Cloth diapering is awesome, and we love it. Surprisingly, we both love it, not just me. There is one drawback though, and it’s that cloth diapers don’t have near the absorbency of disposable, which means he is going to soak through the diapers and onto his clothes/bedding a lot faster.
Unless…
we triple stuff!
I’m not sure if these photos truly convey how ridiculous and awesome he looks when we dress him for the night, but I giggle a little bit every time I look at them. If you’re using cloth and wondering what we use to stuff with, we are taking two gdiaper inserts from CottonWood Baby and stuffing them inside of an AIO cloth diaper like this DryBees one, and cover it all up with a Thirsties Diaper Cover. With this arrangement I can go a full 12 hours without changing him.
Big booty big booty big booty!
July 14th, 2010 on 8:39 am
I just wanna squish him he’s so cute!
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July 14th, 2010 on 8:40 am
Thanks for the morning giggle! He looks like an adorable pear.
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July 14th, 2010 on 8:47 am
That is hilarious!
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July 14th, 2010 on 8:59 am
Now THAT is a party in your pants!
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July 14th, 2010 on 9:11 am
OMG P is too cute, and he is definitely a little bottom heavy
Is he sleeping 12 hours at a time already?! If so, that is amazing!!
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July 14th, 2010 on 9:25 am
He’s so adorable!
Very smart idea!!
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July 14th, 2010 on 9:31 am
Bahahahaha
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July 14th, 2010 on 9:41 am
Hahaha, awe too cute! He’s so going to hate this when he’s older
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July 14th, 2010 on 9:44 am
Haha, love it! I still think it makes him look like an oompa-loompa, especially when he stands. Hilarious.
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July 14th, 2010 on 9:50 am
Haha! That is so smart of you! Those pictures are hilarious!
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July 14th, 2010 on 10:35 am
hahaha! Thanks for the smile this morning! What a cutie
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July 14th, 2010 on 10:37 am
He’s just too cute!
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July 14th, 2010 on 11:03 am
Haha, love the baby booty.
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July 14th, 2010 on 11:39 am
Love it! I remember Claire’s big hilarious booty, it doesn’t look quite as bad now. We use a premium prefold with a onesize cotton insert from Blueberry and a Flip cover on top. Never any leaks, she goes 12-13 hours in it!
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July 14th, 2010 on 12:06 pm
That’s too funny. Does he show any signs of discomfort though? I know B (who is one month older than P, lol) likes lifting her legs at night and sometimes doesn’t even like to be swaddled at all, unless she’s really tired. I know this would drive her crazy. Or does he like the weight?
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July 14th, 2010 on 12:50 pm
Ha! That’s funny. I’ve never thought of that as an issue, but I’m not a mother yet. Oh, the things to look forward to… You can give new meaning to “junk in the trunk”!
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July 14th, 2010 on 12:53 pm
“Baby’s got back!” hee hee
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July 14th, 2010 on 1:09 pm
Adorable!! T1 looks like the opposite of a bobble head: instead of an proportionate head, he has an out of proportion tush
I feel like that may have come out wrong. Foot in mouth.
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July 14th, 2010 on 1:55 pm
I have no words for how cute this is! Love it!
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July 14th, 2010 on 2:20 pm
That does not look comfortable! lol but you gotta do what you gotta do to keep from washing bedding every day. Good Job.
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July 14th, 2010 on 2:55 pm
so freaking cute!
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July 14th, 2010 on 2:57 pm
I don’t comment often, and never comment negatively, but this just really bothers me. I certainly understand that you’ll make the decisions that work best for you… that’s your right, and we all do it.
But my daughter is just a week younger than P, and I can’t imagine letting her sit in a wet diaper for 12 hours. It’s just not good for their skin.
I’m tired, too. And working. And my husband works. And our 7 year old is still a big responsibility. But that’s just part of it. You’re not SUPPOSED to get more sleep than you’re getting… it’s part of the deal of being a new mommy. I’m all for tips and tricks to keep babies sleeping longer. Really, I am. But something like this that isn’t healthy just doesn’t seem worth the extra shut-eye to me.
I’m sure I’m going to get blasted for being a negative troll, and that’s fine. I just felt like from one new-mommy to another, I could offer a different perspective.
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Chelsea McGowan Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
I’ll add a PS to my own comment… You’re not a bad mother. I know that, and you know that. The people who are calling you names and saying that you’re a bad mother should go jump off a bridge, because that’s uncalled for.
I guess I just feel like this practice doesn’t fit into your “good, better, best” scheme anywhere. It’s good for you, because you get to sleep longer. But while it’s not going to do any lasting damage to him (although the first time you have to deal with a hellacious diaper rash that makes him scream any time he’s the least bit damp, it’ll SUCK)… it’s not good, better, or best for him.
Ok. I’m done now.
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kate Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
I knew this would come up. As soon as I saw that sentence, I thought, oh jeez, here we go again.
But I agree with Chelsea. Especially when you’re using cloth and the wetness isn’t wicked away because there aren’t any chemicals.
I’ll leave it at that.
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Marybeth Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Another agree. Makes cute pictures, though.
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Steph Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
I was thinking the same thing. We also cloth diaper and during the day change about every 1.5 to 2 hours. I also double stuff at night, but to get like a 6 hour stretch (which I still feel guilty about). It really messes up my baby’s sleeping when I change him in the middle of the night, but I just couldn’t imagine going for 12 hours!!! There is no way I would be able to sit in a wet diaper that long so I figure, why should he?
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Sophia Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
I don’t have kids, so I don’t know how they work
I just assumed that T1 was sleeping 8 or 9 hours at night, because my cousin’s baby sleeps that long and he’s a month younger than T1. So, I figured she was making sure he didn’t soak through while he was sleeping. Do parents usually wake their kids up in the middle of the night to change their diapers once they start sleeping long stretches? I don’t know the protocol 
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Steph Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
I’m sure everyone does their own thing. My baby (10 weeks old) wakes once during the night for a feeding and I change him then. OR if I hear him poop for sure (he sleeps in bed with us). I try to only use a nightlight and be as quiet and gentle as I can so he doesn’t fully wake up.
Anyways, different strokes for different folks and urine is sterile at least… just for me personally I don’t like him sitting/sleeping in a wet diaper.
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Brie Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Eh, my baby NEEDS to be in a wet diaper all night. Yes, needs. Yes, for 12 hours. She has eczema and we tried for months changing her every single time (during the day) she peed and then not at night. I finally realized the reason she always woke up rash free and then developed a rash throughout the day was because she was sitting in a sopping wet cloth diaper that moisturized her little bum and healed it. I don’t see how something that can be great for one baby and horrible for another should have any effect on Jenna’s decision. Are you not going to feed your 6 yr old peanut butter because it could kill my kid? Also, if I changed my dd in the middle on the night, she would think it was day time and be ready to play (at 12 months she started pooping in the night so of course we changed her and it took a longggg time to get her back to sleep). It’s not worth it to screw with a baby’s sleep cycle because someone in never never land thinks a wet diaper is bad, when that baby is perfectly healthy and fine. So, do you use disposables? Because for me, using diapers full of chemicals isn’t healthy and it just isn’t worth it to me.
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Zoe Reply:
July 15th, 2010 at 3:42 am
I thought babies cry if their diaper is wet? If T1 is not upset by it, then maybe he’s fine? I’m not a mother, but I didn’t think parents got up periodically in the middle of the night to check if their baby’s diaper was wet if they didn’t cry about it first. Because if you aren’t doing that, then aren’t those babies (unintentionally) also in a wet diaper all night? Not being devil’s advocate here…just wondering… I’m assuming if T1 started crying and making a fuss, she wouldn’t just leave him in the wet diaper…
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Jenna Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I wore pull ups until I was 9 years old. Do you think my mom got up and changed me so I didn’t sit in my own urine all night? No way! I peed in my pull up and wore it all the way through the morning until I got up and got out of bed. I think if it was so bad for him, we would see negative effects. As someone who is incontinent and always have been, I know what urine against the skin can do, and chafing can hurt. I’ve been in situations where I’ve leaked quite a bit and had to wear my wet undies and clothes for long periods many times before. Maybe my skin has just toughened up by now? I am a 25 year old with years of pee in her pants after all.
But if he isn’t experiencing any negative side effects, I guess I don’t see where the harm is? If he had diaper rash then I could see why it would be important to seek out a different option, but I don’t see why we need to fix what’s not broken.
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Chelsea McGowan Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
I’m not going to allow this to turn into a huge back and forth like some of the other stuff has, because really, he’s your baby, and you have the right to do whatever you want.
I’ll just point out that babies don’t always have the ability to tell us immediately when something doesn’t feel good. We’re supposed to think about how something would feel if it was us. Your skin is MUCH tougher than his, and your parts are also different than his… he’s more exposed.
Diaper rash is something that could come FROM his butt being too wet for too long. I’m so glad for you that you haven’t had to deal with it… we did for a few weeks, even with frequent changings. And believe me, if you ever know that your child is in pain, you will wish you could go back in time and do something to keep it from happening.
If it doesn’t seem like he’s having any negative side effects, then you’re right, it’s not that big of a deal. As new moms, we all cut corners to save our sanity.
But in the grand scheme of things (TO ME), it’s just not worth the extra sleep to risk causing my baby pain.
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bluejeanamy Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
wait wait wait. peeps really have a problem with no diaper changes at night???
i’m baffled.
when they’re a super new newborn that’s one thing. when they’ve pooped that’s another thing. but pee? almost all parenting books tell you if it doesn’t bother the baby and doesn’t produce a rash, then diaper changes in the middle of the night aren’t necessary and actually interrupt the babe’s natural sleep flow.
not that i follow all parenting books — however, i think it’s important to realize jenna isn’t doing some crazy, selfish thing here. it’s actually recommended/approved by doctors.
also! not sure if you guys use cloth dipes (i do) but inserts are actually crazy crazy absorbent. they have this insane wicking ability that leaves the fleece part (touching the bum) virtually dry. when i’m traveling and use disposables, i’m actually disappointed in how wet she feels in the morning.
anywho. i definitely do not change my baby in the middle of the night and she’s never had ANY rash — ever. so yeah…the word “pain” is a little over-the-top.
seacrest out!
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Chelsea McGowan Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
I’m totally on board with not waking a baby to change him/her. I wouldn’t wake mine!
If P is sleeping for 12 hours at a whack, then more power to them. Dot generally sleeps for 7 hours a night, and she wakes up with her diaper pretty full (just pee, she doesn’t poop overnight anymore thank God!), so we change her immediately.
Jenna, I really didn’t mean to start something terrible, here. I don’t think you’re a bad mother, and I never meant to say that I think you’re causing T1 pain. I was just saying I didn’t think it was a really healthy choice, and not worth the extra sleep to me. Especially since you said he’s waking up anyway… I agree with the girl who said above that she changes her baby in the dark really quietly when he wakes up to eat… that’s what we do.
Again, I’m sorry if I started another “hate on Jenna” stream of comments. That certainly wasn’t my intention. But I disagreed, and wanted to say so.
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May Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Chelsea,
You are so right. This is slightly disturbing.
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liv Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
maybe he sleeps for longer stretches bc he’s formula fed? i can definitely see not waking a sleeping baby to change the diaper.
our 6 month old wakes 2 times a night. i always change her diaper and offer her the potty (we’re doing elimination communication) and she (usually) goes right back to sleep no problem. it works for us, but i’m not a fan of leaving babies in wet diapers for a long time (hence the EC).
Jenna, since you’re going to be home with the little man, maybe you could try EC?
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July 14th, 2010 on 3:10 pm
Hahahaa this made me laugh out loud, literally!! You know you’re a cutie pie when you can be that stuffed and still look adorable
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July 14th, 2010 on 3:27 pm
T1 is getting even more adorable with each passing day. I also love his onesie.
I am not a mom but I’ve babysat, etc. so I kind of know about changing diapers. Does T1 sleep 12 hours straight? If the little guy is sleeping for 12 straight hours, then I can see how he wouldn’t need a diaper change but if he’s getting up and crying, etc. do you check to see if he’s wet?
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July 14th, 2010 on 3:41 pm
Super cute Jenna!! He so tiny and his hiney looks so big-adorable!!
P.S. I don’t know anyone that wakes their child up in the middle of the night to change them once they sleep for long stretches, but I do know a lot of women who cry because they wish their child would sleep longer at a time. So I say that what we should all take from the 12 hour comment is “Go T1 for sleeping and letting your mama sleep! What a good baby.” Let’s try positivity ladies.
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July 14th, 2010 on 4:22 pm
Hahaha that picture is too funny! Biiiig booty!
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July 14th, 2010 on 4:28 pm
So I’m not gonna get on the part of the thread with all the stuff about should you/should you not change him, but I just wanted to say THANK YOU for validating my mommy insecurity. I also do not do night changes, although my baby does not require quite the booty yours does to accomplish that (and his booty is super cute.
). But for real, they actually ARE comfy like that (people, have you seen babies fall asleep with their necks all at crazy angles??), and they’re fine. Some moms also wake their babies up during the night to feed them, and I’ve never understood that either.
Unless something else is visibly wrong, I always assume baby sleep = good.
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Katy Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
In the wee early days, it may be good to wake to feed them (or especially if they’ve lost a little weight after been born), but otherwise - - I do NOT wake a sleeping baby. Babies have these magical abilities to not let themselves starve and that ability only gets more and more understandable as they get older, so mommy insecurity BE GONE!
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Hannah V Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
My daughter slept long stretches at night even when she was little bitty and I never woke her up to change her. It just seems like almost a sin to wake a sleeping baby. haha.
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July 14th, 2010 on 4:57 pm
Haha - T1 just totally brightened my day here
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July 14th, 2010 on 5:47 pm
1. If there is no evidence that it bothers baby and it doesn’t bother you - GO FOR IT. What works for you and what works for baby is the guide. That is all I’ll say about that.
2. Yes, I can tell. And that is hilarious!
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July 14th, 2010 on 7:03 pm
Oh for goodness sakes, what is all this about ! He is a darling baby, well cared for and loved by his parents.
Leave the negative comments out of this couples lives.
My babies are in their 30′s now with babes of their own. Believe me they were cloth diapered and never had a rash of any sort. This practice (triple diapering at night) has been going on for decades, I learned it from my Mother.
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Jenna Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Thanks Mary! Sounds like I’m in good company.
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July 14th, 2010 on 7:35 pm
It gave me a chuckle, he gets cuter every day!
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July 14th, 2010 on 10:43 pm
Hilarious pictures. And can I please tell you how jealous I am that he sleeps for TWELVE HOURS? If it made mine sleep that long, I’d do it too.
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Jenna Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
Oh no way. Now I need to write a post clarifying. He in now way sleeps for 12 hours. 6 in a row is a good night for sure. How dreamy would 12 be!
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July 14th, 2010 on 11:09 pm
Ahahahaa! It happens. He’ll grow into them!
Too cute!
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July 14th, 2010 on 11:11 pm
Who cares about how long your baby is in the diaper at night - doesn’t matter. What matters is the way the poor baby’s legs are pushed so far apart all night - that’s what they do when a baby has hip problems “double diapering” it seems like you could case a lot of mis-alighnment problems for your baby by having him like that for 1/2 of every 24hr day - just a thought in case you didn’t think about that - eek - at least take him to the chiropractor to make sure your not messing him up.
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July 14th, 2010 on 11:15 pm
I just wanted to say that I have a son a couple weeks younger. He sleeps next to me in our bed and wakes several times at night to nurse, but I never change his diaper until he’s up for the day. When he wakes to nurse, he’s half asleep, and I don’t want to bug him in the middle of the night and chance him thinking its time to be awake. I did the same with my older daughter and never had any problems with a rash due to pee… Leave Jenna alone, people! Everyone has different parenting styles and ways of doing things. If she wanted advice, she’d ask for it.
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July 15th, 2010 on 8:46 am
Wow now I feel super guilty with all this negativity (not), my baby is just 2 weeks younger than T1 and if I dont see poo, I dont change him at night, he sleeps 6-7hrs in a roll, (and I wear disposables), he doesnt have any rashes and the doctor said that he looks great down there and if he is not complaning its not hurting him, he definetly lets me know when something bothers him, so I know sleeping in pee doesnt!
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July 15th, 2010 on 1:08 pm
These photos are great. Totally made me laugh out loud!
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July 15th, 2010 on 1:16 pm
Hi Jenna, long time no see:)
I am not at all familiar with the brands you mention, but it sounds like u need to go to a lot of trouble for cloth diapering. In case they exist on your side of the atlantic, maybe you could compare the products u use now with http://en.ptitsdessous.com/ or http://www.popolini.com/ These are what my friends have advised and what I plan to use:) have not heared of them leaking, or the need to ‘extra’ stuff.
glad to see Polish genes blooming:)
take care!
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July 15th, 2010 on 5:20 pm
redonkulous!
I never change my daughter in the middle of the night, unless the dam has burst, which is RARE.
I think some people are just a little high strung. Dude,if the baby is cool with it and it lets you sleep a little longer, no harm. Everyone is happier. And even if you don’t use cloth, they have disposable diapers that advertise on the front, 12 hours. They are awesome.
I support you in this effort, Jenna. You are not harming T1 in this at all.
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July 19th, 2010 on 3:36 pm
If you think he looks cute now just imagine what he’ll look like once he’s walking with that ghetto booty! We do the same with Addie and it’s hilarious.
Oh and the comments about that being bad for your baby (for a variety of reasons) are pretty ridiculous… especially considering most of the people who made them were probably double or triple diapered when they were T1′s age! =D
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August 2nd, 2010 on 9:33 pm
Just shared a link to this with a friend on FB. She’s doing cloth diapers too. It seems really popular - but I don’t know if I’d be up to it!
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