mums with tiny babies, need your ideas

[Ying]

James is a tiny little boy, I'm not sure how much he weights now but I'm guessing 3kg. The problem we have right now is that he wees so much he soaks through everything within less than an hour and he only fits in nb nappies, which, let's face it aren't very absorbent I tried boosting but because the nappies are so small, I couldn't boost much. I also tried boosting bigger nappies but they're so huge on him, his butt is higher than his head and it's not an ideal thing for a little chucker

So these are what fit nicely but not absorbent enough:

nb Swaddlebees
nb Very Baby
nb Bumgenius fitted
small Bubblebubs (seriously he wets through these!)
small Honeyboys
small Bambams & Sherpies
bamboo prefolds
nb Whizz Kidz

I use wool soakers & longies over the fitteds. He wets through the 8ply soakers! I think I might have to try the 12ply ones... PUL covers work the best but I'd like not to use them overnight if possible.

These nappies are quite absorbent enough but still too big :

Bubba J bamboo size 1
Cute tooshies bamboo delight (boosted)
small itti bitti (boosted)

I try to change him as soon as he wets during the day, but I'd like not to do that too often at night cos I need to sleep He hates his nappies changed a lot so I have to be super quick at night 'cos I don't him to wake up Becky.

BTW the only nappy in my stash that fits nicely and has good absorbent is the nb Magic-all but I only one of these. I don't want to buy more of them 'cos he might outgrow them soon and I want to use those nappies that I have.

The other problem is that I don't have many small boosters that will fit small nappies. What do you use? The only thing I can think of is itti bitti bamboo booster, are there anything else?

How do you mums with tiny bubs deal with these problems?

[KristyMum]

assuming he's sleeping on his back, then boost on the outside or inside of the nappy but only on the front... since that's the action zone...
fold longer boosters in half for the front - he may look rather largely proportioned in that area lol but it won't raise his bum height and means since they don't have to fit 'in' it doesn't matter so much the size of the booster. iykwim
other idea is to raise one end of where he is sleeping for his head to be higher than his bum re the chucking and then you'd have to support his back a little more perhaps.

Sounds like he has a great milk input Ying well done!

[becboo]

Tbh I think you will have to be changing him at night regardless. So if PUL works and it isn't causing him redness etc I say go for it. He will be having boob so much that he will be peeing lol I just remember going through the same thing with Gracie when she was as little as James. An amazing amount of nappy changes. Just the way of the newborn I think It will change Have you tried him with flats? I used flats with Gracie and found them to be the best option in the early days - flannelette and then cotton. So quick to dry which helped with all the changes. Ahh we also used Tot Bots which worked well too.

ETA - how about trying your wipes (hemp/bamboo) as boosters?

Bec.

[kathok]

Sustainable hemp products has NB/small boosters.

Also I had some Peep-O nappies custom made that were wonderful for nights. I got a couple of NB ones and a couple of smalls. She did extra thick lay-in boosting for me so they were absorbant enough withot being too bulky. Definitely recomend these.

Re the wool - try the 12ply, If that doesn't work maybe go for wool interlock covers like Loveybums for nights.

[Custard]

We've always used PUL covers, so don't be afraid of them!

Here are a couple of other ideas that are a bit left-field. Try a bit of elimination communication: hold him over a sink, bucket or toilet to do some wee before he goes to sleep or just let him soak through and keep a towel underneath that you can change over.

We had a <3kg baby, but we just changed her every time she wet. We were using about 15-18 cotton prefolds a day in the beginning!

[Karena]

I didn't use wool soakers or covers when Brock was younger because when he slept and I wrapped him he got compression leaks. Try using bigger covers and boosting between the covers and nappy.

[Ying]

Thanks for the ideas ladies Will be trying few different things you suggested today. We used Tots Bots exclusively with Becky when she's little, I just can't remember if we had the same problem. They're still a little too big on James now but hope they will fit soon.

[~karen~]

yeah boost at the front (i still fold boosters in 3 or 4 and place over theo's penis) or on the outside of the nappy
and from my experience it is SO worth changing every time (even overnight) as theo now sleeps through until his early morning wee (ie his bladder now holds it all overnight) and i truly believe that's cause we never left him in a wet nappy (unless stuck in traffic) he is far more aware of his bodily functions that ally ever was and i'm planning on going nappy free as soon as we are in our own home (this rental has new carpet) he already poops in the toilet if i get to him quick enough

hugs
karen

[bilbylove]

sustainable hemp products sell NEWBORN SIZE bamboo boosters, small enough to fit into nb sized fitteds. To get extra wear out of the nb fitteds, when James gets bigger, put the booster OUTSIDE the nappy, instead of INSIDE the nappy. Outer boosting. (Inside the cover).

Haven't found boosters that size anywhere else (and i have looked)

we found those so useful at nb stage (and still use them now in bilby's current MCN).

We changed bilby 20x a day in the Early Daze - she pooped tiny bits but often.

If you want to chase up the EC (elimination Communication) angle, look at Tribal Baby and Noonee Wilga websites. there is also a ozclothnappyfree yahoo group.

[KristyMum]

yeh seconding bamboo/hemp wipes just fold in half and a couple of those can work - then you can use them as wipes as well