Information Regarding Pin-On Diapers for Older Children and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems

Within the past 20 years or so cloth diapers have become more popular with parents. One of the reasons for this is the perceived environmental impact of using cloth. Another reason that cloth is popular is that many people feel that cloth is better for a baby's skin. There are many online companies that sell cloth diapers for babies, but what many parents might not realize is that they also make cloth diapers to fit older children, teenagers, and adults with bedwetting problems. This article talks about my favorite cloth diapering method for bedwetting – pin-on style cloth diapers covered with a pair of plastic pants(what the old timers call “rubber pants”). While many people consider this style old fashioned and many parents might recoil at the thought of using safety pins, pin-on diapers are very good for managing bedwetting. This article talks about the use of pin-on style diapers to handle an older child or teenager's bedwetting, including the different brands of pin-on diapers as well as online stores that sell these diapers. The information in this article is also appropriate for adults that wet the bed.


To start with – most parents are probably asking the following question: why in the world would I ever want to use safety pins when there are diapers with other types of fasteners such as Velcro and snaps? That is a valid question and this article talks about some of the advantages of pin-on style diapers. First off, even though there are a lot of older children, teenagers, and adults that wet the bed, the cloth diaper market for this segment is somewhat limited – there are a few companies that make cloth diapers that fit older children, teens, and adults but not nearly as many as those that sell cloth diapers for babies. Consequently, the styles available are somewhat limited. As far as diapers with Velcro fasteners, diapers with Velcro can wear out after a while – the Velcro tends to lose its ability to stick after a number of washings. As far as snap on diapers are concerned, the snaps on snap on diapers can break. Before the advent of these styles of diapers, pin-on diapers were the only game in town. They are considered the workhorse of the cloth diaper world, and even though they are not as popular as they once were, many parents still use them for their babies and there are also incontinent adults who wear them.


One of the advantages of using pin-on diapers is that there is a large degree of flexibility in terms of getting an appropriate fit as well as layering the diapers in order to get the best protection. For instance, with pin-on diapers you can add more layers in the diaper to increase the level of absorbency. Another advantage of pin-on diapers is that they have very good wicking ability. Wicking refers to how well liquid is dispersed throughout the diaper. A diaper with good wicking ability offers better protection and makes the person wearing the diaper feel dry and comfortable. Third, pin-on diapers tend to be very durable and last for years. The reason some parents are reluctant to safety pins as a diaper fastener, is due to the fact that babies frequently squirm around when being diapered, thus making it difficult to use pins – in situations such as that, parents have sometimes stuck themselves, the baby, or both with the safety pin. My recommendation of the use of safety pin style diapers is strictly for older children and teenagers so this is not an issue.


As mentioned, with pin-on diapers you can add layers to the diapers to make them more absorbent. Many companies that sell pin-on diapers have inserts you can place in the diaper to increase its absorbency. You can also buy infant size cloth diapers from places such as Walmart. Walmart sells Gerber brand flat style and prefold diapers which you can use to layer the diapers. There's a certain amount of trial and error associated with this. The older child or teenager will have to determine the appropriate amount of liners to place in the diaper – although thick diapers are good for heavy wetters, if the diapers are too thick they can be uncomfortable to wear because the diapers will bunch up between the legs. This in turn can cause chafing.


As far as diapering is concerned there are two folds which are easy to do. The “angel wing” fold and the “newspaper fold”. Kelly's Closet has an illustrated tutorial on how to do both of those folds. The link for this tutorial is http://www.kellyscloset.com/Prefold-and-Flat-Diapers_c_601.html. An older child or teenager should be able to handle these folds by themselves. It's very important that an older youngster be responsible for diapering themselves, unless they have some physical and/or cognitive disability that prevents him or her from putting on and changing their diapers. I would copy the folding instructions from the website for the child or teenager and have them look at it so they can familiarize themselves with how to fold and fasten the diapers.


Cloth diapers, unlike disposable diapers, do not have a waterproof outer layer, therefore the diaper must be covered with a pair of waterproof pants. Plastic pants(also known as “rubber pants” even though this is a misnomer – generally this is a term used by the old timers) are the most popular type of waterproof pants. Plastic pants are also known as “vinyl pants”, vinyl being a type of plastic. Plastic pants come in two styles – snap-on which are generally used by people who are non-ambulatory, i.e. people who can't walk, and pull-on styles. The pull-on styles are usually cheaper, and are the most commonly used form of waterproof pants. For more information about plastic pants for older children and teenagers please see my post from April 25, 2009 entitled "Brands of Plastic Pants for Older Children and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems."


Adultclothdiaper.com(also known as All Together Enterprises), Angel Fluff Diaper Company, and Changing Times Diaper Company, all sell pin-on style cloth diapers for older children, teenagers, and adults with bedwetting problems. Angel Fluff and Adultclothdiaper.com have both gauze and birdseye diapers. The gauze diapers have a loser weave which is supposed to be more comfortable to wear during the warmer times of the year such as spring and summer. If expenses permit, you might want to consider purchasing a few of each to see which style works best for you. Here are the links to each of the companies mentioned in this paragraph as well as the various sections of the websites that are relevant to pin-on diapers:


Adultclothdiaper.com:


http://www.adultclothdiaper.com/PRODUCTS_2/Youth-Prefold-diapers/Youth-Prefold-Birdseye-Small_2.html


http://www.adultclothdiaper.com/PRODUCTS_2/Youth-Prefold-diapers/Youth-Prefold-Birdseye-Small_4.html


http://www.adultclothdiaper.com/PRODUCTS_2/CLOTH-DIAPERS_2/Nighttime-Adult-Prefold-Diapers.html


http://www.adultclothdiaper.com/PRODUCTS_2/CLOTH-DIAPERS_2/Adult-Flat-Diapers-Gauze-Purity.html


Angel Fluff Diaper Company:


http://www.angelfluff.com/nfGAUZEprefolded.htm


http://www.angelfluff.com/adultclothdiapers.htm


http://www.angelfluff.com/nfGauzeFlat.htm


http://www.angelfluff.com/nfBirdseyeFlat.htm


Changing Times Diaper Company:


https://www.changingtimesdiaperco.com/PFD-WT.html


https://www.changingtimesdiaperco.com/PFD-ADULT.html

Brands of Plastic Pants for Older Children and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems

As mentioned in my post “Information Regarding Pin-On Diapers for Older Children and Teenagers With Bedwetting Problems”, cloth diapers, unlike disposable diapers, do not have a waterproof outer layer. As a result, you need to cover the diapers with a pair of waterproof pants. The most popular form of waterproof pants are plastic pants. Plastic pants are made out of vinyl but are generally called plastic pants because vinyl is a type of plastic. Plastic pants are also called “rubber pants” by many people, particularly by old timers. Before the advent of plastic pants in the fifties, rubber pants were the most widely used form of waterproof pants to put over babies diapers. After a while, rubber pants were no longer used for baby pants and over time “rubber pants” became a generic term for waterproof pants. Nowadays when people use the term “rubber pants” they mean plastic pants. I'd like to talk about a couple of brands of plastic pants to use for cloth diapers.


One of the most popular brands of plastic pants are the Gary brand. The Gary company makes a very good plastic pant which is sold by several companies under different names. The pant is made of 7 gauge vinyl (gauge being the thickness of the vinyl)It is a very thick plastic pant, which is good because thicker pants are durable and will last longer, and it has vinyl covered elastic which is very effective for preventing leaks. The places that sell this pant are Adultclothdiaper company(also known as All Togther Enterprises) under the name “Leakmaster Deluxe”(http://www.adultclothdiaper.com/PRODUCTS_2/Heavy-Weight/Leakmaster-Deluxe-Vinyl-Pants.html), Angel Fluff Diaper Company under the name “Ultimate Whisper”(http://www.angelfluff.com/Ultimate-Whisper-Plastic-Pant.htm), and Changing Times Diaper Company under the name InControl Comfort(https://www.changingtimesdiaperco.com/GVP-7COMHW.html).


Another plastic pant made by Gary is the Euroflex pant. This pant is made from Urethane which is a plastic type material. This pant is a made from a clear plastic which is very durable. This pant is sold by L.L. Medico. You can also order this pant with covered elastic waist and leg bands and a high back for more secure protection against leaks. The link for this pant is http://www.llmedico.com/product/12/gary-pull-on-euroflex-urethane-pants/. Finally, L.L. Medico sell an 8 gauge frosted clear vinyl pant with vinyl covered elastic in the waist and legs. You can order this pant with a high back which is best for preventing leaks. This pant is not one they have in stock - you have to custom order it which takes an extra three weeks but it's well worth the wait in my opinion. The smallest size they have is a 3xs which may fit a larger size teenager. L.L. Medico has other plastic pants that will fit older children and teenagers as well.


I hope this list helps those parents who may be having a difficult time finding plastic pants to fit their older child or teenager with bedwetting problems.

How to Manage Bed-Wetting in College

Starting college is a very exciting time for many people-meeting new friends and taking interesting courses are just some of the things that make this time special for many people. However for those individuals with a bed-wetting problem this time can be anxiety provoking,although with the right amount of preparation it doesn't have to be.

There are plenty of cases of college students with bed-wetting problems and like any other problem in life it can be managed. Before attending college the student should ask to speak with the department that handles accommodations for students with medical conditions. If you don't feel comfortable divulging to them that you wet the bed you can ask to speak to the school nurse and he or she might be able to give you advice about how to approach the school about the bed-wetting. Nurses are used to dealing with all sorts of medical conditions,particularly incontinence so you shouldn't feel embarrassed about discussing this problem with her. From what I understand it's possible to share a dorm with individuals suffering from the same medical problem. If this isn't an option you might consider getting a private dorm or if financially feasible you could rent a one bedroom apartment.


As far as discretion is concerned this can be somewhat tricky but there are ways to work around this issue.. In a situation such as college the ease with which one can exercise discretion with a problem such as bed-wetting depends to a large extent on what type of protection a person uses. If a person uses cloth diapers and plastic pants and if the person uses public laundry facilities it can be very difficult being discreet. If however,the person goes to school in the same state and goes home every weekend the individual can bring a diaper pail to school and just bring home the wet diapers and plastic pants home and wash them there. If it's not feasible to use cloth diapers and plastic pants the student will have to use disposables. Again I would talk to the nurse about this and ask her if she has any suggestions about how to manage this problem.

If this isn't an option and the person has to use public laundry facilities he or she can schedule to wash them when the laundry room is less crowded. You might be able to bring a basin to school and wash the plastic pants in the dorm. You can also post questions on various incontinence forums and ask people what they've done in a similar situation. As mentioned there are plenty of cases of people wetting the bed in college and they might have some useful tips on how to be discreet about this problem.

I hope this article helps those bed-wetters anxious about attending college. Just remember that this is a common problem among college students and many adults too. Just because you wet the bed doesn't mean that college can't be a wonderful time. With the right preparation you can have peace of mind and get through college with flying colors.

Older Children,Bed-Wetting,and Self Diapering

In my readings on nocturnal enuresis I have come across the following situation and I decided to devote a whole article to this topic. I don't know how prevalent it is but I felt it needed to be addressed. This issue concerns me and that is why I felt it needed to be covered in more depth. On some incontinence forums I have read about some parents and babysitters diapering older children with bed-wetting problems. Some of these children are 9 or older. As we all know bed-wetting can be very stressful and in my opinion this stress can be exacerbated by parents not letting their child put on their own protection. By no means am I a childcare expert but my intuition tells me that above the age of 3 or 4 a child should be taught how to put on their own diapers.

Years ago I had a friend who had to babysit a 6 year old. She was telling me that she had to diaper the child before he went to bed. Due to his age I assumed he was potty trained and that the reason he wore diapers was because of a bed-wetting problem. She told me that he went running through the house naked and screaming and refused to let her put the diapers on him,which I can't say as I blame him.

I do believe that an older child,adolescent,or teenager should wear diapers to bed if all attempts to cure it have failed and if other garments such as pull-ups and "Goodnites" don't offer adequate protection but I also feel that the youngster should be responsible for putting on their own protection unless they have some cognitive and/or physical disability that makes it either difficult for them to do so or prevents them from doing so. Diapering an older child has the potential to drastically effect a child's psychological health for years to come.

There are certain tasks that can be accomplished by youngsters who aren't cognitively or physically impaired including tying one's shoes,putting on one's clothes,etc. Diapering one's self in my opinion would fit into this category also.

At this point I'd like to talk about disposable diapers. If the parents are concerned that the child might not fasten the diapers correctly thereby causing the diapers to leak the parents can show the child how to fasten the diapers correctly. One way of doing this is to lay the diaper on the bed,have the child sit in the diaper,and tell them how to fold and fasten the diapers properly. I wouldn't think the child would have much difficulty doing this. However,if the child is having any problems with fastening the diaper,the parents can talk them through this. After the child is done putting the diapers on, the parent can have him or her stand up to see if the diaper is put on correctly and if not they can have the child make any adjustments that are necessary,such as refastening the tapes,putting on the diapers again if it looks like they don't fit correctly(which could cause leaks),etc. I would do this when the child is young because the older the child gets the more embarrassed the child will feel. This is a very sensitive area for children. Many bed-wetting children feel self-conscious and embarrassed about wearing diapers to bed(although as I have pointed out many times they shouldn't be) and having their parents diapering them will make them feel even more self-conscious and embarrassed. Also bed-wetting makes many children feel helpless and by parents diapering the child it reinforces the feeling of helplessness. That is why children should be taught to be independent in this are as soon as possible.

As far as pin-on diapers are concerned some parents are afraid that the youngster might stick themselves with the pins. This is certainly a valid concern but if appropriate precautions are taken this shouldn't be an issue. I was talking to someone in customer service for a company that sells pin-on cloth diapers and plastic pants for older children and adults with bed-wetting problems to get her take on the situation and she told me that at the age of 7 or below the parents might need to fasten the diapers,above the age of 7 it would depend on the child's development. I believe the same steps taken with disposable diapers can also be taken with pin-on diapers. Again the parents should lay the diapers on the bed,have the child sit in them,and teach them the correct way to fasten the diapers. I can't emphasize this enough-children need to be taught at a young age how to be independent in this area. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, my feeling is that beyond the age of 4, a child should be responsible for putting on their own diapers. Some children develop at a faster rate than others and some children might be savvy enough to put their own diapers on when they're 3. If the parents feel that the child might be capable of handling this task when they're this old the parents should let them. At this age they might need some supervision, but once the parents feel that the child has mastered this skill and can fasten the diapers correctly, the parents should let the child manage this task themselves. Like I said earlier children can be very sensitive about this issue and having a parent diapering them beyond the age that's appropriate will make the child feel like they're being babied by their parents. This in turn will make them feel embarrassed and self-conscious and will make them resistant to wear the diapers to bed.

Another idea I have as far as teaching youngster how to be self-sufficient in this area is the following. I don't know how feasible this idea is and I admit it's somewhat unusual but like the saying goes in many situations it's good to think outside the box. In many community colleges they use dummies to demonstrate certain medical techniques to nursing students. The parents could talk to the head of the nursing department at their local community college and see if they could borrow a dummy and then use the dummy to teach the child the correct way of fastening the diapers. If the head of the nursing department asks you why you want to borrow the dummy you can explain that you have a child who wears diapers for a bed-wetting problem and you want to use the dummy to teach them how to correctly fasten the diapers. If you are not able to borrow the dummy you can ask them if they have any suggestions about what to do in this situation. I suspect that purchasing something like this from a medical supply store would be expensive so the nurse at the community college might have ideas about alternative approaches to the situation. In addition you might want to call your local medical/hospital supply store and see if they have any ideas. about how to deal with this matter. As I mentioned earlier this is a very delicate situation that has the potential to do irreparable psychological harm to a child.

I wonder if some parents do this because on some level they might miss the closeness of the parent/infant relationship and this is a way to recreate this. Some parents either consciously or sub consciously want to keep their child at a certain level of development because the parents don't want to let go emotionally. It must be stressed that this is just speculation,and I'm not saying this is necessarily the case with all parents who put on their older child's diapers but the fact that this could be a factor with some people should be considered and if this the case it should be addressed with a mental health professional in order to prevent causing emotional harm to the child.

Unfortunately another reason some parents might diaper their older child that wets the bed is to humiliate them. Many parents try shaming their kids into stopping bed-wetting and this is one tactic that parents might use. I've read about one case where the parents diapered their child in front of the whole family in an attempt to get him to stop wetting the bed. There are many other things I've heard parents do to try to shame their children into stopping bed-wetting but out of sensitivity to my readers I won't mention them. Suffice it to say these practices are despicable and a form of child abuse. In terms of diapering older children that wet the bed it seems that the situations described above are atypical but even though this is the case,both my friend's experience and the situations I've read about on various incontinence forums concerned me and prompted me to write this article.

I hope people realize that this article is not meant as a criticism of anyone's parenting skills. It's meant to help people realize that children are very sensitive regarding these sorts of issues. Children need their privacy and independence in these areas and by not respecting this it makes them feel undignified. I hope this helps people look at this issue in a new light. As always I feel dialogue on these matters is very important and I welcome any constructive thoughts on this matter..