Cloth Diapering for beginners....

[Jen_in_NH]

Thanks everyone for all the info (and thanks to the DISer who read my my Disney Fairy Tale Wedding TR. I can't believe how fast time flies!).


How did you guys decide what brands you liked and didn't at first? Did you buy used to get yourself going? I have seen that they hold their value. Id be interested in getting a used stash if thats the way to go. Also the PUL sounded nice, any con's to that? Im not really sure if they are leak resistant and fuzzy on the babys buns (Ive been reading "fuzzybunz" too much lately) why all of them aren't like this.

Any cons?

Id really like to do this. Im just not sure the right place to start in buying them... whether from a stay at home mom or a company, a used or new stash, etc...

I knew that pockets would work out best for DH - he was not going to do something that involved wrapping and pinning. I read a ton about different brands, and then bought a few of each of 4 brands people seemed to recommend a lot. I didn't buy used (just can't convince my self to do it). I looked for sales, and waited until I found a good one.

I think the PUL works well. The people I've read that have an issue with it don't like the chemical for their baby - they seem to be opposed to anything that isn't all natural or organic being on their child I've found it works really well. Any time we've had leaks, it was more about how the diaper fit than the materials themselves were leaking (like, if you leave a gaping hole around the leg, then pee will run out ((DH))

There are lots of people selling used ones. I don't think Ebay allows it, but I see them a lot on Craigslist, diaperswappers, etc.

 

[kissy]

Ok this is what I did. For my baby registry I added cloth diapers (and even G diapers to them) if I could. I bought a $30 kit off of cotton babies that was 6 prefolds, 2 covers, and a snappi. My friend got me a kit of G diapers ($30) and MIL bought me 3 bum genius and I bought myself 3 Happy heinys. So I had lots to try. I don't mind the prefolds but baby dosen't like them because they don't pull the moisture away from his skin the way BG's and HH's do.
With the Happy Heinys (HH) mine did leak. They come with an insert and a doubler and I have to use both so the diapers are a bit bulky. As long as I have both pieces in there I don't have any leakage.
I agree not to buy too much. Buy a little bit of differnt things until you can figure out what you like best. My BFF invest $300 in bum genius and it ended up that her baby is allergic to microfiber so she switched to hemp prefolds and staccinator covers, he ended up allergic to those also and is now using the cheapest 100% cotton prefolds you can get and he is doing great on those.

 

[Kimmumum]

My boys are 14 and 11 and they both used cloth diapers. We, however, have a different experience from those who posted already. For a shower gift my inlaws got us 3 months of diaper service (after they asked what I wanted). The service dropped off x amount of diapers (depending on your average use) on a certain day. You would use the diapers and then put them in a bag. As gross as it sounds you do not have to do anything with the diapers. You do not rinse out the waste or anything. Just put them in the bag. The company will pick the up at the same time the following week and drop off new ones. They will measure the PH and other things and change them to fit what you baby needs.

We only did it for 3 months because the first 3 months we didn't leave the house a whole lot, it was winter and then I went back to work. I'm glad I didn't buy a bunch of the cloth diapers before I decided whether I was going to have cloth or disposable in the long run.

I loved them when I used them but don't think I could have used them as the boys got older. YUCK!!!

 

[Maggimus]

Thank you so much, everyone, for all the replies.

So im seeing a pattern. Some really feel that certain ones leak, etc. I dont really know which one's to try out first. Do the PUL's seem to be most popular? And what brand seems to get the most positive attention? I guess I dont want to invest in something that a lot of people have issues with. But i need somewhere to start.

Also if anyone is getting rid of their cloth diaper stash please let me know...

 

[3boymthr]

Just keep in mind that if you are going back to work most daycare providers won't accept children wearing cloth diapers - mine wouldn't. There are sanitary issues with all those diapers and let's face it they just don't have time to deal with all those diapers. So you may have to use disposables at least while they are in daycare.

 

[magik]

I think what it comes down to is that 1) all babies are shaped differently, 2) different babies may have allergies or sensitivities to certain fabrics and 3) your own personal feelings about effort (all-in-ones are as far as you're willing to go vs. you don't mind dealing with pins and covers).

I've done a lot of reading about cloth diapers, and it seems to me that people who have leaking, have it either because the diaper they are using is not the right size/shape for their particular baby or they didn't care for them per manufacturer instructions. If the diaper doesn't fit right, then it won't work right as others have said.

I second/third/fourth others' recommendations to wait until you have your baby, then buy only one or two of each brand/style you're interested in and try them out to see what works best for your child. For some people, one-size-fits-all diapers work, and for others, they need to buy different sizes, or the one-size ones only work when their child is older.

Also, I've heard you do NOT want to use cloth diapers for those first couple of poops (the meconium) as that stuff is really, really hard to even get off the baby, let alone off a cloth diaper. If you're breastfeeding, once the poop is more normal, then cloth diapers are super easy as you don't even have to rinse breastfed poop in the toilet...just throw in the wash.

 

[Maggimus]

Just keep in mind that if you are going back to work most daycare providers won't accept children wearing cloth diapers - mine wouldn't. There are sanitary issues with all those diapers and let's face it they just don't have time to deal with all those diapers. So you may have to use disposables at least while they are in daycare.

Thank you! Such a valid point! Im a housewife and won't be working once the baby is here either. So DH & I (mainly myself) will be doing the diapering.

I think what it comes down to is that 1) all babies are shaped differently, 2) different babies may have allergies or sensitivities to certain fabrics and 3) your own personal feelings about effort (all-in-ones are as far as you're willing to go vs. you don't mind dealing with pins and covers).

I've done a lot of reading about cloth diapers, and it seems to me that people who have leaking, have it either because the diaper they are using is not the right size/shape for their particular baby or they didn't care for them per manufacturer instructions. If the diaper doesn't fit right, then it won't work right as others have said.

I second/third/fourth others' recommendations to wait until you have your baby, then buy only one or two of each brand/style you're interested in and try them out to see what works best for your child. For some people, one-size-fits-all diapers work, and for others, they need to buy different sizes, or the one-size ones only work when their child is older.

Also, I've heard you do NOT want to use cloth diapers for those first couple of poops (the meconium) as that stuff is really, really hard to even get off the baby, let alone off a cloth diaper. If you're breastfeeding, once the poop is more normal, then cloth diapers are super easy as you don't even have to rinse breastfed poop in the toilet...just throw in the wash.

I see most of you say to wait until the baby gets here. Did everyone wait and order them once their baby arrived? Or did some have a few on hand to try?

 

[bumbershoot]

No, don't wait until baby is here to buy anything. Just don't get heavily invested in ONE thing, just in case it doesn't fit right. For instance, my guy was a string bean, and fuzzibunz didn't work for awhile.

Luckily, I started off with Chinese Prefolds, and you can fold those into all sorts of "shapes", and fit any baby, pretty much. So I used those and bought a sample-pack, and tried to see how each fit.

To not buy anything is to set yourself up for failure.

I tried the fancy washing routines, but they didn't work for me. I ended up with ONE hot wash and every so often an extra rinse. I used a handful of Washing Soda and 8 spritzes of Simple Green, and that was IT. The fancier I got with my wash routine, the worse things got. The simpler I got, the better it got.


I had pleeeeeenty of friends try to discourage me, based on their tiny efforts, but they would shoot themselves in the foot by using the flat diapers available at babies r us...now I know ONE woman who thrived with Gerber birdseyes, but she did not have a heavy wetter like my dude, and she knows that she is the exception to the rule.

We would have used a diapering service, but they use bleach and I'm allergic to bleach. Since my own mom got started with cloth b/c I had such a massive diaper rash to the Pampers I was put in, there was no way I was going to cause a rash on myself or on baby b/c of the bleach, and so we never used a service. Services are NOT available in every city, either.


What one person finds to be the best ever another finds to be trash. On page 1, someone said they loved Kushies! I did too. We're about the only two people in the world for whom Kushies worked well. Most people...they leak on, they don't fit right, etc. But for my son, they were our toddler nighttime diaper, it never leaked, it was *wonderful*. But we were exceptions.

And of course if you ever look at a "what's the best plastic diaper" thread, you'll see the same thing...for some babies, the cheapest of the cheap diapers work. For others, only the most expensive. For some, Huggies work, for others only Pampers. Etc etc.


it's a crazy weird world to step into, and you'll really only know what you're doing after the fact, LOL, but I'd recommend a nice stash (I started with 36) of Chinese PreFolds with some covers and some Snappis (sort of like a pin but not really), and work from there.

 

[tonilea]

I used cloth diapers almost exclusively for DS and should we have another baby (wish us luck) this is what we will do:

Newborn stage: 3 dozen diaper service quality (Don't use the gerber ones you get at Wal-Mart) prefolds in small and maybe a dozen in the preemie size. Six to eight covers. I liked Proraps. And half a dozen small Fuzzi Bunz. Plus 3 or 4 Snappis (instead of pins).

With DS I bought a lot of different things. Turned out he was a pretty big baby at 8lb 7oz and much of what I bought didn't fit. What I loved about the prefolds was you could fold them to fit.

For Mediums (DS never really wore larges, he potty trained at just over 2 yrs), I would use mostly pocket diapers. But for nights I loved Lullaby Dreams from http://hyenacart.com/LullabyDiapers/ . I also liked diapers from Bum-Ware http://www.bum-ware.com/ .

 

[Maggimus]

Thats what i thought. I knew i needed to invest in some before-hand (thats why i have this thread) but some mentioned waiting all together- which i cant see happening

I second/third/fourth others' recommendations to wait until you have your baby, then buy only one or two of each brand/style you're interested in and try them out to see what works best for your child.

Im still not completely up-to-date on the lingo or understand the difference in the AIO, PUL, etc, etc... but i guess that will come once i see them.

 

[tonilea]

Thats what i thought. I knew i needed to invest in some before-hand (thats why i have this thread) but some mentioned waiting all together- which i cant see happening


Im still not completely up-to-date on the lingo or understand the difference in the AIO, PUL, etc, etc... but i guess that will come once i see them.

AIO - is an all in one diaper - no other additions are needed.
Pocket diapers - The cover is attached to an inner liner, usually fleece or suedecloth to keep moisture from the baby, and the absorbant part is stuffed in the "pocket" made when the two are sewn together. I stuffed my pocket diapers with either prefolds or hemp inserts.
PUL - is a waterproof barrier fabric used to keep the clothes dry. The outer shell of AIOs or Pockets and many covers are made of PUL

 

[Maggimus]

AIO - is an all in one diaper - no other additions are needed.
Pocket diapers - The cover is attached to an inner liner, usually fleece or suedecloth to keep moisture from the baby, and the absorbant part is stuffed in the "pocket" made when the two are sewn together. I stuffed my pocket diapers with either prefolds or hemp inserts.
PUL - is a waterproof barrier fabric used to keep the clothes dry. The outer shell of AIOs or Pockets and many covers are made of PUL

so pocket diapers and PULs both need covers? Or just pocket diapers?

 

[magik]

so pocket diapers and PULs both need covers? Or just pocket diapers?

PUL = a type of waterproof fabric that many diaper covers are made out of, or that is used as the outside layer of AIO or pocket diapers.

So for instance, say you have pocket diaper "A" - the inside layer (against baby's skin) is suedecloth, the outer layer may be PUL (waterproof barrier) and you stuff inside it some absorbant material like a prefold or some other kind of absorbant insert.

You could also have AIO diaper "B" that has the outside layer made of PUL.

Or, you could have a "fitted" diaper "C" which is just the absorbant part of the diaper, but it looks kind of like the pockets or AIO's (meaning - it's not a flat thing that needs to be folded, it is diaper shaped and may have snaps or velcro, or it may need to be pinned) - it would need a cover. The cover can be made from PUL, or it can be made from some other waterproof fabric.

Lastly, you might have a flat or prefold diaper, which needs to be folded and pinned/snappied and needs a cover (which again, may be made of PUL or some other waterproof fabric).

Maybe there are other diaper kinds that I don't know about...it's very confusing at first to figure out what's what.

 

[Maggimus]

PUL = a type of waterproof fabric that many diaper covers are made out of, or that is used as the outside layer of AIO or pocket diapers.

So for instance, say you have pocket diaper "A" - the inside layer (against baby's skin) is suedecloth, the outer layer may be PUL (waterproof barrier) and you stuff inside it some absorbant material like a prefold or some other kind of absorbant insert.

You could also have AIO diaper "B" that has the outside layer made of PUL.

Or, you could have a "fitted" diaper "C" which is just the absorbant part of the diaper, but it looks kind of like the pockets or AIO's (meaning - it's not a flat thing that needs to be folded, it is diaper shaped and may have snaps or velcro, or it may need to be pinned) - it would need a cover. The cover can be made from PUL, or it can be made from some other waterproof fabric.

Lastly, you might have a flat or prefold diaper, which needs to be folded and pinned/snappied and needs a cover (which again, may be made of PUL or some other waterproof fabric).

Maybe there are other diaper kinds that I don't know about...it's very confusing at first to figure out what's what.

I can't say I completely understand, but you are really helping me.

So do the AIO's already have "stuffing"?

 

[magik]

I can't say I completely understand, but you are really helping me.

So do the AIO's already have "stuffing"?

Yes...AIO's already have absorbent stuff sewn inside. I think some people maybe lay a "doubler"(some extra absorbent thing, similar to the absorbent stuff you put inside a pocket diaper) inside at nights or if their child is a really heavy wetter though. The thing people like about AIO's though is that they are the most like using a disposable - just one piece that has everything you need. Even people that don't use AIO's most of the time for themselves may have a couple on hand for babysitters or the like to use.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Here's how I looked at it -

AIOs are almost the same as regular diapers, except you was and reuse. No need to stuff it, no need to cover it. the stuffing and the cover are built in.

A pocket is an AIO without the stuffing - you add the stuffing into the diaper, use the diaper, then remove the stuffing and wash both the diaper and the stuffing.

A cover (or a wrap) is just the waterproof part. It's similar to the pockets, but without a specific place to put the stuffing into. The difference between a cover and a pocket is like a Ziploc bag and Saran Wrap. They do the same thing, but differently.

With a pocket or covers, you need to get stuffing stuff. Usually the pockets are sold with liners, and then you can buy extras if you need them. Most seem to come with ones that feel like a thich facecloth, but are shaped to fir the diaper. Covers seem to be designed to be used with prefolds and such (picture the cloth diapers from your parents era)

As far as brands, I really like Fuzzi Bunz and Bum Genuis pockets. I've never tried AIOs or covers, so no thoughts there. A lot of people like swaddlebees and Happy Heinys, but they didn't work for us. My son was a tank, so that may ahve not helped..

Good luck!
Jen

 

[deniselozano]

We have always used G Diapers. They are super cute with many colors. You have an outside cloth that has a snap in liner, which is where you put in a flushable/compostable/throw away insert. Fast, easy and no having to deal to much with the nasty stuff. They are also very green and recommended by stars like Julia Roberts!
http://www.gdiapers.com/

 

[Maggimus]

Here's how I looked at it -

AIOs are almost the same as regular diapers, except you was and reuse. No need to stuff it, no need to cover it. the stuffing and the cover are built in.

A pocket is an AIO without the stuffing - you add the stuffing into the diaper, use the diaper, then remove the stuffing and wash both the diaper and the stuffing.

A cover (or a wrap) is just the waterproof part. It's similar to the pockets, but without a specific place to put the stuffing into. The difference between a cover and a pocket is like a Ziploc bag and Saran Wrap. They do the same thing, but differently.

With a pocket or covers, you need to get stuffing stuff. Usually the pockets are sold with liners, and then you can buy extras if you need them. Most seem to come with ones that feel like a thich facecloth, but are shaped to fir the diaper. Covers seem to be designed to be used with prefolds and such (picture the cloth diapers from your parents era)

As far as brands, I really like Fuzzi Bunz and Bum Genuis pockets. I've never tried AIOs or covers, so no thoughts there. A lot of people like swaddlebees and Happy Heinys, but they didn't work for us. My son was a tank, so that may ahve not helped..

Good luck!
Jen

Wow. I think I understood that! As far as the AIO and the pocket diapers, why would one want to stuff it themselves, versus have it already stuffed? What are the pro's and con's to that? I see one as doing more work- but does it provide extra leak protection? Is that where it can be a plus? Also if you read PUL cloth diaper-- which one of those does that fall under?

 

[ZPT1022]

I used cloth diapers for my two girls who are now 17 and 14. I...... but I found the velcro lost stickyness after a few washes and they were forever leaking.

cloth diapers have really come a long way, even just since my kids were born, and they're only 4 1/2.

I've done a lot of reading about cloth diapers, and it seems to me that people who have leaking, have it either because the diaper they are using is not the right size/shape for their particular baby or they didn't care for them per manufacturer instructions. If the diaper doesn't fit right, then it won't work right as others have said.

I totally agree- not every diaper works for every baby. Also, beware that using certain laundry soaps and definitely using fabric softener or dryer sheets, will cause your diapers to become less absorbent or even non absorbent. I recommend Charlie's soap (www.charliesoap.com) for cloth diapers (and regular clothes too). we tried a lot of things and that works the best for cleaning. Simple is better.

Also, I've heard you do NOT want to use cloth diapers for those first couple of poops (the meconium) as that stuff is really, really hard to even get off the baby, let alone off a cloth diaper. If you're breastfeeding, once the poop is more normal, then cloth diapers are super easy as you don't even have to rinse breastfed poop in the toilet...just throw in the wash.

Most likely you will be done with the meconium part while you're still at the hospital or within the first day or so home, so hopefully that won't be a big deal

No, don't wait until baby is here to buy anything. Just don't get heavily invested in ONE thing, just in case it doesn't fit right. For instance, my guy was a string bean, and fuzzibunz didn't work for awhile.

I agree, definitely buy some things, just don't buy a ton of one specific thing until you have a chance to find out what works for the baby, and what works for you too.

I had pleeeeeenty of friends try to discourage me, based on their tiny efforts, but they would shoot themselves in the foot by using the flat diapers available at babies r us...now I know ONE woman who thrived with Gerber birdseyes, but she did not have a heavy wetter like my dude, and she knows that she is the exception to the rule.

those gerber ones do make great burpcloths though

it's a crazy weird world to step into, and you'll really only know what you're doing after the fact, LOL, but I'd recommend a nice stash (I started with 36) of Chinese PreFolds with some covers and some Snappis (sort of like a pin but not really), and work from there.

even if you don't wind up using the prefolds they are handy for burpcloths or for stuffing pocket diapers or even just as a second layer for naptime.

I can't say I completely understand, but you are really helping me.

So do the AIO's already have "stuffing"?

AIO's or all in ones are literally that, all in one. You shouldn't need to use anything else with them. Bumkins makes a nice AIO, we had a few. They are very easy to use for Dad who may not be used to diapering a baby, or for reluctant grandparents when they babysit (that's my mom ) The downside is that they take soooo long to dry.

http://www.bumkins.com/index.asp side note- their bibs are GREAT!

Prefolds are those flat diapers that you then shape to fit baby and then pin, or my suggestion, the snappi

http://www.snappibaby.com/products/snappidiaperfastener.html

Prefolds are also good for adding another layer or for stuffing the pocket diapers

Pocket diapers are stuffable, usually adjustable diapers. They are shaped like conventional disposable diapers. The ones I've seen or used have a layer of fleece that is against baby's skin and pulls moisture away and into whatever absorbant liners you have stuffed in the pocket. The outside is usually made of that PUL material, which doesn't leak. I mostly used pocket diapers, we love fuzzi bunz. The big benefit, since they are adjustable is that one size lasts a looong time. I also liked being able to use just a thin layer for regular daytime use and then a lot of layers at nighttime once the twins slept through the night. If you go with pocket diapers, I would hang them to dry and just dry the liners- they really don't take long at all to dry. I used this to dry the fuzzi bunz (www.fuzzibunz.com) and the diaper covers: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80124638

Contour diapers are shaped like conventional disposable diapers but need to be pinned, or again, the snappi. They then require a cover. I do have a lot of these as well, we liked kissaluvs, www.kissaluvs.com

You can also buy fitted diapers, again, shaped like conventional disposables, usually adjustable and then you need a cover on top of them. We used the kissaluvs brand of these as well, we thought they were great when our twins were really little. When the kids were just running around in the yard or something, we skipped the cover because it's not a huge deal if a little pee gets on the yard And they looked so cute

Covers, well, those go over any diapers that don't have a waterproof outer layer. I know there are a lot of brands and options- wool, etc.... we liked Bummis- www.bummis.com


I had a lot of fun buying all the different kinds and trying them out. Some definitely worked better than others. Our favorites were Kissaluvs- contours and fitteds, and fuzzi bunz. Chinese prefolds, microfleece liners, and hemp liners for stuffing the fuzzi bunz. Bummis for the covers.

hemp liners:
http://www.softclothbunz.com/Babykicks-Hemparoo-Joey-Bunz_p_0-6.html

I've also used the above site for my diaper orders- they were great and everything shipped quickly.

I think most people like to just find one kind/brand and stick with it but we did a little bit of everything.

Any more questions, please ask. My one and only regret is that we didn't cloth diaper our first. We only came to cloth diapers after one of my twins had a horrendous diaper rash that we could never get to go away completely- even with prescription strength creams. We switched to cloth and it was gone within a week

 

[kissy]

I use pockets because they dry faster and honestly, I like that I can add a hemp insert for nighttime if I want. I had one All in one diaper and it leaked like crazy (it was made by a work at home mom off of ebay). So I can't really give you a ton of advice on the AIO's but I can also tell you that it's really not a big deal to have to stuff the pockets. I just take them out of the dryer and stuff while I'm watching tv.
I also would recommend using disposables until baby is done with the meconium part. It's just easier that way.