Thirsties Hemp Insert...my doubler go-to!

    Do you ever end up in one of those situations where you need a bit more absorption but you don't want to add anything more to your diaper in fear that your baby's pants will start ripping at the seams with bulk? How about needing a little more absorption in that forever-leaking night-time diaper?  Check and check for me; I was in both those situations early on in my CDing adventure.  We would travel in the car for 2 hours to visit family and needed something extra in Eli's diaper 'just in case', and a double microfiber stuffed pocket diaper was just too large for night-time on him at the time.

    Thirsties Hemp Inserts were one of the first new purchases I made when I started CDing (I started with all second hand diapers) and honestly, I had no idea what to really do with them or what they were good for.  I just felt like I was supposed to have doublers because people talked about them and stores sold them!  5 months later, they're my doubler go-to.  They're made of a blend of hemp and cotton and are nice and thin.  If you've never used hemp, it's makes a great doubler because it absorbs very slowly and isn't susceptible to compression leaks (if your little one is sitting on a soaked hemp insert, the urine won't squeeze out of it) the way fast-absorbing microfiber is.  That's why I always put my hemp behind my microfiber insert...that way if the microfiber becomes soaked and starts to leak, the hemp catches the liquid and then 'locks it in'.


Here are my favourite ways to use this insert (I left out the main insert in these pictures so you can see exactly how/where I put the insert.  So, imagine a microfiber or other insert on top of the hemp insert):


If baby is going to be sitting for a while, place the Thirsties insert under your main insert.  This way, if the main insert (microfiber, cotton, etc) becomes soaked and starts to leak, the hemp with catch it.

For a night-time diaper, fold the insert and place it in the front of the diaper under the main insert (picture is where I place it because I have a boy.  Place it more in the middle for a girl).  This keeps the overall diaper trimmer with extra absorbency just where you need it.

Just a note, in the pics I'm using a fitted diaper so if you're using a microfiber insert you need to put a fleece liner on it or other cover so that the microfiber isn't directly on your baby's skin.  Thirsties have their Stay Dry Duo Inserts which are a fleece topped microfiber insert that snaps onto one of these hemp inserts and it's my favourite night time product in a fitted diaper (this will be another blog post of its own!).  If you want the choice to use the hemp on it's own though and have more options without snaps in the way, you're better off with the hemp insert on its own.
    These inserts are about $8 for 2, worth every penny!  (A note on care, hang dry them or else the edges kind of ruffle and it doesn't sit as nicely).  If you love these too and would love a giveaway...leave a comment for us all!