ahh! a little help plz!

Erin - posted on 07/21/2010

http://www.facebook.com/flipdiapers?ref=...

They have a set of 2 covers and 6 liners. I would say one of those would be a great start to see if you like the Flip system, and 2-3 would probably be all you would need for covers and liners (and should be good all the way till potty training!!)

they also have compostable / flushable liners that you can use with the flip system... I just feel that it's kind of a waste if you're already washing diapers... but if you're grosed out by the mess you could do that and only have to wash the covers every few days (would be very little to clean)

Erin - posted on 07/21/2010

I am in love with cloth diapering! I want to post facebook statuses about my favorite covers and how I got my liners shockingly white!

I lucked out and got to borrow a bunch of cloth diapering stuff for my first child. She was born just under 2 months ago, so I'm still pretty new to cloth diapering but here's some of my advice from what I've tried out so far...

First, I would look for a cover that is one size fits all and doesn't have the pocket / insert. I had some bum genius to try out and although I love how snug they fit, I found it a hassle that you have to wash both the liner and cover each time (so you need around 20-24 of each in order to do the laundry every ~3 days), and I found them to be a bit leaky so I often end up putting a plain snap cover on top of the bum genius cover. Not too convienent. My favorite so far is the Flip diaper. It fits snuggly from around 8lbs - 35 (under 8 can still use them but they're a little loose on real little babes). Like has been mentioned snaps are nice cause they last longer, while the velcro gets really worn down in the wash. I have never had any problems with leaks with the Flip covers and find them almost as snug as a disposable. You can get the Flip liners that are extremely! absorbable and have a side that pulls moisture away from the skin so it works like a disposable and keeps baby's skin nice and dry (you actually have to feel the back of the liner to know it's wet, and when you open the diaper up often baby's bum is actually dry!). You can also easily use prefolds or cut up your own fleece etc. for liners, although I probably wouldn't have done that if I hadn't first tried out a couple styles. If you do buy some I'd go for a larger size and skip any small / newborn sizes as liners can easily be folded when they're younger and then you can use the same liners as they get older. I would buy a diaper pail and wet bag to go in it, although I find one of each is enough. While I am washing the wet bag in the wash with the diapers, I just keep any diapers I may change in a small ice cream style pail beside the toilet and transfer it back to the wet bag when the wash is done. I think if you're breastfeeding the toilet shower thing probably isn't necessary as the poop really isn't that bad. I would skip buying products to help with stains as well: in my opinion the best ways to get stains out are either boiling, or even better drying the liners / diapers out in the sun.

The Flip covers are also nice because it's just a simple cover and you just place the liner in it, so you don't have to wash the cover after each change like in the bum genius. It's also more of a plastic material on the inside so I find when it's a messy diaper and the poop has made it past the liner, I can easily wash the flip diaper by hand. I often have one cover drying while I'm using the other. I use two covers right now... but for convience I would probably get a couple more if I didn't have the extra bum genius and others as back ups when both covers are wet / dirty.

If I was to buy a cloth diapering set right now from scratch with what I've learned so far I would buy:

4-6 Flip covers
~15 - Flip liners (half microfiber to absorb, but dry against the skin)
3 prefolds (i prefer these for night cause i find them more absorbable)
1 pail and wet bag
24 cloth wipes (you can buy them or make them easy from fleece etc)
lavender essential oil / tea tree oil (I mix 1-3 drops in a cup of water and store this in a container with a dozen wipes)


fewf... what a rant and a half

Rachel - posted on 07/20/2010

i changed over when my daughter was about 4 weeks cos she had to be 5kg. I use the cushie tushies and you can buy packs that make it easier to make sure you have everything. There are heaps of brands that do basically the same thing depends what you are looking for. I also have an order for customised nappies (going to have her name and butterflies on the back) from bonnibuns too. If you can get the Modern Cloth nappies with the liners thats all you basically need, flushable liner are good too to just put the yukky bit in the toliet before you wash it. Hope this helps, i love that i don't have to buy diposables anymore.

Janelle - posted on 07/17/2010

My son has been cloth diapered from the time he was a month old. We chose one size fuzzi bunz and purchased 24 of them. I also purchased two pail liners which I alternate (one in the pail one in the wash) in my "diaper pail" which was an inexpensive tall kitchen trash can. I have two three wet bags for my diaper bag, which I also alternate, but you get easily get by with two or even one (I bought one in a slightly larger size figuring eventually I'd use it for wet swim stuff). I purchased a set of dryer balls and a gallon of Allen's Naturally laundry detergent with the restrictor clip pump (it last me over 8 months and I use it for diapers AND all of my son's laundry). That's what got me started, and all of it cost me about $600 total.

As my son got a little bit older, because he was a heavy wetter, I added some hemp inserts (skip the "newborn size" small size and just buy the large ones).

Just recently because my son is now on solids, I also bought the Bum Genius diaper sprayer, but that is in my opinion a luxury item.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions. I did a TON of research before I decided which cloth diapers would be right for us and I have never regretted my choice. In fact, it is one of the BEST decisions I've ever made!

Bri - posted on 07/16/2010

We're on the same adventure of doing cloth diapers more sophisticated (and more importantly, more user friendly) than prefolds/pins/vinyl pants that last 2 weeks.

The article in Mothering Magazine was AWESOME and a tremendous help.

Even more helpful was a previous thread when someone mentioned http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/ to which I promptly found a diaper consultant in a nearby town because I can NOT find a diaper store in a 3 hr radius! The gal met me at a coffee shop, brought her 10 yr old to entertain my 3 yr old and showed me a ton of options, how to use them, how to "cheat" (that I don't have to buy a ton of liners if I already have a gazillion pre-folds from my 1st) as well as info about which ones were USA made.

Now, I do feel like I have a clue and am ready to make some decisions about which brands, styles, etc. and that I'll be looking for some fleece and flannel to make some homemade parts too.

Kimberly - posted on 07/16/2010

We had the same problem when we were pregnant, weeding through so many products and information, soon though, we will have the results of The Cloth Diaper Awards (http://www.clothdiaperawards.com) and you can get real answers from 1000 moms all in one place!

Gabrielle - posted on 07/16/2010

I love cloth diapers, so I think it's wonderful that you're exploring this option. I used to get so overwhelmed looking at all of the options, so after using cloth for a while, I eventually started a blog, and I often share cloth diapering information. I did a week-long series a while back, so you can start with the first one and read about what I did. It's a lot easier than sharing all of this on Circle of Moms! http://mamagab.blogspot.com/2010/03/clot... You can do a search for cloth diapers and see all that I've written on the subject. I also use cloth wipes, so I've given instructions on making your own. Hope this helps!!

Jess - posted on 07/15/2010

Congrats on being a cloth mama, both my kids have been in cloth and i have trialled alot of cloth nappies and i have settled on a brand that alot of you may not know of they have 2 different types of styles both do not need stuffing which is fantastic they are an All in one and a Snap in one, the brand is called Itti Bitti. My son reacts to some brands of nappies and so far he seems ok with suedecloth inners.

However i am still hunting for a night time pocket nappy that will contain explosions as hes intolerant to alot of foods and the morning nappy is the worst :S

Debbie - posted on 07/15/2010

My daughter uses cloth diapers on her baby who is just shy of his first birthday. She loves them. You may contact her at luvlaughterlife@gmail.com Her name is Erica. She will be happy to chat with you and pass on her advice. She thoroughly researched this issue. Good luck

Sarah - posted on 07/14/2010

I prefer fitted diapers on newborns, I find the one size diapers you can snap to be smaller our unsnap to make larger are much too bulky for little guys. I myself prefer all in ones, with the cover built in. My fav's are grasshopper diapers and bum genius organic. I find pocket diapers a pain to stuff and the insert doesn't always come out properly in the wash. Oh and I also prefer snaps vs velcro. Velcro doesn't last as long

Michelle - posted on 07/11/2010

Congratulations on choosing cloth diapers!! I use the Bumgenius 3.0 one size and I LOVE THEM! They come with everything you need and fit like a disposable to anyone can change a diaper! Taking care of them is easy, so I don't even need a diaper service even though I work full time. The money saved is also a bonus! I would recommend Bumgenius to anyone! They also sell a diaper sprayer that fits onto the back of your toilet for rinsing out poo diapers before washing them. This was the best choice I could have made for my baby!

Jo - posted on 07/10/2010

Its a minfield, and one very easy to get sucked into! My bub is 17mths now and in that time I've bought Tots bots, Motherease, Swaddlebees, Kushies, Blueberrys, Bumgenious, Fuzzi Bunz and Itti Bittis !!! I must have nappy mug tattooed on my forhead.

I wish someone sensible had told me all I would really need at the start is:
1. 25-30 Tots bots fluffles size 1 (replaced with size 2 at about 10mths)
2. 5 Tots bots wraps (ditto)
3. A metre or so of microfleece to chop up into liners
4. 2 nappy buckets and liners
5. Tea tree oil (we dry pail - much less messy imo)
6. A couple of nappy nippas
7. Soda crystals and white vinegar for slinging in the wash with your washing powder.

I could have saved myself a fortune and life would be considerably less complicated !!! ;)

Kellie - posted on 07/10/2010

I used cloth nappies on my first son,he is now 15 and I have recently started again with my now 7 week old.What I got back then,and then now was at least 4 dz good quality cloth nappies,nappy liners,plastic pants,(to cover the nappy),a nappy bucket to soak the nappies for at least 24 hours and some good quality nappy soaker.That was pretty much all I needed!

Kelly - posted on 07/10/2010

I started looking into diaper options when I was 6 months pregnant and I froze up over the amount of options out there. Its not like it used to be for our parents, thats for sure.
From Huggies to gDiapers, the internet is a great resource and often you can find lots of comparison charts of the different brands and options. However, I found in my case that wasn't enough. I needed my hand to be held so I turned to a diaper specialty store here in my area (I had no idea they existed!)

Depending on where you live and the size of the city, it will determine if you have a store like this available. But a simple Google search for 'diaper stores' yielded tons of options from Toronto to Indiana and California. If these places aren't within a drive of you - maybe a simple phone call will help you.

In Boston, where I live, I cannot say enough good things about the Diaper Lab in Somerville.

Good luck!

Kelly - posted on 07/10/2010

It is so overwhelming that I gave up and just ended up buying terry towelling nappies from Big W and I fold them into the jo fold. A couple of baby beehinds pul covers. Some microfleece from lincraft cut into liners and flannels from best and less as wipes. The whole lot cost me under $100 for 24 nappies and i havent looked back! For night I used a folded hemmed flannette wrap as a booster. Good luck on your cloth nappy adventure!

Heather - posted on 07/09/2010

I clothe diapered a boy and a girl with Fuzzy Bunz pocket diapers; they are the ones with a slide in insert. I had 18 of the smallest size, 18 of the middle size and 12 of the bigger size. I used some store bought wipes and some cloth wipes. I also ended up using regular folded diapers, pins and plastic pants some after my kids were bigger. I never had any problems with the pins. I kept the soiled diapers in a bucket with a lid and washed them every other day- more frequently when the kids we very little. I am happy to answer any specific questions....hope this was helpful.

Sarah - posted on 07/09/2010

It IS overwhelming. There are some companies you can rent diapers from short-term to decide if you want to actually buy them (search "try diaper" or "trial diaper".
That, or do what I do, and get 1 woolie and a couple covers and a ton of fitted diapers (like a prefold, but no folding). I prefer nothing extravagant personally, and the pocket diapers were just too much work and not enough soaking. Even better, they're cheap.
This article is (long but) amazing (Mothering magazine)!! http://www.qg.com/smartools/ebook/hosted... Start on page 50. Feel free to flip through it b/c there's a cool article on page 56 about they types of diapers.There's a troubleshooting guide on page 67.

Barbara - posted on 07/07/2010

It looks like there have already been some great responses, so I won't repeat info they've covered... But I do have one suggestion.
Is there a Real Diaper Circle Association leader near you? Checking out a Real Diaper Circle meeting might provide you with an opportunity to see different types of cloth diapers and ask people about their experiences.
http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/dir...
Good luck and have fun!

Kimberly - posted on 07/07/2010

We started with some Little Beetles fitted diapers and some Bummies prefolds with Imse Vimse covers. If you use prefolds, a "snappy" is super helpful and easy to use for holding it all together. A mini shower is helpful for washing off the poops. So diapers, a snappy. and mini shower are all you really need to get started. We are fortunate to have a cloth diapering store in my town that gives monthly talks. If you need to talk to an expert, you could call Moonsprout in Hilo, HI. The women there are super sweet and helpful. Best wishes!

Lerin - posted on 07/06/2010

Majaliwa's video is good! I don't always use the disposable liners b/c as she mentions in her video that breastfed baby poo doesn't have to be pre-rinsed. I do use them on the go, but never at home. If they don't get pooed on, then I wash the liners out by hand and reuse them.
The diaper sprayer as well. I've never used one, but some of my cloth diapering friends swear by them. I keep an old spatula with my diaper pail and use that to scrape off any poo that won't fall off the diaper on its own. Then I rinse the diaper out in the sink before I put it in the pail.
Also, don't buy a whole bunch of one kind of diaper. Try different ones to see what you like. Ultimately I ended up using pocket diapers because I needed something that my family could use easily. There is folding & stuffing involved when I wash them, and 99.9% of the time that's me.
With the detergents as well, I wouldn't buy huge bulk amounts of one kind as you may not like it. I've tried several of the recommended brands out there, and it's taken me over a yr to find one that I really like b/c I was buying in bulk at first and it took me forever to use it up.
Also, think about how often realistically you want to have to wash diapers. I have 20 covers, and when my baby was smaller and going more frequently, then I had to wash every other day. Now that she's older and not going as often, I wash every 3rd day.
And as your baby grows you diaper needs will change as well. I'm used a newborn sized pocket diaper at first, I had 15 of them and washed every day, then I moved to a one size version and the only thing I have to worry about it when her absorbancy needs change.
Good luck!!!

Alicia - posted on 07/06/2010

If you live somewhere that has a diaper service, this can be a great way to start. This way you can ease into cloth diapering without having to buy tons of stuff to figure out what you like. The service we have here (Austin, TX) drops off as many cloth pre-fold diapers as you need in a clean bag once each week. Then you just put the dirties out on the porch once a week on your pick up day, and they bring you more clean ones when they take the dirties away. They set you up with a hamper for the bag to go in, and will even rent out diaper covers in new born sizes since most babies out grow them so quickly. With all the overwhelming things that having a new baby can bring, having diapering made this easy is a real blessing. We used a service for the first six months with our daughter, and then I started just doing it on my own. It was a great time saver and stress reducer in those first months for us.

Moni - posted on 07/06/2010

Congrats on choosing to cloth diaper! Best decision we ever made :) I suggest you look in your area for a cloth diaper store and peruse their selection. We have a few stores in my neck of the woods and they helped me choose a cloth diaper based on my wants and needs. It helps a bunch to be able to see, touch and feel the diapers as well. Many stores will also let you trial a few diapers, so when your kiddo is older and you want to experiment, you'll have the ability to do so and not feel locked in to only one diaper.

Majaliwa - posted on 07/06/2010

GREAT question! Check out this video:

Michelle - posted on 07/05/2010

I am in the same boat. I am not far along but have been looking into it before we even started trying. I don't know where to start though from everything I have read it is a lot better in almost every way ( unless you are taking long trips away from home it isn't as convienent). I thought about making them but I think it may be easier to buy a few before I attempt making them. I know there are a few places online that sell them.