Okay, you all know I am all things positive about cloth diapering. However, lately diapering at NIGHT has become a sore spot with me. Why? You’re probably guessing correctly – leakage! I will now [adjusts science lab goggles] dissect the possible reasons diapers leak at night. Here’s what I’ve come up with:
- Time on Tush – obviously, baby is going MUCH longer in his night fluff than I would EVER let him go during the day. During the day, I change him every 2-3 hours, or when obviously wet/dirty. At night, he goes to bed at 7pm and sometimes doesn’t wake up to eat until 2 am. Sometimes 4 am. (If I’m lucky, sometimes later!). Now, if he is soaked through at those times, I will change him, but if not, he’s not really awake… do I change him JUST to hopefully prevent a leak later? That will wake him up though and maybe he won’t go back down…
- Intake = Output – since my baby has decided he WON’T follow accepted medical reasoning about when to start sleeping through the night, he might be leaking due to fluid intake. He generally wakes 1-3 times to have a feeding at night. And yes, I’ve tried getting him to go down without a feeding, but he is geniunely hungry! So… with all that fluid he is drinking, it’s gotta come out sometime! And you know how breast milk goes through a baby. THEORY: if he starts dropping those feedings, he will stop “going” so much, therefore stemming off the leakage.
- Double-Stuff – I use pockets at night – either BG or FB. Originally I was adding the insert into my BumGenius’ and then the infant/doubler. Now, I have started to TRIPLE stuff – either the insert plus 2 doublers, or the insert plus a doubled BabyKicks hemp insert. This generally helps, but I have still sometimes had a leak.
- User Error – The computer geek part of me knows that sometimes it’s not the product, it’s the way it’s used. It is possible I have caught the edge of his onesie in the diaper and then the liquid wicks away to the outside, soaking him. I have noticed this before. Or, perhaps I didn’t put the snaps on the right setting, leaving a gap around his thighs. Or, I might have not arranged the “stuffing” correctly, therefore there isn’t enough in the front (for a boy) to absorb all the fluid.
- Build up – diapers do need to be stripped on occasion to remove buildup from detergents, ammonia, and diaper cream (if used – although I use a cloth-safe brand). I am currently stripping my dipes as I type to eliminate this variable!
As you can see, in this night diapering experiment, I have a lot of variables; I think I need to develop a “control” group! I am working to correct the leakage issues… I am sure this will NOT be my last post on night diapering!
Please share how you have handled night diapering issues.What is your favorite night diaper and how do you stuff it?
DiaperEnvy.com&trade
Thursday 30th of September 2010
Hi Ayearwithmomanddad! Have you tried Happy Heinys Pocket diapers yet? We use them on our son for the night time. They fit nice and snug with over lapping Aplix hook and loop and snap adjustable rise not to mention they are super soft. With them come an extra large insert as well as a doubler which have not let us down as of yet. Tip: If you are using older CDs you may want to try to strip them of any detergent buildup that could be reducing their absorbency. We like to soak ours for 24 or so hours in Rockin' Green or dawn liquid soap. Hope this helps, happy cloth diapering!-Beth and DaveYour friends at DiaperEnvy.com™
Carrie
Monday 27th of September 2010
When I had leaking issue at night (but not during the day) my two areas to check were: absorbency and fit.My 18 mo still doesn't sleep through the night, and nurses. I was drenched over the weekend when we were traveling and used disposables - clearly not a cloth-only problem!with my boy, I use BG 3.0 double stuffed with 2 regular MF inserts. I make sure they lay as flat as possible in the diaper (bunching can cause leaking). I also check for gaping at the legs. if there is space between the diaper and the the leg when I put his legs at a seated position/angle, then I work to tighten things up - check if the rise snaps need adjustment, check if the inserts need to be moved to allow a snug fit.I hate leaks, but I think it's the nature of diapers that sometimes, it happens
Carrie
Monday 27th of September 2010
When I had leaking issue at night (but not during the day) my two areas to check were: absorbency and fit.My 18 mo still doesn't sleep through the night, and nurses. I was drenched over the weekend when we were traveling and used disposables - clearly not a cloth-only problem!with my boy, I use BG 3.0 double stuffed with 2 regular MF inserts. I make sure they lay as flat as possible in the diaper (bunching can cause leaking). I also check for gaping at the legs. if there is space between the diaper and the the leg when I put his legs at a seated position/angle, then I work to tighten things up - check if the rise snaps need adjustment, check if the inserts need to be moved to allow a snug fit.I hate leaks, but I think it's the nature of diapers that sometimes, it happens
T Rex Mom
Friday 24th of September 2010
Our nighttime diapers are always in flux. We have actually never had a leak but I am always trying to get a trim fit for my little one to avoid her having a giant tushy at nighttime. I guess I worry about comfort and being restricted. Maybe it's just me obsessing over it.We were FB with Babykicks inserts for the longest time. Then I got a new BG 4 and started using it at night with BK insert. Now, I'm falling in love with my TotBots with an extra bamboo insert. I also put a fleece liner in because the bamboo always holds the moisture on the skin. I'm really liking this. And the fit is decently trim.I am actually wondering if you might be right and have a leaking issue. Two BK inserts with the microterry insert - that's a lot. It will be interesting to see how it goes after the striping. I routinely double wash and quadruple rinse my diapers about every other week or so. They seriously don't even smell when they are soiled. This is how I can tell they are "stripped". Oh, and love the photo, too!
Crunchy Beach Mama
Friday 24th of September 2010
This is the Grrrrr part of cloth diapering and when I curse them! I hate leaks but in the middle of the night I want to SCREAM! I boil the pockets when they are starting to leak more than "once in awhile" to get rid of the goop I guess though I've never used anything but good detergent either. But it seems to work!