4+ years 24/7 and counting, another update on my journey

[Babyhawkeye]

Hello everyone. It's been a little over a year since I posted last, so I decided to create a new thread. I have now been in diapers 24/7 for over 4 years. It was kind of weird to think that I have now been in diapers as an adult longer than when I was a child. Granted I think I was a little slow to potty train so that might not be entirely accurate. 

When it comes to peeing, I think I have lost a little feeling when it comes to peeing, but I still have to tell it to start from time to time. but I think I have reached that stage where I forget that I have gone. right now, is a little hard as I have been struggling to keep a steady stock of diapers. I've been relying on my cloth diaper stock at night and what little disposable diapers I can afford to get during the day. It is a little weird with cloth diapers. Once you get used to how they feel wet you don't really know you have gone sometimes. I'm hoping that soon I will be able to afford to start building up my diaper stock again. 

When it comes to poo, I have not made an enormous amount of progress. I have noticed that my morning messes are a little easier and I don't give too much thought to when I go. Most of the time it happens early in the morning, shortly after I get up in the morning or right before I get out of bed. I have not had too many messes away from home. It has happened a few times at work. but it mostly happens in the mornings sometime after dinner depending on what I have eaten. I never really have involuntary messes. They come very quickly, and the urge is quite strong, but I normally just let it happen without struggling.

Bed-wetting is still a struggle for me. I woke up wet the other night after having gone to bed dry. but I think that was just me waking up peeing and then going back to sleep without noticing. Having to wear cloth diapers helps a little as I have more confidence peeing in bed as my rubber diaper cover is quite effective at maintaining leeks. 

My goal over this next year is to really commit to my unpotty training. also to figure out a way to make my diaper budget have some separate income stream so I always have a way to buy diapers. I was somewhat successful at building my cloth diaper stock from what it was last year. but it could be better, and I think there has to be some way to make enough extra cash to support my diapers. If you have any ideas let me know. Also, I welcome any unpotty training tips that have helped you guys over the years. 

 

[rh1979]

Congratulations on your progress! Keep it up

[Little Sherri]

Congrats, @Babyhawkeye - four years is a major accomplishment. You are well past the experimental stage - this is your life now. I'm in a similar place to you with respect to wetting - I am definitely not incontinent, I have to initiate events, at least while I am awake, but I don't remember doing it sometimes, because I'm doing it like every 20 - 45 minutes. I don't push, I just release, and sometimes it can be hard to tell when the "event" has ended - I seem to be able to dribble for a while. At night, I wet the bed sometimes, but it's inconsistent - more often than not, I wake up and allow it to happen, but then a couple of times a week, I wake up wet with no recollection of how it happened. I've soaked the bed before when in a bad position - cloth diapers are better overnight than disposables. 

Constrained supply is a nightmare that I don't wish on anyone. I am fortunate in that I have been able to stock up during sales, although sales are less common up here in the Soon-to-be-Frozen North (Canada); I see with Envy the 75% off Bambino emails, but Bambino doesn't ship up here right now (they have before). Rearz used to do a couple of really good sales a year, buy one get one half off, that kind of thing, but lately they only run sales on discontinued products or clothing and accessories. I am hoping that their Black Friday sale is significant enough to make it worth stocking up. 

Cloth diapers are a great way to stretch a budget, and some people here have had success with thrift stores, although you don't get much of a choice with respect to brands, and it definitely helps if you are a common size. 

I wish you all the best and I will follow your journey with interest, my fellow Diapernaut. 

[Little Piglet]

@Babyhawkeye it sure sounds like you have made incredible progress over your 4 year journey of being in diapers 24/7. It does take time before you get to that point of being able to just pee without even thinking about it, but it will eventually get there and you seem like you are on your way. 

As for budgeting your diapers, I think you are going about that perfectly. Using the cloth diapers in the night with plastic pants and especially since you feel safe and secure with that will save you a lot of money on disposal diapers. 

[Bret2]

Thanks for the update, sounds like good progress.   How are things going as far as the mental aspect of things? Such as, are you becoming less self conscious about the diaper being seen?  Do you find yourself thinking about diapers less and able to focus on other, more important things in life?  Maybe neither of these two item I mentioned have never been a problem for you but they definitely have an impact on me so I’m just curious how they have evolved for you if in fact they are/were previously present 

[Babyhawkeye]

4 hours ago, Bret2 said:

Thanks for the update, sounds like good progress.   How are things going as far as the mental aspect of things? Such as, are you becoming less self conscious about the diaper being seen?  Do you find yourself thinking about diapers less and able to focus on other, more important things in life?  Maybe neither of these two item I mentioned have never been a problem for you but they definitely have an impact on me so I’m just curious how they have evolved for you if in fact they are/were previously present 

I haven't really had a worry that people will see my diaper. if they see it they see it in my opinion I have had a few instances were it was vary full in the story and I was a little self conscious about it but that was it. I found that the more you trust your diaper the more you seem to ignore the feeling of people looking at it. I have never had someone come up to me and say hey your diaper is showing or anyone close to me ask if I was wearing a diaper, even when it was super obvious.

when it comes to think about diapers I would say that the unending desire to wear a diaper is not really there as strong. I still find my self thinking about diapers a lot especially lately because of having to find creative ways to stay diapered with money being so tight. but I have found that after I started wearing and using 24/7 that I have become less distracted by them as when the thought about diapers enters my mind I remind my self that I'm already wearing one. yes I still dream of being able to wear specific diapers like I really would like to try the try again diapers, they look so cute and amazing but also pricy. I also dream of the allusive adult sized baby diaper. I'm talking about a proportionally sized up baby diaper. no hour glass shape just straight rectangle diaper with stretchy waste bands and plastic backing and two large adhesive taps and of course a proportional amount of absorbent material. Anyway getting off topic, point is I don't think I will ever stop thinking about diapers. but wearing them all the time has helped me focus a little.   

[munkey]

Way to go, it was around the 4 year mark I started wetting in my sleep. Keep up the work!

[Little Piglet]

17 hours ago, Babyhawkeye said:

I haven't really had a worry that people will see my diaper. if they see it they see it in my opinion I have had a few instances were it was vary full in the story and I was a little self conscious about it but that was it. I found that the more you trust your diaper the more you seem to ignore the feeling of people looking at it. I have never had someone come up to me and say hey your diaper is showing or anyone close to me ask if I was wearing a diaper, even when it was super obvious.

when it comes to think about diapers I would say that the unending desire to wear a diaper is not really there as strong. I still find my self thinking about diapers a lot especially lately because of having to find creative ways to stay diapered with money being so tight. but I have found that after I started wearing and using 24/7 that I have become less distracted by them as when the thought about diapers enters my mind I remind my self that I'm already wearing one. yes I still dream of being able to wear specific diapers like I really would like to try the try again diapers, they look so cute and amazing but also pricy. I also dream of the allusive adult sized baby diaper. I'm talking about a proportionally sized up baby diaper. no hour glass shape just straight rectangle diaper with stretchy waste bands and plastic backing and two large adhesive taps and of course a proportional amount of absorbent material. Anyway getting off topic, point is I don't think I will ever stop thinking about diapers. but wearing them all the time has helped me focus a little.   

You are 100% correct when you say not really to worry about people that will see your diaper. Yes, maybe they will notice your diaper, but as your stated and I will agree with you that no one that I have ever encountered has approached me and told me that my diaper was showing above my pants line, nor have they asked if I was wearing a diaper. 

I started wearing mostly just at night for many years and I originally had a mommy/caregiver who I would meet up with on certain days for mommy/baby play or even weekends and twice for a full week vacation. Now I am retired due to a medical condition and wanted to pursue wearing 24/7/365 and my mommy caregiver could not commit to that because she still has several years to work, so we parted ways but are still in contact with one another.

Since I have been wearing 24/7, I wear all the time even when I go out and I primarily use Tykables Waddler Diapers. These diapers are very noticeable under clothing and they do what they say they make you waddle. So they are noticeable. At first I was a little self conscience about it, especially when the diaper was somewhat full but like you said no one said anything to me at all. I don't even worry about it now when I go out. 

I think you are doing a wonderful job with your journey and like another member pointed out and I will have to agree with them, I to at around the 4 year mark of wearing at night just started wetting without waking up. It is a wonderful feeling when you get a great nights sleep because of the comfort and security of a diaper.