i typed out a long reply - and just lost it!

same thing happened to us at the 12 month mark
i had to bite the bullet and sell all our OSFA nappies, they were too wide in the crotch for bilby, the front and aplix closures didn't suit her.

what i suggest for you

Use your current stock for some market research.
Isolate WHICH aspects of various nappies DO suit your bub, and note those down.

look for:

- which, out of our current mcn, suit my child for RISE? once you work this out, measure it, look for nappies with THAT rise (or 2cm higher is ok).

- which, out of our current mcn, suit my child for CROTCH WIDTH? once you work this out, measure the crotch width on those nappies, and look for nappies with THAT crotch width (or 2cm wider is ok too). You may have to email the wahm or store owner, if that info is not on the product specifications page, but it can be done.

- which, out of your current mcn, suit my child regarding closure? Does your child suit sidesnappers? front snappers? (one row, two rows, three rows, etc) aplix?
Note which one, and buy more of that type closure.

- which, out of your current mcn, suit my child re sizing, e.g OSFA or sized? that one sounds pretty clear cut from your description.

i really liked brands that did a "size 2" - e.g 8 - 16kg, that's a pretty wide range, didn't take my child long to get to 8kg, so i think if i had another child, i would go "prefolds and covers" for birth to 8kg, and "size 2 nappies" for the 8kg and up.

in our case, i did this "market research" to all our current nappies, when bilby was 12 months old, and my criteria list ended up being, i discovered what DID suit her was:
- narrow crotched nappies e.g 12 cm wide
- side snapping closures
- sized nappies

which was pretty much, the opposite of what i initially bought!


Now, your 2nd issue, is what you are using for absorbency.

Many OSFA's come with "free" microfibre inserts. I really don't think that is ideal for a 12kg bub like you have.

First off, you need Swaddlebee hemp inserts for the swaddlebee pockets you have.
WHen you first get them, they are too big to be inserted, but after the 10 prewashes, they actually shrink to be the right size. What i did with ours, was to sew a double layer of bamboo terry to the top part of the hemp SB booster.

Properly boosted, i think you will get better function from your SB pockets.

The weewuns did have SB pockets on special (the older style, microfleece inner type), i haven't checked for a while, i would look there. The newer style has cotton velour inner.

There is a brand called Baby Safari who make pockets, i made online enquiries for a friend, and their product specs sound similar to SBs in terms of being another narrow crotched PUL pocket nappy - so another one (similarly priced) to look at.

there is a brand called GADIMALS on the Nature's Cradle site, i would call the shop and ask what they have left, i saw them IRL (they have a real life shop here) and saw more stock there, than is shown on the website. They have furry outers (MM fleece) and are also a narrow crotched sidesnapper. i would get the Large for a 12kg bub. My friend's 8kg bub goes great in the medium long.

there is a brand called blueberry that make sized minky side snapping pockets. weewuns have them. so do nurture nappies.

regarding sidesnapping, narrow crotch fitteds - Cute Tooshies bamboo delights, Whizz Kidz sidesnappers.

regarding night nappies, the winners for us were Lotus Nights (no longer made), and strangely enough Kester Kovers (a front snapper, but the unique design position of the snaps, made it work for my child). My friend's baby, similar shape to bilby, also suits SS, is having success with the Fluffy bubs Dreams nappy.

To me, having a child that suited side snappers, the one way my hit rate DIDN"T succeed, was when i bought sidesnappers that didn't have a photo showing them from the front, or undone. There seem to be two types of sidesnappers.

the important distinction for you to make, when purchasing, is that the sidesnaps are the same as the swaddlebees SS are - that is, that the pairs of snaps are on the BACK WINGS, not on the TUMMY.

i bought a few SS that had the snap pairs on the TUMMY, and they didn't work for us at all. They were SS that were DESCRIBED as SS, no photo from front, so i was just ASSUMING they would be the same as the swaddlebees. only when they arrived, did i find out otherwise. Once i worked that out, i changed my criteria to:
- must be able to see photo of sidesnappers (front or open) and if i coudln't get that from the store or wahm, then i didn't buy. Most people are happy to email you a photo. (i am telling you all this detail, to save you money and time).

another issue
Appropriate Absorbency for a 12kg child

i think you would benefit from at least a dozen bamboo trifolds. if you can sew, i would suggest

- one layer of bamboo fleece 30 x 40cm
- one layer of bamboo terry 30 x 40cm

alternatively,
- two layers of bamboo fleece 30 x 40cm

{{before you sew, hotwash the bamboo fleece TWICE, hot dry the fleece TWICE to get any shrinkage out of the way.

make yourself a template from cardboard.
bamboo is too expensive to have a "practice" on. you want to get it right first time.}}

lay the layers together, either overlock them all the way around (with overlocker)
or
lay them together, straight stitch (with polyester thread, denim strength sewing machine needle) on THREE SIDES. Turn it inside out. make a little envelope, iron down the folds. sew up your fourth edge. So only one row of stitching will show.

with these bamboo trifolds, you can fold them TO FIT whatever pocket nappy you want them to fit. As SUse said, fold them as WIDE as the NARROWEST part of the pocket nappy.

you can also use the bamboo trifolds to boost a fitted nappy, to add to an aio or ai2 if needed.

The ABSORBENCY of a nappy, the bamboo, is the most overlooked, unglam part of mcn-ing, but to me, it is the most CRUCIAL. WIthout enough absorbency, any nappy will wick.

What happens in every nappy, baby wees and keeps on weeing. the absorbent section absorbs wee. for a while.

but any absorbent insert/booster etc EVENTUALLY reaches 100% saturation.
(this happens much faster with microfibre IMO).

once the 100% saturation happens, the extra liquid HAS to go SOMEWHERE
- if you have a wool outer, the lanolised wool absorbs some liquid
- if you have a PUL outer, the PUL becomes wet

So i think you are possibly having a combination of issues
- need more absorbency for the age/weeing output of your child e.g bamboo trifolds
- need to meet your child's fit needs

i don't know your child's body shape, but from your post, it sounds like the narrow crotch of the ittis and SB's suit him, and the sidesnapping closure of the SB suits him.

i would be concentrating on doing your own market research of the current nappies on him, coming up with a list of criteria to buy future nappies, to suit him. that way you will GREATLY decrease your chance of buying nappies that don't suit.

My hit rate went WAY UP once i did this.
i felt silly for emailing sites about CROTCH WIDTH etc, but to my surprise, i got great customer service. i had wahms tell me, "no, my nappies would be too wide for your bub, but i can think of brand X that might suit" - so people were very helpful, ONCE i had identified what my child actually needed.

so, i DO feel your pain and frustration, cos we went thru this when bilby was 12 months old. i hated selling the ones that didn't suit her, they weren't bad nappies, they just didn't work on HER body shape. (mega camel toe!!)

Life was much simpler ONCE i started buying nappies that actually suited her, fitted her.

oh and sidesnappers are very different on some bubs, to front snappers.
with front snappers, we got massive wing droop
her thighs had the blood cut off, if i had the waist firm enough
if i had her thighs comfy, then there was massive gape at the waist.

whereas, with the sidesnappers, when she was skinny, i could get the fit right, INDEPENDENTLY.
e.g you can do the legs up tighter than the waist
when she was super chubster, i could do the legs up loose and the waist tighter
then she slimmed down again, and i coudl keep using the sidesnappers, they are SO adjustable!
so yes, big difference.

i am guessing, due to what is made and sold, MOST bubs suit wide crotched, front closing, OSFA MCN.
but there a minority, that included bilby, who needed the opposite.

hth