Pampers Swaddlers; The Russian Roulette of Diapering
Written: Apr 19 '04 (Updated Aug 15 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unbelievably absorbent; all-around good fit; velcro tab closures; baby powder scent.
Cons: Weak capacity for large messes; a bit short; scent may be too strong for some.
The Bottom Line: Unless your baby is prone to very large and frequent solid output, these diapers are a good bet.
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| krissingene's Full Review: Pampers Swaddlers |
m After our previous less-than-dreamy experiences using Pampers Newborn Swaddlers, I wasn't in a huge hurry to try Pampers Swaddlers, which I could only assume to be the same diaper in a larger size. But being that a couple of packages of size 1 Swaddlers had been bestowed upon us by well-meaning baby shower attendees and were now taking up precious closet space, I finally decided to put them to the test.
The Subject
Once again, my unknowing test subject was my daughter, Rachael. Weighing in now at just over twelve pounds, she fell smack in the middle of the suggested weight range of 8-14 pounds. (I wonder now if I should have skipped the awful Newborn size altogether and headed straight for these, as she was more than eight pounds at birth. Live and learn, I suppose...)
The Diapers
The bright yellow and purple packaging hasn't changed since our disastrous introduction to the Swaddlers line, and with 54 diapers in the jumbo pack, we figured it should last us at least a couple of days. They look very much like diapers - white and rectangular with Sesame Street characters on some and the 'Back to Sleep' campaign reminder on others. Gone are the less than helpful umbilical stump cutouts, but everything else is remarkably the same with these larger sized Swaddlers. The exterior of the diaper is soft and cottony, the velcro tabs still allow for an easy, custom fit, and they still have a light baby powder scent which, although pleasant to me, may be too much for parents or babies who are sensitive to perfumes.
Function, Function...
After securing one of these diapers onto my baby, I immediately noticed that one beef I'd had with the Newborn version held true for the larger size as well - they seemed a bit too short for her. Granted, at nearly 23" long, my daughter does have a long torso - and her habit of stretching her legs straight out in front of her does make pulling the diaper up higher slightly impossible. The diapers fit *around* her waist very well, which tells me that the weight range listed on the packaging is more or less accurate - but I do think Pampers should take into consideration that all babies aren't the same length at this weight. The diaper measures 7 1/4" from top to bottom (or 15" total when opened and laid flat); however, the thinner border material above the velcro tab fastener invariably becomes folded down during wear - whether by rubbing against her clothing in the back or just pushed down by her belly in front - which effectively reduces the diaper's overall length by 3/4" on each side.
The fit is still much better than that of the smaller sizes; whereas before it seemed as though there was too much material between baby's legs, it appears that baby and diaper have grown together to form a better working relationship. At 4" across between the leg openings, the diaper still bunches a tiny bit but no longer interferes with the fit in other areas. The elastic leg bands no longer leave deep red marks in her skin, but seem to fit very well even around her chubby thighs.
Wear and Tear
I am thoroughly impressed by the absorbency of the Pampers Swaddlers; my daughter has, on the very rare occasion, endured a nearly-twelve hour stretch at night without having her diaper changed, only to have a very wet diaper but very dry clothing the next morning. Absorbency and capacity, however, are two very different ball games, which is why I referred to these diapers in my title as "the Russian Roulette of diapering". Being breastfed, Rachael doesn't usually unload mass quantities at any given time...but I did say usually, and it has happened twice thus far while wearing this particular diaper. The first incident was a near-miss; I changed her diaper to find it straining at the seams to hold everything in - the fact that she was bearing a full load was visibly evident at the sides of the leg bands, where the elastic was discolored. Somehow, nothing escaped onto her clothing...but next time, I was not to be so lucky. Unsuspecting, we headed to her room for a quick diaper change only to discover that a large mess had escaped the diaper not only from the sides but also from the front and the back. How it got onto her belly I shall never know, but at that moment I was once again not greatly impressed by her Pampers. Our chances of having this diaper contain the mess are, it seems, 50/50 - not great odds where diapers are concerned. Ever a glutton for punishment, however, we continue to use them - a constant gamble to see if our odds will improve.
Ingredients, Cautions, and Who To Call When Things Go Wrong
And now, a few words of wisdom from the Pampers Swaddlers packaging... "Pampers Swaddlers contains these mild ingredients which are gentle to the skin: petrolatum, stearyl alcohol, aloe extract." While I was at first alarmed to read that gel-like material may be noticed on baby's skin while using this diapers, I was quickly reassured by other diaper-savvy ePinions members that gel equals absorbency (thanks, ladies!) and still have never noticed any escapee gel bits on or around the diaper area.
Don't let your baby put the packaging on his or her head. Also don't let your baby chew on or tear the diaper, and try to avoid setting him/her on fire while wearing it.
Pampers may be contacted via telephone at 1-800-PAMPERS or visited at http://www.pampers.com.
What's Next?
I've noted from the packaging of these diapers that I have two stages yet to reach - Cruisers (sizes 3-6) for crawling and walking babies, and Easy Ups (sizes 2T-5T) for potty-training toddlers. Will I try these? Probably - as I said, I'm a glutton for punishment. In the meantime, I'm going to finish this pack of size one Swaddlers before deciding what to do next; for absorbency, fit and ease of use like this, I can chance an usually thorough cleanup every once in a while.
Also By Pampers
Pampers Baby Dry Diapers
Pampers Lavender Baby Wipes
Pampers Newborn Swaddlers
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
krissingene
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Member: Kristin
Location: Southern VA
Reviews written: 267
Trusted by: 119 members
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The strength of Motherhood is greater than Natural Laws. -Barbara Kingsolver
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