get babies swimming underwater as quickly as possible so that they can charge each set of proud parents £275 for a memory stick containing 4 photos at the end of term. Extortionate in my opinion and absolutely not why I wanted my baby to learn to swim. Also, about half way through the first term, waterbabies take money from your account for the next term. I wasn't aware this happened and when I attempted to get a refund, they held back £50 as an 'admin' fee. I'm disgusted with them quite honestly. I failed to read to the end of a group email which detailed this transaction would occur - I'm a busy mum and to ignore what looked like a junk email is my prerogative. Please go to another class, there are many of others available. I cannot emphasise strongly enough my disgust at this company. This is supposed to be a fun class for babies and their underhand money grabbing tactics have ruined the experience for me.

I need to point out that the instructors are really good in our experience and this is by no means a slight on their skills and classes - however, starting with a young baby we have now had five venue changes due to pool problems and class organisation. There have been many cancellations due to pool problems and the temperature. But when you book a class time and then each term it changes and you then have to change venue and teacher due to getting the time which you require it gets complicated. Plus they often have changed venue in term time and then the times have changed. I am now so confused with what we have paid for and if they have credited me with the correct refunds its all over the place. Complaints have been ignored they arent really interested. The idea is great but they have no idea how to sort the timetables at all. Plus often the teachers will take a day off and then you have another teacher... it all lacks unprofessionalism and organisation and is terribly frustrating. Its a shame we will move on now to something else to teach our little bean to swim

We started with bubs at 10 weeks old with high hopes, quickly lost! First they made bubs were a swim nappy that gave her blue legs as was far too tight, but continued to insist it was ok. Next, pool temperature is so low the babies turned purple, cry and shiver - not the 'warm' pool we were told about before paying! Poor communications- told sessions cancelled only when you arrive at the pool! Staff that think it is responsible for young babies to swim twice in a day, once in already wet clothing, and drive 100 miles between two centres as they do last session of a term (photo) at a different location and on the SAME day as the first day of the next term! Totally irresponsible and soley fiscally driven business! Avoid and go to dinky dippers- my friends rave about how personal and caring their instructors are, and its cheaper!!!!!

The office admin side was inflexible and disorganised. No make up classes if you miss any, even with doctors certificate. The classes used up too much time filling gaps by doing repetitive sing song and round the circle type things. For £165 for 10 half hour lessons I could have had private 1 on 1 lessons!! Never again!

We joined the classes when little one was almost 3 months old and little one just loves being in the water. The classes are ok but very slow progress. However, unfortunately the office's attitude and organisation is appalling; quite rude, disorganised and would tell you plain lies. Not happy and I would most definitely consider other companies.

We started my daughter when she was 3 months old, she is now 3years old and has had her last lesson. We were very satisfied with the teacher we had at the start, however we have always found the office awful with communication and letting us know of any changes including when they decided to increase the price. We only stayed with waterbabies as our daughter enjoyed the lessons with the teacher. This teacher had to leave and we have been through so many temporary teachers the poor kids didn't know who was going to be their teacher. Finally we have a full time teacher who unfortunately does not push the kids or help them or encourage them. This is why we have stopped these lessons. I am truly disappointed with the lack of courtesy from the office, they merge classes making it impossible to swim in the pool with too many kids in it, they up prices without warning and don't seem to care about messing you around with several different teachers.

Left feeling very angry after 3 years with this company,lots of money and slow progress, yet continued support through a multitude of teacher changes. We just recieved a impersonal generic email to say rising 4 yr olds need to find alternative provision ( 3 weeks notice to find something else!) ...not convinced everyone got this email in the class as also just received a rebooking email by mistake! in my opinion Disorganised,unprofessional and money driven!Not the way to treat longterm customers. fun lessons but repetitive .Getting them to part with a badge is impossible from our experience.Will no longer recommend as have in the past!We were fooled by the glitzy marketing!