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I've switched to cloth after almost 9 years of disposables and am having a few problems. First, we use MEOS and they always seem really bulky. It isn't a problem, but is it normal? I guess it must be.
The OS is on the last snap on one side, the second to last on the other side, and still today I went through 3 if not 4 sets of pants with my 2 yr old. She had a ME AF cover on for a time and a Prowraps for a time, and both had leaks. WHat am I doing wrong?
I have had WAY more leaks with ME than I did with disposables. Now that I have invested the $$ in the MEOS, and just bought more for baby #5 due In Aug., I don't want to go back to disposables, but the leaks are really getting to me. Sometimes it is the outside of the diaper on the bum and sometimes it seems to leak at her inner thigh because the whole crotch is wet. I must be missing something here.
Last question-she had a chaffed patch inside her left thigh that has finally healed and the dead skin all peeled off. It is fine now, but what do I make of that from a CD standpoint?
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Hello,
My first thought is hang in there, if I don't find the solution, I'm sure someone else with more experience will!
My first thought is are your diapers new, and if so, how many times did you wash them? ME recommends pre-washing 3-4 times I believe, but after that they are still not as absorbent as they will become with time - I think it has to do with the natural oils in the fabric that wash away eventually, just like in towels. When you start diapering with a newborn it's not a real problem because they don't pee a huge amount so by the time they grow up the diapers have been washed tons of times, but if you started with a toddler, who pees much more, and new diapers, it could be that they need a few more washes.
Also, how often are you changing? If you're used to disposables, you may not think of changing every 2 hours, but with a toddler who holds their pee for longer period than pees all at once, I suspect an MEOS could hold only one pee before leaking. So maybe you just need to change more often. But if that was the problem, the whole diaper would be wet and saturated so you should be able to tell. Although some people also have issues with their toddlers who pee so much all at once and with so much force that it goes right through. You could try putting a liner in the diaper, maybe even folding it in two and putting it in the spot where the diaper gets saturated. Some people find that they need a liner in every MEOS with a toddler - it's not the norm, but it happens with very heavy wetters.
Also, make sure no little bit of diaper is coming out of the cover and no bit of clothing comes in. Be careful with tags, they can be tricky, especially on new diapers because they are stiffer, but if they come out of the diaper they can really wick the moisture away.
As for the ME being bulky, it sure looks like it at first, but you get used to it. At least I did.
Oh, and for the chaffing, you can experiment with putting the diaper looser. That can be counter-intuitive especially when you have been having leaks, but most people find that the diaper doesn't need to be tight around the thighs at all for it to work. Especially if the problem is only about pre-washing, I would try to put the diaper looser. On the other hand, if the diaper is too loose, it could be moving and rubbing against your child so you can experience both ways.
Hope that helps, and good luck! |
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Hang in there! Many of us have a learning curve with cloth; I was a bit dismayed when our very first try ended in a leak, but ultimately I found that I had far fewer leaks with cloth than disposables. In our case, it was a tag sticking out the back (I then cut my all out).
The bulk is something you'll get used to, although the OS in its large setting (with the front up, where I'm assuming you're at) isn't too bad. Esp. with younger babies, the bulk, although more noticable, can actually be a nice thing. My DH felt so much more comfortable handling my sons in cloth because it made them feel more substantial. In your case, you've gotten really used to disposables, so it might take a while to get used to the look and feel of cloth. Hopefully you'll grow to love it, though--I always felt like my boys were missing something when they didn't have their cloth bottoms!
PP had some good thoughts, and my first thought was also changing frequently enough and having enough absorbancy. My DS#1 needed a liner/booster with every diaper for a while. DS#2 never did, so this really varies by child. For a toddler, every 2-3 hours, depending on toiletting patterns, is pretty normal.
Another question is what size cover you're using. Assuming you're using the right cover for your daughter's weight, I also would echo the comment that often tighter isn't better. I've found that I have better results when the cover isn't super tight. I like to be able to comfortably slide a finger in.
The bum leaks are odd. Are your covers new or used? Although leg leaks are often a matter of changing and fit, it's very rare to have leaks in the bum area (although if it's high, that's likely the tag wicking). It seems like often when these comes up on the forum, old covers are involved. While covers can last a very long time (my L AFs are going on five years of use now and going strong), they don't always, and can get tiny pinprick holes in them. If you want to check your covers, I'll quote KarenC's advice (and maybe she or someone else who's actually done this can describe it better) to take a folded up wet towel and press it against the inside of the wrap. If you get moisture on the outside, the cover is the problem.
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Fanfreluche covered your questions pretty well, so I second everything she said. The most common cause of leaks when first starting out is due to insufficiently pre-washed new diapers. The natural oils in the cotton interfere with absorption the same way the oils in new cotton towels do. Prewash the diapers a bit more if necessary, check that the diaper and tags are well tucked inside and change frequently enough and it should be fine.
If you still have leaks after that consider checking the size of the cover. Some people find that even if the cover looks like it fits fine that they have sudden & unexplained leaks when it's time to size up.
Also if you use another brand of cover make sure that it offers good coverage, not all covers are cut the same way so some work better than others.
Just keep at it, I understand how frustrating leaks can be but it's really not normal with CD. Every single cloth diaper user (especially Mother-Ease) I've ever spoken to has *less* leaks with cloth than with disposables. At best it's equal if they were one of the really lucky disposable users that never got leaks. I can honestly count on one hand the number of leaks I had with each of my children and for the most part when we did it was due to some kind of error on our part.
Welcome to the board and congrats on baby #5. I live vicariously through other pregnant moms as we're now done with our 4 kids (I think having twins as our last two really sealed the deal with dh especially! LOL!).
Karen. |
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Thanks for all your comments! It really helps to be able to vent and get help here.
I do realize I may not be changing her enough, but at the same time.....I bought all the diapers used so I don't think it is the natural oils in the fabrics. I have probably washed them about 10 times since getting them, and the problem continues. This morning when she woke up her pajamas and her bed were soaked - really soaked. So add all the bed sheets to the laundry, on top of washing the diapers - ugh.
As for size, I think she is about 35 ponds and is in XL AF covers. I'll check to see if they leak, as I did buy those used as well. Really, the extra laundry is not much fun - especially being 9 weeks from my due date and having so many to wash for already. I just don't have that many changes of clothes for her to wear. I can adjust the snaps on the OS out to make them on the biggest setting all around. She uses a liner about half the time, I would guess, and tonight I stuffed 2 liners in there in hopes of not having to wash the bed linens again tomorrow. We'll see if that works or not and I'll let you know.
As someone said, I've gotten very used to how often I had to change her is disposables. The only thing I can compare this to is when I bought a box of Huggies, where we usually used Luvs, and she leaked constantly. I called the company and got a refund - but obviously that is not the answer here. I want this to work - I just don't know how to fix it. I'll check the covers and adjust the snaps tomorrow (she's asleep now :-)) and let you know how it goes. THanks again,
Laura |
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Hello again,
I can say from my experience, if I had put my 2-year-old to bed with only a One-Size, he would have leaked as well. At that age, we were using 3(!!!) liners in the diaper or else his pajamas would be wet in the morning. It made his butt awfully big, but he really didn't care as it was just for nights. I used two liners full length, and one was outside the diaper - in between diaper and cover - just at the crotch, where he would get the most wet. Someone suggested that to me on the Forum as it helps a bit with the bulk. So experimenting with liners is definitely a good idea!
The XL cover should be a good fit, that's what we were using at night and L during the day without the liners. So it shouldn't be the cause of the problem.
Hope we can help you find a solution! |
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Are the diapers always saturated when you get leaks? If so then it's an absorbancy problem and you'll need to either change more often and/or add a liner. Not every child needs a liner during the day (although it is more common for toddlers using the One-Size) but they all pretty much need at least one or two at night.
I doubt it's the size of the cover, XL sounds like the right size to me. An expired (used up) cover is a possibility but really if the diapers are saturated at every leak then it's most likely that she's just overwhelming the diaper. Either because she pees a lot at once (that with toddlers that age is fairly common I think - they're able to hold it for longer periods as they near potty learning - and then let it all go at once) in which case she'd need a liner with every diaper. Or it's because she's peeing more than once in the diapers and they need to be changed more often.
HTH,
Karen. |
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THanks! We had no leaks today, despite being out for a long time and definitely not getting changed as often as should have been. And the bed was not wet this morning. Of course, I am just now realizing that I don't know how many liners my husband put on her tonight - so we'll see what tomorrow brings. I held the covers up to the light looking for holes and saw none, but haven't used a wet washcloth yet. I did put the diaper and cover on the largest size and, as I said, no leaks today, so maybe that was it Thanks again. If the problem comes back, I'll post again.
Happy Memorial Day,
Laura |
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