Above One Size Cloth Diapers

We recently came across a problem with my 7 year old sister who has downs syndrome, heart and kidney disease along with a host of other complications. She will never be 100% potty trained since the kidney disease means her urine output is huge and she has very little control and she can’t completely communicate her needs as much as my mom, her teachers and everyone in her life has worked with her. The issue my mom came across is swim diapers. The disposable sizes no longer fit her at 41lbs and my mom was pretty lost with what to do. Good thing she has me and knows I’m cloth diapering our 1 year old and just bought him a swim diaper for the summer.

This set me out on my search to find a swim diaper or even a cloth diaper that she could use. I figured there had to be a major diaper retailer that made swim diapers in larger sizes after all in my world this is a normal everyday thing changing my 7 year old sisters diapers to help my mom out when we’re down there visiting. I did find a few options at Kellys Closet such as super undies and their bedwetting pants which fits a child average age from 9-13 for a size large and Fuzzibunz which makes a XL and XXL sizes to fit up to 70lbs. These can be used as swim diapers also just without putting any inserts inside of them. I also found Imse Vimse Swim Diapers which can fit up to 44lbs.I showed all these options to my mom plus some more and explained differences to her and gave her the overview of cloth diapers even though she knows all about them from us cloth diapering our youngest.

This really made me think about why there aren’t more readily available options for cloth diaper for bigger kids who may not be able to potty train for one reason or another or even adults. I know the prices of disposables and the fact most insurance companies cover diapers, pads for the diapers and bed mats is through the roof especially when this is an expense every month. Imagine the money insurance companies and parents many of whom are struggling with so many other things involved in taking care of a special needs child could save with cloth diapers if they were more widely available and advertised. Not only that but I know many of these amazing kids have extremely sensitive skin and how much extra creams, powders and more could be saved by using cloth with them and putting something less full of chemicals against their bottoms.

I know firsthand that parents of these sweet kids usually have enough on their plates between the everyday care, many doctors’ appointments, along with running a household and possibly taking care of other kids. Everyone has to do laundry though and cloth diapers would just add two or three extra loads compared to worrying about buying disposables or if the monthly supply will arrive in the mail on time. Now I have the wheels turning in my head that there has to be a way to get this idea out in the open and more widely publicized to help shine a light on a need that could greatly help out these parents who have enough on their plates and could use a break in one way or another.

Bio: Kristen. I’m an almost full time stay at home mom to two wonderful boys and who has fallen in love with cloth diapers. I also work towards advocating for special needs kids and their parents.


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