ds diapers are leaking!

[Kim Allen]

Ok i have a problem with ds leaking in all his diapers. I just started cloth on him about 2 weeks ago and i have had a problem since day 1. I havent used cloth at night yet becuase i know its going to be a disaster and i havent got the hang of what i am doing wrong yet. first of all i know the diapers i have are cheaper brands and i am sure could be the causes but still i dont think it should be this bad yet. I have some pockets,aios,and fitted with covers as well as some prefolds. I use mostly the fitted and covers as i have more of them. As soon as ds pees once he instantly leaks all over and onto whatever hes wearing and what he is sitting on. I change him as soon as he pees so i know he is only peeing once. I am usually changing them every hour. they seem to be leaking out the legs and wicking into the outside that way. What am i doing wrong or how can i fix this??? btw ds is 2 years old also.

[syd'smom]

What kind of prefolds are they? How many times did you prewash them? What kind of covers are you using? I know the covers we got from the diaper service were terrible! (cheap rubber pants style). Once we switched to the motherease airflow, we were bomb and leak proof.

[Kim Allen]

they are dappi fitted with dappi covers. I have read alot of mixed reviews. I was looking for a cheap cd for ds since i will be buying more in the coming months as i am due in august.I wanted to try them out on ds but i will probably not be buying them agian. I washed them 2 times before using. the fitteds seem to be working fine all though we have them in large and its the biggest size they make in dappi brand and ds is small for his age and i know he wont be wearing them very long if he hits a growth spurt. but i think its more of by covers but my aio's (cheap ebay brand yuyuns) and by pockets (also cheap ebay sweetdollbaby) are leaky also so i think is more of me doing something wrong then the diaper.

[Michigan Mama]

Hey! we're all in the same, ddc, right? And we all have 2 y.o. kids. Funny.

Anyhow, we have some dappi's, too, and I have a couple of thoughts. The fitteds are not really absorbant. You may need to use a doubler of some kind. Even a wash cloth folded in there would help! I think that the most important part of avoiding leaks with pf's or fitteds is having a well fitting cover. While the dappi cover worked pretty well for us, it might not fit your LO properly and that's why you are getting leaks. Even if you just invest a little bit for a couple good covers (I like Thirsties), I think you'll be really happy and your cd'ing experience will be a lot more pleasant! You could also try the pf's with the covers and see if the added absorbancy makes a difference. If there is still leaking, I would think you might want to try another cover. A wool cover (recycled bum sweater?) might be a good option for you...if you sew or someone will sew for you, even better.

Considering that your other dipes are leaking, too, I would look at your wash routine and detergent. Tell us what you are using and maybe we can help you problem solve!

[syd'smom]

I think you may also need to wash the dipes a few more times to get them to their full absorbancy, particulary prefolds and fitteds - I think I've read at least 5 washes. I also think that it is all about the covers. We loved our motherease airflow; others really like the whisper wrap (bummis?). I'm going to try wool for the next kiddo. And as pp mentioned, let us know how you are washing b/c detergents, softeners, and dryer sheets all affect the absorbancy.

[AlwaysByMySide]

Are you stuffing the pockets with prefolds, or something else?

I have never heard of yuyuns, but it says in their info that their diapers are not waterproof and need a cover, so they are not AIOs (from what I can tell.)

On sweetdollbaby's info page, it says not to wash the diapers in hot water, which is a little bit strange to me, because, well, you're supposed to wash cloth diaper sin hot water! 9 times out of 10, pockets leak because of the insert.

How often are you changing? Your wash routine may also have something to do with it.

Sometimes, unfortunately, you get what you pay for.

[Kim Allen]

Ok I think the dappi cover might be a little to loose. As for the yuyuns these ones i have are aios. They only have a 1ml pul so that might be why?? dont know anyways as for the sweetdollbabys yes i wash in hot even though it says not to. (also thought that way weird probably should have been a dead giveaway for me)I am stuffing them with a prefold sometimes and the two inserts(micro) that came with them. I wash with powdered tide (read that powder is better?) I use no fabric softner although i did before i started the cloth so maybe my washing machine is holding onto it all still?? THe fitteds are probably not as absorbant like footprintsbaby had said i will try the doubler. Maybe its the fact that i need better fitting covers. Ds is 32" tall and 24lbs. hes tiny so i think i will try a smaller cover. Thank you all for the help hopefully i will get all the kinks worked out before #2.

[AlwaysByMySide]

What is the inside of the AIO? I looked again at her auctions, and it just says 3 layers of absorbent material. That could be anything! (For instance, Bumkins AIOs have several layers of flannel, I think it is, and my kids could go through those in a heartbeat. SO worthless.) I'm guessing the problem is that it needs a doubler of some sort.

I've never used powder anything with my diapers, so I can't help you there.

The sweetdollbaby auction says that her inserts are made of the same microfiber that they make plush dolls from. That is NOT the same thing as microfiber terry, that most pockets come with, because the last thing you would use microfiber terry for is to make a doll out of it - yuck!

What kind of prefolds are you using? Did you prep them completely/did they come prepped?

[Kim Allen]

not sure what the yuyun material is. They was my first diaper purchase ever. I know that the first layer is flannel. they came with a doubler of 1 layer flannel(wow couldnt write this without laughing about how dumb i am now for buying these.) Sweetdollbaby-the insterts are microterry just like the towels you would buy. They are quite absorbant. I am guessing my problem with those are the fit. the prefold i am using are some i bought back when ds was born for burp cloths. So i am guessing i didnt not buy them prepped but they have been washed tons of times by now.

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by Kim Allen

Ok I think the dappi cover might be a little to loose. As for the yuyuns these ones i have are aios. They only have a 1ml pul so that might be why?? dont know anyways as for the sweetdollbabys yes i wash in hot even though it says not to. (also thought that way weird probably should have been a dead giveaway for me)I am stuffing them with a prefold sometimes and the two inserts(micro) that came with them. I wash with powdered tide (read that powder is better?) I use no fabric softner although i did before i started the cloth so maybe my washing machine is holding onto it all still?? THe fitteds are probably not as absorbant like footprintsbaby had said i will try the doubler. Maybe its the fact that i need better fitting covers. Ds is 32" tall and 24lbs. hes tiny so i think i will try a smaller cover. Thank you all for the help hopefully i will get all the kinks worked out before #2.

Powdered Tide is VERY BAD for pocket diapers b/c it has optical brighteners which build up and cause leaking.

My ds2 is that size and he wears a medium in most covers.

First check that the diapers and covers are tight against his legs and waist. Unlike disposables which don't really stretch, cloth diapers need to be put on fairly tightly and the elastic will stretch as they move.

If the legs are tight and the diaper is not soaked when it leaks, it is likely buildup and you need to strip your diapers. Don't use powdered Tide. You wash them without detergent in hot water over and over until no bubbles form in the water.

If that doesn't work, then the diapers are probably just garbage.

[Kim Allen]

alright then whats a good detergent? We dont have any place around here that has natural laundry soap unless i order oline which will take some time to ship so what do i use in the meantime. BTW i used a cd last night with him for bed, one of the pockets, and he didint leak at all!!!! I have also had good luck today with them so far and DH has changed him all day so maybe i am putting them on him really loose.

[Michigan Mama]

That's encouraging that things are going better already!! Here's a detergent list that can be very helpful: http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html

You'll figure it out! Keep trying and keep asking questions!!!

[AlwaysByMySide]

I use Purex Free and Clear on my pockets, and will use All Free and Clear if I run out of Purex. I've used those two for over 3 years, without any issues whatsoever.

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by AlwaysByMySide

I use Purex Free and Clear on my pockets, and will use All Free and Clear if I run out of Purex. I've used those two for over 3 years, without any issues whatsoever.

Though you have had success, All Free & Clear has caused many problems for many people and is not recommended by most diaper manufacturers. I'm not trying to call you out, just trying to help this lady.