Leaky Diapers...

Updated on June 09, 2009
A.M. asks from El Paso, TX
49 answers

Hi Girls! Help! My 3 1/2 month old, exclusively breastfed son has very runny bowel movements. I've been told be several doctors this is normal for breastfed babies. The problem is that if I don't change him immediately (as in within seconds of him going, we feel like we're racing the diaper) when he has a bowel movement, it's very likely to leak out the back. Since he still has several bms a day, this leaves us running to the changing station, needing to change his outfit and all the linens of his changing pad at least every day or so. It's worse at night, but still a problem during the day when he's upright. We currently use Huggies Snug and Dry because of the band at the back. Does anyone have a diaper suggestion or any other suggestion that can help? Thanks! Just moved him to number 3s and still had a leak... Ugh!

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So What Happened?

Wow! What a plethora of ideas!!! I got some Luv's--have to admit I didn't think they'd work because they seemed so flimsy, but after three bms ( one diarrhea from his shots yesterday), no leakage at all. Totally impressed. Will definitely keep all other ideas in mind should the problem reoccur. It is so nice to be able to walk rather than run to the changing station. Thank you all just so much!!!

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N.S.

answers from Houston on

I would go a size up. If that isn't working for you try a diffent brand. I breastfeed for 18 months and the consistance will get better with food. I know its a mushy mess now but it gets better!

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K.K.

answers from Killeen on

Sprinkle a lot of baby powder with corn starch in his diaper with each change or a baby powder that has no scent to it in there....

The powder will soak up and solidify som of the runny bm making your problem a lot less messy...

At night put a cloth diaper into his disposable diaper and sprinkle the baby powder....The cloth and baby powder will absorb a lot and while you will need to have a small bucket with bleach water to pre soak the night time cloth diaper prior to washing them it will help with this situation while it lasts...

Good luck...

Oh yeah, and if you want to keep any clothes and sheets/blankets that have been messed on, spray them with a 1/3 concentration of Simple Green and water just before washing. I guarantee it will take out the majority of (if not all of) the stain and it WILL get rid of ANY urine or bm smell EVEN if it has sat for a day or two...

1 mom found this helpful
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K.G.

answers from Houston on

Go up a size, that was a sign that my son was ready for the next stage. They may seem a little big at first but if it keeps the poo in...right!!

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V.O.

answers from San Angelo on

I had this problem with one of my daughters. I tried every brand out there and found that the White Cloud brand ( I could only find it at Wal-Mart) worked the best for her.

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C.W.

answers from Killeen on

When the tough gets going I use Parents choice (Walmart generic brand) & LUVs!

I also usually upgraded to the next size diaper for better coverage too.

Best Wishes!

K.N.

answers from Austin on

I found that Luv's diapers worked best for my daughter when she was that age. They seemed to work better than Pampers and Huggies and/or the knock-off brands. And like you, whenever she had a series of blowouts, I usually tried the next size bigger to see if that helped. (I recall that I particularly didn' t like Huggies because I noticed that the elastic band around the back/waist actually rubbed her skin off. Never had that problem with Luv's...) Although you have to go to Target to get Luv's. Grocery stores don't tend to sell them.

Of course, I personally don't think itty-bitty baby diapers stop leaks very well in general. Something about the baby's butt and legs not having much curves or flesh for the diaper to hold on to...

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E.M.

answers from Austin on

I'm going to second what Heather said. With my two breastfed babies, we had poops just like you described. We cloth diaper at home and wear disposables out. We've had tons of blowouts in disposables, but none (yep, that's none. not a single one) in a cloth diaper. So if you really want to end the blowouts, switch to cloth diapers. It's just easier.
You can order everything online. Get the Chinese trifold diapers, the snappi (instead of pins--works great!) and then the Bummis Super Wrap diaper covers. There are also contoured or fitted diapers you can buy in place of the trifolds, but definitely get the Bummis diaper covers because those at the key!

In the mean time, to get the beastfed poop stains out, pre-treat, wash and then hang the items out in the sun to dry. You'll be amazed at how much of the stain the sun takes out. Good luck!

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R.L.

answers from Houston on

I may be in the minority but I had the same problem with my son and the only brand he didn't leak through was the Wal-mart brand. (I can't remember the actual brand name.) We tried every diaper there was and that was the only one that didn't leak or that he wasn't allergic too. So don't count them out just because they are cheaper!

It does get better with time! Hang in there!

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E.S.

answers from Houston on

I remember those days. I use Huggies also and aside from the breastfed poops, I have never had a leak. I really don't have any suggestions on diapers as I only use Huggies. Once you start adding in food it will get better.

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M.P.

answers from Houston on

For my babies (one is 3 and the other is 7 months) PAMPERS worked much much better than Huggies. My son always got leaks with huggies, so we tried Pampers and problem solved.

Good luck.

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J.C.

answers from San Antonio on

LUVS! LUVS! LUVS!

When my kids were first born, we did the swaddlers and they were great. After that we tried Pampers, Huggies and they all leaked. I called Pampers and they told me to try LUVS. Pampers actually makes LUVS. Never had a problem since.

Hope this helps.

J.B.

answers from Houston on

oh yeah I remember that too. More than one onsie bit the dust because I just couldn't get that stain out! The breastfed poos are so weird!:) Anyway, I second the diaper size upgrade. That is what I did, at that time too I found luvs to be the best as far as absorbency went. Hang in there!

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C.M.

answers from Chicago on

We found Pampers worked better than Huggies for our boys.

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K.D.

answers from Beaumont on

We never could use Huggie's. They always leaked out of the legs and up the back. We were lucky enough to have every kind of diapers given to us from different people so we got to try almost ALL of them. The ones that worked best for us were Pampers Swaddlers. My son had to wear those from birth until he was into a 4. Then we moved to Pampers Cruisers & mostly HEB Supreme diapers which is what we use now.

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A.C.

answers from Houston on

My breastfed baby pooped with every daytime feeding. I was lucky that she never pooped at night after just a couple of weeks. I tried everything and only the Pampers Swaddlers did it. I hated spending the extra money, but I hated constantly cleaning up the poop more.

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J.S.

answers from Austin on

We loved Pampers during those early months. If things are particularly runny, you might try the Huggies overnights. They seem to be higher in the front and back and have the most absorbancy of anything we tried.

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H.H.

answers from Houston on

First of all, yes, that kind of poo is totally normal for breastfed babies.

You are experiencing what we in my family call a "blow out" and it happens all the time. The only thing that has stopped blow outs for us? Cloth diapers. Diaper covers and all the new type diapers (pockets, all in ones, fitteds) have great elastic in the back.

My son wore disposables until he was 2. That's when we switched my daughter to cloth and we switched him too. I can't tell you the number of onesies and clothing that were totally ruined by blow outs! My daughter started wearing cloth at 4 months. That was the end of blow outs all up the back of clothing. My newest baby has only worn cloth. NOT A SINGLE piece of clothing has been messed up! It is messy as can be inside the diaper, but the elastic at the legs and back keep it all in the diaper!

Of course, cloth diapers mean more laundry but I figure it's about even the amount of clothing I am NOT having to wash and rewash to get poo out. Cloth is better for baby's bottom, the environment, and after the initial investment, the pocketbook.

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L.B.

answers from Austin on

we tried:
1. switching diaper brands
2. going up a size in diaper
3. double diapers at night
4. maxi pad in the diaper.

Different things worked for different kids. Have fun (heehee)

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L.M.

answers from Houston on

I know you have a ton of responses, but here's my two cents:

-make sure the ruffles around the leg are always OUT and not tucked in to the diaper.

-you could try those plastic/vinyl diaper covers (for training panties) OVER the diaper. I thought of this after those breast milk blowouts stopped...

-Pampers baby dry are awesome for pee pee (not sure for blowouts)

-I like the idea from the mom that said to tuck in the back of the diaper. Sounds like that will work and will try that on my next baby for sure!!

Hang in there! Those blow out days are almost over!

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L.W.

answers from Austin on

1. Keep changing him immediately there is nothing wrong with this and it prevents diaper rashes.

2. Yes, this is indeed normal, and different diapers are going to fit different babies differently. For our first we swore by the Huggies supreme, but for our second they leaked through the crotch everytime. We switched to the cheapest HEB brand and they worked like a charm. My suggestion try different brands and sizes to see what works for you.

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J.V.

answers from Austin on

My daughter really liked the Pampers Swaddlers... said due to an extra little ruffle row that they did not leak like others... She has decided now to go to the more natural.. and without the extra little ruffle... they do leak.

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S.L.

answers from Houston on

Between my sister who has 4 children and my one, I have tried every kind of diaper. What I found to be the best was the BabiesR'us Store Brand "Especially for Babies" These diapers are the best and one of the cheaper brands. My sister and I also breast fed, so we had that same problem.

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D.G.

answers from Austin on

For breastfed babies, runny poop is very normal it may be a little grainy and seedy as well. For my son his bowel movements didn't change from this consistency until he started on solids @ 6 months.

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B.D.

answers from Austin on

Totally normal, and cloth diapers work best to contain the little explosions.

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K.P.

answers from Houston on

Try buying one size larger or night diapers. My son just turned one and still remember the many times in public we had an explosive diaper. Now if I can hold him still to change his diaper we are doing good.

I tried diaper inserts and it just made a bigger mess.

Good luck.

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A.L.

answers from Houston on

Hi Alyssa! I have four kids - my oldest is 10 and my youngest will be 2 this summer. Anytime my kids were having leaky diapers, upgrading to the next size usually did the trick. It could be that it's just not quite big enough to do the job.

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N.R.

answers from Houston on

don't worry you are no alone i too exclusivly breastfed my daughter and i too had to change her clothes about 3 times a day cause her bm would leak out i used pampers cause for her body shaped they worked the best, however we still had leaks and even though the accidents get less they didn't stop till she was almost one! Good luck and just remember to always have extra clothes on you!

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J.T.

answers from College Station on

My son had a similar issue- he was constantly going and developed a SEVERE rash. DH and I went out one night for our anniversary and my parents gave him a bottle of formula. That plugged him up long enough that the rash started to heal. He got 1 formula bottle per day until it healed and we never had a problem again.

It may be that he has no bacteria in his gut, so maybe it is worth a shot to give him a bottle of formula to put some bacteria in his gut.

Good Luck!

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A.H.

answers from College Station on

I have three kids and we had major leakage issues with only one of them (thank goodness). I would add a sanitary pad to the diaper (front or back depending on where the most leakage was happening). Just stick it to the diaper across the back and it will help absorb the yucky mess. It it also a life saver at night, you can add on to the front and the back to stop the leaks. Good luck!

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C.L.

answers from San Antonio on

My daughter had the same issue. Pampers worked best for us, and I noticed when leaking started happening more frequently, it was time to go up to the next size. We never could make Huggies work for us.

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J.J.

answers from Houston on

Have you tried LUVS?

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H.P.

answers from Corpus Christi on

I've always had good luck with pampers. Where your baby is still young he should be able to fit into the pampers swaddlers. Hope you find some relief.

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T.H.

answers from Houston on

I second the idea to go up a size. I have 3 children and whenever those blowouts happened it was always a a sign of needing to move up in size. It worked every time :) Good luck!

-Tara

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U.

answers from San Antonio on

Hi Alyssa,

Congrats on the new baby! This is very very normal and dirty business! I liked the pampers swaddlers for keeping the junk in, but it still runs up their backs. this is why the onsie was invented, if you ask me. it gives you an extra moment before you're drenched in poo!

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M.F.

answers from Houston on

This happened to us all the time except mine only pooped one massive poop a day. It stopped being so runny and therefore so leaky the moment he had his first bite of rice cereal... ah the relief! just hang in there mama!!!

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E.G.

answers from Houston on

Hi, I have 2 boys 7 and 2, I have always used PAMPERS baby dry and I love them, I have tried Huggies and I did not like them at all I had to change my son right away and leaked out. Well try pampers baby dry you might like them.

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S.O.

answers from San Antonio on

I've tried them all. My favorite: Costco brand at Costco membership stores. Next to that: Pampers SWADDLERS then pampers CRUISERS (not regular Pampers). Huggies were one of my least favorites next to Luvs. Make sure the leg flaps are flapping outside the diaper and not tucked in.

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T.B.

answers from Houston on

Switch to Pampers Premium--If I remember correctly they run a little bigger than Huggies. Also, I would fold the top of the back of the diaper in (towards the child) this would make a little "pocket" and help catch any leakage.
Good luck!!

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P.H.

answers from Austin on

I always used the Target generic diapers when my boys were babies. The expensive brands spend too much on the fancy elastic, etc. and I had better luck with the cheap basic ones. Give them a try! Sounds like they couldn't be any worse!

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T.W.

answers from Austin on

every time my daughter was in huggies she leaked - whether is was just pee or poop. the only diapers that i have found that don't leak and keep her dry are the pampers babydry. these work great overnight also. she's been in them since she was born and was breastfed until 16 months old. good luck!

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J.S.

answers from Houston on

Pampers Swaddlers have been great for us!

Good luck!

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J.T.

answers from Victoria on

Huggies worked for our son. Try a different brand. Also make sure your getting it high enough on the back to protect it. The bm shouldnt go past the top of his crack, but the diaper should. Good luck.

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A.P.

answers from Austin on

As several others have said . . . CLOTH DIAPERS! All of our cloth diapers (prefolds, one-size, and fitted) never leaked - not once. And that's with an exclusively breastfed baby with those lovely liquid poops. Yet another benefit of cloth diapers!

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G.G.

answers from Austin on

It is true that breastfed babies have very runny diapers. I breastfed both of mine. I always found, when they start leaking frequently, it's time to move them up a diaper size. Now, I know you said you just moved him to a size 3 and he still had a leaky diaper, but I would give it a little more time and also try a different brand. My son always leaked out of Huggies (so I used Pampers with him). It took a while before trying a different brand dawned on me. Ultimately, that worked. Also, I found that Huggies run a little smaller than Pampers. My daughter always leaked out of the Pampers so I used Huggies for her.

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S.R.

answers from Austin on

I use huggies overnights and haven't had any leaks.

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K.C.

answers from Austin on

Just like some others who responded, my family also call these "blow-outs" or "explosions". I experienced these with all three of my kids who were breastfed. My 5 month old boy has some really big ones and sometimes I can catch it before it goes up his back and sometimes I can't. It is pretty funny to hear his explosions when he his standing on my lap. I always wondered how babies poop while standing up. :>)

If your baby poops when not laying down or sitting in a bouncy seat (or similar), then make sure you don't sit him down so the poop doesn't gets squished or spread out. My son has some really, really BIG poops which are runny and there is NO disposable diaper (other than cloth) that would soak up that much slimy poopy. I use a combination of Pampers and Luvs depending on what coupons I have at the time. No sense spending lots of $$ on diapers especially when babies decide to poop right after you change them.

The unfortunate thing about the poop stains on the clothes is that they are hard to get out. For whites and really like colors, I wash them in a diluted bleach load or I use the Clorox bleach pen directly on the stains. For other colors that I can't use bleach on, I make a paste of Oxiclean (or something similar), put that on the stained area, roll up the item so the paste is contained, and let that sit overnight before I wash it. Thankfully, the poop stains or other difficult stains have always come out, which keeps the clothes looking spiffy.

Hope this helps!
K.

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A.C.

answers from San Antonio on

Yes, breastfed babies have this crazy problem! :) Whenever we started having the problem we usually needed to move up a size. Also we used Pampers Cruisers b/c the back goes up higher than Huggies. Buy a small pack and see if this helps any. Good luck.

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S.T.

answers from San Antonio on

Try the Target brand. It is cheap and works very well. You may also want to consider going up a size. It may help if the diaper went further up his back.

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H.C.

answers from Austin on

My son has food allergies which cause lots of blow outs. We use cloth, like some of the other moms here, and that solves our problem. If you are not interested in cloth, you might try a cloth diaper cover over the disposable. Then you've got two layers of protection. Check into Thirsties diaper covers.

H.

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