Fleece soakers/covers...what's the deal?

[veedeepee]

So my LO is now approaching the 4-month mark, and he is sometimes sleeping longer stretches at night (5-ish hours most nights, sometimes up to 6.5 hours) and he's peeing more than he used to. We're currently doing prefolds and thirsties covers. At night I've been adding a small hemp doubler (the small one that Green Mountain Diapers sells). Sometimes that's enough, sometimes he leaks through...a lot.

I'm looking around online at hemp and bamboo fitted diapers, as they seem like they'll absorb more (I'm considering Happy Hempy, Simply Nights, Babykicks, Kissaluvs, Diaperraps, and Drybees). I guess I'll buy a fleece soaker/cover to go over the fitted diaper...I'm looking at Dancing Bears and Stacinator covers. I know a lot of people like wool soakers, but I've looked at 4-5 brands in local stores and they ALL felt itchy to me. If they're itchy to me, I'm assuming they'll be itchy to my baby. So...fleece it is.

I'm not sure I quite understand what the deal is with fleece soakers. They don't repel moisture, do they? So they get wet? If they get wet...how is that helpful? Will they wick moisture out onto his clothes and sheets? Is there something you do to the fleece to make it repel a little bit? With wool, I understand the whole lanolizing thing (I am a knitter), but I'm not sure what the situation is with fleece.

Also, does the baby get all hot in a fleece diaper cover at night? I know they breathe a bit, but are the fleece covers bulky enough that the baby will be roasting in the summer?

Any help/thoughts/ideas would be appreciated. I don't want to lay down any $$ for new diapers and covers until I understand the fitted/soaker system a little better.

[Galatea]

Heavy (300-weight) fleece is waterproof. It is breathable like wool, so cooler for the baby than PUL, but much easier to care for. It can be washed with anything, not just diapers. It also can just be hung up to air out if there is only pee. If the diaper underneath is super-duper-saturated, the outside of the cover will feel cool, but not wet. The Dancing Bears soaker is my dry-bed guarantee. You can put a fitted underneath it or just prefolds. You can put pjs over it or just a t-shirt, whatever you want. I only have one and use it nearly every night. I really love this cover and cannot recommend it highly enough!!!!! You don't have to lanolize it or anything to make it work, either.

[veedeepee]

OK, so it sounds like I should get 300 weight. I think the Stacinator fleece cover I was looking at was 200 weight (same as the day-weight Dancing Bears)...

Do you use yours with just a prefold underneath? I guess I could try that before investing in a few fitted diapers. I could do prefold+hemp doubler+fleece soaker and see where that gets us.

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by veedeepee

OK, so it sounds like I should get 300 weight. I think the Stacinator fleece cover I was looking at was 200 weight (same as the day-weight Dancing Bears)...

Do you use yours with just a prefold underneath? I guess I could try that before investing in a few fitted diapers. I could do prefold+hemp doubler+fleece soaker and see where that gets us.

I used to do two prefolds or a prefold and a hemp doubler, which worked great. Now dd is so wriggly that I prefer a fitted underneath b/c it is quicker to put on. I am currently loving my GAD semi-fitted pocket fitteds.

[veedeepee]

I used to do two prefolds or a prefold and a hemp doubler, which worked great. Now dd is so wriggly that I prefer a fitted underneath b/c it is quicker to put on. I am currently loving my GAD semi-fitted pocket fitteds.

I'm having a really hard time selecting a fitted diaper to try...I know I want hemp...I just ordered a Dancing Bears cover. I think I'm going to try that with just prefolds and a hemp doubler for now. Once I see how I like the fleece soaker and how much more absorbency I do/don't need I'll think again about a fitted diaper.

Do you think a contour diaper would work? They're cheaper than fitteds, which is appealing. Would I need to Snappi a contour or could I pull the soaker over it and just kind of arrange the contour in there with my hands?

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by veedeepee

I'm having a really hard time selecting a fitted diaper to try...I know I want hemp...I just ordered a Dancing Bears cover. I think I'm going to try that with just prefolds and a hemp doubler for now. Once I see how I like the fleece soaker and how much more absorbency I do/don't need I'll think again about a fitted diaper.

Do you think a contour diaper would work? They're cheaper than fitteds, which is appealing. Would I need to Snappi a contour or could I pull the soaker over it and just kind of arrange the contour in there with my hands?

Yes, you would need a Snappi for a contour diaper. The Dancing Bears is not tight so it won't hold a diaper on. The GAD semi-fitted is a hemp pocket fitted with a fleece lining so the baby feels dry. I stuff it with a couple of hemp inserts and Snappi it on, and then the Dancing Bears over all. Works great, and I can customize how much hemp I need in the pocket.