Bassinets and Diapers

My daughter is 4 months and we've used cloth diapers since day one (although we do use disposables when we're traveling.)

We use diaper service quality cloth diapers with Prowrap Classic diaper covers. I bought all of our diapers from a diaper service this way you're getting a good quality diaper at a decent price(I wash my own diapers so I'm not actually using the service - more on washing below.) Don't buy any Gerber diapers unless you need a good burp cloth. They're very thin and don't absorb much.

A couple of months ago I started using Happy Heinys one size pocket diapers at night. My daughter sleeps through the night and pees a lot. These diapers have cotton inserts and a fleece lining. The cotton wicks moisture away from the fleece - this really cuts down on the potential for diaper rash.

Modern washing machines are so good that washing your own diapers is a pretty easy undertaking. While your baby's diet is still all liquids the soiled diapers aren't that bad. I just throw everything in the washer on hot with a little bleach and a perfume & dye free detergent (don't bother paying all that extra money for dreft, I get my detergent at costco - way cheaper.) After the wash is over I do a second rinse cycle to get out any bleach residue, once I didn't do this and it was the only time my daughter got diaper rash with the cloth diapers. I throw everything in the dryer except the covers and the pocket diapers because the heat can ruin their water proofing.

Once your child starts making "real" poos you can use disposable diaper liners. If they only get wet you can wash and reuse them a couple of times before they fall apart. When they catch a solid you just flush them down the toilet (some people throw them out but I don't like the idea of putting human feces in landfills if I can avoid it.)

Hope this helps.

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My friend has done all the research, but here's what I've learned from her and experienced on my own:

* ABC Diapers is a great diaper service and I loved having it for the first month. We asked and got it for a shower gift.

* The prefold diapers are great and cheap. We used them for a long while (maybe until 5 months old?) and fastened them for fewer spills with Snappi diaper fasteners. We used and really liked Thirsties brand covers for these. http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/store/thirsties-covers.html

* BumGenius is awesome - the diaper and cover are one, which is great once your baby starts squirming; putting a diaper AND a cover is tougher once the baby starts twisting and crawling. http://nickisdiapers.com/

* We learned the hard way that it matters a lot what detergent you use; most leave a residue that causes lots of leaks and the diapers never lose their pee smell. We just learned how to properly care from them from this site: http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/index.html. We stripped the diapers with Sensi-Clean (b/c we had to remove the built-up residue from our other detergent, a biodegradable, all natural detergent we thought was great) and started using Charlie's Soap, which we found much cheaper on the Charlie's Soap website, which also offers free shipping.

* We use bleach-free disposables at night with a maxipad (funny, I know, but he leaks from time to time, depending on how much he drinks near bedtime, otherwise).

Good luck and enjoy!

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Hello, I am so glad you are going to use cloth, you will be very pleased. During the day we use 100% organic hemp prefolds with a diaper cover that you can purchase at natural resources on valencia st. at 25th in S.F. They are 12 for $24. I bought 3 dozen, then we use about 2 fitted all in ones from bum genious at night... with an organic hemp insert for extra absorbancy. Cloth is so much easier than I thought and washing the diapers is no big deal. Be sure to get a diaper soap, we like Allens naturally. Also, we have been practicing Elimination Communication since my son was 2 months (now he's 5 months) and I havn't changed a poopy diaper in about 2 and half months... which makes washing the diapers really easy. If you are not familiar with e.c. look it up, you will be amazed!!! and it will make life so much easier... especially when its time to potty train! good luck and congrats

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I used cloth diapers with delivery services (Tiny Tots, I think) with my first child. We manage to stay with them for about 6 months but my husband was never really that enthusiastic. Plus, with cloth diaper service, you spend about as much as you would with disposable. This time around, we bought cloth diapers online and tried a variety of different kinds, though the basic prefolds (like the diaper service ones) turned out to be our favorite for the first serveral months. It's definitely cheaper this way and my husband bought into the program as he had the chance to try out different kinds. It does add to your laundry... one more load every other or every three days, but kids add so much laundry you may not notice. Do lots of research with the online companies for the best information; I would recommend Green Mountain Diapers and Baby Belle Bottoms. (Also nice, most of the companies are owned by SAHMs.)

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Hi S.! I just have to say congratulations on your soon to arrive baby and I'm so happy that you're considering using cloth on your baby. There are so many benefits to baby, the earth and your pocketbook when using cloth. I only wish more people would try it before knocking it!

I've been cd'ing my son since he was one week and he is now 18 months old. I love it and feel terrible whenever I use a disposable (I use seventh generation when I do use them). I have also used a variety of cloth diapers and have had lots of experience with trial and error. Here are a couple of websites that I found helpful when I was pregnant and trying to figure out what was what with the many choices in cloth. The first website, is Karen's cloth diapering site and she has a great dictionary of the different types of diapers, how to wash and how to fold: http://diaperpages.com/index.php. The next website I recommend is www.diaperpin.com. This website is great because it has reviews on almost every brand of diaper so you can see what other moms think of each brand, etc. If you are going to wash yourself, you should also check out these websites for ratings on detergent http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm and http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html.

I love bumgenius for ease (fits and goes on just like a disposable), but they are pricey. I also like Fuzzi bunz and Happy Heiny's, but they are also fairly expensive. One of the other moms suggested diaperswappers.com and I think its a great resource so you can get cheaper diapers and experiment with what will work best for your family. For a newborn, you will probably want a fitted diaper with a cover like prowraps or bummis. Prowraps are great at holding in newborn explosive poos and a fitted underneath will provide extra insurance against blowouts. In my experience, blowouts are just a part of having a newborn and no diaper, disposable or cloth, will hold them in everytime. When my son started eating solids, a pocket diaper with a synthetic fabric worked great because the poop rolls right off of it into the toilet (no one likes to dunk the diapers). I now use pockets at night for extra absorbency and a mix of chinese prefolds, fitteds and AIO's with my son. If you are planning on washing yourself, you will probably need about 36 diapers for washing every two days with a newborn. After a few months, you will do less changes and won't need quite so many. You will also need two diaper pail liners (one for the wash and one to use), one small wetbag for your diaperbag, and if you are using cloth wipes, you'll probably want about 36. If you decide to use prefolds, you will want a couple snappi fasteners (they are so much safer than pins) and about 8-12 covers for a newborn. If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me.

Good luck!

-H.

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We used Tiny Tots (they serve the entire Bay Area - not sure where you are located) however they belong to a larger nationwide network or affiliation and I'm sure can refer you to someone in your area. They were fantastic.

They offered a variety of choices of wraps/covers and their catalog is available online so you can shop when you have time!

Unfortunately we only knew a few people who used cloth - most went the way of disposables. I recommend cloth without a doubt and feel great about our choice. Let me know if you need further info. Good luck.

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