Potty Training Pants

Updated on March 11, 2009
J.S. asks from Allison Park, PA
12 answers

I think we will be beginning the road to potty training here in the near future and I was wondering if anyone had any good suggestions for cotton padded potty training pants. My mother suggested this method to me instead of pullups because it allows the child to feel when they are wet better than the disposable kind. However, I have had no luck finding any in stores and there are tons to choose from online so I don't know where to start. So if anyone has a brand that they have tried and either liked or dislike, I would love to hear about your experience. Thanks a bunch and wish me luck!

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

J.,
I used the basic Gerber cotton training pants (you can probably get them at Target or Wal Mart). I still used pull ups at naptime and bedtime. The Gerber ones were the best and fit the best for my son. Good luck!

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S.C.

answers from Allentown on

babies r us. I used the extra thick cotton ones when we went out of the house & for naps/bedtimes. The rest of the time I used regular undies. The plastic pants can also be used over regular underwear if you are leaving house but not fully potty trained & want to reduce mess if accident occurs, child still feels wet but clothes do not get as wet.

Good luck!

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S.K.

answers from Lancaster on

I've only been able to find them at Kmart. They are Gerber brand padded training pants. About $8.00 for 3. Good luck.

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G.S.

answers from Allentown on

The Gerber pants are not cotton padded. They have some kind of poly fill and won't hold much wetness. There are TONS of options in training pants. The first choice you need to make is waterproof or not (and in most cases, that means water-resistant, not actually waterproof). Pants with a water-resistant layer are generally going to be bulkier, though not always. Many of the most widely available waterproof pants are poofy and bulky (Happy Heinys, Kushies, Gerber, Bummis), but that might be helpful since most kids don't really want to wear poofy pants and are anxious to get into those undies.
An alternative option is to go straight to undies. This offers NO absorbency - so it is the least diaper-like option available and will provide an instant understanding of real consequences for not using the potty. You also need to think about your child's build. The shape of cloth training pants is not identical from one to the next. We did elimination communication with my daughter from the time she was a newborn, and I always loved Bongo Baby's Eco Nix. My daughter has WIDE hips and CHUNKY thighs, and they were a great fit, very simple but also absorbent enough to hold about one pee without immediately wicking onto her clothes (and when she was tiny, that was important to me). We also liked Bright Bots (but they're VERY crinkly from their water resistant layer). We were big fans of a pant built as close to underwear in style as possible (no snaps, no velcro) to make the transition to undies even simpler. But for the most part, we just used a cloth diaper and no cover when she was a newborn. And we transitioned to panties at 12 to 15 months.
If you like the idea of a pull-up but you want to invest in panties rather than training pants, some people swear by PODS. They're a lot like adult incontinence pads, and they're effective. You just place them in the undies, and they'll catch what you miss. Some parents complain they don't feel cold soon enough or they don't allow the child to feel wet. I think only your child can tell you whether that's the case or not, though. And while they seem bulky, they fit well in undies and do the job. They're a heck of a lot trimmer than a lot of training pants, that's for sure! (They add bulk between the crotch, but if you have cloth diapered, then it's actually trimmer than a cloth diaper). If your kid is really interested in potty training, chances are, she'll be fully trained before you make your way through an entire case of PODS. Panties are a HUGE incentive for a little girl. (Finding the right fit there is really hard, too --- I highly recommend The EC Store's Tiny Undies Size 1 and Size 2). I hope that's in some way helpful to you, and I wish you luck in finding the right solution for you and your daughter. (It's helpful to try a few different products and decide what works best, just like finding the right cup or bottle).

Oh - and - check out www.diaperswappers.com ... there's a section in the forums for buying/selling/trading new and used training pants, and there are plenty of discussion forums where you can ask for other moms' feedback regarding different styles of training pants you may be considering.

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K.R.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I found the Gerber padded underwear at Babies r us in Bethel park. They are great. They also have rubber pants as well. I used these instead of pull-ups, pull-ups didn't work, and we were pretty much trained in a week. Good luck

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A.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

I would say save your money and just buy undies. Pull ups didn't work for my kids. They just thought of them as differnt diapers. Other than having to wash messy undies (which acually teaches them why we don't doo-doo in our pants anyway) they are getting the pull up experience, the feel of wet and dirty, and the freedom from wearing those scratchy, bulky, paper waste traps! Also...undies are reusable, environmentally friendly and money saving too in a bad economy!!!

Good Luck!

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J.G.

answers from York on

I got a set at babies r us that are rubber like, made by Gerber. My son hated wearing them. They must of been really uncomfortable. He didn't wear them that often. I think they did help train him to use the potty just so he wouldn't have to put them on.

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N.P.

answers from York on

Oh my! I'm in the process of potty training several little ones right now and I just wince at the thought of cleaning out poopy underwear, but that's just me!!!

You may have to just go with regular undies but make sure all the signs are there first that your child is ready! Also we used the no diaper no undies method with both kids and it has worked well. Of course this only works at home but :) Good luck!

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M.

answers from Pittsburgh on

when we were considering this for our son - we went the pull up route and his daycare teachers in particular told us that they thought pull ups were a waste. Having now gotten to the almost potty trained point (good on pee, not on poop) - i have to agree with her. Pull ups are good because they are easier to take on and off - but that's about it.

He simply saw the pull up as a diaper. He still puts on a pull up to poop and just uses it to pee when he has it on. But he always goes to the potty to pee when he has underwear on. He will not get his underwear wet but with his pull up -he thinks it's fine to get it wet.

When I go through this again with his younger sister, i think we'll skip the pull up stage and go right to underwear. There's something different about having wet your underwear when you know you're not supposed to as opposed to wetting a diaper/pull-up/training underwear.

Just my two cents - I know different things work for different people.

Good luck!

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A.C.

answers from Pittsburgh on

gerber makes them, i got them at walmart in the aisle with the onsies. the are sold in a 3 pack. hope this helps.

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J.P.

answers from Philadelphia on

I think I just used regular little undies cuz I couldn't find them either. This is definitely the way to go without using pullups. I basically did potty training bootcamp with my daughter the day after her 2nd birthday. We spent the whole day in the kitchen, no distractions other than some toys and books to keep us busy. By the afternoon she went on the little potty and we made a huge fuss over her. After that day she had only 2 accidents in the first few days, through the undies and she really hated the feeling. What a great way to learn! Best of luck

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