UGH. Any wisdom is appreciated!!

sunkissed7804

Background:

My daughter is 7 weeks and probably around 10lbs.

We have the Thirsties Duo Pockets.

There is a reoccurring issue with leaks.  It's confusing because they didn't leak until she was about 4 weeks old. The leaks only occur at the legs. 

I stripped them with RLR because I did test and see that they were repelling.  I'm thinking that even though my ointment is cloth safe it still caused a buildup. 

Still, we have at least a leak a day.  I have also had to resort to an awesome disposable that I found online (Broodychicks) for overnight because the leaks were ridiculous (perhaps because she is a side sleeper).

The only conclusion I can come to is that it is a combination of her being a heavy wetter and that the legs do not fit her well enough. Although, I'm a bit confused by that because the inner leg gussets totally fit her snugly.  It is only the outside elastic that doesn't.  WTH?

Any ideas on how to possibly fix this problem are welcome!

SO...my questions...

Has anyone else had this problem with this diaper?  Will it really get better as she gets bigger?

Do you think if I started doing prefolds and used the diapers as a cover instead it could fix the leak issue?

We cannot afford to just buy an all new stash. Can anyone recommend a different diaper that works great with a heavy wetting, skinny minny? We are looking to go with a different one when she outgrows these.  The slimmer the better because hubby cannot stand the bulkiness!

Any ideas on how to possibly fix this problem are welcome!  I'm pulling my hair out!!

TIA!!! 

 

CLLDLL

 Here's my thoughts: 

1.) How did you test for repelling?  A lot of diapers that aren't repelling will "pool" water if you just put it on top without the pressure of a baby bottom on top.  IMO the best way to know if a diaper is repelling is if you know for sure you have a good fit but you are having leaks and the inserts are still mostly dry.  Also, if you really are having repelling issues due to your diaper cream, RLR may not be the best stripping option.  Consider trying a blue dawn scrub.  (Using dawn in a FL washer will void the warranty, so if you have one you might want to do this in your bathtub.)

2.) When you lay baby on her back, and lift her legs up towards her head, can you see a gap between the diaper and her leg?  If not, then the fit is good. Since you say the inner gussets fit snuggly, it almost sounds to me like you might be having absorbency issues.  Are the inserts soaked when you have leaks?  Maybe try adding a bamboo or hemp doubler to see if that helps.

3.) Nighttime - side and belly sleepers are notorious for leaks.  IMO the best solution is a fitted with either a PUL or wool cover.  That's pretty much a bullet proof solution. 

To answer your questions:

I haven't tried the Thirsties Duo pockets, but I do know LO's body size/shape has changed a ton as he's gotten older.  So I've went from loving to hating and back to loving several of my diapers over the months.  If your issues are fit related, I wouldn't be shocked if it will get better as baby grows.

Prefolds and covers are now one of my favorite diapers.  There's a bit of a learning curve to figure out how to get them snappied well, but once you figure it out it's pretty rare to have a leak.  I highly recommend.  When baby stops pooping all the time you can just tri-fold the prefold and lay it into the cover. You might want to try a couple regular PUL covers instead of the Duo Diapers though.  I've tried usinig my BG 4.0s over prefolds and while it worked, it wasn't my favorite.  Sweet Pea covers are only around $10 a piece and work really well.  You only need 2-3 a day since you can wipe them clean between changes unless poo gets on them.

If you want a pocket rather than prefolds/covers that will work for a skinny baby I really highly recommend AppleCheeks.  They are pricey ($19 a cover and $10 an insert), but they are awesome.  They are two sized (size one fits to around 18-20 pounds).  The inserts are bamboo so it holds a TON of pee.  I actually use their inserts in my other pocket diapers too. Rumparooz are also good diapers for a littler baby. 

sunkissed7804

I tested by pouring liquid into the diaper with a heavy glass on it.  Then I lifted the glass and put it back down into the puddle.  Nothing soaked in!

The inserts do soak through.  I change her every 2-3 hours depending on how much she pees. jaja

So, the outer gusset doesn't need to touch? I thought that was why I was having leaks only at the sides. Hmmmm...

I know the diaper will still get dirty if I use a prefold instead of the inserts. I'm just trying to figure out if it will catch the pee faster if it can immediately be absorbed.

Thanks!

kjsmith9

sunkissed7804:

I tested by pouring liquid into the diaper with a heavy glass on it.  Then I lifted the glass and put it back down into the puddle.  Nothing soaked in!

The inserts do soak through.  I change her every 2-3 hours depending on how much she pees. jaja

So, the outer gusset doesn't need to touch? I thought that was why I was having leaks only at the sides. Hmmmm...

I know the diaper will still get dirty if I use a prefold instead of the inserts. I'm just trying to figure out if it will catch the pee faster if it can immediately be absorbed.

Thanks!

We have one thirsties pocket, and it's one of DH's favorite diapers to use.  I think we've only had one leak with it, and it was because I was only using half of the insert that it came with - once we snapped the 2nd insert on, we've never had another issue.

No, the outer gusset doesn't have to touch their legs... I don't know that any of our diapers have outer gussets that touch her legs, actually...

One of your biggest problems might be changing times.  2 hours is fine, but 3 hours is pushing it... That could be most of your problem right there.  We do every 1.5 to 2 hours typically... and we've had leak issues (both at home and at daycare) after the 2.5 hour mark if for some reason she has to go that long (i.e., nap time).  That's in ANY of our diapers, not just the thirsties.

Lennongirl

Sounds to me that you need to up the absorbency of the diaper or change more frequently.