Leaky cloth diapers are kind of frustrating. Actually they are more than “kind of” frustrating…they are super annoying! You end up changing baby’s clothes each diaper change, adding to the never-ending mountain of laundry. If they leak while baby is sleeping this often entails washing bedding as well. This can make even the most devoted cloth diapering mama consider using disposables. But, wait! Don’t give up on cloth diapering just yet. Here are five simple solutions for leaky cloth diapers:

1. Double check the fit – The most important protection you have against leaky diapers is a proper fitting diaper. If you have an adjustable size diaper (ie- a one size diaper), perhaps experiment with the settings a bit. Sometimes parents keep baby on the middle setting for too long because they are worried about their nine month old fitting into the largest setting on a diaper that is supposed to last until the baby is two years old. I get it! I am even guilty of that myself! But delaying moving up a size doesn’t ensure the diapers will fit as long as you want them to…it may just be preventing them from fitting properly and therefore working effectively in the meantime. Also be assured that it is very possible (and likely) that the setting that fits your 9 month old, will also fit when he/she is older. Babies’ bodies change a great deal during the first two years of life. There is usually a “chubby” phase that occurs as they are on the brink of greater mobility.

2. Add extra protection – There are many awesome options for increasing the absorbency of your cloth diapers. Soakers, doublers or an extra insert might be just the thing for you to help keep baby’s bum (and clothes and bedding) extra dry!

3. Strip your diapers – If it’s been a while since you last stripped your diapers, perhaps they are in need of a good stripping! Stripping cloth diapers is when you remove the laundry soap residue build-up that interfere with the absorbency of your diapers. Not sure how to strip your diapers? Check out this blog post for more information.

4. Consider re-vamping your stash – Truth is certain diapers fit certain babies better. Just as two women can both weigh 140 lbs but that doesn’t mean they will fit into the same pair of jeans. If you have a variety of diapers in your stash, you probably know which one is your favorite…the one that’s always dirty! The least favorites are the ones that are always there, perfectly clean, just staring you in the face each time you change your baby’s diaper. Keep in mind that what is your least favorite, might be somebody else’s top favorite! Since there is a market for buying used diapers, consider selling the diapers that don’t work well for you. Then you can turn around and re-invest that money into buying more of your favorites! If you are unsure what your favorite diaper is, consider doing the 30 Day Fling with Fluff package through Mom’s Milk Boutique. It’s a great way, low-cost way to sample a variety of cloth diapers to determine what works best for your baby. Each brand of cloth diaper has it’s own unique design and combination of fibers that may or may not be a good fit for your little one. As with most things in parenting, the only way to really know what works is through experimentation.

5. Change baby more frequently – Some babies are what we affectionately refer to as ‘heavy wetters’. If you have a heavy wetter changing baby more frequently might be your best protection against leaky diapers. It seems that on average most cloth diaper mamas change (or at least check) their baby every two hours during the day. Some mamas can go as long as four or more hours. However if you have a heavy wetter you will likely need to change baby at a higher frequency than average. How do you know if you have a heavy wetter? If you are questioning it, you probably don’t…because you would know if you do! 🙂

Have you dealt with leaky cloth diapers? Any tips or suggestions to share with your fellow cloth diapering mamas?

-Sarah