Need a very absorbant insert for pocket nappies

[AngelDog]

DS is 19 m.o. and a reasonably heavy wetter. He's grown out of our sized two-part nappies and birth-to-potty ones, so I've bought some large Fuzzi Bunz pockets. I'm really struggling to find inserts which are absorbant enough though.

I've tried a microfibre insert with one or two hemp inserts, which usually leak. DS is starting not to like very bulky nappies, so the microfibre + lots of layers of hemp isn't working well for us.

I've also tried extra large 'superboosters' with 2 layers of microfibre and 4 layers of bamboo. They're slower to leak but DS still gets damp trousers. The wee wicks out at the legs even though the booster isn't completely saturated.

I usually change him every couple of hours. I can manage the frequent changes at home but we often can't manage a shopping trip out without leaks.

I'm guessing the problem is insufficiently absorbant inserts. He's fine wearing a Motherease one size nappy plus Airflow wrap, but I have to use poppered extenders to get them to fit around his waist, so they fit very badly (and 'dangle' between his legs too much for daytime comfort).

Until we tried moving to pockets I wouldn't have said he was a heavy wetter - microfibre Bambinex Teddies were fine during the day. I would have stuck with 2 part nappies but I couldn't find any fast drying fabrics, and now I like the way the pocket nappies are so much slimmer.

Any suggestions? (and apologies for the essay )

just to check

have you washed your hemp boosters at least 10 times?

If not then they wont be up to full absorbancy.

(you dont actually need to dry them between wash cycles)

hemp is so absorbant and just gets more and more so, you really must have a super wee-er to wee through hemp!!!

Also MEOS are really not the most absorbant nappy around at all. Could you invest in a few shaped nappies
like motherease toddlerease (ie extra large sandies) or size 3 tots? These are normally more absorbant than a pocket nappy

also you could try bamboo inserts (though slow to dry and hemp more absorbant)

Thanks. That was a good point about the hemp. I don't think I've washed all of them quite that many times, but half of them were preloved so should have been washed lots. Maybe it was the new ones which leaked.

I used the bamboo / microfibre super booster today (4 layers of bamboo, 2 of microfibre). It leaked - not because the insert was saturated, but because the wee wicked out at the legs. Perhaps the problem is with the fit of the nappy?

My instinct is that DS wees a fair amount (if we use disposables at night, 1 in 3 leak because they're saturated) but I don't think he's a really heavy wetter in the day. He can get away with a MEOS and extra ME booster at night almost all of the time.

It occurred to me to do a strip wash as all my pockets and lots of the inserts were preloved, so I'll see if that helps at all.

I've just ordered a Toddlease, and I'll have a look at the Tots Bots ones too - thanks for the suggestions.

Thought I'd update this to say that I strip washed everything, and washed the hemp boosters loads more. The leaking problem seems to have mostly disappeared, as long as I use a thick cotton or microfibre booster with a hemp one.

great news