Thinking about switching my 8 week old girl to cloth dipes

Bethany - posted on 10/23/2009

Good on you. Cloth is so much easier than people think, and so cheap, and so much better for baby and environment.....on and on I could go.



I have been using folded Terry Squares since Charlotte was born (9mths) with polyfleece liners (cut up myself) and have never had any problem. I wash about 10 nappies every two days, or my automatic washing machine does. About 15 minutes work every two days is not much. I have 2 doz on the go, so never run out.

Jen - posted on 10/23/2009

Quoting Adrianne:

just started my four month old last thurs. and i love love love it.go to nellsnaturalbaby.com.i went with the gro baby kind cause there is less wash with pads that you wash.and the outside shell that you change when it gets wet or dirty.or once a day.little costly but worth the diaper.plus its less wash.and its really kinda cheaper cause the pads are cheaper so it seems higher with the more costly daiper but cheaper when you start buying pads.i got two different kinds and wish i would have only gotten gro baby.they grow with the baby so its a one time cost then you are set til underware.my baby never has blow outs with the cloth either.make sure when you get the diapers you strip them which means you wash in really really hot water many times to get all the things out for the factory.not really sure why but thats what everyone tells me.I was worried i wouldnt like it but I just wash and i have diapers.i reordered so now I will have 4 shells and a total of 16 pads.that site is so helpful.hope this helps

it's the natural oils in the organic cotton that you have to wash out initially. 

I love my Gro Babies too!  The BEST, trim, and yes, cheaper and less diaper laundry on account of they are so so trim!!  Love the organic snap-in pads!

Shelly - posted on 10/19/2009

I recommend going to DreamDiapers.com. Deanne is super helpful and quick about answering your questions and helping you find the perfect diapers for your baby. She offers a Try Before You Buy program. You pay a deposit, give her your baby's size, and choose which styles and brands of dipaers you want to try. Try them for 2 weeks and decide which diapers work best. After the 2 weeks you send the diapers back and get a FULL REFUND! I have not found another site that does that. Her prices are comparable to most other sites I have found.

Ilse - posted on 10/17/2009

I switched from disposable to cloth when my babe was 4 weeks old and all went well, we're still at it, even if we switched brands yesterday ^^

It's much more convenient, it smells less, you don't have the garbage to take down, you never run out of diapers,...

Cloth is a drug. Once you're on it, you start loathing the disposable once. When I go to my mom's and she buys disposable ones, I can't stand them. They feel so unnatural, chemical, plastic,.... yuch :p

Just go for it, you'll love it!

Nika - posted on 10/17/2009

I got a stock of 30 babyland diapers off ebay for about 120$ and its the best decision ive ever made, She ha sno problems with diaper rash and they're easy to use.

Rebecca - posted on 10/17/2009

HAHAHA! That's what I told my hubby when he started to object!

Sonya - posted on 10/17/2009

I used AMP. They are a Canadian brand and work great. I have 8 covers and 22 hemp liners. So I'm only doing laundry every other day. He's only 2mths old. I've been told not to presoak your diapers as the vinegar and break down the fibers and make sure that you buy the appropriate laundry detergent, as the wrong type and too much of it can cause the liners to be less absorbant. Good luck picking a kind. They are all pretty great!

Dawn - posted on 10/16/2009

I decided to try cding for my second son because of how many rashes my first had, which I always thought was due to commercial diapers. I like the site www.naturalbabyco.com. I use a combination of diapers - I like GroBaby, however they do run on the small side so I'm not sure these will fit all the way to potty training, but still they are very convenient and pretty trim fitting. Also, you can buy earth-friendly disposable inserts for them for when you are out or whatever and they work pretty good too. I also have indian pre-folds, which are MUCH cheaper and work great with a wool cover or wool longies. Wool is amazing!! Definitely look into wool covers - there are tons of choices out there (ebay, etsy, etc.). In addition, I use the Super whisper wraps, but these are not as breathable as wool. I also have a few AIO BumGenius One size and I like these as well. I am still working on finding the right combo at night. Hope this helps and I definitely recommend making the switch - it is not as difficult as it might seem at first. Once you get your "system" it's smooth sailing.

Jenny - posted on 10/15/2009

Love Bum Genius and Fuzzi Bunz. Husband was skeptical, but they are so easy and so much less expensive so he should be sold instantaneously! Sounds like you got a lot of feedback from your question so you should have some good leads. fuzzibunzstore.com is a great site and they have free shipping a lot of times. if you are using cloth diapers you might as well use cloth wipes - look into it - they are no trouble at all and that way, your baby will be totally chemical free on her/his bum!

Sierra - posted on 10/15/2009

My son had serious (bleeding) diaper rash from age 2 weeks until 6 weeks when we switched to cloth diapers. We did everything, switched disposable brands, used every diaper rash cream, doctor visits, etc. It seems that he is extremely sensitive to the chemicals in the disposables. Yesterday while at granma's house she used a disposable on him for 2 hours and he got what looks like a sunburn (chemical burn) where the desitin didn't cover his skin.

There are a lot of different ways to do cloth diapering now. The cheaper way is to buy the "Old-fashioned" style of cloth diapers (prefolds) and basic nylon "pants." It'll cost you about $60 for 30 prefolds (really the minimum you can get away with) and about $33 for 6 Bummis Whisper Pant diaper covers. You'll also need 2 Snappis to hold the diaper on (about $2.50 each). So for a grand total of $98 you can be ready to roll! www.softclothbunz.com is where I got my stuff. The have several nice starter kits or "diaper packages" as they call them.

There are easier (but more expensive) methods where the diaper is essentially the same as a disposable, you just throw it in the wash instead of the trash. These are called "all-in-ones" (AIOs) and cost about $16 each - keep in mind you need about 30 of them! (Roughly $500).

If you screw up washing the old fashioned diapers, not such a big deal, but some of the fabrics in the AIOs need special attention.

As a first time cloth diaper user I went the cheaper method. Worked for me!

Pros: Healthier for baby (less chemical exposure), better for environment, cheaper in the long run (especially if you use for more than one child).

Cons: Have to get used to doing the laundry (or you can pay for diaper service). Also the initial cost can be a deterrent for some people.

Happy Diapering!

Rhea - posted on 10/15/2009

My husband was a skeptical too (he figured we would be way too lazy) but it only took 2 days (one wash cycle) for him to realize how easy it is. He now loves to brag that we use cloth diapers and tells everyone they are easier than disposables. He's a proud CD Daddy!!!!

Jen - posted on 10/15/2009

My husband and I solely use BumGenius 3.0 cloth diapers. We absolutely LOVE them! We have never experienced a "blow out". We have had a few problems with leaks in the night, but have seen improvements when double-stuffing them. We have a great store in our area called Happybottomus that has a VERY resourceful website (just add the .com). You will get more recommendations there as well as many how-tos in cloth diapering! Good luck!

Lisa - posted on 10/14/2009

Kushies has a nice design but mine are already wearing out, the PUL on the outside has holes and cracks. They don't leak yet but not happy with them because Connor is only 10 months old and they will probably last another month. I make mine own now and I like the PUL sewers can buy much better.

Teresa - posted on 10/14/2009

We put my daughter in cloth diaper as soon as she was big enough for them. The ones we bought were from 10lbs-22 lbs by kushies. The first month of having pampers were a nightmare, not only do they not hold1 bowel movement but they irritated her tender parts and she had the most raw rash i had ever seen!

Now with the cloth diapers she is an absolute angel, she is very happy in her cloth diapers. Whenever we put her in Pampers or Huggies for a quick trip to the doctors, she usually has the start of a rash within an hour!

The kushies ones are great, you just rinse them after soiling and throw them in a bucket with a bit of water and vinegar in it. By the next morning i have enough (usually 6-10 diapers) for a load of whites( including dish towels, socks etc...) The ones I have are all in one. No plastic pants to put over the diaper, it's all one piece!

Not only are they better for her bum, but they are better for the environment and cheaper too! We spent about $300 on 30 diapers! and she will continue to wear them until she is at least 12 months old or 22lbs.

I love them and encourage my friends and coworkers all the time to get cloth diapers!

Check them out... you'll be glad you did

http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?...

Good luck!

Ricki - posted on 10/14/2009

If you can find a place in your area that provides the different types of cloth diapers out there you may be able to get even more info. I took my husband to a clothe diapering 101 class and he was sold right away. That hasn't changed 6 months later. We love using our 'all-in-one' diapers from Happy Heinyz & Bum Genius. The process is truly more simple than you think. It's a very worthwhile investment.

Vilate - posted on 10/14/2009

I have a webpage that has lots of info on it about types of cloth diapers and covers and how to care for them.
http://niftynappy.com

I suggest a good fitted and wool covers. with a fitted and wool your baby had breathability. there will be less rashes. Wool is amazing and easy to care for.

My diapers are a OS so they will work from baby to potty traning.

happy diapering! :)

Tracy - posted on 10/13/2009

I didn't start cloth with my first until she was 13mths old and wish I had started sooner. We used mostly flannel fitteds with covers or wool, some pockets and a few all in ones. Wehen I found out I was pregnant again I made a bunch of newborn fitteds from recycled materials (receiving blankets, old flannel sheets, etc) With this baby I switched over at 3wks and do cloth about 75%, she is 11wks old now and has outgrown all the newborn and small dipes I made and I don't have many one size and mediums so I am waiting for some that I ordered to come in and then she will be in cloth almost fulltime. She was in sposies for a large part of the summer while we were out at the lake. The water there is very hard and not very clear and I didn't want to wreck my dipes by washing them out there. Until now I have been using disposables at night time too because i couldn't stuff or double up my tiny homemade diapers enough to keep her comfortable as she is a supersoaker (can soak a sposie in about 4hrs) but now that she is a bit bigger and fitting into the One Size bum genius I thing I am going to try cloth at night again and double stuff them.

Ashley - posted on 10/13/2009

www.robbinsnestingplace.com can answer all your questions! I love Rumparooz and FuziBuns!!!

Anna - posted on 10/13/2009

Holy cow! I just looked up prices for a local diaper service here in Minneapolis and it will cost less to use cloth than plastic! I'm headed out to pick up some cloth dipes right now; our remaining disposables will be donated to crisis nursery.

Lydia - posted on 10/13/2009

it's really even simpler, they potty train quicker because they are used to the feeling of wet cloth. think about it by the time you or your baby knows it's wet the diaper has been wet for even longer! that's the whole super absorbency thing. gross!! it's also cheaper. and if you do a diaper service then you dont even have to wash them. Nevermind that its earth friendly and healthier for your baby. all them chemicals yuck! we started our baby from day 1! my husband loves them, we also use snappis instead of pins. http://www.diapernet.org/ they help you locate a diaper service near your area :)

Anna - posted on 10/13/2009

Thank you all for your advice! Now I have to work on convincing my husband that we should switch. It really shouldn't be an issue for him; I'm the diaper changer around here anyway!

Heather - posted on 10/13/2009

I switched to cloth about 6 months ago for my son who will be 2 next month. I love them and I wish I would have switched sooner and used them on my three older children. They are easy to care for and are so soft on the skin. I love Thirsties Fab Fitted.

Lydia - posted on 10/13/2009

i love cloth diapers! I actually use a diaper service menaing that every week i get my dirty diapers picked up and clean ones left in their place. its on a rotation basis. I live out in california and i use tinytots.com but i know that you can go online and checkout what diaperservices are out in your area. and the service is actually cheaper then disposable diapers!

Lisa - posted on 10/12/2009

I have been extremely happy since switching to cloth diapers. I wish we would have done it a lot sooner! I have bumGunuis and a couple other commercial brands, then I found a lady on ebay who made diapers and I ordered them from her. I liked them much better than anything I had bought so I started making mine own because I can make them for about $5-6 meaning I can have twice as many and not have wash everyday.

Kimberly - posted on 10/12/2009

I also started out using disposables and then switched my son, though I didn't do it until he was 4 or 5 months old. I have a blog where I've written about using cloth diapers a few times. If you go to http://secretmommy.blogspot.com and then click on the "cloth diapers" tracking link (on the right side) you'll see all the posts I've written.

I recommend trying lots of different styles. I started out with gDiapers, then bought 3 or 4 pocket diapers, then started using prefolds with waterproof-type covers, then added wool covers, then added fitted diapers...whew! Point is, I love them all and use different types of dipes for different situations, or just to change things up for me (or my son...I use one type (bumGenius 3.0 pockets) for nighttime, another style for when we are out and about, another style for when he has a diaper rash, and now yet another when he is learning to potty train.) Have fun! Also, my fave cloth diaper websites are http://kellyscloset.com which carries almost every single brand out there, and http://babyworks.com, which is not a very attractive site, but is FILLED with information about cloth diapering, and if you order their catalog, it is almost like a "how-to cloth diaper" magazine.

Jillian - posted on 10/12/2009

I like pocket diapers because they wick the moisture away from babys skin. I like fuzzi bunz and bum genius diapers. They are a bit more expensive, but well worth the money. Plus they will last more than one kid. They are easy to put on too.

Adrianne - posted on 10/12/2009

just started my four month old last thurs. and i love love love it.go to nellsnaturalbaby.com.i went with the gro baby kind cause there is less wash with pads that you wash.and the outside shell that you change when it gets wet or dirty.or once a day.little costly but worth the diaper.plus its less wash.and its really kinda cheaper cause the pads are cheaper so it seems higher with the more costly daiper but cheaper when you start buying pads.i got two different kinds and wish i would have only gotten gro baby.they grow with the baby so its a one time cost then you are set til underware.my baby never has blow outs with the cloth either.make sure when you get the diapers you strip them which means you wash in really really hot water many times to get all the things out for the factory.not really sure why but thats what everyone tells me.I was worried i wouldnt like it but I just wash and i have diapers.i reordered so now I will have 4 shells and a total of 16 pads.that site is so helpful.hope this helps