How To Improve Absorbency

[Topsy0400]

I saw a suggestion recently that because a disposable diaper is squashed flat for packing you should always shake it or pull and push it so as to get air into it and expand it before using it. In this way it absorbs much better.

Maybe everyone else does this already but I didn't and since I have done so it certainly seems to absorb more and leak less.

If you don't do it already try it.

Does it make a difference?

[WetDad]

I have tried this on a number of different brands. In each case, I ended up with a diaper that bunched up in the crotch much faster.

[wetman]

I find that shaking it out improves the absorbtion rate quite a bit, but promotes the bunching or clumping as well. So you will have to find just the right way to 'prepare' your nappy for the way that you leak. If you leak large amounts at once, shake well to make more space for the urine to soak away*; if you more or less dribble constantly, don't shake at all, because the dispersion layer will carry the liquid away and the SAP will absorb over a larger area, providing a more even expansion.

What I also recommend is to fold in the middle (inside facing in) and rub the halves against each other a couple of times. It makes sure that the leak barriers, which sometimes get stuck to the surface, stand up properly and somewhat softens the cut line of the plastic outer, leading to less chafing and a more comfortable wear.

You'll just have to live with the bulge between your legs, still better than leaking, isn't it?

[ldatsea]

take the diapers out of the packaging at least a day before you use them and let them naturally slowly expand without shaking or pulling as that may disperse the SAP and make it absorb unevenly

[Baby Brian]

You don't have to take all of them out of the packaging either. I usually just take 1 or two out and let the rest in the bag expand out naturally for a day or two.

[cushytoosh]

Try using Cloth Inserts to help maximize your absorption and minimize your dollars thrown out in the trash

[DailyDi]

take the diapers out of the packaging at least a day before you use them and let them naturally slowly expand without shaking or pulling as that may disperse the SAP and make it absorb unevenly

This. That's why I stack diapers in my dresser out of the bag.

[redneck diaper boy]

A friend of mine used to put cloth baby diapers inside of his cloth adult diaper for extra absorbancy. I haven't seen or heard from my friend from Georgia for years. He use to come down to FL for my wife's collard greens.

[tiggerboy]

I use disposable booster pads. Whilst they are quite small and don't add much bulk, they do two things. Firstly they absorb at a much faster rate than the diaper itself, so if I have heavy urine flow, it flows through the booster into the diaper and prevents leaking. Secondly, it tends to have a better wicking action, so more of the diaper gets used. They are also very cheap compared to diapers, so my daily diaper usage and costs have gone down significantly solely through the use of disposable booster pads.

[dlinmsp]

I use Walgreens Jumbo-sized baby diapers for my inner diaper. With the baby diaper still folded, I slit three rows about two inches long, two rows on the front and one on the back, and use this diaper as a soaker for my Tranquility ATNs.

This combination rarely fails me and I get that nice bulky feeling as the diaper expands with each wetting. It's amazing how much these baby diapers will hold and how heavy they become even as they let the wetness seep into my ATN diaper.

I wear Tranquility Slimlines as my daytime diaper and if I will be out for an extended period of time I will use the baby diaper combination and not worry about leaks. I also use baby-sized diaper pins to make sure the tapes don't fail.