Remember when I was oh-so-proud of my cloth diapering skillz? I was content with the basics. Just covers and prefolds. Throw in a snappi and I’m over-the-moon. Recently I’ve become less and less satisfied with what I have. And more and more convinced I need, well, MORE.

And I want it NOW.

Sigh.

In my defense, Olivia started it.

She has got The Most Sensitive Skin. And combine that with her complete unwillingness to have her diaper changed and you’re just begging for a Rash. We try to explain to her that unless we change her diaper when it’s dirty, she will hurt. But when we ask if she’s got a messy diaper, she’ll say “no”. Oh, but luckily we’ve got noses, sweetheart. So we tell her we will be changing that diaper, she runs off.

More times than not, she’ll just hide from us when she has a messy diaper. And the hours will pass. Here I am thinking, “Oh my, what a sweet little girl I have, playing contently in her room all this time!” And the Rash gets worse.

So we apply Balmex. This dries her skin out to the extent that it starts flaking off in large chunks. Oh, what-to-do?!

We then applied aloe vera. It soothed the flaking skin, but she screamed when it came in contact with broken skin. (And no, it does not contain alcohol).

We tried Aquaphor. It helped the dryness; she didn’t scream; but it didn’t heal the sores.

We try doing nothing. Maybe this, too, shall pass? If we just try to keep it as clean as possible? But no. Her skin will worsen, redden, dry, and then peel. The sores will be just about healed, and then another long exposure to a well-hidden messy diaper will bring them back full-force.

Besides the not-so-frequent diaper changes, we have a few other suspicions on what might be triggering her Most Sensitive Skin. One conclusion is that line-dried prefolds are not very soft. The coin-opperated dryer downstairs would take two runs at $1.50 per run to mostly dry the diapers. Every other day. So I line-dry my diapers. And with the cooler weather come the return of the Inside Drying Rack, which produce even stiffer diapers. It is possible that this is irritating her overly-dry, flaky skin. I cut up some pieces of fleece to lay in her diaper, thinking it would provide a soft barrier to the coarse diaper. And it helps. We know this because at bath-time, when we get a full view of her rump, we see the perfect shape of the liner reflected in clean, un-irritated skin. The rest of her skin is pink, spotchy, and dry.

Sigh.

So we put her in bumGeniuses, as much as our limited supply will allow. See, bumGeniuses are a pocket diaper. The lining is made from polyester suedecloth – very soft, even when line dried. And it wicks moisture away from her skin into the absorbent insert inside. They seem to be the closest we have come to finding a Rash Cure.

BumGeniuses are also very easy to use. They work just like disposables. When they run out and I have to actually fold a diaper, then apply a snappi, and finally a cover, all while Olivia is trying to do backflips off the changing table, I start grumbling. I want more bumGeniuses. I want enough to put both Benjamin and Olivia in them all. the. time.

But unfortunately, being the working student that he is, Josh convinced me we do not have the hundreds of dollars that would require.

But! Look! I have found a cheaper substitute! (And yes, this is the entire reason for this post.)

They’re called Cotton Babies One-Size Insert Sock. It is a cover in which to place an absorbent insert. The cover is made from the same material as the liner in the bumGeniuses. I have plenty of inserts – I ordered extra when I got my bumGeniuses. However, with shipping, these socks would still come quite close to $50. So, as with any purchase that expensive, I must weigh my pros and cons.

Pros:

1. Same polyester suedecloth fabric that keeps her dry and remains soft, regardless of drying method.
2. Will make the diaper much less bulky.
3. Less bulk, means more pants will fit.
4. Less bulk also means more all-around “cute” potential – not that she needs this.
5. Ease of use – no more folding or snappis. Just stuff every sock with an insert after they have been dried. Then when diaper changes come around, simply put a stuffed sock down on her cover.

Cons:

1. $50
2. I already own a whole lot of diapers. Technically I own everything I need. Do I need more?
3. Once I get these for Olivia, how soon will it be before I am begging Josh to let me get them for Benjamin, too?

Oh, help me, Internets! Is it worth the $50? Have you had experiences with Rashes That Would Not Go Away because your child also has The Most Sensitive Skin? What are your cure-alls? Does it sound like these socks would do the trick? TELL ME IT’S OKAY TO BUY THESE “INSERT SOCKS”!