Favorite swim diapers?

[Jennygt]

This is my first baby and our first summer. What swim diapers are good? If we are going to the parks and think that he will play in the fountains etc do you use them instead of a real diaper or do you bring it with you and change? Sorry if this is a stupid question.

 

[Mommytink]

The Little Swimmer diapers always leak for me and had an embarrasing insident once so I stay away. I like the reuseable, washable ones at Target and Babies R Us.

 

[bumbershoot]

You *absolutely* want to use a swim diaper, rather than a regular diaper.

I've only ever seen one brand of disposable swim dipes, something like Little Swimmers? We bought some while traveling, with Tigger on them, just in case we ran into a pool with a problem with reusable swim dipes. I think he wore them once. They were awful, just so flimsy, and if he HAD had a poop accident (he never does "go" while in the pool, he's just never been that way), I have NO clue as to how they would have held it in.

However, Target carries WONDERFUL cloth-based swim diapers, the brand is iPlay. They are usually on the "endcap" area, the end of the aisles, somewhere near-ish the potties and *infant* clothes and booties, pacifier, sort of section (NOT right in the clothing area). They will usually have a "speedo" style, and a "trunk" style for boys, and some will be sets with a sun hat and a shirt. Your kiddo looks good-sized; my guy was pretty skinny b/c he kept growing taller rather than rounder, BUT the infant trunk-style cut off his circulation and turned his legs purple inside a few minutes. I grabbed the speedo-style from my bag, changed him into it, and it was much better. So we got those style each time he needed a new size pair.

They have terry cloth inside, but the inner workings are likely a polyurethane coated cotton, and the elastic is very good. If he'd pooped in those, I can't see how it would have gotten out, which is pretty much the point of swim diapers!


Regardless, don't let him wear regular dipes, not cloth (which we used exclusively) or disposable, in or near water. In water it's dangerous, and near water it's just a big soggy, boggy, big-bottomed mess!


Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh, by the way. Once you have changed your child into a swim diaper, do NOT just hold him on your hip or whatever, b/c they WILL leak. My poor stepmom was holding DS while he was wearing one, and he peed ALL over her. Luckily she's had three kids and is a NICU nurse, so she's impervious to embarrassment or being grossed out by baby fluids, but still, it was not comfy for her.

Swim dipes are to hold in poop, none of them are ever expected to hold onto pee at all.

 

[lutherlovr]

I'll second all of the PPs. The Pampers brand, Splashers, are also awful...my son leaked all over about 30 seconds after I put them on, and I swear by the Papmers brand. The infant style bottoms that look like underwear are the best for a baby (my 2 y/o no longer fits into them) they have them by me at Target and Babies R Us.

 

[KingsGenie]

I agree... Little Swimmers leak. If your little one will be submerged in water you can use them and then QUICKLY change out of them.. major leakage... or use the terry cloth ones.

If he is just going into a sprinkler, I'd keep the regular one on... ONLY if he isn't going to get that wet. You don't want a soaked diaper... MESSY MESSY.

 

[labst60]

Another vote for the resuable ones from iplay (available at target and bru). Thruthfully - in two years of frequent swimming, we've only had ONE poopy swim diaper - so while it wasn't ENJOYABLE to wash out - it isn't like it is a huge pain either.

We also use Little Swimmers, but I hands down prefer the reusable ones - they just seem so much better and more comfortable - also b/c you are able to get them in white - some obnoxious print wasn't "ruining" the look of DD's cute swim suits!

 

[bumbershoot]

Another we've only had ONE poopy swim diaper - so while it wasn't ENJOYABLE to wash out - it isn't like it is a huge pain either.

For anyone's reference, from an experienced cloth diaper washer, just run them through the wash with a small amount of detergent, and run an extra rinse cycle or two. After doing complicated things the first few months, I realized that simpler was better, and a simple wash and rinse or two will get out poop just as well as doing complicated things. You don't even have to rinse it out beforehand, your washer will take care of it.

 

[katerkat]

We use Little Swimmers for swim class and he's only pooped once in two years of weekly lessons. The poop was contained. Swim diapers aren't meant to hold pee - I've been peed on even with the cloth ones. (And I use cloth diapers so I'm used to cloth!) The best I ever had was a swim suit with a diaper-style-lining inside. It was Wee Ones, I think? From Target? Had a matching hat and shirt. I was sad when he outgrew it.

 

[Jennygt]

WOW, I learned so much from all of you, THANKS!! I got DS the hat and shirt from target I will now head out for the swim trunks. I did not know about all the problems with swim diapers. I am a RN as well so I am OK with pee on me, but pee or poo in a public pool I would freak out if that happened! That is why I am grossed out by "warm" kiddie pools! Again ,thanks for all the advice!

 

[two-foxes]

WOW, I learned so much from all of you, THANKS!! I got DS the hat and shirt from target I will now head out for the swim trunks. I did know know about all the problems with swim diapers. I am a RN as well so I am OK with pee on me, but pee or poo in a public pool I would freak out if that happened! That is why I am grossed out by "warm" kiddie pools! Again ,thanks for all the advice!

I appreciate you asking this question! I would have been using the disposable swim diapers until reading this for our first munchkin, due in just a few weeks. I saw those shorts, hats, etc at Target....I may need to go pick up some, assuming they are seasonal items, for our Dec trip...assuming it just might be warm enought to swim....

 

[WantToGoNow]

For those of you using the disposible swim pants, those aren't leaks -- they aren't meant to absorb liquid -- that's why they don't swell up like a normal diaper. They are only meant to hold solid waste. I found this out the first time we went swimming - I put it on ds before we left home - had a wet carseat before we arrived.

 

[Jennygt]

For those of you using the disposible swim pants, those aren't leaks -- they aren't meant to absorb liquid -- that's why they don't swell up like a normal diaper. They are only meant to hold solid waste. I found this out the first time we went swimming - I put it on ds before we left home - had a wet carseat before we arrived.

That is what I was wondering, I get it now! Just back from Target and I got the spedo style and one with the diaper in the trunks. I did not realize that my mom had already bought ds a pair of these already so we should be go to go!