The Bathing Suit Debacle

Here's what the girls' bathing suit inventory looked like last summer:

• 2 bikinis from The Children's Place
• 1 bikini from Target
• 1 one piece suit (halter top style) from The Children's Place
• 3 one piece suits (halter top style) from a department store (gift from Auntie Joan)

The bikinis were a bit loose last year but wearable. The suits from The Children's Place were size 24 months and all the others were size 2T.

I purchased a few size 3T bathing suits ahead of time for this summer and now that bathing suit weather is upon us, wouldn't you know that these suits are too big for my skinny minis. The one piece bathing suits from last year are too small. If they were tank top like, they probably would have fit but because they are halter top style, they were pulling too much on their necks.

To make a bit of a long story short here, I can't believe that it took me over a year to figure out that Anna is allergic to something in The Children's Place bathing suits. I wanted to post this for anyone reading who has a little one with spina bifida. People with spina bifida are more susceptible to latex allergies and apparently, after searching the internet, latex may be in the fabric of the bathing suits. Awesome.

I always thought that she was breaking out in a heat rash because she wears bathing suits on hot days and her medication gives her heat flashes. Her little cheeks become really pink fast and we have to make sure she is taking in fluids. The rash is only on areas covered by the bathing suit and doesn't really seem to bother her. But still, she shouldn't be breaking out like that.

So before I figured out that Anna is allergic to TCP bathing suits, I went to H&M and purchased 3 tankinis and 1 purple bikini (for you know who.) And I have to tell you that these bathing suits are adorable. (I promise to post pictures when I am able to take pictures of them.)

Grammy and my niece had the girls out in the sprinkler a few times this past month and Anna had been wearing this size 3T green Tommy Hilfiger one piece bathing suit (bought on sale at TJ Maxx last year) that was a bit loose. If she was breaking out after wearing it, it wasn't very noticeable. Or I can't really remember.

Well, last week Grammy and I had the girls out playing in the sprinkler and Allie decided that she wanted to wear the green one piece (which is really too big to wear in public but at home is okay) so Anna picked out one of bikinis from TCP.

Here's Anna aiming the sprinkler at Allie.

Wouldn't you know that the next day, she had a rash almost in the exact shape of her bathing suit top. Thankfully we had her wearing a diaper so there was just a small area with the rash around her waist.

I'll end with a few things:

1. If your girls are skinny minis like mine, check out the two piece bathing suits at H&M. I purchased size 1-2 years and they fit perfectly. A friend of mine has a skinny 5 year old and she purchased size 2-4 years.
2. Avoid suits with "ruffle b.u.ms." When wet, the bottom will sag and your little one, especially those who are potty trained, will be running around showing their little b.u.ms.
3. The H&M tankinis don't feel as "elastic" and the label shows a different fabric than TCP so I am keeping my fingers crossed that Anna doesn't break out. It's going to be trial & error to determine what she can and cannot wear.