I don't like CDing so far. Help?

[Monarchgrrl]

DD is only 6 weeks old. Started cding a couple of weeks ago. I have a huge newborn and size small stash with all different types and brands, including prefolds and covers. The thing is, with the sposies we were using she'd fuss every 1-2 hours to tell us to change her diaper or we would change her pee diapers whenever she'd wake up from sleeping. But with the cloth she fusses every time she pees and it seems to be every 10-20 minutes that we have to change her, even when sleeping, so she rarely gets to take a full nap or settle down completely to fall asleep. We've still been using sposies at night because she needs to sleep better than that! So what does everyone else do about this? I know cloth = more frequent changes but this is crazy! Is there anything we can do to change this? I'd hate to give it up but DW is so reluctant to use the cloth anymore and it's so tempting to put her in something that let's her sleep soundly for a few hours. Help?

[Smidge]

Try lying a fleece liner on top of the diaper, so it touches her skin http://www.tammysrecipes.com/node/1633 it will keep her skin dry even after she wets :)

[Monarchgrrl]

Thanks! I'm going to buy some tomorrow. Crossing my fingers it works!

[Monarchgrrl]

Darn! I think that's a no-go. I found a fleece blanket and cut it up. In the last 45 minutes I've had to change her diaper three times, even with the fleece. Do most babies pee that often? Or is she just a princess and the pea (pee)? As soon as I put her back in a sposie, she closed her eyes and was asleep within 1 minute. Grrr, Should I keep trying the fleece or is there another idea?

[love4bob]

Do your diapers need to be stripped? Ammonia can build up in the diapers and cause irritation, so they need to be stripped occasionally. When my diapers need to be stripped my babies start to get rashes a lot. I strip the diapers, and it usually helps.

[Monarchgrrl]

Do you have to strip new dipes? I washed them about 5 times to prep them. She doesn't have a rash or skin issues.

[littlemizflava]

the fleece may be the wrong type. what is to be used in cd is microfiber. you can test if the one you use is working.  put a few drops of water on it and see if it sucks it in. if no flip it over and try on a dry spot.

i know most will say this is a no-no but if you have a microfiber facecloth. fold it and lay it in the daiper next to her skin. only do this at night due to it can draw the mosture out of her skin.

have you looked in to ECing? some babies just dont like to be wet. ECing is amazing. you dont have to do diaperless if you dont want to.

[DevaMajka]

I find suedecloth (like in BG's) to be more dry feeling than fleece. Or you can try procool liners. You can search for athletic wicking jersey. You can buy both sc and procool on...I don't remember the site (if you are interested, I'll search for it for you). But a word of warning- the sc from there doesn't seem quite as staydry as the BG's. Oh, and there are pockets called Kawaii Baby (the site is www.theluvyourbaby.com I think) that have good sc inners on some of the styles (you have to email and ask which, probably). When I bought them, they were something like $6 each, and I really like them.

other than that, we change ds2 at every pee. He peed 10+ times a day until he was over a year old. He had eczema in his diaper area, and I was willing to do anything to try to improve it. Even though the eczema is gone there, I noticed that his skin looked a lot healthier when I change after every pee- even compared to sposies. So we still change after every pee. I know it's a pain in the butt at first, but once they get past the pee every 5 minutes stage, you get used to it and it just becomes what you do, kwim?

[love4bob]

No, you don't usually have to strip new dipes, just prep them!

[outlier]

Ahh, so I'm not the only one with an installment pee-er!  I started CDing ds when he was one week old (he's now 9 weeks), and I noticed that after he ate, he'd pee, fuss until we changed him (he REALLY hates being wet or even having a little poop skidmark in there), and then repeat this several more times.  We had some long nights early on with all the diaper changing.  Even with a fleece liner, the wetness around his thighs that he could feel bothered him.  To cope, I do use disposables at night most of the time now.  It's just not worth losing out on the sleep, and I was getting pretty grumpy.  As for during the day, ds is finally consolidating his pees better, and only once in a while will he pee again right after I change him.  Plus he's not leaving a skidmark in his diaper after every single fart anymore.  Just most of them. 

Your babe is still figuring out this whole going-to-the-bathroom business.  If it's frustrating now, I would say do what you need to do to make it not frustrating now, but keep trying the cloth to see if (when) things improve on their own.

[MayasMama88]

Do you have any pocket diapers? We use FuzziBunz, which have a microfleece inner to wick moisture away from the skin, and a microfiber insert (that goes underneath the fleece, not against baby's skin) that is very absorbent. These work great for us overnights, and I do change my DD at least twice during the night (she pees a TON). I honestly wouldn't recommend putting microfiber against your LOs skin, because as PP said it WILL suck the moisture right out of your DD's skin, which could make her even more uncomfortable. You can buy them in a Perfect Size option (XS, Sm, Med, Lg, XL, Petite Toddler) or as a OS, which will save you money, but which may also be a little bulky on your NB at first. They have also just come out with a new OS FB that includes a hemp insert instead of the microfiber, if you want to go a more natural route. We bought one of these, too and love it for its trimness and absorbency. Just a suggestion! :)

[Marissamom]

newborns always pee all the time, but if they're in disposables they still pee all the time as they get older (we started CD at 9 months with DD, and she still peed every 10 min for the first week or so, then she started going longer between pees as she became more aware of her bladder. maybe it would work best for the time being just to CD during awake periods and start with naps once baby is going a little longer between pees? 

[Monarchgrrl]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! She's still rarely awake, so I think we'll try again in a few weeks or as she starts being awake more and maybe peeing less often.

[cristeen]

If you want to try out some different dipes, let me know. I have OS pockets in several brands, happy hempys in Sm and some purchased fleece liners you can borrow to try.

You may also want to read up a bit on EC... If you give her the pee opportunity after the first fuss, she may go and then stay dry for a little longer (assuming shes emptying her bladder in spurts and not all at once).

[weliveintheforest]

Originally Posted by cristeen 


You may also want to read up a bit on EC... If you give her the pee opportunity after the first fuss, she may go and then stay dry for a little longer (assuming shes emptying her bladder in spurts and not all at once).

I was thinking this, if you can encourage a 'full' pee she won't need to go again so quickly.

[h&m]

Did you try BumGenius all in ones? For me they were the best diapers, a lot like disposable. A bit more expensive but worth it.

I also did EC part time and found it helped a lot. You could just pee her when she wakes and already that would cut down on how often she needs a change.

I don't regret at all using CD and doing EC. My son was toilet independent much faster than kids who used disposables. Plus I saved much$.

Good luck.

[lisavark]

I know a lot of posters already suggested EC, but I just wanted to add that it sounds like your baby would really like to EC and would probably be a lot happier overall if you tried it. Babies who are super sensitive to being wet or dirty tend to really enjoy being EC'd. Also, like a lot of others said, peeing every 15 minutes is totally normal for a newborn, but it doesn't last too long. Maybe you could try part-time with cloth? Use cloth and do EC for a few hours in the morning, then switch to sposies for afternoon & night so she can get better sleep?

[Oceanone]

I have used cloth with all my three babes, including two newborns.  I just wanted to add my support for your try it again in  a few weeks idea.  Newborns pee so often.  It didn't bother me, with my particular little ones but if it's interfering with sleep, or enjoyment of your gorgeous squishy go ahead and use the sposies.  But, come back to cloth, because it does get easier, and the peeing slows down a tad.  You will even find, down the track, way less leaking and and more poop containment with the cloth.  Enjoy your precious new one! 

[Monarchgrrl]

Thanks for all the advice! I've been trying more and yesterday she was in cloth for about two hours (success for us!). She still wouldn't nap until she was back in a sposie, though. She seemed to like the pre fold with wool covers the most, so far. She tolerated being in that longer than any other. The PUL covers make her so sweaty and hot so I think that has something to do with it, too.

I'm not really sure about EC. It sounds good in theory and I've been reading up on it and re-read the recent Mothering article about it, but I'm not sure it would work for us. DW doesn't want to do it and she's the SAHM, not me. Also, DD hates being naked, even when the room is warm, so we can't really do naked time to see when she pees to learn the timing or cues. I could try a few times but I doubt she would accept being naked on the bottom, held over a bowl or the toilet. Maybe DD is weird. She has made us throw out a lot of our crunchy plans. She doesn't like cosleeping, hates cloth, wouldn't/couldn't breastfeed (I pump for her), she even hates baths. So...I dunno. *sigh* I will keep trying a bit each day, though.

[coffeegirl]

Monarchgrrl-- just wanted to let you know my DD (who is five months now) had some of the same quirls you mention. Specifically hating to be naked and taking a bath. I mean, she HATED the bath. She would scream and scream that "help me I'm gonna die!" cry that would just break your heart (and eardrums.) Anyhow, my point is, she grew out of both of these at about 3-4 months. The not liking nakedness and not liking being in the bath/water are related IMO. Has to do with feeling exposed and not safe. It's sort of the opposite of swaddling, and why babies like swaddling, you kwim? Anyhow, I'm almost certain your LO will grow out of it. At least out of those two quirks. ;)

When it happened to me, I posted on two forums about it and other mamas assured me that she'd grow out of it and to my shock...she has. She now enjoys splashing in the bath and Loooooves her nekky time! lol

As for your diaper issues, I totally support having to use sposies for awhile. You do what you have to do. Like other posters have asked though, I wanted to know if you have any Fuzzibunz or BumGenius pocket diapers in your stash? More than many other kinds (espeically prefolds!) these diapers are specifically designed to keep your baby dry, with the fleece and suedecloth stay-dry lining and the thirsty microfleece right underneath it. MIght be something to try! Good luck mama. :)