Tadpole

Certainly when I signed up I was asked for my date of birth, and it is in my profile. I can't be sure that it still does, but that is irrelevant: the age field is static and does not update automatically.

The board software does not update the real age field, which is odd, since it knows everyone’s date of birth. It is therefore 8 years out of date.

Yup. Over the course of several decades I slowly went from "impossible" to "after a lot of trying" to "with a few minutes" to "easy". At the beginning it is vital that you a sure you are not going to leak. Don't despair @paddedsleeper, be patient, you'll get there.

My one memory of the plastic pants I wore as a baby was that they had poppers that fastened across the middle. I have never seen any like that. this would have been around 1972. Any ideas?

Indeed. Other Real World Incontinence videos also have side sleeping and sitting tests. The trouble is we are all different shapes, we tape diapers on with different amounts of snugness, we move in different ways, we sit in different chairs in different postures wearing different clothes and we pee into different parts of the diaper. And even our pee is not standardized. (Also if we did have a standardized "side sleeping" test and "press-out" test, it wouldn't take long for a manufacture to game the system and device a diaper that excelled at the tests but not actual real world usage). Maybe diapers could come with a description more akin to a wine or beer: "ideal for active people who spend a lot of time walking around, but not so great for side sleepers. Wicks better than average and resists clumping. Relatively silent and easy on the nose in all but the warmest weather". The best advice I would give people is to buy lots of samples of many different diapers and work out what works best for them. Manufacturers should have sample packs available, with clear labeling on the samples so that you don't forget which you are testing (I've had this problem... I once ordered a load of samples from save express which came in a big box and I was unable to work out which some of the samples were!)

I wonder how one might devise a test that is a bit more representative? It would have to account for differing amounts of movement, use in bed, posture etc. Would probably result in something that would be hard to use usefully.

I think there are two levels to this... 1) Complete blue sky thinking: A custom fit (or at least something available in many more shapes than just S/M/L) reusable shell that takes disposable inserts with some form of magic snap in system that is really secure and easy to do. Maybe the inserts are sized for the outer shell. The outer shell would not be a pullup, but would be stretchy and would have seals on the sides so that they don't leak for side sleepers. Maybe some form of electric pumping to remove and store urine so that the insert can cope with longer periods without being excessively bulky. (I've discussed this with @oznl and know he doesn't think it is a starter and he is probably right :-)) 2) Improvements to existing designs: Much much much better wicking: Channels as used in baby diapers (patented by P&G until 2038 or something)? Or internal structures that passively pump liquid when moved. The main thing is to get liquid away from the crotch and make use of all the padding. This could easily double the effect capacity of any existing diaper. Really good stretchy taping systems, preferably which also form a waterproof seal to improve side-sleeping performance. Stronger leg elastics.

Cute maybe, but killers of our native birds... over here the best possum is a dead possum!

I too had this problem for years and years. What worked for me was treat it like a training exercise... start small. I started by using the thinnest cloth backed diapers as possible and even then is was "a combination of familiarity and fatigue" to reach the point where I was sleeping well. The "training diapers" phase lasted a long time... more than a year. The other thing that is really important is to stick with it... wear every night without fail, whether you want to or not. After many false starts I stuck with it and now, two years later, it's feeling pretty normal.

A year or so ago an elderly neighbor call me late one evening to say he had some soft fruit for me to make jam with. I'd only just put a diaper on and it was hardly wet so left it on when I went round. Their dog could not keep his nose out of my crotch. I wonder how many dog owners know this is a thing and quietly know what is going on.

The ID Expert Slip Supers were the first diaper than made me think "gosh, I could go 24/7 with these" - they punched well above their price point. However when they moved to cloth sides they were disappointing.

I'm rubbish at hiaku... but Llama3's not bad: Soft and warm beneath Nighttime's secret, hidden truth Grown-up's gentle sleep

Me too. Plastic bags, kitchen roll, sellotape: Leaked like a sieve. Later on I'd buy the biggest pampers I could, cut two up and tape together to make one: Leaked like a sieve. I didn't try my first adult disposable until I was in my 20's (Tena Super - solid green) - it was a revelation (although they still leaked, didn't they?).

When I eventually manage to be passing by, I’ll just say you are a mate from my distant IT sector past - and we would most likely end up talking tech at some point anyway 🙂

One worry emigrating from the UK to NZ was if good chocolate would exist. Thankfully... Whitakers. Not quite in the same league as some Belgium or Swiss brands, but more than enough to avoid importing UK chocolate. Cheese, however, is another story.