The gentle guide to it all
Discovering this side of yourself can feel confusing. It shouldn’t. Here’s every term explained in plain, warm language — no judgement, no assumptions.
In-depth guides
All guides →Glossary — every term explained
ABDL
ABDL
Adult Baby / Diaper Lover
ABDL stands for Adult Baby / Diaper Lover. It’s an umbrella term for a diverse community of consenting adults who find comfort, stress relief or intimacy in some mix of age regression, wearing diapers, and gentle caregiving. For many people it’s soothing and grounding; for some it’s sensual; for most it’s simply a soft, private part of who they are.
Adult Baby
AB
An adult baby, often shortened to “AB”, is an adult who enjoys stepping into a much younger, carefree headspace. It’s less about pretending and more about permission — permission to set down adult stress and feel small, safe and looked after for a while.
Diaper Lover
DL
A diaper lover, or “DL”, is an adult who simply enjoys wearing diapers. That’s the whole of it — no age play required. The appeal ranges from a sense of comfort and security, to the physical feeling, to arousal, and often a blend.
Adult Diapers
nappies
Adult diapers — or adult nappies, if you grew up saying it that way — are at the heart of the DL and ABDL experience. Beyond any medical use, many adults wear them for comfort, security, sensory pleasure or as part of little space.
Nappies
the British word for diapers
“Nappies” is simply the British, Irish and Australian word for diapers, and it’s used all over the ABDL community — especially outside North America. If you’ve searched for “adult nappies”, you’re in exactly the right place.
Padded
“Padded” is affectionate community shorthand for wearing a diaper. Someone might say they’re “padded”, “padded up”, or looking forward to “getting padded” tonight. It’s warm, casual language — a little in-word that signals you’re among friends.
Roles & dynamics
Little Space
being a little
Little space is the name for the headspace a “little” slips into when they let go of adult worries and feel young again. It can be giggly and playful, quiet and sleepy, or anywhere in between — and it’s often described as one of the most relaxing, safe feelings there is.
Caregiver
CG · Mommy · Daddy
A caregiver, often shortened to “CG”, is the nurturing partner in a caregiver/little dynamic. They might go by Mommy, Daddy, Auntie, Papa or any name that fits — and their role is to offer structure, patience and gentle care to their little.
Age Regression
agere
Age regression — sometimes shortened to “agere” — is the act of mentally returning to a younger age. It can be voluntary and soothing, or an involuntary response to stress. In the ABDL and littles community it’s usually intentional: a chosen, comforting escape from adult pressure.
Switch
A switch is someone who doesn’t sit neatly in one role. They might feel little one day and want to be cared for, and step into a caregiver headspace another day. It’s a flexible, fluid way of being — and a very common one.
Age Play
Age play is consensual role-play between adults that centres on a difference in age — for example a caregiver and a little. It’s a deliberate, agreed-upon dynamic, and like all role-play it lives and dies by consent and communication.
ABF & ANR
Adult Breastfeeding
ABF
Adult breastfeeding, or “ABF”, is exactly what it sounds like: breastfeeding between consenting adults. For the people who love it, it’s one of the most tender, bonding forms of closeness there is — soothing, intimate and deeply connecting.
Adult Nursing Relationship
ANR
An Adult Nursing Relationship, or “ANR”, is a relationship in which two adults share regular breastfeeding as a source of closeness, comfort and intimacy. It’s less about a single act and more about an ongoing, nurturing bond between a nursing partner and a nursling.
Dry Nursing & Wet Nursing
In the world of adult nursing, “dry nursing” means nursing without lactation, while “wet nursing” involves milk. Both are common, both create closeness, and neither is more “real” than the other.