Help! Blowouts!

[rachelsnyder]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but here goes anyway...

My DD is almost 3 months old and we have been using cloth diapers since the beginning. I use the Thirsties Duo covers and my mom made prefolds out of bamboo and hemp which served us VERY well.  About 2 weeks ago I noticed that DD seems to be outgrowing the newborn prefolds, but isn't quite big enough to start wearing the next size up ones my mom made, so I bought some prefolds from a local baby store which are a big bigger than the newborn ones my mom made.  BUT, in the last week EVERY poop she has blows up the back....regardless if she has a disposable on or a cloth diaper.  I find I can't fasten the prefold with a snappi because DD is a chubby little thing and it seems really tight pulling the diaper around her sides to fasten.  Previously I always folded the prefold the "angel wings" style into the cover and it was fine, but now it isn't working.  I have also tried the "newspaper" style, but that seems worse!  

Anyone have the same problem or advice?  I feel like I can't go out anywhere until she has had her first poop of the day because I know it is going to go EVERYWHERE!!!  Pls help!!!

[Nicole730]

Sorry I can't be of much help, we've never had a poopy blowout in any cloth diaper.  Could the duo covers be too small already?  Is it tight and snug against her or are there any gaps?  What about putting a pull on gerber cover over the thirsties cover?  We've had a few times where the poop got outside of our fitteds but stayed contained in the cover. 

[Snapdragon]

have you ever considered EC (elimination communication) ? there is a forum for it here on mdc. We do EC with ds and have since he was born- basically you can offer your baby a chance to poop over the toilet if you think it is time for her to poop. Just an idea- not everyone is interested in that route for a very young baby and I totally get that!  It works for us but it does take more time and stuff.

[Knitting Mama]

We do some EC too, but in the meantime, consider trying the jellyroll fold (just search for it on YouTube). It's also very possible that the size cover you're using is too small; can you get just one of the next size up to test drive and see if that's the issue?

[rachelsnyder]

I really don't know much about EC and not sure if it would be a fit for us, but I have opened the thirsties covers up to the biggest setting and am going to see how that goes...I am hoping for a blowout free day...so far so good....

[ar2974]

I'd guess that the covers are too small or on a too small setting.  Hopefully they will work better now.

[annettemarie]

Moving to Diapering.

[mumkimum]

Sizing up on the covers might help.  Sometimes the bikini twist seems to work better for poo for some babes, so that's another one to try.  You might be able to use the larger prefolds and fold the extra length in front down when folding to give yourself more coverage in the morning (I don't use many of the smaller sized prefolds, so I do that with larger ones a lot.  You do get a big more coverage on the back/sides that way which might help).  

And if she's going at reliable times every day - definitely try casual ec'ing - dd1 here was the same (big poo blowouts every am) and it really helped my sanity.  It was easy cause I'd just hold her at the toilet when I changed her then or right when we got up.  If you have any fitted diapers you could use those when you're expecting her to go - they'll sometimes help hold it in better.  

[Knitting Mama]

Yeah, we're really casual ECers over here. I put Cecilia on her potty when she gets up from nap/in the morning, and sometimes before she goes to sleep. That's about it! She always pees and often poops too, and I have noticed lately that she has been holding it and waiting for the potty, with no other encouragement from me. It's definitely possible to do it part time/casually!

[macandcheese]

Yes, I'd try going to the next rise setting on your Thirsties. My guy is only about nine pounds, but we already had to move to the second-largest rise setting on our Duos—he seems to need a higher rise, even though he's still skinny. Not enough room up the back = poop volcano. 

Also, you might want to try the next size up in prefolds. You can do the jellyroll fold and flip down the back a bit to create an extra lip to stop blowouts—the combination of that plus a sized-up cover should help. 

Good luck; poop explosions are no fun!

[cristeen]

If you're not fastening the pf w a snappi or pins, then you're losing your first line of defense against blowouts. If you dont like fastening it over her tummy, try fastening it below her tummy, like a bikini cut brief. You may have to fold it down a bit more to manage it.

You could also use the larger pfs w the jelly roll fold. Angel wings stopped working for us around 3 mos. If you fold down the excess in the back to the inside, it creates a pocket that can help catch the poo.

As for the cover, if its not snug and covering all of the dipe, it greatly increases your chances of blowouts. I'm not familiar w that particular cover, but you want to make sure the back elastic on the cover is touching skin in the back and not sitting on top of the dipe. That will also help.

[Galatea]

You are going to have to use a Snappi, IMO.  There is a size 2 Snappi which works well when a baby is near the end of a prefold size and wants to make it last (the arms of the Snappi are wider.)

[rachelsnyder]

I wish I could use the Snappi, but it isn't the size of the Snappi that is the problem...it is the width of the prefold.  DD has a nice big belly, so getting the sides of the prefold around her enough to use the Snappi is very difficult...there is only a very small amount of fabric to attach and it is REALLY tight around her belly.  

[rachelsnyder]

Even trying to pull the prefold around enough to use a Snappi underneath her belly is difficult....

[cristeen]

then those pfs are too small and its time to size up.

[luckiest]

You definitely need a wider prefold that you can secure with a snappi.

Also, fold some of the extra length down in the back - that will help with blowouts up the back.  I also like to go a little higher than the belly button in the back and fold the corners around and down...if that makes sense.  

And if she has clothes on over the diaper (a onesie or pants or whatever) make sure it isn't too tight and pressing the diaper up against her.

DS is back in disposables until we move and have a washer/dryer, and he blows out ALL.THE.TIME.  What is finally working is when I know he's going to poop (he gives a couple little grunts, but not enough time for me to take the diaper off and hold him over the sink), I hold him out away from me.  If he's sitting propped against my legs (how he usually is when he poops), the compression against his butt is guaranteed to cause a blow out.  

[rachelsnyder]

Ahahaha...yes, she often has huge blowouts if she's sitting on my lap and the grunts start. I just stare at the back of her clothes waiting to see the poop start to show through in a matter of seconds...funny to type...not so funny when you're trying to get the onsie off without getting poop in her hair!  

I have tried the larger prefold size today and so far no blowout, however she is wearing so much diaper she can't move well!