Do you really need these! (Kooshies Swim Nappy)

Member Name: Susann

Product:	Kooshies Swim Nappy
Date:	10/02/03 (532 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Light, Quick drying, Give parents confidence

Disadvantages: Uncomfortable for toddlers, Fill with water when they stand up, Are they necessary?

These are a great product in theory, light, bright, easy to dry and contain all the poo! Well I'm sure they would if either of my children had ever done one in the pool in the last 6 years! Either the magical properties of Kooshies prevents anything nasty from attempting to make an exit under water or children just naturally don't poo while swimming and manufacturers are making a fortune from needlessly panicking parents!

They are well designed and sort of 'timeless'. They are a layer of 'parachute' nylon with another layer of mesh inside and a white cotton style binding on the edges. They fasten like a nappy at the front with velcro plus a tie/string for added security.

I had had a green pair in size M from John Lewis for my first child from about 5 months old (a bit baggy at first but I did't want to buy two pairs within a year) and then a L turquoise fish print pair that I think were a special edition by Kooshies for Boots. They are sized by weight like a nappy but like nappies they don't always fit properly at the start and end of the kg range - there's that 'crossover' stage. Qualitywise they still look like new and if they were necessary would have been excellent value per wear.

When I was a new parent I think buying things like this gave me confidence that I was doing and buying 'the right thing' and having a Kooshies label made me look like a competent person in the know about baby matters!. Having merrily bought whatever I wanted (within budget!) based on quick decisions for years, I suddenly researched every baby-related purchase, compared notes with friends and agonised over Kooshies vs those elasticated 'pants' style ones ('swimmates'?). Now I know it wouldn't have mattered either way!

Advantages of Kooshies - quick drying, but the fit around the legs sometimes left a gap even when child and swimnappy were supposedly the same size. The v
elcro and tie at the front sits quite low so they always looked as if they might fall off but actually never did.

The real problem was, as my child got to toddling and into the second pair, they used to bag and fill with water at the back if he stood up in the shallow end. The water would slowly drain out and down his legs but he would sometimes cry at having to drag about a pint of water around behind him while he tried to play. I used to rush over and wriggle them to get the water out quicky (a sort of Niagra effect!), so he could potter about in comfort. I have to say babies and toddlers in standard costumes always looked more at ease. I did try the swim nappy under another costume to stop it bagging out which I have seen other parents do too but then the child just looks extra bulky and you look as if you have poo paranoia! My son was much happier when I ditched them (he used to cry when he saw them come out of the bag!) and I have scarcely used them for my second child (almost typed 'number two' but then cringed!). Thinking about it, how happy would you be with a precariously attached nylon bag filled with water tied to your bottom while you learn to swim instad of a snug lycra costume?

I don't think children poo very often when swimming esp. if you work it around their ususal 'poo timetable' as they get a bit bigger. Even if they do, I can't see why a normal costume wouldn't contain it just as well. I have visited a pool where swim nappies were compulsory as the management said they had to empty, drain and sterilise the whole pool (presumably after evacuating 200 swimmers with a siren and police escort or something!), if a child did a poo in the pool wearing something other than a swim nappy. I suspect the fact the pool were selling Kooshies on the reception desk had something to do with this.

The only specialist swim product my child has been comfortable in is unfortunately the Huggies swim nappy
after I won a packet in a competition - not the first prize obviously! These were snug and didn't bag with water and were perfectly acceptable to every pool we went to.

However all these products do is hold the poo in until you get the child out of the water, the water is still in contact with and being 'contaminated' by the poo in the meantime so I don't really see the point or the diffence between them and a normal well fitting costume. The pool managers must know this which is why the levels of chlorine have to be so high.

Before investing in a pair I would borrow some from a friend or get a second hand pair just to see if they suit your baby. If they don't, put him/her in a normal costume and keep the Kosohies stashed in the baby bag for the odd pool that insists on them. Or if you are determined to have some, hint for a pair and say a hooded towel or swim seat as a new baby present.

On the plus side Kooshies do a great range of matching swim shoes and sunglasses which I think are much more useful. These are now in many shops/sites/catalogues but the best range is probably from Perfectly Happy People.

Happy swimming!

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