Former Olympic champion swimmer Rebecca Adlington is using what she learned about dealing with negative body image after giving birth to help other mothers in the pool.

“The hardest thing can be putting a swimming costume on after giving birth,” Adlington said.

“I know because I’ve had two children.”

Adlington, a four-time Olympic medallist who retired as a competitive swimmer in 2013, has previously spoken openly about feeling insecure about how she looked as an athlete.

As a parent, she sees similar concerns as a major issue when trying to teach children the life skill of swimming.

“Most of the parents you speak to, the number one reason that holds them back from taking their children swimming is body confidence and body issues because it is the more daunting thing,” Adlington told BBC East Midlands Today.

“Even now, my little one is 18 months old and I still don’t like putting a costume on. So it doesn’t just disappear after a couple of months of giving birth.

“It’s these things that hold people back from bringing their children swimming, whereas actually if you bring your child swimming it helps you gain confidence but also your child as well.”

The 33-year-old has focused her attention in recent years on encouraging more children to take up the sport that elevated her to international stardom as a two-time Olympic gold medallist and world, European and Commonwealth Games champion.

She has opened a number of swim centres across England in recent years, including one in her hometown Mansfield last year.

“What I wanted to create was a safe environment purpose built for children,” Adlington said.

“Swimming can be that connection, that bonding time with your child as well.”

Recent research found the swimming is the best activity for “creating special bonding moments” between pre-school aged children and their parents.

The Swim England research also found that swimming helped four in five mums “alleviate the guilt they feel about being a busy parent”.

“It’s nice before they are three that you get that time to bond with them but also get them used to the water,” Adlington said.

“Three is also the age where you have lessons where you are not in the water with your children.

“I had a real big fear when Summer was going to lessons without me, thinking ‘she is not going to like it’, but she jumped straight in.

“It was me who was more scared than her. It’s those lessons she did with me before that which gave her that confidence to just get stuck straight in. It made it much easier for me as a parent as well.”