Summertime is here! But before you jump in the pool with your little one and enjoy the sun, ponder this question we often get… What the heck is a swim diaper? Let’s break it down…
Babies poop! And they don’t stop pooping just because you hop in the pool or wade out in the waves at the beach. So to “catch” those inevitable crap bombs, we’ve got some super easy (and sustainable) solutions.
The main goal of a swim diaper is to keep poop out of the water. Poop in a pool is bad news because it can spread harmful bacteria to other swimmers. That’s why it is required of most places for babies to wear swim diapers at the pool or beach. So what are your options?
2 OPTIONS FOR SWIM DIAPERS:
#1 REUSABLE SWIM DIAPERS (AKA Luludew Convertible Cover)
Of course this will be our top recommendation! Our diaper covers double as swim diapers! Simply remove the absorbent insert and use the cover as your baby’s swim diaper. No absorbency needed as swim diapers are designed to catch solids and allow liquids to flow through.
Benefits:
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- Multiple uses
- Tighter fit, much better containment
- Easier to wash than normal cloth diapers
- Cute styles
- Adjustable sizing
Drawbacks
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- Need to wash
- Need to store until you get home. Purchase a travel bag for easy storage
How to Wash Reusable Swim Diapers:
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- At home or in pool bathroom, plop solid poops into toilet. Try and get as much fecal matter into toilet before washing.
- You can wash by:
- Hand wash with warm water in the sink. People swear by using Dawn Dish Soap to get the best clean. Hang up to air dry. Putting them in the sun will help bleach out stains naturally.
- Wash in washing machine with high water, and detergent free of optical brighteners and fabric softeners. Hang up to air dry.
#2 DISPOSABLE SWIM DIAPERS
Benefits:
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- Toss-able in the trash
Drawbacks
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- Not as sturdy, prone to sagging/falling apart
- Single use product
- More expensive than normal disposable diapers
OTHER SWIM DIAPER TIPS:
Whether you go with reusable or disposable swim diapers, here are some other tips:
- Bring a spare swim diaper. Chances are you’ll need another one.
- Don’t travel in them! Swim diapers allow liquids to leak right through, so in the stroller or car you’ll want to use your normal diapers.
- No liquid poopers. Since liquids leak through, don’t take baby to the pool when they’re having diarrhea. The swim diaper will not help contain this! It is also recommended to not take breastfeed-only babies to the pool because their poop is still liquid-y and will also go through the swim diaper.
- Pee is okay in the pool. You only need to change the swim diaper if baby poops. (We can only guess how much pee goes into a swimming pool!)
- Some pools require disposable swim diapers. Check before going.
- Layer diapers. If you’re really worried, you can layer disposable swim diapers under a reusable swim diaper.
- Wait till after they poop. If your baby is on a pretty regular bowel movement schedule, you can wait till after they’re usual poop to go to the pool. This can help prevent those unexpected surprises!
- Bring an extra travel bag! These work great to contain wet swim diapers, bathing suits, and water shoes after a long day at the pool or beach.
If your swim diaper leaks and poop gets in the pool, notify the lifeguard immediately. There’s no shame, and you want to protect the other people there. Even with the best swim diaper, sometimes it happens! Babies got to do what babies go to do.