Friday, September 6, 2013

Cloth Diaper Fit

When beginning to cloth diaper, you may wonder what the perfect fit would be when it comes to putting the diaper on baby. I want to stress to you all that you do not want your diapers fitting too tightly. With this post, I decided to make a cloth diaper fit check list:


  • Diaper leaves no red imprints on baby’s legs or waist. If you find your diaper fit is leaving red imprints, your fit is too tight. Try adjusting the rise snaps and waist snaps [or waist velcro].
  • You can easily still stretch the elastic to fit a finger or two between diaper and baby. This can easily be fixed by adjusting the rise and waist fittings.
  • There is minimum bunching of the diaper. Run your fingers along the diaper to make sure all is smooth. If you find the insert is bunching a lot, your fit may not be ideal. Bunching means that not all is fitting right and the diaper may be too tight. Try adjusting the rise if need be. This check mark also includes checking the wings for bunching. Try to pull and straighten them underneath the top layer so they lay comfortably against baby.
  • Diaper is pulled up. There should be no diaper sag. Make sure to pull the diaper up comfortably to baby’s waist.


A good fit is vital! Ensuring you have a proper cloth diaper fit is not only important for your child’s comfort, but to avoid problems such as rashes, elastic irritation, and leaks. Diapers that are too tight prevent air flow which can cause diaper rash. Elastic irritation can happen in babies with sensitive skin, but even babies with non-sensitive skin will be prone to irritation and sores if the diapers are too tight and digging into their skin. Nearly all parents understand that diapers that are loose-fitting with gaps between the diaper and baby’s leg will cause leaks, but not all understand that diapers that are too tight can also cause leaks. These are called compression leaks. When the diaper is too snugly fit against baby, the pressure will cause any liquid to squeeze out the sides of the diaper, or even out the back or front. 

Diaper fit takes practice, and sometimes the understanding that not all diapers will work for every baby. 
Do you have any experiences with diaper fit, or any insight you can share with us? We’d love to hear from you!


Contributed by: Alex

No comments:

Post a Comment