Need a nighttime cloth diaper for a heavy wetter

[ztagrl]

I think I want something made of hemp, because I still want it to be as slim as possible (I have the hardest time finding PJs that fit!). I prefer an AIO, though I do have some plastic pants I could put over a fitted. I'm also going to make some wool soakers. I think that may be my best bet.

He soaks through the nylon (?) of a Bumkins within a few hours during the day (he just woke up soaked from a nap wearing one). The pocket diapers (FB and wonderoo) don't stand a chance over night. I'm not sure if I've ever tried my Kooshies overnight. I also have a stacinator fleece cover, but I think it's still too big for him. It's really bulky, so I don't use it much.

I'm not sure what wicking is, but he rarely wears a cloth diaper without the legs of his onesie getting wet, even during the day. He's either a really heavy wetter, or I'm not changing him often enough. It seems if I change him too soon, the diaper's barely wet.

I don't want to spend very much, since this is experimental (he's in size 5 disposables at night currently, and they're completely maxed out in the morning.), and I'm open to buying used or seconds.

Thanks!

[toomanystrollers]

The sleeptight fireflies at www.fuzbaby.com are about the only thing that works on my kiddos (sorry - they're on the expensive side). I do add a fleece-topped doubler and cover them off with a wool Aristocrat.

HTH

[new_mommy25]

To be honest I don't think a "trim" nighttime diaper exists. You may need to upgrade a size in pj's. We use the two piece pj sets from Gap or Old Navy and they work well for us.

As for the diaper, why won't the pocket diapers work overnight for you? The beauty of a pocket diaper is the fact that you can control the aborbancy by the way you stuff it. One JoeyBunz with one MOE insert works well for us. You might also want to try a Liza Jane insert.

There is defenitly SOMETHING WRONG if your DS is leaking through to his onesie during that day. To help you I need some info.

What is your DS's stature? (Skinny, chunky etc.)
What brands and sizes are you using?
What are you stuffing pockets with?
How often do you change your DS?

[mudder17]

If it's an option, you could also put your DS in a sleep sack instead of PJs. It's a lot easier to get over her big bubble butt at night.

Benjamuffin Nightdreamers inside an Aristocrat work very well for us overnight, but she does have that huge bubble butt! It doesn't seem to bother her, though.

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amber_9m.gif Breastfed 11 months and counting

[ztagrl]

NAK...


we're still wearing blanket sleepers around here, and they seem to be hard to find in 18 months--12 months are almost too small! they seem to shrink like crazy.

tonight, i used everything i had clean-a wonderoo stuffed w/ a wonderful insert (without the snap in) and an unbleached CPF so it would go all the way to the sides (i think that could be part of our problem) and a flat birdseye (?) CD folded to get 8 layers on top of the diaper. i could barely fasten it! that's why i say the pockets don't work well overnight. but, we'll see!

to answer your questions:

1. DS is almost 7 mo., 22 lbs, chunky thighs. but not real fat. ~28 in. long
2.i have wonderoos, large kooshies and bumkins, a med. FB that's just about too small, and a lg FB that snaps to the tightest setting.
3. i usually stuff w/ hemparoo or wonderful. also have a terry stuffer and a another stuffer my friend made for the FB, but not sure what it's made of. have used the CPF, too.
5. i usually change every couple of hours. i mostly have a problem when we go out or he takes a nap.

i can't say he gets wet w/ every diaper, but definitely more than i like.

i'm still not really familiar w/ the terminology...doubler, soaker, wicking, etc.

[ztagrl]

He's outgrown the one-size sleep sacks lengthwise that we had. I wonder if they make them in a bigger size.

I checked out the Benjamuffin's, but they're kind of pricey for my budget. I didn't see any on Ebay.

[Momof3Labs]

There is a difference between wicking and leaking. Wicking is when the material just can't hold back the leak and it comes *through* it. Leaking often happens to us if the legs or waist aren't fitting properly. It sounds to me like something is too loose in the legs, and that's why you might get leaks. He might tend to pee all at once, rather than in small amounts through the day, which is why you see dipes either almost dry or super soaked. If that's the case, you need a dipe that can handle a big pee (not all can) to help prevent leaks.

IMO, pocket dipes are some of the best nighttime dipes out there when they are stuffed AND fit properly. Overstuffed can be as leak-prone as understuffed because it can cause an improper fit. We used FBs for a long time, and now use Baby Blanket pockets at night. Leaks are very, very rare. But our nighttime dipe is not trim - and I don't think you'll find a trim nighttime dipe for a super soaker.

Handmade wool soakers tend not to be the best for nighttime because they aren't knitted thick or tight enough. The only wool soaker I trust at night is an Aristocrat, though there are other wool (non-knitted) covers that I have used at night.

AIOs tend not to be good for overnight as they tend to wick and aren't terribly absorbent. I wouldn't trust fleece for a heavy wetter, either.

For blanket sleepers, you can get up to 3T size at Children's Place for 3/$30. They don't shrink at all on me, and my 39" 31lb toddler is still wearing these at night (size 3T). Carter's also makes up to 4T or 5T.

IMO, your best bet is to go with a diaper that works (regardless of trimness) and buy bigger sleepers to go over it.

[mudder17]

Hmm...okay, let's see. DD is 18.5 pounds, ~28 in. long with chunky thighs, so your DS is definitely bigger than she is. The Wonderoos never fit her well, maybe because of the chunky thighs? Medium FBs are definitely too small for her. Of your entire stash, the Lg FB seems to be your best bet, although I do know many peope here find them to be enormous--you could be getting leaks around the legs, if they gap. Do they?

Have you tried stuffing your pockets with a microfiber towel wrapped around a hemp insert? That may help you reach the sides of the pockets.

A doubler is usually something that is laid on top of a diaper (next to the baby) to increase the absorbency of the diaper. It may be fleece topped, or people may add a fleece liner so that the baby feels more dry. A soaker is anything in the diaper that acts as a soaker, hence the name. It is the absorbent part of any diaper. Wicking usually refers to water being drawn to towards the outside of the diaper--it can happen if the diaper is compressed or if there are sewing holes on the outside of the diaper. If the clothes touch the inside of the diaper, around the legs (sometimes happens if the diaper doesn't wrap completely around the legs so the clothes can make it in), the wetness can wick towards the clothing. Have you read the Diaper 101 thread pinned at the top? It can help you with a lot of your terminology.

During the day, I usually change Kaya every couple hours, but I can usually take her out for longer in the same diaper (unless she poops). But I find that hemp diapers work best for her. Over all, I prefer fitted or prefold inside of a wool cover, because I've never had a leak that way. I've had wicking issues with both pockets and AIOS, where the clothing makes it into the leg area and wicks the moisture out of the diaper. But the wool cover (or fleece) wraps more snuggly around her legs and prevents this sort of leak.

When you change your baby after a leak, are the inserts completely soaked? That would tell you if you're having the leak (well, mostly likely wicking) because your baby is a super soaker and the inserts are just not absorbent enough, or because the diaper just doesn't fit him that well and the leaks are occurring because the legs weren't snug or some other reason. Also, with a pocket, if the fleece is repelling, and the legs aren't super snug, the pee tends to run out the legs, without making it into the inserts.

If I recall correctly, the Kushies and Bumkins are both AIOs, right? I just haven't had much luck with AIOs; somehow I often end up with leaks or wicking (compression, usually) or a general bad fit. And I have no desire to try finding an AIO that fits well. I've had better luck with pockets, because it's easier to control the amount of absorbency needed, and in general, the pockets fit around her leg better. But that's not always the case--FBs and SEZ pockets fit Kaya pretty well, but Baby Blankets and Wonderoos don't.

Overall, I prefer the fitted or PF/cover combo for leak-free situations.

Oh, Baby Center sells the halo sleep sacks. They sell them in an extra-large, which is good from 25-36 pounds. Kaya's actually still able to make it in a small, which is good from 10-18 pounds. It's actually the length that is more of a problem because these sacks are pretty roomy. I have a medium (16-24 pounds) that fits her much better. I also have a large (22-28 pounds), but it's length is way too long for her, and the medium is roomy enough for her. So even the weights are guidelines, I think it's the length of the baby (yours isn't too long) that really governs whether these will fit, because they're fairly wide. I know other places sell the Halo sleep sacks, so you might be able to get a better deal elsewhere, but I've gotten mine from Baby Center. Oh, I just noticed Lori pointed out some great deals on sleep sacks.

Anyway, hope this helps a little.

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amber_9m.gif Breastfed 11 months and counting

[ztagrl]

Thanks for all the info!

Yes, the Kooshies and Bumkins are AIO. I think the outer of the Bumkins is nylon, and he just completely soaks through it. I don't know if that's considered wicking or not.

I really don't think they're leaking. But I'm not really sure how to tell unless I actually see it leak, KWIM?

I think I need to stuff my pockets better, and I'm going to try some knitted wool covers (soakers?). I usually only stuff them with one hemp insert or terry or whatever. Maybe I need to try stuffing with two hemps. That's all I own, though, so I need to buy or make some more.

When I change a leak, the front of the diaper is usually pretty wet, but not the back. I guess that's to be expected with a boy. I need to pay closer attention next time. I haven't really worried about it too much; I just change his onesie and move on. But I'd really like to go to CD full time, including outings, naps and night, so I want to eliminate the leaks as much as possible.

[tarahsolazy]

For nighttime wool soakers, you need a nice tight knit with a bulky wool, and lanolize it well! But, for a soaker to work (including an Aristocrat) you need a lot of absorbant dipe underneath. You can double diaper with premium CPFs, or use a CPF, and add two hemp inserts, top with fleece, etc. Their little butts get big, but it works. My DS doesn't seem to care if his hinder is huge at night. I have had success with pockets at night, but I need to use more than one insert. I use a Cottonbabies one-size insert www.cottonbabies.com which is like the microterry inserts, but thicker, and nice and cheap!, plus a Joeybunz. This lasts 13 hours, in either a M FB, or a Snap-EZ pocket diaper. Also LizaJane Baby inserts from www.thebabyblanket.com the night variety, plus a microterry towel from the auto section of Target work for night. I have also had luck with the Firefly sleeptights, which I have bought used on Mothering.com discussion board's trading post, and Benjamuffins. I would recommend not getting more Bumkins AIOS or Kushies AIOs, sounds like those aren't working for you. The legs of the onesie getting wet sounds like wicking, the onesie legs if snug can get stuck up inside the dipe, and they suck up the pee. You could try leaving his onesie unsnapped, or go to the next size up, if you have some around.

[mudder17]

Kaya also wets the front, especially during nap times and night time, because she's a stomach sleeper. So when she's going down for sleep, I often fold a microfiber towel into eighths and tuck it in front under the doubler or in the pocket, etc. It's just to catch that extra pee.

My guess is that your DS is soaking the AIOs so much that they wick through the nylon. Basically, the capacity of the diapers don't seem to be enough for your DS, at least to last more than 2 hours. The easiest way to tell wicking vs. leaking is to look at the soaker material of the diaper. If the soaker material is completely wet, then he's wicking. If it's pretty dry or at least not wet to capacity, then it's probably leaking.

Yes, I would definitely suggest getting more inserts. One thing I would suggest is buying a pack of 5 microfiber towels for $5.99 at Target or Walmart or Costco. They're in the automotive section and usually are blue or white (although I know there are yellow ones out there as well). Since they're so cheap, they are easy things to experiment with. And you can always use them to clean around the house if they don't work for you. The one thing you want to make sure of with the inserts is that they make it all the way to the edges or you definitely can get wicking/leaking (because the pee pools along the edges and wicks out). One insert would probably not be enough for Kaya, so I'm guessing you need to double up your inserts or wrap a MF towel around the hemp inserts, or maybe do a PF/MF combo--basically play around with different combos until you figure out what works for you. And what you described earlier with the birdseye and all the inserts sounds like it may have been overstuffed--what Lori said. When it's overstuffed, as your son moves around, gaps do form around the legs and leaks can definitely occur, especially if he lets it all out at once.

The knitted wool covers are often called soakers as well, and they go over fitted diapers or prefolds. You can also try these wool covers: http://angelluvz.wahmweb.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=WoolCovers, which are relatively inexpensive. I think they run on the small side, though, because Kaya has been wearing the large ones since she was 15 pounds or so. They still fit her at 18.5 pounds, though and I like them because they're fairly wick-proof, at least for during the day. I actually got them for under $7 during some sales that she had. She does seem to have sales pretty often, though. I just put myself on her yahoo group and get notices. For wool soakers (the knitted ones), I really like the BJMarketplace wool soakers (ebay store), because they're incredibly soft, they're very cute, and they're pretty inexpensive. I would never use them for night time, though. Actually, I can't think of any wool cover other than the Aristocrat that I would trust for the night.

Good luck!

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://www.babysfirstsite.org/newtickers/ticker/16994.birthday.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amber_9m.gif Breastfed 11 months and counting

[Momof3Labs]

Bumkins AIOs aren't absorbent at all - they are just flannel - so I'm not surprised you're getting leaks with them. For pockets, we need two hemp inserts (terry isn't as absorbent) to get through 2-3 hours during the day, and need 3-4 for nighttime.

[ztagrl]

I'm now thinking about selling my Bumkins. I really like the ease and design of them, so this makes me sad! I think my Kooshies hold up a little better, so I'll give them another shot. He's in one now, so I'll pay more attention to how well it works today.

Update about last night: The diaper held!! He had a runny poopy this morning, and it was starting to soak through on one of the legs, but it didn't make it to his clothes. The inserts were soaked, but no leaking or wicking. WOOHOO!

[egoldber]

Personally, I love Bumkins AIOs. For daytime, I added one microfleece towel (like the Target ones mentioned above) underneath the flannel liner and it worked great. But I would never consider them for overnight. Overnight is a whole different ballgame LOL!