Before I was a mom, going to the pool or beach really meant laying out in the sun with a good book or trashy magazine, and occasionally going for a literal dip in the pool (no swimming, just in and out!) when it got too hot so I could cool off a bit before laying back down… gosh, that sounds so luxurious right now!

Nowadays, our pool and beach visits are a far cry from that. Now, all of my time is spent watching, chasing and splashing (or getting splashed by) Lil’ CB. And now that Lil’ CB is actually swimming (or something that looks remotely like swimming) on his own sans floaties, it means I’m in and out of the water all the more, keeping an extra close and vigilant eye on my little fish, because right now, he is really more confident than capable. Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to do this with my little guy, but it means that my usual rotation of bikinis had to go. Because it’s relatively easy to hide jiggle when all you’re doing is laying down…but, when you’re literally chasing after a 4 year-old? Not so much.

For the previous 2 summers, I wore these tankini tops from Target. And while they offered the convenience and ease of a 2-piece, I finally had to admit that they were just not flattering. In fact, they seemed to accentuate my mid-section and make it look even bigger than it actually is.

So, I sucked it up and headed into one-piece mom suit land.

And you know what? It’s not so bad. Sure, it’s annoying to get the suits on and off, but I feel so much more comfortable and confident in my one-piece suits.

Here are the two suits I’ve been wearing this pool season:

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La Blanca Island Goddess One Piece

I looooooove this suit. Like, so, so much. Once you get it on, it’s actually incredibly comfortable and I love the detachable halter strap. The suit is a little bit retro-looking, which I love. And I find the sweetheart neckline to be very flattering and the ruching is very forgiving. I actually scored a great deal on this at Marshall’s, too! I’m actually thinking about heading back to see if I can find this suit in another color because I love it so much. I sized up one size from my usual dress size and could probably have gotten away with wearing 2 sizes up, too.

Assets by Sara Blakely Push-up One Piece

I found this suit on major clearance at Target last winter and I’m so glad I did. It definitely has a sexier feel to it while still helping you keep everything all tucked in nicely. The one drawback is that is hard to get on. I’ve never worn Spanx before, so I’m not sure if in general they’re super hard to get on, or if because it’s a bathing suit, it’s even more difficult to get on. (I kind of feel like Bridget Jones when trying to get it on!) However, because it’s so tight, once it’s on, it’s really slimming and flattering. I definitely had to size up in this suit!

I might slip back into a bikini when we’re on our beach trip this summer, but for now, I’m happy to be rockin’ these mom suits and will be on the lookout for more!

Do you have a favorite “mom suit”?