Terry folds for 5 yr old

[CatWithKittens]

I have been having problems finding a night nappy for my 5 yr old, big, DS1 who still needs a night nappy. He sleeps on his side a lot and everything we have tried seems to be short of absorbency there. I found some 78cm Terries which, padded with a baby sized Terry, and under old fashioned plastic pants, were better than most things but I have now found a method of folding which does away with the need for the second nappy and may be worth sharing with anybody else who has the same problem, if they can understand my description. Obviously he needs the bulk at the front and around his hips rather than under his bottom. I now lay the nappy down flat, then fold about 9 or 10 cms down along the top edge so that you have a rectangle with a double layer of material along its top long side. I then fold the bottom of each short side of the rectangle towards the centre of the nappy leaving the double layer as the long side of what is nearly a triangle. You then have treble thickness at the front, double thickness right round the hips and only a single layer of cloth under DS1?s bottom which is the bit that gets least wet. I use two pins on each side ? one at the waist and one at the top of the thigh as this means that if, as very occasionally happens, he gets up and use the loo, he can actually pull the nappy down and up again. It also makes sure the nappy is on quite tightly which my MIL, who was a nurse at Great Ormond Street some time before the Flood, tells me is the best way to avoid leaks.

I've been trying to get to grips with the description of your fold. I have the same problem with my 4 yr old DS1, who still needs a night nappy, and is a very heavy wetter. Up until now I've been using the kite fold, boosted with another terry nappy pad folded on top, which does the job absorbancy wise, and I don't get any leaks. The problem I've had is getting plastic pants large enough. I'd be intersted to know what type of plastic pants you use, and where you get them from?

We were very lucky: my MIL again. She saw on e-bay a box of new XL baby pants made by a company (Kintal) no longer in business but which she remembered as making very big pants which she had used for DH at the same age; he was also apparently a bit late being dry at night. (You do find things out about your other half when you have children dont you? I am not sure he was best pleased with his mum for letting that one out, especially since it seems there may be a genetic tendency to bedwetting). We managed to get them - although they werent particularly cheap they fit and do the job. Until then we were struggling too and had been thinking of importing, having Googled, from dmponline.com. (Be prepared for some very strange things you find when you Google for plastic pants!) Since then somebody has told me about an English company called Drylife who she says make pants for children, it?s either Drylife.com or co.uk but I havent had to use them yet as we are still working our way through MILs brainchild. Hope that helps a bit. If you discover any other source do let us all know. I suspect more of us are using plastic pants for older children than we care to admit!

Thanks for all that. I've had a look at Drylife, and as you say, they make plastic pants for older children, although they are a bit expensive. However, they seem good quality, so it's probably worth it, if I have to face DS being in night nappies for much longer. It does'nt seem to worry him at the moment. Does your DS show any concern about still being in nappies, albeit at night?

I know what you mean about Drylife but you only need a couple of pairs at most. DS1 shows no sign at all of any concern about still needing a nappy but I am gald about that to be honest. Hes the eldest of 4. DD1 was 4 on Easter Sunday and she too has a night nappy so I really do think that there?s something in the genetic tendency theory. DS2 is only 27 months and just beginning to get the idea about potties in the day. DD2 is only 10 months so I reckon we are washing a dozen nappies a day on a reasonably good day! I think the fact that all the others are still in nappies means that DS1 doesnt really question it yet. We have not tried him without yet because if I go into him last thing at night he is nearly always already wet so there is no point trying to lift him and I know he really cannot help it so there is no point making him feel bad about it either. I think we just have to grit our teeth and wait for the dreaded hormone to kick in ? MIL says about 9 if we are lucky and if genetics really rule so that history repeats itself in this generation!!

Your comments are really reassuring. You obviously have a very experienced and understanding MIL. I'm afraid mine puts me under a bit more pressure, because she thinks DS should have been out of nappies months ago. As a matter of interest, what sort of nappy fold do use for your other DC?

My MIL has the advantage (?) of her experience of the problem both with DH and of lots of other children whilst she was nursing who were still wet at might. You could always point yours in the direction of the articles on the web which speak so reassuringly of the need for the production of a particular hormone, the name of which I have forgotten, and also of the genetic influence! The latter might silence her if you can assure her that nobody on your side of the family is responsible for it!!! I use a kite fold for the others, with two 60cm nappies for DD1 at night, though I am thinking of getting a few more larger Terries and just using one of them on her.

I've now tried out your nappy folding method a couple of times, but not very successfully. It's probably my fault for not getting it quite right. The problem is DS is a very heavy wetter and needs plenty of padding at night between his legs, as well as at the front where it's needed most. The kite fold, boosted with another terry nappy works well, but the idea of DS being able to pull the nappy down and up again if he needs a wee sounds a good idea, although I don't think he's quite ready yet to do that. I'm not sure whether it would work with the kite fold, because I always have to pin the nappy on fairly tightly each side to stop it falling down, particularly when DS comes into my bedroom in the morning to tell me he's got a sodden nappy!

have you tried boosting with ecloths rather than terries - they are much more absorbant and so less bulky.

Having said that I gave up on my 5 year old because he was getting very sore on his legs where the damp nappy wrap was rubbing (I was using fleece).

Sounds a good idea, but I thought ecloths were for polishing hard surfaces, and perhaps a bit rough, or am I getting confused with some other type of cloths? Yes, I agree boosting the way I do does produce a rather bulky bottom, which is why finding large enough plastic pants to cover it is becoming more of a problem. What sort of nappy wraps have you been using on your 5yr old?