Children’s swim nappies for the pool and sea: how do they work?

The washable swim nappies for children, also called bath nappies, perfectly replace the disposable pool nappies. But what must contain the swimsuits contain? Have you ever asked it to yourself? With my first daughter, I used them in the pool without reflecting too much on their meaning, also because I did not yet know the alternatives (and not even washable nappies), but after each use I looked at them puzzled: it still seems in good condition, which I do ? Do I reuse it? Could he have peed in it? Will it still work after getting wet? The only clear advantage was that it didn’t swell like a normal wet disposable nappy.

Then, going more and more to the children’s tub in the swimming pool, I realized the real problem: poop. A swim nappies should hold back poop, not pee. Try to think:

1 – Are we sure that no child (or adult…) after the age of three, with a classic costume, pees in the pool? I have my doubts, we know that the old story that pee in the pool is colored is an urban legend… If the problem was pee we would all be forced in the pool to use a swim nappy. Obviously it is not to be done, and more aware children should be taught to do it before the bath and to get out of the water if it escapes.

2 – Even if we wanted to prevent a small child’s pee from contaminating the pool, how can we be sure that the pee is immediately absorbed by the nappy? The nappy absorbs water as soon as you enter the tub, the pee is liquid and is dispersed in a liquid, it is quite difficult to verify that the flow is immediately captured by the nappy and does not end up in the water anyway…

On the other hand, when there is the presence of feces in the pool, there is a very precise procedure to follow: you have to get everyone out of the pool (imagine the joy of the bathers…), recover the floating solid elements with the net (and imagine the joy of the lifeguard…) and do a water disinfection treatment. The pool usually remains closed for a few hours depending on the size. The following photo immortalizes an August afternoon in the swimming pool I frequent, “closed for poop”.

It is therefore important to let younger children wear the swim nappy if they do not yet have control of their body, so that any poop is not dispersed in the water. In this way the parent is able to take the child out of the water to change him avoiding embarrassing and decidedly unhygienic situations.

In the pools open to the public, the swim nappy for children is generally mandatory, but if you have a private pool or are planning to go to the beach, the situation is a little different. However, consider that if your child bathes in the sea there is always the possibility that the poop will escape in the water and for good manners it would still be good to use a containment costume, even if there is no obligation.

The advantages of the washable swim nappy

• If the child is small and plays on the water’s edge or on the beach, the use of a washable swim nappy certainly leaves the skin more free to breathe than a disposable swim nappy.
• With two or three washable swim nappies you can spend a summer at the beach or in the pool without constantly having to buy disposable swim nappies, also avoiding producing non-recyclable waste.
  
• The washable swim nappies are definitely more beautiful than the disposable ones! They are very similar to normal bathing suits: if your 2-year-old son is already independent but in the pool he is forced to use a swim nappy, you don’t have to put the nappy back on as when he was younger. If you use swim nappy for him it will simply be the swimming suit, similar to that of big children.
•  The swim nappies have stretch, reinforced and well-fitting edges at the waist and around the thigh to safely hold back any “accidents” in the water.

There are several models of washable swim nappies on the market: in the next post I will explain the caratteristiche e le features and differences of the models produced by Charlie Banana and Popolini. You can immediately see here the swim nappies available from Happynappy. Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss the next posts: