Advice on Swimming outfits please

[PadDad]

About to start 1yr-old DD on swimming lessons at the leisure centre, and have to buy outfit(s?)

What's the nappy situation with this?

Should I get:

• Swim nappies (how many?)
• An outfit she can wear normal nappies underneath which won't leak?
• A girl's 'body' costume, or just a 'shorts' thingy?
• One of those mini-wetsuit affairs?

Want to go to a shop in London today/tomorrow, rather than buying online.

how warm is the pool?

you can either get a reusable swim nappy or use the huggies/pampers swimming disposables

normal nappies are no good

mine wore disp swim nappies plus a wetsuit number
you can get them in mothercare/jojomaman etc

these are great Sorry don't know where to buy on high street. They make a huge difference, even in the warm therapy pools.
And a disposable swim nappy underneath

you really need to find out how warm the pool is.
my dds have swimming lessons in a normal adults pool and wear a wetsuit combi here

these are the best reusable swim nappies happy nappy. wear it under just a swimsuit if the water is warm (a dedicated toddler pool) or wear under a swimsuit with one of these over the top if a colder pool baby wrap

have fun!

sorry don't know where these are sold in the high street - but i use this website all the time and they usually despatch next day.

Thank you.

It is a dedicated toddler pool, but we'll be going to other pools elsewhere round the country when travelling with my wife as she works.

I'm a babyswim teacher, so can advise with panache here!
You should NEVER use a normal disposable nappy in a swimming pool, as the chemicals in it will react with the chlorine. The best swim nappies to use are reusable front or side fastening nappies, such as the Popolino swim nappy, which is really cute. Little swimmers are a waste of money! You can sell a reusable nappy on second hand or re-use for another baby, and they are pretty enough to use as a swimming costume on their own.
The only reason you need a swim nappy is to contain any solids - wee is not a problem in a pool, as it's neutralized on contact with chlorine, and is sterile when passed. Contrary to popular belief, most public pools do NOT demand a 2 tier nappy system, and do NOT demand disposable ones - this is a fallacy put about by some Baby Swim school chains, to boost their sales of swim nappies and neoprene covers! Check with your local pool to see what they require.

I would however HIGHLY recommend a baby or child wetsuit, if you are swimming in a normal leisure pool. Recommended minimum water temperature for babies is 32ºC, and very few public pools are this warm. Babywarma wetsuits make a tremendous difference. This online seller www.littlepants.co.uk guarantees a part exchange on baby wetsuits previously purchased from the shop, when a larger size is required, so shop around a bit as well.

I found the disposable swim nappies perfectly good and they could be used several times (and washed in the washing machine). I did find it was easier for me in a poo situation as I could just take it off and bin it - whereas the reusable had to be taken home, soaked and washed. Not a huge amount of work, granted, but we were at the pool/beach a lot.

If you do go for a reusable, try to get one with poppered sides as, again in the case of a poo, they are easier to change.

DD was always fine in just a swimming costume over the nappy. She probably didn't need one, but I bought her one as it was cute .

She never wore a wetsuit until she went in the sea, and her first dip was at 13 weeks in an open air pool in Newquay! She was certainly always fine in any pool we went in for a good hour in just a costume. But maybe that's just her, as she is a very hot child who doesn't seem to feel the cold.

I never put her in lessons as I taught her myself, but looking at the ones at our local pool, they did seem to spend time sitting on the side of the pool, which dd never did, and it's then that they get cold, so a wettie might not be a bad idea in that situation.