photo courtesy of Brandi Bolinger
Let’s just start with this: there is no diaper on earth that is 100% leak-proof. Occasionally we’ll get a call in to diaper therapy here at gHQ with the question “Can you guarantee gDiapers won’t leak?”. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher. “Well, no,” we answer. Every baby is different. And among all the different babies, every parent’s changing habits are different. And then among all those different things, there are the details of size and fit. But the good news is that’s where we can help.
Our sizes, like all diaper brands and their respective sizes, are guidelines. Back to the babies-are-all-different thing, and it’s true that some little pumpkins may find a better fit outside the size chart. But we can always help figure that out with you. Just give us a call, send an email, reach out on facebook or twitter, or think it REALLY loud and we’ll do our best to hear and respond.
Alrighty. A little pro-active protection against leaks. How big is baby? Check out this groovy size chart:
So, pro-active step #1: make sure baby is in the right size.
On to pro-active step #2: make sure the trim of the snap-in pouch is all the way up in the crease of baby’s legs, in that highest yummy chubby fold. It should sit on baby’s body the same way underwear fits on yours. The pouch’s job is to form a comfortable seal around baby’s body, keeping the mess contained. If the trim is gaping in the legs, well, it could get messy.
Pro-active step #3: secure the velcro tabs gently around the back, taking care to not over-tighten. When on correctly you should be able to easily slide a finger under the waistband of the little gPants. If it’s on too tightly, it could lift the snap-in pouch off the skin, breaking that seal.
Pro-active step #4 (boys only): make sure the penis is pointed down. Not much more to say about this one.
Pro-active step #5 (and then we think we’ll call this good – more than 5 suggestions and you might begin to think that diapering is hard, and truly, it’s a piece of cake): change baby often. Biodegradable gRefills are going to be more absorbent than cloth (whether our gCloth or any other brand). 2-3 hours is a good rule of thumb, with a bit more frequent for cloth.
Leaks will probably happen once in a blue moon. But that’s it. If there’s a leak, and you look up in the sky and, uh oh, no blue moon, then you might want to re-visit these pro-active tips. Or, troubleshoot with us. And how handy is this, we’ve blogged about troubleshooting, too. Hooray!
Every time I use my Tiny gPants with my 6lb son, they leak. I even tried doubling up the gCloth inserts. Even when I don’t go very long between changes, they leak. I am very disappointed. If they don’t work now, how are they going to fit when he’s 7 and 8 ;pounds?
Hi Helen. We strongly recommend using the gRefills inside the tiny gPants, which is why we give you 80 of them in the gBaby bundle. Moisture wicks down into the bottom layers of the gCloth, which can then permeate through the stitching from the velcro closure. Another suggestion if you would truly like to use cloth is to double-up with the hemp sides touching (a customer calls this “the hemp sandwich”), as that way, the wicking stays in the middle layers and doesn’t press against the stitching.
I had the same issue when my DD was born. They make the tiny size to work best with the gRefills. I used them for a bit, then I just figured that it wouldn’t hurt to try going up in size to the smalls — perfect fit, even though she was just barely 7 lbs. The gCloth works GREAT in those and the mediums!!
My little girl is 7 1/2 weeks and we’ve been using gcloth since she was about 3 weeks. Up until recently, we only had leaks once in a while, no real cause for concern, but the past 3-4 days she has had major leaks at least 2x a day!
As our children got older and started wettin more, we had the same problem. We doubled the gcloths and, as suggested by another parent, found that hemp sides together works even better.
Once the little ones moved up to a size medium, we used a small insert underneath the M/L/XL insert. For our son we kept the doubled part up front, and for our daughter we keep the small one more centered. We also made sure the pouch wasn’t getting stuck under the waistband–that led to some rather messy leaks.
Hope that helps.
My son started wearing the gdiapers this week, but he keeps having leaks. It seems to be in the same place everytime. It leaks where the diaper comes together at the velcro. Any tips?
Hi Karen! we’re having the same problem … did you find a solution to the leaks where the diaper comes together at the velcro?? Thanks!
Sounds like you might be putting your gPants on too tight. If they’re too tight it can cause the pouch to gap, which can cause leaks at the corners. Try attaching the velcro where it falls and see if that helps. Good luck!
Yep — I went thru this, too. I was simply velcro-ing the dipes closed too tightly. It didn’t seem like it, b/c they were just barely snug, but that’s where the dipes leak if you’ve got them on too tightly — just loosen up a bit and that should do the trick!!
Have you thought about making the biodegradable inserts in a reverse hourglass shape? We haven’t had any leaks outside of the diaper, but we commonly have poo get on the plastic pouch because the insert tends to scrunch up in the middle (baby is 12 months and very active).