Diaper explosions..

Yael - posted on 08/26/2009

It's probably not the diaper. Give this a shot: take yourself off of dairy for at least 2-3 weeks. Completely off of dairy. (I mean, you can have baked goods with milk in them but that's it). It should make a world of difference. I had this with my first baby. No one told me it could be a cow's milk allergy. It's not normal, even for a breastfed baby to have explosive poops all the time. Soy might be an issue too if you consume it regularly. In the case of my 2nd baby, it's both cow's milk and soy and also goat's milk. I would say that if after 2-3 weeks of no dairy you see a difference then you can try introducing goat's milk dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese) and see if that brigns back the explosive poops or not. Please keep me posted on how you are doing because if the no-dairy doesn't help I can give you other things to try as I am now an expert on baby food allergies. I am Yael Levin Sheldon on Facebook.

Sarah - posted on 08/26/2009

ive breast fed my son since we was a new born and ive only ever had a couple leaks in his whole 11 month of life. i think perhaps its either that your putting your baby in diapers that are far too big and there is too much space at the sides and top of the diaper so its not protecting him. or your not putting his diaper on properly. they need to be high and fairly tight. not too high or tight that it rubs and there's sores but firm enough and high enough that they're not baggy and able to slip down.diapers are stretchy on the legs and waist so that there are no gaps and protect the baby from weaks but still are comfy enough for babies to wriggle around in. :)

Katie - posted on 08/26/2009

diaper size does matter but if hes have alot of diahrea that could be a big problem too. I would talk to your doc and let him know whats going on our son had this problem and we cut out all juice and limmited his fruit and the problem stopped! if you have a kid that doesnt like water like mine try adding a few drops of stevia its a natural sugar that is better than normal sugar or splenda you can get it at a health food store its about $10 but its lasts for a long time. I still give my son some fruit in the moring in his cereal but I stay away from bannanas and melons there the worst for the scoots.

Ashley - posted on 08/26/2009

Quoting Tina:

Diaper explosions..

It seems that no matter what brand of diaper I buy - my little guy ends up with poop everywhere. He can be in a diaper for 5 minutes and if he poops - it's leaking out the side or it's exploded up the back. Any helpful suggestions?? I know BF babies have a looser poop than formula fed babies..but come on! Am I to deal with this for as long as I BF??

my mother in law used to put her kids in a regular diaper and then a cloth diaper on top of that....but this only works ofcourse if you want to use cloth diapers.

Meg - posted on 08/26/2009

I had this same issue with my kids. They were/are BF and got better once solids were introduced into their diets. My MIL sent me rubber pants that go over cloth diapers to see if that would help, but I got it a little too late. This is something that may help. I would love to invent something to stop this mess :)!

Meagan - posted on 08/26/2009

Quoting Tina:

Diaper explosions..

It seems that no matter what brand of diaper I buy - my little guy ends up with poop everywhere. He can be in a diaper for 5 minutes and if he poops - it's leaking out the side or it's exploded up the back. Any helpful suggestions?? I know BF babies have a looser poop than formula fed babies..but come on! Am I to deal with this for as long as I BF??

I had that problem too for awhile. My son is tall, but has no hips, so diapers dont fit him very well. We have to put his diapers on really tight, and it got a lot better once  we started him on baby food.

Yun - posted on 08/26/2009

I also suggest switching diaper brands. We were using Seventh Generation forever, but my 18 month old kept leaking out from the sides and the top over night, so we gave the PC Green ones a try and they work very well. Even though we used size 4s for both brands the PC ones sat higher up in the back and seems to catch everything.

Sarah - posted on 08/26/2009

Go up a size! Even if the diaper fits your baby empty- its a little like the condom thing- you have to have some room on the end or when he fills it it explodes.... sorry for the crude reference! Good Luck!

Catherine - posted on 08/26/2009

Quoting Tina:

Diaper explosions..

It seems that no matter what brand of diaper I buy - my little guy ends up with poop everywhere. He can be in a diaper for 5 minutes and if he poops - it's leaking out the side or it's exploded up the back. Any helpful suggestions?? I know BF babies have a looser poop than formula fed babies..but come on! Am I to deal with this for as long as I BF??

hi, I had same thing, have you tried buying next size up? catherine

Camille - posted on 08/26/2009

My son does that same thing! The only difference is that he didn't do it with breast milk but with formula! I am assuming it's the size of the diapers combined with the way you put it on. At least with me, it wasn't so much the diaper but the way we put it on. So, I make sure that the bottom isn't too tight (pressed against the bum) so the poop doesn't come out on the sides. Then I make sure that the straps on top are tight so it doesn't come out on their back ( or front! I've had this happen to me once). I also found that a larger diaper seems to hold more. You should try the in between sizes (pampers swaddlers are great). Hope this helps.

Jennifer - posted on 08/26/2009

I'm wondering if maybe the diaper is too small?? Try the next size up and see if that helps. If he's old enough introducing some rice cereal might help make it not so loose.

Good luck

Elizabeth - posted on 08/26/2009

Looks like everyone has a brand that worked well for them! Well, for me, Luvs and Pampers worked well. Huggies, not so much. I think the diapers with the outer plastic worked well, but the ones that were "cloth like" I had the issues with. Hope you find a solution soon!

Lilliana - posted on 08/26/2009

It's my understanding that it is not so much an issue of brand as it is an issue of size. If the diaper is too big or too small you'll have this problem. It sounds from your description like it is maybe a too big diaper. Either way try going up or down a size and see if it makes a difference. Good luck.

Leanna - posted on 08/26/2009

Try a bigger sized diaper. I always bought one size bigger than what he actually wore until he was 2 years old. Now I buy him the correct size.

Michelle - posted on 08/26/2009

Yeah, as I was reading through these posts, I wanted to comment that I've never had a problem when I use my cloth diapers and covers - only when my 5-month old daughter is in disposable. So my suggestion is if you want to stay with disposable, you could try using cloth diaper covers (like Thirsties) over the disposable and those will contain the mess - at least you won't have the mess on the clothes.

Alaina - posted on 08/26/2009

Both of mine had this problem when they were young and although it was at a different age for each, it stopped by about 6 months. It's usually not the diaper but the way they are sitting or being held when they pooped. The poop couldn't go one way so it all went the other hence overloading the capability of the diaper. Once I realized this, instead of trying to prevent it, I just prepared for it to happen. The good news is that more than likely it won't last for as long as you breastfeed. I don't know about for everyone else but for me, with each it lasted only a couple months max with each. Good luck!

Kelly - posted on 08/26/2009

Up your size and try LUVS. I had your same exact issues and it was the size, but LUVS work great. Never have leaks or explosions!

Melissa - posted on 08/26/2009

I had a similar problem with my little guy, I found that huggies work the best, there is alot of extra elastic and there is an extra seal in the back to help it from traveling upwards.

Good luck

Alisha - posted on 08/26/2009

Are you using diposibles? I have a little man that is BF and I use Bum Genius 3.0 cloth diapers. I swear by them! My husband and I love them and our little one has never had an issue with them. Blow outs never leak out and get on his clothes and he stays dry longer in them. We had to use disposibles for traveling purposes and I hated them. My little man soaked threw them after only an hour. The Bum Genius are amazing they are expensive up front but you save so much money in the long run.

Lisa - posted on 08/26/2009

I totally agree with Pamela. I never had a single blowout with my cloth diapers - BumGenius 3.0!

Angela - posted on 08/26/2009

I also had LOOOOTS of poop explosions and I tried everything I could think of to prevent them- changed diapers sizes, brands, etc... UNTIL I started using cloth (I used prefolds w/ Thirsties covers). I haven't had any poop problems with them. Also one of the pluses if your baby is still young and BF then you can just rinse them in the washer, not having to do a major spray off and all.

Keisha - posted on 08/26/2009

My daughter went through that and I love the Huggies Little Movers they work wonders. I have it every now and then with my little girl but they help out major time

Desiree - posted on 08/26/2009

With my Son when I have him in disposable diapers he explodes every time, even if I go up a size. Since I have switched to cloth diapers (bumgenius) I have not had that problem. They are super easy to use too.

Andi - posted on 08/25/2009

Tina, you might try going up a size. When my son was in diapers and started having diaper explosions, it usually meant it was time to go up a size. I also agree with making sure the diaper is snug enough. Remember they seem to stretch as those little ones move around.

Sofia - posted on 08/25/2009

we used to had that kind of problem but with peep so we tried different brands of diapers and finally we found Pampers i dont know if there sell that but i think is the best.

p.s: maybe if ur baby isnt started on solids you are going to go to the Doc 4 some recommendations about his BF milk

Tina - posted on 08/25/2009

Thank you ladies - this has been very helpful. I've tried going up a size - but only when he was close to being ready to reach the next size. Maybe I need to go up sooner ~ even if he's not at the right weight yet.



And I forgot to mention - he's 4 months old and he weighs 15 lbs. I've tried Pampers, Huggies, Teddy's choice, Parents Choice. The latest is the Huggies that promise to keep in runny messes.....right. lol. I'll try bumping him up a size next time I'm out getting diapers and see if that helps. I've also been fluffing out the size (another mom/girlfriend told me that already). As for doubling up on diapers - I don't know that I want to start putting two diapers on the kid. 1 diaper at a time is costing me enough...lol. I've purchased the rubber pants for him that go over the cloth diapers but I never put him in those around the house. Besides, that only protects what he's sitting in and not his clothes. Never fails when he's sitting in his booster or the Bumboo. And it doesn't even need to be a significant amount of poop....it always seems to find it's way outta the diaper rather than staying in! Anyway, thanks again Mommas!!!

Elizabeth - posted on 08/25/2009

Well my first question is how old is your child? And yes BF babies have looser stools than formula fed. I BF all 3 of my kids for a year and their poop starts to thicken around 3-4 mos of age. I used luvs for my boys and huggies for my girl. Good luck!

Sifa - posted on 08/25/2009

You should try Luv's diapers and make sure the diaper is fit and not loose...that worked for me!!

Tammy - posted on 08/25/2009

You should try the double diaper process. Buy a larger diaper to put on your child overtop of the smaller diaper. This helps until the poops start hardening up then go back to the single diaper again. Pampers are the better diapers to use.

Brooke - posted on 08/25/2009

I had this problem too. I found that if I used the diapers that fit or appeared to be the correct size, the poop leaked out. If I went up a size, I didn't have the problem. Another helpful tip, I bought the small lap pads that can fit in the car seat or the swing, etc. After washing the swing cushion several times and the car seat cover because of a leak, I gave this a try and it saved on lots of hand washing and frustration.

Jessica - posted on 08/25/2009

I often had diaper explosions when I used disposables. With cloth diapers (particularly when using prefolds with Thirsties covers) I rarely, if ever, had an explosion.

Good luck!

Melissa - posted on 08/25/2009

I agree with Tara.... I had the same problem until i became super vigilant about checking to make sure the gathers (elastic band thingies) were pulled out into position. I also have found that only pampers work for my boys though......

Brittany - posted on 08/25/2009

you might just need to buy a bigger size diaper...

Julie - posted on 08/25/2009

I have to go along with those saying to go up a diaper size. I had problems with my son just DESTROYING the diapers he was in and when I finally thought to try a larger size, it worked like a charm. But now at eight months, we RARELY have that problem anymore. I find the Pampers Cruisers are adequate during the day and Huggies Overnites do well at night for us. Best of luck!

Caroline - posted on 08/25/2009

Is he really young? The poop will change as he gets older. I found that Huggies worked the best for my little boy.

Marlana - posted on 08/25/2009

I was having the same problem and in our case it was because the diaper was too big, once I went back down a size the problem stopped.

Tara - posted on 08/25/2009

Quoting Tina:

Diaper explosions..

It seems that no matter what brand of diaper I buy - my little guy ends up with poop everywhere. He can be in a diaper for 5 minutes and if he poops - it's leaking out the side or it's exploded up the back. Any helpful suggestions?? I know BF babies have a looser poop than formula fed babies..but come on! Am I to deal with this for as long as I BF??

What you want to do is make sure that the elastic area (around the legs) is pulled out when you put the diaper on. They usually fold in due from packaging. When they poop....it's gotta go somewhere! LOL  It doesn't really matter what brand you buy, but I use Huggies Lil Snugglers....in the inside of the back of the diaper is a flap that catches the really messy poops!  Oh and you want to make sure that the diaper is SNUG but not tight.  Good luck! :)

Christine - posted on 08/25/2009

When my daughters were young I had the same issue. I found that Pampers swaddlers worked the best. Also, it seemed worse if they were sitting in a car seat or carrier. If I noticed that they were filling their diapers, I would take them out of the carrier and then change them as soon as I could.

Ashley - posted on 08/25/2009

i had to double up my sons diapers for a while. put whatever size he wears on him, and then eitehr (depending on his age) put the next size up on him over his diaper, or put the smallest size pull up over it. hope that helps!

Amy - posted on 08/25/2009

Breast fed babies tend to do that no matter what type or size diaper you use. The best thing to do is put a diaper cover like you use for cloth diapers over the diaper so it doesn't get all over the place.

Missi - posted on 08/25/2009

Both my BF kids were the same way. It's just something you have to put up with, there really isn't much you can do but grin and bear it until they are on solid foods. Right around the seven month mark (when they had been on solids for a few weeks) it starts to get better and by the tenth or eleventh month (when they can start eating table food) the problem almost completely dissapears. At that point you just have to worry about the occasional upset stomach from trying new foods.

Ashley - posted on 08/25/2009

Try a bigger diaper, Any time my little mans diapers start leaking I go up a size and it solves the problem

Pamela - posted on 08/25/2009

When my son was wearing his normal diapers (bumgenius cloth diapers) it never, ever happened. The few times he was wearing disposables (7th gen and huggies, mostly) his poo EXPLODED out. We're talking major goop! Up the back and out the sides.

His poop got firmer around 6 months when we started solids.

Tami - posted on 08/25/2009

My son is 1 yr. old and we still have that problem sometimes. I always use a size bigger diaper than he needs since his volume is big. We hardly ever get explosions like that. My hubby tends to not put his diaper on tight enough too. I just tell him that if he is going to do that, he's cleaning up the mess. Ha ha!

Amanda - posted on 08/25/2009

my son went through a stage like this lasting a couple weeks..... i found that huggies supreme worked the best in containing the mess. also make sure they fit snuggly around his legs and tight enough around his waist, i found that (still happens now!) when my hubby changes my son he doesn't put the diaper on tight enough and we have explosions.

Toni - posted on 08/25/2009

My sister had this problem with my nephew. She found Pampers worked the best. But it went on for months till he was about 9mths to 1yr old and was on mainly solids. Just one of those things that you need to grin and bare I'm afraid. You know he's getting the best nourishment that you can give him. It'll all be over before you know it. It's now a joke in our family of some of the states my nephew would get in to.

Nicole - posted on 08/25/2009

Could it be the size of the diaper, maybe too big or too small? I know that was the case with us. Either that, or perhaps he's having a reaction to the BF milk and making his poop too loose. Not sure how old your son is, but ours was like that for a couple of months until he started on solids at 4 months. I say first check with doc about it (so you don't waste money on trying different size diapers), and go from there. My suggestion.