How do I use cloth diapers at night?

Cloth diapers can certainly be used at night, but care needs to be taken when choosing a diaper cover or even at the start, when selecting your cloth diapering system. There are a few popular options for diapering at night, all of which can be more leak free and comfortable for baby than disposables.

Pocket Diapers with Inserts

Pocket diapers such as Fuzzi Bunz are great for nights as the absorbency is easily customized for your baby's needs. Use two or three Micro Inserts, or possibly Hemp Inserts, to help boost absorbency even more.

The fleece interior lining of pocket diapers are great at helping wick moisture away from baby's skin for better sleep and to distribute the wetness overall for more uniform absorption.

Prefolds or Fitted with a Doubler

Using a high-quality (also known as "DSQ" for Diaper Service Quality) prefold diaper will not usually be enough to last an entire night if your baby is a heavy wetter or frequently nurses through the night. However, if you layer in a stay dry diaper doubler, it will add absorbency, as well as serve as a sort of make-shift pocket diaper. The fleece-topped doubler will wick moisture away from baby's skin, which leaves baby feeling more dry.

Double Diapering

Double diapering is exactly what it sounds like. You simply place one prefold diaper inside another to help absorb moisture. Yes, it is bulkier, but it works effectively as an economic approach for night time diapering. You simply fold one diaper and place it inside another in the area baby needs it most (boys need extra absorbency in the front and girls need it in the middle.) Then secure the diaper on baby with diaper pins, a snappi fastener, or with a wrap-style diaper cover as usual.

Diaper Covers at Night

To cover the diaper at night, regardless of the cloth diaper style you selected, consider fleece or wool when choosing a diaper cover.

Untreated wool soakers absorb more than one third of their weight in moisture and are water resistant while remaining breathable. Their generous sizing fits over most cloth diapers, helping keep baby dry in whatever cloth diapering system you choose. Fleece is also good, but you may find a multi-layered wool soaker is better with all of its natural wetness protection to keep baby, pajamas and bedding nice and dry.