How to Pin a Cloth Diaper on an Older Bedwetting Child

Last Updated: April 13, 2020

After purchasing cloth diapers and plastic pants for your older bedwetting child—depending on the age of the child—the parents and/or older siblings may need to assist them with diapering themselves. How soon the child is able to be independent in this area depends on their development— customer service reps from various companies selling pin-on cloth diapers for older children, teenagers, and adults say that children as old as 8 or 9 may still need their parents' help in this matter. Eventually though, the child should be able to do this by themselves (after all you don't want a boy or girl who's old enough to go to the prom still being diapered by their older siblings and parents)! In addition, children with cognitive and/or physical impairments may need to be diapered later than children without these issues. This article details the steps required to diaper an older bedwetter.

Steps

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Have a discussion with them regarding the matter. It's very likely an older child will be embarrassed about their parents and older siblings being involved in private matters such as these, as children get older they become more skittish about their older siblings and parents helping out with personal hygiene such as bathing, getting dressed, and other things along these lines. Before the diapers are put on for the first time, it would be a good idea to have this conversation with the child or children a few days beforehand, such as after the diapers and plastic pants are ordered, that way they are prepared. The parents can put their mind at ease and let them know that in some cases even incontinent adults need assistance diapering themselves for various reasons.
- Let the child know that the reason you're diapering them (as well as their older siblings if you decide to have them help out too) is that using safety pins can be somewhat tricky—it can be difficult using the pins and there is the potential for sticking one's self. Tell them that over time they'll be able to do this on their own.
2
Tell them step-by-step what the diapering process entails. Tell them what to expect when the parent or sister puts the diapers on them - and do it some hours before their first diapering.Tell them also how they can cooperate to make their diapering as easy as possible. Let them see and touch the cloth diapers and plastic pants they are going to wear and let them ask any questions they may have and listen to their concerns.

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3
Know what prefold your going to use. There are a couple of prefolds that are easiest to use for pin-on style diapers—the “angel wing” fold and the “newspaper” fold. For parents new to using safety pins these seem like the most hassle free methods. Each of the methods are described below.
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When diapering, have them sit in the middle of the diaper and pin them on. The child needs to be positioned so the child has enough padding in both the front and back.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

The Angel Wing Prefold

1
Fold the cloth into thirds.
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Without opening up the previous fold, fold the bottom up about halfway.
3
Pull the two above flaps outwards. The flaps are at the top of the cloth and were created when the cloth was folded into thirds.
4
Pull the flaps around and pin everything up.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

The Newspaper Prefold

1
Fold a small flap up from the bottom.
2
Without releasing the flap, fold it in thirds.
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Fold the flaps at the top of the cloth outwards.
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Pull the sides around and pin everything up.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

After Diapering

1
Cover the diapers with a pair of plastic pants (or “rubber pants” as they're called by many people even though this is a misnomer). There are a couple of ways to do this, you can put them on the child while they are lying in bed or on the changing pad—in this case you have the child lift up their legs and bend them in a 90 degree angle, slide the leg holes of the pants over the child's feet then pull the pants up over their bent legs, have them lower their legs, slide the pants up, have the child lift up their bottom, then slide the pants over the diaper. After the pants are put on, turn the child over and make sure the pants are completely covering their diaper in order to prevent the diapers from leaking and getting the bed all wet. Or you can have the child stand up, step into the plastic pants, then pull them over the diapers. Some kids want to put on their own plastic pants as it gives them a feeling of some control over their being diapered for bed.