I've had a few friends ask me about cloth diapers and how I use them. Rather than write each of them a massive email about cloth diapers, I thought it would be more beneficial to write a series of blog entries. The first one in the series will be about getting started, and what you need to buy. Other topics will include: how to put them on, and how to launder them.

Getting Started

If you ask 10 different cloth diapering mom's what system they use, you'll get 10 different answers. It can be VERY overwhelming to start. So this is what I did: I got a recommendation from my birth class instructor on what she used and started with that. It gave me a place to start and something to try. As I've gone along, I've tried a couple different things but I've largely used the same system, only modifying it slightly.

I've been using cloth diapers on my daughter since she was 4 weeks old and I absolutely LOVE them. We use them at home, on day trips, and multi-day trips (when we'll have access to laundry).

I use two different systems. 1 during the day and 1 at night, and I'll explain those below. I do one load of diapers every 2-3 days, and honestly, I don't mind it at all. That's saying a lot, because I hate doing laundry. I think the motivation is because I know I'm not throwing out all that stuff that will be in a landfill for 150 years.. I dunno. The great thing is that breast-fed baby poop is water soluble -- so it all disappears in the wash. yay!

Day-time diapers

I use "prefold" diapers and covers. The prefold diaper is cotton, and very absorbent. When you first get them, you'll need to wash them a half-dozen times to get them to shrink up and to become more absorbent. You use a cover over the prefold to help hold it in place, to provide a waterproof barrier between the diaper and the outside world and to hold in the mess.

• Prefolds are the least expensive type of cloth diaper. It's basically a big square piece of fabric that's been pre-folded and sewn so that there are many layers in the middle, and fewer layers on the left and right edge. I'd recommend getting 24 prefolds.
• Covers. There's a ton of different kinds of covers. I use "Thirsties" brand. They're relatively inexpensive, and they fit my daughter well. One of the really nice features is its got a gusset on the inside of the leg so it holds in those messes really well. I'd recommend getting 4.

Night-time diapers:

I use "pocket diapers" with a doubler. A pocket diaper looks very much like a disposable diaper with velcro tabs. It's made of a nylon outer layer and a microfleece inner layer (to help baby feel dry), and it's hollow on the inside. You can then stuff a liner or two on the inside of the diaper to make it absorbsnt. For me, this is a great option at night, because you can customize how absorbent you need the diaper to be. I use a liner and a "doubler" so that I just need one diaper for the whole night

• originally I used "Fuzzi Bunz" brand pocket diapers. They work very well. You buy them in sizes (XS, S, M, L) and they cost around $19.95 each (less if you buy multiple)
• now I use "bumGenius" brand pocket diapers. The idea behind these is that they are adustable so that they will fit your baby from 8lbs to 35 lbs. Personal I think this is a more economic plan, as they are $17.95 each (less if you buy multiple). I recommend buying 6.

The cost

Money is always a factor. Cloth diapers cost a lot up front, but you don't have to keep buying disposables every week, so the savings will start coming in. You will have added utilities for laundry -- but I believe that is less than the cost of disposables (let alone the cost to the environment).

A lot of those items are one-time purchases, or things that will last you for the many months (pail liner, wet bag, bumGenius diapers and doublers). Things you'll need to buy more of when baby grows out of them are the prefolds and covers, pail powder and snappi's.

There is the option of buying many of these items used (see diaperswappers.com) or making your own. If you knit, you can make your own soakers that take the place of diaper covers. Or you can sew our own pocket diapers. That will definitely bring down the cost.

That's all for now. I think I'll turn this into a blog entry... or maybe a series. I still need to cover how you put on a pre-fold, how to do the laundry and dealing with diaper rash (luckily -- cloth-diapered babies RARELY get diaper rash - yay for that).

Responses[1]

Posted by Jessica on September 14, 2008 11:05:00 AM EDT #

I don't blog because part of me thinks that I have enough time to write a blog entry, then I should have enough time to vacuum, do the dishes, make the bed, clean the bathtub, organize my office and weed my garden (along with 50 other things).

But I realize I miss getting my thoughts down on "paper" I miss having an outlet for things I'm working on, things I'm thinking about and things I want to do. It's not so much "blogging" but some kind of public journal where I put some personal thoughts (certainly not as many as some people), but mostly its a log of stuff that I do. It's a log for me so that I can go back and see the stuff that I've done, that I've worked on, that I was thinking about, that I accomplished. That stuff is worth taking a few moments to write down. I just have to be quicker at it -- don't re-read it a gillion times before publishing. Write and go.

So here goes.

again.

Responses[2]

Posted by Jessica on September 14, 2008 10:59:00 AM EDT #