DrunkBear said:
I have tired medium size diapers, I'm wondering if large ones would provide more overall coverage If that makes some sense? Mediums fit fine however and don't have a problem.
If mediums fit you fine, I would recommend sticking with mediums.
Larger diapers will fit you awkwardly - if they are taped comfortably for you, the soaker pad will almost certainly bend over at the top and stay stuck in that position when you bend over, and because of the way diapers wick moisture, that means you will have the wet part facing outward, which is not ideal. The leak guards also will not form a good seal with your legs.
To have acceptable functionality, it's important to use diapers in your size.
DrunkBear said:
The first taped adult diaper I've tried was the AMD slip normal (medium) and am wondering what non-abdl diaper should I get next. I'm thinking of the molicare maxi slip(I believe it's called) my internet is limited and ironically this is the only site that loads, so I've been on here quite a bit more than usual.
I wear Abena M3s. In my opinion they're excellent. If you are in Europe or Australia or have access to European or Australian suppliers at a decent price, try Tena Slips. I mention Europe because apparently American Tena diapers are deeply inferior.
DrunkBear said:
Is it normal to feel weird without being diapered, I kinda prefer it now.
Yes. I felt weird without being diapered since before I knew what being AB was. It has only increased since I started wearing, and - obviously - more so since I started wearing full-time.
DrunkBear said:
I'm new to wearing in public, what are some good ways to hide the fact I'm wearing a diaper? what type of clothes should I wear.
If you can get a plain onesie and wear it under normal clothes, that will make diapers workable under basically anything in your wardrobe.
However, I would specifically not recommend wearing track pants - the material is usually flexible and thin enough, and the cut loose enough, that under wind and gravity stress, the crotch will fall in on your diaper in a way I find awkward.
I would not recommend wearing jeans. Diapers may be more obvious under skinny jeans - I can't speak to this one way or the other. I've personally found that closing the button on diapers in my size can be troublesome. I've also found that jeans that are slightly tight but in my size generally compress my diapers in a way that makes them more likely to leak. If you're going to wear jeans, wear some that are generously cut or even a size up.
I would recommend trousers. They are usually plain black. The plain means that colour changes aren't visible, the black makes weird shaping harder to see.
Don't wear just a normal t-shirt and jeans - you're taking your dignity into your hands if you do that. Take at least some precautions.
DrunkBear said:
Is it normal to find it more convenient to use a diaper instead of the bathroom, I've kinda been 24/7 lately, with a few breaks here and there?
If you do it and you're normal, it's normal.
DrunkBear said:
Does your bladder shrink over time or something? I've found that lately the more I've been wearing, the weaker my control has been. I've had to remind myself when I'm not wearing.
It varies between people. I would say what you are feeling is largely psychosomatic - you're more comfortable in diapers, you have less instinctive and rational reasons to hold, so it "feels" harder to hold, so why would you?
Similar for the not wearing - you've become used to wearing, so it feels weird not to.
As to whether your control will permanently or semi-permanently weaken - I'd be very hesitant to make any universal statements about that. Mine did. My advice from that point of view would be, if you feel your control is weakening, stop wearing - or at least start resuming regular toileting habits.
DrunkBear said:
I've also gathered that better quality diapers hold more, is this true or a myth? I've done some online comparisons, and I've noticed the better quality ones tend to hold way more.
It depends. I wouldn't take online tests or quoted figures as authoritative in any way - merchants will quote different figures from individual testers, and even then, the results that testers get by pouring known quantities of water into a diaper over x period of time may not necessarily be reflective of real life.
I would say that generally, more expensive diapers hold more - just because there are not a whole lot of features you can sell a diaper on other than absorbency. It could be argued that better quality and absorbency are the same thing when it comes to diapers, so that saying "better quality diapers hold more" is basically saying the same thing twice.
There are exceptions. A pack of Depend Fitted Briefs is $12 for 8 at my local chemist, but in my opinion they hold more than Tena Slip Plus (although it's been a long time since I wore those so I can't guarantee it). That said, I never got the two from the same vendor. Based on your local market offerings and what you try, you'll form an informed opinion over time.
DrunkBear said:
Lastly, plastic pants, what are they, and are they any good. do they mask the sound of my diaper? will they prevent it leaking into my pants? Are they reusable?
They are underpants made out of some non-absorbent material. PVC is a popular choice.
They muffle the sound of your diaper, I think, but I wouldn't call it a huge difference and I wouldn't rely on them for soundproofing. You also need to take into account that the material itself may be noisy. My polyurethane laminate (PUL) swimpants are noisy as hell. I used to own some Euroflex pants, but I had to throw them away because they were noisy as hell - I actually got outed when I was wearing them once. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tends to be middle of the road; I have some PVC pants that are almost silent, and some that are detectably crinkly (although not in a diaper way) but they're all generally acceptable for public wearing. Find what works for you.
Performance will depend. If you're peeing standing up and you start leaking because the diaper can't wick fast enough, for example, then yes, the liquid will pool in the crotch of the plastic pants instead of in your actual pants, and as long as you can get to an actual toilet without sitting down or putting pressure on the diaper, you'll be saved a pair of wet pants. If you just happen to be soaked and sit down however, and get a press-out leak from that, I find that they're usually not hugely effective against that. Personally, more than anything I find them useful for masking smell - they go completely over the diaper and seal fairly well (although not perfectly) with my skin, so the opportunity for smell particulates is much rarer than it would be with a diaper alone.
They are reusable. Make sure you get decent ones - cheapo ones will often fracture around the waist and leg bands, compromising the integrity of the pant and making it useless. Also wash them regularly, otherwise vapourised urea + seep-through from your diapers will build up on them, eat away at them and make them a lot more susceptible to leaks. My understanding is hand-washing is considered best, but that if you have a washing machine it is acceptable to wash them on the delicates setting. I often throw mine in with my normal washing, but I'm aware I am probably shortening the life of the pants. Apparently an average pair of plastic pants which is looked after well should last about a year of regular use.
DrunkBear said:
Are cloth diapers, good as backup diapers? and can they hold as much as disposables?
It depends which cloth diapers you're thinking about. I wouldn't say they're good as
backups - they're far higher-maintenance and generally quite thick compared to disposables - I can't think of a situation in which you'd want to wear disposables but would happily choose cloth instead.
I think cloth diapers are best for
different jobs compared to disposables - specifically they're good for when you have to go long periods without changing and discretion is not a major concern. I have pin-on terry square diapers. I use them to deal with my bedwetting, and with long car trips. Using one diaper as normal and the other one folded up in the crotch as a booster, I've never felt like I was going to run out of absorbency - they're
very functional, even to the point of being better than disposables, they're just generally far less practical.
DrunkBear said:
What benefits does having baby powder over not? should I get diaper rash cream too?
Baby powder pulls pee moisture away from your skin, meaning that less pee acid will be left behind to eat away at your skin. Even then, though, yes, you should get diaper rash cream; I think every diaper wearer suffers from diaper rash at least once in their life. I'm certainly more familiar with it than I'd like to be.