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Effectiveness of swim diapers for babies?

16 years ago

We're in the beginning stages of constructing our pool, and we have some little family members (two and under) who are going to want to swim in it. I'm concerned about "biological accidents" and wondering how effective those swim diapers are in keeping things clean. Any thoughts?

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Comments (10)

poolguynj
16 years ago
Getting the little ones a little plastic kiddie pool is a better idea, IMHO.
scrapula
16 years ago
I don't trust them. Even if you don't have "poo" in the pool, bacteria can still make it out. Chlorine will take care of it, but then you'll have more combined chlorine and more chlorine odor.
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muddbelly
16 years ago
Bah - normal levels of chlorine will be more than enough to take care any accidental discharge that may occur. Its not like a public pool with 200 kids going (at different hours, all day long). We have used them for our little ones, and I don't worry the least bit. They last about as long as a regular diaper, and you really shouldn't keep them out too long in the sun (the kids that is). A much larger risk for pool chemistry malfeasance is maybe a drunk uncle who hasn't left his ledge for 2 hours...
zarbiya123
Original Author
16 years ago
LOL. I can envision the drunk uncle scenario already... and yes, can imagine that would be much more of a threat than a two year old in swimmy diapers.

Any other opinions out there from people with very small children?
murray93
16 years ago
Well - they are not meant to contain urine. Since urine is sterile, it's not much of an issue anyway (just a psychological one). And I don't think babies have a natural inclination to have a BM in water - none of my 3 kids have ever done it. I am actually more concerned about my 3 year old not wiping adequately and getting in the pool than my 7 month old having a BM accident. That said, the swimming diapers will not do a perfect job, especially with a loose stool. And if a child his having diarrhea, they shouldn't be in the pool anyway. I would definitely stay away from the Pampers Swimmies - use the cloth swimming diapers, the elastic is MUCH more secure and it's better for the environment. Babies and pools are just one of those risks you have to take to enjoy life, IMO. Have a fun summer!!!!
snookums
16 years ago
Cloth swim diapers (not regular cloth diapers) are better, WITH plastic pants over them. That's what I require. I keep a stash of them here and just ask parents to use them instead of the disposable swim diapers. We had one of those leak after the kid had exploded and had to close the pool for a week. The disposable ones don't have elastic on the top back and that's where it came out. The cloth ones do as well as the plastic pants over them. (The plastic pants I'm referring to are the Gerber plastic diaper covers that many of us wore over our cloth diapers as kids - you can still buy those.
dischnell
16 years ago
We have found the plastic lined swim diapers. They would keep things contained more so than the disposable swim diapers. I've used both and as stated above, urine will not stay contained in any swim diaper and I've never had an issue with a baby needing to have a BM while swimming. Normally a baby would get out of the pool to concentrate on that ;) as most babies do.
ROBERTnj
16 years ago
We find that "swimmies" work fine. We've never had any brown fish swimming in the pool. Until age 3, the biggest problem we had was just getting our daughter to wear them.
sis3
16 years ago
Just a thought - swim diapers for drunk uncles??????
zarbiya123
Original Author
16 years ago
ha! You've got an idea there. Wonder what the market would be like for this new invention...

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