G-diapers

Hi L.,

I have heard good things about G diapers, but I've also heard they are very expensive. I exclusively use cloth diapers and LOVE it!!! They are really easy....PROMISE. I buy all my cloth diapers and accessories from Nicki's Diapers. http://nickisdiapers.com/ I have found that the pocket diapers are easiest (but also one of the most expensive). We decided that if we are going to do this and succeed at it....it has to be fairly easy! The hard part about going cloth is all the options and lingo..but once you look around and get a little familiar it becomes a lot less intimidating. So I LOVE LOVE LOVE "BumGenius" they are my favorite. They have a "one size" diaper that will fit babies from 8-35lbs. They have these adjustable snaps that change the size. They all come with inserts...so its amazing because when you pull the insert out...it soaked with urine, but the material on the babies bum is dry...its much dryer than her disposables ever were...I'm telling you they have come a long way! One thing you will find is SO MUCH conflicting washing instructions online....but I have a great system:
* 1st wash: throw in all pockets, inserts and wipes (we use cloth wipes almost exclusively now). do a regular wash in cold, no detergent
2nd wash: add in wet bags (the XL one in her room, plus the zipper one we use to store dirty dipes while we're on the go), add small amount of ALL free and clear, and wash in hot water with an extra rinse
3rd wash: remove wet bags (hang dry--these dry super quickly) and add small amount of white vinegar to the fabric softener compartment. wash on cold with extra rinse
after the 3rd wash, everything goes in the dryer, on low for about 40min. after that, i remove the pocket dipes. then i add about 20 min and then the wipes and inserts are usually done.
i have used BAC-OUT to help with stains and odors in the past, but usually find that the above system does it all. i have no probs with stains and odors any more.

There is no soaking diapers, or handling poop...washing machines today take care of it all...they are super efficient. Also I just these diaper liners that are 100% biodegradable and flushable...so when Emily has a poopy diaper, I just take out the liner (which contains most if not all the poop) and flush it down the toilet. EASY!

There is also a cool company called Jillian Drawers that you can order a "trial" and they send you and assortment of diapers (of all different styles) and you give them a deposit and if you like some you keep it or return it and they give you back your money. I never did it...but it sounds really neat. All they charge you is a small fee (like $10 or something). http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/cdcm.html

Cloth can be an expensive initially, BUT saves tons and tons of money in the long run, plus endless benefits to our environment. (that we are leaving to our little ones)

Good luck,
L.

4 moms found this helpful

Hello,
I don't know anything about G-diapers. What I did with my son was Elimination Communication. There is a lot of misinformation on it and it is not in mainstream media. I recommend it for the following reasons supports bonding between parent and child, communication with your infant established early, respond to child's natural early signals, keeps baby clean and diaper rash free, saves environment, encourages early potty learning. I recommend 2 books: Infant Potty Training by Laurie Boucke and Diaper Free by Ingrid Bauer. At least check it out as another option. You are welcome to e-mail me for more resources or to share my experiences.

1 mom found this helpful

I didn't like the G diapers, either. they don't catch the messy stuff. I use ABC diaper service, its cheap and easy. Tiny Tots delivers in Santa Clara county. Check them out!

I used G-diapers when my son was around 6 mths & I was making the transition from sposies to cloth. I loved how trim & fit they were, no leaks here, but honestly, I thought they were a pain to deal with when it came time to dispose of them. And second on the cost. If $$ isn't an issue, then these may be the way to go for you. But with the amount of YUCK I had to deal with when it came time to flushing, it was just as easy to go completely cloth - which I'm so glad I did! My son is now 20 mths & still cute & trim in cloth. You can go as cheap as you want with cloth or some seriously cute, but pricey stuff too. Diaper service would be great, I guess, but since I only have 1 kid in cloth, I'm only doing a load of diapers every 2-3 days, which just isn't that inconvenient for me. Hope the info helps!

oh my, I HATED G-diapers. they leaked, they were dirty to clean up, they dissovable thing NEVER worked in my plumbing and i never was able to get more than one use out of diaper. we use "jamtots" berry plush diapers and LOVE them. they are more expensive, but they are full cloth diapers with a cover. we also used kushies ultras and those worked pretty good for us (i have a 16 month old daughter). another hint about cloth diapers which you may or may not know yet: you can install one of those kitchen sprayers to your toilet and spray the feces off in the toilet,it's way easier than shaking it off and HEAPS cheaper than buying one of those things they market for this activity. Although if you are breastfeeding you won't really need to do this until kiddo starts eating more "real" food...Good luck, and CONGRATS!!!

oh and the laundering thing is acutally really easy once you get into a rountine and i must say there is something really nice about getting those clean fresh diapers out of the dryer or off the clothesline!!! there are simple recipes for laundering (tea tree oil, vinegar, etc) ..and i hear the laundry service is great!

I liked them for comfort, appearance and absorbing wetness but they didn't work well for runny poop (as is the case with a newborn). You might want to wait a couple months until the poop is less runny or baby is drinking some formula to use G diapers.

I used g-diapers with my son. I liked that they flush. I didn't feel I had the commitment level to launder cloth diapers. While I don't compost, the directions say that the urine-only diapers can be composted. G-diapers were a great compromise. I didn't use them at night after my son slept through the night because he peed too much and they leaked. It didn't bother him, but it was another set of sheets to wash. During the day I really liked them.

If I were to have another baby, I would use disposables until I healed from childbirth (the first few weeks) and then go to g-diapers.

L.-

Congratulations!!!!

We have a 7 week old boy and we like you wanted to be environmentally thoughtful in choosing diapers for him. We found the site for G diapers and I ordered the starter pack. We did not try to use them at first, because of the umbilical cord. There is no way to fold down the front of the diaper to keep it from rubbing on the cord. When the umbilical cord did fall off, we tried the "g" and our son blew out of it on the first try. The box says that "g" will fit babies past 8 pounds, but we felt they were too big for him even though he was over 8 pounds. We were going to wait until he was over 10 pounds until we try again. I am still hopeful that they will work for us, but the jury is out. My only advice is you are going to need some sort of diaper to bring your baby home with at least until the umbilical cord falls off. (for us about 2 weeks). I will be eager to see what other moms think of the g diapers.
Best wishes to you.

Hi I don't know too much about G diapers but I do know about cloth diapers and want to say that they are not that hard to launder. We bought and use Mother ease diapers and covers, they are one size and will last until my son is a toddler. Also look into a diaper service for the first few months or the whole duration- it is easy, and reasonably priced- you just put out the dirty ones and they bring you clean diapers- check out tiny tots if you live in the south bay or santa cruz area
good luck

Hi, I tried G-diapers with my daughter when she was an infant and they always seemed to leak, so we stopped using them. I wanted to do cloth diapers but my husband was the stay at home dad at the time and was not supportive of the idea. So we used seventh generation disposable. But recently I am only part time at work and Im using BumGenius Pocket diapers. They are awesome. Its just one size that gets bigger with them. Check out the article in Mothering magazine this month. It gives you cloth diapering 101. It also will save you money in the long run. It is feels expensive at first but you can do a trial with buying just a few. My daughter is 22months and she is very picky about her diapers and she loves the BumGenius. Good luck. If you do choose cloth the laundering part is only an extra wash cycle and you you can wash a lot of diapers. You dont really need to soak the diaper just scrape the poo do an extra cycle and then wash. All you need is a diaper pale (a bucket) you can even buy a wet bag for on the go. They have all sorts of convenient things now.

Hi,
We tried G-diapers and really did NOT like them. The video that they have on their website makes it look sooooo easy and it isn't. I have a friend who uses Fuzzi Bunz. They are a good alternative to traditional cloth diapers.

If trying to preserve the landfills and looking for an alternate/more environmental friendly disposable, try Seventh Generation diapers. They only take 7 years to break down in the landfills, as opposed to the hundreds of years that traditional disposable diapers take.

Good luck,
M.

Hi L., I have used g-diapers for the last 4 months with my daughter and love them!! They aren't that great for overnight though, we use disposables at night. They are super easy to use, I would recomend having at least 4-6 covers on hand and plenty of the snap in liners. One thing I didn't like was using them for the first month. They seemed to bulky and leaked, I found that It was so much better when my daughter fit in to the med. size. She grew out the the small to fast and it seemed like a lot of money to invest to use them for a month.
Congrats and good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions. Ashlee

I don't know anything about G-diapers. I used cloth with my three children, and plan to use them with the next (due in October). I use Tiny Tots Diaper Service. They deliver weekly throughout Northern California. AND they pick up the messy ones. Believe it or not - our hamper never stank (and I have a sensitive nose). I even used them during potty training (they pick up and deliver training pants).

I can't comment on g-diapers, but I can tell you I used a diaper service for all three of my kids, between 1993 and 2001. Please check into it, it was so convenient and not nearly as expensive as you might think. The one I used was ABC Diaper Service based in Berkeley.
As a new mom, cloth diapers are especially good because you can really see how much your baby wets (very reassuring to those who breastfeed and worry that their baby's not getting enough milk.)
Congrats and good luck!

Hi there
I love G diapers, i use a mixture of cloth disposable and G, they just started selling them here in my town. We use to have to order them. Anyhow I do like them, at night you can double up the liner for extra protection. They can be a little messy, just make sure you have like 4-6 covers to use. You get two plastic liners with every outter cover. I also think cloth are a lot of work with all the laundry, the G diapers are a great alternative to disposable. Have fun with your new little one!!

Hello and congratulations!
My daughter-in-law and son tried to use G-Diapers with my second grandchild (a daughter!) and the disposable part proved to not dissolve enough for their old plumbing. They live in a beautiful older home, and the pipes just couldn't take the disposable part. They swiftly abandoned G-Diapers after having to snake out their plumbing pipes while juggling a busy family life. So we can't recommend them. I like diaper services. Many, many warm wishes for the growth of your upcoming family, L. O.

congratulations!
I primarily use Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers and I love them. Laundering isn't a big deal, it's just another thing that becomes routine.
Fuzzi bunz require a toilet nearby or a plastic bag in case my daughter poops, and I often find myself without. So I use G-diapers when we're out and about. I like them but my only concern is that they bunch up when my daughter pees, and her skin is then directly on the plastic. Also, the velcro closing seems to rub on her skin and irritate her. I'll never use G-diapers as my primary diapers.

I have used the g-diapers. I found that they leaked at first, but she was a tiny girl (6 lbs 8 oz). We haven't had a problem with them since she put on some weight.

I also use the cloth diapers. Yes, washing them would be a hassle, however we use the tidee-didee diaper service. Each week they pick up your dirty diapers and replace them with clean diapers. I don't find them to be much work... however I never tried the normal disposables so maybe I just don't know what I am missing :)

hi L.,

i have used the g-diapers - they are easy to use, pretty leakproof (as much as ordinary diapers can be...)
environmental concern lead to the use CLOTH though - try TINY TOTS diaper service!! ecoconscious and does not blow the budget.
you can actually use the g-diaper cover with cloth prefolds! loooks cute! and use those initally on outings etc until you get more comfortable.
it is REALLY EASY, really even in the middle of the nite, and A LOT LESS wasteful and actually cheaper than the g-diapers.
do some research on cloth diapers - you will find a lot of moms who are VERY happy with that choice! check old mamasource postings!
other advantages: NO DIAPER rashes, no chemicals on baby's delicate skins and earlier potty training! now that is a winner.
good luck! C.

I would have to agree with the first person who replied to this. I exclusivly use cloth diapers and even launder them myself. I work full time, sometimes more than 45 hours in a week and still find time to wash them at night. My sitter has even started to use them, as well disposibles during the day. I use All In One type of cloth diapers and they are just as easy as disposibles, you just toss them into the washer at night. I even worked up to cloth at night too! Cloth is pretty addictive. They have all sorts of cute prints and designs and soft fabrics that are against your babies skin instead of the plastic/disposible. I love doing this and wish I had started sooner than when she was 13 months old. Check out www.diaperpin.com there is a section in there for Introduction to Cloth Diapering. That is the best resource ever that I have found and trust the women on there with all my questions.

Hi

I have used G-diapers, cloth and disposable. I mostly use cloth and use tiny tots diaper service and they are excellent I highly recommend them it is also good as you know exactly what your kids are doing and that is important in the first few days/weeks of life. with disposable and g-diapers it is kind of hard to tell. Cloth is not hard to use really. You put the soiled ones out and the next morning you have nice clean ones waiting for you. There is no running out (I have only ran out a couple of times in 11 months) and you don't have to go to the store to get diapers all the time.

I use G-diapers when I travel and they are great. You will have to clean the diapers when you have a huge explosion but that is not a problem a quick rinse and throw it in the wash. I know someone that brought about 8 covers so that she was set for the day but I only have two and I think that is enough. I don't recommend flushing the g-diapers we blocked our toilet but at least they owont be in the land fill for 200 years.

I have used g-diapers at night sometimes and you usually have to change them in the middle on the night so we use a disposable cause we like sleep. This also depends on how much your baby pees as well.

Good luck.

P.
p.s blossom birth in palo alto are having a talk on cloth diapers soon go check them out at blossombirth.org I think it is april 21st.

Wow--lots of good info here! After spending $60/month on disposable wipes and diapers, I'd had it and looked into alt. methods. G-Diapers cost more than sposies and a cloth diaper service costs even more than that. The least expensive method is cloth diapering. I WOH, so laundry was a big factor for me as well, but I only do 1 load of diapers every 3 days and DH usually folds them while watching TV. We started with Fuzzi Bunz which were fantastic, but I tired of stuffing the pockets w/ absorbant material ( a 'soaker') and switched to all-in-twos. These are similar to G-Diapers in that they have a cover w/ a snap-in soaker. If the baby pees in it, you can swap out the soaker only and use the cover a few more times (unless poo gets on it and you have to change the whole thing.) Since they snap in, the whole diaper sticks together in the wash and there's no stuffing like a pocket diaper (eg Fuzzi Bunz). Since then I've graduated to using only WAHM-made diapers and own my own diaper-sewing business utilizing plush, earth-friendly fabrics such as bamboo velour and I actually LIKE diapering my baby. (No joke--I will be SAD when DD potty learns.) I've done a few local cloth diapering workshops and most who used G-Diapers at first graduated to putting prefolds in the G-Diaper cover (it's a thick rectangle of cotton--around $2 and SUPER absorbant when folded into a cover plus easy to wash w/ little effort/attention) and then onto an all-in-one or pocket diaper.
If I were you, I'd visit www.diaperswappers.com and you'll find cloth diapering information galore, as well as a ton of WAHM who sew/sell cloth diapers in adorable prints/at a low price/made more comfortably than the G-Diaper w/ soft fleece or velour around the leg elastic & with better gussets (to hold in that runny breastmilk poo)than your commercial cover. (Not to mention you'll support a WAHmama while you're at it ;)
Good luck w/ your decision!

We thought about using G-diapers, but read a lot of reviews saying they are messy. Also, environmentally speaking they really don't hold a candle to cloth.
But don't despair! If you live in the Bay Area, you don't have to wash your own cloth diapers! We use Tiny Tots Diaper Service, which is wonderful: tinytots.com. If you are in the East Bay, look for ABC diaper service.
Good luck, and congrats on your baby!

I read up on G-diapers and was very interested, but they are just too expensive for our family. Instead, I started using Seventh Generation chlorine free diapers that are easy on the enviroment and on babies skin. I buy them on amazon, get free shippping and if you do it as a subscription(can cancel at any time, no obligation) you get an extra 15% off. When I calculated it out, it was only like a dollar more a bag than luvs! I also use their wipes, and I love them! Hope this helps

I absolutely love the concept of G-diapers. However, I did find them to be a bit leaky (and messy) especially with liquid poops. The fit seems to vary with growth. They are not as absorbent, but even with a small volume I find the sides a bit leaky. And it is a bit gross to have to tear apart the liner. They definitely are not adequate at night for controlling leaks.

If you do want to use them, I would suggest combining with cloth - -if you use a pocket diaper at night (with 1-2 inserts or 1 diaper and 1 insert) that seems to protect well against leaks. Another thing you can do to minimize laundry work is use flushable liners for the cloth diapers (from Imse Vimse). Also, Tiny Tots diaper service is great! And I am satisfied with the service, environmental profile, and cost (cost per diaper is actually the same or better as g-diapers or 7th generation). That being said, laundering your own is by far the most affordable.

L.,
I looked in to the G-Diaper, but didn't like the on-going expense so instead use cloth with a liner. I use the Tiny Tush Trim One-Size Fitted Diaper with the disposable diaper liners and Litewrap covers. I love them! The liners catch most of the waste, but when it doesn't I just rinse the diaper with a sprayer I bought from the websit, too (tinytush.com). The sprayer connects to your toilet. Now that my 7 month old is on solids, along with breastfeeding, her stools are more solid and the waste easily goes on the liner. I'm using it as a learning tool, taking my daughter with me to the bathroom and saying bye bye to the poop (I figure it's worth a try). When we're out I use disposables, and at most use 2 a day. The laundering of the cloth diapers isn't a problem. Just use extra hot water. I do a load every 2-3 days. Good luck!

Hi L.,
I tried G-diapers with my daughter, now 16 months old, when she was about 3 months old. I took them traveling, thinking I would be a better guest without the diaper trash for my host to deal with. Instead, they clogged the toilet! I think you really have to stir the fibers to break them up and prevent a clog.
We have always used a combination of cloth/paper diapers. We use a diaper service, Tiny Tots, which is excellent for the cloth. When we go out or when she's at daycare 3 mornings a week, I use Seventh Generation paper diapers. It's all a compromise, but for me this is an acceptable environmental/cost/convenience equation.
I highly recommend Tiny Tots, by the way.
Best of luck!
A.

I haven't tried G-diapers.

I can recommend diaper service, if you want to use cloth. They were very convenient, especially in the newborn period when baby goes through a LOT of diapers. (I don't think I would have stuck with cloth diapers if I had to launder them - keeping up with the other household stuff was quite enough already.)

I used Tiny Tots.

Hi L.! First, congrats! It looks like you've already received tons of responses already, but I thought I'd give you one more. There weren't that many messages from folks who actually use gDiapers and the inserts on a consistent basis, so I thought I'd give you my two cents too. My son is now 16 months old and we have been using gDiapers since he was about a month old and haven't had any problems - we actually have more leaks with disposable diapers (maybe I'm just out of practice!?). He was not breastfed so we didn't have to deal with the explosive breastfeeding poop, but he has had some "interesting" poop (you too will become a poop expert).

The gDiapers are used in three parts - the outside cover, an inner liner, and the disposable part. For the disposable part - we only flush the poopy diapers and have never had a problem (you just tear down the sides, everything falls into the toilet, if you need to you, have a "swish" stick to break anything up, then flush), the diapers with just pee can be composted or thrown into your green waste garbage bin (with the looming drought, we're trying to conserve water where we can).

If poop gets on the inner liner, I just give it a quick rinse and toss it in the laundry, rarely does poop ever get on the outside cover, sometimes he does leak and pee gets on the outside cover but since its an absorbent cotton it doesn't tend to soak his clothes or bedding the way a disposable leak does.

The other benefit over plastic disposables (aside from not living in the dump for years and years and years), is that they are much more breathable - the only times our son gets diaper rash is when he's in a disposable. For those couple times, I've used pre-folds in the gDiaper to really let him air out and dry up.

Anyway, I've been really happy with gDiapers using the inserts (grandma who babysits 4 days a week also uses them without problem). I haven't found the cost that outrageous (for the benefits) - I buy them online from diapers.com. There is also a really active gDiaper's Yahoo Group that you can join (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gDiapers/).

Congrats again and good luck!