Monday, July 21, 2008

Why is my Child's Diaper Leaking?

This post is dedicated to Lisa. :) Cloth diapers can leak for a number of reasons. Fortunately, almost all of them has a quick fix. Discovering which issue you are experiencing can require some trial and error, but there is great reward in stopping the leaks.



So, let's take this one step and one issue at a time.

Cloth Diaper is leaking at the legs with big wet spots.

Potential Causes & Solutions

1. My first thought would be gapping. If this is happening to your baby, check to make sure you have a good secure fit around the leg. If baby sits up, or spends time in a bouncy chair, check the diaper then. Some times the change in position can cause gapping if the diaper is not on securely enough, or if it is too big for baby. If the diaper gaps and baby pees, well...you get a wet spot. If gapping is the problem, readjust baby's diaper. If it secures with velcro, angle the front tabs downward in a v in the front providing a more snug fit in the legs. If the diaper closes with snaps, use a smaller setting to provide a tighter fit. If neither of these solutions solves your problem, the diaper may be simply too big. If this is the case, I recommend tucking it away for a few months until baby grows into it. Remember size charts are not perfect. They represent an estimated weight that a diaper will fit your baby.


2. Second possibility is that the diaper does not have enough absorbency for your baby. Your baby may be peeing more than you realize and he may be saturating his diaper, causing it to leak. The solutions to this problem are pretty easy. Solution 1 is to add a doubler if the diaper is a prefold, Fitted, or AIO. Solution 2 is for pocket diapers. Add a hemp insert or hemp prefold. Most pocket diapers come with microfiber inserts. Microfiber is fast absorbing and very absorbent, but hemp holds a good bit more and is even more absorbent. Find doublers and inserts here.

3. Next possibility would be repelling from detergent build up. Detergents with optical brighteners (Free & Clear detergents are notorious for these) tend to cause buildup on cloth diapers. This is not harmful, but it will cause the diapers to eventually stop absorbing. If that happens to your diapers, you need to strip them to get the detergent residue off.

Usually these 3 steps will remedy cloth diaper leaks. If not, email me: sunny@cutietooties.com and we will troubleshoot and see if we can figure out what is going on.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Cutie Tooties Store Open in West Knoxville!

Cutie Tooties Cloth Diaper & Natural Baby Store is now open in West Knoxville! We have a great selection of cloth diapers from all of your favorite brands such as Bumgenius!, Happy Heiny's, Thirsties, Kissaluvs,Bummis, Imse Vimse, and more. As the mommy of 2 year old triplets, I have a great deal of experience with cloth diapering and will happily teach you to use cloth diapers and help you troubleshoot should you come across a problem. You can come in the store and try diapers on baby to make sure you get the right fit.

We also carry nursing supplies, BPA-free baby bottles, baby & toddler bath products, diaper bags, and much more, with new products arriving weekly.

Our store is family friendly and complete with a playroom set aside to entertain your little one in safety while you shop.

Store Address:

153 Durwood Rd.
Knoxville, TN 37922

Phone:865-804-2556

Directions to store:

Take Kingston Pike west past Ft. Sanders West. At next redlight, turn left onto David Ln. (directly past the Conoco station). Go straight for 2 blocks and turn left onto Durwood Rd. Take immediate left into parking lot. Cutie Tooties is on the end near David ln in Suite 153.


Store Days & Hours:
M-W-F 10AM-5:30PM
SAT. 10AM-4PM
Tues, Thurs, Sun.-Closed