Swim diapers for new parents

If your little ones have already moved on from diapers, then this is old news (and congratulations!!). If you don't yet have children, or they're so young that you haven't yet ventured to the pool, then read on....


What's so special about a swim diaper?  
- Swim diapers are designed to be much less absorbant than typical disposable diapers.  Disposable diapers have these super absorbant cores with gel beads that expand many times their size.  In the pool, they can swell so much that they burst, spilling into the water.  It's a huge mess.
Swim diapers are made from many layers of fabric or synthetic material.  They don't expand much, but act more as a filter.  They help keep diseases such as E. coil  and Cryptosporidium from getting in the water.  However, as the Center for Disease Control suggests, please keep your child out of the water if they have had diarrhea, as the diaper does little to contain. 

I still don't understand.  If a swim diaper doesn't absorb a lot, what does it do?
- To put it simply, it just keeps the solid waste from entering the pool.  You can put a waterproof cover over a swim diaper to prevent your little one from getting your seat or lap wet.

What are my choices when it comes to swim diapers?
There are so many on the market and you don't have to choose just one.
-Disposable: Made by brands like Pampers, Huggies these are made for a single use.  Mom hack:  you can just rip the sides of the diaper when you're done instead of slipping it over their baby legs.  Much easier clean up option. 
-Reusable:  There has been an increase in options in the past few years.  My favorite brand is iPlay (found at Target or online) With cute patterns, and ruffles for girls, you can use a swimsuit top and call it an outfit! Charlie Banana is another good brand of reusable swim diaper.  Just hand wash or throw in the washer after use.  Cloth diapers can also be used as a swim diaper.  

When can I stop using a swim diaper?
- This is one of those "it's better to be safe than sorry" times.  Pools may have to close to shock treat, or even drain if there is a solid waste incident.  Wait until your child is extremely confident using the toilet before going without a swim diaper.

What does Miss Elaine do?
-I used the reusable iPlay diapers most of the time on my little one.   I just added a rash guard as a top and we had a cute swim outfit.  However, if I suspected that she would soon need to use her diaper, I put on a Pampers so I could just throw it away after it was soiled.   I think I have only needed to seriously wash her iPlay one time.  Fortunately we're on the tail end of potty training.  She's not entirely dependable, so I'm still using a swim diaper when we go to our neighborhood pool.

I also suggest changing your little one into the swim diaper at the pool if you have a long trip.  Remember, the swim diaper doesn't collect liquid, so your car seat might get wet.