How Pocket Diapers Work

We are expecting our second little girl in November, and now that we cloth diaper, I have been trying to figure out how to cloth diaper a newborn. I don’t like covers or all-in-ones (AIO). Pockets are the diaper type for me. Unfortunately, getting newborn or even preemie pocket cloth diapers is very expensive; especially when you consider that they will only being using them for 2-3 months. To remedy my problem, I have decided to make my own cloth diapers, tailored specifically to my needs and wants.

I have learned a lot about how my pocket diapers work, while trying to figure out what I need to buy to make these diapers. First things first, the shell, is made of polyester, on the outside and the inside. The outside material is very fascinating. It is called PUL fabric, which is abbreviated for polyurethane laminated fabric. Basically, it is polyester material on one side, and plastic on the other. This material has proven wonderful for keeping fluids from leaking out. PUL was originally developed for the medical industry as a way to make disposable things reusable, and is able to be sanitized at very high temperatures.

The inside of the shell, the layer which touches the baby’s bum, is also polyester. Micro suede and micro fleece are common materials used for this layer, because they are soft and have “wicking” abilities. Wicking is when a material can pull a liquid through it from one side to the other. Having this wicking function on the inner layer is important to avoid rashes. It helps to keep their bottoms dry.

Next, the insert, is usually made out of a natural fiber material. The three most absorbent, from least to greatest, are cotton, bamboo, and hemp. Cotton is sufficient for most daytime use, where hemp comes in very handy for 12 or more hours of sleep. The polyester wicks the fluids away from the baby’s bum, and the natural fibers of the insert store the fluids until the diaper can be changed. Then the insert can be washed and sanitized separately from the shell, insuring that all bacteria is killed, thus reducing rashes and smell.

Those three components, the outside PUL, the inside wicking, and the absorbent insert make up a lot of different types of diapers. My preference for pockets comes in that I can wrap a hemp flat around the microfiber insert and keep our baby dry and sleeping for over 12 hours. You can stuff a pocket with just about anything that will be absorbent.