Cloth Diapers

Megan - posted on 06/26/2009

bravo! good job and great decision to cloth diaper! you should join the group Cloth Diapered Munchkins! They are an awesome resource and these ladies have lots of great advice! Isnt it way easier than it seems? I think people see cloth diapering as a big diffucult thing that takes a ton of time and energy, but it is not! Good job cloth mamas... and i invite any disposable users to try cloth... it is SO worth it!

Marnae - posted on 06/16/2009

I just wanted to check back in to this thread because it was SO SO helpful to me a cloth-diapering-virgin (if you will.) We are in a GREATly successful routine with the Bummis whisper /snap wraps and CPF's we were using the flushable liners, but have quit that because of irritation. We still use a few disposibles if we are going out or overnight, but SO MUCH less than we were!!! Thank you so much for all of the great advice. It's funny how easy it is once you can get some sound advice and then just start! Now we're moving on to more green improvements...gardening, composting, our local recycling center is making it easier to recycle than to trash most things now! It's wonderful to see so many ecofriendly improvements and we have so little trash these days we barely have to take it out every other week!! And our budget looks infinitely better to boot! So I just wanted to send a note of thanks for all of the help. I may have given up if it weren't for this!

Kirsten - posted on 06/16/2009

I have a newborn and have been cloth diapering and LOVE it...

I am breastfeeding so the poo comes right out in the washer (no need to rinse in toilet)
I used disposable until the meconium passed and they leaked...No problems with the cloth!

I have been using pocket fuzzi bunz and fitted swaddlebees...Both Great!

Pam - posted on 06/03/2009

Hi Everyone.

I have a great diaper service that can be of benifit to everyone. Doodie Calls Diaper Express. They have premium disposable diapers and they deliver right to your door. Check them out at www.doodiecallsdiaperexpress.com

Marnae - posted on 03/04/2009

thank you again. I think we're going to try to take the gerbers back to the store, we bought a product that doesn't work properly and may be able to get a refund.  i appreciate the input, i am planning to order some cpf's today.  we'll try again!  I really want this this to work!! It's funny you mention the uses you did for your bad prefolds.  My mom originally brought me her prefolds for burp cloths and the only thing we used for dust cloths as kids were old prefolds :)

Bryony - posted on 03/03/2009

I used Baby-Kanga pocket diapers (one size adjusts to all) and absolutely loved them on my son. I could actually fit him into "normal" pants and they wick the moisture away from their little bums because of the inner fleece layer. They rarely leaked and the poop pretty much falls off (no scraping and less rinsing). I also had a lot of interest from others, most of it good. They are so cute too!

DDevin - posted on 03/03/2009

I honestly think it would be more hassle and cost to try that...especially since you could get a dozen good cpfs for less than $24. I kind of doubt adding doublers would help a whole lot because doublers are just meant to add to what the prefold already does, not substitute for it. To get enough absorbency you'd need at least 2 doublers, depending on the material. Then you'd just essentitally be using the gerbers as something to hold them in. In my experience, you could get good cpfs as cheap or cheaper than good doublers. The gerbers could be used as many things. We've used some bad prefolds, like gerbers, as cleaning rags and burp cloths. : )

Marnae - posted on 03/03/2009

I meant diaper doublers, sorry. I just hate to waste a dozen diapers...I would just add the cpf's to my repertoire then... ???

Marnae - posted on 03/03/2009

I do have another question. If I just bought some cotton insert liners, would my gerber prefolds still be usable with these?

DDevin - posted on 03/03/2009

No problem! Really, though, the cpfs are wonderful! They're so fluffy and absorbent! They are the true work-horses of cloth diapering. Of course there are all kinds of other absorbent prefolds to choose from...some more absorbent than cotton.They have hemp, bamboo, zorb, etc., etc. It can all get really overwhelming, though, and I'm comfortable with my cpfs. They're low cost, low maintenance, and work great!  

Marnae - posted on 03/03/2009

Wow!  thanks so much for all of the info.  I am going to start looking in to your suggestions asap.  Bummis user guide online suggested stripping new prefolds, that's why I was trying that.  But you are right, I felt like the gerbers were way too thin.  You can almost see through them!!  I was VERY disappointed when I opened the package. Guess those will be my new burp cloths.... too bad they don't make prefolds like my moms!  Thanks again, I'll try to update again when I have tried some new stuff and have the time :)

DDevin - posted on 03/03/2009

Quoting Marnae:

Hello all, I'm finally trying cloth diapering and have had a few mishaps already.  I am using prefolds in the Bummis super snap covers. My son is 6 (almost 7) months old.  I am in the process right now of attempting to strip the diapers again.  I had the diaper on him for 2 hours and he wet through the diaper, the cover, two layers of his clothes and on to me.  I figured out a better way to fold the prefolds after the first poop got all over the cover, but the wet is still leaking through.  I'm hoping stripping them in the wash helps!  One thing, however, I was comparing the Gerber (only ones I could find at Target or Babies R Us) prefolds to the ones my mom gave me that she used to use on us.  The Gerbers are much thinner and seem like a different material???  Any advice anyone may have, I would appreciate.  I would like to continue with the prefolds and covers if possible, but would like to know if there's something I can do with what I have or if there are some better prefolds out there?  Thanks!

Woah, mama! O.k., first off, stop stripping the diapers  : )  It's extra work and not going to make a difference here. Stripping is really only useful for a few things: if you  buy used diapers and want to sanitize them, if you're using a stay-dry liner/barrier that is repelling liquid (pee), or if you have a major ammonia (stink) problem that won'e go away (which actually many moms say isn't the diapers, but the fact that your child is probably dehydrated).

SO, when using prefolds, you really shouldn't have a need to strip them  : )

O.k., now the first I thought when reading your email was that your son needs more absorbency. Then I read that you're using gerber prefolds and, viola!, there's the answer! Gerber prefolds are nothing more than a couple of VERY thin layers of cotton (think of the absorbency of a cheap paper towel), with polyester fill (not absorbent material at all) in the middle! I think even newborns can pee through a Gerber prefold, so with a 6-7 month old, there's no doubt about why he's peeing through the prefold, cover, and clothes!

The easiest thing to do if you still want to use prefolds (which I think is great...we have many we use a lot just because they're so simple, and so inexpensive!), is buy some Chinese Prefolds, or CPFs. They need to be washed on HOT several times before you use them if you buy them brand new, before they reach their full absorbency level. However, you can save even more money (and the hassle/time of getting them "fluffy enough") by buying them used on DiaperSwappers.com!

If, however, you want to ourchase them brand new, there are many websites that sell them. One site that sells them that is also a really great resource is: http://greenmountaindiapers.com/ 

They have lots of information and pictures! Post if you have more questions! Oh! and Bummis covers are great! The only ones I love love love more are Thirsties...and you canactually get them cheaper...

HTH!

Anna - posted on 03/02/2009

I'm also a happy cloth diaper user and wanted to let you all know that there's a group on this website dedicated to CD'ing. Look up "Cloth Diapered Munchkins". It's full of women who know a lot about CD's and the problems/solutions that come along with it.

Marnae - posted on 02/28/2009

Hello all, I'm finally trying cloth diapering and have had a few mishaps already.  I am using prefolds in the Bummis super snap covers. My son is 6 (almost 7) months old.  I am in the process right now of attempting to strip the diapers again.  I had the diaper on him for 2 hours and he wet through the diaper, the cover, two layers of his clothes and on to me.  I figured out a better way to fold the prefolds after the first poop got all over the cover, but the wet is still leaking through.  I'm hoping stripping them in the wash helps!  One thing, however, I was comparing the Gerber (only ones I could find at Target or Babies R Us) prefolds to the ones my mom gave me that she used to use on us.  The Gerbers are much thinner and seem like a different material???  Any advice anyone may have, I would appreciate.  I would like to continue with the prefolds and covers if possible, but would like to know if there's something I can do with what I have or if there are some better prefolds out there?  Thanks!

Marnae - posted on 02/28/2009

Hello all, I'm finally trying cloth diapering and have had a few mishaps already.  I am using prefolds in the Bummis super snap covers. My son is 6 (almost 7) months old.  I am in the process right now of attempting to strip the diapers again.  I had the diaper on him for 2 hours and he wet through the diaper, the cover, two layers of his clothes and on to me.  I figured out a better way to fold the prefolds after the first poop got all over the cover, but the wet is still leaking through.  I'm hoping stripping them in the wash helps!  One thing, however, I was comparing the Gerber (only ones I could find at Target or Babies R Us) prefolds to the ones my mom gave me that she used to use on us.  The Gerbers are much thinner and seem like a different material???  Any advice anyone may have, I would appreciate.  I would like to continue with the prefolds and covers if possible, but would like to know if there's something I can do with what I have or if there are some better prefolds out there?  Thanks!

Paige - posted on 02/03/2009

I took up cloth diapering a year ago with my fourth and youngest child.  I wish I knew it was so easy when I was diapering my now older children. 

Fantastic resources are www.diaperswappers.com and www.diaperpin.com

If any of you have had problems with the 7th Gen diapers leaking (I've read lots of reviews about this problem), I have had wonderful results with the 7th Gen pull ups but do find the sizes run a bit small. I often use them at night since my son wets a lot and has super sensitive skin that requires a lot of barrier cream for long stretches.

As far as gDiapers go, I love the idea, but they are a bit costly and while very cute, my covers did not hold up well after washing...after the first 5 washes, the velcro stopped sticking.  I have had trouble with velcro on most of my diapers as that is the first thing to fall apart.  So snap diapers have become a fave of mine.  When I need to use gDiapers (like when my son has a mean rash) I use one of my Bummis or Thirsties covers and add an extra hemp insert underneath for extra absorbancy at naptimes.

I just got my first organic all in one Dream-eze and they are fantastic.  Since the soakers are on the "outside" rather than sewn completely inside...they dry very well.  My son had a super sensitive bum and so far these seem to work well with him.

I tried BumGenius all in ones, but found them pretty small.  My son just turned 2 and is in the 25th percentile for size and he gets red marks around his waist and legs.

Fuzzi Bunz are great, but the sides often droop and I have had some not so nice messes run down my sons legs.  I am very curious to hear about the new All in Ones that just came out.  Anybody try them yet and have feedback???

Happy Heinys velcro has actually held up quite well.  I had an All In One that I loved, but unfortunately it disappeared.

Crickets are great, but unfortunately my sons sensitive bum does not like them.

I am so excited cloth diapering has become so popular again.  It isn't nearly as nasty as most people I think.  Most of my friends think I am crazy for using cloth.  I couldn't be happier and like knowing they can be used by someone else when I am done.

Happy Diapering!!!

Katie - posted on 01/31/2009

Yes, Elizabeth! We had a croud at the doctor's office yesterday asking me about cloth and wanting to know all about it! :-)

DDevin - posted on 01/31/2009

Elizabeth, sometimes we use prefolds and bummis velcro covers.I used pins with DC#1, but with this baby I use snappis instead. They're faster for me to get on and seem to make them a lot trimmer. But yes, the simplicty of prefolds and covers is nice!

Marnae - posted on 01/30/2009

Wow, I am so impressed with you undertaking the old school method and with 2 kids!!  You definitely give me hope!  Sorry I can't answer your question - yet.  But thanks for the post!! Inspiring - truly.

Elizabeth - posted on 01/30/2009

Wow! I'm so glad to hear of other moms using cloth! I have a 20 month & a 6 month old, but I do the serious old-school diapering. The only thing that would keep my son's clothes/bedding/carpet dry was using vinyl pants. I also use pins. My mother and grandmother showed me how to fold & wash. I have a little HE washer, so I'm washing one load of diapers every other day. We even make 12 hour + car trips to visit family with no prob! I tried to put my boy in disposables for one such trip... Nightmarish sores on his tush from the Pampers! It was so bad, so quick-we had to see the doctor! Never again with disposables! Plus, all the extra savings is making a huge contribution to the college funds! ;)

I have to ask though... Do other moms stare when you change the babies in a public place because of your cloth diapers? It always seems to draw a crowd.... lol. Maybe it'll get them to 'convert'!

Katie - posted on 01/27/2009

Ha! That's a great tip about prestuffing! Thanks Hanako and DDevin! We're almost done with week 1 of cloth diapering, and I have no reservations. This is wonderful, and I'm convinced that anyone can do it. I love that I am not paying more money, wasting more resources and adding more unnecessary waste to landfills with disposable diapers!

DDevin - posted on 01/26/2009

yes! stuffing them as soon as they're clean and dry is great! They stay more organized, more convenient, and hubby has less of an excuse not to change diapers : P   LoL!

Hanako - posted on 01/25/2009

Just thought I'd jump onto this thread and congratulate you for going cloth Katie! I'm glad you are finding them great and they're not as daunting as you though :)

I use BG 3.0 during the day and I love them! (I use a different brand at night with a hemp liner as they are more absorbant) The sizing system has worked really well for me. In the long run I thik they will end up being cheaper than buying szed AIOs. Having said that, I do have a few different AIOs and I prefer the pockets. I've had less leaks and the dry much quicker!!

Just another tip, if you aren't already, I stuff all on my nappies as soon as I get them off the line and put them away. That way I don't have to fiddle around with them at each change :)

Good on you for going cloth!

Hana

Katie - posted on 01/23/2009

Day 2 of cloth diapering is over now, and it is going surprisingly well!!! I can't believe I didn't do this much earlier!

Marnae - posted on 01/23/2009

great! thanks for the info!  

DDevin - posted on 01/23/2009

oh, and with g-diapers, yes! lots of ppl like them as covers and use cloth inserts most/all of the time. Some wahms  make cloth inserts just for g-diapers. : )

DDevin - posted on 01/23/2009

The easiest cloth to go with is a good All-in-One. BumGenius has al in ones (NOT the pockets). You don't have to stuff anything...it comes "ready-made" to put on. Just wash, use, repeat! lol  Also, with the all in ones, or AIOs, you can choose between snaps or velcro. If you go to diaperswappers.com you can get them used, so they're less expensive...  HTH! 

Marnae - posted on 01/22/2009

About the g-diapers, I heard you can switch between the cloth and disposable inserts for these. So if I'm out and about I could use the disposable ones, but the rest of the time I could use the cloth inserts ?? is this easier another way?  My husband is really put off by cloth diapers.  He helped out with it with his youngest brothers (who were 10 and 11 years younger) and hated it.  I am trying to find a good compromise for him (so I don't have to ALWAYS do it by myself, but can still do the cloth thing most of the time...) We're doing disposables right now and my guilt is getting the best of me.  It's just hard to think of putting forth as much money as bumGeniuses cost though they look AMAZING... decisions, decisions...

Glad to hear things are going so well for Katie!!!

Katie - posted on 01/22/2009

Hey everyone - day one of cloth diapering is half done, and so far.... it's pretty cool! It seems like the only added work is the stuffing and removing of the pocket and an extra load of laundry. I'm surprised at how easy this is! It seemed so complicated at first... definitely worth it!

DDevin - posted on 01/22/2009

oh, and they're not pocket diapers ( which can sometimes be a good thing depending your preference). It's a disposable liner that you lay inside the cover.    : )

DDevin - posted on 01/22/2009

I think with g-diapers, you need as many covers as you would if you were using cloth. So it depends on the age of your baby, really. Most of the time you won't have to change the cover, but if it gets poop on it, you will, obviously. I think G-diapers are a pain, honestly. The ONLY reason I could see using them is purely for the environment. I don't think they're more environmentally friendly than cloth (because you still have to wash the covers, and you have to flush the toilet every time you change your baby...that's a lot of water,as opposed to one wash for two days worth of changes). Cloth is definitely cheaper. The g-daper inserts/liners are about $15 a pack. The covers aren't too cheap, but they're reusable, so that's not a problem. You also have to think about the packagin (if you're thinking of being "green" ). Everytime you buy a pack of liners, you're buying a plastic "bag" that will not biodegrade. Plus, like I said, as far as water usage, I would definitely say you use more water flushing a liner every change, rather than one wash for cloth every 2-3 days.

BUT, if you're going to use disposables, then they are definitely the best choice for the environment. And, if you choose to go to cloth later, you can use the covers for cloth instead of the flushable liners.  : )

Marnae - posted on 01/21/2009

Anyone have any advice on how many G-Diaper covers to get if you've used them?

Meghan - posted on 01/21/2009

I used the 7th generations for my littleboy but he is recently pottytrained woo hoo! But for my next one I have heard great things about G-Diapers I guess they are a kind of pocket diaper like Katie mentioned, I heard they are even more environmentaly responsible than cloth (cleaning and what not). Any one tried them or have more info?

Kasey - posted on 01/20/2009

Great choice, Katie. We have the one-size BumGeniuses too. I like them because they seem leak a little less than the fuzzi bunz.  The only think I don't like about them is the flap in the back that prevents us from just shaking the cloth insert into the diaper pail---the flap means that we have to dig the insert out with our fingers--ick.  Otherwise, they're great. Try to remember to fold the velcro tabs in before you wash them so they won't catch on stuff as they tumble. This will make them last longer.  Good luck!

DDevin - posted on 01/17/2009

good for you, Katie, those are great! -nak

Katie - posted on 01/17/2009

Hey everybody! Ok, so here's my update... We have finally decided on a cloth diaper. We are going with Bumgenius 3.0 one size all in one diapers. I know that sounds complicated, so for those of you who were thinking about cloth like me, here's what that means: A one size diaper means that it is fully adjustable so as your child grows, the diaper can expand so you don't have to keep buying different sizes of cloth diapers. This is good for us because they can be expensive up front, and we don't want to have to put this kind of money down more than once. All in one diapers mean that they work just like disposable diapers. You don't have to put anything together, or stuff anything (pocket diapers require stuffing padding into the pocket before use) although many all in one diapers come with extra padding to cover longer periods between diaper changes - like night or nap time. All in one means that it looks and works similar to a disposable so that you don't have learn to fold, stuff or to explain to a babysitter how they work. I hope this helps everyone! Thanks for your posts!

Elizabeth - posted on 01/16/2009

I too am scared of switching to a cloth (washable) diaper.  We've been using the 7th generation disposables and love them.  I've also used the Nature's Babycare intermittantly, but they don't seem to fit my daughter very well.  I would like to find a cloth/washable system but there are so many options out there I don't know where to start.

Kasey - posted on 01/13/2009

As for going out: just buy a small washable wetbag (preferably with a zipper rather than a drawstring) to help keep smells at bay and keep it in your diaper bag. You can throw the wetbag in the washer with the diapers.   I have a larger wet bag that lines the diaper pail at home too. I just toss the whole bag upside down in the washer so I don't have to touch any diapers. :) Hope this info has helped. 

Kasey - posted on 01/13/2009

Hi, I've been cloth diapering for a year and a half. It really isn't that hard but you have to get used to two ideas: You'll be doing a lot more laundry, and you'll need to remove poop from the cloth diapers by tipping it into the toilet.  If you have a good washer, you won't need to do this for your 4 month old, but for your two year old, who has solid BMs, you will need to flush it.  Ok, that's the bad news up front. The good news is once you get over the expense of buying cloth diapers, you'll save a lot of money and you'll be doing something great for the environment (especially if you have an HE washer and plan to line dry at least some of the time). 

In full disclosure, I have to admit that I've been backing away from cloth diapers lately as my 19 month old likes to guzzle a whole bottle of juice at once with the daily result of wetting through his cloth diaper (we use Fuzzi Bunz) every time.  So, I've started putting him more and more in the Nature Babycare disposables because they have that gel that absorbs a lot, so no leaks. You can find them on Amazon or Drugstore.com and I've even found them at Target a few times.  I feel guilty about backing away from cloth but using these disposables seems like a good compromise.

DDevin - posted on 01/13/2009

I've cloth diapered 2 babies and LOVE it! As for going out, it's no different than going out with disposables, except that instead of throwing the diaper away, you put it in a washable "wet bag" and stick it back in your diaper bag (don't worry, the wet bag seals well so there's no smell coming from your bag, LoL). In the house, you just put the dirty diapers in the diaper pail, and when it's full, you take it to the laundry room instead of the trash.

Seriously, the BEST website for cloth diapering is www.DiaperSwappers.com . You can go to the forum part called Diapers Q & A  and ask any question you want, and read past answers. You can also buy diapers there.   : D

Marnae - posted on 01/07/2009

GREAT Questions!!! I'm sorry I can't help, but I'm REALLY interested in hearing the responses.  I have very similar questions myself as I too am wanting to give cloth a try.  I also found 7th generation diapers to be extremely leaky.  Thanks for putting this out there!

Katie - posted on 01/06/2009

Oh yeah, and what is it like going out? how do you deal with the dirty ones when you are out of the house... or in the house for that matter.