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It amazes me how we can adjust to new situations (the new normal). When I first began to wear disposable diapers they all felt so bulky, even the inexpensive and thin ones I first bought. Of course, over a period of time I became used to them and they did not feel bulky at all. Later, as I began to wear premium diapers, such as Dry 24/7, I again felt that they were very bulky and, over time, became accustomed to the bulk.

More recently I began wearing cloth diapers and, wow, I really was aware of the bulk of the diaper, particularly between my legs. I thought that I would never get used to wearing that much diaper!

Today I wore cloth for 18 hours - long enough that the bulk became markedly less noticeable to me. Then, upon changing back into a ConfiDry 24/7 disposable diaper I was amazed at how thin and light the Dry 24/7 felt! Amazing. I never thought I would consider a Dry 24/7 to be "thin."

--John

Maybe one day, but right now I am still struggling with the bulk of the Dry 24/7's I need!

John,

I agree on that, and the weight of the diapers for sure. For me by the time I add boosters to my disposable's its a lot of bulk. But you know as well as we all do, we prefer to have our pants stay dry. Sounds like the cloth diaper adventure is going well ?

When I switched back from the cloth I was wearing at night, to the abena l4, I had the same experience. So light and thin.

mlhr,

Wearing cloth has been easier than I anticipated because 1) I am highly motivated to make this work, 2) I am willing to experiment, and 3) all of the many helpful suggestions from others on this board helped me to avoid most of the beginners' mistakes and accelerate my learning curve.

Best of all, I have not had a single leak while wearing cloth, either at night or during the day!! That makes me a very happy camper indeed!

For me an even biggest payoff is not the physical aspect of not leaking onto the bed linens but the stress relief or peace of mind from not having to worry about it. Due to back pain, I toss and turn all night long, changing from one side to the other. Now I don't worry about it.

Of course, it does require a little more time to rinse the diapers and launder them thoroughly to avoid the dreaded cloth diaper "stinkies" or "diaper funk."

Of course, by wearing cloth at night and sometimes during the day I calculate that I am saving about $950 a year. Let's see, how many craft beers can I buy for $950?

--John

Although I'm not a beer drinker, I'm far from a teetotaler. I do not know how much craft beers cost, but keep us informed.

One sub-topic about cloth diapers that I do not recall having covered here is how cloth diapers change over their life-span. You noted the feeling of bulk you get from your heavy night-time protection. Over time, say a year or eighteen months, usage and washings will make your diapers noticeably thinner. In order to get the same protection that a double diapers set-up gave you when they were new, you may need three diapers, or two diapers plus a pad or two. The feeling of bulk is a reliable indicator of the protection they will give you. Good luck.