2nd update in post 24: I am so frustrated! with CDing

[maestramommy]

I am having some setbacks here on the CDing front, and maybe it belongs in bitching, but if anyone has some ideas I'd love to hear them.

1) From about 4 months on until very recently, Laurel was using Thirsties AIO pocket as her nighttime dipe. I stuffed it with a hemp doubler, and a microfleece doubler. Probably the one that came with it (I got them secondhand). A couple of months ago I noticed that she was starting to pee a lot more at night, and it wasn't holding, so I added a microfleece towel by wrapping it around the hemp doubler. Worked great. A few weeks ago I noticed that wasn't holding either, and by now the diaper is pretty much stuffed to the max. SO, I put them in Arwyn's stash to use as a nap diaper. She has 3 FB pockets that she was using as nighttime that were getting small looking, so I put them in Laurel's stash. They have 2 Hemparoo doublers and a microfleece towel (LOVE those towels!). Laurel started using them at night, and they were working great. Until a week ago. Every morning I found that she leaked out of at least one leg. But the stuffing was actually not all that wet. All of the FB had this problem, but one of them, which is one of the new design dipes, was the worst. 2 nights ago I put her in it, she peed sometime during bedtime story, and it came completely out one leg. The stuffing didn't even have a chance to get wet. There are two theories as to why this is happening. 1) I have been using diaper cream on Laurel a LOT because of her rashes. In several places the cream has not washed off the liner. I tried spraying Charlie's all purpose cleaner before washing, but it's still not coming off. So maybe the pee can't go through the liner and is instead 2) running out of the leg hole, which becomes too big after a while, even though I've got it on the tightest setting. Currently I've got Laurel in Pampers nighttime dipes while I figure this out.

2) Arwyn uses a combo of prefolds and covers and Happy Cheeks pockets during the day. At night she uses BG pockets. They rock and still work great. But I'm running into problems with the Happy Cheeks. Some of them are one size, some of them are sized. I have noticed that even on the tightest setting the leg hole starts to gap after a while. And this is a problem when Arwyn poops. I have on 2 separate occasions found poop smears on the kitchen floor (all together now:barf:) and couldn't figure it out until today. I changed her poop diaper and noticed a smear on her thigh, well past the gusset. My kids have very soft pasty poop pretty much all the time. I don't like using pockets for that reason. But recently Arwyn has been complaining that the prefold are hurting her crotch. They are Indian prefolds, and not as soft as the white Chinese, but she's never had a problem til now. Also, I suddenly can't find Laurel's snappi, so I gave her Arwyn's and decided to try using exclusively pockets. But the poop thing is going to be a problem now. The Thirsties AIO haven't been working well for her either, so today I put one on Laurel for nap.

I don't know what to do now. Arwyn doesn't like prefolds, the pockets are too big, and Laurel doesn't have a nighttime CD. I'm about to throw in the towel and just switch over to sposies full time. We already use them for the sitter days. It's just that I'll end up staring at this huge mountain of perfectly usable CDs because my kids have such SMALL BUMS!!!

[firemama]

I haven't used cloth diapers yet. From what I have researched and read, maybe because you used diaper cream, you need to strip your diapers. I've heard BioKleen bac-out is a good soaker/prewash product. And I have heard Dawn or oxyclean or BioKleen has a safe bleach-like product that might help. You could use these to strip them, then wash them with Charlie's.

HTH!! I feel your pain and frustration! Keep trying, I would hate to see you switch to disposables!

[maestramommy]

I haven't used cloth diapers yet. From what I have researched and read, maybe because you used diaper cream, you need to strip your diapers. I've heard BioKleen bac-out is a good soaker/prewash product. And I have heard Dawn or oxyclean or BioKleen has a safe bleach-like product that might help. You could use these to strip them, then wash them with Charlie's.

HTH!! I feel your pain and frustration! Keep trying, I would hate to see you switch to disposables!

I have just tried scrubbing with both Charlie's all purpose cleaner, and Dawn. Didn't work. I always use Bac-out as a presoaker in CD laundry for the odor. BUT I just googled and found a tip that included soaking the dipes in white vinegar for 15 minutes, to remove the zinc oxide, so I'm trying that now.

[jennilynn]

How is the elastic holding up? It sounds like you might need to replace the leg elastic, especially since they were bought second hand. Some of my older style BGs are completely stretched out now and need repairs.

Also, I use California Baby rash cream and it not only works well on diaper rash (and really fast, like usually overnight) but it has never messed up the absorbency of my dipes.

[Katigre]

Why doesn't she like prefolds? That's all I use with my kids because they're a lot less leak-prone than other types of diapers.

[ThreeofUs]

soaking the dipes in white vinegar for 15 minutes, to remove the zinc oxide, so I'm trying that now.

I bet this will help.

Hugs to you - I feel (or at least felt) your pain.

[maestramommy]

Update

1) The vinegar sorta worked in some place, but not in others. It's like it's caked on there for life. I need something that works like a solvent. Don't know what that would be though.

2) The Thirsties AIO that I put on Laurel didn't work. In fact it bombed. She was soaked on one side, but the stuffing was barely touched. But I don't see how. There are no gaps in the gussets with this dipe. It's like it soaked right through the cover, which I don't understand either. I've been turning them inside out, then hanging to dry. Would that compromise anything? I need to take a look at the other one.

3) Elastic - I had the elastic to the older FBs replaced last fall after I bought them, and they still look great. The newer FB I got more recently, and it doesn't look quite as tight.

[maiaann]

I'm sorry you're having a tough time. We daytime cloth diaper and for night use Huggies Supreme disposables. We use Bummis whisper wraps (love them!) and regular Chinese prefolds. In fact, we're using the same diapers/wraps on DD3 that we used on DD1 8 years ago. To keep poop from sticking/staining we use the Imse Vimse rice paper liners. We have a pail that holds the dirty diapers, wraps, and wipes all together and we wash them about every other day with regular Tide detergent. I hang dry the wraps but put the diapers in the dryer. The only problem I've run into is with the wraps. I had to replace a few them after DD2 because the velcro wasn't holding and the diaper would come undone. We use disposables at night as I've found them to be more absorbent (one diaper lasts the entire night). It's a good compromise for us.

[Uno-Mom]

Poor you! What a pain.

Confession: we use the generic Target sposie dipe for night time. DD sleeps perfectly and I'm afraid to do anything to rock the boat! This means we go through one package a month, not bad.

Did you say what kind of cover you use? We bought Thirsties but also have samples of several other main brands. The Thirsties are far and above the best as far as leg fit for DD. She does have kind of chunky legs (like her mom:)).

Our main stash are GMD pre-folds but we also have about 5 kissaluvs fitted dipes that I found at a consignment store. Pro-folds work fine but do have rare leaks. The kissaluvs have NEVER leaked, so we save them for outings. They are spendy new, but only compared to pre-folds. Cheaper than pockets.

We use cream occasionaly and haven't had any problems with the prefolds or kissaluvs. The sample pocket dipe we tried (knickernappie) has leaked ever time. Probably because we don't use anything fancy for washing - just our regular detergent (somethign w/out dye or perfume, can't remember brand).

[maestramommy]

Actually, we use Huggies Supremes for when the sitter is here, when we travel, when I'm going to be out for more than a couple of hours. It was a nice compromise that didn't tax my conscience or my sanity too much. Until all this started happening.

We use Thirsties covers and I LOVE them. The elastic is starting to go on some of them, around the inner gussets. But they still work very well, and only leak when the prefold is totally soaked. If I could I would use prefolds on Laurel for nighttime but she has been peeing a lot lately, and with her rash prone bottom, staying dry as much as possible is the only thing that helps. Today she had a lot of very wet poop, so now she's all red and sore, poor thing! I really need to change her more often. She was getting better when I switched to the premium size, but things just got away from me today. It's not a problem if she's just wet, but if she poops on top of that it's all over.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

what brand of diaper rash cream are you using? Not all of them are compatible with cloth diapers. I know Triple Paste and Aquaphor are fine.

You might have to scrub them with a toothbrush and Dawn until it is all gone.

[MamaMolly]

I think you are on to something with the diaper cream. Melinda, can your girls use lanolin instead of zinc oxide? I can't remember if you guys have an allergy. I was reading that lanolin will melt off the dipe in hot water, so it won't ruin them.

I'm so sorry you are having problems! We had our first bad leak today and it is a PITA. Hope you resolve it soon.

[maestramommy]

what brand of diaper rash cream are you using? Not all of them are compatible with cloth diapers. I know Triple Paste and Aquaphor are fine.

You might have to scrub them with a toothbrush and Dawn until it is all gone.

Tried the Dawn. Did not work at all. I'm currently using the Up & Up brand of Desitin. It ROCKS at keeping the rash at bay, I just have to use it all the time. I was about to try Triple Paste, but it's just so darned expensive! I've tried Butt paste too. Doesn't work either. We use Aquaphor for post rash soothing, but it doesn't really keep the rash from happening.

Mamamolly, where can I buy lanolin by itself? I've never heard of using it instead of diaper cream. And no, I don't think my kids are allergic. They've never shown any signs to any of the lotions and stuff we use. Oh wait, Lansinoh makes it right? I use to use it on sore nipples.

[hellokitty]

Did you try sportswash to strip your dipes?

I agree with a pp. I've CD'd all 3 of my kids and ended up figuring out that no matter how great of a nighttime diaper I got, my kids would pee through it, so we daytime CD and use disposables at night. I hope you figure out what is going on with your dipes, b/c I remember how much stuff like that used to drive me bonkers.

Oh and does your washer have a sanitize mode? That has helped so much this time around for CD'ing. We got a new washer after I had DS3 and it has a sanitize mode which is soooo nice. I use it about 1x a mo.

[larig]

Just a warning on the sanitize setting--I literally aged my diapers so much using that setting on my prefolds. I just got a new FL washer a month ago to replace an dead, ancient TL. The new fancy LG one has the sanitize setting. Well, I thought that would be great to use, so I used it a lot. BUT, my diapers have turned crunchy! So I did some research on the diaper pin and at GMD, and people were saying that the water is TOO hot for the cotton and that it wears them out more quickly. UGH. So, I have all these awesome organic prefolds that feel like the rough side of velcro. They're pilled and awful. So, I'm trying to de-pill with a De-Fuzz-It thing that I had around for sweaters. It's so tiring, but I think that it's bringing back the softness.

The new washer has been an adjustment for me--it uses so little water relative to my old one that I've got to figure out a whole new routine! I used to do a rinse, then a hot wash + cold rinse + extra rinse. Now I do rinse+spin (no spin), prewash, hot wash, cold rinse, extra rinse + MORE dry (my machine is a washer-dryer combo, so I don't have to switch from washer to dryer the washer is the dryer too).

[maestramommy]

Did you try sportswash to strip your dipes?

I agree with a pp. I've CD'd all 3 of my kids and ended up figuring out that no matter how great of a nighttime diaper I got, my kids would pee through it, so we daytime CD and use disposables at night. I hope you figure out what is going on with your dipes, b/c I remember how much stuff like that used to drive me bonkers.

Oh and does your washer have a sanitize mode? That has helped so much this time around for CD'ing. We got a new washer after I had DS3 and it has a sanitize mode which is soooo nice. I use it about 1x a mo.

What is sportswash, I keep reading about using that or Calgon for stripping dipes, but I never see it at the Target. And how do you strip dipes?

My washer DOES have a sanitize mode, but I don't use it. I used it a couple of times when I was trying to get the stink out, but it didn't work. So I tried Bac-Out instead and that worked beautifully. I just use the Hotwash/cold rinse cycle and it's fine.

I tried a prefold on Arwyn again this morning. Initially she complained her pee hurt, but after the diaper was fastened she was fine. So I think we're good to go on that. As for Laurel, I may just stick with sposies for nighttime. The Pampers ROCK. I don't know what kind they are. It doesn't say nighttime on the box, just says Extra Protection, but there's a picture of a sleeping baby at night. Anyway, every morning it's completely blown up with pee, and sometimes she even poops on top of that, and it's all nicely contained. Slightly wicking, but that's it. Awesome, I tell you!

[firemama]

The new washer has been an adjustment for me--it uses so little water relative to my old one that I've got to figure out a whole new routine! I used to do a rinse, then a hot wash + cold rinse + extra rinse. Now I do rinse+spin (no spin), prewash, hot wash, cold rinse, extra rinse + MORE dry (my machine is a washer-dryer combo, so I don't have to switch from washer to dryer the washer is the dryer too).

larig:

You might want to try soaking a hand (or bath) towel, then throw it in with your load. It 'tricks' the front loader into thinking the load is heavier, and will use more water. We learned that at the cloth diaper class. The other hint was to throw a dry bath towel in the dryer with your load to help dry the diapers faster.

To the OP, we were also told not to use any diaper cream because it messes with the absorbency. I understand your LOs have diaper rash... I've heard letting them go diaper free and getting sun on their tush can help (if this is at all possible for you). Or try non-talc baby powder or lanolin (like pp said). One of the diaper creams GMD suggested was Calmoseptine, then use a flushable liner. This will keep the cream off the diaper. GMD also said if you get diaper cream on the diaper, hand scrub with Ivory (instead of Dawn) to cut the grease, rinse very well, then rewash normally to get remaining dishsoap out.

I looked at my GMD how-to booklet (I just ordered my prefolds :) ) and this is what they recommend for stripping:

"Stripping your diapers refers to stripping off detergent residue or rash creams from your diapers. Basically, it means running a few hot cycles with just water to get buildup off. Cotton diapers that are properly rinsed may never need stripping. Synthetic diapers and pockets are difficult to wash and you will need to consult your synthetic diaper retailer or manufacturer for information on how to deal with those items. You can try running a hot wash with a cup or more of vinegar followed by a water-only rinse. Sometimes that is enough to do it because of the acidity in the vinegar. Many online forums tout using Dawn dish soap to strip residues off of diapers but that stuff does not wash out well at all, and is not intended for laundry. It is also very risky to use in your washer because it is very bubbly, and too many bubbles can cause the pump on your washer to run dry and fail. That is, it could break your washer! Another great option to strip mineral or detergent buildup is to strip your diapers and covers of the deposits using RLR LAUNDRY TREATMENT by Cadie Products. This periodic (every month or two or when problems occur) stripping of the buildup is a great option for those who use shared laundry facilities, or for people who choose to use a mainstream detergent product. It also is great for removing mineral deposits caused by hard water or metal water conditions. Search for it online. RLR can even get out stubborn rash cream deposits."

[maestramommy]

larig:

You might want to try soaking a hand (or bath) towel, then throw it in with your load. It 'tricks' the front loader into thinking the load is heavier, and will use more water. We learned that at the cloth diaper class. The other hint was to throw a dry bath towel in the dryer with your load to help dry the diapers faster.

To the OP, we were also told not to use any diaper cream because it messes with the absorbency. I understand your LOs have diaper rash... I've heard letting them go diaper free and getting sun on their tush can help (if this is at all possible for you). Or try non-talc baby powder or lanolin (like pp said). One of the diaper creams GMD suggested was Calmoseptine, then use a flushable liner. This will keep the cream off the diaper. GMD also said if you get diaper cream on the diaper, hand scrub with Ivory (instead of Dawn) to cut the grease, rinse very well, then rewash normally to get remaining dishsoap out.

I looked at my GMD how-to booklet (I just ordered my prefolds :) ) and this is what they recommend for stripping:

"Stripping your diapers refers to stripping off detergent residue or rash creams from your diapers. Basically, it means running a few hot cycles with just water to get buildup off. Cotton diapers that are properly rinsed may never need stripping. Synthetic diapers and pockets are difficult to wash and you will need to consult your synthetic diaper retailer or manufacturer for information on how to deal with those items. You can try running a hot wash with a cup or more of vinegar followed by a water-only rinse. Sometimes that is enough to do it because of the acidity in the vinegar. Many online forums tout using Dawn dish soap to strip residues off of diapers but that stuff does not wash out well at all, and is not intended for laundry. It is also very risky to use in your washer because it is very bubbly, and too many bubbles can cause the pump on your washer to run dry and fail. That is, it could break your washer! Another great option to strip mineral or detergent buildup is to strip your diapers and covers of the deposits using RLR LAUNDRY TREATMENT by Cadie Products. This periodic (every month or two or when problems occur) stripping of the buildup is a great option for those who use shared laundry facilities, or for people who choose to use a mainstream detergent product. It also is great for removing mineral deposits caused by hard water or metal water conditions. Search for it online. RLR can even get out stubborn rash cream deposits."


Thanks firemama. I am presently looking for a flushable liner than is safe for septic tanks. As for washing, I just took the FBs out of the wash, and it looks like the diaper creme is gone. Course, I'll have to use it to make sure:p As luck would have it, we also have very hard water, which is one reason we use Charlie's soap most of the time. I will try the vinegar rinse the next time it happens though. It seems to have been enough to get rid of the cream this time. I was about to Goo Gone next!

[MommyAllison]

A couple of thoughts:

Are you sure the Up & Up cream doesn't have any fish oils in it? I thought Desitin did, which makes cloth diapers repel instead of absorb. Check the label before you use it with cloth, esp if your FB are cream free. :)

Also, I've found that microfiber towels start out great, and completely lose absorbancy and start to repel. For years, our nighttime diaper has been Fuzzibunz with an insert or prefold wrapped in a microfiber towel. We started having the same problem you are - pee running out one leg and the insert is totally dry, and when I tried running the microfiber towel under the tap at the sink, it would. not. absorb. Like, was still dry after sitting under the running water. I'd check your microfiber, as it might be the problem. We now just do FB with an infant prefold inside, and have way fewer leak issues.

From your update, you should dry PUL in the dryer once in awhile to re-seal it up (by making it hot, the PUL kinda melts a bit and becomes more waterproof again), but I think the waterproofness can wear out too (it also reseals the tiny holes where it was sewn). I know there is (or used to be) a spray that you could buy to re-waterproof your PUL from the inside, but that only works if you can get to the shiny side. I'm guessing that you can't with an AIO, but you could with a pocket.

That's all I've got. Hope you can figure out a good, non frustrating solution soon!

[KrisM]

What is sportswash, I keep reading about using that or Calgon for stripping dipes, but I never see it at the Target. And how do you strip dipes?



Sportswash is found in the Sporting Goods section. I got it at Walmart. It's for hunter's so that their clothes don't have any scents to scare off animals.

[maestramommy]

A couple of thoughts:

Are you sure the Up & Up cream doesn't have any fish oils in it? I thought Desitin did, which makes cloth diapers repel instead of absorb. Check the label before you use it with cloth, esp if your FB are cream free. :)

Also, I've found that microfiber towels start out great, and completely lose absorbancy and start to repel. For years, our nighttime diaper has been Fuzzibunz with an insert or prefold wrapped in a microfiber towel. We started having the same problem you are - pee running out one leg and the insert is totally dry, and when I tried running the microfiber towel under the tap at the sink, it would. not. absorb. Like, was still dry after sitting under the running water. I'd check your microfiber, as it might be the problem. We now just do FB with an infant prefold inside, and have way fewer leak issues.

From your update, you should dry PUL in the dryer once in awhile to re-seal it up (by making it hot, the PUL kinda melts a bit and becomes more waterproof again), but I think the waterproofness can wear out too (it also reseals the tiny holes where it was sewn). I know there is (or used to be) a spray that you could buy to re-waterproof your PUL from the inside, but that only works if you can get to the shiny side. I'm guessing that you can't with an AIO, but you could with a pocket.

That's all I've got. Hope you can figure out a good, non frustrating solution soon!

As a matter of fact, Up&Up has cod liver oil in it, just like Desitin. I had no idea it caused that characteristic smell until my mom pointed it out one day. The reason I use Desitin/Up & Up is because they have a very high concentration of zinc oxide. I need that super thick barrier to keep the rash at bay. I checked brands like Butt Paste and Triple Paste, and their concentration is rather low in comparison. I have also tried the Rite Aid brand of zinc oxide ointment w/o fish oil, and it's okay, but not great. There are other ingredients in there and I think they make it too diluted.

I didn't know that about microfiber towels! I will check that out. We've been using the same ones over and over because they don't seem to wear out, but maybe they do, invisibly! Thanks!

[boogiemomz]

i haven't posted here yet because i'm relatively new to CDing and haven't had any real problems yet... not leak free, but satisfactory for us, so i haven't done too much troubleshooting.

i just wanted to share a website that i have found extremely helpful for choosing the best detergents and diaper creams:

www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com

if you click on "diapering basics" there's a ton of information on pretty much any question you could have about CDing and troubleshooting issues.

here is a great, comprehensive list of diaper rash creams and whether then can/can't be used for CDs:

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/diaperrashcreams.htm

there's also a great article on diaper rash itself, pinpointing causes, and best approaches to solve the problem.

HTH. :)

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Target and CVS both have their own version of Triple Paste. Desitin (and the store brand versions) can't be used with cloth diapers, as you have unfortunatey experienced.

[maestramommy]

2nd Update: Well! Tonight I did a little test with my pockets. I pour some water on them, and it ran right off! Which I thought meant it's totally repelling water, and this is why I'm getting all the leaks, right? The thing is, I tried it on Arwyn's BG's, and got the same result, water running off everywhere. But she's not having a leaking problem with her nighttime dipes, they are working great. And then I had the thought: aren't the linings of dipes like BGs and FBs supposed to repell liquid? It's what keeps the baby's bum drier, right? Course, maybe what they are supposed to do is absorb quickly and keep it on the inside where all the stuffing is. In any case, when I poured water over the hemp doublers, they sucked it right in. But when I poured over the microfiber towels, it ran right off. How weird is that!

[OKKiddo]

Have you considered zinc oxide powder? It helps my little guy when it's hot outside and it helps keep him from getting rashy (I hesitate on using cornstarch powder because he's always prone to yeast infections).

[brittone2]

I remember reading that microsuede (and maybe microfiber??) need compression to absorb well, so running them under the sink won't tell you anything. No baby weight giving any compression, kwim? The post was on diaperswappers. I wonder if you can find it by googling. It could still just be a repelling issue but thought I'd mention the compression thing just in case.

[american_mama]

I'm not good at solving leak or wash problems, and fortunately haven't had significant problems in my 4+ years of cd'ing. I can imagine how frustrated you are, and I know you aren't a newbie to cloth.

First, I'd switch to disposables at night. I currently have only two night dipes and DS wears disposables at night until the next day. Other times, when I had more night dipes, I'd go weeks using cloth, then weeks using disposables to suit my mood. For me, it's the morning stink that bugs me. I rarely had leak issues.

Can you use homemade fleece liners on top of whatever you're using, even the pockets that already have fleece/suedecloth barrier? The advantage would be they cost pennies each and can be thrown out if diaper rash cream gets stuck in them. I've had to do that before... I could SEE white diaper rash cream on the fuchsia fleece when they got wet (like from the washing machine). I could never get it out, not by regular washing or even scrubbing with a toothbrush and some appropriate soap, so I just pitched those liners and made new ones. Just buy half yard of fleece and cut it into rectangle or hourglass figures yourself.

Of course, if you use diaper rash cream a lot, you might be throwing them out frequently enough that it seems contrary to the point of cloth. I'd just try it and see.

I agree with the idea of occasionally machine drying anything with PUL to seal the holes that are made from the sewing needle. Yes, Sportwash (aslo called Sensiclean) is available in the sporting good section of Walmart and I've seen it on a top shelf in the laundry aisle at Kroger several times.

I've had some microfiber towels that have become slow to absorb. None of my shaped microfiver inserts have had that problem yet, even ones I've bought secondhand. To test anything for absorbency, I would run it under gentle water and then press the water a bit with your fingers to see if the compression lets it absorb. I have only had one utterly repelling item, which was a secondhand pocket diaper where water just could not make it through the fleece, no matter what I did. I sold it or did Free For Shipping with full disclosure.

Minor suggestions... are the inserts in the pockets laid as flat as possible and leaving no gaps next to the legholes? If the insert is bunched up, leaving the sides at the legholes with no insert, that could explain leaks.

Don't know what to suggest about the prefolds.

Good luck.

[maestramommy]

I remember reading that microsuede (and maybe microfiber??) need compression to absorb well, so running them under the sink won't tell you anything. No baby weight giving any compression, kwim? The post was on diaperswappers. I wonder if you can find it by googling. It could still just be a repelling issue but thought I'd mention the compression thing just in case.

You're probably right about that. It would explain why Arwyn is leaking all the time in her Happy Cheeks, since they are the ones with huge gaps in the legs.

Dh and I talked about it tonight. It's a real dilemma because at this point we don't want to invest any more money in cloth than we have to. But it's pretty clear that I can't use the Happy Cheeks as a regular dipe because they're just too big. Sticking with prefolds during the day seems to work best for us. Also, last night Arwyn had a huge leak with her BGs, something that hasn't happened in a long time. I will wash them once with vinegar and dry them in the dryer. But I think I might have to send them all to get the elastic replaced. They're almost 2 years old, and have been used a LOT.

I've also noticed that the elastic on some of our Thirsties covers are looking pretty loose. Is there any way to replace them? Or is it not worth it? I'm currently stalking FSOT for Thirsties covers because 14 is not enough to go around for both Arwyn and Laurel.

[edurnemk]

I just skimmed through all the responses because I'm really sleepy, but just wanted to share that when DS reached the age where he would leak every.night and after trying a lot of methods (for a while we used Huggies night diapers, though I hated the idea), we finally started using fleece covers over the pocket diaper (BG's and Happy Heiny's ) stuffed with the regular insert and 2 hemp doublers. End of problem, even if it leaks, the fleece cover will keep it all in. I refused to get wool covers because I just can't handle the extra work and I had no place to line dry them, but fleece has worked for us. I don't remember the brand of covers, I'll get back to you on that tomorrow.

Also we've used Dawn to strip in the past, but I tried RLR Laundry treatment last time and it worked better. Got it at Jillian's Drawers.

We use triple paste, because it's the one that works best for DS, but when I use it I add a flushable liner to the diaper. I've used them with Desitin, too.

[michellerw]

I think your problem, full stop, is the rash creams you're using. None of the creams you've mentioned, including Triple Paste, is CD friendly. To be honest, Ive found that a liner is completely necessary when the rash sets in. Just be sure to wash the liner separately if you don't use disposable. We use Kushies liners, but we dont have septic.

The reason all of those rash creams are causing repelling is that the number one ingredient (the base) is white petrolatum. It's the same reason you can't use aquaphor with CDs.

Nonetheless, you're dead on about pressure being required in order for the liners in pockets to work. If your DC isn't big enough, the diaper will repel because there isn't enough weight to direct the wet downward. Also, we had similar issues with FBs at first. DD was in the middle of a growth spurt where she was long and lean and was leaking out the legs. Once she chunked out a little, the diapers fit a lot better and they are, by far, my favorites for the soft flannel liners and the snaps.