Diapers 101 .... Help!!

I have 3 children under age 5. Diapers are so expensive and their are so many choices. After having tried almost everything, this is my advice. With newborns and babies taking a bottle at night..... definitely HUGGIES Supreme or overnights!!! I do not care if they cost $1,000! Also, the advice of boys anatomy heading in the downward direction big time help. After you are past the phase of constant feeding swith to generics no problem. Plus, on the huggies close them very snug at the tab around tummy it will not make you baby uncomfortable....I Promise!

My son was a little think when he was born and never missed a beat when it came to growing. We moved up in sizes quickly. I personally liked the Huggies Supreme. They have huggies and huggies supreme. The supreme worked best for us because of the give...didn't fit so tight but they did fit! The waist, to me, seemed to have more of a stretch and around the legs extra leak protection.

I used to fold the top edge of the diaper all around the waist in towards the body. This creates a reverse mote which sometimes helps leakage!!
B.

I wouldn't stress it too much. My first suggestion is to not necessarily go by what the pounds say on the package. My kids (have two one almost four and 14 months) and neither of them went by the package. Currently my daughter is in a size four and she only weighs about 23 pounds. She has been in them since about 19 or 20 pounds and the package says 22-27 pounds. The tabs meet in the middle and sometimes overlap to make sure that we won't leak and she does just fine. The one thing that I learned with my kids is change sizes when you are not even able to make it from one diaper change (whatever that is for you normally) without leaking... repeatedly. Once or twice isn't out of the question but two or three times in a row in one day can be a sign. Trust your instincts. You are doing great and I am sure that you will make the best decisions.

If the diapers are otherwise fitting him, the best advice I can give is to POINT IT DOWN when you are putting the diaper on him. If it is not pointed down, then when he urinates, it will go in the direction of where it is pointing and can cause leakage.

at 13lbs he should probably be in a size 1 still, look on the diaper package and where it says the size it should say for what lbs range. the diaper should be snug around his tummy, just not tight. if you can still stick a finger in between his tummy and the diaper comfortably than it's not too tight =)
as far as leaking goes, just make sure the little "flaps" around the leg holes of the diaper are not tucked in, if they're tucked in that's always been a surefire leak for my girls! other than that, keep in mind that little babies need to be changed OFTEN. my girls averaged 12-14 times a day when they were that little...sometimes more! those little diapers fill up fast, especially when they are breastfed
hope this helps and congrats!!!

Go with the weight on buying his diapers. I would attach them tighter. If he is having red marks on his skin ( like we do when we wear pants, bras that are too tight) then you know to loosen them a bit. But there is no need to let him have leaks. Also there are some mattress pad covers that are smaller like the size of a cloth diaper. You can set him ontop of those for now and you dont have to constantly change the bedding. I wouldnt put them in the dryer ours came unglued in our dryer. Just hang dry them.

I know what you are going through and it brings back unplesant memories. My son weighed 9lbs 8oz when he was born and we had newborn diapers. The newborn diapers did not help. I was washing his clothes twice a day! I spoke with his Pediatrician and he recommended T. sizes up. We purchase T. sizes up and the problem was solved. I have always used Huggies. Huggies are pricer but I feel that you get your moneys worth.

Good luck,
Elisa M

Mrs. G,
I had to stop laughing at memories from my passed before responding! I remember how those little things meant "everything" when I was a first-time mom. You'll get it down by baby #2 and you'll never give it another thought! You'll be changing a baby with one hand, pulling gum out of someone's hair with the other, while you're talking on the phone with the neighbor who's wondering how their pool filter got clogged with an action figure! And they don't even have kids! (No, this never happened to me.)
Anyway, you may be getting a little overly concerned with comfort. Check the weight on the diaper bag. If the max weight exceeds your sons weight, then stay in the smaller one. Don't switch the minute his weight is the least recommended.

Also, take the top of the diaper and tuck it under at his belly. This way when that little "fire-hose" gets revved up and squirting, it will do a "rim-shot"! I actually remember having that trouble a lot with both my boys.
Cood luck with your new baby. God bless.
D.

you have a baby boy, so think about the anatomy of a boy...
their pee stream is going upwards in the diaper, the up sizing is appropriate if the diaper is too snug. Try to fold over the very top of the diaper, like you did the folding of the diaper for the ambilical cord. fold it inwards, so that if somewhat forms a catch all barier to catch the pee. Girls pee downward into the diaper, as where boys pee upwards. so this barrier should allow for more absorbancy and form a barrier line for any remainding pee, so that there is no more leakage. Good Luck and enjoy your baby. Mother Hood is Wonderful

We had some of the same problems for the first month or so, but then we switched to cloth diapers so I don't have any advice for which brand of disposable works.

BUT, if switching brands and sizes of disposables doesn't seem to work, you might use a diaper cover over the disposable. They are water proof, but breathable, they wash up in your washing machine, and they are cute. We use disposables sometimes when traveling or in other circumstances and I still use a diaper cover over the disposable to ensure we don't get a leak.

Here is a link: http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/thirsties

Hi there! It's sooo tough in the beginning, isn't it? We all just sort of fumble along but we make it through.

I found we just didn't have luck w/ certain brands of diapers. No matter what size we tried, they leaked. Funny thing is, we had more trouble w/ the expensive brands. We ended up finding the "Dry Fit" brand at HEB and they worked great. We used them from day 1 with the 2nd.

Also, make sure that the elastic is not tucked under his leg, if that makes sense? Just check all around both legs to make sure the extra little piece is sticking out so you know the elastic is nice and snug.

I don't think they'll be too snug on his tum if he is having leakage. I would guess a size 1 pulled tighter in the abdomen would work just fine.

Good luck!

Congrats on your new baby! You're probably ok on the size, but don't be afraid to fasten them snugger if they're leaking. Disposable diapers these days have a bit of "give" engineered into them, so if you were to make em a little too tight, they'd relax pretty quick on their own. Also, you may need to shop around a bit to find the brand of diapers that works best for you and your baby. I have three girls, and Huggies has been my favorite, but moms with baby boys or baby girls with different body shape than mine might not agree. Oh, and buy in bulk! I use diapers.com (free shipping!).

Both of my boys were big babies and the only diapers that didn't leak for us was Huggies. Try the same size in that brand. Good luck!

They should be snug at the top to avoid that leakage...think of it this way, if your underwear were too loose at the top, it would be uncomfortable. The weights on the diaper package are pretty true....also, you might consider that since you have a boy, sometimes their "aim" can be pointed up....just something you'll have to get used to. Enjoy your wonderful son....I have 4 and they are all loves of my life!!

Hello,
The problem may be that you are using to big of diapers if you can't secure the tabs snug enough at the top. Then again, for the first couple of sizes, Pampers Swaddlers size N and 1,they seem to run a bit small. I use the weight as a guide for buying, but there are some brands out there that vary. My daughter has used Pampers, Luvs, Pure-n-Gentle, Whitecloud, and others. Some brands ran shorter than the rest. Pretty much just go with the size that holds your baby somewhere in the middle of the weight spectrum. If baby is close to the end of the weight they may be to small. Every baby is different. But don't be afraid to secure those tabs snug. That was my problem. Our pediatrician told me that the diaper bands can create redness on baby's skin but that doesn't mean they are to tight....within reason. Just adjust. You'll find something that will work out.

Diapers just work better on babies that are up and moving around. I think most every newborn leaks when laying on their side. You can dry different brands and might find one that works better than others, but really I think it's just a period you have to get past and be expecting to do lots of laundry.

Try different brands. As much as I wanted my son to use Huggies, he leaked constantly. So, I put him in Pampers. My daughter leaks in Pampers so I put her in Huggies and Kirkland brand. You just never know. If he still leaks, go up yet another size. May sound crazy, since the diapers are big around the waist, but you will be surprised!

My advice to you would be to try a different brand.. I've noticed that Huggies Brand are more of a snug fit( I guess hey call it leak protection) however with a brand like Pampers they are more loose. I'm a "Huggies" mom and my 9 month old is in a 5 however If have coupons I will buy pampers size 4..

I found with my son it depended on the brand of diaper. We tried Huggies and he leaked a lot out the leg holes. For my son we found that luvs works best for him. At his 4 month check up he was 14 lbs and wearing a size 2 diaper. And when he starts to leak or his diaper gets full really fast we go up another size. I hope this is a little helpful.

Hi!

My son was also a 10 pounder and he went up a diaper size about as fast as you are describing. For us the signal that his diapers were too small was leaking around the sides and top. If you're not able to tighten the diaper around the top to stop the leaking, I would say the size you are using now is probably too big. The previous poster is right, each brand fits differently so you may just want to try another brand in the same size to see if that works any better.

And don't worry, in about a week these won't be too big around his tummy any more :-)!!

Good Luck!
K.

Hi - looks like you've gotten some great advice already, so I will just add one quick thing. You mentioned that you were experiencing leakage from the loose part of the diaper around your son's tummy. There shouldn't really be a visible gap or loose area if the diaper is put on correctly. Of course you don't want it super tight so it leaves a red mark or anything, but most diapers (especially the higher-quality/name brand ones) are now designed to fit snugly & have some stretch built into the tabs to allow the babies to be comfortable & move without the diaper hurting or irritating the skin. Some of the lower-cost brands have even started using tabs with some stretch. If you're having leaking now from a loose-fitting diaper & don't start putting them on a little bit more snugly, you may REALLY start to have problems when he gets a little older & begins getting more mobile & crawling! I know it's easy to be super cautious at first, but babies are tougher than they look. Most of them actually really like to be wrapped tightly in blankets & the like, as it reminds them of their days in the womb. So, your little guy may even enjoy having a slightly more snug diaper. Hope this helps. :)

Congrats, I also had a 10 pounder in January.

I went up diaper sizes based on lbs. so I think you are good there. But...I think you might need to put the diaper on a little more snug. Do not put them on so tight your child cannot breathe but do pull firmly at the tabs before securing them. Your child should look like he has a beer belly hanging over.

Different brands will fit differently. The Pampers brands run larger and the Wal-Mart brands run smaller. EX: The Costco Kirkland's brand size 4 are roomier than the Wal-Mart Parent's Choice size 4 (my daughter would have to wear those in a size 5).
Try different brands. I'm not surprised he's in a 2 if the brand runs a little smaller....but you'll get more for your money and it might fit him better if you change to a size 1 in another brand.
BTW, I am really into comfort for the child, irregardless of box labelled recommended lbs. And I never squeeze their little baby bodies into a diaper..attached enough to stay there but not squeezing their little tummies in to save money! (My children are lean and have some baby fat but they're not butterballs, so I've never squeezed them in so that their tummies hang over. My .02)

I had a preemie baby and still had the same problem you did. Besides tightening the tummy a little like the others suggested, what we also did was to make sure his litte boy parts pointed down rather than at the top of the diaper. That helped a lot getting the leaking to stop.

Hi there,

For the most part you sound like you are doing fine, but did anyone ever tell to point his wee wee down when you change his diaper? This prevents a lot of leakage, sounds like it would help the leaks you are having as well.

Hope that helps, our labor and delivery nurse gave us this great advice!

size 2's should be ok. You might have to overlap them at the front when you fasten them. My son has been is size 2 diapers since about 7-8 wks old. Keep up the good work your doing a great job!

Hi there and congrats to you on your first baby!!!

Try the snug - I personally love huggies diapers, but whatever you have, you can use the tapes as far out as allowed. If your baby doesn't get a tummy ache, then snug is fine. You don't want leakage - they are too roomy at that point. You will get the hang of this and do just fine - it's all about learning, learning, learning - what a great little, precious teacher you have!!!

Alli

We always turned down just the top inch of the diapers, where the natural little section is. We turn down the front and back to help with leakage. Does that make sense? We have done this ever since my little boy kind of leaked out of his diaper. We've been doing it for 18 months now and only have leaks when he is overnight heavy wetting on occasion.

If your interested you might try cloth diapers. We have gone to cloth this summer and loving it. You can email me for more information.

The diapers are supoose to fit a little snug if it isnt leaving a mark on him then they arent to small. You good try a different brand too. Most people go through afew brands before they find what fits for them and their baby. Most times you go through newborn and size one super fast anyways.A 2 would be the right size now, Luvs is a good branr to try.

Diapers are like clothes it depends on the style you get.So for future knowledge you will go through the bay clothes the same way,and it will make you crazy.

Good Luck and hope you get some sleep

Congratulations on your big boy! Both my girl and my boy were right at 10 lbs at birth, and yes, we too went through diaper sizes quick. You have been given great advice -- and I didn't even read them all! -- I just wanted to add my experience. I would move up a size when we'd have leaks all over the place. Tummy or legs or whatever. When I started getting lots of consistent leaks, I'd change sizes. We started out using pampers cruisers (with my oldest), but partway through I switched to Target generic and they worked great! Still use them to this day. Also will second the lady who wrote about being sure you "point down" ... that will help avoid a lot of leaks! (Our pediatrician had to tell me that, too, since I had a girl first!) Good luck! And it won't be long before you sleep again! :-)

Go back down a size and see if it eliminates the leakage and then you will know that your diaper is to loose. Not to long ago I was a first time mom and I like many other mothers know how you feel try not to worry about things being to snug especially diapers cause they are suppose to keep in what you do not want to come out.(ha-ha) They do come from very small snug areas they live in for about 9 months I think he will not mind a snug diaper. BTW that is meant to be funny. Try experimenting with the different brands. They all fit different and are designed for different bodies. My oldest wore huggies cause he has a short torsdo and my youngest well I put him in pampers cause his crack was showing in the huggies... give that a shot as well as going back down a size. Trust me diapers is the least thing to worry your tired little brain about. LOL

I would try Huggies Supreme Natural Fit. Try using the size recomended for his weight. The diapers are made to stretch with the baby, so if he fills his diaper it will not be uncomfortable for him. Hope this helps!!

It sounds like you're not putting them on tightly enough. Just tighten up the diaper and you should prevent the leakage. Good luck!

My son was 9.2 at birth we used Wal-Mart's white Cloud diapers. I did not have any trouble with leakage. And YES I was only in newborn size for a week or two. You sound like you are using the right size. I was in size two for a long time. It seemed like newborn and size 1 did get to small soon. Remember different brands will fit differently too.

After many weeks of wet-spot confusion, my husband and i finally figured out that we needed to point our newborn son's pee-pee down into the diaper and voila! no more wet clothes & sheets.

It is a little difficult in the beginning when they are a little odd shaped! However, my second son was 11.1 when born and was pretty full size! We also moved up very quickly in sizes. Both of my kids wore Pampers Cruisers (Swaddlers in the smaller sizes). These have the elastic waist and you should be able to adjust the size accordingly and still let him move around. Hope this helps.

Hey there, everything with your first is just trial and error. What worked for one person and for one baby may not work for another. We have 5 kiddos, the youngest being 6 months and not one of them are the same and when they were babies, each one was a different experience. If you think they are too big, try buying a very small package of a smaller size to see if it works. Babies loose and gain weight all the time. Now I never did have a 10 pounder :-) my last one was 5lbs 11oz. I had a preemie, you have a toddler! :-) It'll all work out, don't stress, if you're nursing the milk will be stressed too.. seriously. :-) relax, go with the flow and live each day a day at a time, they don't stay that size long enough!