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Celebrity mum, Lisa Scott Lee, exclusively reveals how swimming helped her to not only get back into shape but also bond with her daughter and stave off the baby blues.

Lisa teamed with HUGGIES® Little Swimmers® to support National Baby Swim Week, 20 – 27 June, and launch Swim Buddy, www.swimbuddy.co.uk a website created to encourage more mums to take the plunge with their babies.

The announcement follows research(1) which revealed that one in three mums avoid swimming because they dislike the way they look and a further one in five mistakenly believe that their baby is too young to go swimming.

Mum of two, Lisa, says: ‘I put on over two stone when I had Jaden then another two and a half stone when I had Star-Lilly and it really hit my self-confidence. I didn’t have the time or energy to hit the gym and swimming just seemed the best option. I could take Star-Lilly with me and I honestly found it such a wonderful, calming experience.’

Charlene Hutsebaut, HUGGIES® Little Swimmers® fitness expert, says: ‘Swimming is a great low impact exercise. One of the most important reasons for exercising after having a baby is that it can help your pelvis to heal back to its pre-birth position and is a great way to tone up key muscle groups. The beauty of a mother exercising in the water with her baby is that it helps to form a close bond, and over time their baby will naturally gain weight, increasing their strength as they will be lifting a heavier, beautiful baby each week.’

Lisa continues: ‘You tend to spend all your time focussing on your baby, lifting them in and out of the water and I know it sounds funny but you really do bond. There’s no escaping that having a baby can be stressful and babies will pick up on this, but in the water it’s different.’

According to the research, almost two thirds of mums still feel they don’t know enough about swimming with their baby to participate in organised classes at their local pool. Lisa is therefore fronting the HUGGIES® Swim Buddy campaign to dispel the myths and promote the benefits of taking the plunge. These include improved sleeping and eating patterns for your baby as the warm water of the swimming pool is relaxing and stimulates their appetite. Swimming also teaches your baby social interaction skills and aids the development of their physical fitness.

The campaign website, www.swimbuddy.co.uk includes information on more than 680 certified baby-friendly pools in the UK which meet the UK’s minimum safety criteria for pool temperature, hygiene, safety and facilities. Parents can simply enter their postcode to find their nearest baby friendly approved pool.

The website also features advice from TV stylist John Scott on how mums can boost their confidence at the pool through choosing the right swimsuit for their body shape. Fitness expert, Charlene Hutsebaut, is also on hand with tips and exercises on how to tone up in the water.

(1) A survey of 915 mums carried out by Engage Research on 27th July 2010.