cloth for overnight

[wallabisfarm]

Hi all -

With 2.5yo dd, we are using cloth at home during the day and disposables when out and about and at night. I'd like to use the cloth at night too, but am scared to try as I don't want to wake up with wet blankets! We use what I beleive to be called prefolds (they are long loops of light cotton fabric folded to fit in to a wool or waterproof cover) and two cloths inside a diaper during the day lasts a few hours with the wool cover (longer, maybe, with the waterproof). We can manage a change or two during the night, if dh changes her when he comes to bed around 11 and I change her when I get up at 4. Is it doable with our current diapers, do you think?

TIA!
sara

[michelle123]

I'm not sure you are using prefolds-are the layers sewn together so that they can't be undone? Prefold layers are all together, and are sewn into thirds. You may be using them, but I wasn't sure from the description.

Anyway, we use prefolds at night and have no problems. Sometimes we use a doubler to add absorbency, but not always. I usually use a fleece cover, but willl occasionally use a Thirsties cover. We've never had leaks with this, and we don't change until morning. If you have wool covers, they will probably be good for night.

[Michigan Mama]

If you find you need a bit more absorbancy, you could add a doubler (sewn usually with 2-3 layers of absorbant fabric to soak up more). Hemp works well for us. If you can stick it between the layers of your diapers (they don't sound like traditional prefolds), you could also use a microfiber insert. Microfiber is not a natural fiber, and cannot be put next to baby's skin because it will actually absorb the moisture from the skin, but if you can layer it underneath, it will work. I often use microfiber and hemp in combination.

Then you should do fine with any kind of cover, i would think. An insert or doubler should give you the extra absorbancy you need.

[sagemomma]

honestly , we didn't have a lot of money so i bought one BG 3.0 at target at a time until we had 3. i only use them for night time. they work great. i was every 3rd day, but since we are getting a considerable refund i am gonna bouf my stash, big time .

[nursingmom]

If you have premium prefold (4 x 8 x 4).. which I assume you probably do, you won't have problems at night! Extra inserts/doublers are great. But you can try without them... esepcially if there will be couple of diaper changing (as you mentioned) at night. I usually change my one year old couple hours after she has fallen asleep (that's right before I go to bed) and many times, she's completely dry until the morning.

[wallabisfarm]

hmmm...not prefolds, then. I wonder what they are called? (I live in Japan, so names are different). What we have are strips of a light cotton fabric, about 12 inches wide and originally probably 48 inches long, sewn into a long loop. You then fold the thing into sixths (which is why I thought them were prefolds) and stick one or two on the baby and keep them in place with a cover that has a velcro belt kind of thing.

At any rate, sounds like either this doubler thing or a microfiber insert might be the way to go. Are those things you can make yourself? Or maybe if I hunt down a photo of one I can spot it at the store.

Thanks for the input. It sounds like we should be able to make this work with a little more thought and hunting!
sara

[wiredpsyche]

Interesting... It sounds like they would be made of similar material. Assuming they're only one layer around the loop, folded into sixths that'd be 12 layers, which should be comparable to a premium prefold trifolded (14 layers). When folded like you describe, it sounds like this loop becomes 12" x 4"? Is that right?

The premiums were more than enough for us (before we moved to AIOs) so I'd say give it a try overnight. If you're really worried try a doubler (just make sure you put it on the outside of the loopy thing you have, since it may not absorb as fast as the light cotton would.)

Oh, and what are the loopy things called in Japanese?

Originally Posted by wallabisfarm

hmmm...not prefolds, then. I wonder what they are called? (I live in Japan, so names are different). What we have are strips of a light cotton fabric, about 12 inches wide and originally probably 48 inches long, sewn into a long loop. You then fold the thing into sixths (which is why I thought them were prefolds) and stick one or two on the baby and keep them in place with a cover that has a velcro belt kind of thing.
sara

[VOBetz]

We use a toddler prefold at night - which I imagine would be similar to about 3 of the loops that you have. Its a huge huge diaper, don't get me wrong - but it does last all night.

[SuzyLee]

You can definitely sew inserts/doublers. Just buy some absorbant fabric (online you can buy microfiber or hemp, but in a regular fabric store flannel may be your best bet). Cut or fold the fabric into however many layers you want. Most doublers are about 3 inches wide and maybe 8-10 inches long. So layer ~8 pieces of flannel or 3 or 4 pieces of hemp or microfiber, then zig-zag stitch around them so the edges don't fray.

[coyotemist]

A single prefold would never be enough for my super soaker. A prefold only lasts us an hour or so during the day. Even a double stuffed Fuzzi Bunz is soaked after 2.5 hours, so I guess I'm not a very good person to ask. We lay our baby on top of a prefold in the bed to soak up any leaks (we have them nearly every night) and that helps a lot!

[wallabisfarm]

Originally Posted by wiredpsyche

When folded like you describe, it sounds like this loop becomes 12" x 4"?

....

Oh, and what are the loopy things called in Japanese?

yep, 12x4 is about what we've got. In Japanese I think (that is to say, I call them, and noone has corrected me) sarashi nunomutsu, with sarashi being the name of the kind of cloth, and nunomutsu the general term for cloth diaper.


SuzyLee - thank you!! flannel I can locate by sight!

Thanks all, I think I will try sewing some flannel doublers and give it a try.

sara

[AlwaysByMySide]

The only thing that works for us at night is bamboo.

I noticed that earlier you mentioned microfiber, and I just wanted to pop in and let you know that if you DO play to use microfiber, don't put it directly against baby's skin.

[shareeo77]

How wet is the disposable in the morning? With my dd we tried the cloth at night with a couple of prefolds or inserts with a wool cover and she would still leak through. We had to put so much in the cover that her little bum was higher than her head and I am sure all the blood was rushing there. Try for a few nights and see how it goes.

[mama2G]

hi,
ds is 3 now. but what i recall, he could hold his pee for all night at your dd's age. i just had to remind him to go pee before he goes to bed. and first thing in the morning, i tell him to go to pee.
i used to always put his diaper just in case, but it was usually still dry in the morning.

[DBPennock]

Our DS is one year old; we share sleep and nurse through the night. He wears a 4x6x4 prefold and a Disana (wool) cover/soaker. It takes an extremely wet night* for me to feel any dampness on the outside of the cover come morning, especially if I keep it lanolized. (*night = approx. 8pm to 6am)

[Nillarilla]

Bamboo fitted and a fleece cover lasted all night with my ds. However by 2 he could hold it all night and we went potty right away when he woke up. We got rid of the diapers by 26 months. He would soak through a cotton fitted with a hemp trifold every night when he was in dipes though.

[lioralourie]

For nighttime, if you don't want to change diaper, especially, you'll need more absorbency than cotton can provide.

Can u get Hemp at the Fabric market or something? Or used from expats? Hemp is really great for ultra absorbency. If you place a layer of fleece next to the skin, she'll also sleep well and feel dry all night. Can cover with plastic pants (Bummis Super Whisper wrap, Prowrap, etc....sounds like you're already using something like this).

Essentially this is what we do although I have a newborn (we live in Beijing, hey neighbor!). I bought 12 Bumgenius pockets used from an expat friend, we use these at night with microfiber insert (2 or 3 each night) and cotton flats with covers for daytime. I bought the cotton flats locally, the covers were gimmes from expat friends.

I'd recommend you get on yahoo groups, online forums, and don't be afraid to ask! Most mamas love to see their stash go to good use after they're done!

[jmarroq]

Wool

We use wool at night, and even during the day here in FL and it is not too hot. I usually only use cloth at home (night and day). I have two soakers and a pair of longies. For night time, I use my pocket diapers so that they are already waterproof, and put wool over it, because even pockets can leak at night, especially with older baby who sleeps 12 hrs. I got my soakers on Etsy and love them.