Need Help with Material...

[workjw]

Hi, I hate to intrude in your forum, but I have a quick question and I am hoping someone here might have some good ideas.

Due to my dd's medical condition (vesicostomy), I have been making a type of "diaper supplement" if you will. Basically it is a 6"x3" piece of cloth diaper with velcro on each side. I have been using a 5"x3" ace bandage (velcro on either side) and I attach them together. It makes a kind of stretchy belt around her. This way I can use the same ace bandage over, and simply replace the front cloth diaper piece each time I change her.

So here is my problem, the ace bandage is a poor choice of material. While it does stay in place pretty well, it stretches out quickly, and after 1-2 washes it's worthless. Any ideas for a better material? I did not really sew before this, so I am fairly ignorant when it comes to this type of thing.

Any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks in advance!

[aikigypsy]

OK, I had to look up vesicostomy to get a better picture of what's going on. Do you just wrap the ace bandage around her waist? What about making a wide belt with a stretchy material (polar fleece, if it's not too hot, or nylon) with elastic inside. Braided elastic is pretty easy to come by at local fabric stores, and survives washing pretty well. I don't know if that would do the job, but it's an idea. You could also try a knitted material (cotton or poly) with lots of elastic/stretch/lycra in it, though I don't think it would be as strong as an ace bandage.

[workjw]

Thanks so much for the suggestions! Sorry, I wasn't really sure how to describe it all w/out writing a novel, but basically the cloth diaper piece covers the belly button area and acts like a "buckle" for the ace bandage. It's just held on by velcro on each side.

I am going to try the braided elastic first and see how that works.

[Think of Winter]

I don't know if this might be better, but our favorite pump pack for my ds's insulin pump has a belt made of soft, stretchy loop elastic (as in the loop part of hook and loop) that's about 1 1/2" wide. The other end of the belt has a piece of the hook side. I think you can get it by the yard at Joanns.

[workjw]

Originally Posted by colleen95

I don't know if this might be better, but our favorite pump pack for my ds's insulin pump has a belt made of soft, stretchy loop elastic (as in the loop part of hook and loop) that's about 1 1/2" wide. The other end of the belt has a piece of the hook side. I think you can get it by the yard at Joanns.

Thanks for the help! Do you know if they make it any wider than 1 1/2"? I am not sure that would be wide enough to cover her incision and still keep her from leaking. It might be worth a try though.

I know it seems crazy that I don't just go to the store and talk to someone, but I actually have, and that is how I ended up with the ace bandage. We live about an hour and a half from the closest fabric store, so I just want to have some ideas before I go again.