One year on

[sparklezBear]

As the weeks and months tick by, I find that I've rather settled into my new lifestyle to such a point where it's now the mundane. I'm engaging less in the wider soggy-pants community, and aside from daily appreciation for my chosen type of underwear, I give little mind to this facet of my life. I wonder if that explains the seemingly relatively low activity by veterans of the 24/7 movement. Or perhaps I'm looking in the wrong places?

Backing up a sec, a week ago marked 12 months of 24/7. I had intended to post on the day, but work and a life within a local natural disaster has been taking up most of my time. For anyone who doesn't know, the north-eastern part of NSW in Australia has experienced record levels of flooding, with countless homes destroyed or damaged, with equal numbers of people displaced. The community has been ever active and supportive, and almost everyone not directly affected by the flood has been getting involved and volunteering in the clean-up or helping with evacuees, myself included. I've also taken in some friends who were displaced.

All in all, tumultuous times, not to mention a frantic re-stash of the countless nappies and supplies I had in my spare (little) room as I had friends on their way.

On the 24/7 front, and particularly since my last update some months ago, it's all been smooth sailing. I cannot foresee that I would ever stop at this point. I love being in nappies, and it's working well in my life. As with my last update, I refer to myself as being incontinent, and I certainly cannot be trusted for any time without a nappy or I will drip and dribble like a toddler. Beyond that, it's all quite boring. The biggest challenge I find now is choosing the right nappy to match my expected change time if I'm due to go out and about. Oh, and while I have friends at home with me, I've been using the potty for #2 out of respect for their olfactory senses. That will end as soon as I'm alone again.

Here's to last 12 months, and to the next 12 months in nappies.

[Beccathelittle]

Congratulations on your anniversary of 24/7! I hope you're staying safe and i'll be keeping you in my prayers!

How quickly time has flown  I'm just hitting my 6th month myself.

If I could get you to write about the experience and yourself on the subject a little bit more I guess i'd ask this question.

What would the top five things you've either learned about yourself be on the experience, or what unexpected experiences have changed that you didn't know or consider when starting in the first place?

 

[BabyJilly_S]

Glad to hear you are doing well

 

[Kif]

Congrats! Glad you're alright with all that is going on, and mad respect for helping out!

[PuraVidaDip]

19 hours ago, sparklezBear said:

I'm engaging less in the wider soggy-pants community, and aside from daily appreciation for my chosen type of underwear, I give little mind to this facet of my life. I wonder if that explains the seemingly relatively low activity by veterans of the 24/7 movement. Or perhaps I'm looking in the wrong places?

I think you’re right about this. The more time that goes on the more comfortable you feel, the less you need the community reinforcements. 
 

It is super helpful to post here so that others who may be going through this will have more information to help them along. 

[Mindylou]

My goals too! I'm 6 months 24/7 almost now.. wondering what my body will be like at a year! I can't wait! Prayers for you in Australia dealing with the flooding. 

[sparklezBear]

9 hours ago, Beccathelittle said:

What would the top five things you've either learned about yourself be on the experience, or what unexpected experiences have changed that you didn't know or consider when starting in the first place?

I'm definitely one of these types of people that works well with interaction rather than just sharing an update. I never know what to write about, and so keep it as short and concise as possible. On that note, thank you for the additional question :).

In no particular order.

1. The ease of which I adapted to 24/7 was not expected. I expected to experience a marked degree of trial and effort integrating nappies into my life, which while was that of a home-body, not always. I also expected work to represent additional challenges that it really hasn't. In detail, I expected to have wardrobe malfunctions, a number of issues with leaking in public, and having to manage in situations where I could not change as needed. While I have experienced one episode of severe leaking, and a few minor leaks while at work, they were rather isolated and rare. I don't have any real explanation other than to propose that it was down to preparation and planning. I learned before going 24/7 what nappies work well in different scenarios, and learned the valuable skill of strategic changes. Currently I've not had any sort of public leak in months, and no difficulties whatsoever in changing as needed while out and about. 
    
2. Incontinence is not like what I had thought it was. A long time before going 24/7, I had an aim of incontinence. I had this idea that it went hand in hand with wearing 24/7, and that it would result in me just dribbling for much of the time without awareness. To be clear, I do have an element of that, but that is not the way a bulk of my bladder contents leaves. Rather, I tend to void in reasonably small amounts anywhere from a couple to a dozen times and hour depending on my hydration, activity and even the temperature. I also tend to retain awareness of this, although that is not to suggest there's much conscious thought or permission involved. As I had expected to be more a constant dribbler, I researched finding papers which detailed the urinary habits of babies through to toddlers. What I found is that most 9-month olds tend to void about 4-5 times per hour on average, slowly decreasing with age. It suddenly seemed obvious, that I am actually using my nappy like a baby. Ok, I may have more awareness of this by virtue of noticing the sensation, but it doesn't diminish the fact that I have minimal involvement with my bladder, encouraging it to empty at every moment it can. Generally, I don't really give permission for voiding to occur, it more or less just happens without any real involvement by me now days. All in all, I'm very happy with this, although as noted, it really wasn't what I thought it would be.
    
3. Nobody notices. I've been in nappies at work and in public for more than a year. I started off with thinner medium-duty nappies to help in visual discretion, which they do work well for right up until the moment they leak. It only took me a few months to migrate from medium-duty nappies to more capacious models. At work, a R*@#$ Essential is the minimum I wear. For other public outings, I just dress to the occasion and duration. I must admit, I tend to wear either medical or plain white nappies while in public, god forbid I have some sort of accident and need emergency care. The same goes for at work, since injury is always a possibility. Otherwise, to my knowledge nobody knows. Or at least nobody has said anything in any setting. I suspect the age old trend continues, people are too focused on themselves to notice such minor things around them. With that said, I continue to dress appropriately regardless, using onesies, light compression shorts and larger-sized bottoms (for pants) appropriate for the situation.
    
4. A good routine will keep the rash away. In the last year, I can count the number of rashes I've experienced on one finger. The one rash that I did experience was the initial result of some chaffing from poorly located leg cuff on my Gary brief cover. It settled quickly over the next day or two with careful application of the ever helpful Sudocrem. Otherwise with the application of Sudocrem and usually powder at each change, my skin has remained in great condition even with only two nappies per day on workdays.
    
5. My little side has become a bit more subdued. I've not been able to identify the specific reason for this, but it is something I have noticed over the last year. I still sleep with my plushie, in a onesie if the temperature allows, and I love my childlike clothing that I try to wear while at home. But I'm currently okay to go without those things, and I've not slept consistently with a paci for some months now, and haven't had a bottle in quite a while. Initially I had the plan of setting up my spare room as a little space room for me, with lots of plushies, colour, graphics, furniture and what not to be an escape, somewhere to drift off peacefully after a bottle. Instead, it became only a store room for excess nappies, although the furniture I wanted is sitting there, empty. It's not been for naught however, and that room has come in handy for friends needing a roof over their head, either while visiting, or during these floods for example. Currently I'm missing the idea more than the fruition of the idea so to speak. Were I to guess, I would think that this is the result of being in nappies 24/7. As in, my constant nappy companion remains powerful, helping me to function in a variety of ways to the point where it's taken sufficient pressure off my little side that had been previously trying to get attention and engagement internally. 

Feel free to ask more questions :). 

[Beccathelittle]

Really wonderful of you to share in such detail  I only wish the best in your future! Hope to hear updates as time goes on.

If you really want a few more questions then I'd ask these.

1. Have you told family/friends/doctors or kept it private?

2. Do you want to progress to #2 incontinence once things settle and the home is clear? Or are you more happy with how things are currently working?

3. Have you had much travelling or vacations since being 24/7? How has that gone?

4. Any absolute wardrobe musts you'd love to share for another?

 

[Kawaharu]

Being Diaper dependent, adult baby and Incontinent, it's totally normal for me. My friends, family and doctors know I wear diapers and know I'm an adult baby and Incontinent. I'm kept in diapers permanently and I use my diapers as intended including pooping and peeing. So it's normal for me being kept in diapers and kept knowing that I don't potty like a grown up anymore. 

[oznl]

Congratulations on your first year.

If it’s anything like mine, you’d be looking back on it and wondering what all the fuss was about.  Everything that seemed impossible proved possible with a bit of thought and effort.

On 3/14/2022 at 10:51 AM, sparklezBear said:

As the weeks and months tick by, I find that I've rather settled into my new lifestyle to such a point where it's now the mundane. I'm engaging less in the wider soggy-pants community, and aside from daily appreciation for my chosen type of underwear, I give little mind to this facet of my life. I wonder if that explains the seemingly relatively low activity by veterans of the 24/7 movement.

I think this is somewhat true.  For me it was a source of enormous frustration to me.  Before going out on my own 24/7, I tried hard to find out what the road was REALLY like.  The overwhelming pattern with true chronologies was that they would peter out within a few months.  Whether the scribe had given up or simply gotten bored with chronicling was often not clear.

To try and be part of the solution instead of part of the problem, I made a point of pushing on regardless with my own blog.  At times I felt like somebody doing the midnight to dawn shift on an obscure and remote radio station but as you’ve seen in the enthusiastic and engaged response to your post here, you are more interesting than you think you might be ?

Keep Kronicling, like myself, you have plenty more “big rocks” to move on this journey.

[sparklezBear]

On 3/15/2022 at 3:12 PM, Beccathelittle said:

Really wonderful of you to share in such detail  I only wish the best in your future! Hope to hear updates as time goes on.

If you really want a few more questions then I'd ask these.

1. Have you told family/friends/doctors or kept it private?

2. Do you want to progress to #2 incontinence once things settle and the home is clear? Or are you more happy with how things are currently working?

3. Have you had much travelling or vacations since being 24/7? How has that gone?

4. Any absolute wardrobe musts you'd love to share for another?

 

Sure, happy to share my experiences.

1. For my family, I'm not even remotely close to any of them them except for my mother, so none of them know. Otherwise I've told the truth to all of my friends, and my doctor, that I've had a lifelong desire for them, and function better in nappies. All of my friends have been supportive, and my doctor is understanding.
    
2. While I prefer to use my nappies for everything, it is convenient sometimes to have some bowel control, particularly when I'm about in public or at work. I've no wish to expose another non-consenting person to the smell of my messy nappy. Were I to progress to bowel incontinence too, that wouldn't bother me hugely. I just don't think that will happen without some effort on my part, and for now I'm happy with things as they are in the short term.
    
3. None! The big C and copious amounts of work have largely prevented me from going anywhere. This will change later in the year however, as I'll have a few weeks with friends away from home. I suspect the biggest challenge will be logistics around changing and supply. For the three weeks I will need about 65 odd nappies of different types, various consumables, plastics and onesies, and clothing to suit. Since I will have my car, bringing those nappies with me is no big deal. Just being in an unfamiliar place will be a test for changing. Whichever way, it's a challenge I look forward to.
    
4. For me, I usually dress for discretion. This means onesies for support and or light compression shorts for smoothing out lines and providing support. The onesies I refer to here are plain camisole bodysuits. They prevent my waist band from peeking, and provide some support for my nappy. The light compression shorts essentially hold up my nappy while smoothing out any defined lines. Together they make my nappy very discrete, suitable for the work place. Outside of work, I care much less about discretion, although the chosen nappy still factors into whether I can wear my favourite skinny jeans, which are only really viable with medium-duty nappies. Otherwise skirts and dresses allow me to wear whatever max-capacity nappy I like. The perks of being a girl.

[sparklezBear]

On 3/15/2022 at 5:38 PM, oznl said:

Keep Kronicling, like myself, you have plenty more “big rocks” to move on this journey.

I'll try

 

[PlstkBakdnghtnday]

On 3/13/2022 at 7:51 PM, sparklezBear said:

As the weeks and months tick by, I find that I've rather settled into my new lifestyle to such a point where it's now the mundane. I'm engaging less in the wider soggy-pants community, and aside from daily appreciation for my chosen type of underwear, I give little mind to this facet of my life. I wonder if that explains the seemingly relatively low activity by veterans of the 24/7 movement. Or perhaps I'm looking in the wrong places?

Backing up a sec, a week ago marked 12 months of 24/7. I had intended to post on the day, but work and a life within a local natural disaster has been taking up most of my time. For anyone who doesn't know, the north-eastern part of NSW in Australia has experienced record levels of flooding, with countless homes destroyed or damaged, with equal numbers of people displaced. The community has been ever active and supportive, and almost everyone not directly affected by the flood has been getting involved and volunteering in the clean-up or helping with evacuees, myself included. I've also taken in some friends who were displaced.

All in all, tumultuous times, not to mention a frantic re-stash of the countless nappies and supplies I had in my spare (little) room as I had friends on their way.

On the 24/7 front, and particularly since my last update some months ago, it's all been smooth sailing. I cannot foresee that I would ever stop at this point. I love being in nappies, and it's working well in my life. As with my last update, I refer to myself as being incontinent, and I certainly cannot be trusted for any time without a nappy or I will drip and dribble like a toddler. Beyond that, it's all quite boring. The biggest challenge I find now is choosing the right nappy to match my expected change time if I'm due to go out and about. Oh, and while I have friends at home with me, I've been using the potty for #2 out of respect for their olfactory senses. That will end as soon as I'm alone again.

Here's to last 12 months, and to the next 12 months in nappies.

Maybe those who have gone fully 24/7

 

No longer feel the need to check in

[DLJeff52]

@sparklezBear

Thank you so much for posting this!  I am on month 4 and have been posting and occasionally get responses, but sometimes wonder if the posting is worth it.  All that to say your posting was worth it to me! Thank you!

I'm currently frustrated with the lack of nighttime progress as I feel like I may have even regressed from where I was with that at month 2, and there is a general malaise that I'm feeling.  However, that said, I'm also very content with this lifestyle.  I feel like I have it figured out and I'm down to $4.70 / day in diapers after figuring out different sizes and my daily activity requirements.

That said, my point in responding was that I imagine there is an initial "rush" in making the move to this lifestyle that naturally wanes overtime when it becomes less of a "big deal".  I would imagine a lot of people either leave the lifestyle when that rush fades or, perhaps like yourself, find a peace and steadiness in the decision and just continue on without many highs or lows as they go!  

I was encouraged with your post because it gives me a glimpse of what "normalcy" will look like over time.  Thank you for continuing to share and be transparent!  It probably helps more people than you know!

 

 

[Little Sherri]

1 hour ago, DLJeff52 said:

I'm currently frustrated with the lack of nighttime progress as I feel like I may have even regressed from where I was with that at month 2, and there is a general malaise that I'm feeling.  However, that said, I'm also very content with this lifestyle.

Stay the course, my friend. I may be developmentally delayed... or developmentally robust, or however you'd want to phrase it, because feeling the sands shifting under my feet in this regard has taken a LONG time - I'm within about a week of having been 24/7 for 3 years. I was convinced that nothing was changing for me with respect to overnight occurrences, but, the occurrences themselves begged to differ. I'm still unreliably unreliable in the nighttime dryness category, but, the preponderance of evidence suggests that, were I not religious about wearing a diaper to bed, I might be looking into replacing a mattress by now, Or, my wife might be looking into replacing a husband. For me, these changes have been glacially slow, but I am no longer completely convinced that nothing is changing. I don't think I'm hurtling towards anything, but... crawling, maybe? 

[DLJeff52]

On 3/24/2022 at 11:30 AM, Little Sherri said:

Stay the course, my friend. I may be developmentally delayed... or developmentally robust, or however you'd want to phrase it, because feeling the sands shifting under my feet in this regard has taken a LONG time - I'm within about a week of having been 24/7 for 3 years. I was convinced that nothing was changing for me with respect to overnight occurrences, but, the occurrences themselves begged to differ. I'm still unreliably unreliable in the nighttime dryness category, but, the preponderance of evidence suggests that, were I not religious about wearing a diaper to bed, I might be looking into replacing a mattress by now, Or, my wife might be looking into replacing a husband. For me, these changes have been glacially slow, but I am no longer completely convinced that nothing is changing. I don't think I'm hurtling towards anything, but... crawling, maybe? 

Thank you so much for the encouragement!  I know it is mostly a mental process where we want to see results maybe faster than are achieved and really appreciate your taking the time to write!  I will press on and hope to encourage someone else when I'm 3 years on!  Congrats by the way...that amount of time in itself is an impressive resiliency!  Do you have any other wisdom to share for the journey?

[Little Sherri]

7 minutes ago, DLJeff52 said:

Congrats by the way...that amount of time in itself is an impressive resiliency!  Do you have any other wisdom to share for the journey?

Thanks, my friend - I can't quite believe it myself sometimes. I never thought, starting out, that I'd still be doing this 3 years later. I didn't know if I would last a week. 

I don't know if I have any wisdom beyond saying that if I can do it, anyone can do it, and that while it might look impossible from the outside, once you start doing it, you may be surprised how relatively simple it is, most of the time. It's kind of like with quitting drinking (something that I have not done, and don't plan to!)... they say that you don't have to not drink for the rest of your life. You just have to not drink today. So it goes. You don't have to wear diapers for the rest of your lift... you just have to wear them today!