5 Steps to Leak Free Nights with Reusable Diapers..
When it comes to Cloth Nappies it’s no secret I’m their biggest fan. I believe cloth nappies are better for baby, for the environment, for our pockets, plus they bring a little joy to nappy change time.
Of course even the best of things can have their up and downs and for us the lows came with night time nappy solutions. There’s nothing worse than waking up wet sheets and wet pj’s, having to strip off first thing. Bye bye lazy morning cuddles. I tried a few different nappies and so many different materials for adding extra absorbency but I was still getting leaks. Why?
The trick to using cloth nappies through the night is air, space and the right amount of absorbency. This will ensure that even the most soaked nappies will not leak from compressions or poor fitting and will leave baby feeling comfortable all night.
Picking the right nappy combination to start with will set you up for success and be more leak resistant then any disposable through the night.
So how do you use reusable nappies at night and how do you avoid night time nappies leaking.
1. WHy are my night time reusable nappies leaking? Trouble Shooting.
Cloth nappies leaking at night is usually down to one of 4 things. Either a bad fit, lack of absorbency, compression leaks or a problem with your wash routine.
The Fit.
You may have fitting cloth nappies down during the day but you’ll find if your adding more absorbency, making the nappy bulkier it will become harder to fit the nappy properly on baby. Even if it does look right a very wet nappy sitting against elastic can cause wicking and therefore leaking. This is why I like a nappy cover that is designed to sit loosely over the nappy, meaning you can add as much absorbency as you like without worrying about the fit. I add the extra absorbency (insert/booster) between the nappy and the nappy cover.
Lack of absorbency.
If your night nappies are leaking and you realise the nappy it fully wet this means it is time to add more absorbency.
Compression leaks.
Compression leaks happen when a material such as microfiber is used in a cloth nappy. Microfiber acts like a sponge, absorbing quickly but once full and compressed, like when a baby lies on it all night, can leak out. For this reason I like to use bamboo or hemp in my night nappy which will not leak when compressed.
A problem with your wash routine.
Leaks in cloth nappies can also happen if you have a build up of product in your nappies. This can also lead to smelly nappies, especially ones that have been used the whole night through. A simple strip wash should fix this problem. Visit my article on “How to wash your cloth nappies” to make sure your doing everything right.
How do you know what is likely to be the problem with your night time nappies, lets dive into the solutions.
2. Fitted nappies for leak free night time solutions.
For night time I recommend using a fitted nappy as part of a two part system, which is a soft absorbent nappy (but is not water proof). These offer the maximum amount of absorbency and can also be easily boosted with whatever material you find best.
The Tots Bots Bamboozles is my personal favorite you can find here. I have found through all the fitted nappies I have tried it is the more versatile and long lasting. It is also birth to potty sized, meaning it has poppers on the front to adjust as your child grows unlike most fitted nappies which you will need to buy more of. This means it should last your baby from around 6 weeks until they become dry at night. Considering this is way beyond the use of most cloth nappies (as most children take a while to become dry at night after they have potty trained in the day), this is a very roomy nappy.
Other two part systems just as terry nappies or pre-folds would also work well for night time and are great budget options .
3. Adding boosters to your night time cloth nappies.
It is highly likely you will need to add a booster to your fitted nappy for night time use. This not only works well for adding extra absorbency where needed but will help to pull moisture away from the main nappy and leave baby feeling drier throughout the night.
Unfortunately knowing how much you’ll need to boost is a trial an error process, one made easier if you cloth from a young age. This is because younger babies feed and poo more, meaning you’ll probably be changing at some point in the night and most likely won’t need to boost at this point. As they get older and sleep for long stretches you’ll automatically note how wet their nappy feels when you change, if it is close to leaking you can then add more absorbency.
If your ensure how weather to boost or not I recommend doing it anyway. Add two boosters in to begin with. Extra boosting is never going to harm. If they feel a little dry in the morning you can always take one out. This will soon make you familiar with how heavy a wetter your child is.
Note that the nappy may look absolutely huge, comical even but that’s fine and will be in no way uncomfortable for you child.
What to boost your night time nappies with.
Boosting a cloth nappy essentially means adding extra absorbency and can be done with anything absorbent you may already have. A folded muslin, other nappy inserts, prefolds or terries will all work.
I like to boost night nappies with either bamboo or hemp because they are the most absorbent materials with the least amount of bulk.
My 3 favourite booster are.
An extra tip for adding boosters to your night nappies is to add the booster between the nappy and the wrap, rather than inside the fitted nappy. This will help with getting the fitted nappy nice and snug on baby to avoid leaks and also help wick moister away from babies skin.
4. Adding a Wrap to your night nappy.
Then you’ll need a wrap/cover to make your fitted nappy water proof.
I have found making sure you have a wrap for your night time cloth nappy that provides air flow and does not need to be fitted snuggly is the answer to leak free nights.
Everything became easy for me when I discovered three types of night time cloth nappies covers. The Motherease Airflow, the Petite Lulu PUL pull ups, and wool covers.
THE MOTHEREASE AIRFLOW.
The most bizarrely designed nappy when you look at it but some kind of witchery makes it work no matter what.
HOW TO FIT THE MOTHEREASE AIRFLOW.
Like it says on the tin fit this nappy so the air can flow. Baggy as possible. Have the leg cuffs low so they look more like shorts.
You’ll look at it and think, how on earth will it keep anything in, but as long as the fitted nappy you have on underneath is fitted well it will catch any leaks. The design of the airflow will help dry the nappy throughout the night too.
Because of its baggy design you can add more absorbency with extra inserts between the nappy and the wrap. This way you won’t compromise on the fit of the fitted nappy.
PETIT LULU PUL PULL UP.
I love it because it’s so comfy for baby to wear. In the same way a wool cover would work if you were to choose those. The cuffs are soft fleece. My advice would be to buy bigger, so it is slightly baggy like the airflow to reduce moisture wicking. Although because it is a pull up it is slightly harder to add lots of boosters to this set up.
Wool Covers.
Wool covers are something I wish I had started using a long time before I did. They do not need washing very often but do need to be hand washed and re-lanolised around once a month. This can be seen as a down side but it really only takes 10 minutes if that. The plus sides are they work really well (I’ve never had a leak with them), they are comfy for baby, warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and a very eco-friendly choice, especially if you choose organic Disana ones.
5. DON’T GIVE UP.
When you hit problems like night time leaking it can be easy to think “oh I’ll just give up.” But it good to look at it the same way you would with disposables. If one nappy brand leaked all the time you would try a different brand. The same goes for cloth nappies, try out a few different things to find what works for you. Weather that’s experimenting with what you already have or taking the dive and trying out a different type of wrap recommended to you. Once you’ve nailed it using cloth nappies at night is great. Like I said even the disposable nappies leaked, so although we did have problems, once we solved them it became easy to adjust boosting as and when needed and say goodbye to the leaks forever.
Extra night time nappy questions.
How many night nappies should I have.
5 night time is a good amount. This is because they are very absorbent so they do take a LONG time to dry. If your washing every 2-3 days remember you will need up to 2 days drying time. However 3 wraps or 2 wool covers is more than enough. These are either quick drying or do not need to be washed often.
Can i use day time nappies at night.
You can use any nappy at night as long as it works for you. It will be trail and error to figure that out, you also know your child and how heavy their nappy in the morning so use your judgement. However if you decide to use a day time nappy like a pocket nappy overnight it is best to add as much absorbency and the most absorbent material you can. Hemp or bamboo booster are best as well as adding as many as you can without compromising the fit. Do not worry if it looks super bulky, bulk is okay and won’t effect babies comfort.
Starting with night time reusables diapers.
If your just starting out with cloth nappies I would recommend starting with the day time and get that down first. Before diving into night time. However if your starting reusable nappies with a newborn the good news is newborns are easy to cloth at night. They feed a lot, wake a lot and often poop in the night and have sensitive skin, so they’re going to need changing at night. You therefore don’t need anything too absorbent. I did struggle to use just day time nappies but just a simple fitted nappy (newborn or 1 size) or a muslin with one booster and a wrap worked super well.
Good Luck
Hannah x x
