TrendLife Tags

We recently tried out the Mothercare Floating Ring.  Being an inflatable, it's great to pack into the suitcase and it didn’t require a pump, just a bit of lung power.  It supported a five month old well, but my baby did tend to float forwards or backwards, as the swim nappies caused her to have a buoyant bum!

Smaller babies can’t reach over the edges to splash the water which is one of the main swimming appeals for little ones.

It didn’t deflate very easily at all, which meant that in a rush to pack, we had to leave it behind.

All in all – I would suggest going for a small swimming aid.

£13 - www.mothercare.com

We tried out the Huggies Swim nappies on a recent summer holiday.  They were great for short swims as they don’t bulk up with water anywhere near as much as the regular nappies with waterproof covers, but they wouldn’t keep in any poos!  However, once out of the water, don’t make the mistake that we did and think you can get away with a swim nappy for a few hours instead of a proper one… it ended in a poo-disaster!

They are easy to get on and off with Velcro-like attachments and they are adorned with lovely ‘Finding Nemo’ designs.

Rather than using a Swim Nappy on its own, I would personally feel more comfortable combining a swim nappy with a neoprene outer for extra safety.

£5.99

www.boots.com

Before you jump in you will need swim nappies so your little one doesnt leave a nice surprise in the water!  There are a few options out there; either disposable ones or reusable nappies which you wash after each use and use with or without a liner.

The disposable swim nappies have the same absorbent centre as regular disposables but they don't swell up in the pool, weighing down the baby.  Like normal disposable nappies they are thrown away after use.

A colourful example of a disposable swim nappy is the Happy Nappy Patterned Swim Nappy which comes recommended by baby swim schools.  They are made of 1mm neoprene and are guaranteed not to let any solid leaks occur, although they can be used alone, they are much easier to clean with a liner and wrap.

Happy Nappy Patterned Swim Nappy £8.35 from www.swimbabes.co.uk  - they also have a big selection of all sorts of other swim nappies and accessories.