One piece or bikini (for baby that is!)

[aidansmommy]

I already know that I won't be bearing my belly this summer!;)

My dd will be about 5-6 mos. when we'll be needing bathing suits. We'll be using them a lot as we have a pool and also live near the beach.
I know it really is probably personal preference, but what do you like for baby girls? I've seen some cute bikinis, but are they practical/comfortable for little babies? Do the tops ride up, etc.?
What do you put your daughters in?

[C99]

for a baby that age, definitely one-piece. I would think a bikini would just ride up.

[sarahsthreads]

We had a one piece and a two piece last summer. DD wore the two piece exactly once. It just exposed soooo much skin - and it's hard enough making sure you get enough sunblock everywhere as it is on a squirmy baby or toddler! I did find the top didn't stay in place very well. DD also didn't like it, maybe because it didn't keep her as warm in the water? Honestly, I prefer the look of modestly cut one piece suits on little girls anyway, but I fell prey to the adorable matching bikini, coverup and sun hat. Yeah...the coverup is still in the closet with the tags on. Not sure what I was thinking there - it's not like a toddler in a non-absorbent swim diaper and bikini is going to run around after swimming with a coverup on. ;)

As another alternative, I found one of those board shorts/t-shirt style two piece suits for this summer as DD will hopefully be mostly potty-trained by then. They were at Target, though I don't know if they came in infant sizes or if they were just for toddlers. I also can't say whether the top on that style will ride up or not since we haven't used it yet.

Sarah :)

[sadie427]

I have a boy, but you will want all the sun coverage you can get IMO. DS wears a "rashguard" as well as shorts. Of course you can use sunscreen, but cloth gives better protection since it doesn't wash off.

[mominma]

I find the 2 pieces much easer to put on the baby. I usually opt for the bikini bottom with a t-shirt on top.

[trumansmom]

We had tankinis and one pieces. If you go with a one piece, it's worth the extra money to buy one with crotch snaps. I hated trying to pull wet bathing suits off of DD.


Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04

[caleymama]

We've liked tankinis the best. The ones we have look like one-pieces in terms of coverage but are a separate top and bottom. I don't like the true bikinis on little girls. I found them much easier to change diapers in or go potty in than regular one-piece suits. We've had several brands (Lands End as well as department store) and never had a problem with the tops riding up or anything. The second summer my older DD wore her Lands End tankini there was maybe a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of skin visible between top and bottom but not enough to bother me. The ones we've had for my younger DD had longer, swingier tops that weren't as fitted.
ETA: We also had a matching short-sleeved rash guard top with the Lands End tankini, so we had the regular tank top or the short-sleeved top to wear. Both were great.

[crayonblue]

Tankinis! So easy to get on and off and expose very little skin. I really don't like itsy bitsy bikinis on little girls but the tankinis are fine.

[kep]

That sounds like a great idea!

Kelli

Proud Mommy to Lukey (2003). Weaned after 3 years of happy nursing!
And Mommy to our newest baby, Joseph, born 3 days after Christmas.

[cuca_]

I love tankinis for the reasons mentioned by others. My DDs also have a few bikinis that they wear with a rash guard. I would get her a rash guard if you are spending a lot of time outside. Lands End has very cute ones to match their suits, as do other brands. Oh, and just in case, the rash guard should fit snuggly, otherwise it will ride up.

Carmen
DD May 2003
DD May 2005

[Melanie]

I would do the one-piece. My daughter is not wearing a bikini until she asks for one, and even then probably not!

[Piglet]

I have boys, but am I the only one that doesn't see the point of bathing suits on babies? I just put a swim diaper and a swim cover and put a t-shirt on top for sun protection. I don't see how girls are any different than boys that way - it's not like they have any more reason for wearing a bathing top than a boy for many many more years.

Maybe I am missing something...

[xmasbabycomin]

I see you're hoping for pink...well, have you sEen the adorable baby girl bathing suits? How can you nOt get one, even if it is unnecessary? :)

Maybe I'm weird, but I wouldn't feel comfortable having my DD in just a swim diaper with nothing on top in public. I also wouldn't put her in a two piece. Why does a baby need to expose skin, especially outside in the sun? PLease don't flame me, but IMO putting bikinis on babies is starting down the slippery slope of makeup, hair bleach and scary pageant sexualization.

[lenad]

I agree w/ you. The first summer I had my dd in a swim diaper and a T-shirt and it was fine. The second summer I got 2 two-piece swim suits (peer pressure I guess, LOL). I wanted a separate bottom so it would be easy for diaper change. Well, my dd only wore the bottom and absolutely refused the top, and one swim suit she wouldn't wear at all. I let her. I did put a ton of sunscreen on her repeatedely while we were on the beach, and she was fine.

As for the top: it's simply cute. Otherwise I'd rather put a t-shirt on her, more coverage. (As I mentioned, my dd refused to wear the swimsuit top anyway.)

I actually found it hard to find cute swimsuits that fit my dd, and didn't want to spend $$$ for something that would get very little use. I watched eBay closely, and was shocked to see for how much money used swim suit sold.

[cuca_]

Ok, no flames to you, but I really have to disagree with your last sentence. I fail to see how I'm sexualizing my kid by having her wear a two piece bathing suit. I understand that people have different levels of comfort and ideas about this, but to say that whoever puts their kid in a bikini is starting in the slippery slope of makeup, hair bleach and pageant sexualization is a bit much. I put my kids in two piece bathing suits, and trust me I am not going down any slippery slope.

I have two girls and they will wear makeup when they reach an age where I feel that is appropiate (probably in their teens), but they will never, ever participate in a child pageant or bleach their hair while they are kids. If they want to do that later in life, I will try to discourage them, but of course when they become adults those will be their decissions to make. My daughters wear both one pieces and two-pieces and usually have a rash guard on top, but even if they didn't, they wouldn't be showing any more skin that a boy wearing a swim suit (maybe a bit more leg, but that would happen even with a one-piece).

Just to clarify, I have no problem with the posters who said that they would not put a bikini on their girls, but I do have a problem with the assumption that those who do are in some way objectifying their kids, and going down a slippery slope.


Carmen
DD May 2003
DD May 2005