Good Diapers?

Oh my goodness, girlfriend! Pins! Oh, I was so glad when I found a good brand of diaperwrap so I never had to use another pin! Not sure if you're using rubber pants or wraps ... if wraps, the rest of this can be ignored, except the "where to get wraps that actually WORK without 'help' from pins" part ;) ... if rubber pants, this is all about the Wonder of Wraps ;). If you want to make your cloth as convenient as disposable, get about 6 (maybe 8) good wraps. About $6 each, which seems like a big chunk of change until you consider how fast disposables add up ...

However, the ones at Babies R Us and Target and suchlike are NOT worth buying(!) except as temporary solutions while you look for good ones ... the velcroes don't last long and they aren't actually waterproof. There are lots of fancy types online (for more than $6, but again, it's an investment), but if you are in a city with a diaper service, that business has a real reason to want moms to be happy with the cloth diaper experience, so they sell wraps that _work_. I got mine from Tiddee Diddee here in Portland (unfortunately you have to drive out there unless you are getting diaper-deliveries; they aren't internet-available).

[Or .. well ... you could call them and arrange to get a comforter washed in their big machine (I think it was $10 last time I checked); I think they pickup for that, and "oh by the way could I order 6 diaper covers, my baby is a skinny 18 pounds, which size do you recommend?" ;). (Not having to drive to SE 92nd and Foster is maybe worth $10 to me ... plus I'd get a comforter washed ;). I wonder if their prices have gone up because of gas ...)]

But anyhow, once you have a wrap, you just fold your diaper to be that "center liner" section (no fussy shapes or pulling out the sides for pinning) ... I keep two wraps 'active,' and never fold a diaper until I change a diaper (pull wet one off baby, put dry one on baby (same design as a disposable), let baby loose to run and play, dump wet diaper into diaper pail, fold new dry diaper, load wrap with diaper, leave dry-loaded wrap ready for next time).

[Oh, and for poops? This is specific advice for any cloth diaperers who are reading you advice because they feel like they just can't rinse another full-of-nooks-and-crannies wrap ;) ... it took me a couple of kids to figure this out. DON'T try to rinse the wrap in the toilet like a diaper: just wipe the guck off with TP. (Brilliant!, I know ;). Man, I was amazed when I realized this! )

However, it takes some technique even with the TP. Here's my technique:

I put a clean diaper on the floor next to the toilet,
open the wrap on the floordiaper,
remove and stash the poopy diaper itself in the toilet (high up, out of the water),
stand on the two flaps of the wrap with my toes,
and pull up the front of the wrap with my left hand, to pull it 'flat' for my right to wipe ...

once you get the hang of it it's fast, really ;) ...

and then I velcro shut the wrap and lay it on the floordiaper,
fold the floordiaper over it,
rinse the poopy diaper (like you always do, sigh ;) ),
and put the poopy diaper on top of the folded floordiaper ...

then I use the folded floordiaper to transport all the nasty stuff to the diaper pail ... no more carrying sopping nastiness to the diaper pail!

I know that was off-topic, but if any other cloth-diapering moms out there are reading, maybe I cut the learning curve a little shorter. If I'd only had one or two kids, I would never have known it could be easier ;). (Of course, maybe everyone else figured this all out and I'm the slow one ;). ) ]

Anyhow, cloth can be just about as easy as disposables, with good wraps.

2 moms found this helpful

We just use cloth diapers for our 15 pound 3 month old girl. We purchase just the flat fold diapers so I can fold them to diferent sizes and litewrap diaper covers. we don't use pins at all. I just put the diaper in the cover and put them both on at the same time. The cover hold the diaper in place with out pins.I got my covers at www.tinytush.com for 8.95 each and the flatfolds at www.clothdiaper.com for 12.50 a dozen.

I witched my son (2) about 4 months ago to cloth. I use an all in one that I got from a SAHM who makes them. I love them and they are great. They are a little spendy, but the ones I got are one size so I can use them for the next child.
There are also these things that hold the prefolds in place like the pins, but are way easier to put on (so i have heard I have never used them). Here is a site to them.
http://www.softclothbunz.com/Snappi-Diaper-Fastener_p_0-9...
If you like cloth diapers why not stick with them.
If you want to chat more about the AIO's I got you can send me a message.
Good luck!

I usually get the huggies from costco. Pampers seemed to have a little too much plastic and did not breath as well. My boys would get heat rashes in their little bums everytime I used them. When I tried cloth years ago, there was this holder that I used to not have to use pins called Cooshies (i Think. they came in several sizes and you just fold up the diaper and place it in. It velcroed on just like a disposable. At night I would just double up on the diaper. Maybe having something like that would make it easier to keep the cloth. I wished I had been able to stay on cloth with my kids, but it was had with daycare and stuff would not take them.

I recently posted here about my 7 month old daughter soaking through her cloth diapers at night. Several people recommended checking out Zoom Baby Gear in N. Portland (not far from my house at all). I spoke with the owner and she was SUPER helpful. I ended up getting 3 hemp doublers and 1 wool soaker. Not only is the diaper significantly less bulky, she hasn't leaked through once. I have also begun using fleece liners (against her skin). When she poops is comes right off the liner and the diaper is barely dirty. No stains or anything! I'm thoroughly impressed. Zoom Baby Gear has all the major brands, but she makes and sells her own wool soakers for an extremely reasonable $17! Her feeling is that everyone should be able to afford the wool. I would highly recommend visiting her website and calling her if need be.
http://www.zoombabygear.com/

We use Costco disposables and have had no real problems. I think I've pulled off 2 tabs as I was trying to fasten them and that's been over the past year. Nothing significant! We use Fuzzibuns pocket diapers and have been using the size medium for about a year. My daughter is now 16 months and 21/22 lbs and they still fit her fine and we're starting to potty train a little so I don't anticipate we'll need to buy anything bigger. A friend of mine loves the "mommy's touch" AIO's, but it seems to me like they leak quite a bit.

I do the same thing - cloth during the day and disposable at night. Safeway has a new brand of disposable - Mom2Mom - that works GREAT for my daughter the fountain.

Instead of pins, try a Snappi clip. You can order them from http://www.babyworks.com. They work GREAT and can be put on quickly on even the squirmiest of toddlers. I know - my 21-month old is VERY squirmy!

Pampers and Huggies have both changed, and both of their "standard" diapers are not all that great anymore. Try the Pampers Cruisers, or the Huggies Supreme. If you want super absorbent, especially for nights, try Huggies Overnights. If you want to keep using cloth diapers, then try a velcro cover for them so you don't have to bother with pin. The liners will probably cost about the same as a package of diaper, but you use it over and over. I used them once upon a time for another reason, but they worker fairly well. If you really want to save money on them, you can buy them on ebay or some other resale site. Just be sure they are not nasty first.

T.,

You mention that you used Pampers, was it the green bag/box of I don't remember the name, or was it the Cruisers in the purple bag/box?

We've used the Cruisers with both of my kids and they work well, even holding the diarrhea that they've occasionally gotten. The Huggies anything was always leaking and we constantly had to bring changes of clothing.

M.

I have only tried Pampers Swaddlers and Huggies snug and dry, but I thought I would put my two cents in. :) The pampers work great, rarely ever leak. One time we got a bag of huggies because there was a really good sale, but I swear every other time we changed her the diapers had leaked! We will never do that again!

Pampers are absolutely my favorite. I have tried so many. Pampers has "baby dry" and "cruisers" The cruisers are for sure the better of the two. Much more absorbant. I rarely have a blow out with them. They seem to do a good job of catching everything. They also feel softer and more comfy to me.

Personally for disposable I prefer Pampers - I don't know about any absorbancy changes. As far as cloth - have you ever tried the velcro wraps instead of pins...much easier to put on especially for a wiggler. You can get them on Craigslist, ebay and consignment - they are a bit pricey but worth it. I always found some at consignment stores. Good luck!

It sounds like you've received some great suggestions to help you stay on cloth diapers. If you decide you still also need disposable, I really like the Kroger brand (Fred Meyer store brand). They're cheap, but my daughter doesn't soak through overnight. They're about half the price of Huggies/Pampers.

Don't try Target's diapers. They're awful.

On ebay... Coolababy diapers... one size diapers with inserts... $7-8 each. (However, they are made in China--Their minimum wage is about 31 cents.) Lots of different colors, if that matters to you.

I love them. I couldn't bring myself to buy BumGenius or the others because they were SO expensive. I decided to search for "one size" to see what I would get. The seller I used is coolababy2008. They had very good reviews. Their listings always have a picture with diapers in a circle. I haven't had any real problems with the diapers that outweigh the money I'm saving. :)
I bought 24 of them and have to wash about every 4-6 days.

Pins? Get some Snappis. They stretch across the from of the diaper and grab on with little "teeth". You can find them online at most any store that sells cloth diapers (cottonbabies.com, bananapeelsdiapers.com). But like some other moms suggested if you have a good wrap, such as Prowrap, Thirsties, or Bummis you don't even have to use Snappis. You can just lay the cloth diaper in the wrap then put onto baby. And the wraps are great because if they haven't been soiled with a bm, they can just be wiped out with a damp cloth or baby wipe (unless it is really wet) and set out to dry until the next diaper change. Easy!

Good Luck!

The only brand of diapers that works for me is Huggies. Remember, it's important to get diapers that are absorbant enough for your childs output, not necessarily what the recommended size on the side of the package. For example, my son has almost always needed the next size up.
Good luck!

Huggies is the only brand that worked for me with all 3 of my kids. They're about $40/box at Costco. You should also check out diapers.com They have some other brands mentioned that are natural and you can get free shipping with them: http://www.diapers.com/shop/Diapers.aspx

:-)

Nature Babycare diapers are the only 100% biodegradable disposable diapers and they are also chlorine free. Their prices are fairly comparable to regular diapers (a 4pk of size 3 = 136 diapers costs $45) and shipping is free for orders over $49. You can also get a coupon code for $10 off your first order at retailmenot.com.

My son has worn them so full of pee that they were practically falling off of him and I've never seen a problem with leaking either pee or poop. Shipping can take 4 or 5 days from ordering. Hope this helps -- I highly recommend these as they are very well made!

Pampers swaddlers/cruisers are still my favorite but I also like kirkland brand (costco). I hated luvs, huggies leaked with my second child (worked better with my tall, lean older daughter though, maybe it's the fit?), and hated target and walmart brands. Just my experience though, I'd try a small package of each to test them for your child, good luck!

I use either Huggies or Costco/kirkland brand. They are almost exactly the same price at Costco per diaper. This time around (my son is bigger than my daughter was) I've noticed that Huggies are a little roomier. I like them both, they have the elastic sides that help when my son is on the move in the middle of a diaper change.

Good Luck!

I used cloth diapers with a fleece cover that had velcro, so I didn't need pins - I just relied on the cover, which worked quite well. Now, if I could just remember the name of those great fleece covers....

Have you tried diaper grabbers they are like a giant letter "Y" they hook to both sides of the diaper and then the middle and they hold the cloth just like pins but are a lot faster. If you look an e-bay or lots of the diaper sites they sale them there. I used them with my twins I cloth diaped and they were a lifesaver. Good luck to you .

I use cloth diapers as well but have never even attempted to pin them, I'm sure I would get frustrated. I use Velcro diaper covers. You can often find them used on Craigslist or at some kids resale stores. I like the brand prorap and purchased some new at www.thanksmama.com. They are only $6.99 each with free shipping for diaper covers which means you can get two for the price of one package of diapers and as mentioned by another poster you can let the wet ones air dry and reuse them and wash the soiled ones. There are also a lot of patterns available online for diaper covers if you know how to sew.

Good luck Mama:)

I used Pampers at first, but then about 6 months old I switched over to Huggies. Then at about 1.5 yrs old we started using the Huggies overnights at night. I hope this is of some help. Good luck!

I used Pampers with my older daughter and they were good. You are right.. Pampers are not what they used to be. I found that the Costco Huggies are good as long as you buy them a little big.. if I buy the "right size" my baby tends to soak through. My baby is 23LBs so I buy the size 4's... she also loves to drink water so that doesn't always help the diaper situation : ) In a money pinch.. I use Luv's for daytime. I then use Huggies at night.
Ps Luv's are really cheep at RiteAid
Happy Diapering :-)

I have 5 month old twins and we us Costco's Kirkland brand diapers, they seem to work well for us.

Hi--I use "traditional" cloth diapers on my son. He's 15 months old now and we're still using the same system (we've also been told by our daycare that is the wiggliest kid they've ever diapered). But, we've never used pins--for our baby shower someone gave us a "snappi." It has the things that usually hold ace bandages together on a piece of rubber (you have to google it to understand). Anyway, they are super cheap (2.50) and you really only need one or two. I highly recommend them--in fact, I just can't even imagine using diaper pins.

My daughter is now potty trained (just turned 3), but we had the best success with the Costo (Kirkland) brand, and also with the Fred Meyer (Kroger's ) brand. Another solution my friend with twins had, was to buy one size up...especially for nighttime. They absorb well and will last through a night's sleep or long car/plane ride. Good luck!

I have always used the walmart brand, but I have noticed with trying different brands that they suck. Any way, Huggies work for me they last a long time.

And what's probably happening is as your girl grows older she carries more pee and #2 so she's most likely just going more. It scared me when my little one pooped atleast two times a day but changing foods can cause that but it's not bad just her body is adjusting.

Hope this helps or even makes sense

Hi T., If you're already using regular cloth diapers during the day, how about getting a really good diaper doubler to use together with your regular cloth diaper at night? They're not bulky and I can recommend several that are only $2.50 to $7 each, depending on the brand and the size/type you need. Please feel free to visit my website or email me at ____@____.com I can ship them to you quickly, too! :)

For my 2 girls I always used Pampers crusiers purple bag.. They are great.. There is a big difference with the pampers in the green bag they are a little bit cheaper than the crusiers and leak more ect.. I buy them (crusiers) at Sams club or fredmyer or target.
Best of luck,
L.

T.,
My mom was a purist from the old school when she had my brothers and I.(I'm 29 and have an older brother)
She had my littler brother when I was 11 and stayed with her purist ways of cloth but disliked what they had on the market and knew that with an 11 and 13 year old helping out with diaper duty pins were probably not going to go well with the baby. So the seamstress in her came out and she made her own. She made the diaper with velcro and a special fabric used to make bibs on the outside for leaks. Then she made the liners seperate so she could make them as long or as short as she wanted. They were all flannel and very cozy for baby. And quite usable for us.
So if you have a sewer in your life, design your own!
Good luck!

R.

We use cloth during the day and Seventh Generation non-bleached disposables at night. Just wanted to suggested checking consignment stores or Craig's List for used cloth diapers. I love the AIOs, and have been watching for some in the next size up (I love the Kushies, but we also ahve some BumGenius pocket diapers that work pretty well, too). I hate to pay full price for the cloth ones! Just another place to watch.

I've heard a lot of great things about gDiapers from my mom group. Several of the moms use this brand and they love it. I have a starter kit I received from my baby registry and I intend to start using this once I use up the big box of the costco/kirkland brand I have on hand. I wish I had some first-hand experience to share with you. So far, I can tell you it seems like a great system.

NOt sure what kind of diaper you are using that you need pins. we use the prowrap over a chinese pre fold and have never used pins. Or you may try what's called a snappy. There little y shaped hook thing. No risk of sticking baby with pins.

I use cloth diapers but I use the covers. They are awesome! They run anywhere from $8 - $30 but you can re-use them when baby is just wet and then wash them when they get soiled. I love them. I got my latest few from wai baby. Reasonably priced too.

Hi! I use the regular pre-fold diapers with a great cover that doesn't need any pins or anything. And they are fast, for the wiggler! The covers I use are Thirsties they use Velcro and so you don't need pins. They almost never leak and you can re-use the cover over and over until it gets poop in it. We love them! They aren't that expensive. You can find them online. Good luck!

I can't recommend any disposables, but I can recommend some cloth diapers that I've really liked and that have velcro, so it's easier. The 2 brands that I've really liked are Prorap (I think that's the spelling) and Polar Babies. The Prorap are easy and light weight. With the velcro, you don't need to pin the diapers. The Polar Babies are made of polar fleece, have a snap and velcro attachment so you don't need to pin the diapers either. They also make a very absorbent hemp pre-fold diaper. They are kinda spendy, though. The Prorap covers you can find online for as little as $4.50 each. Also, have you tried finding used diapers and diaper covers at consignment stores or on craig's list? Both of those have been a big help for me.
And yes, I remember that super squirmy stage when the kids will not keep still for diapers--and it does pass (only to come again when they're big enough to run away and laugh "escape!" while avoiding diapering). But I've had 2 that have been cloth diapers (one is still in them at 2 years old), and I found it worth it.
Good luck!

Hi T.

I have 2 lil boys, and ALL I buy is the Alberstons 'Baby Basics' brand. They are alot cheaper than the name brand and they work REALY well!! My littlest one drinks ALOT and so he is always peeing and I swear those things can hold alot. =) Good luck

K.

Have you tried finding some snappi clasps instead of pins? That's what I use to hold on our prefolds and then just put the cover over it. I was given the snappis I have, but they can't be more than a couple dollars apiece and they are amazing! You might not be able to get them in the next couple of days, but I highly recommend them and if you end up hating them (which I can't really imagine, but still) then you're only out a few dollars.

Best wishes!
~B.

I know you are asking about disposables, but since you are a fan of cloth (and it is a HUGE money saver in the long run) you might consider looking into geting AIO or pocket diapers used. Between craigs list and ebay I was able to get bum genious one size diapers for over half off of retail. These diapers look brand new (and some of them are). Both people I purchased from thought they wanted to do cloth diapering and decided to go other routes so the diapers were bearly used. You can find most any brand this way, so that may be a way to allow you to fit it in your budget.

Whatever route you take, good luck!

We love Pampers Cruisers. The only time we ever have it soak through is if we waited too long for a diaper change! If you pull the ruffles of the legs out, it really helps! We've tried Huggies (they stink to high heaven when they get wet), Pampers Baby Dry (don't let the baby move well), and generic brands (all around bad idea). We finally settled on the Pampers Cruisers. My youngest is two and we've used them the whole time also with our 4 year old until he was about 3 and went to pull ups. Now, we like the Huggies Pull Ups the best for potty training. Luckily my 4 1/2 year old is completely potty trained and my 2 year old is already showing an interest! Good Luck! I hope this was a little helpful.

I know you've got a lot of responses already, and I don't have time to read thru and see if anyone else has reccommended this but...I went thru the same thing with my son who is now 14mo. Two things I reccommend, one try sticky velcro. It's cheap and you can buy it anywwhere. What I did was wait until my son was alseep so he would be super still. Then I put a diaper on like I normally would but didn't pin it, instead you can gauge where exactly the velcro should go. Once you get one diaper just right you can do others from that one. You just have to remember to close the velcro when you wash them. Also, I reccommend wool covers. They work great as long as they fit right and you can either buy they cheap on ebay from SAHM's or you can make them yourself from old sweaters. At first I thought the idea of making my own was crazy, but after I purchased a couple different styles on ebay I realized it wouldn't be hard at all. Their great for night time too. I know you said you do disposable at night and when you go out, but I've found that just doubling a cloth diaper at night (taking one prefold and folding it in thirds and the placing inside another prefold) and then using a wool cover works great! Cloth is best for baby and the environment and wool is as natural as it gets when it comes to covers. Plus, using the velcro make it almost as easy as a disposable. If you're intrested in making your own wool covers but need some tips, let me know I'd be happy to help with a pattern. Also you should check out this website, it has all the info you'll need to know why disposable are soooo bad! Especially huggies and pampers. I couldn't believe it when I came across this so I had to verify, and it's all true. I'm having a hard time finding the specific article I was talking about (it was my favorite on the subject) but here are a couple other good ones that have the same general meassage.

http://www.thegreenguide.com/reports/product.mhtml?id=45

http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/poop_cloth_diapers.html

Any question feel free to ask!! Good luck!

Costco diapers are the best! I've never had leakage problems with two and three year olds. They are cost-effective and work so well. I love them! I used Pampers then Huggies, but I when someone gave me a Costco diaper cause I was out at a friends I never went back. Best of luck!