Cloth Diapers - Any Suggestions?

Since money was the primary motivating factor in my diaper choice, I went with the cheapest good diapers I could find. Note -- this is NOT Gerber -- those are HORRID. I went to clothdiaper.com, and was able to buy some "seconds" for about a dollar apiece; I think I got 3 dozen of the Chinese prefolds -- they are soft and thick and absorbent. I used the good old-fashioned diaper pins, and never had to replace them, except when I lost them, so if you go this route, I'd suggest buying at least a dozen, so you'll be sure to have them and not have to make a special purchase (plus $5 shipping or whatever) for another pair of pins. They last forever, unless you lose them.

For the diaper covers, I used the NYLON ***not vinyl*** diaper pants (I got them through TLCare.com, but you may find another brand that works). At first, I used the Gerber vinyl pants (which are HORRID), because that was the brand that clothdiaper.com stocked, and I thought I'd "save" on shipping. Even with the extra-special care it suggested (air-drying, etc.), the pants would always tear in 3 weeks or less. So, I shopped around for NYLON diaper pants, and have been greatly satisfied with them. I used diapers on both my boys for about 2 years, and only had to throw away a couple or maybe 3 pairs of the diaper pants, and that was because the waterproof inner lining started to break up and start to leak, but the nylon itself didn't tear. To compare the vinyl to nylon -- it's like Scotch tape vs. Duct tape.

One other "frugal" thing about the prefolds vs. all-in-ones or other thick diapers, is that the prefolds dry a lot quicker. I used my dryer for diapers because drying them outside made them too stiff and scratchy and my kids didn't like it; but it can take double the time to dry all-in-ones than it does to dry prefolds, which adds up on your electric/gas bill.

We use the gdiapers and LOVE them!

G Diapers will cost you more money in the long run. You will have to both dispose of the inserts/buy more AND do laundry... so that was more work than we cared to do/money than we wanted to spend. They're great if you cloth diaper all the time and then use the Gs to go out. Also our baby did not fit into the Large size by the time he was 11 months...

As to cloth diaper brands a great style to start with are Bum Genius pocket diapers (all in ones) b/c they more closely resemble disposables and are stuffable to the degree you need them to be stuffed (depends on how much your baby pees...)

But we also love Fuzzi Bunz b/c they have snaps and are not elasticized as much. Here's why that is good: baby can't open the diaper as easily as with velcro, velcro tabs don't stick to your wash and pill baby's other clothes, and diaper lays completely flat when you're changing him/her which makes for an easier /faster diaper change.

Good luck finding a brand that works for you! And good for you for switching to cloth!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE BumGenius. I like the 2.0 the best--no stuffing required. :-) The 2.0 comes in sizes so you have to buy more as they grow, but my daughter seems to stay in each size for a long time.
The new organic 3.0 is nice too--it is a one size diaper so you can adjust it as your child grows, but it is not a pocket diaper that you have to stuff like the other 3.0s.
I highly recommend BG. They are easy to use and easy to launder. Even my husband tells EVERYONE about how great they are!
Some specialty stores carry them (You are my Sunshine: Wilmington) and you can also order online at www.cottonbabies.com . The store I shop at has them for the same price as cotton babies.

I used gdiapers when my son was 2-3 months old. I liked that they would dissentigrate so quickly. However, we had a lot of leaks (nearly every dirty diaper), so it ended up being too much trouble. He's now 5 months and I've been using disposables for a while, but I'm looking to switch to cloth diapers too. I need advice there also, so I'm enjoying reading the responses!

I use a variety. I have mainly Fuzzy Bunz, they're easy for the sitter and Bumgenius too. I also use somd pre-folds with either Thirsty cover or Bummis covers on my days off(they are cheap). I just purchased a Goodmama diaper, expensive, but sooooo nice and soft(bamboo velour)!
I order mostly from Jillian's Drawers. They are very nice. You can call and ask questions, try a variety of different cloth for only $10, fast shipping and good prices.
Good luck!

I have afriend who LOVES the G diapers. I am actually meeting with a women in Brentwood today to learn about all of the different brands. She has an internet business that sells different brands of cloth diapers and she also does consultations. I believe she charges like $10 for a consultation and then give you 10% coupon from her website. Her website is http://www.a-and-d-enterprises.com/TheChangingTimes/

A.

Hi there,

Awesome that you want to start CDing :). When my LO was younger I used traditional cloth diapers at home and gdiapers when we were on the road. They worked fairly well, not a lot of leaks. I will say it is a pain to flush them and we found ourselves tossing them as often as we flushed them, especially since our home has old plumbing. The main reason we stopped using them is that the inserts are super-expensive...something like $16 for 30. For the money, it is more cost-effective to use FuzziBunz and BumGenius at home (I'm happy to share about those, too!) and Seventh Generation or something on the road.

Just my 2 cents! Good luck. If you need more CD info, I highly recommend going to www.cutietooties.com. Sunny Hall, a local mom with triplets, runs the page and a store here in town. She has a wealth of knowledge on the subject, and will even do a little assessment with you online to help you figure out what will work for your family.

Take care,
Jessi

Google around and see if there's a local clothdiaper meetup or birth network or something in your area. They will often have a "library" of different kinds of cloth diapers you can check out to see how they work and if you like them. Maybe a LLL group? Any natural crunchy sort of group will probably at least have a knowledgable member who can show you some in person before you buy.

We love Motherease. They are very versatile, never leak, feel soft, and last forever. Just order a bunch of one size along with the covers and you'll be set.

Use the dry pail method. Soaking is yucky and dangerous. We cut up some non-piling microfleece for stay-dry liners. It's cheap and it works.

There is no such thing as a hybrid diapers. People out there are just trying to sell regular cloth diapers for more money. My culture does not believe in disposable diapers, they only use it when they have to go on trips or when they are out. All my children grew up wearing cloth diapers. They got out of diapers at age 1 and were all potty trained. If you are in the Louisville area, I can meet you somewhere and we can go to Hancock or any cloth shops and I will show you what kind of diapers we use in Japan. Again, do not believe anything about hybrid diapers. Let me know, email me at ____@____.com.

I have never used the g diapers. I have a 28 month old son who I've cloth diapered since he was 3 weeks old. Really the hardest part is finding what type you prefer and get a laundering routine down. I REALLY prefer cloth to disposables and do not feel it is difficult at all.

I first started with flat fold diapers, safety pins and waterproof covers (Thirsties ended up being my favorite but Proraps were the most inexpensive) due to needing to save money. Then I moved on to some prefolds which I still pinned and put a cover over. I got these from Ebay for about $1 a piece.

If money is not an issue, I have really enjoyed Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers. I have recently ordered some other brands to try "one size" pocket diapers so I can use them with my next baby and not have to buy all new sizes of Fuzzi Bunz (FB has come out with a one size I think but I've not tried it yet). These diapers are like a shell that you stuff absorbent materials into then they snap (or some velcro) onto your baby. Once the diaper is stuffed, it really is as easy as using a disposable. Fuzzi Bunz has a regualar site and a site where they sell seconds (without the inserts but you can get microfiber towels pretty cheap at Wal-Mart or Sam's).

There are TONS of cloth diaper sites. Some sites offer a beginning package with a variety of brands and types of diapers and covers so you can see what you like best. Here are some of those sites:

http://www.cottonbabies.com/
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/
http://www.tinybirdsorganics.com/
http://www.bluepenguin.biz/
http://nickisdiapers.com/

http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp (this one rates cloth diapers and other sites)

You can buy used diapers from the following two sites. I have bought from myuseddiapers.com. You can also find used diapers on eBay and craigslist.com.
http://www.myuseddiapers.com/
http://www.diaperswappers.com/

If you have financial issues, miracle diapers is an organization that helps provide diapers to families. I am not very familiar with them.
http://www.miraclediapers.org/index.html

I hope this helps and has not been too much info. Bottom line, my favorites have been the Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers. I have mostly used prefolds with Thirsties covers and wool covers (Aristocrats are good) for nighttime. Let me know if I can help in any way. I know it is hard to know what type to try at first but you will be glad you did (and save money)!!

I used the little g diapers with my son from 12-20 months. I loved them. You do have to make sure you change often or double line them. I just folded a second liner in half and put it in the front of the diaper for car trips and overnight. The only complaint I have is that my son is too large for the size large. He wears size 6 pullups at 23 months. I plan on using them with my second son as well. A friend of mine uses the little g diapers with cloth inserts from bum genius and she loves them. If you decide to go with them and have any questions e-mail me.

I used FuzziBunz with my son, and LOVED them. I also like Happy Heinies (not sure if I'm spelling either of these right, by the way). I really liked the velcro closure on the HH, but found that the cut of the FB was somehow a little better for my son's skinny frame. I highly recommend either of these diapers. I also suggest that you get a minishower diaper sprayer. This is a hand-held sprayer that hooks onto the side of your toilet. You just hold a soiled diaper over the edge of your toilet and spray it off, then toss the diaper into a pail (with a lid!) beside your toilet. No need for soaking or anything... just empty the pail into your washer. I found the whole cloth diaper experience to be not nearly as big of a hassle as I had expected, and felt really good about it all. Congratulations on making such a great choice for your baby and for the environment! Best wishes to you.

I use BumGenius 3.0 cloth diapers and love them! I ordered them online at cottonbabies.com.

Bren -

I'm a mother of 3 and I've been using cloth diapers for my youngest 2, both boys, now 4 years and 6 months. I've had a lot of different "favorites" as I have been learning about cloth and using them. I would skip the hybrid and go full cloth. The aren't that hard to clean and don't require a lot of special treatment when you wash them. With the gdiapers you would have to continually order the refills and I have heard of folks who had their toilets and septic systems clogged by the inserts even though they say they are flushable.

I would suggest going with a One-Size cloth diaper like Happy Heinys or Bum Genius. They are both pocket diapers that you can decide how much "stuffing" to put in based on how much your child wets or how long they will be in the diaper. Those two come with an velcro-like closure so it is the most like putting on a disposable. I was in love with Wonderoos brand with my 4 yr old, which is a one-size with snaps, but I think they are now out of business in the US, and now I use both the Happy Heinys and Bum Genius along with a few others. If your child is very large you may want to look at the sized diapers as most of the "one size" don't go past about 35 lbs in most children, but otherwise they are the most versatile and the easiest diapers to get a good fit because they are adjustable.

I run a store in downtown Greenville, NC (The Sojourner). We actually carry some cloth diapers, and I usually have some of mine with me because my children are with me at the store a good deal of the time. I would be glad to show you the diapers we have in stock (we only carry one size but in a few different styles) as well as some from my personal stash so you can get an idea of what they are all like. I would also suggest joining the Natural Mamas yahoo group if you are nearby. They have playgroups in Greenville and Washington and lots of these moms cloth diaper and would be happy to help you out.

You can contact me directly if you want to meet to look at some diapers - ____@____.com - I think you will like cloth if you start using it!

J.