Tell me about cloth diapering....

[WDWorBUST]

I'm kicking the idea around to try cloth diapering with this baby. I have done some research and have determined there are 4 main types: Prefolds with cover, pocket, fitted, and all in one (I think that's right). What I'm looking for is real life experiences with cloth diapering and would love some input.

 

[LuLuO]

I cloth diapered my DD until she was just over a year. We used Bum Genius One Size. I love them. After DD turned a year she became a real heavy wetter, espeically at night, so we switched her to sposies. With DS I have to admit that I don't have as much time to do laundry but I still cloth diaper about 30% the time and now that he'll be crusing around the yard in the warm weather he'll probably be in the more.

I love cloth diapers and have had great luck with the Bum Genius brand.

I've also used g diapers and like them a lot too. g diapers are kind of a cross between a cloth and a disposable. Bum Genius now has their own version of g diapers.

You can check out a site called cottonbabies.com that is where i got my cloth dipes from. g diapers are from gdiapers.com I think.

 

[kelleyrn2000]

I second the Bum Genius diapers. They were the easiest and closest to disposables so easier for DH and Grandma to learn.

 

[emh1129]

I tried a few different kinds and liked pocket dipes (specifically fuzzi bunz) the best. Very easy to use, cute colors, great resale value. They worked well for us.

 

[taitai]

Another cloth diaper fan here. It is cheaper, healthier, greener, everything. Once you read about all the toxins in disposable diapers it is hard not to do cloth.

I used prefolds and covers during the newborn days. It was easier to get a good fit with a prefold. I really like the Thirsties covers. I used wool at night.

Once the kids fattened up a bit, I switched to pockets. They are so great as you can adjust the amount of absorbency to fit the situation (more at night, less during the day). bumGenius 3.0 is a great diaper. Kind of idiot proof...great for babysitters and grandmas. I also really like the Happy Heiny diaper.

I used CottontailBaby (www.cottontailbaby.com) to get mine. There are a lot of great retailers out there...everyone is always so nice and answered all my questions in the beginning.

 

[dyna]

diaperswappers.com DD loved an had good luck on there.....

 

[bumbershoot]

There is no laundry more lovely than folding a bunch of cloth dipes and putting them away.

We started with prefolds when DS was 2 days old, but as soon as we could, switched to pockets. Started in the pocket realm with FuzziBunz (and at that time, the owner hadn't yet gotten the patent on that way of making pocket diapers, even!), but at the end of our CDing days had fallen MADLY in love with Swaddlebees side-snapping pocket dipes. DS was (and is) long and tall, and he had big sumo thighs. The FuzziBunz just didn't fit perfectly, but the side-snapping swaddlebees were more of a "bikini" shape, and went up higher on his thighs than the FBs. They were just fabulous.

I would probably start with swaddlebees with a new baby, just b/c of that experience, if I get to have another baby...I would probably branch out to some of the bumgenius types. There are so many more out there than when DS finished his diapering days (I did a final wash and fold when he was 2.5 years old, but HE was really done nearly a year before that), and I would love to explore.

Oh, we also LOVED Bumkins. They are an all in one with a cotton interior and nylon shell. They close with velcro, and are probably the most simple to do up, especially for my hubby. I really liked the cotton aspect vs the fleece of most pockets. Just seemed...cooler...for DS's boy bits.

We found a very simple washing routine worked the best for us.

The following two sites were incredibly helpful:

http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/basics.htm
http://www.sunshinediapers.com/cloth-diaper-university/

I only wish I'd found them at the beginning, instead of towards the end of DS's diapering days!

 

[candielips]

Cloth diapering is so much easier than I ever thought.
We use One Size Bum Genius Pockets. I like these because I can use them for my 2 1/2 yr old and my 4 month old. They go from 8 lbs to 35 lbs and you can stuff as many inserts as you need in them.
I throw them in my diaper bin and wash them every 2 days. I have 28 of them and that is plenty for both of my children for 2 days. I could go 3 days but I do not like to let them sit that long.
Once I made the switch I also made the switch to cloth wipes as I hated trying to find a place to throw out the normal wipes. By using the cloth I just threw them in w/ the diapers. You can sew these out of old towels, receiving blankets, or even use cheap baby wash cloths.

 

[Fantasyland Mom]

We love our cloth! For the newborn days, we use prefolds (and some converted to prefitteds) with covers. Our favorite covers are definitely Thirsties (leg gussets that hold in everything!), with Bummis Super Whisper Wraps in second place.

Then we move to pockets. We have a variety, but our favorites are FuzziBunz and Swaddlebees/Blueberries. That being said, every baby needs a different fit, so you may have to try out different brands before finding one that fits your baby the best.

Diaperswappers is a great place to buy/sell used diapers. Even if you only buy diapers new, you can still sell them on there when you're done and make back a good portion of the original cost, especially if you wash them correctly while in use.

We use Charlie's Soap (just one tbs. per load) for washing our diapers. We do a cold rinse, hot wash, cold rinse, and extra cold rinse...you've got to make sure all the soap is out of the diapers so they stay absorbant. We can program our washer to do all that without even having to walk back in there. We throw the inserts in the dryer and lay the pockets out to dry. Then we toss them in at the end to fluff them (saves the elastic from getting dried out that way).

Also, we have a BumGenius diaper sprayer that we just LOVE, especially when the kiddos start eating solids. Breastmilk poo doesn't stink, and you can throw those straight into the pail if you want, but once they eat real food, the diaper sprayers are a blessing!

Cloth diapering is so easy. We used sposies for a while with our first, and she was always getting diaper rash. When we made the switch, she hasn't had one since. Our second DD has been in cloth, and we just invested in some boy colors for the baby on the way.

 

[lexmas]

We cloth diaper, and love it. Did it from birth with both kids, and with both at the same time for about 6 months. We love using prefolds and Wigglewormbottoms (wigglewormbottoms.com)...so easy and so cute too. We just fold the diaper in 3, put it in the cover, and put it on the baby (well, with DD we have fleece cut into strips that we put on top of the diaper because she has very sensitive skin and needs to feel dry). Very very easy, and very cute to have those fluffy behinds waddling around your house! Give it a try, I'm sure you'll love it!

 

[BiancaBernard&Penny]

I tried them all.

By the end they introduced the Blueberries. I loved them more than bumGenius. They last longer as far as leg elastic goes. I replaced elastic in all my bG's. I liked also that I could choose one-size or size specific, aplix or snaps, and more colors.

I also used various other pockets, FuzziBunz and the like were OK for us. The PocketChange and HuggaBuns fit better but the fleece stains like no other. I used HuggaBuns hemp fleece inserts almost exclusively. I loved the Tail Feather Diapers- not sure if these are still made.

I did like Bumkins AIO and even Kushies AIO... when they fit. There is a narrow window for a correctly fitting AIO compared to a pocket. And not every 15 lb baby has the same size booty so you can't go by the guidelines.

Lastly, I loved prefolds or some fitteds and covers. Pinned prefolds with wool longies or soakers were popular here, especially in the early toddler times or I used a trifold prefold tucked in a cover (Bummies Whisper Wraps or wool wraps were my favorite. In warm weather the toddler spent a lot of time outside in a pinned PF with a short dress on top. No cover for lots of air! There were some lightweight nylon wraps (Bummies?) and Bumkin wraps I liked in the tiny NB weeks) I always used Diaper Service Quality (DSQ) Chinese Cotton PFs but Indian and Euro PFs are nice as well. Chinese are in the middle as far as softness and durability goes. NEVER Gerber- those are for burp cloths. If I was in a pinch I had to double them and they're very bulky.

I miss diaper laundry!
The big deal is detergent with NO enzymes. Minimal color or scent. Use less than the box or bottle says. They always have you waste it and the suds build up and decrease absorbency. NO softener but vinegar makes them a bit softer. Follow directions for dryer use.
Rinse-wash-rinse-rinse worked best for me. I liked to add a little lavender and/or tea tree essential oil to keep things fresh and germ-free.
No (minimal) diaper creams. Keep them light if you need to use them, nothing pasty like Desitin.

 

[lexmas]

I just wanted to say that you can use diaper creams, but it's better to use cloth diaper friendly ones. We use CJ's BUTTer (you can google it) and it's amazing. Blueberry Crumble is my favorite scent in the whole world...I would buy it just to use on my hands!

I second much much less than what your laundry detergent says though. We probably use 1/4 to 1/8 of what the bottle says and everything comes out fresh and clean.

 

[Jdougherty]

just a note. CD are fine when home but MOST daycares don't allow cloth diapers, We CD at home but used pampers at daycare. I like fluffy Butts, great colors the same diaper will fit a 2 month old as a 6 month old ( she does some thing with sizing and snaps it's really cool) I know she uses PUL for her AIO and pockets/covers and I was allowed to pick what was used agienst my little man's skin. I belive she uses Bambo, which is hypo alergenic and very soft. PM me if you want an email adress or contact information.

 

[taitai]

just a note. CD are fine when home but MOST daycares don't allow cloth diapers, We CD at home but used pampers at daycare. I like fluffy Butts, great colors the same diaper will fit a 2 month old as a 6 month old ( she does some thing with sizing and snaps it's really cool) I know she uses PUL for her AIO and pockets/covers and I was allowed to pick what was used agienst my little man's skin. I belive she uses Bambo, which is hypo alergenic and very soft. PM me if you want an email adress or contact information.

Happily this is changing. I have had several friends tell me of two day cares in our area that ONLY do cloth diapers. No sposies allowed. I think it is cool that more and more people are recognizing the health, environmental and budget impact of cloth.

Good luck assembling your stash!

 

[momto2js]

I think if you are SAHM you have a reasonable chance at being successful at using CD's. I work PT in a MMO program and we currently have a child in CD's. We simple pull them off and put them in a plastic bag. I can't even imagine having to open that bag, 8 hour and a hot car ride later. It is a real pain it the classroom because we simiply don't have appropriate storage for them and we are not allowed to wash them out at all.

As a single parent most of the time, keeping up with diapers is simply too much for me to do. However, for some families it works nicely.

 

[WDWorBUST]

what is PUL?

 

[Rachie0507]

We use bumGenius mostly, though I have a few FuzziBunz and like them too. We didn't start until DD was about 6 months old. BG diapers were definitely the best fit at the time so I stocked up on those. Now that DD is a toddler (she'll be 2 this summer), I actually prefer the FuzziBunz. They fit nicely and she doesn't try to open the snaps like she does with velcro.

DD is my third child but my first in cloth. I can't believe all the money we spent and waste we created with paper diapers in the past. I know cloth diapers won't work for everyone and in every situation, but I would suggest really looking into it! Good luck!!

 

[scrappingizlife]

I switched to cloth after my DS got the worst diaper rash and case of eczema I had ever seen. I never had any issues with either afterwards. I got to the point where I made my own pocket AIOs. It was so much cheaper than buying them and I got to choose great fabrics for them.

 

[scrappingizlife]

what is PUL?

PUL is the material that you put on the backing of the fabric to stop the leaks. It kinda looks like the plastic table cloth material but it's a lot stronger and machine washable (which table cloths is not) Oh and be careful if you buy home made cloth diapers Ebay, cuz some will use table cloth material instead of PUL

 

[bumbershoot]

We simple pull them off and put them in a plastic bag. I can't even imagine having to open that bag, 8 hour and a hot car ride later.

From my experience, it's going to be better than the smell of the disposables in the trash. Or Diaper Genie. My friend mocked me for the idea of cloth, of having a can full of dirty cloth for days on end...and then she wanted a Genie.

We used our CDs for a long weekend in Vancouver, had it in a "wetbag" (meaning a bag coated with PUL to keep the moisture in), put it in another wetbag, put it in our luggage and took a train ride home, and it was totally fine loading them into the washing machine. It just doesn't smell as bad as you possibly think it would, *unless* you're having a problem with the diaper washing routine OR the baby is sick.

what is PUL?

PolyUrethane...something. IT's the coating that makes normal fabric waterproof/resistant. It's the outer shell's inner coating on pocket diapers, but the fleece/cotton is actually touching the baby's skin.