What is the Point of Pocket Diapers?

When I first started cloth diapering, I used all prefolds and covers. Then I discovered that my baby's bum was on the sensitive side, and learned about micro-fleece stay-dry liners.The fleece wicks the moisture away from the skin, keeping baby feeling dry. I made my own liners by cutting out rectangular pieces of micro-fleece. They worked great, but were somewhat cumbersome to put on during diaper changing.

I had heard of pocket diapers but had never really given them much thought. I was just looking for the least expensive route for diapering. One day, however, I was thinking about how nice it would be if I could somehow attach the stay dry liners to the diaper to make diaper changing a little simpler. That's when it dawned on me, "I bet that's the point of pocket diapers...I bet the inner fabric is fleece!" I went and did a Google search of the brand of pocket diapers I'd heard of, and discovered that the inner lining was indeed fleece, expressly for the purpose of keeping baby dry and rash free! Suddenly it made so much sense. I ordered a couple to try out and since then I have gradually begun to prefer pocket diapers for daytime use, both for their ease of use and trimmer fit than prefolds and covers.

 

Most pocket diapers have an inner layer of fleece or some other fabric that wicks moisture away from baby, but not always, and you can have an "all in one" with a stay dry inner layer as well, so what is the point of the pocket diaper aside from the stay dry aspect?

Here are the benefits of pocket diapers in my experience:

1. As I already mentioned, if the inner layer is fleece, I enjoy not having to grab my stay dry liner and put it on separately.

2. I like to preserve my PUL. I wash my covers with the diapers usually, but try to let them hang dry as much as possible to help extend their life. I like being able to machine dry the thick absorbent inserts or soakers, but just hang the quick drying outer shell of the PUL and inner liner. This also helps extend the life of any aplix on the outer shell as well. With an all in one diaper, needless to say it's all attached and must all be washed and dried together.

3. In the same vein, I like to be able to put the inserts and soakers through more rigorous washing. With a pocket diaper, though it may still require stripping from time to time for the inner layer of fabric, for the most part the inserts are the part that may begin to hold the most odor and need more frequent stripping or more rigorous washing. PUL can be damaged by a variety of cleaning agents that can be useful in cleaning inserts from time to time. In these cases you can just keep the PUL out for those extra washes.

4. I also like the fact that you can add additional stuffing to a pocket diaper without covering up the inside stay dry liner! You can make them as absorbent as you need them to be, or on the other hand you can keep them as trim as you'd like depending on the type of insert that you use! I like switching up inserts, or using something totally different for stuffing! If you have a favorite kind of insert, you can usually use it with any kind of pocket diaper. You can even use flats, prefolds, flannel receiving blankets, or even t-shirts, or anything absorbent that you can fold and stuff into a pocket diaper for an extra boost or in place of an insert!

For all of these reasons, and the fact that there are so many great styles available in so many fun colors, pocket diaper have become my favorite daytime diaper! I prefer wool for nights and when a rash threatens to break out, but I like pockets for regular day to day use! Some people like to combine pockets and wool for nighttime. You can stuff the pocket all you want and then cover with a wool cover. That way, just in case all the stuffing becomes saturated, the wool will catch any "overflow." I have a heavy wetter and haven't found this necessary, but I know some parents have! It would definitely be a no leak solution!

Do you prefer pocket diapers? If so, what are some additional benefits of using them?

Why Sheep?

The question "Why Wool?" is a common title on blogs and cloth diapering websites about all the attributes of wool and why it's perfect for babies' bottoms.

Have you every wondered, "Why Sheep?" Why is it that this animal in particular that is so carefully clad in such an amazing coat? I know there are other woolly animals, but not all animals are clothed with a fiber that keeps them warm in the winter, cool in the summer, dry all year round, clean of bacteria, unlikely to catch on fire, and on top of that excreting an oily substance that coats these fibers that is also water resistant with antibacterial properties providing even more protection!

I don't believe it is a coincidence that we find sheep, of all animals, clothed in this almost magical fiber! As I began to learn about how wool works more in depth, I exclaimed to my husband, "Wow! God must have really wanted to protect his sheep!" At that moment I was thinking of actual sheep and nothing more, but as soon as the words escaped my mouth, the depth of what I had just said struck both of us.

The Bible often refers to us as sheep, and God as our shepherd. In the new testament and old, in prophesies, songs, stories, and teachings the theme of sheep and shepherd is referred to over and over and over. Isaiah talks about what happened to Jesus and what it meant for us, hundreds of years before it came to pass. Here are just a few lines of it:

" ⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion,
      crushed for our sins.
   He was beaten so we could be whole.
      He was whipped so we could be healed.
 ⁶ All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
      We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
   Yet the Lord laid on him
      the sins of us all.
⁷ He was oppressed and treated harshly,
      yet he never said a word.
   He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
      And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
      he did not open his mouth...."(Isaiah 53, NLT).


Jesus speaks of God's heart in a story of a shepherd being willing to leave the 99 sheep to find one who was lost, and bringing him back with joy and celebration (Luke 15), so that we would understand that even if just one of us were lost and separated from God, He still would have given everything and endured everything described in the verses above, for even one. His heart is always longing and pursuing those who "like sheep have strayed away."

He also speaks of how a sheep knows his shepherd's voice and obeys him, teaching us that our relationship with Him goes beyond just being rescued and brought safely into His fold, but that we can have a relationship with Him...one of intimacy and trust. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27) To know Him is to trust Him and know that His desire for us is for our ultimate good.


I've learned from those who've looked intently into the lives of sheep that sheep have been known to follow one another head to tail right into a ditch, piling on top of one another until the ditch was full. That has totally been me at times in my life...following people and ideas only to end up  in a "ditch." Each time, my Shepherd has intervened, pulled me out and set me on the path of peace once again. It sounds like foolishness, but for my part I have found it to be true.


The occupation of a shepherd was regarded as the lowest of the low. It was a job for nobodies, and the least of the least, and so the foolishness increases. In likening Himself to a Shepherd, God is making Himself the least and the lowest. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (1 Cor. 1:27 NIV)

And he didn't stop there, when led to the cross, "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth...."(Isaiah 53, NLT). And so Jesus is often referred to as the Lamb of God, because He gave Himself willingly as a sacrifice, so that we could live.

  "The Lord is my Shepherd. I will lack nothing." (Ps. 23:1)

Cloth Diaper Mommy Wool Soaker Review

I have already raved about the very creative and cool t-shirt diapers by Cloth Diaper Mommy on Etsy, but Becca also hand knits super creative and fun woollies to go over those fitteds...the PERFECT combination to stay cool, dry and rash free! I'd been eyeing an adorable smiley face soaker that I was planning to order for Lydia, but then I saw THIS one and just HAD to get it. Since I was learning about wool and planning for this event, it fit so perfectly. It is still, in my opinion, the cutest woolly I've ever seen! I think it's an adorable appropriate way to finish up "The Wool Gathering!"

This soaker as you can see has a sheep on the bum! It's so cute and fun. I've been using it for some time and it's and it has held up so nicely. It has been one of our favorite nighttime covers, but I also like to use it during the day because it's so cute so we usually alternate. Now that it's cooler at nights I don't want to stop using it, so we'll throw some baby legs and keep on! One detail that I love is the draw string that matches the sheep's legs! You can see that in the picture above as well as the wide gusset between the legs of the soaker to give room for a nice fit over thick diapers.

I really enjoy having this soaker! It's fun and does its job wonderfully! It's more than sufficient for overnight and fits really comfortable. It's stretchy so it will still fit for a long time! Here it is on baby during the day with a shirt during the summer. I think these are soooo cute! She's watching her baby sign language video here if I remember correctly.

Hear are a few other uber cute soakers available in Becca's shop:

Becca added these adorable knitted wool fruit toys with my order! They are so fun. I'm really impressed with the handiwork. These look really pretty laying around the floor in contrast to the many plastic toys!! Lydia loves taking them out of the toy box and laying them on the floor and then randomly picking them up and carrying them around.

Can you stand the cuteness??? I can't! Remember that Becca takes custom orders! She is very gifted and creative so get in touch with her and let her know what you like!!!