Fitting that Fluffy Fanny into Pants for Fall

When I first started using cloth diapers, I loved the fact that they made my baby’s bum look so “fluffy” and cute. Not only does this fluffy bum provide some extra cuteness, it is always helpful during that “learning to walk” stage as well. But have you ever thought about what clothing challenges you might face with that fluffy bum? With cooler weather right around the corner, it is important to have pants and winter clothing that will fit your cloth diapered baby while keeping him or her warm.

Here are some tips on using cloth diapers with clothing this fall and winter.

• You may want to buy lower body clothing one size bigger. While my son was very small for his age, and was always behind in the clothing size as compared to his actual age, I found that he would fit better into the pants rather than the shirts. The fluffy bum allowed him to help hold his pants up a little better. This may or may not be the case with your little one, but if you buy the pants slightly bigger, your chances of a better fit are much higher.

• Opt for cloth diapers that tend to have a trimmer fit on your baby. In general, Smartipants cloth diapers are fairly trim. You can even try the Smartipants covers with an added inserts for less bulk as well.

• Seek out pants specifically made for cloth diapered bums. You can search for WAHM items on Etsy or Hyena Cart. In addition, Project Pomona, a newer brand of clothing carries some super cute fluffy bum friendly jeans.

• When shopping, look for pants them seem wider in the bum area and include an elastic waist. The elastic waist will allow for some stretch to get the pants over the cloth diaper. Simply by looking and comparing different styles and brands while shopping will help to give you a better idea of what will fit and what won’t.

• Try Baby legwarmers. There are a ton of different brands of baby legwarmers that will keep your baby’s legs warm while allow you to show off that fluffy bum.



What are your ideas or tips for fitting those cute fluffy bums into clothing this fall?

Contributed by: Julie

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