The hot weather is very inviting, but alongside it invites plenty of sweat on your baby’s delicate bottom. So what’s next? The dreaded prickly heat and diaper rash comes along. Oops! These itchy and irritating rashes aren’t supposed to be welcome under your little one’s diapers. So if you’re living in a hot, humid climate or you simply want to prepare for the summer, here are some cool diapering tips that can help keep those nasty rashes at bay.
Choosing a Cool Diaper for your Baby
Probably the most important factor in keeping your baby’s bottom cool and comfy is your choice of diaper for your baby. Be it disposable or cloth diapers, there will be plenty of choices to cater to your specific needs.
High-quality disposable diapers have their own advantages in keeping your baby’s bottom dry. Disposable diapers can:
- Absorb urine more quickly and leave the adjacent surface dry
- Hold more urine (around 2 to 3 wettings)
- May effectively enclose baby’s stools
- Withstand overnight leaks which means lesser midnight awakenings
Alongside, if you’re the nature-friendly type and would like to cut back on throwing tons of disposable diapers every day, you may find solace in choosing the right type cloth diapers for your baby. If you want to keep your baby’s bottom cool and dry despite the hot weather, you’ll want to find a cloth diaper that can:
- Wick off the urine or moisture quickly (dry)
- Allow air to circulate underneath the diaper (breathable)
- Absorb urine effectively to prevent wetness (absorbent)
So with these characteristics in mind, it may be best to select cloth diapers and covers that are absorbent and can keep your baby’s bottom dry and breathable. Some of the best cloth diaper options when the weather is hot are fitted, flat, and prefold diapers with these breathable and absorbent fabrics:
- Cotton
- Bamboo
- Hemp
Cotton and bamboo fabrics are naturally soft, airy, and absorbent. These fabrics can be your top choice for cool diapering your baby. For overnight use and heavy soakers, you can double up the absorbency with hemp inserts. Using hemp will also minimize the bulk as it can do the job of multiple inserts when it comes to absorbency.
Just remember that hemp, though super absorbent, takes a little more time to pull down the liquids. So if you want to keep your baby’s bottom ultimately dry, especially when on trip or while sleeping, you’ll want to place a quick absorbing material, like a bamboo insert, on top of the hemp. Hemp will take time to soak things up but they’ll hold more fluids than any other inserts out there, so it best placed farthest from your baby’s bottom if you’re using two or more diaper inserts.
The Importance of Having the Right Diaper Cover
Aside from the type of cloth diaper used, choosing the right diaper cover will help you achieve your goal of cool diapering your baby. So the first thing that may come into your mind are PUL covers because they seem to be the lightest cover that can prevent leaks.
However, the PUL (polyurethane laminate) material resists moisture and contains all the wetness inside. These diaper covers are great if you are after preventing cloth diaper leaks, but since it keeps the moisture in, this will also mean a moist baby bottom that is more prone to diaper rash.
PUL covers may also be good if you change your baby’s cloth diapers frequently. However, the when the climate is too hot, it may trap in more heat because the material isn’t that breathable. So even if you have the coolest prefold or fitted diaper, if they’re enclosed in a laminated material, you might still end up with a hotter and sweaty bottom. That’s exactly want you want to avoid, right?
So what are the best diaper covers in a hot weather? Ideally, they’re supposed to be covers that are made of wool or fleece.
Yes, you read it right! These fabrics may appear thick and warm and are often the material for your winter sweatshirts, but they have a different purpose for cloth diapering. Wool and fleece are superb in wicking off the moisture from the inside and quickly releasing it into the air through evaporation. Moreover, these fabrics allow the passage of air in and out of the cloth diapers, ending up in a much cooler temperature within.
The excess urine tends to bind with the natural lanolin in the wool fabric and released on air to dry. This characteristic of wool also makes this diaper cover self-cleaning and withstand multiple diaper change. When it’s time to wash and dry the wool pants, simply dab a couple of lanolin on the surface to retain its wicking ability.
Most all-in-ones and pocket diapers are also built with laminated fibers to prevent leaking, so they may not be that ideal if you are after cool diapering for the hot and humid days.
Other Tips in Keeping your Baby’s Diaper Cool in a Hot Weather
The selection of baby diaper is a primary concern in keeping your baby cool amidst a hot weather, but some additional measures can also make a huge difference in maintaining the coolness and keeping your baby’s bottom comfortable and rash-free. You may find the following tips helpful:
Dare to bare
When the temperature is really hot, you can allow some time when your baby can freely roam within the house without his diapers on. Most of the time, babies won’t urinate immediately right after taking a bath. You can use this time to keep them diaper-free for a while.
This will give room for his skin to be naturally exposed to air, further minimize heat, and therefore, lower down his risk of having diaper and heat rash.
Cover less
Wool and fleece diaper covers may be the best options for a hot weather, but if you currently don’t have one at home, you can try putting those fitted diapers on without a cover too. Sure, it would mean a leaky diaper most of the time, but it will also make sure that less heat and moisture will build up because the diapers will be changed right on time. Learning the sensation of wetness, may also give you an opportunity to begin potty training your baby.
Avoid using powder or lotion
Using these cosmetic products on your baby’s bottom during a hot weather may clog the pores of the skin. This will hinder sweating, which is the skin’s natural way to release excessive heat from the body. Clogged pores can also attract bacterial build-up, which can trigger inflammation and infection.
Let your baby wear a cotton-based shirt
Cotton is best worn during summer, but that’s not simply for cloth diapers alone. Cotton can absorb sweat quickly and leave your baby’s body dry in a hot weather. If your baby will be wearing a fleece or wool diaper cover, it will be best paired with a cotton shirt than a bodysuit. When snapped underneath, bodysuits will cover the fleece or wool which will then defy its purpose of wicking off moisture. Shop for cotton baby shirts on our store!
Recommended Products To Buy
So there! You might already have envisioned your baby wearing a cool and comfy diaper for summer (or most days, if you live in a hot and tropical climate). If you’re now ready to shift to the cooler stuff, then here are some of our highly recommended products for you:
Osocozy Two Sized Unbleached Fitted Diaper
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These can be your best option if you are finding some budget-friendly, yet durable cotton fitted diapers for your baby. The 12 layers of unbleached cotton boost the diaper’s absorbency, with a simple design that is just perfect for a minimalist style. On top of that, these fitted diapers are made from the traditional birdseye cotton which are known for being soft and breathable, making them great to wear on a hot, humid day.
Osocozy Unbleached Prefolds
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Just like their fitteds, Osocozy prefolds feature unbleached, soft, and absorbent cotton in a fair price, making them one of the best-selling prefolds in the market. Featuring 100% Indian cotton in thick, gauze weave pattern, they are a good option when you’re seeking some cool and breathable prefolds for your baby. In a hot weather, you can simply put on a prefold with diaper fasteners or have it worn inside a cool, waterproof diaper cover.
Thirsties Natural Bamboo Fitted Diaper
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Your baby’s bottom is sure to beat the summer heat with these fitted made from natural bamboo and cotton combo. Featuring 12 layers of bamboo-cotton, this can be among the best options for a sweaty baby in a hot weather. Bamboo and cotton are known for their absorbency, softness and breathability, making them great to use in a hot climate.
Thristies Hemp/ Organic Cotton Cloth Diaper Inserts
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Do you have a heavy wetter but still want to go for the cool and breathable stuff within your cloth diapers? Then these thirsty cloth diaper inserts can be your lifesaver! Hemp is known for its superb absorbing capability and cotton is infused to keep the fabric soft, cool, and breathable. This is the perfect insert to minimize too much bulk within your baby’s diaper and can make him utmost comfortable in a hot and sunny day.
Engel Organic Merino Virgin Wool Nappy Pants
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This single-knit, lightweight and breathable wool nappy pants can be the perfect cover for your cloth diaper in a warm and humid day. Simply put this on with a cotton or bamboo fitted or prefold diaper to ensure that moisture is wicked away from the inside and released in the air. This moisture-wicking feature also makes it perfect to reuse after changing several cloth diapers. However, since it is a single-knit wool pant, it is ideal to be used only during daytime when your baby is actively moving around.
Disana Organic Wool Diaper Cover
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Your baby’s bottom still feels hot and moist even at night? Then you may find this double-knitted organic wool diaper cover perfect to combat these sweaty nights. This wool over-pants offer enough thickness to absorb and wick away moisture from your baby’s overnight prefolds or fitted diapers, allowing air to circulate in its breathable fabric. The soft waistband is also designed to contain leaks while keeping your baby’s tummy comfortably warm while asleep.
Conclusion
That’s it for cool diapering your baby! Have you already found a cool baby diaper for a hot weather? Share it with us on the comment section below.
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