It’s a Diaper Miracle

People who have read this blog know I have had no shortage of troubles with disposable diapers.

I use cloth during the day, but at night I have to use Cruisers size 6 with a cloth diaper inside in order for my son to stay dry through the night.

But on Saturday, a friend gave me Fisher-Price nighttime diapers, size 5. I tried them Saturday and Sunday night.

My son was dry – not even a wet spot – for 12 hours.

It’s a miracle, people. It’s worth the cost to switch to Fisher-Price.

Cloth diaper Users Take Note...

I discovered a new online cloth diaper store – http://www.parentingbynature.com/

My freelance suggested a piece on cloth diapers and interviewed a mom who had started an online business after realizing cloth diapering, for her, was the way to go. Within the article she mentioned a diaper pail liner that could be thrown in the washing machine along with the diapers so there was no touching required.

Perfect, as I not only handled dirty diapers several times more than necessary, I was also using green garbage bags, which were smelly and would get moldy.

So I contacted the source my freelancer used in her story. About a month later, there was still no answer from her and while I appreciate she is a mom with a business, customer service is still customer service and I expect a phone call or an email back in a reasonable time.

So then I went on Google and simply typed in 'cloth diapers'. I checked out several online stores until I found parentingbynature.com

Also run by moms with young children, this business offered excellent customer service.

I ordered the diaper pail liner and four hemp inserts. According to parentingbynature.com, hemp inserts offer excellent protection for heavy wetters or to keep your baby dry overnight.

And anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows the issues I have had with a wet baby with both cloth and disposables.

So I ordered four. Parentingbynature.com not only had the ordered processed in record time (and quickly corrected a mistake I made in ordering), the package arrived at my local post office within a week.

I still haven’t heard back from the original person.

So those who use cloth, or thinking of going that route, parentingbynature.com is a great source for all things cloth.


As a side note, the hemp inserts work really well. My son was wet one night but I think it was because the diaper wrap I used was too big. If I use a smaller wrap, he is dry after a 12-hour sleep with drinking through the night.

Quick to Criticize, Slow to Thank

My apologies to both Huggies and Pampers. It seems that I am also guilty of being quick to criticize and slow to thank.

I try really hard to say thank you.

When I receive gifts, I always follow up with a thank-you card. When I read a reporters stories, I try to call to say ‘Great job’ almost as often as I call to ask questions.

People like to be recognized for a job well done. Human nature, I suppose.

So with that, I apologize to both disposables diaper companies. I wrote several blog entries complaining about sitting in puddles after my son peed through his diaper. As my friend pointed out, as I use cloth all day, my son has not grown with the diapers so it is hard to know which size to buy. And I had no idea the weight range was just a guide.

So you could see why I was having troubles.

So I wrote some nasty blogs about both Pampers and Huggies, tried another size and then was silent. I was no longer sitting in puddles, but I didn’t tell anyone that either.

And then the coupons started, with both Pampers and Huggies responding to my email and sending me coupons in the mail.

My son is in Size 5 diapers – first Pampers, now Huggies – and usually stays dry for most of the night.

So thank you Pampers and Huggies for responding to my email, teaching me the ways of disposables and for continually sending me ways to save money.

Thank you.

Licence Plates and Diapers?

On my way home from work today, I saw a vehicle with this licence plate: 2WDS4U.
I thought it was quite clever.

I have decided I like the smell of disposable diapers. They smell, obviously, like baby or I guess baby smells like them. When we were waiting for our little guy to make his appearance, I had the top drawer of his change table filled with everything I might need - lotion, shampoo, body wash, a package of newborn disposable diapers and wipes. I loved opening that drawer and letting that smell waft through the room. Baby. It can only be described as baby.

Two Thumbs Way Down

Hands down to the Ferber method of sleeping training.
It did far more harm than good.

Two thumbs down to Pampers.
Curse you Pampers Size 5, nighttime protection, which found me sitting in a puddle after one hour and then after three.

Disposable Troubles Part 2

The disposable diaper situation continues.

Before BM and JW responded to my Trouble With Disposables blog, I purchased Huggies active brand of diapers in Size 5. My son soaked through that variety in less than three hours. Those diapers went back.

As Huggies was sending some coupons in the mail, and I couldn’t find either the Supremes or the Overnights as was suggested by my followers, I decided to hold off purchasing any more diapers.

Instead, I have been putting two Size 3 Pampers overnights on my son. Sometimes he soaks through both, sometimes he doesn’t. And most time, his nursing/drinking habits are the same.

While waiting for the Huggies coupons to arrive, I received an email from the Pampers team letting me know the following:

“Babies can outgrow the absorbency of a diaper before they outgrow the fit. Your son may be ready to move into the next size diaper for added absorbency and protection. The weight ranges on our packages overlap and are only meant to be guidelines for fit. Other things you might consider are:

- Baby's age
- Eating and drinking habits
- Mobility
- Baby's build (for example, a slim child may fit in a Size 2, but may need the extra protection of a Size 3).

“If the leakage is just overnight, you may want to move up in size just for nighttime. With the right size, we're sure our diaper's absorbent padding, leg leak barriers, and snug fit will help keep your baby dry, day and night.”

However, neither Pampers nor Huggies recommended a type of diaper so I am hoping to try the overnight variety of Huggies, in Size 5, and if that doesn’t work, try Size 5overnights for Pampers. And if that doesn’t work, I may put a cloth diaper over top of the disposable and hope for the best.

The search continues.

Trouble With Disposables

So much for 12 hours of leakage protection.

For my son, Pampers 12-hour disposable diapers keep him and his outfits dry only some of the time and then only a few hours.

This is my second foray into the world of disposable diapers buying and I haven’t had that much luck.

My first attempt was with Wal-Mart’s brand. I returned them after having to change my son twice in the night and leaving him wet the rest of the time.

I told the customer service person at Wal-Mart that you obviously get what you pay for when you buy disposables.

Unfortunately, Pampers hasn’t been that great either. While my sister-in-law swears by them and said she has only changed my niece’s sheets about 15 times, I haven’t been so lucky.

Sometimes my son can go all night in one diaper, other times he is soaked - diaper, clothing, sheets and me - in a couple of hours.

Thinking perhaps I was not putting the diapers on correctly, I had my cousin-in-law give me the disposable diaper rules: 1) Point my son’s (and these were the words of a nurse in Ottawa) “junk” down and 2) pull out the outer layer for further wetness protection.

Both are done.

I know my friend, JA, is having the same diaper issues with her son and she, too, hasn’t found a diaper that will protect her little guy during the night.

Perhaps diapers are geared toward girls or were not designed for the heavy wetter.

Suggestions anyone?