Dealing with a super heavy wetter

I'm very lucky to have kids that are pretty average in their output. But if you've got a super heavy wetter, the average nappy might not be enough to hold back the flood - especially at night. Sometimes it's not about buying new nappies, but using what you've got in a different way. Some people use cloth during the day but buy expensive disposables for night time when they need extra absorbency - but this isn't really necessary. Disposable nappies cannot be made more absorbent by adding inserts or boosters as easily as cloth nappies, and the plastic outer cover can lead to sweaty, rashy bottoms on hot summer nights.

Fabric absorbency makes a big difference, as you can increase absorbency without increasing bum-size. Bamboo is the most absorbent, followed by hemp and microfibre, then cotton. In my experience, anyway. But the fabric weave can also play a part: lightweight bamboo muslin is less absorbent than cotton terry towelling, and denim jeans fabric is more absorbent than a tea towel. Get creative: if it absorbs moisture, you can try it out as a nappy booster.

Also, look at the fibre blends: bamboo on its own is not very durable, so it is often blended with cotton or polyester for increased durability. A bamboo velour with 30% polyester will not be as absorbent as a blend with only 3% polyester. But the higher polyester content will make for a longer-lasting fabric with frequent hot washing or tumble drying. Most good quality bamboo nappies go for a 55% bamboo, 45% organic cotton blend to achieve higher absorbency combined with durability. You may also have to play off absorbency against drying time if you need to wash daily to ensure you have enough nappies for frequent changes. This is the attraction of microfibre - more absorbent than cotton, but much faster drying time. Good quality microfibre towelling (the type used for cleaning cloths - in the car aisle or cleaning aisle at the supermarket or department store) is worth the price - cheap, thin microfibre isn't as absorbent.

Are you using pocket nappies? If so, you can usually add 2-3 inserts instead of the standard 1 insert in the pocket. Mandy Mac fitted nappies also have enough room for extra boosters or inserts. Just be careful not to overpack the nappy - if you can see the nappy inner starting to turn out around the baby's legs, moisture will wick out of their nappy and you'll have leak problems. If the nappy came with a microfibre or cotton insert, try using bamboo or hemp inserts from your other nappies to get more absorbency out of each insert. Brands like Mandy Mac come with a separate lay-in booster in each nappy - try using the nappy without the separate booster in daytime, saving them up to pack into the night nappy. You can buy additional inserts from most nappy retailers - I like bamboo prefolds for use on newborns as a nappy, saving them to boost night nappies for older babies.

Are you using fitted nappies with separate covers? Put your extra boosters on the outside, in between the nappy and the cover. You may find you can fit more boosters with this method than you could fit into a pocket nappy, overstuffing isn't as much of an issue. I like to use covers like Bumwear with a gusset to help prevent leg-hole leaks, but any roomy cover is good with this method. Lanolised wool soakers are another good option, especially overnight, as they have the capacity to absorb some excess moisture as well as providing a layer of water resistance to protect clothing and bedding. Because wool is more breathable than polyurethane laminate or PVC pilcher pants, it is a great option on hot summer nights to reduce nappy rash.

Using terry flats? Believe it or not, you can use terry squares on a heavy wetter! It's all about the fold. Check out The Nappy Lady for lots of different folds. I use the Jo fold on my kids, it puts more layers in the wet zone instead of at the sides of the nappy. I also like to add a bamboo booster inside my terry squares, to boost the wet zone without adding bulk to the sides of the nappy. If that's not enough, you can add more boosters between the nappy and the cover, just as with fitted nappies.

Terry Square - Jo Fold - on two week old boy

Night times the biggest issue? For some people, daytimes are manageable with frequent changes - but nights are tricky. There are special night nappies that solve the problem neatly, without having to add more boosters. I like the Mandy Mac Purple Nights bamboo nappy, with 22 layers of bamboo, because it's a one-size. Designed to fit babies from 5-6kg to toilet training, so there's no need to buy larger size night nappies as your baby grows. This nappy will even fit some 5 year olds, which is great for kids who are daytime toilet trained but release the floodgates overnight. When looking for a night nappy, make sure you choose one that will give a good fit around the legs, where most of the leaks happen. And consider folding boosters in half and putting them at the front for boys, or in the middle or at the back for girls, so the absorbency is maximised where it's needed most.

Older children could also try reusable pull-up pants, like Bumwear, which have room for quite a few inserts. More absorbent, and with better leg and back elastic, than disposable pull-up pants. Plus if you want to, you can put inserts (like bamboo prefolds, hemp boosters, or even a cotton hand-towel) on the inside of the pants instead of in the pocket, so they'll feel and learn from the wetness. They also have two rows of snaps on each side of the waist, so they'll expand as your child grows - takes the pressure off getting toilet trained before they outgrow their pull-up pants. There are sizes from under 1 year right through to 6-7 years.

If all else fails, keep in mind that children in cloth nappies toilet train 6 months earlier than children in disposables, on average. So hopefully, you won't have to deal with this heavy wetting issue for much longer.