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It was the same thing every night for six months straight. Starting when he was about 18 months old, Melissa Rose?s son Calder would wake up with a leaky diaper and pee-soaked pyjamas. This meant many, many middle-of-the-night pyjama and sheet changes. ?It was a difficult time, sleep-wise,? she says, ruefully.
As toddlers get older and sleep for longer stretches at night, their diapers naturally have to hold more liquid. Going up a diaper size to accommodate a kid?s changing weight and body shape usually does the trick to stop the leaks, which is what worked for Kim Latimer when her son Jack was waking up with wet PJ waistbands at around 18 months old. Her friend took things a step further: ?She actually doubles up on diapers, and cuts a slit in the outside of the first one so that the overflow can soak into the second one, but we didn?t have to go that far,? she says. Before you MacGyver the diaper, you could try switching brands to see if there?s a slightly different fit that better suits your little one, or try a nighttime diaper, which is extra absorbent. For tummy sleepers, you can put the diaper on backwards to try to absorb more pee, and for boys, gently position the penis down when you put on the diaper. Some parents tuck a maxi pad into the diaper to soak up pee.
If you use cloth diapers, adding one or two hemp or cotton inserts (also known as doublers or boosters) can help. Karla Falk found that a wool diaper cover worked well at night for her daught...