ready to give up

sangarepa

My DS is 3 weeks old and we are almost ready to just go 'sposies.  Every diaper pees up the back, no matter how tight we make the waist.  Both my DH and I have had this issue with him, so I know it is not user error.  We have prefolds (angel fold) with a variety of covers including thirsties and some random a-i-1's and a-i-2's that we picked out to try out.  Also, we can't seem to get rid of his diaper rash no matter how much air time and angel baby balm we use.  We are going through 3 or more outfits a day! Also, DS has yet to cry when he had a wet dipe so while we check him regularly, I feel terrible that he had a sopping wet cloth next to his skin for who knows how long. 

We asked a tech at our DR's office today who said he switched from CD to Pampers for the same reason for his DH.  I am so discouraged and we spent so much $ on these.   What was I thinking?!

11kacey

Have you tried different folds?

https://www.theecofriendlyfamily.com/2009/08/prefold-picture-tutorial.html

xpedite

How often are you changing?

I had to change every hour at that age. It gets better, and you can add more absorbency in the bigger size diapers.

Also we had terrible diaper rash that I tried several different things on. I finally gave up and went sposies and aquaphor and it cleared up in 2 days.

I don't know if Angelbalm is cloth diaper safe, but if it's not it may have made your diapers more waterproof than absorbent. If that's the case you will want to strip them with a drop of blue dawn.

pixy_stix

Change your detergent, change your diaper cream, change the fold you're using on the prefolds.

If you are using OS diapers, he might still be too small for them, which is causing leaks.  If you are leaking out of every diaper, it *is* user error.

Honestly, disposables aren't that much greater when it comes to figuring out pee and poop explosions, nor random rashes.

I know you're discouraged, but stick with it.

aschleser

What type of cover are you using? I have had issues with my NB AIOs leaking, too - Lil Joeys and Fuzzibunz - BUT - angel wing folded prefolds work great for us.  I use either Thirsties Duo covers or Tweedle Bugs XS cover.  Both have good elastic and leg gussets.  I haven't had any leaks with the prefolds/cover system.  Are your covers snaps or aplix? We are using all aplix, and I can get a really good fit.  Is the prefold below the top of the cover in the back?  I sometimes have issues with this when I'm tired!  I know some baby boys need to have their stuff pointed down - maybe this would help point it towards more absorbancy?

What kind of prefold are you using? I have Green Mountain Diapers and they are pretty absorbant.  Also - what detergent are you using?  It may be a repelling issue. 

My LO doesn't like to be wet - but I check her before and after each feeding, when she is fussy, and at the very least every 2 hrs or so when she's awake.  We haven't had any issues with redness/rash - maybe LO is sensitive to your diaper detergent?.  It's not hard to check for wetness- I put my finger in between the back of her leg and her diaper to feel if its wet (she has pretty obvious poo sounds so I can hear those and refrain from sticking my finger in it!). 

Good luck!!! I hope we can help you figure out your issues, I'd hate to see you give up on cloth so early!

xmeli554x

We were having leaking issues in the beginning, and after trying a bunch of different things, I determined that we have really really hard water, and the only thing that helped was to add Calgon water softener to every load, and to strip with RLR every 2 months or so.

Vermillionsss

Try a different rash cream. Also, talk to your pedi. It might be yeast, which you'll need a prescription for. Ask for Nyastatin powder, it's CD safe. (the cream is not) If it ends up being yeast you'll have to bleach your diapers. (or treat them another way) I used bleach and high heat drying, 2-3 times.

MaybeBabyTime

Just had to share with you that sposies don't always mean leak free. I didn't cd DS until he was about 7 months old. We had LOTS of leaks in sposies..lots of outfit changes too.  Just wanted to throw that out there. Don't give up yet! I don't have any advice for the NB period but we have never had a leak with cloth when DS was 7 months and onward. 

sangarepa

We don't have hard water and use tiny bubbles soap. Our prefolds are bumkins.

bluesage

MaybeBabyTime:

Just had to share with you that sposies don't always mean leak free. I didn't cd DS until he was about 7 months old. We had LOTS of leaks in sposies..lots of outfit changes too.  Just wanted to throw that out there. Don't give up yet! I don't have any advice for the NB period but we have never had a leak with cloth when DS was 7 months and onward. 

This.

We didn't CD our baby until she was 9 months old (I wish we had started sooner!) We had multiple blowouts and outfit changes with her when she was a NB in sposies as well as the occasional rash. If its just a normal rash, try CJ's butter or another CD safe cream, I've heard good things on here about CJ's. Make sure you change her diapers often, every 1-2 hours or more if needed. We had to do that with sposies too. NB systems don't digest things as well, so everything passes through more quickly, and they eat more often too. I actually found that DD has had less rashes since we started CD. If you used creams that aren't CD safe, then your diapers are no longer as absorbent and you will need to strip them with a drop of dawn.

Dr.Loretta

How often are you changing? Have you tried other folds?

IMO it doesn't hurt to try and switch it up with sposies until you can sort things out and ease back into CDs. At that age DD was sleeping 4-5 hours a stretch so she got a whopper of a rash. I started putting her into more pockets (and using some disposables in there to keep the rash down) and started figuring out the issues. After a couple of weeks we were back on track and I haven't looked back.

I haven't heard of Bumkins prefolds, so I don't know if that's your problem or if you're having more issues iwth repelling (which may be a bigger problem with the angel baby balm).

I'd strip the prefolds, go into sposies until they're clean, and try again. You will figure it out, I promise.

Valleybugt

Just wondering how you prepped your diapers?  Maybe you are having absorbency issues bc your diapers haven't been properly prepped.

lauraandlee

Angel Baby Bottom Balm IS CD-safe, so you're fine there.  We've used it forever (and on cuts and scrapes too ). 

Try the bikini twist fold too, I know others have raved about it.  I highly doubt it's a yeast rash at this point, so don't get overwhelmed in thinking you need to go there yet.

Now...for a persistent rash, I'd think of two things: 1) detergent and 2) something in your diet (if you're BFing) that's causing the rash.  Dairy being the most common culprit).  

And then for the leaking issue, yes, one-size diapers are going to be too big, but the prefolds (what size do you have?  are they getting tucked in the cover as to prevent wicking of the moisture out on to the clothes?).  And yes, prepping them sufficiently so they're able to hold the moisture is a good thing.  Also, not all prefolds are made equal, so it *may* be a prefold quality issue.  

flyer23

Actually, I've had repelling issues with Angel Baby Bottom Balm, even though it is supposedly CD-safe. Try running some water on your diapers. It should absorb instantly. ABBB leaves... it's hard to explain... but you'll know it if you see it. It's not always visible when the dipe is dry, but if you run water over it, you'll see areas where the water soaks in and then areas where the ABBB is repelling.

Also, he is PEEING up the back? Like, he pees and it goes straight up his back and leaks out? That's really weird -- poop out the back, yes, and pee out the legs or front, yes, but I've never heard of pee out the back. Is the entire prefold tucked into the cover? If not, you'll get lots of leaks... yes, out the back, if that's where the prefold is sticking out.

As for having a sopping wet cloth next to his skin, if he's not bothered by it, why should you be? Better than a ton of chemicals next to his skin...