Plagued by Leaks

You know I am the first to say how great cloth diapering is and it is one decision that I am beyond happy that we made, but lately I have been having some issues to say the least. My favorite diapers have been leaking and it is getting pretty frustrating not being able to rely on them. I need my Smartipants to work.

Calan at about 4 months sporting a Smartipants cloth diaper.

Luckily, I listened to other people's advice and made sure that I had different options in my diapering stash. I will make it through this little snafu, but I need to get it worked out soon. I have tried a few things already that seem to have helped, but all the kinks do not seem to be worked out yet.

When you have leaks there are a few steps to take to figure out the issue. First, check to see how your diaper is fitting. Are there leg gaps? Calan's diaper does seem tight enough around his legs, but I have noticed that the leaks mainly happen around his legs. He is on the move more and his onesies are pulling some of the liquid out. So, while I don't think this is the main issue, it still could be and I will continue to play with it to make sure.

Next, it maybe that your diapers are repelling. This might be our issue. After Calan's surgery, he had some diaper rash issues that had me using more cream than normal. Even though I use cloth diaper safe cream, it can still build up. Until my leak issue is resolved, I am letting each diaper load soak for awhile in hot water and adding extra rinses to my routine hoping to break down any build up.

Another cause for leaks is absorbency. I think this is our issue. Calan has always been a super pee-er to say the least. While sometimes, the leaks happen quickly after a change, more times than not it is around the 2-hour mark and when I change him, he is soaked. I am currently double stuffing my Smartipants and I have had more success. Two days ago, I started double stuffing and we did not have a single leak. I was pretty pumped, but yesterday we were running a quick errand and Calan was in his double stuffed pocket and he leaked. I was pretty discouraged. However, I do think that he needs more absorbency during the day to avoid leaks, so I am going to continue to do that.

So that is where I am at. Kind of frustrated and pretty annoyed and ready to find a final solution. Till then, we are using our other diapers and testing his Smartipants here and there to try and see if they are working. I am hoping to have them back in the regular rotation soon.

This hasn't stopped me from using cloth diapers. It is just a problem that requires a little problem solving. I will get it worked out!