Newborn cd leakage - help!

[miso_soup]

Dylan is 17 days old today! I'm new to cloth diapering, so purchased a small range of diapers a couple of weeks back to see what I liked best before committing to a larger purchase. I have a bunch of prefolds, some xs fuzzibunz and a couple of lil joeys and bumGenius.

The problem I'm having is leakage - specifically, pee (and sometimes poop, yikes!) at the back (top - waist). It doesn't happen all the time, but it's frequent enough to be a pain - especially at night when I have to change his co-sleeper sheet and swaddle a couple of times per night. I think perhaps the issue is that he's quite a loooong baby - he was 6lb 15 oz at birth (37+2), but already 20 inches long. I haven't measure his length since then, but his weight is already up to 7lb 11, so I assume his length has increased proportionately too. I'm finding that the diapers I have fit well in every regard except that they seem a bit too low at the back, hence the leakage (is this what's referred to as the 'rise'?). Anyway - I guess what I'm after is any suggestions/recommendations from mama's who encountered similar issues - is there a magical diaper out there that might fix this problem?

Thanks in advance

[is it puppies?]

I'd guess user error and try harder with making sure you have them positioned optimally. It takes some practise!If you have good covers that should help, too. (I have to use covers on my BGs at night because DD is a side sleeper so she gets wet up her sides)

[Chamomile Girl]

Folding your prefold down in the back should help with this. If your babe has a very long rise an adjustable diaper like the Thirsties Duo may help you get a better fit.

[hoping42]

I've also heard people refer to the "jelly roll fold" to contain EBF poop and containment. This includes using a snappi to secure the prefold. Just google "jelly roll fold prefoldsa" and written and video clips options will pop-up. I am planning to use fitteds to try to contain EBF (tinkletraps.com, osocozy (at tinybirdorganics.com), and GMD workhorse diapers (they currently have seconds on sale for less than $4 each at greenmountaindiaper.com). My newborn is due is less than 2 weeks so no direct experience to draw from but I think plenty of mom's contain things with different folds - what size are your prefolds and what kind? How many washes did you do to prep them? I have heard that sometimes it takes 6-7 washes for them to reach maximum absorbancy - maybe that's part of the issue? I hope some of these suggestions will help.

[cristeen]

How do they fit everywhere else? Legs? Tummy? Which dipes are leaking? Only at night?

With my bug, we had lots of leaks until i figured out that all that elastic sewn into the dipes has a job. If the dipe is not touching skin (i.e.gaping) at legs and waist, leakage will ensue. So make sure you're getting them on properly, and that they fit properly. There were many brands of dipes that did not fit my guy properly, period. No matter what i tried, they would gape. If that's the case, then you need to try a different brand.

With the pfs, how are you folding them, fastening them and covering them?

[miso_soup]

Thanks everyone for all the tips!

Chamomile Girl - folding down has helped a bit - the prefolds I have are still a little bit too large for him. He should 'grow into' them in the next couple of weeks. Also, my mother-in-law showed me a new way to fold the diapers that make for a better fit.

hoping42 - I'm using OsoCozy Indian cotton prefolds. They measure about 11x14, and are perhaps a little large for ds, but not by much. I probably didn't prep them quite enough either, to be honest - I washed them about 3 times before using. Perhaps an additional few washes might help?

cristeen - I've had leakage with the prefolds, and with the Fuzzi Bunz. The prefolds I think I just need more practice in fitting correctly (plus a couple of extra prep washes might help). I'm using Snappis, which I really like, and Thirsties covers, which I also like. It's really just the pf's themselves which are leaking, not the covers. The Fuzzi Bunz I think leak because the rise isn't quite high enough on the dipe. I have quite a long baby! The BumGenius AIO's are better because they come up higher at the back, I've had no leakage with these, but I prefer pockets to AIO's. So I'm seeking that perfect 'high-rise' pocket dipe! You're right - I think it's just a case of finding a different brand until I come across one that works

[cristeen]

If the cover is containing it, then around here that's not considered a "leak". That's a cover doing it's job. There will be times that the pf just can't contain it. Especially once they become mobile. Try googling the jelly roll fold, thats the one i had the best luck with, but it's still about 50/50 whether it'll leak onto the cover. Pull the rolls tight around his leg, as close to his body as possible (in that crease) before you Snappi. And i always have to snappi twice.

If you like pockets, i can't say enough good things about Rumparooz. They are OS, and fit all the way down to a NB. The internal gussets are fabulous at containing messes. The one place they "fail" is that some kids will outgrow the rise before PL. Because they're OS, you can snap them down to whatever height you need. I know for my guy he likes the front below his belly, so they're bikini height in the front, but still give full coverage in the back.

HTH

[Galatea]

Basic question, but are you sure that any tags are inside the cover/diaper, and also that the cover is covering the prefold/the insert is all the way inside the FB?

[Catubodua]

i can't help with the cloth aspect, but i wanted to make a suggestion that might seem silly but helped me ALOT when DS was little.

i had mentioned that he was peeing out of his diaper alot and someone told me to make sure his penis was pointed downward, rather than up when i was diapering so that the majority of the fluid goes into the diaper proper vs toward the waistband.

as i said, it made a huge difference for me.