I don't understand soakers?

[springbride]

I currently use prefolds/covers, but have been looking into a better nighttime option.

How do soakers work? Does baby actually stay dryer? everything else stays dry too?

Is this worth the investment?

[JL83]

There are 2 kinds of soakers. There are ones which will help to wick moisture away from the baby's skin. Those will help the baby stay "drier" if that's what you want. The other kind add more bulk to the diaper so that it takes longer for the diaper to get saturated and leak.

My DD was a very light wetter at night and we really never used soakers. We used them briefly between 6 and 12 months. But I have friends who use thick diapers and their baby will wake up at 2 or 3am in a puddle of pee because the diaper can't hold anymore.

It's also a way of putting more absorbency right under where the baby pees. Often a diaper will leak even though it's not fully saturated (still dry spots) because the pee comes out faster than the fabric can absorb it. With more padding right there this doesn't happen.

It seems like most people use them, especially at night. Whether or not they are worth it to you depends on your baby and what problems you are having.

[springbride]

I want something that will help her stay dry. Right now I use an infant prefold with 2 doublers and she still wakes up with moisture on her and in the cover, often pooling in the cover I am hoping if I can keep her dryer, she will sleep longer

[JL83]

Oh - I see.

Sorry, around hear people use the term soaker and doubler interchangeably.

Some kids hate being wet at all. My DD was one of those. It seemed to help greatly when she was potty training because she really wanted to not be wet. (She was in undies full time at 22 months).

For us wool soakers did help a bit. Because they are breathable, some of the pee seems to dry and they keep the baby from getting as hot. They also absorb some of the pee.

But they weren't the silver bullet. What did help, and we ultimately chose not to use, were those stay dry liners/doublers that you can buy.

We ended up not using them because we liked that she felt wet and was then unhappy and wanted to be changed.

[Funny Face]

If you are looking for baby to stay dry you need to use something with a stay dry liner- either add a cut out piece of fleece inside the prefolds or use a pocket dipe (we like this one for ds who is a heavy wetter)that has a stay dry inner liner.

You might try using a combination of microfiber and somthing super absorbent like hemp. The microfiber absorbs fast and hemp can absorb a large amount.

When I think of 'soaker' I think of pants worn over the diaper to absorb extra moisture.

So for ds it looks like this:

Fleece pocket diaper stuffed with a microfiber insert and a Super-do hemp insert doubled over in the pee spot with lanolized wool pants over it. He can go all night and feel very dry and pee to his heart's content!

I share my night time combo a lot because it took a lot of work and searching to find something that works and it's been 100% bulletproof for us!

[springbride]

Originally Posted by Funny Face

When I think of 'soaker' I think of pants worn over the diaper to absorb extra moisture.

That's what I was thinking of, was the over the top instead of a PUL cover, sorry to be confusing...

My friend talks about longies? all the time, perhaps I'm missing something in my diapering routine?

[Michigan Mama]

The terminology can cause some confusion. A soaker can either be an absorbant insert/doubler, or an outer cover layer, usually wool or fleece, pull up style.

So, it sounds to me that you need more absorbancy if the moisture is pooling. Then if you want her to feel more dry, you could try fleece liners. That works well for us and my 3 mo. old. I don't find it necessary for my older son.

[JL83]

Originally Posted by springbride

That's what I was thinking of, was the over the top instead of a PUL cover, sorry to be confusing...

My friend talks about longies? all the time, perhaps I'm missing something in my diapering routine?

You would use a soaker instead of a PUL cover. That way the whole system can breath.

[Bokonon]

I'm new to CDing but really love hemp for overnight. I love Happy Hempys with a microfleece insert and a Thirsties cover, but I only have one Happy Hempys ATM, so in between laundry days, I've been using a Fuzzibunz with a hemp insert and a thick microfleece insert.

I do have a pair of longies that I got off Etsy that I'm scared to try, LOL.

[pumpkin]

We just started using wool covers at night and I'm really happy with the switch. PUL works too and I don't think we will get rid of it completely, but I like that the wool is more breathable and the stretchiness helps around DD's chubby thighs.

[cristeen]

If moisture is pooling, then you need to start with more absorbancy. I agree that Happy Hempys are great... I have 3 of them, and use hemp inserts in them, but they are still not absorbent enough for my little guy.

I've also had good luck with Sugar Peas Pea in a Pod AI2 - with the 2 layer interlock cover - although I accidentally felted mine a bit. It's really absorbent, not too bulky, and with the addition of another doubler, can hold him half the night.

I've only found one thing that is truly absorbent enough to get him through the night at this point, and that would be 2 prefolds (1 UtN, 1 Bummis) - one trifolded inside another that's in the angel wing fold, snappied under wool. But it's FAR too bulky for him, and even with a fleece liner to keep the wet off his crotch, the entire diaper is sopping by morning, and he's uncomfortable. I don't know if just trifolding inside a PUL cover would work better, but I haven't had good luck with PUL covers overnight.

Basically, I've had to accept that he needs to be changed at least once in the night.