Expecting Juliet Sept 19th! Need your best cloth diapering advice!

Cristi - posted on 09/10/2009

Ask an expert!! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/...



Shinies Diapers - Cloth All-In-One Diapers

Tiffany - posted on 09/10/2009

My advice is to make a plan and stick to it. I wash my bumGenius everyday, at the same time regardless of the load size. That way I never forget, and I never run out. I have twins and I have 28 one size pockets. I wasn't going to stop cloth diapering no matter what because my family was also very against it and I am very stubborn but I truly love it and spend all my time trying to get everyone in cloth! I bought all bg right away because my father got them for me as a baby gift. If you can, it is a good idea to try different ones, it just wasn't an option for me. I read a lot of reviews from other moms and made my decision based on that. I originally wanted fuzzibunz because I saw one and they were so cute and so soft. However, after a lot of research, I felt that the bg were better endorsed and went with them. I can't speak first hand about the fuzzibunz now but I can say that the bg are awesome. I love them and in retrospect, I'm glad I got plain colors instead of patterns. My girls wear lots of dresses and I skip the bloomers and just match their diapers to the dress, it's adorable. Good luck!

Rhonda - posted on 09/01/2009

I suggest getting a few different types to figure out what you like best - most places have a newborn diaper package with different styles.

Anna - posted on 09/01/2009

Also, I agree with co-sleeping for breastfeeding. You get more sleep if you don't have to get out of bed. It is safe if you don't drink alcohol or take any medications that make you sleep heavily, if you haven't smoked during pregnancy and keep a smoke-free house, and if you don't put her between 2 adults but rather on the side against the wall.

Anna - posted on 09/01/2009

The first couple of months are the hardest so once you get through that you'll be fine. It's hard at the start because its new, you are tired, recovering from birth and sleep deprived. Also because newborns have small bladders and pee every 5 minutes and breastfed babies tend to have very sloppy poo that's hard to contain. I used a combination of cloth and disposable for a start and gradually weaned myself off the nasty plastic over about 3 months.
I would recommend getting a big pile (like 30) of plain flat cotton diapers as they are cheap, can be folded to fit all sizes and they dry fast. If you want to try pockets or the different fitted sorts, just buy one and see how you like it before spending hundreds on a whole package. Keep in mind with fitteds that if your bub grows fast, the newborn size might only fit for 3 weeks, the small size maybe only a month or 2. The bigger sizes should last a lot longer but you can't use them on the little ones - they will leak out the sides.
My favourite fitted brand is fuzzibunz because you can use them as a cover over any kind of diaper or just put a prefold inside, which can save on washing as sometimes you only have to change the inner. They are also a very flexible fit. I also use some bamboo ones - bamboozles, geobel. Wool covers are great for overnight. Beware of velcro - it wears out fast - snaps are better. I don't like the all-in-one types like Kushies - they are bulky, slow-drying, smelly and uncomfortable. Either they are stiff and plasticky or made of soft PUL which doesn't stay waterproof forever so you end up needing to use covers anyway.
Washing: don't soak. Use tiny amount of normal fragrance-free laundry soap, like 1/4 of usual amount. Too much makes your diapers smelly, stiff & unabsorbant. Dry outdoors whenever possible. Once a week, wash in water only to avoid soap build-up.
As for breastfeeding, follow your instincts and just love her, listen to her. Your baby knows what to do. Don't dress her for the first week - let her stay wrapped up next to your skin. Lie her on your chest as much as possible
Congrats on choosing cloth & breastfeeding - it's so much better for bubs and for the planet. All the best for your birth!

Dana - posted on 09/01/2009

This is what gave me confidence and helped me stick with cloth:

Have a clear objective as to why you're using cloth, such as saving money or doing your bit for the environment, and maybe even write it down if you think it'll help you remember.

I also have a packet of disposables for just in case. I used disposables in the first two weeks until the navel was healed enough and the cloth nappies were a little big still (I use bum genius and think they're fantastic). After that I bought a small packet of disposables, but have rarely used them (two in 3 months I think). But having them there gives me confidence and reminds me of my reasons for using cloth.

I use flushable liners, which also gives me the freedom to use zinc based creams if necessary. And I recommend getting at least 30 nappies (once you decide on which ones you want to use) to allow you to have a day off from washing. I started with 24, but soon bought more as I couldn't keep up with washing. My routine is just to put the washing on in the morning, hang them out (weather permitting, otherwise inside), then stuff them whenever I don't have anything better to do or otherwise at night while watching TV.



And breastfeeding:

Based on my personal experience, there are a couple of things I would recommend. First, get a breast pump or work out in advance where you can buy one quickly if you need to. I highly recommend an electric one, I wouldn't be breastfeeding if mine hadn't been, as I ended up expressing almost exclusively for about 2 weeks.

Second, decide in advance whom you will call once you're home and in case problems arise, and have the number(s) in a handy location. Maybe also ask a friend to be your breastfeeding buddy, preferably someone who's also breastfeeding and who can encourage you in case there are problems ... and encourage is the key word, not pressure.

And third, it really helped me having a tin of formula (I know shock horror from the breastfeeding police). I have used it twice I think, when I got behind with pumping. But having it there took the pressure off.

And like the cloth nappies, have clear reasons in your mind as to why you are breastfeeding.

Jen - posted on 08/30/2009

 Don't be afraid to cosleep. It makes nursing in the early days a breeze, and despite what people may say your child will sleep in her own bed eventually. Find an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) in your area as they are the best lactation consultants and get in touch with your local La Leche League and if you can some friends who are nursing.

Yes, I forgot to mention that if you want to co-sleep, do it.  If not, don't.  I co-slept the first month, and definitely got more sleep that way and nursing was easier.  After I felt recovered sufficiently from my labor and delivery, we chose to gently transition our baby to the bassinet.  It worked great for us.  Some moms aren't comfortable with co-sleeping because of misinformation in the medical community and just American culture in general.  But pretty much most of the world all sleep together like a pile of puppies, so it's a very natural way to rest.  Just a couple thoughts that will help it all to be safer, if you're worried.  No covers if you are a deep sleeper (I am) because your baby can wiggle under the covers (mine did).  Just dress everyone cozy, and baby can sleep in your arms beside you, or lay on your chest if you're propped by pillows.  My girlfriend loved to sleep with her baby in the living room in the recliner, like, the whole first year this is where she slept!! 

I didn't co-sleep with my first at all, and I regret that I was so misinformed about co-sleeping.  My friends and I are all college educated, sophisticated gals, and we nurse, co-sleep and put our babies to sleep on their bellies if that's the best way for them to sleep *gasp*  Don't let your pediatrician bully ya or guilt you.  I just lie to my baby's doctor.

Catherine - posted on 08/30/2009

Nursing advice: Get your baby nursing as soon as she is born. Have her room in with you so you can feed her on demand and nursing is what brings in your milk. Do not let her have any bottles or pacifiers as they can cause nipple confusion. She may want to nurse for an hour at a time in the early days. Let her. She will need to eat every two hours at first. Don't get discouraged if the first few weeks are rough. I promise it gets so much easier and it so worth it! Don't let people get you down about nursing. This goes for medical professionals too as many of them are ill informed about breastfeeding. Similac and Enfamil are probably already exploding your mail box with coupons and samples. Get all of that formula out of your house so you are not tempted to use it, because supplementing does affect your supply and it does affect your baby's latch. Don't give your baby formula or cereal in hopes of making her sleep through the night. If you do suceed in getting her to sleep by those methods it is because she has a very difficult to digest brick in her gut. One of the reasons they think fomula fed babies are more prone to SIDS is because they do not wake up as much. Don't be afraid to cosleep. It makes nursing in the early days a breeze, and despite what people may say your child will sleep in her own bed eventually. Find an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) in your area as they are the best lactation consultants and get in touch with your local La Leche League and if you can some friends who are nursing.



http://www.kellymom.com/bf/index.html Bookmark this site as it has the answer to every breastfeeding question you can possibly think of.



If you have any questions at all please feel free to message me. My son and I had a rough start to nursing and I am so glad I stuck with it. He is nearly 7 months old and he recently started solids but he still nurses like a fiend. :)



DIAPERS: I love my prefolds and covers. They are easy to launder and a breeze to use in my opinion. I use a snappi to close the prefolds and I have a variety of covers. When my son was a newborn I really liked proraps because the leg gussets were great at catching the runny breastmilk poop (another benefit of nursing is non stinky poop that comes right off in the wash). Bummis super whisper wraps make up the bulk of my covers. Lately I have really been loving wool on my son, specificly lanacare and aristocrats soakers as well as some WAHM made shorties. I bought the bulk of my stash second hand from a garage sale and from mamas in the clothdiapering community on livejournal. I wash my diapers by running a cold normal cycle with a scoop of oxiclean. I would do just a rinse but there is no option for just rinsing on my washer. The I run the "powerwash" cycle on my washer with hot water, some more oxiclean, a tiny bit of costco brand free and clear detergent (you don't want to use too much because it will build up on your diapers and cause them to repel the pee), and vinegar in fabric softner dispenser. The powerwash cycle has a built in 30 minute soak and second rinse. Then I line dry the machine wash covers and put the diapers in the dryer. You can look for diapers on freecycle and craigslist so you can try a variety before you commit to one kind, or try the clothdiapering community on livejournal for used diapers if you do not want to put out a lot of money at first. If you decide to try prefolds make sure you get diaper service quality ones. You want them to be 4x6x4 or 4x8x4 ply. The gerber ones you see at the store will not cut it. http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/ sells good prefolds. I bought 36 infant size ones on ebay for 36 dollars including shipping. My son still wears them at almost 7 months and 15 lbs 9 oz. I have 36 ish premium size ones I bought at a garage sale. Luckily I really like prefolds!



Again, do not hesitate to message me if you have any questions!

Teri - posted on 08/29/2009

Check out Green Mountain Diapers (greenmountaindiapers.com). My favorite diapering website. Very informative and has lots of pictures. My favorite is using prefolds with Thristie covers. I really like Gro Baby all-in-one diapers. They're made with organic cotton. They come in the coolest colors, but I have had leaks with them and I've had leaks with fuzzi bunz too. My favorite and most used is prefolds. I like the unbleached as they are so soft. I'm getting ready to order some organic cotton ones and have heard they are very nice. I also love wool covers. My fav is the Aristocrat. Pretty easy to take care of. I use them over the prefolds. I use Charlies and Sun Oxygen Cleaner for all my laundry. Enjoy cloth diapering! I love it! Also breastfeeding is great. It may be very easy or it may be really hard, sick with it, it's worth it! Good Luck!

Marci - posted on 08/28/2009

I use one size pocket diapers (the brand is Whamie) I am getting ready though to get some FuzziBunz. I have hear they are the best. The one size diapers go from like 5-35 pounds so you will definetely get your money's worth. That is what I use on my 22 month old. I use chinese prefold diapers (Green Earth Textiles) with a cover (Thirsties) on my 5 week old. The one size diapers can be bulky so I start out with the prefolds then move to the one size at about 10-15 pounds.



Not sure if you have a milkworks program where you are but here we have one. It had breastfeeding classes and support groups as well as a cloth diaper class to play around with and learn about all the different kinds of cloth diapers.



Go to kellycloset.com and look at the sales. You can buy some that are a little cheaper to just try out. You can also check out craigslist for used. That way you don't spend so much on them just to try out.

Jen - posted on 08/27/2009

Quoting Angela:

FuzziBunz works the best as they are awesome! I tried every other one out there and let me tell you, I love FuzziBunz. The colors are cool too as I love to match my little one!
Right now they're having a sale, buy 12 @ $20 each
http://healthyinitiatives.net

But if you buy 12 of them and they don't work for your new baby, then you will have wasted $240.  That's a brick load!  Take your time, try out different kinds. 

Angela - posted on 08/27/2009

FuzziBunz works the best as they are awesome! I tried every other one out there and let me tell you, I love FuzziBunz. The colors are cool too as I love to match my little one!
Right now they're having a sale, buy 12 @ $20 each
http://healthyinitiatives.net

Patricia - posted on 08/26/2009

I agre with the other posters here. People thought I was crazy too, and now I give small informal "classes" to friends and friends of friends on cloth diapers. Just decide that is what you are gonna do, and go for it! There are sooooooooo many options as others have stated, so do a bit of research,and try some out, you WILL find something you like. Good Luck!!

Samantha - posted on 08/24/2009

My mom told me I would fail in one week with a new born and extra laundry. I have been cloth diapering for 13 months now and loving every minute of it.



I started out with 24 prefolds and 4 thristies from Green Mountain Diapers. I have different ones since and find that Green Mountain's are the most aborbant and hold up to wear and tear. I would recommend a few snappies to save your fingers and baby from being pocked.



Since then, my stash has grown and also includes 14 one size (OS) pocket diapers that are used for over nights, sitters and when we are out in public. I went to ClothDiaperClearence.com (part of nickiediapers.com) and bought a couple of pocket diapers from different brands. I tested them all out for one month comparing them on fit, wear and tear, and convience. I ended up loving Haute's but most people love Bum Genius 3.0 (BGs) I find that pocket diapers dry faster than All In Ones (AIOs) so that is why I choose them in the end.



I have a top loader and my wash routine is

1. Cold Rinse that I start as I'm going to bed. Nothing added to the diapers, just a plain cold rinse.

2. Warm wash with 1/2 recommended ALL Free (bought at military store) or Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin. Then 2 warm rinses. I do this as soon as I wake up on my way to the nursery to get my daughter.

3. Clothes line dry. I have two, one outside which is primary and then one inside because it rains or I sometimes forget to put the diapers out. I will put them on the line when I put my daughter down for a morning nap.

4. Toss in the dryer with dryer balls to unstiffen diapers. Put on Air Dry or Fluff (no heat). 2-3 minutes later they are done.



A good web site to check out for more advice is http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/ba...

This is my go to when I have any questions.



Good Luck!

Jen - posted on 08/22/2009

Will this be your first time breastfeeding? Just know ... it IS different than formula feeding in that some babies eat more often, some take longer to sleep through the night, and some babies will nurse for an hour or longer if you let them. I'm not saying this to discourage you AT ALL because I nurse my baby and I just don't even know any other way to care for a baby, but if you go in with the expectation that the delivery method of nourishment is the only difference, you'll be set up for failure. In the beginning ... like, IN THE HOSPITAL, I let my baby nurse as much as she wanted and as LONG as she wanted. I would just hold her for an hour or two and let her nurse on and off as much as she wanted. I'd keep switching her sides, and she just loved nursing. I would take "nursing naps" with her that first month and just lay with her and let her nurse to her heart's content. My milk supply was amazing because I allowed her to nurse on demand at first. I was less generous at night, though, so she really caught on quickly about night and day. That being said, she slept through the night around 1 1/2 months, and she now only nurses for 5, 10 minutes at best. She is 9 months though. She is just a quick nurser, and my milk supply was very secure in the beginning bc of how often I nursed her.

After your milk supply is established, you can begin to set limits or move towards a bit more of a schedule if you want, either for your own personal needs, your 5 year old's or whatever. I've got too much of a mommy brain to have my baby on a "schedule" per se and I just nurse her whenever. Whenever she asks, or whenever she is playing too much and I think she might be thirsty/hungry. And before naps if it's been too long. Sometimes she nurses to sleep sometimes not.

Another thing that will help you to be successful is to maybe learn to nurse in public. I'm a modest person, so I used a blanket, but practice at home, and there are gadgets out there (like, privacy slings or whatever) that you can use also. I use a long blanket so that my back side is covered also, from where you lift up your shirt (I told you I'm way modest!) Now, bc my baby throws the blanket off, I ust take a quick 5/10 minute break and go nurse her bc it's easier that way. Though I do nurse without a blanket if it's just my girlfriends, and have my shirt ready to pull down over my breast when she pops off, bc even though my grilfriends love me, they don't need big flashes of me right? lolI also would advocate a decent nursing bra or two. I use a Tide bra bag in the washer and drip dry mine, and they've lasted for a whole year. If you get a padded bra it will help with T.H.O. which is a def an issue when you're nursing and if you care to leave your nipple silhouette a secret to yourself, and it also helps with leaks. When I let down, I just let my bra catch the leaks from the other side. You will prob need extra nursing padding in the beginning though.

About CLOTH ... yay for you, don't worry about your family, and don't worry about being perfect about using cloth in the beginning. Some cloth diapers can hold in newborn poop better than disposable, so it might actually be EASIER to do cloth on a newborn, BUT since you're also learning how to breastfeed, don't kill yourself trying to do cloth the first month. If people give you disposables for your newborn, and you want to use them, then use them.

I think cotton diapers are the best because they are a natural fiber, and even though they feel wet against baby's skin, that's not necesarily bad. I'm just going to copy and paste some info. from www.greenmountaindiapers.com :

What about the stay-dry all-in-one type diapers and pocket diapers I see everywhere online?



Polyester (suedecloth, microfiber, microterry, fleece) is made from petroleum. Some babies are sensitive or allergic to polyester, polyester fleece or suedecloth, and stink issues are often reported because synthetics are hard to wash, often requiring stripping. Synthetic diapers hold odors and detergent residue, unlike cotton. We recommend cotton diapers, especially for newborns, as the tried and true best material for diapers, proven over many generations. You'll need to make your own decision about synthetic diapering. We have been selling cloth diapers since 1998 and we choose to sell 100% cotton diapers. We do not sell synthetic pockets or synthetic fitted diapers. You will not find any microfiber stuffing or inserts here. Successful washing is very important to successful cloth diapering. Clean diapers help keep baby rash-free and cotton is easy to get clean. I cannot emphasize how important it is to have diapers that don't hold stink. Even a 90% cotton/10% polyester diaper will hold the stink more than a 100% cotton diaper. Get all-cotton. All of the diapers we sell are 100% cotton. Plus, cotton is not sweaty like synthetics. I love cotton! (sorry about the cotton sermon, but I'm quite passionate about it.)



Bamboo? Sorry, we don't care for that either so we don't sell any. It's really rayon, and if you research the chemical process that it must go through from plant to fabric, you might also wonder how this can be referred to as "natural". Besides, as a diapering fabric I found it very heavy, hard to wash and very hard to dry. I still love cotton the best.



What about "stay dry"? Personally, I am unconvinced about this, but we do offer 2 stay-dry doublers and a stay-dry fleece liner for those customers who desire that. I know the TV commercials say "keeps baby dry". We are "overmarketed" into believing that damp cotton next to baby's bottom is a problem. It's really not! Just change baby before it's totally sopping and baby is fine. Every 1.5 hours or so for a newborn in daytime, 2-3 hours for an older baby for daytime. This varies of course. Frequent changing is healthy. When you have cloth diapers, you have freedom to change often if you want to. A few "extra" diapers to wash is no big deal. It's not like throwing a quarter away each time you change baby. It's a wonderful freedom to change baby as often as you want to without the guilt of throwing away money and adding to the garbage pile. I love the freedom of cotton diapering, with real cotton. 100% cotton next to baby's bottom, in our experience, is the best for a rash-free bottom.



Karen's opinion on breathablility: The only covers that you can really tell are very breathable are wool. All of the synthetics (non-wools, or "regular covers") are fine inside, but in real life I notice no difference in breathability from one brand of cover to the next. So don't get hung up on trying to figure out which regular cover is the most breathable. Pick which one suits your baby for fit, price and other reasons instead.



Yes, there are a lot of choices. But remember, picking out your diapering supplies is the hardest part about cloth! Take a deep breath. Spend some time reading the site and studying the pictures. There is a lot of information here, so expect to spend time studying and learning. Then just go for it and choose what seems interesting to you. We do have an easy return policy, to help relax the difficult decision process. Cloth is so soft, fun and cute! You will be very glad you have chosen cloth (and perhaps happy to finally have this product selection process over with, too!) Please stay awhile and browse with us. We are happy to share our love for safe cloth diapers with you. Sincerely, Karen.



She has great info on her website and if you order from her, her cloth diaper how-to book is the BEST. I spent hours researching on-line and never could have gathered all of the info I needed to cloth diaper properly, without frustration, until I read her how-to booklet. And I'd been cloth diapering for almost 2 years!

Swaddlebees sells organic all-cotton diapers also, the EcoNappi is sooo cute, a couple might be convenient for on the go or babysitters.

www.preciousdignity.com - these are hands down the best cloth diapers ever. She services her diapers for the life of the diaper, which is pretty much unheard of in the CD industry. The prefolds are great, the fitteds are great. The medium fits both my 9 mo old and my 2 year old, so even though they are "sized" diapers, I still recommend them. The cotton is milled in the US also, so there is just nothing to feel bad about at all when buying Cover Your Clovers.

I use wool and PUL. Blueberry diapers have a very cute one-size Pul cover (for fitteds and prefolds) and I only own one wool cover, I wish I had ALL wool because I think having a couple wool covers that you only have to wash every once in awhile, vs covers that I wash after rotating two or three diaper changes, would actually be easier and cheaper. BUT wool is bulkier under clothes, so PUL will be nice for when your baby needs to wear normal clothes and you're out and about. But some wool is shaped like a skirt or pants, so that's a thought too. I am longing for some wool pants for this fall/winter!!!

Oh another diaper that's all cotton is the Gro Baby.

I would just try a couple of diapers ... like spend $100 or $200 to try all kinds of diapers you are interested in. I swear, you'll save money in the long run better than buying a whole stash and realizing they won't work for your baby. You might end up ignoring my advice about cotton, and maybe your baby won't be sensitive to the problems with synthetic fabrics, but I swear cotton is easier.

Good luck! That's prob more advice than what you were looking for ;-)

Very sweet names for your children, by the way! I love them!! Hope Faithlynn loves her new sister!

Vilate - posted on 08/20/2009

Jenn, congrats on your decisions to want to do what is best for your baby! Don't let anyone discourage you! :)

I have a webpage i set up to send newbies too. It has lots of info on types of diapers, covers, a list of detergents that are diaper safe, and wool info.

http://www.nifynappybyvilate.weebly.com

you need to pick a diaper that you like first. they style! I suggest either a fitted with a wool cover for 100% breathability, but if you need one that is ease for others I would go with a pocket diaper. These do not need a cover and if you stuff them all when you put them away they are a grab and put on diaper. In fact my pockets that I make don't even need to pull the inset out before washing, they come out in the wash.



i make and sell diapers, here

http://www.vilatesniftynook.etsy.com

if I can answer any questions please ask away!



I loved nursing! you should buy one of these

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?lis...

I think they are to stinking cute! and you should make sure they have a little pocket inside one of the corners to slip your pads into when you aren't using them.

I also make nursing pads out of the same fabrics i use in my diapers. I loved them. -not nursing anymore. But I had a customer that was a heavey leaker and she swore by the lanolish brand pads. She used some of mine and was amazed that they were better! She came back for more! :)

My advice about nursing is keep at it. even if it is hard for a little bit don't stop. I had 6 kids and nursed all of them. my hardest one was my last. It was painful because of the way she latched on. I tried everything I could to change it, but she was stubborn. I almost gave up quite a few times. But I didn't. After about 3 months she figured it out. then she nursed the longest of any of them. She was 18 months.



So, let me know if I can help you out! Good luck!

Laura - posted on 08/20/2009

My family didn't think I'd make it either (3 months and going strong). My best advice is don't get to many of one type of diaper. You maybe surprised at what you really like the best. Also, I hope BFing works for you, it makes cding so much easier. It can be tough but hang in there, it's so worth it.



As far as cloth diapering is concerned check out www.diaperpin.com. They have a great Q&A forum for beginners. I learned so much from them. And for what it's worth, I love cloth diapering.