Swim Diapers

Updated on July 07, 2008
J.S. asks from Quincy, MA
26 answers

ok i have a silly question. what is the purpose of the swim dipes? i've tried two different kinds on my 10 month old and they both leak pee. i know this b/c she peed before going in the water and it leaked out everywhere. so what good are they? at least a regular dipe won't leak, it just swells when wet.

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So What Happened?

Thank you everyone for the information. You all confirmed what I suspected but didn't know for sure - that the swim dipes are mainly to contain the poop. Now I know! Thanks again.

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J.H.

answers from Burlington on

As far as I can tell they are just for added comfort as they don't swell up under a bathing suit and they are fine for catching a solid poop. When it comes to pee tho, they are truly useless....

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L.B.

answers from Boston on

They are supposed to hold in poop, not pee. Eventually a regular diaper will start leaking the gel inside that's made to absorb the liquid...yuk.

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T.W.

answers from Bangor on

I think it may hold the poo a little better then the pee. Much worse getting that in the pool water then pee.

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K.B.

answers from Boston on

Oh my...have you gotten responses for this yet? The swim diapers are for poop! They are definately not for pee. If you plan to do any swimming in a public pool, or any pool or lake, it will contain the poop. Real diapers will blow up SO big that there could be a huge explosion! :) I have experienced this! Plus, your little one will not be able to walk with a real diaper after playing in water. Good luck! After 7 years and 3 little girls, we are finally DIAPER FREE!!

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C.T.

answers from Boston on

The biggest and most common reason is that regular diapers will continue to swell until they burst and then you have thousands of tiny gel pellet things in the pool which can clog the filter and cause it to burn out. They're also not good for the environment which is why you wouldn't want it to happen in a lake or the ocean.

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J.A.

answers from Hartford on

J., Swim diapers are suppose to not let water in. The outer shell is nonabsorbent. What happens is that the inside does not absorb very well, so when you pick up your child and the diaper shifts the liquid comes out. It does not make much sense but it will.

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C.S.

answers from New London on

I had this question too! No, they're not supposed to hold in the urine. Urine is sterile; the swim diapers are to hold in the poop.

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T.W.

answers from New London on

they're basically just to hold in the poop. the regular diapers swell and will eventually explode if they get too wet. if you're in a public pool and a diaper explodes (or poop gets in the pool), the pool generally has to be shut down for a certain amount of time so i can be cleaned and stuff. (i was a lifeguard for years lol). it does stink when you get peed on through a swimming diaper though.

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L.B.

answers from Boston on

what everyone else said! i believe it is a common belief that they worked like diapers...so you could put it on, put the child in the car, drive to the beach...etc. they do not work that way...you will have a wet carseat!! i usually drive to the beach/pool, whatever w/ the kids dressed in regular diapers and then put their swim diapers and bathing suits on when i get there.

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J.S.

answers from Boston on

to keep the poop out of the pool!

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M.G.

answers from Boston on

Hi. It is to keep from having the swelling diaper on the child (can be painful and not fun) and to keep the poop in.
They do leak pee and should not be used expect at the pool/beach/watering hole.. not to be used in a car or anywhere else b/c they do not hold anything in.. Good luck

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C.O.

answers from Boston on

I use the Kushies Swim Diapers, they are re-useable, you just wash them like you would with her other clothes. They even have versions of these swinsuits with diapers built-in at like toys r us. They have worked great for me the past three summers with my son. Good luck!

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A.M.

answers from Hartford on

I was wondering the same thing... I think it just contains the poop?

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J.M.

answers from Boston on

Basically they keep poop from going into the pool! They have very little absorbency for pee or any liquid from poop so it's really gross when they do poop. Keep an eye on that!

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J.B.

answers from Boston on

they are just for poo

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E.M.

answers from Boston on

Swim diapers are to keep the POOP in, not the pee!
If the diaper kept the pee (and other water) in, they would swell and possibly sink the kids! So, they are just to keep the poop in. You can keep a high chlorine level for the pee in the pool, but if there is poop in the pool you need to drain the pool.

Good Luck!
E.

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R.F.

answers from Boston on

The swim diapers do not hold liquid which is why they do not swell & also do not hold pee. They are designed mainly to hold poop so you don't get that in the water. Since it does not swell it does not weigh the child down if they are learning to swim. most pools (like at hotels & the YMCA) require children who are not potty trained to where swim diapers. Some require the kind that looks like a swim suit & can be washed however these work the same as the wear & toss ones. Hope this helps.

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B.G.

answers from Boston on

Hey there,
The thing I dislike about the swim diapers is they leak if they pee in when dry, just as you experienced. However, they are great once your little one is wet and plays in the water more. The regular diapers swell up so much it really is comical. I guess I was always worried about my son being uncomfortable in such a huge wet diaper. I do think it makes a bigger difference when the child is a little older and is playing in the water for a long period of time (running in and out, etc).
Hope this helps!

M.B.

answers from Providence on

Hey J.!! I know that you posted this awhile ago, however, I think that the swinm dipes are a little bogus myself. I had the same results from them with the pee. So, how to keep the p out of the -ool? I found this awesome baby suit at babysrus last year ( i don't know if the still have them or not) it's a suit with a special liner to contain everything. It's a little tricky to get off if anything was done, bit the swim dipes swell just like regular ones do, and these suits are lighter and wicked cute. It looks just like swim trunks or a body suit. Worth checking into, trust me. We live in RI and are always at the beach! Good luck!!

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J.C.

answers from Boston on

Hi J.,

Swim diapers unfortunately only hold poop. Pee will not be absorbed...purchase of a swimmie is not to hold/absorb water like a regular diaper would. Personally, I think it's a good thing...I have used a regular diaper before in a kiddie pool and I didn't like how the "fully absorbed" diaper weighed my child down and made her unstable.

Hope this helps.

L.R.

answers from Boston on

The purpose of a swim diaper is only to hold in poop. The pee is no big deal b/c it is considered strile and relatively safe. Poop on the other hand is full of bacteria and can be very dangerous if ingested. Also, if you are in a pool, the chemicals in the pool can eliminate the urine fairly easily, but if your child poops the pool needs to be emptied, cleaned and retreated. This is a major issue in public pools and why swim diapers are required.

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K.M.

answers from Boston on

Hi J.

Just learned the same thing. I was told that they are really only for poop. because they don't swell when you get in the water either so they aren't ment to hold water or pee. My 2 year old peed all over me! ha! That's how I learned! UGH!

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L.L.

answers from Burlington on

right, swim diapers aren't meant to hold pee, their job is to contain poop if your child should poop while in the water!
the non disposable swim diapers are great...

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S.W.

answers from Boston on

Like others have answered, they are to keep the baby's bowel movement a/k/a poop out of the water. However, importantly, the swimmer diapers do not retain the ocean/pool/bay/pond water like a regular diaper does. If you only use a regular diaper it ends up very heavy; full of water.

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S.S.

answers from Boston on

They pretty much just contain the solids. Reg diapers swell up so much it can interfere with their movement. I just bought a washable "swim diaper" and will try to see if this works as well - plus saves me $.

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L.B.

answers from Boston on

J.: the reason for swim diapers isn't because it is supposed to stop pee. Unfortunately nothing really does in the water. But it is used to stop feces from floating or getting into the pool for the safety of other swimmers. The diapers do swell yes, but when they explode they drop little pieces of whatever they are made of everywhere. So they are NOT good for the water and the safetly and health of others. Have you ever dropped one that was full of water? try it you will see it is a MESS and imagine what it would do to pool water if it does it in the pool. Even a finger poking through one of the diapers would do this. so, even though the swimmies do not absorb as we would like but does stop disasters from happening in the pool. Of course any "pee" that does get in the pool (which happens anyway even with older children) that is what the chlorine is for.

L.

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