My daughter has a swimming crash course booked for the first week in August, It is a 30 minute lesson each day and I’m worried about keeping her Libre sensor protected and stopping it falling off after each session.

<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>I have seen a few threads on here about diabetes and I was wondering if anyone on here had any tips for protecting the sensor whilst she is swimming. </span>

For the bath, shower paddling pool I usually use the waterproof tape but I don’t think it would cut it for being in a swimming pool.

I have googled a few possible solutions but the reviews are very mixed.

Supersapiens have the answer for you! I’ll dig out a link. Our kid uses their sports patches for dance etc… and will use in the sea if we can get near it in Cornwall this summer…

https://www.supersapiens.com/en-GB/accessories/patches/

My daughter is T1 and she had a swimsuit that had a sleeve that came down to top of elbow.

Even when she grew out of this, we cut a stretch of the sleeve off to put over the sensor.

There is also this company Funky Pumpers, they make loads of accessories for diabetics, including sleeves:

https://www.funkypumpers.com/product-category/armbands-for-sensor-or-pods/

Do they fall off in water? My wife doesn’t cover her’s in the shower or when swimming. Suppose if they are getting knocked then water isn’t going to help.

EDIT: I should caveat the swimming my wife does at the moment is taking our 1 year old to a lesson. Not sure the sensor is actually under water for that long

I’m using one.
At first I lost a few swimming and on door jams, but started covering them with a 8 inch-ish strip of kinesiology tape. I’m now using a Miaomiao too, to feed the data to my phone and watch, and the tape keeps the whole thing in place really well. The tape I’m using (cheap Amazon stuff) lasts about as long as the sensor does.

Haven’t failed a sensor or Miaomiao with extended swimming or surfing sessions so far.

Do they fall off in water? My wife doesn’t cover her’s in the shower or when swimming. Suppose if they are getting knocked then water isn’t going to help.

They are supposed to last 14 days. If they get wet the glue that holds them stops working as well and they don’t last as long. I assume it is less of a problem with an adult arm as they are bigger so the sensor sits more securely on the arm.

@superdan That kinesiology tape sounds like a good shout just to help with general knocks and scrapes.

I use 2″ wide Kinesio Tex Gold, about 3″ long, to cover mine. As Supadan says, it lasts for the life of the sensor.

Edit

Never had a problem with them falling off…even with my 3 hour sleeps in a bath.

Swimming in pools (inside and outside) and in lochs hasn’t shifted it either.

Going on social media posts it appears they all fail but apart from the 3 I’ve hit on door sills (my own fault), I’ve never lost one and I’ve been using them since they first came out (self-funded the first 20 months before going on prescription).

I give my arm a clean with a swab and then let it dry. I then apply the sensor and as I press down, I then give it a hard press and hold down for about 5 seconds and then remove the applicator.

Seems to work for me, but aware it doesn’t work for everyone.

11 year old son is T1. Libre wearer for about 4 years. Done swimming lessons, messing about in a pool, surfing in the atlantic etc – we wrap a couple of wraps of this stuff around it. Does the job. Cohesive Elastic Bandage – you can get it from Boots, Superdrug, Wilko etc –

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-blue-cohesive-bandage-75cm-x-45m/p/0348502

I give my arm a clean with a swab and then let it dry. I then apply the sensor and as I press down, I then give it a hard press and hold down for about 5 seconds and then remove the applicator.

Seems to work for me, but aware it doesn’t work for everyone.

I do a similar process but the big problem is that my daughter is only 6 and has small arms so it is hard to get a good flat seal between the sensor and the skin due to the curve of her arm. There will often be a little crease that has the potential to let the water in.

Wife (diabetes dietician) says they’re capable of being immersed, and that swimming is an expected activity for users to be doing. Her rule of thumb though is: 30 mins in water, then get out and dry them else they can lose adhesion.

Although reading some of the above, we’re way outside that already here. I’m assuming her rule of thumb errs heavily on the side of caution.