I’ve been promising a cloth diaper post…so now I’m going to make good on it!
We are 3 months in to cloth diapering Harper and LOVING it!! 🙂 A huge number of friends/family kept telling me that I would hate it & give it up all throughout my pregnancy….but they couldn’t be further from the truth! Harper has not had a “sposie” on her bottom since we left the hospital and I don’t plan on using one ever! A lot of people have misconceptions about modern cloth diapers & a lot of my pregnant/new mommy friends have been curious so here we go:
First off lets look at a little fluffy fun (my stash photo):
Fluffy goodness!
So pretty! 🙂 This stash gives us plenty of diapers to do a load of laundry every 3 days. No biggie!
Why cloth diaper?
Every parent that cloth diapers has their own personal reasons for doing so: cheaper, healthier, environmentally friendly, cuter, etc. Our main motivation for cloth diapering was that it was healthier for the baby. After the pampers chemical burn issues came about I started researching into what exactly is in a disposable diaper….and was shocked! The amount of chemicals is disgusting! Some of the chemicals are not even allowed in adult products (like makeup) per the FDA…..but they are allowed in a diaper that will be touching my babies bottom 24/7? Ugh, no! Studies show that the rate of severe diaper rash (needing a dr visit) increased by 70% when disposables came on the market. That alone was enough for me! Cloth diapered babies often potty-train earlier due to being able to feel wet when they go (no nasty chemicals disguising the feel!). I also like that it is significantly cheaper (parents spend between $2,000-$3,000 on sposies per child between birth and potty training). You can easily build a CD stash between $200 – $1,000! Add in the fact that you can sell used CDs or use them for multiple kiddos and it is a major cost saving idea! My stash above cost just under $700! We figure in about 5 more months we will break even. The idea that it is more environmentally friendly (it takes about 300 YEARS for a sposie to decompose in a landfill!!) and cuter was just icing on the cake to me!
What kind of cloth diapers are there?
Prefolds/Flats: I forgot to take a picture of these but they are the diapers on the top left of my stash photo! These diapers are the “old-school” cloth diaper and the cheapest to buy. These types of diapers are not waterproof and do require a cover and a pin or snappi. There are many brands of prefolds & flats but the best I have found are from Green Mountain Diapers (GMD). They are a few dollars more ($26/dozen)….but so so so so so worth it!! I have yet to see another that comes close to comparing! These diapers made up my entire newborn stash. Many of the One Size (OS) diapers will not fit well on a baby until they reach 10-12lbs so parents either use sposies until then or get a few prefolds & covers. We had 24 newborn (orange edged) GMD prefolds which worked out perfect! The first week or two I was doing laundry almost every day because of the crazy newborn poo….but it is easy laundry and after a few weeks Harper started going less & I could stretch it out. The newborn size worked great until around 2 months when they started getting a little tight. We can still use them by tri-folding them if I feel pretty confident that she isn’t going to poop….but we mainly use them now as burp rags & as stuffers for our pocket diapers. We now have 12 infant sized (yellow edged) GMDs that fit great. GMD prefolds also have amazing resale value and can usually be sold for about 80% of the purchase price!
Fitted: These diapers look just like a disposable with either snaps or velcro (aplix) for closure. These diapers usually have snap-in inserts that you can use to customize the amount of absorbancy you need. These diapers are not waterproof & require a cover.
We use our fitteds as our night-time diapers since they have great absorbancy & let Harper’s skin breathe better than other diapers. Our stash includes 2 GoodMamas (top two), 1 Tiny Tush Hemp (bottom left), and 1 BubuBebe (bottom right). My favorite by far is my Bububebe!!!! This diaper is incredible! The GoodMamas are good but just don’t absorb as well. My plan is to sell my purple GM & buy another Bububebe sometime soon (I can’t sell my monkey GM because I love it to much!). I like the Tiny Tush diaper because hemp absorbs so much…..but I wish it had more layers to add (and was cuter!).
We also have 4 Kissaluv size 1 fitteds. I bought these because I had heard that they were great fitteds for newborns, but I accidently bought the wrong size (sz 0 is for NBs) so they just recently started fitting. These fitteds are weird because they have no snap in inserts…so their absorbancy is pretty crappy. I can see them being great for newborns though due to the frequency you have to change a new baby! I still grab these sometimes for Harper, but I call them her “laundry day” diapers! 😉
Covers: These are needed with prefolds/flats/fitteds. They are made with PUL (polyurithayne laminate) and close with either snaps or aplix. There are a variety of brands….some one-sized (OS) which allows you to adjust the rise & waist with snaps and some are perfect fit (where you have to buy small, med, & large).
We currently have 6 covers in use. 1 Tiny Tush Medium (top left), 1 Flip OS (top right), and 4 size 1 Thirstie Duo wraps (bottom 4). By far my favorites are my Thirsties Duos!! They have a double let gusset that keeps everything in! It is rare that we have a blow-out with our Thirstie covers on….can’t say the same for other brands! The Thirstie Duos come in 2 sizes so they aren’t quite OS covers. I highly recommend this brand for covers! We have 6 due to getting the Flip & Tiny Tush for free…..but we could easily get away with only owning 3! 🙂
Wool: A natural fiber cover. Wool will hold 30% of it’s weight in moisture and is self cleaning. Wool covers (called soakers, shorties, or longies) are much more breathable than any other water resistant cover (therefore better for babies skin), they are super absorbent (down to a microscopic level) so no leaks, and they are just too darn cute!Comes made from upcycled materials, interlock, and knitted and crochet by hand. We currently don’t own any wool covers….but I am dying to get some!!! We plan on using wool longies with our fitted diapers at nighttime so that Harper’s little bottom can breathe overnight! I’m determined to learn to knit so I can make them myself!
A cute little guy in his wool longies!
All-In-Ones (AIOs): These are the easiest & most expensive diapers. These diapers are exactly like a disposible….except washable! They have a waterproof barrier with absorbant interior fibers. These require no extra steps and are closed with either snaps or aplix.
We only have 2 AIOs in our stash because they just aren’t my favorite! I like the ease of use….but don’t like how I can’t add anything to increase absorbancy if needed….and they take FOREVER to dry!! Our two AIOs are BumGenius Organic Elements. I bought them during a crazy sale (over 1/2 off!) to try out an AIO and now they are our diaper bag diapers since they are easy to use when out & about!
Pockets: These are basically a cover with a liner (suede or fleece) that you stuff with absorbant fibers. They look and act just like an AIO except you can determine how much absorbancy you need! Most pocket diapers come with 1 or 2 microfiber inserts that you can use to stuff. Microfiber is great in that it quickly absorbs liquid so it keeps baby’s bottom dry….but they can develop an ammonia smell pretty easily! One thing to note is that you never want to have a microfiber insert right against baby’s bottom! Always make sure they are in the pocket since microfiber can wick moisture away fast…..leaving baby with very dry skin. I am slowly aquiring some hemp inserts which I LOVE for my pockets! They absorb a lot more pee than microfiber…and don’t smell! 🙂 With pockets you remove the inserts with the diaper change and restuff after laundry is done. One advantage of this over AIOs is that they dry much much quicker! It is one extra step…but it only takes me an extra 2-3 minutes per laundry load. Not a big deal to me!
As you can tell these are my favorite diapers (with prefolds being a close second!). I love how easy they are & being able to increase or decrease the absorbancy based on need. All of my pockets are OS so they should last us until Harper is potty-trained! Our stash includes 5 Fuzzibunz OS (top 3 left & middle 2 left), 1 Blueberry Minky OS (top right), 1 Rump-A-Rooz (middle right), and 3 Tiny Tush OS Elite (bottom row). My favorite of the bunch is my Rump-A-Rooz! It is the most expensive (of course!) but I love the inner gusset and fit on my little girl! It is smaller than all the other OS diapers (so it fit Harper much sooner than the rest)…..but I am nervous on if it will actually last all the way to potty-training. The FuzziBunz are different in that they change size with adjustable elastic in the legs/waist. I like the adjustable elasatic because it is easier to get a good fit around Harper’s skinny thighs, and it makes them much trimmer (a nice feature for pants!). My only disappointment with my FuzziBunz are that they don’t feel like they are made with as much quality as my other pockets. The fleece lining seems much thinner & the pocket opening is much larger. Most people I talk to though LOVE their FuzziBunz and have said that they’ve had no problems with them holding up…..so we will see! 🙂 I love the feel of my Blueberry Minky (so freaking soft!!) but the fit isn’t great on Harper. Her little legs are just too skinny! It is also extremely bulky! We mainly use this one around the house when she is just in a diaper (so soft!) but not under any clothes.
Other Diaper Accessories You May Need:
Snappis or Pins: These are used to keep prefolds/flats closed. Snappis are nifty little diaper fasteners that grab onto the diaper with little plastic teeth, not only keeping the diaper together but also creating a snugger fit. We currently own 3 (one for home, one in diaper bag, and one as back-up)…..really only 2 is needed!
Prefold being held with a snappi
Wet Bags: These handy bags are great to carry around in your diaper bag or purse for any kind of short outing. They are basically like a mini pail liner except your cute fabric is on the outside and they usually have a zipper closure or a drawstring. They come in a variety of sizes, small enough to fit one diaper to large enough to hold several diapers. We own 4 wet bags total! 2 Large Planet Wise hanging bags (for changing table), and 2 Medium Planet Wise bags (for diaper bag). This way we have one bag in laundry & one in use! 🙂
Diaper Pail: Most people just buy a cheap foot-operated trash can. We decided not to use one and instead installed a hook on our changing table which our Lg wet bag hangs from! Perfect for throwing dirty diapers in 🙂
Cloth Wipes: I find that using cloth wipes are much easier than disposable wipes with cloth diapers! You don’t need a seperat trash can because everything can be thrown in together to wash! Added in the fact that they are softer, clean easier (I usually only need one vs. several disposable wipes!), and have no chemicals! We keep a small squirt bottle of water on the changing table & in the diaper bag that we use to wet the wipes (some people store them in a diaper warmer with water similar to disposables).
We use the white ones at home & the crab print in the diaper bag (I like having a pattern for the diaper bag so when I do laundry I remember to put them back in!). We have 20 for the diaper bag and about 40 for the house…….probably double what we really need! Oops! 😉
So How Do I Know Which Diapers I Should Get?
This is a personal choice! What one person loves….another might hate! Look at how much you are willing to spend for your stash & the degree of work you are ok with! Many people like to start with a trial of different types of diapers to see which types they like. Jillian’s Drawer has a great trial for $10 (http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/tryclothfor10). We didn’t go for a trial because I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted before starting! If you will be using a day care at some point make sure they are ok with cloth diapering! Most centers will cloth diaper if an AIO or pocket (pre-stuffed!) is used. If a daycare initially says “no” make sure they have seen a current CD! Many will agree after seeing how easy it is (no different than disposables except they place them in a wet bag instead of trash!)
Snaps or Aplix?
Once again it’s a personal choice! Many feel that you get a more snug fit with aplix vs. snaps….but the velcro can wear out (especially if you dry in the dryer!) and have to be replaced. Aplix can also be a problem when babies get older since they can easily undo it! Naked baby alert! 🙂 We chose to go with snaps since they hold up better (and Harper can’t get them off when older!) and love it! I have one aplix diaper (a tiny tush pocket that I got for free) and I really perfer my snaps over it!
But They Get Poop On Them! How Do You Clean?!
If a baby is exclusively breastfed then there is absolutely no work to be done before laundry. Just take off dirty diaper, place in wet bag until laundry day, empty bag into washer & wash! Breastmilk poop is water soluble and literally dissolves in water! Easy-peasy! If baby is formula fed or on solids then the poop needs to be plopped or wiped away first. There are many many ways to do this: disposable liners (take out liner & flush it), spray it off (there are diaper sprayers that attach to the toilet), wipe it off with toilet paper, or dunk in toilet and “swished” (use tongs!). Sounds hard but really it takes about 2 seconds. We will probably use disposable liners when out & about and dunk/swish when home once Harper gets to solids (once they are eating a lot of solids the poop becomes more formed & can just be plopped out into toilet!).
Every CD momma has her own system when it comes to doing laundry. There is no right/wrong….you find what works for you! Our routine is: cold rinse, hot wash with detergent, cold rinse. One thing to note is that not all laundry detergents are created equal! Many cannot be used with CDs due to things in them that can build up on the diaper causing them not to absorb. There are many CD friendly detergents but the most popular are: Rockin Green, Charlies Soap, & Tide Original. Make sure none have dyes or perfumes! (another note: many diaper rash creams cannot be used with CDs! California Baby is one brand that is CD friendly if needed!). Only use 1/4 of the recommended amount per load to ensure that soap build-up occurs! We do the cold rinse at the end to make sure all detergent is washed out! No problems yet! 🙂 If build-up occurs then the diapers must be stripped to work correctly. I haven’t had to strip any diaper yet but here is a good website explaining how to do it if needed (http://www.theecofriendlyfamily.com/2009/10/another-stripping-diapers-post.html). Some mom’s have issues & have to strip occassionally…..and some never do! Who knows what the difference is!
CDs can be dried in the dryer….but it is recommended to air dry anything with PUL, snaps, or elastic to increase life span (plus it saves on electricity!). We currently line dry our covers, fitteds, AIOs, and pockets. We put our prefolds, wipes, & inserts into the dryer.
One last thing! 🙂 Cloth diapers with natural fibers (hemp, cotton, bamboo….) must be prepped before use. This gets rid of the natural oils in the fibers, allowing it to absorb! Prepping involves multiple washes so make sure to read the instructions when you get them! To prep all my diapers I have washed in hot water 4-5 times (just throw them in with your whites!). For prefolds you can just boil them for 10-20 minutes and wash once to prep! Save water & time! Boiling isn’t recommended for anything with snaps or elastic (can wear them down!). If pregnant I recommend starting to prep diapers around the 30wk mark so you have time to wash them with multiple loads of laundry (once again saving time & water!).
Whew! Sorry it was so long but there was a lot to go over! 🙂 Hopefully this helps some new moms who are interested in cloth diapering! We love it (even Dan who was a skeptic! His favorites are prefolds…suprising!). Once you get the hang of it they are so easy & so worth it! I love Harper’s fluffy bum!
Just one more picture for good measure:
Love it!
Passports & Prams 