guest blog – monica

My biggest cloth diaper challenge was definitely using cloth diapers at night. I failed miserably with my first daughter. As motivated as I was to use cloth diapers with her from the beginning, I didn’t do my research well enough, and ended up giving up on cloth diapers at night after not even a year. I started waking up to a puddle of pee every single morning and just blamed it on the diapers. Disposable felt so much easier at night, so that was it. At least until I had my second daughter.

The second time around I felt like giving it another go. I knew I missed something with my first daughter, and I was ready to find all the answers to cloth diapers at nighttime this time. I did my research, I read lots of blogs and reviews, and I gave it a few goes until I found the perfect combinations that worked for me. With a bit of perseverance and some trial and error, I can now say I am successful at using cloth diapers at night as well!

These are some of the most useful things I have learnt about using cloth diapers at night:

#1        Don’t use synthetic fibers. At least not exclusively.

Synthetic materials are cheap and absorb wee faster than natural fibers, but are nowhere near as absorbent as natural materials such as cotton of bamboo. If you want a diaper that will lasts 12 hours through the night, steer away from synthetic fibers. Or at least, consider diapers made of a combination of natural and synthetic materials.

#2        Fitted diapers are not that bad!

I used to laugh at people using fitted diapers. Why would I want to use such a bulky diaper, plus have a waterproof cover on top? Because they are perfect for the night! They absorb all the way around, not just the crotch area, so they are extremely absorbent. I use fitted diapers made of bamboo and they last for more than 12 hours.

#3        Pre-fold diapers are also amazing

I was given a whole lot of pre-fold diapers for free for my first daughter and almost never used them as diapers. I tried them on a few times but got so annoyed with all the folding and the snappi fasteners. I ended up using them as burp cloths, believe it or not. Such a waste! The good thing though, is that I never gave them away. I am now using them at night with my second daughter and love them. I use them as inserts: I wrap one around a synthetic insert, and stuff them both in a pocket diaper. Work like a charm.

#4        Wool covers are the best waterproof covers for overnight

When I first read about wool covers I thought it was a joke. I didn’t believe it. Is wool really so waterproof? Has it really got self-cleaning properties? After a bit of hesitation though, I decided to give it a go. And, let me tell you, I never looked back. I have two just in case one gets dirty with solid waste and I need to wash it. But I only use one. I use it over both the fitted and the pocket diaper. I don’t really need it over the pocket diaper, but I like to lie in with my daughter in bed in the morning, so I leave the diaper on her for almost 13 hours. The pocket diaper sometimes leaks a little bit on the side after 13 hours, hence the wool cover. During the day I just let the wool cover air a bit, and is as good as new for the following night!

I hear lots of moms that struggle with cloth diapers overnight. It can be very daunting, I get it! But if you are experiencing leaks at night, it just means that you are not doing it right, I promise you. I really encourage you to do a bit of research and try a few different combinations. Once you find the solution that works for you, the satisfaction will be well worth it.