any reason NOT to use disposable pull-ups?

[indigosky]

We cloth diaper at home, but when we're traveling, we use disposable diapers. (I've been known to say, "We don't fly with poop.")

My in-laws like to give us disposable diapers when they're going to be seeing us -- it makes them feel like they're contributing something, so I don't have to buy and pack diapers. They told us they have a big bag of pull-ups in DD's size to give us when they see us tomorrow, and the expectation will be that DD will wear them when we're with them in a hotel over the next few days.

We've never used pull-ups, although DD is potty-learning (she wears training pants about half the time now, but seems to find the process pretty hard work, so we let her wear diapers the other half of the time, until it gets easier). Is there any reason NOT to use disposable pull-ups for this trip in place of diapers? We would just be treating them like diapers -- I don't think I'd even tell DD that they're like training pants. If I want her to pee in a potty, she'll wear her cotton training pants. When she's "off-duty" and allowed to pee/poop in her diaper, then we'd put on pull-ups.

Also, are pull-ups fine for overnight? Usually she does fine in a regular disposable diaper for overnight when we're traveling.

Thanks!

[tzs]

the reasons I personally hate pull-ups (i teach 2 year olds) may not apply to you since you're using them temporarily and not buying them yourself.

#1) they seem to be a total scam/rip-off. they cost more than diapers and i have never seen a kid use them to pull off and on. usually they just use them as diapers. it may be a different case for you if your LO is used to pulling training pants up and down.

#2) i think they work against giving them up if you are using them for training. they have these cartoon characters and princesses on them that kids loooove. they get so excited to see their pull-ups in the drawer that it must be an extra incentive NOT to give them up. they really do get attached to them because they are sooooo cooooool. but again, if this is a temporary thing it probably won't hurt to use them as diapers.

[Amatullah0]

hmmmm... i think i know of people who use pull-ups for kids who get to a certain age (too old for diapers, but not potty trained yet) and at a certain stage, they use them for only at night. if you're worried about it leaking at night, why not put a plastic sheet down, or use 2 pull ups, or take a pull up and a diaper, and pour liquid into each until one doesn't hold(to see how much each holds)

if it were me, i'd probably still call it a diaper(and maybe ask the in laws to call it a diaper too) i'd be worried about calling them the same name you use for underwear because it might be confusing for her.

[Mrs-Mama]

I never used pull-ups while DS was PLing...kinda prided myself in that However, DD is a completely different child, and her feelings are so hurt when we put her in a diaper (she wears cloth trainers at home). She is not dependable enough yet to be out and about with only cloth trainers, so we do use pull-ups...we also use them at night. I don't really use them as a potty-training "tool", but pretty much like diapers, although I do still remind DD to go potty when she's wearing a pull-up (we call them nighttime underwear or pull-up underwear).

[Marissamom]

as far as I can tell they have the same absorbency as disposable diapers of the same size. only potential problem I can see with using them temporarily while traveling would be if they don't give a good fit. they aren't quite as adjustable as diaper tabs for really skinny kids, but that's only a concern for me because if DD wears sposies we have to completely overlap the tabs with most brands. If you're worried about your DD being confused you could always tell her they're special big girl diapers that she can help put on and take off.

[ASusan]

I find they are less absorbant than the (Sam's club) diapers we used. DS wears them at night (all non-branded/non-charactered, like White Cloud, Kroger...) and they leak through more than his diapers did.

However, he does stay dry most nights, and then we re-use the pull-up.

[JudiAU]

If they are purchased I would use them but I would never use them. But keep in mind they tend to be less absorbent than diapers, have characters (which drive me bonkers), produce more leaks because of their design.

[swd12422]

IDK what kind you're using, but the ones I have experience with do NOT have anywhere close to the same absorbency as a diaper. Unfortunately, the little boy I babysit is in pull-ups and his mom uses them just like diapers, so he comes to me every afternoon sopping wet b/c she never bothered to check him in the past two hours or so. I change him, and as soon as he pees once, the pull-up is soaked and ready to be changed. When he was in disposable diapers, he never soaked them like this. And they SMELL awful!

[la mamita]

I've tried using a few different brands of pullups for overnight/nap-time and my son ALWAYS pees out of them. I just use disposable regular XXL diapers when traveling now...

[St. Margaret]

We used the 7th gen pull ups, which was nice b/c we could pull them up and down and not waste them, as she kept dry, but it's annoying when you have to change them-- with diapers you can do the mid-air change, but pull ups require all the pants and shoes to come all the way off. You can tear off the old ones, but to get on the new ones, they have to go over and up the feet and legs. So for the weeks when we were using pull ups (we decided to use them as we weren't using enough cloth diapers to justify the loads of laundry every three days even, and couldn't afford the nice training pants that had extra absorption or water proofing, so for being out and about we used pull ups), a change at Disneyland (DD HATED those tables in public restrooms, she was terrified of falling off them, no matter how much of a big sturdy counter it really was) was way more of a bother. But not a big deal. DD was dry at naps and night first (I know, odd!) so I don't know about nights, but they seemed just like the diapers, just didn't open the same way.

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by Mrs-Mama

I never used pull-ups while DS was PLing...kinda prided myself in that However, DD is a completely different child, and her feelings are so hurt when we put her in a diaper (she wears cloth trainers at home). She is not dependable enough yet to be out and about with only cloth trainers, so we do use pull-ups...we also use them at night. I don't really use them as a potty-training "tool", but pretty much like diapers, although I do still remind DD to go potty when she's wearing a pull-up (we call them nighttime underwear or pull-up underwear).

This... all this. DS is 100% daytime PLed, but nowhere close at night (after being such an awful sleeper as a baby, he now sleeps like a rock and there ain't no way he's waking up to pee ). He still soaks through cloth diapers most nights (though we're gonna give those another go once we're doing baby diapers... perhaps now the wet feeling will wake him up now that he's so very not used to it), so we've been in nighttime disposables for a while now. He's also VERY much in an "I'm a BIG BOY!" stage, and diapers wound his little ego since he's figured out the "Huh, big people wear underwear, babies wear diapers" distinction. So yeah, we blow the money on Pull-Ups, for now. He DOES pull them down in the morning to pee, but he's also, like I said, completely PLed when awake. So I'm another with a wounded-pride-Pull-Up kiddo .

As far as traveling... yup, we use Pull-Ups. He travels in regular unlined underwear because he's become so gosh darn reliable, but I keep them very, very handy, like at the tip-top of the carry-on, and then I tuck one into the seat back. If he says he has to go potty while the fasten seatbelt light is on, I can do a quick in-seat change (I leave his underwear on) so we can avoid a mess. So far we haven't needed them, but it's a nice insurance policy. But again, they're just what we have around, because of DS's ego.

We didn't use them at all during the PLing process, except when traveling. A good friend of mine did, and it took her a long time to get past the "I know where I'm supposed to pee, I know how to hold it, but what the heck, I've got these nice absorbent Pull-Ups on, might as well just keep doing my thing..." stage.

[MamaPhD]

We use pull ups as diapers just to add some variety and fun. We have the ones from Huggeis I think (with princess) and sometimes DD just wants to wear "princess diaper" rather than "brown diaper" (our usual 7th gen). Usually DD tells me when she just peed (or about to), and then makes me change her so we haven't had any leakage issues with pull ups. We do call both of these "diapers" and I tell her it's OK to pee or poop in the diaper. But when she is in undies, I tell DD she has to come and tell mommy if she needs to go potty. We just started to casually PL, so most times DD still goes whether she's in a diaper, pull ups, or undies anyway, though.

[Pookietooth]

They leak pretty bad at night if you have a heavy wetter. I don't use sposies on my kids anymore, but I did for the first few months with ds, and then on trips later, and I hated the stink of conventional pull ups wet.

[slgt]

Pull-ups are pretty much like diapers - I think it's confusing to most kids to try and differentiate between the two since they act the same. They're not great for nighttime. And one thing my DH learned the hard way - it's better to use the rip-off feature to get them off when poopy. Pulling them down with a softer poop in them can just make a mess!

[Baby_Cakes]

I use Pull-ups w/DD on car trips and Grandma likes them, too. Thing is when she's in them all day (and occasionally she wets them if she doesn't make it to the potty in time) she gets a little rashy. Like her tush can't "breathe". Of course she gets a new one if its even slightly damp, but I would advise you to just use a diaper if you're going to treat it like a diaper. They shouldn't sit in a damp pullup the way they can maybe make it a little longer in a damp diaper.

Oh - and I do use the tear away sides often, especially in public bathrooms. That way DD doesn't need to remove her shoes or pants, she can just stand and I can put a new one on her!

[Twinklefae]

If you are just planning to use them like diapers, no problem. If you are using them overnight, make sure they invest in the 'overnight' kinds.

I agree that they aren't very helpful for actual potty training, but my kid likes that he can put them on himself, now that he's dry during the day and not at all at night.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

If you are using them overnight you need overnight ones, that has been our biggest issue. ds is pl'ed during the day, but still needs something at night, but the 7th gen training pants (Pullups) don't hold enough for overnight we ended up having to go with goodnights which are totally full of the nasty gel that I spent 3 years in cloth diapers to avoid!

[DevaMajka]

I have the opposite experience with pullups at night- they were the ONLY thing that could get ds1 through the night. Even sized up diapers leaked out the side. IIrc, we used Huggies, and sometimes generic ones.

I preferred pullups to diapers (we cd'ed, so only used them at night and on trips). They just seemed more comfortable

[sweet~potato]

Even though I mostly have used cloth on ds until recently, he is soo wiggly and hates laying down to be diapered so for that reason I love pullups. He doesn't fight me while getting them on and likes helping me pull them up. We use them as diapers since he has no interest in the potty yet and haven't had any leaks.

[Marsupialmom]

I used them as sleep clothes. They worked better at night for us. They understood these were special clothing items.

I personally do not see them any different than putting a special coat or shirt