I'm so excited; I just got some Fuzzibunz pocket cloth diapers for my nine-month-old son and am transitioning from disposables. However, I am in need of some help.
I got the diapers and washed all of them (per Fuzzibunz instructions with Ecos Free & Clear laundry detergent) yesterday and started putting them on my boy yesterday evening. I doubled up the inserts for nighttime, but they were clearly not enough to keep my son dry and asleep (he wakes if he feels wet). I changed it before it leaked, but it was extremely soaked and the fleece was as well after about three hours. I rarely have to change him in the middle of the night and the process wakes him up completely, making it somewhat difficult to get him back asleep. I ended up putting a disposable on him for the rest of the night. Then for his morning nap, he leaked through a new diaper in just 30 minutes with one insert (he's a heavy wetter in the AM, so I probably should have doubled up again) and had a short nap because of it.
My question to you this time is what do you suggest as a nighttime insert or doubler? Or, should I continue to use a disposable at night instead? I've been using Seventh Generation diapers with great success at night (few leaks). My son's night is usually 11-12 hours long with one feeding (after which he promptly goes back to sleep without a diaper change). I'd really rather not have to get up more than I need to in order to keep changing diapers and then have to wait for him to fall back asleep each time.
Also, I have lots of Gerber organic cotton cloth diapers that we used as burp rags, would/could they work as doublers if folded up?
Thanks!!
I use 2 hemp liners along with the microfiber insert for night time. Hemp is fairly thin but highly absorbent. You do need to wash hemp in hot water for 3-5 washes to get max absorbency.
I also am transitioning to disposables, and I have a camel for a son. I asked a similar question and was told to use a hemp insert. It aborbes much more than a cotton or fleece. I have yet to try, but am soon.
I actually am using prefolds and a cover. Actually i'm using cloth-eez prefolds, gerber prefolds, and a thirsties doubler at the time being. And it's working decent. He has the diaper the size of china, but it gets us through the night, but still can't wait to try the hemp. I have also made me my own prefold with his old receiving blankets and then I cut up an old thermal blanket (the waffle kind of fabric) and it works wonders! Perhaps you could try the prefolds at night?
I have heard that the hemp inserts are really absorbent, but that is something about cloth that they don't wick away as much as disposable, so it will take a bit for him to get used to. Yes, you can use the burp rags as doublers if they aren't too bulky in there.
I always added a microfiber towel into my daughters' fuzzibunz diapers at night and naptime. I just wrapped it around the insert and stuffed it in there. It absorbed very well. You can find them at Walmart in the car dept. The effect is that they are tripled around the insert (lay insert on top and fold towel over on both sides). It fits perfectly.
I got some hemp liners for this same problem. It amazing, they are so small and thin you think there is no way they will work, but they do! I used to double stuff my BG, but my son got too big and the diapers wouldn't stay on him anymore. So we went back to one insert and 1 hemp liner at night and so far so good. I think it does depend on how much your kid wets their diaper and what works.
I'm on kid number two, using cloth from day 3 after birth. I gave up using cloth at night, I use sposies.
I've heard that prefolds with wool covers are the best.
Everyone's suggestions are great. The only thing I would add is that if you have to use disposables at night, you're still making a huge difference by using cloth during the day. My son needs special overnight diapers at night to keep from leaking - even regular disposables won't cut it. But by using cloth during the day, I know we significantly reduce how much waste we create, and still do our best to keep those chemicals away from the bum. I recommend you try everyone's suggestions, but if they don't work, you don't have to give up on cloth! ^_^ Good luck.
We used FuzziBunz from birth, and my son was the same way - hated being wet... and it would wake him up... so we put disposibles on him at night starting at about 9 months or a year. It didn't seem to matter how much we doubled or tripled his diaper at night, it wasn't enough, plus then the diaer was huge. Now, at 19 months he is potty trained - we put disposibles on him for nights and naps only, all done with diapers other than that.
I used a Nurtured Family contour doubler with my daughter at night, then added another single insert when she moved up into the Large size.
The diapers might need washing again, the more washes to begin with the higher absorbency.
You could use your prefolds (the gerber oc diapers) as doublers, but I was told---and found it to be true---that washing natural fibers like cotton with the poly-fleece of the Fuzzi Bunz pocket causes the fleece to pill somewhat. It only changes the 'feel' of the diaper and not the absorbency though.
Great job mommin'!
ps. I have some diapers n' inserts for sale if you're interested, 10 doublers, send me a message if you like. :)
I had the same problem- both of my boys are heavy wetters, especially overnight. They would leak no matter how much I stuffed in there. :) And I did try the hemp. It really did help with naps- but still not for overnight. I have given up and just use disposables at night now. For my 8 month old, I just use his regular size 3 for overnight. the size 3 still looks big on him and it gets him through the night just fine. If he starts leaking through at night I will just get some diapers one size bigger and use them for overnight. For my 2 year old, I have to get the Huggies overnights. My experience is that it is almost impossible to leak through those things! They are great!
I would recommend using a natural fiber like hemp or bamboo instead of or in addition to a microfiber insert. Natural fibers are much more absorbent than microfiber:). We have a selection of them here:
http://the-giggling-green-bean.com/cloth-diapers/diaper-a...
Feel free to email if you have more questions! ____@____.com
Good luck!
A.
