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Hey all, I bit the bullet and ordered samples yesterday. It was a bit disturbing making the decision that I need diapers and then ordering them. I decided to try the XPmedicals' A+ level 3 for daytime. For nighttime I went with the Comficare 24/7. Any thoughts on these choices? I got these both in medium and large as I fall right between the two. I'm wondering if I should go with plastic pants and a soaker in them till I get a handle on all of this? When I get this all figured out I'll probably go back to cloth and use disposables for when I'm away from home for longer periods. I think disposables would really pile up in a weeks time and all I need s diapers all over the yard if a dog gets in the garbage. That happens a lot where I live. So, for the next few days I guess I'll be trying them out full time till I come up with a diaper that fits my needs when I'm on vacation or away from home. It just feels so strange making the decision to wear diapers. So many little things seem to need consideration and resolving. Thanks everyone for your thoughts, Ted

Ted,

Your choices sound like very good ones!

The layering of diaper plus booster or soaker, etc., all depends on how much absorption you think you need at night. I'm a heavy wetter at night as I stay pretty well hydrated due to my bowel incontinence, plus I'm a coffee drinker. You may not need quite so much absorption.

When wearing a disposable at night, I usually wear a ConfiDry Dry 24/7 with a small booster pad (15 oz. absorbency) and PUL plastic pants. I usually change after wearing that combination for about 8 - 9 hours. As I am a side sleeper and do toss around a lot at night I do get the occasional leak.
Recently I changed over to cloth at night. When wearing cloth at night, I usually wear a night-weight gauze diaper plus a thin flat and a soaker, but I usually keep that combination on for a total of about 11 hours.

--John

Ted,
You may want to try the cloth lined pul or plastic pants. That way if you do have a leak, there is something there to absorb it. That is what I use at night with disposables, when I'm not wearing cloth diapers with plastic pants. Let us know how your combination works.
Gary

Thanks every one for your replies. I've had night time wetting problems for years and have used cloth. It's worked out well. Leaks haven't happened in a long time. Once you figure out how heavy a diaper you need you never have a leak. My main concern is day time. This is all new to me and I've never to wear a diaper during the day. So I haven't used disposables. When I tried them years ago they were a FAIL at night so I switched to cloth and that solved the problem.

What's happening now is daytime urge problems. I want to try disposables for those times when cloth is a problem. Like vacations and long car rides where it becomes a problem storing wet diapers. I'm terrified of a leak with them. That's why I was wondering about wearing a plastic pant over them with a disposable booster between the diaper and the plastic pants. That way if there was a leak I'd have an extra margin of safety. I suspect there's a learning curve for disposables where leaks are probably
going to be common till I figure out what works.

I really don't know what to expect from nighttime disposables either. Like I said they didn't work out years ago. I'm hoping the 24/7's will do the job at night. It is rated really high for capacity. But maybe a booster used between the pants and a diaper would be some insurance just in case. It would be really nice to switch to night time disposables while away from home. Cloth is really a hassle then. Any thoughts? Thanks again, Ted

Most people love the the 24/7 at night ... but they leaked like a sieve on me. I prefer abena L4, and I wet at night only.

Ted,

Re the disposable booster, you will be better with it worn inside your diaper. However, lots of folks wear a pair of cotton underpants between the diaper and plastic pants to catch small leaks.

The possibilities are almost limitless, but for greater absorption and peace of mind, you might try "double diapering." By double diapering I mean to wear two disposable diapers, one over the other. Cut small holes or slits in the backing of the first diaper so that excess urine will pass through to the second diaper and be absorbed there.

Then add 2 pair of PUL pants, i.e., one pair of larger PUL pants (sized to fit over a cloth diaper( worn over your regular PUL pants (sized for a disposable diaper). The leg elastic of the larger pair of PUL pants (sized for a cloth diaper) should make skin contact on your thigh lower than the PUL pants sized for the disposable. This way any leak that actually escapes your normal plastic pants will be stopped by the second pair.

I'm sure you will get lots of suggestions.

--John

Ted, there are certainly many logistics to address when you make the decision to go 24/7. There definitely is a learning curve. It's definitely easier when your problems are lighter as mine are. I don't ever have floods and always make the toilet but I go 15-25 times a day and sometimes upwards of 30+ times a day lately so I'm going several times an hour. I leak a fair amount after going and usually am leaking until the next time I have to go to the bathroom, frequently I'm still dribbling from the last bathroom visit when I go again. I'm still wearing pullups and pads at work, though have regular diapers that work well under my uniform should it be necessary to go with better protection while at work. While at home, I wear regular diapers exclusively. My wife isn't crazy about them but has grown accustomed to them, being an ER nurse seeing people in diapers isn't completely foreign to her. When traveling or anywhere out of the house good protection is essential and a diaper bag is an important thing to have with you.
My urinary frequency issues are so disruptive that much of my time spent at home and any time we're traveling more than 45 minutes she will put a Foley catheter in me so that I can be comfortable. These have been a lifesaver for me, sleeping at night, traveling, and living outside the bathroom during the day are advantages that the foley affords me. I begin to get anxious in the afternoon/evening when my urinary frequency reaches its daily peak. The foley alleviates that anxiety.

Ted, If you have worn cloth diapers at night for a long time and they never leak, as you said, Why would you switch to disposable diapers for night time protection? Finding the right daytime diaper is a learning curve everyone faces. We all have different life styles and we also have different ways our bodies "leak" into our diapers. It will take a little time to adjust, hang in there. Papa

Hi Papa, The only reason for night time disposables is for when I'm not at home during the night. Cloth is a disaster when staying with others outside the home. If it's any length of time the diapers start to pile up. Also there's the odor issue of storing wet diapers. Disposables can just be tossed at a convenient moment. I think the cost of decent disposables would be a real concern compared to the cost of using cloth. So I'll be using disposables as little as possible. Thanks, Ted

I've found the ConfiDry 24/7's work well for me, it is my regular diaper for at night and during the day. If I found the right diaper, I would consider a thinner one during the day, but so far I'm still searching and will wear the 24/7's while I do..

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