Need Help with Cloth Diapers

We used Fuzzi Bunz with my older 2 kids and I plan to use them with my third (he's only 3 wks old, so they don't fit quite yet). They worked great for my son, but my daughter was/is a heavy wetter and the diapers were a bit stretched out from all the use with my first. I began using a disposable at night. Seventh Generation diapers work great. I use a slightly bigger size for overnight.

Also, as my kids began to become more mobile, I did use disposables more because the cloth were too bulky between the legs as they were learning to crawl, pull-up, walk etc. I really wanted to stick to cloth, but I did what worked best for my kids.

I hope you find a solution soon.

K.

Don't fold in the second diaper. Put the second diaper in with the first diaper so that they look like one diaper. With my son I had to eventually triple diaper him. I think it was around 1 year. I had to double diaper him in the day. Boys just have more of every thing than girls.

Wool covers are a lifesaver for nighttime us. My favorites are:

Soakers: http://www.punkinbutt.com/organic-wool-soaker-cover-p-236...

These are great for nighttime use, but tend to be a bit bulky for daytime.

Stacinators: http://www.punkinbutt.com/stacinator-stretch-wool-daynigh...

These are good for day or nighttime use.

Biobottoms: http://www.punkinbutt.com/biobottoms-bikini-high-p-1573.html

The classic cut is great for nighttime coverage and they fit really trim under little jeans and other fashionable attire! So you can have a reliable cover for naptimes when out and about too!

Wool can be intimidating at first, but once you try it, you'll love it. The care is super easy as you only need to wash them every week or two depending on usage. Unless they get poop on them and then they need to be washed right away. Eucalan is a great wash for wool covers when starting out. You simply fill your sink basin with lukewarm water and a tsp of Eucalan. Let the wool cover soak for 15 minutes to overnight. Drain the sink - no rinse needed. Gently squeeze excess water out and lay cover in a towel. Roll the towel up and it will squeeze the majority of water out of the cover and then let it air dry the rest of the way.

It is naturally antimicrobial and the covers made today are super soft and feel like felted material or cotton t-shirts, so they don't scratch or itch. Perfect for co-sleeping and reliability with your prefolds you are already using.

A.
www.punkinbutt.com

P.S. Feel free to call me for any advice you need. We offer free diaper lessons all the time!

try searching u-tube for videos on various prefold fold options. I have heard sometimes that jelly roles or bikini rolls or other various different fold methods might help. You could try a hemp doubler and as other suggested wool might also do the trick.

I have never used a diaper service, but I used prefolds and covers for the first 2 months and now use pocket diapers. My daughter is a heavy wetter at night, and we have been using a couple microfiber doublers as a addition at night and that seems to do the trick for her. Using doublers would mean you would have to do some of your own diaper laundry because the diaper service most likely will not wash them for you. So I don't know if that is an option for you, but they are very effective.

Good luck!

Hi, L. :)

Is your son's diaper actually LEAKING, or is it just seeping onto his clothing/sheets, etc?

My hubby and I use the Prowrap covers with prefolds, as well. This is how we do it:

Lay two prefolds flat, one on top of the other.
Lay a fleece insert in the middle, toward one end.
Fold prefold over insert and then do angel fold as you normally would.

Be very careful to check the leg gussets to make sure that the prefold isn't sticking out or uncovered around the legs or around the waist.

For a nighttime diaper, you really need TWO prefolds plus an insert. But it may also just be that your little guy needs the next size up of prefolds.

There are three things it could be if he leaks otherwise:

#1) The diaper isn't being folded correctly. My hubby and I fold the prefold in the "angel fold" and have never ever had a LEAK. However, when my best friend changes our daughter's diaper, she doesn't do the angel fold and just smooshes it all in there. On two different occasions when she has done this, my daughter has peed almost directly onto her lap. So the fold matters.

#2) The diaper service may be using harsh detergents that are causing the diapers to repel moisture. The best thing to do in this case is to was the diapers in Dawn to strip the chemicals or detergents out of the diapers.

#3) You may need to change the diapers more frequently. Cloth diapers typically need to be changed every hour if you don't want them to pee out of their diapers :)

Hope this helps!

I couldn't tell from your question if you are already doing this or not, but my solution for preventing leaks was to change the diaper everytime they nursed. I would keep a small stack of diapers and hand sanitiser by my bed & a plastic grocery sack on the floor. You wake up anyway everytime they want to nurse, just do a quick change, you don't even have to sit up.

Hi L......#1. when my babies were born in the 50's and 60's cloth diapers were IT!!!So we created our own problem solvers. Mine was to put the little 4"x8" plastic sacks that carrots came in(too small to be a suffocation danger)inside the first fold of the diaper & doubled the diaper.....then at age 5 or 6 mo. I used receiving blankets, with the bag, and it worked for me.I hated the thought of using those plastic outer pants and just didn't. I kinda got the nick-name of "the carrot lady" but, oh well.....their problem.

Great-G,ma C.

You may want to try a pocket diaper with a hemp insert or a hemp prefold at night time with your son. He is right at that stage where the cotton just might not be enough to get him through the night. Hemp is more absorbent than cotton so it usually will get them through without having to change them. This will be something that you will have to launder on your own since diaper services typically do not offer this. If you want to stick to only your diaper service diapers then I would try doubling them up. You might need a new size cover to accommodate for the extra diaper. Good Luck

It's been awhile since I was confronted with this issue, but it was a biggie. By the time I had my 3rd baby, they had invented what could be considered a 2nd diaper or pad to go between your baby and his cloth diaper. Made of the same material that is used in disposables, so that when the urine hit the pad it expanded, contained all the liquid so it didn't leak or run out. I only used these at night to prevent having to change sheets every morning, not to mention changin pj's and undershirts with each diaper change during the night.

Because he's still nursing so much during the night his bladder is getting a work out, so as he longer needs those late night/wee hour of the morning nursings, you may find the amount of urine decreases.

Congratulations!!!

try using a wool cover (I've never tried this myself just going on what others say), the kind that pull up like pants or shorts. Or try adding yet another diaper, he's probably just soaking the two he has on right through. We used prowraps with my son and never had a leak but we used disposables at night (because he too was an all night nurser and woke up soaked!). GreenMountainDiapers.com is a great site for lots of selection and good prices - good luck!

And all the parents who responded-- I am so grateful there are so many wonderful parents out there that care enough to use cloth diapers. I applaud you and one day when your children grow up and hear all you did for them and their environment, they will have so much respect for you--I know that I do right now.

Hi there Mama- Haven't had the chance to read others posts; but have you considered a wool cover to go over the prefold? Wool covers do not need to be washed really at all. Or even just for night you could you a fitted with a wool cover. There is an awesome website I was drawn to
nappyshoppe.com
The Gal that owns the sight is named Sharni and she is amazing with cloth diapers and helping you find whats best for your baby (Every baby is unique :) )
Whenever I had questions this site was the go to place for me! Hope this helps :)

Years ago I got some diaper liners from Diapers.com with one terry cloth side and one fleece side. I know others make these too. The fleece side tends to wick moisture away to the other side. I used these to help with leaking, and also used extra liners in the night. If the prowraps aren't working I'd try other covers which you can find used at secondhand baby stores (since they can get quite spendy). I loved the Bumgenius all-in-ones for water and blow-out proofness, and the new ones seem even better.

Hi L.,

You might want to try the thirsty wraps. The have a second leg gathering that seems to help with my daughter's leakage :) Good luck! Cloth is the way to go :)

S.

I'm sure other mothers who use prefold diapers had better advice for those, but if it were me I'd get some one-size pocket diapers for nighttime. I've found they contain leaks much better than the prefolds and covers. I still use them with my 2 year old so they will last a LONG time. I've used many kinds and if I had it to do over I'd only buy Bum Genius and just use those.

You might want to try moving to a fitted diaper for night, especially one made of hemp or bamboo which are more absorbent and I second the wool cover. I teach a cloth diapering class at Birth and Beyond in Seattle if that would be helpful!

Hi L.

We use a diaper service as well (with prefolds) and have been double diapering our son for almost a year. We use Bummis whisper wrap over the diapers. The first prefold (closest to his skin) we fold the edges in so that it is 1/3 of the original size. The outer prefold is contoured around his body. Then we sell the package with the Bummis. He has only leaked on very few occasions and usually because the prefold is sticking out somewhere.

We also bought a water proof pad (well, 2 of them, from Babies r us) and we have that in our bed with a soft cotton blanket over it. Partly to define "his" sleeping space (we co-sleep as well) and partly b/c I think it is softer than the pad. So if he does leak I just have to change the blanket and pad - not the whole bed.

Try going up a size. We've been using cloth diapers on both our kiddos and have consistently found that when leaks are happening regularly, it's time to move up a size. Good luck!

We caved and went to a disposable diaper for nighttime.