Cloth Diapers

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
The pinning didn't bother me so much, it was the way they fell off her. ;-)
LOL! I had that happen before, too! I had a mix of odd shaped babies, not odd in the sense of typical baby body shapes, but odd in that not one of my kids were put together (body wise) like their siblings, so one daughter had no hips (until she got older), and her diapers always sagged and drooped, and one of my sons had such skinny little legs, I used to call him chicken legs, because the elastic leg holes of his rubber pants gapped!
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
He always slept better with momma by his side.
About 100 years ago a tragic syndrome was discovered among orphanage babies where they would die at about 1 year old at alarming rates. One name for this was "failure to thrive" and it was linked to the fact that they were not held. It seems that just as there is a critical period for language there is the developmental imperative that babies be touched, cuddled, held. These infants were fed and clothed and clean. There was no indication of disease. They just withdrew and they died. (I feel pain just typing these words.)

This is why there are no more orphanages in this country but my own son went to an orphanage by another name, called a "crisis nursery." He was left there 22 months before I found him and brought him home. He crawled into my bed as often as he wanted. (Joining the rest of us: 2 boxer dogs and a cat at that time, who all slept with me in a queen bed.)
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
About 100 years ago a tragic syndrome was discovered among orphanage babies where they would die at about 1 year old at alarming rates. One name for this was "failure to thrive" and it was linked to the fact that they were not held. It seems that just as there is a critical period for language there is the developmental imperative that babies be touched, cuddled, held. These infants were fed and clothed and clean. There was no indication of disease. They just withdrew and they died. (I feel pain just typing these words.)

This is why there are no more orphanages in this country but my own son went to an orphanage by another name, called a "crisis nursery." He was left there 22 months before I found him and brought him home. He crawled into my bed as often as he wanted. (Joining the rest of us: 2 boxer dogs and a cat at that time, who all slept with me in a queen bed.)
When I was younger I think I could have made a go at the co-sleeping thing (husband onboard and all), but as with all things I'm sure there must have been a time-frame where you had to adapt to having a bed-full. I think for me, practicing such a sleeping arrangement would take some real getting used to.

I believe in the failure to thrive condition. makes me sad just thinking about it. No child in this world should ever have to endure such.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
We had doctors who SWORE to us that letting our kids sleep with us would mean that we would kill them while we slept. I am not at all kidding. Every single one of my kids crawled into our beds and slept with us and we allowed it. I have zero clue why the pediatricians were so rabidly against it back in the 1990s, but there was a MAJOR push against cosleeping. I remember an absolute ton of literature in our doctor's office and even videos on their tv about how awful it was, featuring tragic stories of families who lost children to accidents.

Wiz was more independent and by age 2-3 he preferred to be alone when he slept. Except for his army of stuffed animals.

Jess on the other hand was always in our bed. At age 2 she somehow got into the habit of sleeping with her head on the back of my neck and her toes in hubby's mouth. Most disgusting thing but she would wait until we were asleep to come into our room, swearing she wanted to sleep in her own bed. Why hubby never pitched a fit or bit her I have no idea, but that was their deal. We had a king size waterbed, and she was very very short, so her sleeping sideways between us wasn't a problem.

thank you rarely came in to sleep with us. He hated to snuggle because it was hot. That boy hates anything remotely warm or hot. Even when it is snowing out he will only wear a light jacket and his Dr. Who scarf. The only blankets he uses are a little plush throw and his baby blanket. No comforter at all. So coming in to sleep with us was WAY too warm for him even as a very little guy. I remember him being barely able to talk and asking me to leave his room because I was making him too hot to sleep.

As for diapers, cloth wasn't much of an option when my kids were little. They were expensive and hard to find even as burp rags in our town. I had to drive over an hour and the big baby store only had one package of them in stock and that was their normal amount to stock when Wiz was born. I didn't have the time or patience for washing them either.

My aunt had a child six months before I did and got several months of a diaper service as a gift. It was nice to have them delivered and everything, but her son kept leaking through them even as a newborn. Not even those rubber pants could contain him and he broke out in hives when she used the wool covers. She gave up and went back to pampers. I doubt she would have the patience to wash diapers on her own and the service cost more than double what brand name diapers cost. It was really expensive. She liked the idea of the service a lot more than the reality of it.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
We had doctors who SWORE to us that letting our kids sleep with us would mean that we would kill them while we slept. I am not at all kidding. Every single one of my kids crawled into our beds and slept with us and we allowed it. I have zero clue why the pediatricians were so rabidly against it back in the 1990s, but there was a MAJOR push against cosleeping. I remember an absolute ton of literature in our doctor's office and even videos on their tv about how awful it was, featuring tragic stories of families who lost children to accidents.

Wiz was more independent and by age 2-3 he preferred to be alone when he slept. Except for his army of stuffed animals.

Jess on the other hand was always in our bed. At age 2 she somehow got into the habit of sleeping with her head on the back of my neck and her toes in hubby's mouth. Most disgusting thing but she would wait until we were asleep to come into our room, swearing she wanted to sleep in her own bed. Why hubby never pitched a fit or bit her I have no idea, but that was their deal. We had a king size waterbed, and she was very very short, so her sleeping sideways between us wasn't a problem.

thank you rarely came in to sleep with us. He hated to snuggle because it was hot. That boy hates anything remotely warm or hot. Even when it is snowing out he will only wear a light jacket and his Dr. Who scarf. The only blankets he uses are a little plush throw and his baby blanket. No comforter at all. So coming in to sleep with us was WAY too warm for him even as a very little guy. I remember him being barely able to talk and asking me to leave his room because I was making him too hot to sleep.

As for diapers, cloth wasn't much of an option when my kids were little. They were expensive and hard to find even as burp rags in our town. I had to drive over an hour and the big baby store only had one package of them in stock and that was their normal amount to stock when Wiz was born. I didn't have the time or patience for washing them either.

My aunt had a child six months before I did and got several months of a diaper service as a gift. It was nice to have them delivered and everything, but her son kept leaking through them even as a newborn. Not even those rubber pants could contain him and he broke out in hives when she used the wool covers. She gave up and went back to pampers. I doubt she would have the patience to wash diapers on her own and the service cost more than double what brand name diapers cost. It was really expensive. She liked the idea of the service a lot more than the reality of it.
Your post reminded me of the collection of stuffed animals I amassed over the years between all of my children! Each kid had upwards of a half dozen each, and if someone liked someone else's stuffed animal, it was fair game! LOL!

LOL, about your daughter making use of every angle when co-sleeping with you! makes me think of a grandson of mine who just loved to fall asleep in his crib with his legs jutting out from the bars of the crib railing... and his diapered butt pressed up against the rungs! So uncomfortable looking but that's the way he liked it!

I used to worry and fuss over the temperature of the home, bed-clothes along with blankets, etc), related to my children and their comfort when they were little, but by the time baby #2 came along I was at ease with knowing how hot - too hot was, and how cold - too cold was. It's funny how quickly you become in-tune with the needs of little ones when you're around them 24/7.

Re: cloth diapers, I do believe as mothers, choosing to use them or not use them, hinges largely on our own childhood experience and upbringing related to. Growing up in a home with baby siblings and lots of baby cousins always around, everyone wore cloth diapers, and the same held true when I babysat, so for me, washing a load of diapers every two or three days and pinning them up on the outdoor line to dry was standard routine, a routine I remembered growing up, so doing the same for my own children just felt right, and back in the 80's when my kids were at the diaper stage, cloth diapers were still hugely popular and widely used, so they were still readily available in our area and of course, super economical.

The only leaking I remember in my home related to cloth diapers, was with one of my sons who was born with spindles for legs. I could get his diapers to fit just fine, but rubber pants, no way. The leg holes were always MILES too big on him, so I do remember an occasional leaky diaper or two with him, but it didn't last for very long, as he quickly grew out of the toothpicks for legs stage. He earned the nickname, "chicken legs" in our home! LOL! Every time I changed him I'd comment on his chicken legs!
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I feel strongly that paper diapers keep babies muct dryer. My daughter used them and my granddaughter potty trained by two so not sure cloth diapers necessaily accelerate that.

On the other hand, disposible diapers are very expensive and if you are a tree hugger, like me, cloth diapers are helpfil to your core beliefs ! I try to use as little useless paper as I can.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Oi feel strongly that paper diapers keep babies must dryer. My daughter used them and my granddaughter baby trained by two so not sure clothe diapers help that.

On the other hand, disposible diables are very expensive and if you are a tree hugger, like me, cloth diapers are helpfil to your core beliefs !
I get so angry whenever that Pampers Diaper Commercial on television comes on, bragging about 12 hour protection with it's diapers. Poor kids nowadays whose parents buy-into that sort of thing.

With cloth diapers and rubber pants I knew the instant my kids were wet or soiled, and I changed them promptly. Those old cloth diapers used to sag and weigh-down the seat of the rubber pants when wet, so I knew when someone needed changing. A quick glance told you, change-time.

As for early training, I think it all depends on the child. I have a nephew that would happily wear a drenched diaper (cloth and rubber pants) until he got a diaper rash, whereas my oldest daughter used to pull at her rubber pants when she was wet.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
One thing I never liked about disposables, was when a baby pooped, the inside of the diaper was soiled, and the outside was plastic, so unlike a cloth diaper that can be folded in two and used as a cloth to wipe the baby's bottom, disposables can't, at least the old disposables that I remember from back in my day, you couldn't wipe with them.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I will be honest, I loved the "Baby Dry" version of Pampers - but not because I could leave them on longer! They had a little stripe that changed from yellow to blue when wet, so if she didn't stink, I could tell without feeling. (Yuck). They were also softer, and the outside by the time I had Rose was cottony.

One of the things that the newer diapers do is wick the moisture away from the child. That's nice if you're in a situation where you cannot change them quickly. I probably went through more diapers than the average mother, though... I never minded. (I'm not especially thrilled about changing Charlie's, though... Maybe because he's a boy? I don't know.)

Rose did not fully potty train till 3. I tried and tried, but ultimately decided not to force it. She still has random accidents, but they're few and far between. Pat... Was still in Pull-Ups when I met Bill - Pat was 5. He continued to have accidents frequently till age 11, and randomly till about 14. I do believe that had to do with childhood trauma, though.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I will be honest, I loved the "Baby Dry" version of Pampers - but not because I could leave them on longer! They had a little stripe that changed from yellow to blue when wet, so if she didn't stink, I could tell without feeling. (Yuck). They were also softer, and the outside by the time I had Rose was cottony.

One of the things that the newer diapers do is wick the moisture away from the child. That's nice if you're in a situation where you cannot change them quickly. I probably went through more diapers than the average mother, though... I never minded. (I'm not especially thrilled about changing Charlie's, though... Maybe because he's a boy? I don't know.)

Rose did not fully potty train till 3. I tried and tried, but ultimately decided not to force it. She still has random accidents, but they're few and far between. Pat... Was still in Pull-Ups when I met Bill - Pat was 5. He continued to have accidents frequently till age 11, and randomly till about 14. I do believe that had to do with childhood trauma, though.
I recall similar disposable diapers around the early to mid 90's, called Fiti Diapers, where stars on the outside of them turned a different colour. A neighbour of ours used them and I thought, what an ingenious idea.

I, too, was anal about changing diapers the instant they were wet, even if someone just piddled. For that reason, diaper rash was rare, but I do recall episodes of chafing, mostly when the weather turned warm. Cloth with plastic over-pants made for a bulky combination.

I commend you for having taken a relaxed approach to training. Kids are in-tune with stress and pick up on it smartly, so the less fuss a parent makes regarding toilet training, the better. Nothing like when I was a child. So glad those days are gone.

I feel for your son, Pat, to have gone through what he did. I knew a girl in elementary school who used to wet her pants. It was awful and sad. I don't know what the cause of it was, but things like that have a way of haunting me. I never thought much of it when I was younger, but when I became a mom I remembered her, and her situation. I used to wonder, was she abused? Was she neglected? Did she have a medical condition? I'll never know.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
My oldest wet his bed every night until age 12. I was very concerned about it and it turned out that he had an immature bladder, which I was told was common, especially with boys. This was a specialist who told me that.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I think the worst for Pat was when biomom put him on Concerta. He would go and go all day then CRASH. Of course, when he crashed, he was nearly immobile - so going to the bathroom at night was a hit-or-miss proposition. We ended up having to rip the carpet out of his room because he'd urinated all over it in multiple places. The hardwood beneath is stained black in those spots.

Biomom also made a HUGE issue about his wetting himself - he was whipped with a wooden spoon, then she would accuse Bill of all kinds of impropriety and abuse. It was hard.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
My oldest wet his bed every night until age 12. I was very concerned about it and it turned out that he had an immature bladder, which I was told was common, especially with boys. This was a specialist who told me that.
I recall something about underdeveloped bladders in some children, but I wasn't aware of the condition existing so far past the early childhood years.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I think the worst for Pat was when biomom put him on Concerta. He would go and go all day then CRASH. Of course, when he crashed, he was nearly immobile - so going to the bathroom at night was a hit-or-miss proposition. We ended up having to rip the carpet out of his room because he'd urinated all over it in multiple places. The hardwood beneath is stained black in those spots.

Biomom also made a HUGE issue about his wetting himself - he was whipped with a wooden spoon, then she would accuse Bill of all kinds of impropriety and abuse. It was hard.
How sad. I'm happy to know your son now enjoys a healthy and happy home. I pray there is a special place that awaits those who cast their evil and abusive ways upon children.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
It can and did run in the family. I had a sense that I should be lighthearted about it so i didnt make him nervous and the problem maybe worse so I never ever said a cross word about it. Never pointed it out really. He did, not me. I just cleaned the sheets every day and he bathed before going to school. I knew he hadnt been sexually abused and I just thought it would go away. It did. Rather abruptly.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
It can and did run in the family. I had a sense that I should be lighthearted about it so i didnt make him nervous and the problem maybe worse so I never ever said a cross word about it. Never pointed it out really. He did, not me. I just cleaned the sheets every day and he bathed before going to school. I knew he hadnt been sexually abused and I just thought it would go away. It did. Rather abruptly.
It's unfortunate so many mothers fail to take this route. Harping and shaming a child in this state does nothing for the good.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
It's unfortunate so many mothers fail to take this route. Harping and shaming a child in this state does nothing for the good.
This was a difficult child, but it never even crossed my mind that he could have controlled it or did it to be defiant. He hated it and it kept him from going to overnights etc. I had been shamed as a child for many things so I didnt use shame when raising my kids. Cant say I never got angry, but I was careful what I said and did.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
This was a difficult child, but it never even crossed my mind that he could have controlled it or did it to be defiant. He hated it and it kept him from going to overnights etc. I had been shamed as a child for many things so I didnt use shame when raising my kids. Cant say I never got angry, but I was careful what I said and did.
What a shame he missed out on sleepovers and such. That's such an integral part of a young and growing child's adventures. Yep, saying the least and just taking care of the aftermath is best. When nighttime diapers were still in order in our home, I'd go into who's ever room in the morning, whip off the diapers, drop them into the pail, and our day was started. Nothing mentioned. On dry days it was a celebration of sorts. Hand clapping, a reassuring hug, that sort of thing.
 

pigless in VA

Well-Known Member
Both of my kids were heavy sleepers. I ended up buying an alarm that went off during the night when they wet the bed. After a few nights of the alarm waking them, they were able to wake themselves and trot off to the bathroom keeping the bed dry. I passed the alarm to a friend whose young children were having similar nighttime issues. It worked well for her two, also.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Both of my kids were heavy sleepers. I ended up buying an alarm that went off during the night when they wet the bed. After a few nights of the alarm waking them, they were able to wake themselves and trot off to the bathroom keeping the bed dry. I passed the alarm to a friend whose young children were having similar nighttime issues. It worked well for her two, also.
One of my friends used something similar to puppy piddle pads for her kids, but I like the idea of an alarm that helps draw attention to the child learning.
 
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