Swimming with confidence. (Kooshies Swim Nappy)

Member Name: CarolineH

Product:	Kooshies Swim Nappy
Date:	06/10/01 (851 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Secure and comfy fit, Easy to put on, Can be machine washed and tumble dried

Disadvantages: Can be difficult to judge correct size needed

Back in the halcyon days when I was happily pregnant - finished work but not too fat, the imminent arrival just far enough around the corner - I would lie back, rub my bump and dream of all the wonderful supermum type activities I would do with my baby once he/she was born. A month later, a rather early rude awakening disturbed my dreams and I found myself muddling through four months of constant feeding, staying awake all night and panicking about what a terrible mother I was. At the end of those four months, and a few new friends later, I dragged myself out of that fog and began to really enjoy doing things with my bundle of fun! One of the things I'd always planned to do was swimming.

I waited for Thomas to have all his jabs, dug out my swimming costume (no comment about that) and began a search for something suitable for Thomas to wear. I knew little trunks would be useless in the event of a 'little accident' and I knew that normal nappies blow up out of all proportion in the water, becoming extremely heavy and uncomfortable. (I didn't know that through experience by the way!) So, what were my options? I searched the high street shops - Mothercare, Boots, Tesco - and found that it's possible to buy disposable swim nappies. That would have been fine, except that Thomas was only tiny (having weighed 5lb 1oz at birth, and being a shorty to boot) - there didn't seem to be any available to fit him - even the smallest would have fallen off as soon as I'd lifted him up.

I was frustrated, I must admit, until a friend introduced me to the Perfectly Happy People catalogue. This catalogue is absolutely chocablock full of wonderful ideas and goodies, including Kooshies' reusable swim nappies, which I immediately decided to try. I figured that, at £7.99 each, if you went swimming on a fairly regular basis, you would soon be better off than if you had to keep buying pack of disposable nappies. (As it is, Thomas has been using
the same ones for ones a year, and is only just in need of the next size up.) It is also a much more environmentally friendly option.

The nappy has been incredibly successful. My dream of being a super mum never did come true, but we've definitely been swimming enough to recoup the cost of the disposable nappies. The Kooshies nappy fits very snugly, as it has softly elasticated legs, a Velcro fastening and a tie, just to make sure. It is as easy as any normal nappy to put on. The back comes up higher than the front, so those little parcels can't escape. Thankfully, Thomas hasn't had the urge whilst in the pool, but I'm confident nothing would escape! The material is light and rip-proof, and dries quickly. The nappies can be machine-washed and tumble dried, which is a huge advantage in the winter. They come in a wide range of colours and sizes, and apparently won the Mother & Baby magazine Gold Award in both 1989 and 1999, and for ease of use and reliability I can see why.

Thomas loves going swimming, and I enjoy taking him. Not having to worry about the security and fit of his nappy is a great help.

Here are some details I hope you find useful:

Perfectly Happy People website: www.thebabycatalogue.com

Unisex swim nappies come in 4 sizes - small (0-6 months/3-6kgs); medium (6-12 months/6-11kgs); large (12-18 months/11-18 kgs) and x-large (18-24 months/16-23kgs). I think it's best to go by the weight guide rather than by age - you get a more accurate fit.

They come in seven colours - blue, pink, red, orange, purple, green, blue fish print and pink fish print - all at £7.99. They also do a 'girlie' swim nappy - a swimsuit with the nappy bit in it, for the same price.

Go Swim!

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