epic fail... again

I'm scratching my head right now... the night time combo I tried last night failed verrrrrry badly, Emersyn woke up soaked through.  I had her in a Bummis SWW with two padfolded flats, and a Real Nappies night time booster pad.  I think if I had her in a fleece cover/soaker we would have been okay, but no - I decided to test fate and see what'd happen without the magical fleece layer.

Le sigh.


Tonight I'll try a SWW again, but with fleece over top - see if it happens again... If it does, I guess we'll be back to the pockets, because they did work for the two nights I tried the flats inside them.

At this stage I am wondering if ANYTHING is going to work overnight.  I REALLY don't want to consider using disposables, but I'm getting sadly close to it.  That said, I don't know that disposables would work anyway, because they seem to be less absorbent over long periods, than cloth.

Once again, 'we will see'... I guess...
 

the night time diaper debacle... continues...

The stupid earthquake in February seemed to bring with it my what now feels like NEVER ending issue - finding the right night time diaper, or really the right night time diaper combination...  To begin with we were quite happily using a pocket diaper with two mirofiber booster inserts and an extra insert, or a microfiber booster, but then all diaper hell broke loose, and suddenly our tried and true combo just wouldn't work.

Sooooo I got hold of some bamboo trifold inserts and threw one of those in with our microfiber - very bulky - but it worked... for a start.  After that I began putting in two of the bamboo inserts instead of the microfiber - again it worked... sorta... but not well enough.  Eventually I began fooling around with prefolds and bamboo, and recently flats and bamboo [and covers, of course].  Both of those worked better than the bamboo-in-a-pocket combo, so perhaps I am on the right path?

What I know DOES work, is using fleece covers - I have a Bummis fleece cover that works well enough - but I do find if she gets too wet, it leaks out the sides and up the top.  I have a FunkyBumz fleece soaker which I LOVE - it works better than any other cover I have... and I'm also still using my fleece-blanket-cheapskate-cover - and may I add, still without a leak too.

So I generally know I'm okay if there is fleece on top - but preferably a cover with two layers of fleece [as with the FunkyBumz and my homemade pinnable cover].  I BELIEVE that pad folded flats may be the answers to all my night time issues, I have used them the last two nights in a row, and Emersyn has been dry upon waking.  To this point I have been using them inside pockets - primarily because of the staydry layer the microfleece on the inside of the diaper provides.  Tonight we might try something new though...

It's been suggested to me to use the padfolded flats, inside a cover - because the way a pocket goes when it is stuffed to the max, can sometimes cause leaks, purely because the urine rolls right off the diaper - and that makes sense.  So tonight... I'm giving it a go and trying the flats inside a cover, as always with a bamboo booster for a little extra absorption.  I will put the fleece soaker over top - because I really don't want her to wake up at 4am soaked through.... but maybe... just maybe... with the flats/cover combo, I won't need to worry about a fleece soaker.

I think that one of the reasons I've been having so many problems, is that lately Emersyn has been waking up once or twice a night for a bottle - so she ends up having a lot of urine output, and it makes sense that a diaper can't handle 12-14 hours with all of that output.  It can only be pushed so far before there is no more absorbency left.  The first night I used flats inside a pocket, she slept through completely - ie, no extra liquid intake/urine output, and then last night she had one bottle early in the morning - but luckily she still woke up dry.  Obviously one simple solution would be to change her diaper when she wakes, but for some reason it doesn't occur to me, particularly if she's woken me during a deep period of sleep... it's not unless she keeps me awake for a prolonged period that I think "ohhhh.. change her diaper"... so maybe I need to just try to remember to change her diaper when she's up during the night - but that is so much easier said than done, particularly with the sub-zero mornings we've been having lately.  Not that that's an excuse.

SO..... 
What I know works is fleece, flats and bamboo boosters. 
What I know annoys Emersyn is the lack of a staydry layer between her skin and the top layer of the diaper
The obvious solution seems to be:  Using flats, with a bamboo insert and some form of staydry layer, and a fleece cover over the top.
Still to work out is whether flats work better for Emersyn when they are used inside flats, or when they are used inside a pul cover with a fleece liner over top of the top flat [for the staydry layer].

I hope like heck that the above little 'equation' is my getting very close to the end of this whole debacle, and finally finding a night time solution that works.  I'd love to find a night time combo that isn't hugely bulky - but right now I'd take one that is horribly bulky and works, over a trimmer option that DOESN'T work...

.... I guess time will soon tell.

a year of cloth love - part 1

It is ALMOST a year since I began cloth diapering Emersyn, so I figured now is as good a time as any, to do her 'one year in cloth' post [more so because I will probably forget...]... so here goes...

FIRST time wearing cloth.. a OSFA pepenaps pocket... 2 weeks 4 days old

Rocking a mohawk, and her blue pepenaps... about 1 month

this was the start of the obsession.. a Bambino Mio cover, over a fitted - part of a bunch of free diapers I got given, from a lady on the Nappy Network NZ

showing off her new Real Nappies cover, over a prefold. about 2.5 months

One of her first Bummis Super Brites - again about 2.5 months

What was and still IS my favourite pocket - a MyBaby... I adore the colour

[almost] 4 months old, wearing a Green Acre Designs small pocket.  I was so sad when she grew out of this particular diaper

4.5 months, showing off her first Snazzipants diaper - this brand is my favourite fitted, and I ended up with a full 'stash'.. it was sad when she outgrew the size ones.. luckily we have some size twos on the way

a week off 6 months, showing off her Bummmis flower print Super Whisper Wrap

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

flat is fab

my first ever attempt at using a flat

 

Over the past few days I have gone back to basics and have been giving flats a bit of a go... I really did think I wouldn't like them, or that I'd think they were 'okay', but then not really give them a second look.  HOWEVER, I am thoroughly impressed by these 'old school' diapers, and think they may become an important component of my fluffy wardrobe. They are definitely on par with prefolds, and possibly actually better [in my opinion] than prefolds, because of the variety of ways they can be folded, and the fact that they are really a one size fits all diaper solution... I find that with prefolds, once Emersyn has grown and is closer to the end of the weight range for a certain size of prefold, they become quite hard to do up - there isn't a lot of fabric left at the 'wings' of the diaper.  Admittedly with a snappi this doesn't cause a lot of problems, but if you're pinning - it does.
 
Why do I like them?  I think it's the absorbency mainly - and the fac t they can be folded in certain ways, so that the absorbency is where you need it.  I have tried three folds - the airplane fold, the origami fold and the kite fold, and I think my favourite of the three is the origami fold.  I remember my Mum [and Aunties] using the origami fold on my sister and cousins - and it always looked so hard, and complex - very adult... but it only took a couple of goes before I felt like I was somewhat a pro.  I think that is part of what is so great about flats - they are almost the 'blank canvas' of the diaper world - and you can modify them to suit your own needs...  I imagine the airplane fold is great for using on boys, and the kite fold is probably very adjustable and could be used on a newborn.  


I have actually found flats to be so good, that I'm now using them overnight.  I have found that for Emersyn they are best used in the origami fold, with a Real Nappies night time booster pad on top - and then a pad folded flat on top of that... there are umpteen layers of absorbency - WHERE it is needed,  and when accompanied by a fleece cover, or a Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, they seem very much leakproof - and foolproof.

So are flats overrated?  In MY opinion - NO... infact, I think it's quite the opposite - flats are UNDERRATED...

A fluffy day in the life of Emersyn

Here's a chance to see Emmy's fluffy wardrobe for a whole day!  Enjoy!

Good morning everyone!  Time for my first diaper change

"buh-bye" FuzziBunz

& hello pink (dyed) prefold!

... no prefold is complete without a cover (Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, Froggy print) - and on those cold days, a pair of babylegs!

Up from my nap - and it's time for an Itti Bitti (Bitti D'Lish) in Turqouise... Mummy didn't plan on the turquoise diaper matching the Turquoise in my babylegs!

now I'm up to no good.. but a least I look cute!

now my mean Mummy is making me have another nap...  I"m in my PeaPods this time - and funnily enough, my red diaper matches the red in my babylegs!

up from my nap & now I'm all nekkid - bar my diaper, ready for my bath!

nice & sparkly clean, showing off my BumGenius diaper - and showing Mummy how clever I am getting at standing up!

saying "buh-bye" to the people on TV... Mummy says it is time for bed...

having my bottle while Mummy changes my diaper... first step is a TotsBots Bamboozle

followed by a[nother] Bummis SWW - Jungle print this time!

and now I'm in bed... I don't want to but *yawn* I'm a bit tired... Non-night everyone!

Fluffy Wardrobe - 13 April 2011

Today so far, Emersyn has worn.....

Snazzipants prefold & Bummis 'bloom' SWW
Mint green Itti Bitti - Bitti D'Lish AIO
Snazzipants fitted & Bummis 'ladybug' SWW
Bluberry bamboo fitted & Bummis 'flowers' SWW

to be continued!
(you can tell it was insert stripping day today!)

Why I love..... Bummis!

Super Brite

One of the first diaper brands I tried was Bummis... the first ever wraps that I bought were a blue, a green & pink Super Brite wrap, for use over prefolds.  The initial reason I bought them was purely because they looked cute - up until then I just had solid colour diapers, and so badly wanted to get a cute print... I came a cross the Bummis Super Brites on TradeMe & just couldn't resist purchasing them!  You wouldn't believe my excitement when they arrived - actually, those of you who cloth diaper would believe it, but anyone who doesn't - well, you'll be thinking "excited about a stupid diaper.. what the...?".

'Flower' SWW

'Bloom' SWW

After the first use of a 'SB' (Super Brite) I realised just how FUNCTIONALLY awesome the wrap was.  Unlike [most] other wraps I looked at, the SB's have leg gussets, which is a function I believe ALL wraps should have... they make sure that anything that accidentally escapes the prefold or fitted underneath, stays contained inside, but I've also found that for overnight use they cover a VERY bulky diaper easily....  Emersyn (as I have posted previously) is a very heavy wetter at night, and while the Bamboo has helped to improve the situation, I'm still finding that by the time she gets up in the morning she is wet, so have begun putting the SB cover over top... and even if the pocket diaper underneath is wet through, her pyjamas (and skin) are still nice and dry.  This is possibly why she has started sleeping a lot better over the last week - she's a little more comfortable. 

'Jungle' SWW

So I love Bummis [Super Brites] because of their leg gussets, but I also love the prints - particularly the Super Whisper Wrap (SWW) prints.  My first SWW prints I had were 'Jungle', 'Froggy Pond', 'Flower' & 'Celery Dot' - and more recently I have added 'Ladybug' & 'Bloom' prints to my collection.  Dotted around this blog post are pictures of the SB & SWW from the Bummis website - and are examples of the print-cuteness that I couldn't resist!  There are a few other new prints that I'd love to get, but have decided to wait until I have gotten over the novelty of having the new 'Bloom' & 'Ladybug' prints!

'Ladybug' SWW

The only downside for me, of the Bummis SWW is that they don't have leg gussets.  My perfect wrap would be a Bummis SWW with leg gussets..... the ideal combination of cute prints - but also the excellent function that is the leg gusset!  For the most part I have only used wraps over prefolds, but now I seem to be using wraps over fitted diapers more than the prefolds - and am still very impressed with how well they work.