As cute and adorable as babies are, every once in a while they can give us the most painful of headaches when they eventually cause a mess. If you thought it was a nightmare to clean up after them at home, imagine how much worse it is if they potty in a public pool. Well, it’s not you who will clean up the mess, but I don’t think the pool staff will appreciate it.
You don’t want to cause a mass evacuation of the pool for decontamination purposes because your baby pooped in it, do you? If so, then you really need to put a swim diaper on your baby. A baby swimsuit alone is not enough; your baby must also wear a swim diaper under their swimsuit for maximum protection.
To clarify, your baby must wear a swim diaper, not a regular diaper. Regular diapers are extremely absorbent and will soak up all the chlorinated water, which renders the absorbent material useless and also quite heavy. It is a legitimate safety issue that increases the chances of drowning. Furthermore, regular diapers can disintegrate in the pool, and if there is poop in it, can result in brown particulates spreading everywhere.
If you keep reading, we will explain just how important it is for your baby to wear a swim diaper under their swimsuit, why regular diapers are not allowed, and how swim diapers compare to regular diapers.
Why must swim diapers be worn under a swimsuit?
Wearing a swim diaper under a swimsuit helps keep the diaper in place. But, more than that, swim diapers serve the following purposes. They:
- Keep poop contained in the diaper.
- Decrease the spread of fecal matter and fecal bacterial contamination in the pool.
- Prevent spreading waste bacteria like E.coli.
- Give other pool-goers peace of mind.
If poop is discovered floating around the pool, the facility will be forced to temporarily shut down until they can decontaminate the pool. This is an arduous process, requiring them to evacuate everyone, drain the pool, clean it, add the water back, and re-balance the water chemistry with chemicals.
You don’t want to be the parent that did not put a swim diaper on their baby and caused the whole evacuation due to contamination. Not even toddlers are exempt from swim diapers. They must wear one when going to the pool.
Some public pools have such strict dress codes that they do not even allow swim diapers. Effectively, this means you cannot bring your baby or toddler to the pool. That said, the vast majority of pools allow swim diapers to be worn.
Why can’t babies wear regular diapers with their swimsuits?
For the same reasons why you cannot wear regular clothes to the swimming pool, regular diapers are not allowed because they aren’t designed to be used in the water.
They cannot be expected to keep poop in place, and they will absorb copious amounts of fluid because that’s what they are designed to do. Once it reaches capacity, regular diapers will become waterlogged, heavy, and likely to fall off or fall apart. The same goes for cloth diapers that become very saggy once it soaks up water.
Swim diapers, on the other hand, are non-absorbent, precisely to avoid this issue of saggy bottoms that regular diapers would face. It can hold poop, but not any fluids. So what about pee? It’s not a concern because the amount of urine a baby produces is trivial compared to an adult. Plus, 95% of urine is essentially water, so only the remaining 5% are waste products that the chlorine will deal with.
Now, the fun part is that since the swim diaper is worn under the swimsuit, you can get a cute swimsuit to make your baby look adorable while swimming.
Why are swim diapers the superior choice?
Aside from the colorful and cute designs that swim diapers come in, the most important part is that they are designed to be worn in the water. That means no bumpy bottom that makes your baby look like a bee. The sagging of a regular diaper is a legitimate issue if it causes the diaper to fall off or to make it hard for your baby to stay afloat.
Swim diapers are designed with safety and cleanliness in mind. Its outer fabric material is made using 100% PUL polyester and the inside is lined with polyester mesh for easy washing and cleaning. You can get reusable swim diapers if you plan on taking your baby to the pool often.
Furthermore, swim diapers have adjustable snaps around the legs, waist, and front which offer different sizes of width and length, perfect for getting a snug fit on your growing baby. The convenience and functionality of the swim diaper is what makes them the top choice for parents who want to bring their baby into the pool.
Functionality aside, a consideration is the cost. If you buy a reusable swim diaper and you take good care of it, it can save you a ton of money in the long run. Reusable diapers are the most practical option, especially if you are bringing multiple babies with you. They are easy to wash, clean, carry, dry, and they’ll last a long time if you take good care of them.
Parting words
Babies absolutely should be wearing a swim diaper under their swimsuit until they are old enough to control themselves. At public swimming pools, the health and safety of all pool goers is the top priority. Unfortunately, regular diapers are neither safe nor sanitary. They will get waterlogged and become a safety hazard, plus they will not reliably contain any poop, which will cause major sanitary issues.
Swim diapers are, therefore, beneficial for everybody involved. As a parent, you want the cleanup to be nice and easy, and for your baby to be safe. You also don’t want to be on the hook for causing a mass disruption at the pool.
The pool staff wants everybody at the pool to feel safe, and finding poop floating around in the water does not inspire confidence. It’s also not good for business to constantly evacuate everybody in order to sanitize the pool and the water.
Let the pool experience be smooth and enjoyable for everybody involved, especially for your babies, by putting swim diapers under their swimsuits. Swim diapers come in cute designs themselves, and the swimsuit also comes in colorful and cute designs. Pair a swim diaper with any swimwear, swim suit, or rash guard for a complete look.