Cloth Diapering at Night
With a little help from a doubler or special insert, your day diapers can make it through the night--really!
Many people love cloth diapering during the day but are afraid they won’t make it through the night without leaks, but there are a few tips and tricks that will turn your usual cloth diapers into bulletproof night diapers with no extra fuss and very little expense.
Night Diapering Tips
1) If you like pocket diapers during the day, try doubling your stuffings with a hemp insert. This can make a pretty bulky diaper, but the absorbency of hemp is hard to beat, and the fleece lining of the pocket diaper keeps baby’s skin dry. Don’t use hemp alone, though, because it doesn’t absorb liquid as quickly as cotton or terrycloth, which could lead to a flash flood, if you know what I mean.
2) Another tip for pocket diaper fans: if your insert isn’t cutting it, stuff your pocket with a prefold folded in half lengthwise. Super absorbency, cost-effective, and you still keep baby’s skin dry with the fleece barrier.
3) If you haven’t tried prefolds or fitted diapers, night diapering might be a good reason. One prefold is more absorbent than any other diaper insert combo we’ve been able to come up with, and for larger babies you can double the absorbency of that thirsty prefold by using a Premium-size prefold. Fitteds often come with inserts that can be doubled for more absorbency, and the leg gussets and waist elastic help prevent leaks.
4) If you normally use AIOs during the day, you can add to their absorbency by laying a combo terry/hemp insert (terry side up since it absorbs liquid faster) inside the diaper. If you’re concerned about wetness being against baby’s skin, add a reusable or disposable liner, which will also speed up disposal of any poopies.
5) If you just hate unstuffing a soaking wet diaper insert in the morning, prefolds and covers (which you can toss in the pail without touching the prefold) or Thirsties Duo Diapers (which unstuff themselves in the wash) are great options for mess-free mornings.
6) A wool crib mattress cover absorbs leaks like you wouldn’t believe. It’s also very snugly for baby and comfortable in any weather (not at all scratchy!), so if your budget allows, one of these awesome pads will help you feel more free to experiment with night diapers without ever having to pay the consequences. The lanolin in wool pads absorbs AND neutralizes urine, turning it to water, so you don’t need to clean the pad until tomorrow morning. I know. I didn’t believe it until I tried it either, but I promise it’s dry and you never smell a thing.
