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John and John,

Thank you again. I'm getting quite an education. At this rate, I'll have that medical degree in no time!

What I'm hearing is that I'll have to find my own way by experimenting. I went through this with disposable briefs, and more than my share of wet pants and wet beds. When I finally realized that too much padding was better than too little, life got better. The first six months I was out of the Hospitol, I was mostly confined to home, so it was mostly an inconvenience rather than an embarrassment.

I thought a pin was a pin was a pin. I bought the pins from adult cloth diaper company. Is this the right pin?

I beginning to think of this board as tech support for adult diapers. Who'd a thunk! Haha!

Jason,

We all seem to use different pins. I always use 3" "jumbo" pins and have had no problems with damaging the diaper. However, I always lubricate the pins with soap or vaseline before using. That makes them much easier to push through the fabric.

--John

Jason,

I agree with JD, Hi Back vinyl pants are very good, especially at night for sleeping when laying flat. I thought about mentioning this in my initial post you, but decided against it as I thought I might be telling you how to build a watch when all you wanted to know was the time. I hope you didn't buy your vinyl pants from Adult Diaper Company. Its just my opinion you could buy better quality from Babbykins (kins), Fetware, or like JD mentioned, Driware. Fetware, and Driware are the same company, but market under two different names. Some would disagree, but I think the best vinyl pants on the market are sold by these companies. If you can spare spending a little more, I would suggest buying at least one pair of Hi back vinyl pants. Both companies mentioned sell these pants and I think you will be pleased with your purchase if you buy a pair.

Adult Diaper Company sells different pins, but I don't think it will make any difference what pins you use as long as you DON'T damage the diaper with a bunch of pin holes. Again, I use just a standard 3 inch baby/toddler diaper pin and never had any issues. However, no matter what pin you use, you "might" encounter some issues if you try to pin on two diapers. It CAN be done, especially if you use larger pins, but I know it would not be easy if you use 3 inch pins.

Just like using disposables diapers, you will find what works best for you with cloth diapers. I know there are some in this forum that do wear double diapers at night, but that is a huge amount of unneeded diaper in my opinion. What you want the most absorbency is mainly in the center of the diaper where it is needed the most. For that reason, I think using a liner/pad in the center of the diaper makes perfect sense when extra absorbency is needed.

Above all, just stick with the basics and only buy quality.

Hope this helps.

Unfortunately the diaper pins, the adult or larger ones, from ACD are nickel coated, not stainless steel. They will eventually start to rust and they do not have a locking head. Baby pins are...well, baby pins. Great for babies but adults are bigger and put more stress on the pins. I had two (baby) pins pop open and one just broke. Adult size diaper pins are easier to hold and are made for adults. But they really should be stainless steel. Other than that every one is right about finding the right combo of diapers. That is a personal choice. I go for the "over kill" which means I never leak and can get up and come down and make coffee, read the news/email/etc. without changing my diapers till I shower hours later. We, again, all have our own needs. I hated having to change my diapers as soon as I got up, once I got over the bulk thing all that ended. Try this and try that, it really is a short learning curve with cloth diapers. One problem we all, or most all, have is we try to find something that looks less like a diaper. Smaller, all white, no bulk, etc. BUT..,regardless of bulk, size, looks the bottom line is that it IS a diaper. Accept that truth and find the diapers that do what they are intended for. Good hunting. Papa

Pinning two cloth diapers is not difficult as it is necessary to pin only the outer diaper in our usual fashion. The pin does not need to go through the inner diaper as it will be held in place by the outer diaper. Trying to put a pin through both cloth diapers will result in a lot of frustration and bent pins.

--John

Gents,

Thanks for this info. I wanted this to be as easy as possible so I ordered 4 prefold style diapers, 4 pins, and one pair of plastic pants from the adult cloth diaper web site. This is my "test drive". If I decide to replace my disposable stock with reusable items, I'll go for better supplies. Just want to give reusable items a try for now.

Papa, the "overkill" solution is what worked for me with disposable briefs. Too much padding is better than not only too little; it's also better that " just right." I don't like changing either so with extra padding, I can go longer without interrupting my schedule. Urination is heaviest when I sleep and I still occasionally wake up with wet sheets and that's what I'm trying to avoid.

I cad deal with the web sites all have suggested except for the kins site. Looks likes Halloween costume supplies. I just can't go there.

Expecting my supplies early next week and from what I've read, new cloth diapers should be washed a couple of times. So I won't be back to this site until then. If I have any problems getting these things on, you'll certainly hear from me - you guys certainly have plenty of experience and I won't hesitate to call on you. Thanks a zillion!

I'd also add that when I used cloth diaper I double pinned mine on. I know a lot of methods only call for one on each side, but for me two really helped.

On each side, I first pinned it on just above my hips as you would with a disposable. I then added a second pin close to my legs, again like with a disposable. Having two pins on each side helped greatly with the fit, and helped prevent my diaper from sagging too early.

Jason, Have the new diapers worked out for you? Any questions? Papa

Re jumbo 3"safety (plastic enclosed) diaper pins, I have to eat my words. My latest batch that came in are much thicker than previously and I have so much difficulty in pushing them through birdseye diaper fabric that I threw them away. I am back to using 3" safety pins (not diaper pins) and they work fine as long as I lubricate them first. My only difficulty with these pins is that infrequently one will pop open while I am still wearing the diaper (ouch!).

--John

As you wear and wash your cloth diapers, they will become thinner. This will require adjustment, so that, after a year or so, when a single night weight diaper gave you sufficient protection when new, a double night weight diaper will become necessary, and, later, a double night weight diaper plus a pad will become necessary. Learning what works for you is trial and error, lots of errors, and the adjustment is continual. Good luck with your experiment and keep us informed.