Cloth Diapers Leaking Every Hour!

My oldest is 22 and youngest 11. I used cloth for all three of them and used terry cloth diapers with the pre-fold in the middle. I tried those diaper covers, but found they weren't absorbent enough. I bought the plastic covers at Sears (their most expensive brand) and used old fashioned pins. I never had any problems after that. I always doubled up at night and naps. None of my children were ever stuck with a pin. I think it's great that you are using cloth!

Hi B., I started using cloth around the same time as you with my son, and he is now 15mos and almost 24lbs. It is hard to get started as you try different things, but then you don't want to spend money on things that don't work! I have tried many different kinds/brands (feel free to email me if you want my experience with the different brands), and I had some issues with the Whisper Wraps; they just started to leak, and although I really liked them and they're cute-- I went for a different one that I LOVE. Thirsties covers have great gussets and they are a thinner material, so less bulk. I haven't had A leak with them. In fact I just ordered a bunch more that are on sale (momsmilkboutique.com; and they do free shipping). I do use Chinese prefolds, from Tiny Tots in Campbell, CA. They have a good website. I know some moms make their own but I don't have time. I also used some Gerber ones at first (b/c they are so cheap!) and they were fine, but too thin to last 2 hrs. Now I use them to cover my son on the changing table b/c he likes to pee in the air.
Feel free to email me-- I have had fun trying different things and once getting the hang of the diapers they are no sweat. (just a little bulk!) Good luck!

Hi B.,

H. J has great advice for you, but I wanted to add a little more. I understand cloth diapering on a budget and have been doing so for 2.5 years now. DSQ Chinese prefolds are the best, but you need to get approximately 2 dozen in toddler size and they are closer to $2.50 each when you get to this bigger size. If you have some basic sewing skills or know someone who does, you can make a stash for dirt cheap. Here is a link to a website that talks about how you can make an entire stash for under $30 from old t-shirts, towels, sheets, whatever: http://fernandfaerie.com/frugaldiapering.html. If you want to make real DSQ chinese prefolds yourself, they are super easy and you can make a couple dozen during two naptimes or so (you can also find good link for places to get diaper twill, though I think they sometimes carry it at Joanns). Here is a link to show you how to make a real prefold http://diaperfabric.com/sew-a-prefold-diaper-the-real-way/ using diaper twill that will quilt up exactly as a prefold should. You can make them to the exact length you want them and fancy them up any way you would like. There are also many yahoo groups out there for people who sew there own cloth diapers if you need help getting started. Finally, if you really don't have sewing skills and can't make your own, look to craigslist for used diapers. Ebay no longer allows anyone to sell used cloth diapers, so craigslist is a great place to go. You can usually find diapers that were used once or twice then the parent didn't want to continue with cloth and are selling them for cheap. Good luck to you...there are so many ways for you to stick to cloth.

-H.

I'm not familiar with the cloth diapers being sold currently, but what someone said about the ones you're using not being 100% cotton tells me they aren't the best diaper. If you can't afford to replace them, the only suggestion I could make is that you'll just need to change him more often. If the cause of the leaking is due to the amount of urniation, he may need the extra changing anyway.
The rule of thumb at most daycare centers for a child his age is that the diaper is checked once per hour anyway. If it's wet or dirty, it's changed. Once the child is a little older, they begin to lengthen the time out to two hours, but even then watch for signs of a need to change sooner. I understand that you may feel that you are constantly changing him and that the laundry load may become somewhat overwhelming, but it is probably well worth doing.

Hi B.,
Cloth diapering is a trial and error process on the way to finding what works for your family. When I was cd'ing my older daughter 13+ years ago Gerber was all I knew, there weren't the options back then that are available today and there weren't as many sources of info. either.
Those diapers just aren't very absorbent, though replacing them all at once may not be an option you can double them up in a pinch to get you by. I always used them 2 at a time, fold one diaper in thirds and lay it down the middle of the folded diaper. When you're ready to replace them try DSQ (daper service quality) CPF's (cotton pre folds) or the Chinese ones. They can be purchased second hand from diaper services cheaper than new but speaking from experience some of them wear out rather quickly because of the harsh cleaning process they go through. I think it's better in the long run to buy them at a second hand shop or Craigslist or buy some new.
You don't say what your laundering routine is but some detergents make cloth diapers less absorbent, fabric softners coat the fibers and make them water resistant, bleach wears down the fibers and shortens the length of your diapers. Check out www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm for laundry detergents and tips on which detergents may work best for you as well as which ones to avoid.
If you have a few old receiving blankets you no longer use and some basic sewing skills you can make your own very absorbent diapers free. Now diapering my 18 month old daughter I found that by using a cloth diaper as a pattern I could make one very good diaper from each blanket. Just cut the blanket to make two layers the same size as your diaper and use the rest of the blanket to sew the extra thickness (2 more layers) down the middle of the diaper. These make very cute, soft, and absorbent prefold diapers. The snappi clip doesn't grab the flannel though but I found that it really isn't necessary to use it or pins if you're using bummis super whisper wrap (those are my favorite cover, hold the diaper in place and rarely leak).
I hope you get the info. you need to continue cd'ing without discouragement. Let me know if I can help, in fact I have accumulated a large stash of cloth diapers (I'm sure I could diaper 3 babies) including ones I've made and some contour shaped flannel diapers (they don't require folding) and would be happy to pass on a few to someone who would get good use of them.
Best wishes, K.

Depending on the type of cloth diapers you should be changing them every 90 minutes to 2 hours or so. Anything after that will leak.

Good Luck.

Unfortunately for you, Gerber diapers are junk. Instead of cotton in the padded part, they often have polyester batting which absorbs NOTHING. I would say to look on ebay for "Chinese" or Diaper Service Quality" ("DSQ") prefolds. Or lots of folks sell lightly used (clean, of course!) dipes on ebay. Or, if you have someone that sews, they are neither difficult nor expensive to make. I have two in diapers right now--and I made all of the ones we use. There are lots of patterns available--even free ones online.

As a stopgap measure, go to Costco or Sam's. Get one of those BIG packages of microfiber towels they sell in the tools/automotive area. Put one of those, folded in half in each diaper, maybe with a cheap cotton washcloth over the top of it. (the microfiber cloths are like 36 for $10-12, and regular washcloths can be had in large packages for cheap at Wal-Mart or Target.) I use those microfiber cloths inside my diapers. I make fitted diapers, not AIO's, and then use a wool soaker for a diaper cover. Wool diaper covers can be made from old wool sweaters bought from flea markets--very easy. My almost 2-year-old is sleeping in a pair of "longies" made that way right now.

I hated cloth diapers for the same reason. They are worse for boys than girls. You can go to the dollar store and buy sanitary napkins and put one in his diaper with each change. I have used this method with puppies but not babies and it works great. For the pups I just put one in a sock and tied it or velcroed it around their bellies for no accidents in the house. It will hopefully absorb more for you.

I have used cloth diapers with both my girls with great success. Does your son have a large amount of tinkle? I used to double diaper my girls at night because they were leaking through and that seemed to help. Good for you for using cloth, it is great both for your kids as well as the environment. You may also want to contact Gerber and the two cover companies and see if they have any suggestions.

Good luck!
E.

Maybe it's time to use a larger sized diaper. Are you still using the newborn size? Made a big difference for us when we went up a size. Also, check your folding technique. Tiny Tots has a good video on their website. Getting a good technique down stopped most leakage for me. (My son is now 8 mos.)

I gave the gDiapers a try for a while but never opened the disposable inserts that came in the package... I just used an infant-sized cloth diaper in the "shower cap" instead... it worked Great! We didn't use that strategy until he was partially potty tained though so it was mainly a backup. My guy was a very heavy wetter so we were using a cotton/hemp fleece doubler inside a good quality chinese prefold with the SuperWhisperWrap and gave up on the SnappiClip altogether... he'd always soak the doubler completely with just one pee but it stayed contained. The moment he wet he'd fuss so I got really quick at getting a clean one on him. By the time he was 18mos he was in underpants during waking hours... cloth definitely has its benefits!

Hi B.,

I've used gdiapers which are the best of cloth diapers and disposable diapers. They're also quite affordable. Check them out at gdiapers.com You can also find them at some grocery stores.

good luck!

M. Santsche
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I agree with Heather, the Gerber diapers aren't made for anything besides maybe burp cloths. You can get nice Chinese or Indian prefolds online for like a $1 each. It's worth the upgrade and will allow you to just use cloth and not anything weird like sanitary napkins (?!). We still use the prefold, snappis and cover method on our 19 month old boy. However, he does use a bum genius one-size at night. They also say that you should fold the diaper different for boys, so you should look into that.

It's a big outlay at first, but totally worth it to buy the diaper service quality diapers. Pumkinbutt had the best deals when I was searching, altough you can buy from diaper companies used DSQ diapers. It sounds gross, until you break down the nature of diaper services. All the diapers are "used"...
good luck, and good for you!!!

Yep, you need to get the Chinese prefolds. And prewash them when you get them so they fluff up. I cloth diapered my daughter from the time she was born until she potty trained, and the initial expense to get the right diapers paid off in what I saved on disposables. I also worked full time, and it was my daycare provider's first experience with the "new" cloth diapers, and she raved about them to all the other parents. It was even easier on her, because I gave her a bag to put the dirty diapers in and cleaned them at home. I found they actually leaked less than disposables. Even super poopy blowouts were more contained in the cloth diapers. What you are doing with the covers is much better than AIOs when it comes to containing leaks as well.

I wonder if there just isn't enough fabric to be absorbent? (I'm not familiar with that diaper, although I use the bummis wraps) - maybe an extra layer or booster. You can sometimes get cd stuff second hand a lot cheaper. I have some flannel boosters which work really well overnight. I tumble dry the wraps occasionally as it seems to improve the waterproofness.

E.

Sounds like the cover may be the wrong size or not on tight enough.

Hi B.
I use prefolds and covers too. I've made a few of my prefolds. I used old baby blankets and a towel the soaker part. I also have some seconds. It is about the same price as the gerbers and work much better. I've used gerber, they only one that worked was the 6 ply, but it still wasn't as good as the chinese prefolds. If you would like to invest in some pockets or AIOs, you can try buying from a WAHM. It isn't as expensive as buying BGs or any name brand ones. I actually have some coming in. did't coast that much. Any how, here is a site for some secondshttp://www.clothdiaperclearance.com/.
This lady makes really good diapers for a reasonable price Sassycloth.com. I hope this helps.

(haven't read all the responses, so forgive if this is repetitive...)

I CD'd my son until he was age 2 & after many trials & errors with fit, leaks, smell, etc., I decided that Green Mountain Diapers Cloth-Eez were what worked best for us.

http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm

(I did see someone mention sanity napkins...absolutely no need for that, plus you're messing with chemicals in the pad in close contact with his skin & reproductive parts - there are MANY links to sanitary pads not being great for women, let alone infants!!)

At the very least, you need diaper-service quality (DSQ), 4x8x4 layers as a minimum for each diaper. I learned this the hard way as well by getting 4x4x4 layers or some such. There is a major difference in the amount of liquid that can be held in a thicker-layered diaper.

It may be the diaper cover, but I would definitely rule out the type of diaper first before investing in a different cover or a completely different style of diaper altogether. Prefolds will always be the cheapest way to go, but IMO, they are also the easiest upkeep & can be used for many other things once they're "retired" from their original use. We're getting ready for baby #2 in a few weeks & I can't wait to just pull out the cloth & not have to stock up on disposables!!

Good luck! I would say I "wasted" about $100 trying out different CD-related products before settling on a system that worked for us. But it's not fully a waste since you can re-sell your items for partial price on a lot of different websites.

It sounds like you need the chinese prefolds rather than these Gerber birdseye which are mostly good as burp cloths. I used these in the beginning but eventually switched to BumGenius all in one pocket diapers. I love these because they expand as your baby grows and you don't have to buy a million sizes.

B.,
try putting two diapers on at once. we've even used three before, as long as the diaper cover is big enough. if that doesn't work, disposables only at night might be a solution. good luck, and the world thanks you for using cloth diapers!!!

birdseyes are awful!!! i am a cloth diaper veteran and i love AIOs, but i have done prefolds and i can tell you the thick "chinese prefolds" are the way to go. somebody gave me those birdseyes and i use them for spit up rags. the good ones are about $2 a piece. also, for nighttime, invest in 2 fleece covers -- like polar babies -- and a microfiber or fleece liner so your baby will feel dry all night. and start buying size 2 jammies, because his butt will be huge. stick with the cloth -- its so worth it!