I want to cloth diaper...but I don't know much about it!

Lisa - posted on 01/29/2009

We use Fuzzi Bunz diapers.  They do not have pull ups, however.  I know they would be great for your younger daughter but probably not for your older daughter.  Fuzzi Bunz diapers are 2 piece; they have an insert and when you wash the diapers, you take the insert out and wash the diapers and inserts together.  At first I was skeptical of cloth diapers, but I have been using them for over a year and I love them.  They barely ever leak and I lvoe the fact that I dont have ot always go to the store to buy diapers.  Babies with cloth diapers hardly ever have diaper rash too which is a definite bonus.  Fuzzi Bunz has adjustable snaps vs. velcro. I have heard from several people that the velcro goes bad.  IF you want more information, please feel free to email me at cltohdiaperdepot@yahoo.com   My husband and I started selling these diapers because we loved them so much.  Whatever I can do to help, let me know.

Lisa

Stella - posted on 01/29/2009

Quoting Angela:

all of these posts have been very helpful and much appreciated!  shortly after i posted the thread i went and purchased gDiapers. these are great, but quite pricey...and i still wanted cloth. so after getting a few responses....Nellie's tutorial was AMAZING-THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!.....i decided on snug to fit one size diapers with bummis wrap covers and i couldn't be happier!!  i purchased everything from greenmountaindiaper.com. i'm so happy. my girls are so comfortable and Ava, my oldest, no longer struggles with diaper rash.

thank you all so much for all your advice! my girls, Ava and Lydia, thank you too!! :)

That's all wonderful to hear, welcome to the wonderful, wonderful world of cloth diapering!!!!!!!!

Jessica - posted on 01/28/2009

They do make training pants for potty training. Check out

http://www.thenaturallifestore.com/catal...

Angela - posted on 01/28/2009

all of these posts have been very helpful and much appreciated!  shortly after i posted the thread i went and purchased gDiapers. these are great, but quite pricey...and i still wanted cloth. so after getting a few responses....Nellie's tutorial was AMAZING-THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!.....i decided on snug to fit one size diapers with bummis wrap covers and i couldn't be happier!!  i purchased everything from greenmountaindiaper.com. i'm so happy. my girls are so comfortable and Ava, my oldest, no longer struggles with diaper rash.

thank you all so much for all your advice! my girls, Ava and Lydia, thank you too!! :)

Stella - posted on 01/28/2009

Hi, I've just read through the replies and realised there's a lot of jargon we seasoned CD'ers come out with that may baffle the newcommer to our wonderful world. I'll try and do a brief glossary which I hope others will add to as I have only used a few brands.

Flushable liner: this is what it sound like, a thin liner put between the inside of the nappy and baby's bottom to make it easy to dispose of solids down the toilet
Nappy Nippa: an extraordiany flat plastic device to replace nappy pins- no pricked babies or thumbs!
Pocket nappies: These are outers which are waterproof on the outside and soft absorbent fleece on the inside. They need to have an insert put inside them to absorb liquids. e.g. Fuzzi Bunz, Happy Heiny's, Swaddlebees
All in one: Is the closest to a disposable I suppose. Put it on and go. Maybe with a flushable liner e.g. BumGenius
Cover: this is simialr to a pocket I suppose, but it is just a single outer layer of waterproof fabric. Needs to have an insert (often called the nappy)e.g. Cotton Bottoms
One Size: Again this is what it says a single sized system that you buy for them as newborns and the design is such that they can be done up in different ways to provide different sized fits. All the way to potty training. No need to buy the next size up every 4-6mths or however quickly your baby grows.
Prefolds: these are a type of insert which need to be folded before being well, inserted.
Boosters: these are usually fleece or microfibre inserts which can be put in as they are, no folding required. (Personally I've found these aren't as absorbent as a prefold, but you can use multiple boosters in one nappy I understand)
Flat fold: This is your traditional terry (or as I used with both my newborns, muslin) squares which can be folded in a variety of pretty patterns depending on the size/shape/absorbency you require. These need to be used with an outer or the dreaded plastic pants!

I know this is a short list, but hopefully I've covered the main terms. I've tried to give examples of popular brands of each type of nappy, sorry diaper (I'm english), where possible, but the simple fact is most brands do an assortment of nappy types now. i hope others will add to list without overwhelming you further. It's been a month now since you posted the thread, have you taken the plunge into cloth diapering?!

Eileen - posted on 01/28/2009

Just want to add, for washing, any chlorine free powdered soap is good...baking soda in the wash, vinegar in the rinse are just as good and very frugal...

For extra heavy staining, a little borax in the soak with the baking soda..

Eileen - posted on 01/28/2009

My personal fav so far, and are reasomable option cost with, are Bum genius! next in line, baby kangas..(bum genius are snaps and velcro, pastel colors, kangas are availablebolder colors and have snaps... basically the same diaper though...) Both of these are a pocket with nice thick pads that go with...

for home i use flat flannels folded in the old kite fold.. and covered with a whisper wrap (bummies?)  saving the best for when we are out and at bedtime...

When he was small i used hand knit felted covers ...these were the best!! You may consider a wool pull on cover for training time, with a pull on underpant something like the old gerber trianing pants... bummies also carry a pull on style...

I suspect wool may feel more like real clothing, and no so much like a diaper..which may help with training...? I plan on knitting up a couple more covers here for my toddler for that time...they are cute too! and very absorbent if lanolized properly...

At night..just add in as many extra layers as look comfy on the litle one..

Stella - posted on 01/27/2009

If money's an issue, try putting a request on your local Yahoo! Freecycle network. Ebay is also good for getting trial stock.

Megan - posted on 01/17/2009

We use bumgenius and love them, but I have nothing to compare them to. My advice, whatever diapers you use, try Allen's natural soap, it's the best for getting them clean and smelling fresh.

Michelle - posted on 01/17/2009

I make my own fitted cloth diapers, if you'd like to know more, just ask.
It's so simple and doesn't take to much time. I just recently started cloth diapering my 5 month old as well.

Jody - posted on 01/06/2009

We have many brands here... I first started with Mother-ease one size. But these can be a bit bulky with separate diaper and cover - but work awesome. My daughter now is in bumgenius one size pockets. A great grow with me diaper. They wash well and do not look worn after a year of use. I can even put in a hem pad for overnight use. Let me know if you have more questions.

Rebekah - posted on 01/06/2009

What has made it easy for us it a diaper service. We pay $80 per month and it covers 80 diapers per week and they pic up the stinky and drop off clean ones each week. They provide a container for you to store the used until the next pick up. I purchased the prorap diaper covers for baby number 2. I used plastic pants and pins for the first, which worked fine, but diaper covers are easier, no pokeing you or the baby with the pins!

I also recommend jillians drawers, they are great. I ordered my diaper covers from them, and a great storage bag for when we are out and about!

Nellie - posted on 01/05/2009

I have a tutorial you can read. Hope it helps! It gives all the basics of cloth!

Judy - posted on 01/04/2009

I'm CDing my first, he's 4 weeks today. We're using prefolds and covers, definitely the cheapest option, and it's been working out great! We have 2 dozen prefolds and 3 covers in the newborn size, and we've been doing a load of diapers roughly every other or every 2 days. Prefolds and wipes came from greenmountaindiapers.com and covers and a mix of Bummi's Super Whisper Wrap and ones from Blueberry Diapers and Swaddlebees. We've been using Charlie's Laundry Soap with no problems, following the instructions from Green Mtn. You also need wetbags, a big one for your diaper pail and smaller ones to carry in your diaper bag, and a spray bottle for wipe solution in the diaper bag. Finally, Snappi's are a great invention, so much easier than pins!

Kate - posted on 01/04/2009

Pockets with snaps! I can't tell you brands but those are the best. Not everyone agrees but I love them. They're very user-friendly (a lot like disposables), they get washed and dried thoroughly and quickly (compared to AIO or fitteds). BumGenius are popular. Fuzzi bunz are for chubbier kids. I sew my own personally, there are lots of good patterns out there but I eventually evolved my own. I hope you can figure out what works for you, CD is WELL worth it. I would also use soap nuts to wash them, they are the only thing I have had NO issues with. The diapers don't need stripping or anything, soap nuts are perfect. I got mine from www.rgnaturalbabies.com. I also got some excellent prefolds I have used to stuff diapers for months, very absorbent yet trim. Try it! www.greenmountaindiapers.com also has very nice prefolds, they are the only thing that is absorbent enough for overnight.

Lisa - posted on 12/24/2008

I was so overwhelmed at first, too! I started with the trial from Jillian's Drawers (http://www.jilliansdrawers.com). You pay about $115 and they send you 2 prefolds, a fitted, a cover, two all-in-ones (AIOs), and two pockets. It's a nice mix. You keep them for 3 weeks, and at the end, you can send back some or all of them for a full refund, less a $10 fee. You can also keep all of them, and then you get $10 back! It really helped me figure out what I did and did not like, and then I branched out from there.



Another great site is Diaper Pin: http://www.diaperpin.com. They have user reviews of a lot of different diapers, so you can see what other people like and why.



They do make cloth pull-ups :) We're not there yet, so I don't have any recommendations, but I've seen them listed on diaper sites.



I have an 18-month-old and we're at around 20 diapers right now. That's enough to do diaper laundry every 3 days.



Good luck!

Alyssa - posted on 12/23/2008

We like pocket diapers. easy to wash, dry quickly and trim fitting under his clothes. Good suggestion to try a couple different styles ( all in ones, pocket, pre-folds) too see what works for you and your lifestyle. For the most it is about personal preference. I also like contour/fitted with a pul cover (bummis or thirsties) are good.