Cloth Diaper Help!

[Miss A]

Our latest daycare addition started this week, and he uses cloth diapers. I haven't diapered a cloth baby since my teenage babysitting days, so I am facing a bit of a learning curve.

I have gotten my diaper snapping time down quite a bit, so baby isn't fighting me as much at each change. And during baby's waking hours we don't have any issues or leaks. But, nap time is a completely different story. Baby takes a quick cat nap in the morning which does not present any leaks, but when he settles in for his 3.5 to 5 hour afternoon nap he soaks through the diaper, his clothing, and the bedding all the way down to the waterproof multi-use pad. The amount of extra laundry this makes for me is insane, and the sanitation issues it presents are huge.

I want to make this cloth diaper thing work. I really want to find a solution to the massive leaks, but so am just not sure what to do. My SIL cloth diapers her first born but she used a disposable overnight diaper at night because of the leaking.

Also, how often should I be changing a cloth diaper? I asked DCM and she said she just changes him when she feeds him, so I have been doing that but I personally need a set time schedule. All of my older toddlers are changed every 2.5-3 hours unless there is BM which is changed immediately. But can a cloth diaper hold 2.5-3 hours worth of wetness?

[Blackcat31]

The babies I've had that are CD have extra inserts for absorption during nap time. I also think a CD baby needs changing alot more frequently than a disposable diaper wearer.

I would make sure parents provide a water proof cover for the diapers so you don't have additional laundry. That's not okay and shouldn't be common for CD.

Here are several other threads on cloth diapering...

https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=cloth+diapers

[Pestle]

Cloth diapers need changed much more often, yes. This is a toddler? Is it a child who's reached that age where they control their bladder all morning and then let loose during nap?

[nannyde]

I would just put baby in a paper diaper I supplied at afternoon nap.

[TheMisplacedMidwestMom]

What type of diaper is she using? For most you can just throw in an extra insert. Just be aware that if it's a pocket diaper with microfiber the insert needs to go in the pocket and not touch the skin. If it's a snap in just layer an extra insert, or if it's an all-in-one you may have ask that they send inserts. It will be bulky but should do the trick.

I think your best will be to ask dcm how they deal with nighttime diapers and replicate that. Or they may be on board for disposables for nap.

As far as changing I would be just checking every hour/90 minutes like I do with rest. 3 hours seems like a long time to me to go between checks even for a disposable.

[Miss A]

Not a toddler but a fresh, sweet 3 month old

Diapers are LBB brand pocket diapers, but DCM just lays charcoal bamboo liners on the pocket diaper cover and doesn't actually insert it.

I just conversed with DCM this morning about providing a plastic cover and their night time diapering routine. She said they don't do anything different for nights at home, and his night soakers have been less frequent for them at home. DCM did agree to provide the covers, and if in the next week or so with a more frequent changing schedule and the plastic diaper I hope to have solved the issue. If not, he will be in a disposable at nap.

[hwichlaz]

Ask for her to double stuff one for nap. Then add the plastic pants over top.

[hwichlaz]

If she forgets to double stuff one, you can take the insert out of another diaper to add to his nap diaper.

[happymom]

Diapers are LBB brand pocket diapers, but DCM just lays charcoal bamboo liners on the pocket diaper cover and doesn't actually insert it.

Thirsties Hemp inserts are THE BEST doublers. You can buy a 4 pack on amazon for $18 (well, mom can) and add one at nap. LBB are really good diapers, but thirsties inserts are the most absorbent I have used.

You really shouldn't need another cover or plastic cover. It's most likely an absorption issue.

[Mike]

Thirsties Hemp inserts are THE BEST doublers. You can buy a 4 pack on amazon for $18 (well, mom can) and add one at nap. LBB are really good diapers, but thirsties inserts are the most absorbent I have used.

You really shouldn't need another cover or plastic cover. It's most likely an absorption issue.

I was thinking that too. Are the diapers being washed properly? They may need to be stripped to get back their full absorbency.

[hwichlaz]

I was thinking that too. Are the diapers being washed properly? They may need to be stripped to get back their full absorbency.

I’ve never met a pocket diaper that didn’t leak if soaked. The thread stitching usually wicks it out onto the clothes. I used to be part of the diaper sewing community and had my own brand. It’s a very common problem. If they work the rest of the time, doubling inserts and adding plastic pants at nap time is a reasonable solution....that should work whether or not they need to be stripped.

[Ariana]

I would just put baby in a paper diaper I supplied at afternoon nap.

Agree totally!

I had one kid with a cloth diaper and never again! She leaked constantly. No matter what I did or mom did (stripping them) she leaked here and I was changing her like 4084746 times a day, it was exhausting. Mom said she never leaked at home. To this day I have no clue what I was doing wrong.

[Jamie]

I have one in cloth diapers. I change her every 2 hours, and her mom has supplied extra inserts for nap time. The diaper is huge on her at nap time but it doesn't bother her, so that's the way it is 😊

[jenboo]

I had to change my son every 2 hours. For naps, I really had to stuff the diapers extra. At bedtime, it got to the point where his diaper was so stuffed, we couldn't get jammies one him so we used two disposables doubled up at night. He has always been a heavy wetter

[Miss A]

Thirsties Hemp inserts are THE BEST doublers. You can buy a 4 pack on amazon for $18 (well, mom can) and add one at nap. LBB are really good diapers, but thirsties inserts are the most absorbent I have used.

You really shouldn't need another cover or plastic cover. It's most likely an absorption issue.

My SIL suggested the Thirsties too!

DCM stripped diapers yesterday, and after a 4 hour nap today we only had a small leak out one of the legs of the diaper and not the huge, massive soakers we had all last week. Tomorrow the plastic covers DCM ordered should arrive too.

Fingers crossed that this is the solution!