night diapers for rash-prone side sleeping heavy wetter?

[seaweed eater]

Dear ladies of Natural Parenting, I think we're about to give up on cloth at night

We used snappied prefolds and all was mostly well until LO got a bad rash over one hip. Then a few of you quite rightly pointed out that that was bound to happen in a cotton diaper that was getting soaked where there was no stay-dry layer.

So we switched to trifolded (and boosted) prefolds and boosted pockets. Those worked mostly well, until LO started rolling on to his side to sleep and we started getting huge leaks at the hip.

For side sleepers, the Internet seems to suggest fitteds and snappied prefolds, but then won't that run into the rash problem again, no matter what?

Is there a magical solution that I'm missing? Thanks in advance

 

[SerenityNow]

What kind of prefolds are you using? I fold a trifold diaper service type and then snappi a flip organic over it. It makes him look like a cartoon ant but we don't have leaks ever and his skin isnt wet in the morning.
It can be harder with boys since the orientation of the penis needs to match up with the most absorbent part of the diaper.

 

[seaweed eater]

We were mostly using Indian cotton prefolds (Cottonbabies). I just bought a hemp one and the one night we've used it was ok, but I'm afraid of the rash.

Yeah, so how do you make the penis point the right way? If he likes to sleep on his left should I be pointing it to the right? That seems risky...

 

[LittlePants]

Have you thought about using a wool cover instead of PUL. It won't work with prefolds, but over either double bamboo terry squares (my faborite) or 2 fitted bamboo nappies, works brilliantly overnight, and may well help the rash issue

 

[Rachel_C]

I would go with a fitted with a stay dry inner. You'll get absorbency at the sides of the nappy and the stay dry lining should help keep him dry. If it's a nicely absorbent fitted, when the sides get wet it should disperse throughout the nappy. Not many natural fibre fitteds (which I would always go for at night) are lined with fleece or suedecloth but some are. Baby BeeHinds Night Nappies have fleece all the way across the inside, as do Ella's House Bumhuggers. WeeNotions Night Notions usually do too. I'm sure Bonnie at Holden's Landing does or would do the Bedbug Plus with fleece all over the inside too.

Alternatively, when you were using pockets was the absorbency ok with prefolds and boosting and it was just at the sides it was letting you down? If you use a nappy with a generous pocket, you could try folding the prefold more to the shape of the nappy, don't just trifold it. I do that by trifolding the prefold and putting it in the pocket but then at the front and back, fan the prefold out (like you do for the Angel Wing fold and do it at the front too) so that it fills as much of the inside as you can get. Then add your boosting too.

Or if using a fleece liner would help, make yourself some huge ones that will cover the entire inside of the prefold when using with a snappi, so it goes up the hips, then try two prefolds together so you get extra absorbency at the sides, plus any extra boosting you need down the centre.

 

[seaweed eater]

Thanks. I knew you'd have some ideas, Rachel! I think I may try 2 prefolds + larger fleece liner...better than spending $35 on a new diaper that may not work!

LittlePants, I actually just bought a wool cover, but I'm a little scared to use it I was thinking of using it over the sposie actually since we get leaks with those too unless we use a cloth diaper over the top. I didn't know they couldn't be used with prefolds - why not?

 

[Rachel_C]

I've used wool with prefolds, it was just fine. I think LittlePants might mean you can't just trifold a prefold and lay it in (unless you have a wool wrap!) but you can certainly use prefolds with snappis.

 

[SerenityNow]

Our Indian prefolds, which I refer to as diaper service type because that's what I associate them with, are basically soaked with one wee. My Lo is 20 mo so he has fewer but larger wees, but I'd need two for over night. I'm not actually sure two would do it, maybe a prefold folded around a microfiber insert or two. I seriously can't say enough good things about the ansorbancy of the flips organics.

It could also be that your stay dry liners are too repellant either because they need to be stripped or because of what they are made of. The wee may not have a chance to be absorbed by the prefolds.

Wool could very well help with the rash because it breaths. Ive mostly use wool covers and love them, the only drawback is leaking when they are compressed, like in the carseat.

Adding more bulk to the diaper and fastening it plenty tight should keep his penis pointing down toward his feet rather than down toward the bed when he is on his side. I had two girls before having a son and the unpredictability of the penis still catches me out sometimes

 

[seaweed eater]

Thanks. We change every 2-3 hours during the day, and the PFs are often wet enough at the sides that I wouldn't want them on his skin all night. We were using them boosted with a large MF or hemp insert at night and that wasn't enough. I'll look into the Flip organic ones!