Cloth diapering at night-time can take some time to figure out. It can be the thorn in a cd'ing mamas side. Having your little one wake up wet is very discouraging, and obviously not comfortable for them. At first we used a combination of disposables and
cloth diapers while I built my stash, got
prefolds that fit (I needed the xs size for my little guy), and I fully recovered from my c-section.
We fully cloth diapered around 1 month old, and had no problems. We began running into issues with leaks when ds started sleeping for longer stretches at night time, which started around 5 months old. Ds was still waking up once in the middle of the night, actually due to weight gain issues we were waking him up if he didn't wake up himself. He would wake up wet then, and also in the morning when he got up for the day. Sometimes it was damp, sometimes it was soaking wet. Having to change his pajamas and crib sheet in the middle of the night is not fun, and then having to do it twice is even less. I was just glad I had my wonderful husband to help me. Our routine was I would go warm up his bottle (I was pumping and storing so the milk was in the fridge and sometimes frozen still) while he changed his pajamas. If the crib sheet was wet enough I would change that when he started to feed him. He would finish and I would go back to bed.
Our diaper stash consists of
pockets,
prefolds and
flats. I did not want to buy several different diapers to try at night time. I wanted to make what we had work.
Pockets were no good for us at night time, ever, double stuffed, stuffed with a variety of things; always leaked.
Prefolds worked the best with either a
Duo wrap or a
Flip cover. Those are the covers we exclusively use. It was hit or miss with us at night and him leaking for a long time. Finally around 9 months old he started sleeping through the night completely, anywhere from 11-13 hours. That is when the more consistent leaking started. At that point he was wearing a snappi'd prefold, in medium, which is what fit him, with an extra small prefold pad-folded as a doubler. That is actually still at almost 14 months our current diaper at night time. He leaked more often than not, but I just kept trying different things. A
hemp insert,
microfiber, bamboo. Nothing helped. I finally bit the bullet, and about 50 dollars later I had an
Eco-Posh wool soaker, and some wool wash. I had read about wool and how amazing it is. I anxiously waited for it to arrive, immediately washed it and loved how soft and squishy it was, and a few days later it was dry and I was finally able to use it.
First night, we were dry! Hooray! I was so excited. Second night, third night, first week, second week, first month. The same result I was convinced, and I now understood why everyone who has wool loves it as much as they do. In all my research, and forum posting & reading I don't recall many not loving the wool they have tried. It has so many benefits. It is natural, breathable, keeps you warm in the winter/cool in the summer, it is anti-microbial, and requires minimal washing. The only thing to have to get past is the cost. I first started using the
wool cover in the beginning of September after almost a year of cloth diapering, and am kicking myself for not purchasing one sooner. I kept talking about them to my dh, but couldn't bring myself to ordering it due to the price. It is without a doubt worth the cost. Now, I have actually purchased a second one for when it needs to be laundered. I am also planning and thinking about future children and buying or making some
wool soakers in smaller sizes. I guess I should actually get pregnant first though.
In the 2 months of using the wool, we had our first leak the other day, and I believe it was our fault. Ds had a belly ache and several dirty diapers, which led to a very red rash since his skin is easily irritated. We don't have issues with him getting red otherwise, and do not use a stay dry liner at night with his prefolds. Due to the rash, and his crying when he would just sit, I gave dh one for the night. I think it was right over his whole area and the pee could not absorb into the prefold. Besides this night, we have had absolutely no wetness.
If you are struggling with leaks and night-time diapering, using disposables due to leaks and want to use cloth full-time, try wool. I have absolutely no complaints about it, and have to hold back from ordering more for my son. If you try it, I guarantee you will not regret it!
About me: My name is Colleen, I am a 28 year old, first time, stay at home mom to an awesome 14 month old boy, named Gavin. I live in a small town in upstate new york with my husband of 5 years.
Growing up, I was active in 4-H and showed animals at the county fair each summer. One of the projects I participated in was called Lamb Lead. For this project, members would wear a wool outfit & lead their sheep. The purpose of the project was to raise consumer awareness about wool & to show the raw and finished product. The judge would ask questions to each person about the many benefits of wool and the wool industry. I knew wool was a breathable material that would keep you cool in the summer & warm in the winter, that it was flame retardant & that is was a very durable fiber among other things.
Now that my little man is reaching the size limit of many of his current diapers, he is wearing a lot of fitted diapers instead of pockets. He just turned two years old and is approx 32 pounds. Thank goodness he has a small waist, thus extending the lifetime wear of some of his diapers. Making the transition to fitted diapers brought with it the need for a few more diaper covers. 
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After some online research I decided on using Thirsties diaper covers; I really enjoy them! Then a friend of mine who is an avid knitter came across a wool soaker pattern online. Fortunately she thought of me and gifted me with a homemade soaker, I love it! Although I do not use wool every day, I do use it frequently and love the look/feel/convenience. I have a second homemade soaker from her, and use it even more often than the first. I love how waterproof it is, how it doesn’t require constant washing, and it doesn’t smell! 
Step 3: Get your supplies ready. You need a lidded container (I use a recycled applesauce jar), some lanolin (I use Lansinoh), some liquid dish soap or baby soap, a medium bowl (I often use a 4c. Pyrex measuring cup) and a large bath towel.
Step 6: Pour the contents of the jar into a bowl. Add two more jars of cool water to the hot. The water temperature now should be “tepid”. Gently put your wool into the bowl and swish around until the entire thing is wet. Let it soak at least 20 minutes. I do this while getting breakfast ready, and then return once we are done eating. It won’t hurt it to sit longer. 
Step 7: Drain the water and gently turn your wool right side out. Fold the wool over onto itself and press (squeeze) as much water as you can from the wool using your own body weight (NEVER wring wool). Lay the wool flat on a large towel and roll the towel. When you unroll it, you may need to pull your soaker a bit to get it back to shape. It may look short and fat. 
Step 8: Once your wool looks back to “normal” lay on a towel to dry. It will feel “tacky” and that is ok-good in fact. Once dry (give it at least a day…do not put out in the sun, do NOT put in the dryer) it can be used several times before it will require washing again. 
