Little Swimmers with no Little Floaters! (Huggies Little Swimmers)

Member Name: powerball

Product:	Huggies Little Swimmers
Date:	20/09/09 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Comfortable, good fitting, attractive design

Disadvantages: Pricey

I started my baby off with swimming lessons when he was just 12 weeks old. I was a water baby myself and was a pretty competent swimmer even at the age of 4, but I do have a vivid memory from that early age, of seeing something floating in the gutter of the training pool at out local baths, and despite the temperature being warmer, deciding that from that moment on, I would only swim in the "baby-free" big pool.
I have no idea if swim nappies existed in those days. I haven't asked my mother what she used to dress me in as a young swimmer, but I suspect you just had to take a chance.
The school of swimming that I use with my son have strict rules. Children, (even after they have been potty trained) must, until the age of 4, wear Little Swimmers swim nappies along with a Happy Nappy. It's the combination of these two products that ensures there are no spillages in their pools.
Huggies Little swimmers are essentially the bit that looks pretty much like a conventional, pull up, disposable nappy. They come in Small, Medium and Large sizes. You get 12 nappies in the packet of Small, 11 in Medium and 10 in the Large size. They are very attractively decorated with Nemo and Tigger in bright colours. The 12 week old baby really couldn't care less about this, but as you approach the stage where nappies are no longer necessary or tolerated on dry land, Nemo can be a saviour!
I haven't yet reached the stage where I use the Large nappies, but the small and medium have fitted surprisingly well. I hadn't realised that even at this young age, bottoms come in so many shapes and sizes, and we have pretty much exhausted the huge selection of day time nappies on offer in order to find the perfect fit. No such problem with these - however, this could be due th the Happy Nappy we put on over the top. More of that later.

We were never really sure which way around these nappies were supposed to be worn. They are pretty much symmetrical with an attractive picture on both sides. There isn't the give away as on normal nappies of the sticky strip you use for folding the soiled nappy up which is always on the back. However, about 12 months into my usage of Little Swimmers, I discovered that on one side, at the top of the nappy, as part of the design, there is a kind of drawstring drawn in, to make the nappy look like swimming shorts. That's the front! Obvious, yeah?! Well, nobody else in our swimming group had worked it out either!

For the first 12 months or so, it was impossible to say if these nappies really worked. Despite our lessons being in warm, hydro-therapy pools (which apparently can make little ones perform - and I don't mean swim better!), there were no "movements" from my little one, so nothing really to report. Lately, however, it seems, no matter what time of day we go swimming, he ends up doing a poo in the pool! But don't worry all you readers who are thinking of clicking on my profile and trying to find out where I live, in order to give all the local swimming pools a wide berth. These nappies are incredible. I'm not going to pretend that it's a nice job getting changed afterwards, but everything is contained. Every single time.

I have no idea how these nappies work. I have, however made a few observations. If you have ever immersed a regular nappy in water (I know it's an odd thing to do, but try it! It's quite good fun.) you will see that these things have a huge capacity for liquid, There's a kind of gel in there that soaks it all up and can end up enormously heavy. Little Swimmers do not do this. They do not expand at all. Obviously this is an advantage to start off with - baby does not get drowned by the weight of his own nappy.
Apparently, these Little Swimmers need to be wet to actually work. One day, after swimming class, I realised I had forgotten to bring any new regular nappies on, so for a stop gap, until we got home, I was about to put a new Little Swimmer on my son. Another mother saw me do this and shouted "No - stop! Don't do that - they don't work when dry. Believe me. We had a terrible disaster with one once when we were made to do the same thing." She forced me to take one of her regular nappies.

I mentioned earlier the Happy Nappy that we wear on top of the swim nappy. These look pretty much like Speedos for babies. They are made of supple, stretchy neoprene and have snug fitting bands of fabric with a high rubber content around the legs. Basically, this is the bit that "keeps it all in"! Hopefully I will review this particular product fully at some stage.
I have heard it said that Little Swimmers leak and cause embarrassment in pools. However, I'm not sure that they claim to hold everything in. It's the fact that thay do not swell like a conventional disposable nappy, which would make swimming (and paddling - they always end up with a wet bum in the paddling pool or the seaside!) impossible.
These nappies are rather pricey. This is perhaps because, as far as I can see, there is no competition. They are roughly £5.30 for packets of 10, 11 or 12, although there are some offers to be had when buying in bulk. It's quite a large range, but a single nappy works out at between 33p and 53p. It's a lot to pay. Swimming lessons can also cost a fair amount, although in our area, little ones can go for a swim with a parent for free. I have a 2 year old now who although perhaps won't make it for 2012, could probably make it to the side of a pond if he were to fall in. Put in those terms, I don't resent the cost of the swimming nappies I've used in his lessons.

And I also have a clear conscience in that no 4 year old has been left mentally scarred by the sight of any of my son's little floaters.

Summary: An excellent nappy for swimming.