Please don't make me start buying from the Adult Baby websites....
December 20, 2011 6:58 AM Subscribe
Seeking diapers for a 55 lb child that will not leak at night.
So, my son is five and is not yet dry through the night. This is not a question about how to night train him. We are working with his pediatrician and I'm not really concerned about that part. At least not enough to ask strangers about it.
What I am concerned with is that I can't find overnight diapers for him that don't leak all over the place. Every morning he wakes up with his PJ's at least slightly damp, and I have to change and wash his bedding about four times a week, which is getting old - fast.
He's outgrown the Huggies Overnights and overnight pullups that worked perfectly. We have tried Pampers Underjams (awful) and are currently using Huggies Goodnites doubled (ie: he wears two pullups, layered, to bed). We have not tried cloth, but my prior experience with cloth when he was smaller leads me to believe that it wouldn't help and he'd end up with a rash from being in wet cloth for several hours.
Is there another solution while his body sorts itself out? Is my only other choice to move to the smallest adult diapers (which are really too big)? Surely there are other choices designed for special needs kids?
Again, this is not a question about how to night train him. We are working on that. Thanks!
So, my son is five and is not yet dry through the night. This is not a question about how to night train him. We are working with his pediatrician and I'm not really concerned about that part. At least not enough to ask strangers about it.
What I am concerned with is that I can't find overnight diapers for him that don't leak all over the place. Every morning he wakes up with his PJ's at least slightly damp, and I have to change and wash his bedding about four times a week, which is getting old - fast.
He's outgrown the Huggies Overnights and overnight pullups that worked perfectly. We have tried Pampers Underjams (awful) and are currently using Huggies Goodnites doubled (ie: he wears two pullups, layered, to bed). We have not tried cloth, but my prior experience with cloth when he was smaller leads me to believe that it wouldn't help and he'd end up with a rash from being in wet cloth for several hours.
Is there another solution while his body sorts itself out? Is my only other choice to move to the smallest adult diapers (which are really too big)? Surely there are other choices designed for special needs kids?
Again, this is not a question about how to night train him. We are working on that. Thanks!
(I meant - just a regular maxi-pad, not a special product marketed to parents and hence more expensive.)
posted by pinky at 7:02 AM on December 20, 2011
posted by pinky at 7:02 AM on December 20, 2011
Best answer: This site may have what you are looking for, they cater to special needs children.
posted by bolognius maximus at 7:03 AM on December 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by bolognius maximus at 7:03 AM on December 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
I vastly prefer the Walgreens store brand of overnight pullups to the Underjams, which I also think kind of suck especially for the price, and they come in larger sizes.
posted by padraigin at 7:21 AM on December 20, 2011
posted by padraigin at 7:21 AM on December 20, 2011
Best answer: You can get a bed pad that goes on top of the sheets (or wherever you like) for exactly this sort of problem. Get two and you can switch them out, only having to change the bed pad, not all the sheets. Doesn't solve the wet PJs, but cuts down on laundry.
I have a little stripper who tends to take off his PJs and diaper and get back in bed, so I was doing a LOT of bed-related laundry.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:21 AM on December 20, 2011 [5 favorites]
I have a little stripper who tends to take off his PJs and diaper and get back in bed, so I was doing a LOT of bed-related laundry.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:21 AM on December 20, 2011 [5 favorites]
You should check out cloth diaper related forums, like Diaper Swappers. Cloth diapers come in lots of larger sizes, and are totally customizable. Good luck!
posted by grrlaction at 7:43 AM on December 20, 2011
posted by grrlaction at 7:43 AM on December 20, 2011
Seconding the cloth diapers. They'll be your answer, and the resale value is usually quite good if this is your only child.
Mrs. Zombie runs a business around cloth diapers, so PM me if you want some links on the topic.
posted by zombieApoc at 7:50 AM on December 20, 2011
Mrs. Zombie runs a business around cloth diapers, so PM me if you want some links on the topic.
posted by zombieApoc at 7:50 AM on December 20, 2011
Response by poster: My concerns about cloth: 1) we tried them when he was about 6 months old and it was a huge mess - leaks, and he got very rashy if he was left in wet cloth for more than 15 or so minutes; 2) I don't want to make a big investment in something I'll only need for (hopefully) a few more months; 3) He won't be able to get in and out of them himself; 4) I've never seen cloth (or, more to the point, cloth covers, but any cloth products) available in the size we need.
I'd be willing to try cloth, but the combination of those things seems pretty insurmountable.
posted by anastasiav at 8:10 AM on December 20, 2011
I'd be willing to try cloth, but the combination of those things seems pretty insurmountable.
posted by anastasiav at 8:10 AM on December 20, 2011
With cloth, there is some special care involved. You can't use most regular detergent, you need to 'strip' the detergent residue ever so often. But $100 on cloth versus Nighttime diapers might be worth it.
posted by k8t at 8:20 AM on December 20, 2011
posted by k8t at 8:20 AM on December 20, 2011
We use cloth diapers, and I just want to confirm your doubts on this one. I'm glad we use them, but overall we definitely get more leaks than with disposables, even with stripping and using special detergent. We have to use a specific brand of cloth diapers for overnight, else we get leaks. Not from over-soaking of the pads, but just the way the diaper is engineered. The brand that does work for us at night lays flat against the skin, so yes, your kid may be wet all night long. I feel like cloth works for some and not for others, and if they haven't worked for you in the past, I wouldn't try them again.
I came in to suggest Eyebrows McGee's exact option.
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 8:29 AM on December 20, 2011
I came in to suggest Eyebrows McGee's exact option.
posted by Tooty McTootsalot at 8:29 AM on December 20, 2011
You can get a bed pad that goes on top of the sheets (or wherever you like) for exactly this sort of problem. Get two and you can switch them out, only having to change the bed pad, not all the sheets. Doesn't solve the wet PJs, but cuts down on laundry.
I coped with a problem with an acting-out cat who liked to pee dead-center in the bed by buying a rubberized cloth dropcloth from Sears. It was sufficiently soft that it could substitute for sheets (particularly under another, though that doesn't help you) but was effectively waterproof. And it was inexpensive and useful for other things once the core issue was resolved.
posted by phearlez at 8:58 AM on December 20, 2011
I coped with a problem with an acting-out cat who liked to pee dead-center in the bed by buying a rubberized cloth dropcloth from Sears. It was sufficiently soft that it could substitute for sheets (particularly under another, though that doesn't help you) but was effectively waterproof. And it was inexpensive and useful for other things once the core issue was resolved.
posted by phearlez at 8:58 AM on December 20, 2011
Best answer: When my 3 year old had that problem, we used Depends Boost pads in his diaper.
posted by ShooBoo at 9:35 AM on December 20, 2011
posted by ShooBoo at 9:35 AM on December 20, 2011
Best answer: My son had a similar problem, and because he was so large for his age, I never did find any solution that worked that great.
I got a mattress bag, and then put old towels above that and then the sheet. Once you're good at making the bed this way, they won't bunch up.
That kept whatever the diapers didn't catch to manageable and easy to address mess. I bought a whole stack of extra bedding and PJs at St. Vinny's and goodwill so the major expense was the diapers themselves - but there wasn't any escaping that.
I did try cloth diapers with rubber undies, but he got such bad rashes from the gathers, that it was just better to accept some soiled sheets and extra laundry.
It was a total pain the ass, and I felt like I got a raise and a promotion when he finally outgrew it.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 9:58 AM on December 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I got a mattress bag, and then put old towels above that and then the sheet. Once you're good at making the bed this way, they won't bunch up.
That kept whatever the diapers didn't catch to manageable and easy to address mess. I bought a whole stack of extra bedding and PJs at St. Vinny's and goodwill so the major expense was the diapers themselves - but there wasn't any escaping that.
I did try cloth diapers with rubber undies, but he got such bad rashes from the gathers, that it was just better to accept some soiled sheets and extra laundry.
It was a total pain the ass, and I felt like I got a raise and a promotion when he finally outgrew it.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 9:58 AM on December 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The link above to Northshore Care indicates that they carry the Abena X-Plus in size XS, which fits down to a 20-inch waist. Abena is the Cadillac of adult diapers in Europe, where their health care system values quality over cheapness.
posted by hwyengr at 10:13 AM on December 20, 2011
posted by hwyengr at 10:13 AM on December 20, 2011
Not much to offer except that cloth just plain doesn't work for heavy wetters. We had to switch to disposables at night because they're just far more absorbant and less likely to "sweat" wetness onto the surroundings. Good luck.
posted by rouftop at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2011
posted by rouftop at 10:24 AM on December 20, 2011
I never had any problems with overnight leaky diapers with my daughter. Then I had a son, and woohoo, that thing aims all on its own! He'd pee out the leg openings pretty often. (And yeah, changing bedding gets old damn fast.)
Cloth is the only thing that worked for us, but we had to do a very specific sandwich method of hydrophillic layer in the middle, big diaper to hold it all together, hydrophobic layer on top to keep the skin dry, and a waterproof cover.
This worked, but all that pee gave him diaper rash. Then someone suggested all natural fibers, and THAT was the magic bullet.
So we used a hemp layer in the middle, inside a folded birdseye cotton diaper, with a layer of silk on top, next to his skin. I bought a couple cashmere sweaters and turned them into baby pants (hem becoming waistband, arms becoming legs). I lanolized these to ensure waterproofing, but most wools work great as a waterproof layer.
The legs were long, so no more peeing out the leg hole. And yeah, it sucked to get this rig on, but we only had to do it once a day, before bed, and not waking in the night to change a soggy baby and his bed was so worth it.
To find stuff for a bigger child probably wouldn't be super hard. Get the biggest sizes of hemp and silk inserts you can find and use two. You could lay this stuff inside regular underwear. You may have to get him a few pairs of PJ bottoms made out of wool, but if you know someone who knits that would be easy enough, otherwise look on Etsy.
Good luck. Hope you are doing less laundry soon.
posted by Leta at 10:50 AM on December 20, 2011
Cloth is the only thing that worked for us, but we had to do a very specific sandwich method of hydrophillic layer in the middle, big diaper to hold it all together, hydrophobic layer on top to keep the skin dry, and a waterproof cover.
This worked, but all that pee gave him diaper rash. Then someone suggested all natural fibers, and THAT was the magic bullet.
So we used a hemp layer in the middle, inside a folded birdseye cotton diaper, with a layer of silk on top, next to his skin. I bought a couple cashmere sweaters and turned them into baby pants (hem becoming waistband, arms becoming legs). I lanolized these to ensure waterproofing, but most wools work great as a waterproof layer.
The legs were long, so no more peeing out the leg hole. And yeah, it sucked to get this rig on, but we only had to do it once a day, before bed, and not waking in the night to change a soggy baby and his bed was so worth it.
To find stuff for a bigger child probably wouldn't be super hard. Get the biggest sizes of hemp and silk inserts you can find and use two. You could lay this stuff inside regular underwear. You may have to get him a few pairs of PJ bottoms made out of wool, but if you know someone who knits that would be easy enough, otherwise look on Etsy.
Good luck. Hope you are doing less laundry soon.
posted by Leta at 10:50 AM on December 20, 2011
I'm another one chiming in to say no on the cloth! We do cloth for our little one, except overnight he goes in thr disposable. Cloth is less absorbant than disposable, no matter what anyone says! (and I love cloth and plan to diaper all my future babies in them too).
Good luck!
posted by katypickle at 11:02 AM on December 20, 2011
Good luck!
posted by katypickle at 11:02 AM on December 20, 2011
Hi...I've had kids with similar problems. What I would suggest is getting water resistant fleece blankets. Use those for the top and bottom sheets. Also, below the bottom sheet, you can add a big soaker mat. I bought mine from Parenting by Nature. I didn't want my kids anywhere near PVC and what-not.
For PJs, I just change them in the night and actually coaxed my kids into dumping their wet clothes into a hamper. I apologize if it sounds like I am treading into "training" territory, but i felt it was good for my kids to learn to listen to their bodies and to be aware of when they were wet and to also learn to remove wet clothes. (Note that they were/are about your son's age.) It sounds, though, as if your child might have a reaction and there is absolutely no need to make this painful or traumatic for any of you.
But I am thinking who might have a great answer would be New and Green. I have emailed the mom behind the biz before to get info. She goes to all the tradeshows and she would probably be willing to give you some feedback. She does sell cloth diapers (I swear I only know her from the Internet and am not profiting from this in anyway), but she would have good knowledge or know where to send you, I bet. I don't want to out myself, but when I needed some information, she was really helpful. I know she's looked into training and soaker pants before.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 11:31 AM on December 20, 2011
For PJs, I just change them in the night and actually coaxed my kids into dumping their wet clothes into a hamper. I apologize if it sounds like I am treading into "training" territory, but i felt it was good for my kids to learn to listen to their bodies and to be aware of when they were wet and to also learn to remove wet clothes. (Note that they were/are about your son's age.) It sounds, though, as if your child might have a reaction and there is absolutely no need to make this painful or traumatic for any of you.
But I am thinking who might have a great answer would be New and Green. I have emailed the mom behind the biz before to get info. She goes to all the tradeshows and she would probably be willing to give you some feedback. She does sell cloth diapers (I swear I only know her from the Internet and am not profiting from this in anyway), but she would have good knowledge or know where to send you, I bet. I don't want to out myself, but when I needed some information, she was really helpful. I know she's looked into training and soaker pants before.
posted by Chaussette and the Pussy Cats at 11:31 AM on December 20, 2011
You might know this...but what has saved us for the nights when ToddlerTaff still wets the bed...lasagna layers of sheet/plastic layer/sheet plastic layer so that we just strip one layer off and don't have to make the whole bed from scratch in the middle of the night.
We also get ToddlerTaff up twice in the night. At 9:30 and 11:30 pm for a wee in the loo. Night toilet training has not worked at all yet. But this tactic has.
posted by taff at 6:54 PM on December 20, 2011
We also get ToddlerTaff up twice in the night. At 9:30 and 11:30 pm for a wee in the loo. Night toilet training has not worked at all yet. But this tactic has.
posted by taff at 6:54 PM on December 20, 2011
Best answer: Also...if you're doing a double nappy, put a slit in the outer layer of the first one so the wee can go straight through. Good luck, it's sooo hard.
posted by taff at 6:57 PM on December 20, 2011
posted by taff at 6:57 PM on December 20, 2011
I work within the special needs community and we have a lot of parents that use this site because it lays out the various features of the most commonly used diapers for older children. I've personally used this diaper with a similarly aged, male night time heavy wetter and it was a godsend. Good luck!
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 9:48 AM on December 21, 2011
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 9:48 AM on December 21, 2011
Nthing diaper doublers + good nites. (One of my boys was a heavy heavy sleeper and used this combo until he was 7. It all worked out fine.)
posted by thatone at 4:41 PM on December 21, 2011
posted by thatone at 4:41 PM on December 21, 2011
Response by poster: taff wins. No leaks at all since we've started doing this. I can't believe we didn't think of it before.
Thanks everyone!
posted by anastasiav at 7:21 PM on December 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
Thanks everyone!
posted by anastasiav at 7:21 PM on December 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
You have my empathies.
posted by pinky at 7:01 AM on December 20, 2011