This Prevent Diaper Leaks article is sponsored by Kimberly-Clark but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
I have been a diapering mom for about 12 years! No kidding. Just as I got one kid diaper free, it was time to welcome the next baby!
To say I have had my fair share of diaper leaks and messes to clean up is an understatement. Over these last few years, I have discovered some tricks to the trade.
All parents hate diaper leaks. I mean, not only are they a nightmare to clean up (especially as it goes all the way up the back) but then it often times soils the cute clothes we work so hard to find for our little ones.
Have you ever tried to clean up diaper leaks with a super wiggly baby? It just spreads…and spreads…and spreads! I hope you brought extra clothes for yourself!
So let’s stop battling the dreaded diaper leaks! Let’s prevent them! Just follow these little tips I discovered along my 12-year journey of diapering and say goodbye to diaper leaks!
5 Tips to Eliminate Diaper Leaks
Change on Schedule: Changing infrequently is a big contributor to diaper leaks. Make sure you set up a schedule that is in sync with your baby. Track their wet and messy diapers and ensure you change their diaper at each of those times. Common times include:
- Right after waking
- After mealtime
- before naps
- After Naps
- Before Bedtime
Also change right away when you notice your child messing their diaper, or if you can smell it.
I’ve found that as the baby grows older, they begin to develop their own “bathroom” schedule. And the frequency that they mess the diaper diminishes from when they were a newborn.
Keep track of your own baby’s schedule. This will also help when it comes time to potty train as these will be your key times to take them to the bathroom.
Proper Diet: Not ensuring a proper diet for your baby will definitely affect the diaper leaks. If your baby is having the runs, well it is far more likely that you will experience diaper leaks.
It doesn’t matter how awesome your diaper is, if it is soupy runny, it is going to run out!
If you are Breastfeeding, ensure you are eating a healthy and well-balanced diet so that it transitions into a healthy diet for your baby.
If you are formula feeding, ensure you pick the right formula that your baby’s tender tummy can handle. If they are experiencing frequent diarrhea, you may want to try a different formula and see if it clears it up.
If you have a toddler eating solids, ensure you provide a well-balanced diet of proteins, complex carbohydrates, fruits, grains, dairy, etc.
Consider adding probiotics approved for babies. (Obviously, discuss with your doctor first).
These ideas will help balance out their diaper and hopefully make their digestive system work properly.
Choose the Right Size: Having a diaper that is too big or too small actually causes diaper leaks. Yes, believe it or not, but often times when you experience diaper leaks often, it is time to go up a size in diapers.
Watch the size on the diaper. It will give you an idea of when you can expect to move up. Each package features weight estimates.
I found with my babies that as we reached the minimum of the next sized diaper that my child often started to have more frequent diaper leaks.
But moving up in diaper sizes, we were able to eliminate many of our diaper leaks.
Put Diaper on Correctly: Sometimes a diaper will leak if it isn’t put on correctly. It seems rather obvious, but sometimes you might miss that a corner was folded under.
Or the leg gusset gets bunched up without noticing. I’ve even had diapers come out of the package with the back folded down and didn’t notice. Yes, we had a large diaper leak on that day!
- The waist is snug with the diaper just under the belly button.
- The leg cuffs wrap neatly around your baby’s legs and bottom. After putting on the diaper, run your fingers around these edges to make sure the cuffs are pulled out. Cuffs being tucked inside are a common cause of leakage.
- Position the tabs downward and try to get them to overlap slightly so the diaper is a bit tighter
Choose the Right Diaper: Just as important as finding the right size of diaper, it is important to ensure that you are using the right diaper.
For my babies, I used Huggies® Snugglers for their newborn stage. As they grew bigger, I move to the snug and dry as they fit well and are very absorbent.
When they were movers I use the Huggies® Little Movers. They have great extra strength tabs to ensure the diaper stays closed even with all the moving.
Then lastly we move to the Pull-ups for potty training.
Ensuring you have the right kind of diaper for each stage of your baby’s life will help ensure the proper fit and design.
If you have a heavy wetter, you should also look into the Overnight Diapers as they are extra absorbent.
With miss Rose, she is a mover. She has always been a mover. Even though she’s not very mobile in distance, she is constantly wiggling and moving. So I need a diaper that can stand up to all that wiggling around.
For us, the best choice for her nonstop self, are the Huggies® Little Movers. Thank goodness they come in size 3!
Not many diapers that are designed for movers come in the smaller sizes. I guess some people don’t think a small, petite baby would be that mobile. But my baby girl is VERY mobile. And yet very petite!
Because of this, not many stores carry the Huggies® Little Movers in size 3. But I can always rely on my Walmart Neighborhood Market to have them in stock. Thank goodness!
And since they are so difficult to find in my area, I always opt to get the bigger box! Not only am I saving money, but it ensures I have more leeway to find the next box before I run out. Plus, it also means I don’t have to run to the store for diapers as often!
As you can tell, Miss Rose is always excited to go shopping with me! Especially when we are buying things for her!
I also like to stock up on Huggies® Natural Care® Baby Wipes, because we like to be prepared. We buy the big box to make sure we always have some on hand.
Take out a portion to refill the various Huggies® Clutch N Clean bags we have around the house. We have one in the van, one in the diaper bag, and one at the diaper station! So we are never without baby wipes when we need them.
Be Prepared for Diaper Leaks
Now while all these tips can help you reduce diaper leaks, there will still be times when it just happens. Since there are always unknown and unplanned for variables, we are always prepared!
- Pack extra clothes
- Pack Diaper bag Dispenser (these are just like those baggies for picking up puppy poop, but designed to hold diapers) I love these because you can put the soiled clothes in them, it seals up the mess and smell. Then toss them into the washing machine when you get home.
- Pack extra diapers
- Pack extra wipes
Make your life easier by using these coupons at Walmart to save on all your diapering needs!
- Save $2.00 on Huggies® Diapers
- Save on Huggies® Wipes
- Save on Huggies® Pull-up/Goodnights
