Regardless of if you’re using cloth diapers or disposables, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you change your baby’s diaper every 2 - 3 hours, or right away if poop is detected! Our organic cotton diapers are perfectly absorbent enough to get you through those regular change intervals, so no need to change your cloth diapers more frequently than you would a disposable. (We’ll get to what to do for those longer sleep stretches in this post, too!) 

It’s also worth noting that our Esembly diapers are made up of two parts: an absorbent  Inner  organic cotton fitted diaper and a waterproof  Outer  diaper cover. Both are needed for the diaper to perform and keep things leak-free, blowout-proof, and adorable. (because have you seen how cute our  Outers  are 😍) 

The next thing that’s important for preventing leaks is ensuring that the cloth diapers you’re using are properly sized for your baby.

For us, having a trim, well-fitting diaper was paramount, so our Inners (aka organic cotton fitted diapers) and Outers (aka waterproof diaper covers) come in 2 sizes. Size 1 fits babies from approximately 7-17lbs, and Size 2 fits babies from approximately 18-potty training. We say "approx" because these are estimates. Depending on their body type, some babies might move from Size 1 to 2 at 15 lbs, whereas others will linger till 19 lbs. We recommend paying more attention to fit than weight when knowing when to move up in size.

The key to getting your cloth diapers in a position to avoid leaks and blowouts is ensuring that you've got a great fit at the waist and at the leg holes since these are the two most vulnerable areas.

At the waist, our recommendation is to fasten both the Inner and Outer high up on your baby towards the belly button. Doing so will give you a better fit in the crotch by hiking those leg openings into the groin and not around the thighs.

Speaking of leg openings, you want to make sure those leg elastics of the Inner and Outer sit tucked in at the groin and not around the thigh. The fit of the Outer* should be nice and snug with no sagging or excess room between the elastic and your baby.

*It's totally okay if the Inner inside has some gaping around the legs, as long as the Outer is snug and cinches it all together. You can also try “the ruffle tuck” as we’ll outline in the next section!

One other thing to consider with Esembly diapers : once you put the Inner + Outer on the baby, you'll want to check that there is no Inner cotton peeking out of the Outer. Any exposed cotton will wick moisture onto anything it touches.

Pro tip : If you're having difficulty with "sneaky cotton," – do your best to secure the Outer over the Inner as best you can while your baby is on the changing table. Then, while holding your baby in your arms afterward, poke around and tuck any sneaky cotton back in.

Let’s circle back to “the ruffle tuck” we mentioned. Newborns often have the sweetest, most delicate little baby bird legs, and these tiny little legs often need some time to chunk up before they can fill out the leg holes of the diapers.

If you're already using the smallest snap setting that is comfortable on your babe, and you're still left with a little gaping at the leg openings, you'll want to do what we call the "ruffle-tuck."

Here's how it works: snap the Esembly Inner on your baby. But before you cover it with the Outer, take your finger and push the cotton ruffle around the legs inside the diaper so it plugs up the gap left by the elastic. Then, put the Outer on over as usual. That simple tuck helps keep liquid-y newborn-poo from escaping while you wait for your baby's thighs to chunk up!

This hack can be used for more than just the newborn phase! You can also use "The Ruffle Tuck" if your baby's thighs need more time to chunk up when transitioning from Size 1s to Size 2s.

When your little one starts clocking in those long awaited 6+ hour stretches of sleep, it's time to introduce the real MVPs of leak-free nighttime diapering: Overnighters . Think of these as your secret weapon in ensuring uninterrupted slumber. 😴👶

The Overnighters consist of a thick pad constructed from 8 layers of absorbent organic cotton, topped with a layer of "stay-dry" recycled fleece. The fleece side allows moisture to pass through into the cotton while maintaining a dry sensation, which is great for keeping your baby feeling comfy and dry all night long. We recommend starting with just one Overnighter, but if your baby is a heavy wetter you can increase it to 2 or even 3* Overnighters.

*The beauty of cloth diapering at night is that you can customize absorbency based on how heavy of a wetter your baby is and/or how long your baby sleeps. If ever you find that one Overnighter isn't enough, you can try layering in a second Overnighter inside the Inner (aka the organic cotton fitted diaper) for added absorbency and see if that helps. If that works, great! If not, you can try adding in a third Overnighter (2 inside the Inner and 1 in between the Inner and Outer). We affectionately call this the “diaper lasagna”. 😂

You’ll need to make sure that any skincare products you use with your cloth diapers are “cloth-friendly”. Using skincare products that are not cloth friendly can lead to greasy build-up on your diapers, which will cause them to no longer be absorbent. And as you might have guessed, lack of absorbency = leaky diapers!

That said, here is a simplified list of what skincare ingredients we’d suggest avoiding while cloth diapering:

• Petroleum (and byproducts thereof)

• Mineral oil

• Cod-liver oil

• Lanolin

• Tallow

• Heavy wax

• or products with high concentrations of zinc oxide (over 15%)

Pro Tip : We recommended our Rash Relief Cream and Everyday Balm as both are guaranteed to wash out of your cloth diapers

You’ll also want to avoid adding things like fabric softeners or dryer sheets to your cloth diaper laundry routine, as these are designed to leave a greasy coating on your diapers. And as you may have guessed, much like skincare that is not cloth friendly, this greasy build-up can impact the absorbency of your cloth diapers. 

Preventing leaks with cloth diapers doesn’t have to be overwhelming—in fact, with a few simple tips, it’s a breeze! By staying on top of regular diaper changes, ensuring a snug fit, and using clot