# Explain the purpose of Pull ups to me



## renaissanceed (Aug 2, 2005)

My mother decided that we needed to buy Pull Ups for DD and went out and got some for her. I haven't really given much thought to potty learning yet and have no idea what the purpose is behind Pull Ups. Care to enlighten me?

Are they really necessary?

DD is 22 months and has been announcing when she's pooping for months now, and will regularly ask to pee in the potty at night or first thing in the morning. During the day, she'll usually tell us when she's peeing. On days when we're at home I try to leave her diaper free and she'll then announce "pee in potty" and I'll take her there and she pees.

I haven't even been trying and it seems to be going pretty well. Do we really need Pull Ups? I'm not exactly terribly anxious to have her use the potty all the time and think things are going pretty smoothly as it is.


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## alysonb (Mar 15, 2006)

They are great for kids who won't lay down for a change as you can slip them on while they are running around. Other than that I never really saw an advantage. Another alternative if you have them are side snapping CDs. I put mine on a looser setting and they work basically the same as sposie pull ups.


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## CNutty (Apr 18, 2006)

Sounds like you dont need um to me


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## mcamy (Aug 23, 2004)

They are convenient now that DD does about 90% of her business on the potty. Disposable diapers will fray and rip when you have to take them on and off numerous times a day and the pull ups hold up better (some brands better than others though) to taking them on and off all day long. HTH


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## LittleYellow (Jul 22, 2004)

To make more money for the diaper companies (they charge more per pull-up) and to indoctrinate toddlers to the cross-branded characters on the pull-ups?

I don't really get them. A regular 'sposie will work if you are worried about being out-and-about and at home thick trainer pants.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

They're good for preschools that don't officially accept kids in diapers- DC can go to the bathroom relatively independently in a pullup, even when it's been peed in already. If the child pees in the pullup, it can wait until the class is over for the day (4 or 5 hours a day total) but if the child pooped they'd call a parent to come change the child.

I tried sending DS to preschool in cloth training pants and they just didn't work well- if he had one accident he was unable to remove the pants by himself.

If you're having no trouble removing the diaper at potty time, then you have no need for pullups. None of my kids ever learned how to use the toilet consisently until he or she was in regular underwear- even the cloth trainers were too "diaper like" to be an incentive for toileting.


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## boogalu33 (Sep 27, 2007)

ds juat potty learned and gets discouraged by having to have a diaper at night so i use them for his moral, although i don't think they help potty learning at all, when he has them on he pees in them just like they were a diap


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## akvtmama (Apr 14, 2006)

we found them helpful when daughter was just potty learned but not "too good" at it yet. But we only used them if we were out around town and at the store by the time we find out where the potty is, and get there I had to pull her pants down fast and get her on the toilet and a CD didn't quite cut it in the "fast" dept.


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## WannabeaFarmer (Jul 7, 2006)

They are great for those out and about trips. We have found that good ol' naked time and just letting her experience the feeling of wetness works much better.
She went potty #1 and #2 for 7 days straight all day and every day until friday-then back went on the pull ups....Except when she goes #2 she rips em right off(another disadvantage imo)and hands em too me cause its "icky mom"








So they are great as far as saving you from wet pants if you can find a potty, but in our house they have been kinda setting us back. She really isnt allowed to wear them when we are home.
So its 50/50 for me. They have their good and bad sides.


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## StrawberryFields (Apr 6, 2005)

Pull Ups work really well for us but they are definitely not necessary for every situation or every child. When ds first started showing interest in using the potty he refused to wear a diaper--flat out refused. Screamed and cried and begged, "no diaper! no diaper!" So we started by letting him go naked and then transitioned slowly to wearing regular underpants. After several weeks of learning what it felt like to have to go, he kind of hit a plateau in his potty training and he has stayed there ever since. He's been training for about 4.5 months now and while he is doing really well and I am very proud of his hard work, he waivers back and forth between using the potty 100% of the time one day, and not using it all the next day. He was going through so many pants and underwear on his not-using-the-potty days that I started to pick up Pull Ups because I couldn't get his clothes washed and dried fast enough (I line dry his clothes) to keep him clothed. So now we've been using Pull Ups for weeks and they haven't negatively affected his training at all. Unlike his dreaded diapers, he can pull them up and down, he calls them his "Big Boys" so he doesn't resist putting them on, and on those days where he just doesn't feel up to using the potty, I'm not going through every pair of pants and undies in his closet.

OTOH, the same-aged girl that I babysit went through the same steps as my ds and never struggled with accidents like he does. They never needed Pull Ups because she took right to undies and learned to use the potty fully in just a few weeks (maybe 6?). I think that Pull Ups would have hindered her and been an added unnecessary expense.


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## angelcat (Feb 23, 2006)

Well, they were awssome for my niece. She could get them up & down by herslef to go to the bathroom, but wasn't makling it there every time yet. Also awesoem at night, as she'd go to the bathroom by herself, and then still have the poullup on if she didn't wake up when she needed to go.

My friend uses them for her son becasue he can't take them off, and he can take his diaper off. He's not ready to train, but he takes his diaper off in the morning and pees in the bed.

I use them because it's hard to find diapers to fit my daughter. Papmpers size 7 fit, but are more expensive than pullups. And now my daughter hates diapers anyhow.

So I think they are awesome.


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## abharrington (Jun 30, 2007)

you can get great absorbant and trim fitting cloth training pants that hae a waterproof innner layer, basically just a cloth version of the pull up, for those that like that option.


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## 3for3hb (Jan 13, 2005)

they make great night time protection for my three year old. Cloth trainers weren't cutting it and he was waking up wet and cold every night.


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## angelcat (Feb 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *abharrington* 
you can get great absorbant and trim fitting cloth training pants that hae a waterproof innner layer, basically just a cloth version of the pull up, for those that like that option.


I have looked at those, but I can't afford them. (I only do laundry once a week, as I go to the laundromat). I'm also not positive would save money. Depends how long it takes me to train her. Altho, most days I think she will be going to kindergarten in pullups. (she's 2.5 now)


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## woobysma (Apr 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *boogalu33* 
ds juat potty learned and gets discouraged by having to have a diaper at night so i use them for his moral, although i don't think they help potty learning at all, when he has them on he pees in them just like they were a diap


Yep, I think pull-ups delayed DS's potty learning quite a bit. If he was busy playing and wearing a PU, he'd just pee. He's no dummy







Having to deal with accidents in regular underwear was a totally different story.

We use PU's now if he's napping on our bed, but that's about it.


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

I used them a lot when we were out and about during potty training. She did not want to wear diapers but we couldn't always get to the bathroom in time. I only had her wearing those at home if she had diarrhea or something.


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## hellyaellen (Nov 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LittleYellow* 
To make more money for the diaper companies (they charge more per pull-up) and to indoctrinate toddlers to the cross-branded characters on the pull-ups?

I don't really get them. A regular 'sposie will work if you are worried about being out-and-about and at home thick trainer pants.









:

to keep kids in expensive sposies longer


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## ewe+lamb (Jul 20, 2004)

We used PUs for dd and it sort of made her a bit lazy in the PL business or actually it was me who missed the boat I think







, however with ds we haven't used them at all and kept to CDs and he started using the potty at about 13 months - he hated feeling wet and it was certainly his own initiative and really by 18/19 months was out of CDs - I would tend to agree it's more a marketing thing


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## Quindin (Aug 22, 2003)

A good use for them is when a child is in preschool, still has problems controlling urine and is too embarrassed to wear real diapers. DS had problems bed wetting up to age 7. He had pull ons as a preschooler and then those night undies when he was older.

As to toddlers, I don't see the point. My toddlers are really cooperative during diaper changes, and when they are not, I just let them run naked -- and that helps with potty training anyway


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## shayinme (Jan 2, 2005)

My dd who is 28 mos wears pullups, she goes to the potty about 40% of the time but she got to a point where diaper changes (we were using cloth) were just nightmares and frankly the pullups saved my sanity. She likes to help put them on and take them off and frankly it makes outside potty visits a lot easier.

Shay


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## butterflykisses4 (Oct 16, 2007)

NOOO pullups!!!! Theya re ust like diapers. I have potty trained 6 kids 3 are mine adn all never learned from pull ups. They wisk the moisture away. I think just old fashioned cloth training pants are teh besta nd that is how I have potty trained allt he kids. It is a little messier but can be helped with "rubber" pants that can go over the cloth training pants so that the mes wont get all over. I have heard so many NEG things about pull up not working. I think it is a awaste of money. IMO!


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## Alyantavid (Sep 10, 2004)

No. Not for us anyways. We do use them, but treat them like diapers. Both my kids went through a stage of taking their diaper off. For whatever reason they haven't been able to get the pullups off.


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## turtlewomyn (Jun 5, 2005)

We have been using pull ups with DD. I started PL with her around 16 months. When we moved her to a new daycare at 20 months, she started being very good about going on the potty. They suggested pull ups, for ease in her potty independence. Then when those were dry all day we switched to panties. She has been having poop accidents though, and this weekend she was back in the pull ups due to some diarrhea issues and traveling (diarrhea+panties+carseat= ewwwwwwwwwwwww). For us, the pull ups worked because she is able to pull them up and down and go potty on her own. Also, since she is in daycare they worked really well.

It sounds like you have a different situation going on though, and it sounds like it is working for you just the way it is.


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## lucyem (Apr 30, 2005)

We used them briefly with my oldest because he could not rip them off like he could other diapers. My youngest is now using them for the same reason. Personally I find pull ups really handy since all diaper changes are done standing these days. They have their place and can be useful.


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## mom2annika (Mar 30, 2006)

We started using them for DD because we live in a rural area and can't always find the right size dipes. She is 2.5 yo and wearing a little girls' XS (4-5)! I guess I could have ordered from diapers.com or kept up with cloth trainers, but lately I've been really scattered.







:

I like the ones with touch tape cause then you can change 'em laying down (for home) or standing (for times when you're in a public restroom--since DD is also too tall for the changing tables now).

PUs are insurance for us when standing in long lines or on long car trips too.

HTH


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## LynnS6 (Mar 30, 2005)

IMO,

For potty training, they're useless. They are glorified, expensive diapers. We never used them for that.

For night time, they're a blessing! Ds is 6 1/2 and still wets at night (yes, we've tried going without them, but he pees anyways and doesn't wake up!). Dd is probably closer to going without them, but she still comes into our bed at night and is only dry about 50% of the time. She steadfastly refuses to go potty in the middle of the night. So, a pull-up saves my sanity (and my bed!) My kids can both put them on (they can't do that with a diaper) so they can get themselves dressed.


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## Xoe (Oct 28, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *renaissanceed* 
...... I'm not exactly terribly anxious to have her use the potty all the time and think things are going pretty smoothly as it is.


Ay yi yi! You're not ready to have her use the potty all the time?!?!? But it seems as if SHE is ready? What about how she feels, and what her interests are? Her interest in this may seriously wane between the ages of 2-4. That's why so many mom's are complaining their kids have no interest at all. So if she's interested now, I say invest the extra time and attention it takes to help her now, as often as she needs help.

Otherwise-- pull-ups can hinder potty training for the child who is not interested, as they soon learn pull-ups can be used as diapers. But for the child who is interested and ready, it makes a great night-time diaper. And it can be useful for trips out. Otherwise, try and stick to cloth underwear, so a child can learn the difference between clean and dry, dirty and wet.

xoe


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## bluegrassgirl (May 8, 2007)

One thing I have found that they are good for is if you have a disabled child who has outgrown most sizes of cloth diapers. My cousin eventually outgrew the XL sizes of cloth diapers, so her mom started getting the Pull-Ups and GoodNites pants for incontinence management.

When Emma and Angela are big enough to outgrow cloth diapers at night, I plan on using the Pull-Ups and GoodNites on them, since both are bowel and urine incontinent due to their birth defect (right now, we are doing good with underwear during the day and ME Sandy's fitteds at night). We do get some pull-ups from the state, but we only use them when we are out for long periods of time, when the power is out and we can't wash clothes, and if they spend the night at their relatives houses. We have some that are called Kendall Run-Arounds that have Bear in the Big Blue House and Clifford on them.

As for using them on a healthy toddler for potty training, my Mom started using them when they first came on the market (at that time, they didn't have cartoon prints, just a basic shape and words print) with my brother and he trained faster than me and my sister, but I have heard of several toddlers that treat them as a diaper or purposely pee in them to make the pictures dissapear.

Jessie
(single mommy to Emma, 4 years and Angela, 2 1/2 years)







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## renaissanceed (Aug 2, 2005)

Quote:

Originally Posted by renaissanceed
...... I'm not exactly terribly anxious to have her use the potty all the time and think things are going pretty smoothly as it is.

Ay yi yi! You're not ready to have her use the potty all the time?!?!? But it seems as if SHE is ready?
Just to clarify, I mean that I don't want to force her to potty. So far, we've been asking her when she's pooping if she wants to use the potty & the answer has always been no. That's fine. I'll just keep asking.

When she does ask to pee in potty, I always take her there for a try even if we were just there 10 minutes ago. And when she's running around naked, I occasionally ask her if she wants to use the potty.

I haven't done a lot (OK any) reading on potty learning, so if there's something I'm missing besides the mystery of pull ups I'm all ears.


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## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

We use them for our dd who is fully potty trained at home when we'll be somewhere where we don't want to chance an accident (Church, long car drives where there aren't a lot of places to stop.) We also use them at night because while she usually holds it all night, occasionally she has an accident and neither dh or I like to be peed on.


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## Sharlla (Jul 14, 2005)

Accidents happen, its nice not having to change shoes and pants, esp when out in public. cloth and plastic trainers are just as well.


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## woobysma (Apr 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *renaissanceed* 
Just to clarify, I mean that I don't want to force her to potty. So far, we've been asking her when she's pooping if she wants to use the potty & the answer has always been no. That's fine. I'll just keep asking.


That's how I understood the OP & I had the same attitude for a while, too. I don't think pushing PL'ing is a good thing for kids. PUs are nice for that "in between" stage, but they're not really an aid for PL'ing, ime.
If things are going well for you guys, I don't think the added cost of PUs is worth it.


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## mamaluv3 (Jan 5, 2007)

No you probably don't need them. Neither my ds or dd PL with pull ups becuase pull ups don't feel wet. I tried pull ups and did nothing but waste money. In fact, when my ds was PL I started CD because that way he could feel the wet (only I bought CD that were too good and he couldn't feel it so I had to go to prefolds) Plus, now they have the pull ups with something that makes them cold when they pee in them. What the heck chemical is that? If you are CD now, I would try cloth trainers with a prefold or something so she can feel wet. I really think it makes a difference when they can tell. For us it was a wet/dry thing. Are you dry? Do you need to go? Uh oh you are wet -next time try to go before you make the diaper wet. HTH


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