New here, have a question for co sleeping, prefold users

[AshleyRoz]

So, DS is about 13 weeks and I finally have completely switched over to cloth (I only used them during the day and at home before.)   DS goes through about 15-20 diapers a day, at least 4-5 of those are at night, and then another 6 of them are first thing in the morning which he usually spends drifting in and out of sleep and nursing.  He lets me know pretty quickly and loudly as soon as he's damp and I hate having to disturb him more than I have to at night.  I know some mommas just use a prefold and don't use a cover so they can catch the dampness more quickly.  Is there a way to "safely" do that in bed so my sheets don't get destroyed.  I hate having to mess with the cover when he's sleeping, he gets really upset.  Should I just let him get used to it (used to the cover not to being damp)?  Has anyone used any of those water proof  crib sized sheet covers on the bed? does that work for you?   I'm wondering if maybe he's just getting upset because it's new... he would scream when we first brought him home any time we changed his diaper using 'sposies and then he got used to those and can practically sleep through a changing.  I'm sort of interested in letting him sleep without the cover and not using a cover during the day because I feel like the faster I change, the easier it will be to EC him when he starts being a little more communicative. 

Sorry I know these are probably obvious questions but I just want to know what everyone else does for ideas. The better DS sleeps, the better momma can sleep.  :-) 

[Lisoula]

Have you considered a wool cover or wool pants at night?

[AshleyRoz]

I haven't tried those. They were expensive and I didn't know if they kept moisture in the way the regular covers do. They seem like I'd have to pull him out of them which would probably wake him up more than the thirsties duos I use. I guess I can try buying one and see how it goes.

[cristeen]

You can get a wool wrap, but yes, long pants have to be pulled off. It is a pain. For reasonably priced wool, Babyology is what we use at night. For a wool wrap, Pipers Closet. Both are in the $20 range.

Probably the best thing to do is find an Army surplus store and pick up a wool blanket. Run it through the wash a few times to felt it, and lay that on top of your sheet. You'll probably want a receiving blanket over it. You can put One under your sheets too, to protect your matress.

[LeighPF]

There are a few things I can suggest trying on the diaper front

-If you add a fleece liner (a rectangle of fleece, diapers stores sell them, or make you own) next to him, the pee will go through it and his diaper will feel dry to him. For some babies who are picky about wet diapers, this keeps them happy and lets you wait longer before changing them. Other people don't like man made fibers.

-A properly lanolized wool cover will not feel wet until the diaper inside is basically dripping wet. I recommend baby beehinds as a gateway wool. It is a velcro wrap and machine washable on cold. I loved mine until they were too small.

-Does he object to the sound of the cover's velcro during the change? Have you tired snap covers?

-If you leave him coverless, you will need to secure the prefold with a snappi or pins to keep it on. Fitteds would be another option with better containment. If you are changing him right away, there could be minimal wicking of pee to non diaper surfaces. I would make sure to use a good mattress protector (a nice wool blanket under the sheet would work well) and be prepared to wash a lot of sheets, pjs etc. while you figure it out.

-My toddler often runs around in a coverless fitted, particularly in the summer and it is great. Lots of air and you know when they wet. But if they are not changed right away, anything they are sitting on gets damp pretty quickly.