I was thinking this morning about how my son has reached toddlerhood (no matter how hard to am trying to keep him my little baby). And how my diapering needs are quickly changing. He is now learning to take off his diapers, he needs more absorbancy, and he will finally lay still for roughly 30 second so I can attempt to change him instead of rolling all over the floor. These milestones mean a change in our diapering routine.
Snaps: my new best friend. Although he still can't get the velcro diapers all the way off yet, it will only be a matter of time. I am careful to reach for my snap diapers like the Happy Heiny pockets, Fuzzibunz, and Flip systems when I know he is wearing an outfit that could lead to easy access to removing that diaper. I am sure in time he will figure out how to undo snaps too--he is after all mommy's little genius! ;) (aren't they all though!). But for now that is my plan. I remember when my older girls (pre cloth diapers) would wake up from their naps in disposible diapers and I would find them and their walls and cribs covered in all sorts of wonderfulness. My second daughter had even mastered getting the diaper off while wearing a onesie! I guess she really just didn't like those disposibles, hey. Too bad I didn't know the wonders of a snapped cloth diaper back then.
Absorbancy: man can organic inserts hold a lot of wetness. Whenever we need to go more than an hour and a half or so I reach for an organic insert. The Flips or a Thirsties Hemp Prefold are my current favorites. Although there are a lot of options out there, these ones work the best for us. I love that they can also be used in a pocket diaper so that he retains that stay-dry feeling even though we have a leakproof insert in there. Another thing the organic inserts can do for every baby no matter now old is reduce the "sponge effect." The sponge effect occurs when there is pressure in the diaper area by a baby carrier, exersaucer, jumperoo that type of thing. That pressure can cause the microfiber inserts to compress and moisture is squeezed out just like if you squeezed a sponge. That can cause leeks in some diapers. But the organic inserts don't usually have that sponge effect, what they soak up stays soaked up.
He lays still, well for a moment anyhow: When Greysen was about 6 months old he started to roll everywhere all the time. Which included diapering changing time. I had to move quickly or I had a half naked baby rolling across whatever floor we were on. That meant all-in-ones or pre-stuffed pockets with velcro closures. By the end I think I had that changing time down to the 10 seconds he would stay still for. But now I can engage him a little more and he understands the need to lay still--for 30 seconds at least--to have his diaper changed so I have a few more options in diapering him these days. And I have found my love for the Flip system. I already talked about the awesomeness of those organic inserts. I haven't really used the microfiber ones much so I can't comment on them, but the Flip with the organic insert is a magical thing. NEVER, EVER, NEVER in the 6 months we have used them regularily have I had a leak. Seriously, not even once! We use them for nap with just an organic insert in there, we use them for overnight with a microfiber tucked inside the organic, we use them for car rides and out and about town... never a drop of wetness out of that system. So this system has been our favorite for toddlerhood. Before about 9 months it was not as good of a fit for my son, the organic inserts were too bulky and I couldn't get the waist tight enough (not to mention he wouldn't lay still long enough to get the liner in position and then snap the system up). But now it is the perfect diapering system for us. I do still love the pockets, especially for the stay dry effect, but right now at 15 months of age the Flip is our go to diaper.
If I had to choose one diaper for the life of my baby it would be pockets, in a mix of velcro and snaps with a few organic inserts thrown into the mix. But one of the joys of my line of work is that I am forced to try out all the wonderful new items for diapering as they come onto the market. Some I don't care for and some I love. But it has taught me that there are subtle differences in diapering products and that each stage of a baby's life may require a little tweeking to your diapering routine. You may have to branch out a little, find something that works for that stage of your babies developement. For me, toddlerhood means something super absorbant with snaps. But it may mean something different for you, so don't be affraid to branch out a little and try new things with each new stage of your baby's development.
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