Diaper Leakage Problem on 18 Month Old

Updated on August 04, 2008
J.B. asks from Summit, NJ
39 answers

Starting about a week ago, my son's diapers are leaking like crazy. I have to change his shorts 3-4 times a day because they get SOAKED! When he was a baby we tried Huggies and his mattress sheet was always wet, then we switched to Pampers Cruisers which have been working fine. I generally change his diaper every 2-4 hours during the day. He's 18 months old, 37.5 inches tall and weighs 33 pounds. I went up a size in his Cruisers diapers to size 6, but am still having the same problem. Today I bought Huggies Snug and Dry, size 6, to see if they will work but I'm not feeling very hopeful. He is drinking more because it is summer, but I still don't think this should be happening. If anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate them!

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R.K.

answers from New York on

We had a similar problem with my son a few months ago - he was leaking through his diapers at night CONSTANTLY. Someone at my husband's job suggested we use these things called "Diaper Doublers". They look similar to a maxi pad (no sticky side though) and you just put them inside the diaper to help absorb the extra fluid. I have only been able to find them in Stop & Shop, but they are very inexpensive (around $3 or $4 for 30 of them) and totally worth it. We use them every night and haven't had a leak since!

1 mom found this helpful
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L.B.

answers from New York on

Begin to potty train him he is a big boy now. Put him in an overnight diaper/pull up for trips away from home like when you take him to the store to buy him a potty.

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S.G.

answers from Binghamton on

Hi JB,
I also had problems with both Huggies and Loves. When I first had my Son, I thought that I had to buy the most expensive diapers. He was leaking nightly while using the huggies supreme. I switched to Loves, but did not really like them, most of all because they were scented. I tried Target's brand of diapers and was amazed at how well they worked for the price. They are not leak proof, but they worked much better than the Huggies and at a fraction of the price. I used them from the time he was a year until 2 1/2 when he became potty trained. They are certainly worth a try
Good luck,
S.

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M.K.

answers from New York on

I had a similar problem, and switched diapers to LUVS, which worked fine for a time,

But long story short it kept happening,

Ironically, during that time i had another baby, and due to a chrionic rash on the baby I switched to cloth diapers

http://www.gdiapers.com/

I use the cloth diapers with a prefold cloth insert and a Doubler insert which workes GREAT never had a leak since.

needless to say he is finally potty trained, and my little guy, we call the WIZZER, is leak free.

M

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N.B.

answers from New York on

2 pieces of advice:

1. start potty training. "signs of readiness" make you wait until your child is almost 3 or 4. My son is 17 months and has been telling us for the past few months when he has to poop, and for the past few weeks when he has to pee. now, when he does pee in his training pants, it's usually only a little bit, and he does the rest in his potty. he's often dry through naps as well. I highly recommend the baby bjorn potty. i can also recommend the book "diaper free by age 3".

2. if you don't want to potty train, switch to cloth diapers. i tried disposables and no matter what i tried, they always leaked! cloth contains both pee and poop better, and you can adjust the absorbency until you find what works. for example, we use a size medium for naps, and a size large with a doubler at night. cloth on-the-go just means packing an extra freezer-size ziploc bag. washing at home means one or two more loads a week. poopy diapers need two "cycles", pee-only diapers just need one hot cycle. PLUS, your son will feel it when he pees, and may start telling you when he has gone (and then should also start telling you after a short while just *before* he goes). This will help in potty training. I can recommend greenmountaindiapers.com as a source (both for diapers and information), and diaperpin.com (maybe .org - sorry i don't remember!) for reviews of brands and gen'l cloth advice.

good luck!

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A.S.

answers from New York on

We had a similiar problem. We switched to Pampers Baby Dry , and they seen to be much better.

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B.G.

answers from New York on

I buy the huggies Overnights..they work for me. They are the best..
Good Luck
Barb. G.

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S.S.

answers from Glens Falls on

I will agree that cloth diapers are so much better with leakage and I was VERY reluctant to use them. Check out jilliansdrawers.com FAQ page if you are at all interested. (If you don't want to rinse out poop they make liners that are flushable for $7 per 100! Cheaper and really easier than I ever thought possible. Plus there are websites where you can sell your used diapers after he is potty trained.)

Otherwise I use Huggies Natural Fit, they are the only disposables that don't leak for us.

Good luck.

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C.G.

answers from New York on

sounds like he's well-hydrated, which is good. I'd call the doc, just to make sure everything's good. But he sounds like he's big for his age anyway. I think that's right. My daughter is 37 lbs but 4 years old. I always liked pampers. Do you have him in pull ups or cruisers? I think the pull ups hold less. Not sure, check on the label. I know there are many different versions. You can check on pampers.com and it should break it down for you.

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C.B.

answers from Buffalo on

try papmpers baby dry! that's what i use. also what i've started doing is aim "it" down ward! If you get my drift??!! then when he goes it won't be towards the top of the diaper. It works for us...
My son is 15 1/2 months old and my daughter is nearly 4!

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L.C.

answers from New York on

We too went down to smaller size for our 18 months old. He was in size 6, but I have noticed that it was not snug on the legs so at the wrong angle:) it would all come out.

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M.C.

answers from New York on

Hi, This is such an annoying problem. I had the same thing happen around the same time with my son. I used the Huggies overnights
https://www.diapers.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID...
- they only go up to a size 5 but my son was bigger than yours and they were great!!!! Now that he has out grown those I love the pampers dry. I hope the sheet wetting ends soon!!!

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M.R.

answers from New York on

never had leakage..but suggest you use overnight diapers/pullups all the time..that's what I do w/ my 2 and 3 yr. old...you can also get Diapers Doubles..like a woman's pad but they are great for nighttime. good luck

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J.D.

answers from New York on

Hi!! I have a 22 month old and have found Pampers NEVER worked for me, I am a Huggies girl all the way, but my advice to you is to try the Huggies overnights...they come in size 4,5 &6, My son is about the same weight and I use size 5 on him each nite and he has NEVER leaked and that thing is heavy as a brick in the morning. I also use them if we are going to be out running errands and on long car trips, they really work!

C.B.

answers from New York on

I buy diaper doublers at stop and shop, works wonders for our night-time leaks.

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S.C.

answers from Albany on

Have you tried Seventh Generation pull up diapers? They usually hold in very well and have big sizes. Good luck!

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K.D.

answers from Albany on

I didn't see anyone else suggesting this, so I guess I will... Maybe you should try a SMALLER size. Between 1 and 2, toddlers start to "lean out" - their eating becomes erratic, their arms and legs start to lengthen (compared to thier torsos), and they lose some (not all!) of their baby "fat" Most notably, their chubby little legs stretch out, and get noticibly trimmer. My daughter used Fuzzi Buns cloth diapers, and I had to use a tighter set of snaps when she was about 20 months old than I had used at 18 months. If you have any leftever Size 5's, you could at least give it a try...

S.T.

answers from New York on

Hey there JB! I use Seventh Generation diapers on my little one and to me they are essentially "leak proof!" These diapers can be at maximum capacity and not leak....it blows my mind sometimes. On the occasion that I'm traveling and can't find Seventh Generation I resort to huggies or whatever else I can find at the super market....and they ALWAYS leak!...my daughter also often gets a diaper rash or irritation from the huggies or pampers.
She is always free of irritation with the Seventh Generation I believe this is because they have no chemical fillers...they are 100% chlorine free and made of a non-toxic, non-irritating absorbent polymer. I also think they are made of recycled material...I think. They are much better for the environment, much for your baby and much better for your peace of mind!
If you don't have a store close by that sells them...don't fret, because you can buy them on amazon (and many other websites) by the case and they essentially cost the same as the other brands. Good luck!
Sincerely,
S. T.
Certified Holistic Health Counselor, member of the AADP

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C.H.

answers from New York on

You can buy pants to put over his diaper. There are catalogues called "One Step Ahead" and "Leaps & Bounds" that sell them into the "T" sizes. I needed to buy a pair for my special needs son who is 8 and still in diapers for when he went to camp. Sorry I don't have the info on the mags, but I'm sure you can google them or find a website.
Chris

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M.J.

answers from New York on

I would cut down on fluid intake for a day or two to see if that can be the problem. Even though it is summer try giving him crushed ice instead of a glass of jusice. Even cube the juice and give that crushed with a spoon. He will still get his fulids be not as much. monitor his diapers change every 30 - 45 minutes. Sounds like a lot but it is not . Good Luck if this does not happen speak with his pediatirican .

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K.D.

answers from New York on

There are diapers that are designed for nighttime, and we tried them and they really seemed to work for our daughter. You might want to try them during the day, since there is added padding since they are going for longer stretches.
A little about me: I am mom of 3(14, 13 and 2), have my own business, www.nomiebaby.com, and love all the different stages with my kids.

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A.P.

answers from Elmira on

We've always used Luvs and have had really good luck with them. If my son starts leaking a lot, I know it's time to move up a size - but it sounds like your son is wearing the biggest size right now. Something else you might consider is potty-training. Get a little training potty and show your son how to pee in it, maybe before bed. We started my son at 17 months (he was showing signs of readiness and we did it really, really casually) and it's helped to keep him from getting so wet at night. He's worn nighttime diapers since he was 5 months old, but does leak through those sometimes. the training potty really helped that.

good luck -
A.

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J.B.

answers from Syracuse on

I have a little boy too. The only diapers I found that do not leak, especially at night are the Baby Dry by Papmers.

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M.T.

answers from New York on

Hi JB, if it's sudden, and you notice increased thirst and urination, I would mention it to your son's doctor.

Also, if there's nothing wrong, but he is just drinking more, I would stick to the 2 hour diapering schedule. In 3-4 hours, he is probably peeing twice, and the diaper is really meant to hold only one toddler sized pee, so you want to diaper him before he pees for the 2nd time. Good luck.

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C.H.

answers from New York on

Maybe you should try Luvs. I have used them on all three of my kids and I don't remember ever having a leak. My baby is now 1 and I think she has leaked 1 or 2 times. Not only do they work great, but they are about$10 cheaper per case than the others!!!

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C.I.

answers from New York on

If he is suddenly drinking and urinating more I would take him to see his doctor. I don't want to frighten you, but this could be a sign of diabetes. Hopefully he is just drinking more because of the weather and you'll just have to change him more often. You can also try diaper doublers; I've found these in Babies R Us and Pathmark. Good luck.

C.

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D.Z.

answers from Binghamton on

This might seem strange, but sometimes it is better to go a little smaller than you think they need. This prevents leakage around the legs. My 18 month old wears a size 4 diaper. A size 6 is really big and my 3 year old was just wearing them! I wonder if your baby really needs a diaper that big.

Oh, incidentally, Huggies always leaked for us too. I have used Luvs exclusively for over 9 years and love them way more than the more expensive name brands! Might be worth a try if the ones you are using continue to leak.

D.
mom to an 18 month old who doesn't have leaks in her Luvs!

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B.R.

answers from Albany on

We use Seventh Generation, as well. However, they do leak at times. When this starts happening, we switch to the next larger size diaper, check to make sure it has a good fit (secured well on the sides and up high enough), and/or change his diaper more often. I do agree that generally speaking they hold a lot of pee and he usually lasts through the night on one diaper. (We have a 11-month-old boy.)

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A.M.

answers from New York on

i agree with the first poster, since i switched to cloth diapers, i havent had any leaks. its really not what it used to be, check out diaperswappers.com for lots of info.

also i agree that if all of sudden this started, i would mention it to your doctor. better safe than sorry, esp as an 18month old in the size 6. just make sure they are fitting properly around his legs and arent leaking because they are too loose, but otherwise size 6 should def be able to contain an 18month old, as they still dont hold it as long as an older child, and size 6 is able to fit 3 1/2 yr olds, kwim.

definately make sure you change after every pee, every 2 hours or as soon as he goes.

the only other option i can think of, but it would be more expensive is using huggies overnights for daily use. again, its probaly nothing, but just take him to the doctor to set your mind at ease. good luck, hope you find the answer soon!!

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G.C.

answers from New York on

You could try putting one of those diaper covers over the Pampers - the kind you'd use over a cloth diaper. There are lots of brands, Bumkins is one.

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M.B.

answers from New York on

Consider a trip to your pediatrician if this doesn't stop. This happened to my son at 23 months, and I couldn't understand why.. then he started passing out. He was always very healthy so I knew something was wrong. He ended up in ICU for a week and diagnosed with diabetes. I'm not saying that is what is going on with you, but better safe than sorry. Drinking excessively and urinating constantly are signs of diabetes, so don't ignore it if it keeps happening.

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J.H.

answers from Syracuse on

I recently bought the new pampers...they're extra absorbant...also try the Diaper Doublers...it's almost like a maxi pad, just a strip of absorbant 'stuff' you put right on the diaper...they should work til this stage passes. This happened to both of my kids and I expect it will with our 3rd, who is 14 months.

J.

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J.M.

answers from New York on

My son is about the same age and weight as yours. I have found Pampers Baby Dry to work pretty well. During the day he is fine but he does tend to leak at night if he sleeps through. I also didn't have much luck with Huggies or the the cruisers. Good luck!

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M.W.

answers from New York on

I have twin 19 month old boys and we go through diapers like crazy. I have always loved the Kirkland brand diapers (found at costco). we have had the least problems with those and they obviously come in bulk, so it saves us time and money. When it is hard for me to get to costco, i always use Huggies Natural Fit (the snug and dry always leaked for me also). I love that brand also.
hope this helps.
Best of luck with it!

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J.P.

answers from Buffalo on

Try Pampers baby dry(or Luvs.) I think they work much better! I only used the swaddlers, then baby dry because I had the same problem with the crusiers. (I also had the same problem with the huggies...did not like them at all!)A grilfriend of mine also switched from cruisers to baby dry because of the same situation.

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A.S.

answers from New York on

My son went through a stage like that. Cruisers were always great. But when he'd leak it was during the night & all over his bed. Turned out his wee wee wasn't point downward, but upward. Whether he did it himself is a possibility. But try making sure he's pointing the right way & see if that worked. Good luck!

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A.B.

answers from Glens Falls on

Sounds to me like if he's drinking more he just needs to be changed more often...good luck!

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