Nighttime Cloth Diapering 101

*Giveaway is now closed and the winner has been contacted.

This post contains some affiliate links to retailers selling the recommended products to make it easier for you to find the diapers and inserts discussed in this post.

As someone who has worked for a cloth diaper retailer for almost 9 years, and as a mother currently cloth diapering her 5th baby, the question I am asked most often is "what about nighttime?"

If you are asking the same question, read on to learn more, and to enter to win a nighttime stash starter!

Cloth diapering overnight is a different situation than cloth diapering during the day, particularly if you have a heavy wetter.  Most people find having a specific overnight diapering routine works best for them instead of trying to use the same diapering system for both daytime and nighttime diapering. For a two day stash of diapers, I suggest having four overnight diapers and two overnight covers, so you have a back-up if you need it. If you go longer between washes, add extra diapers and covers accordingly.

When using cloth overnight, you need to consider a few things: how trim you want the diaper (this will affect fabric choices), whether your child is a "saver" (saves up and pees a lot all at once), and how long you need the diaper to last before needing to be changed. I prefer dense bamboo diapers or bamboo or hemp inserts (or a combination) for nighttime diapering. I don't suggest changing wet diapers overnight unless absolutely necessary -- don't wake a sleeping baby! (Change poopy ones right away, of course!) If your baby will sleep 7 or 8 hours, you will need a very absorbent, dense diaper to last without leaking.

Four of my five have been (or are!) heavy wetters, so I'm going to share some proven options with you that support Canadian cloth diaper businesses and won't break the bank:

Sandy's Bamboo fitteds (Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers):

Sandy's Bamboo fitteds ($17.95) are my favourite overnight diaper. They are affordable, their absorbency holds up against boutique diapers that cost twice the price (or more), they are manufactured in Canada by a Canadian company, and are sized -- ensuring a good fit at any age. They are a reliable workhorse of a diaper made by a well-known and trusted brand that has been around since the 1990's. I have some that are now being used on a third baby and are in fantastic shape.

Because my babies are "savers", I need to give the diaper time to catch up absorbing, so I like to place an AMP (another Canadian company!) hemp booster ($4.50) inside to slow the flow and prevent flooding. Mother-Ease Airflow covers ($14.95) are a great option to put over top -- snapping separately at leg and waist for the perfect fit and vented to allow the diaper area to breathe. I often use a dense wool cover (such as Sloomb) or a Nuggles Designs Tuck-Wrap-Go cover over mine. 

This diaper is a wonderful splurge, if you want something velvety soft on your baby's bum. The BambooLUXE Fitted ($24.99) comes with a daytime snap-in soaker, but for bedtime you can purchase an additional 8-layer snap-in nighttime soaker ($7.99) for a bulletproof overnight solution.

Nuggles! diapers and covers are a two size system with overlapping sizing, so you never fall into a sizing gap without a diaper that fits. Fewer sizes also means that you need to purchase fewer diapers! Size 1 fits 5-20lbs, and size 2 fits 15-40lbs. This is a very trim absorbent overnight solution in a gorgeous bamboo velour that stays silky soft after washing. I recommend using a Tuck-Wrap-Go ($17.99) cover on top.

AppleCheeks One Size Envelope Cover & 3-ply Bamboo Inserts (AppleCheeks)*:

For some families, a pocket diaper or AI2 envelope cover solution makes the most sense, as the same pockets or covers can be used for daytime as well as nighttime. AppleCheeks One Size Envelope Cover ($23.95) is a trim one-sized option that will fit a new baby and grow with the baby into toddlerhood, making it an attractive cost-effective option because no other size is needed. For daytime use, pop in a trimmer, thinner insert.

For nighttime use, add one of AppleCheeks 3-ply Bamboo Inserts ($22.99/2pk). If the 3-ply inserts aren't quite enough on their own or your baby is bothered by feeling wet, AppleCheeks also has stay-dry bamboo boosters ($13.99/2pk) you can lay in on top of the nighttime insert for extra absorbency and a dry layer against the skin.

*AppleCheeks sent me one of these new one-size covers, their 3-ply bamboo inserts, and a pack of stay-dry bamboo boosters to try out for my heavy wetter, and I was very impressed with both the trim fit and how well they performed. I have used a similar one-sized cover and insert combination on two of my older children but found it was too bulky to use on new babies until closer to the 15lb mark due to the width of the gusset, though fit bigger babies and toddlers very well. The AppleCheeks one-sized covers are narrower through the gusset and are sized for babies 6-35lbs -- no need to purchase a larger (or smaller) size!

Overnight diapers often have a stronger, unpleasant odour due to the concentration of urine in the fabric. If you find your overnight diapers have a particularly bad smell, try rinsing them in warm water before placing them in your diaper pail. This will rinse away much of the urine and  minimize any remaining odour. Wring as much water as possible from the rinsed diaper before adding it to the pail, though, as fabric and elastics can be damaged if left sitting too long in a wet environment.

Ready to try overnight diapering? Keep reading to find out how to enter to win a start-up stash of your own!


GIVEAWAY

Want to start a nighttime diaper stash of your own? Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers and Nuggles Designs Canada have generously offered to get one lucky family started! 

Enter to win a Mother-Ease Sandy's Bamboo diaper and Airflow cover, and a Nuggles! BambooLUXE 2.0 diaper and Tuck-Wrap-Go cover. 

To enter (maximum of 6 entries):

1. (REQUIRED ENTRY) Post below with your current overnight diapering system.

2. (REQUIRED ENTRY) Follow me on Facebook -- post back here with your username.

3. (Optional) Follow me on Instagram -- post back here with your username.

4. (Optional) Follow Nuggles Designs Canada on Instagram, and post back here with your Instagram username and which Tuck-Wrap-Go print is your favourite.

5. (Optional) Follow Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers on Instagram -- post back here with your username.

6. (Optional) Follow AppleCheeks on Instagram -- post back here with your username.

Contest closes at 11:59pm, November 19th, 2017. Open to Canadian residents.To be eligible, entrants must complete both REQUIRED entries. Winner will be chosen via random.org. Winner will be contacted via Facebook and given 48hrs to respond. If no response is received within 48hrs, a new winner will be chosen. Winner will be asked to provide a mailing address. Prizes will be shipped directly to the winner from Nuggles Designs Canada and Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers. Approximate value of prize is $84.00 Cdn.

Good luck!

(All stock images in this post have been used with permission.)