Interested in Using Cloth Diapers

http://www.kellyscloset.com
Here for cloth diapers this is the best site ever! The diapers are awesome. They are shaped just like regular diapers so you don't have to worry about the pins, and they have diaper liners so all you do is take out liner throw it away and toss diaper in the washer. I loved using them, saved a LOT of money. I used regular diapers too for times that I was going to be out of the house for a while and didn't want the hassle of keeping dirty diapers. But I would only have to buy a package of diapers once or twice a month. MUCH less expencive.

I would really recommend using cloth diapers. I do not use them all the time -- when going out and at bedtime I use disposables -- but the cloth diapers are super easy to wash and I feel good about using them. They also say that it helps in potty training, because the baby feels when they are wet. What was helpful to me after LOTS of research was going to Babyworks www.babyworks.com in NW Portland and talking to a live person and actually getting to see and touch the diapers. Mothering magazing www.mothering.org did an article recently that was pretty eye opening to the environmental impact that cloth diapers can make.

When I was considering cloth diapers I did a lot of research on the web and a very helpful site was www.diapersafari.com. They sell all kinds of cloth diapers and accessories plus there is a lot of information on using them (how, why, etc.) If you have more questions call the woman who runs the site, she is super nice and will gladly help you. There are also lots of other sites online with great info, just do a search on "cloth diapers." Good luck.

I could write forever about cloth diapering. I love doing it, and those who will talk about bleach, plastic pants, etc., simply don't know what modern cloth diapering is like. Instead of trying to fill you in on my own, I'll direct you to an essay that helped me out a lot while I was first starting out. It includes the benefits to cloth diapering, including telling how you will save money, as well as explanations of the methods. For the record, I have still saved hundreds of dollars, and I have an expensive stash and have to use coin-op laundry. Personally, my stash cost about $500, but I definitely didn't have to put it all up front. My son has been in the same size diaper for a year, and will potty train from these diapers. One of the major perks is that you get to re-sell your diapers when you're done for most of what you paid for them, depending on the condition. If you have any more questions, please feel free to send me a message. Good luck!

"Why Cloth?" - http://babyslime.livejournal.com/151952.html

Hi J.! We used cloth pretty much exclusively with our first child, and with our second we use them about 75% of the time. While there were expenses up front, it definitely saved us money.

We purchased about 15 cloth diapers up front and three diaper covers. Also, we decided that we would give washing our own diapers a go, as opposed to using a service. We knew we could always change our mind. My husband doesn't seem to mind doing them...it's not really a big deal. With our first child we had to buy a different size diaper cover every 3-6 months (still cheaper than paying for disposables). For our second child, we already have the supplies, so of course it's super cheap this time around!

I was 90% sure I wanted to go with cloth; discovering fabric breathable waterproof velcro diaper covers sealed the deal for me (no diaper pins!). With our first we used cloth all of the time for several months, then went to disposables at night only- although there are good cloth products specifically for night time. We also went with disposables for any overnight trips. For daily outings, I just took extra cloth diapers with me and ziplocs to carry the dirty ones.

Oh, another selling point for me and my husband were diaper liners. Imagine a thick strip of toilet paper about 3-4 squares long. It rests on top of the diaper, so when you have a big poopy diaper, you just take the liner and the poo inside of it and flush it down the toilet- no gross poo poo floating in your diaper pail.

Good luck! Let me know if you have any other questions. www.babyworks.com is a FANTASTIC resource. It's family owned and they are the nicest people in the world.

J.

I would recomend using cloth. I cannot say that you will save money but you will save the Earth and feel great about bragging to all your expectant mothers and getting them on the band wagon. I have three boys and truthfully I lost it during my second and used disapoables. I am a hippie at heart and had a great experience with Diaper land. You put a dirty bag on the porch once a week come home from work and a clean one is waiting. They even give a pail and deodorizers for it once a month. We all can do a little for local businesses and the environment. I washed my own with the last and have a load of great rags now (they are really easy to keep white). Good luck with whatever choice.

We've used cloth diapers on our munchkin and LOVE them. My hubby is a stay-at-home-dad and he even prefers them to disposables. We still use disposables when we're out or on vacation but at nite we have found cloth to be way more absorbant. We use the bummis super whisper wrap covers (can wash & dry these with the diapers - SUPER easy), a fleece & terry doubler (fleece wicks away moisture from baby bums to diaper) and hemp/cotton blend contour diapers (I made these myself but you can purchase them online also). At nite we use an imse vimse wool wrap cover and really like them for their added absorbancy and ease of washing (can machine wash them but don't throw them in the dryer). Especially at first when babies are small and go thru gobs of diapers every day cloth saves you so much money. There are many articles online about the cost effectiveness of cloth and the lower impact on the environment compared to disposables. I have purchased covers, etc. at thanksmama.com and babybecause.com and have been happy with both suppliers (thanksmama has free shipping if you spend so much). With a pack of diapers being around $10-12 per pack and when we were on vacation for a week we went thru 2 1/2 I think (our son was 6 weeks old then)... even the inital expense of cloth ends up being so worth it. I've found most parents who use cloth diapers are really advocates for it and will share their experiences with you. Hope this helps - good luck!

I used cloth diapers on both of my girls. It is a little pricy to start, but in the long run it is cheaper. Now you have the option of using a diaper service, which i didnt opt for i wasn't too keen on getting my own diapers back and it also ups the cost of cloth diapers. it is healthier for your baby and your baby is more likely to be potty trained faster.i bought three packages of the 12 count gerber prefold diapers to start. if you want more info e-mail me at ____@____.com

Hi J.. I am currently using cloth and disposables. I do like the cloth diapers and think they work great. I got mine at jaradinediapers.com. I did quite a bit of research, the best diapers seem to be DSQ (diaper service quality) chinese prefolds. They are super absorbant. I use them with diaper covers. The covers I have are called Bummis Colors. My daughter has chunky legs and I think they work great. As far as cleaning goes there are several ways to go about it. I keep mine in a 5 gallon pail with a lid. The container stays in the bathroom in a corner. My husband attatched a sprayer to the toilet so I could spray the poop into the toilet. Once that's done they just go into the pail until I'm ready to wash. (about 2-3 days) I could go on, but there is quite a bit of info on the internet that will help you. Also, they may excellent burp cloths! I use disposables at night.

J.,
Cloth is so wonderful.....if you're a SAHM. Whether they are cheaper depends on what you are buying in disposables, probably about the same as generics, but they do have some return value if gently used, and if it is not your last child, hand me downs are wonderful. I would start with some prefolds and a couple of less expensive covers and see how it goes.
Good luck and remember all the bennifits to our good lady "earth" as well!
S.

Hey, I'm brand new here on MamaSource! I'm actually in the process of opening an online store selling cloth diapers. I used disposables on my 1st until he was 16 months, then switched to cloth & have been using cloth on my 3 month old since day 1. The start up costs can seem a little steep, but when you consider disposables are about $2000 per kid, it's not a big deal! LOL! I can guarantee cloth will cost less in the long run. Please let me know if you have any specific questions about cloth... I know I was completely overwhelmed when I first looked into it!

M.

Hi J.,

I grew up with cloth diapers and still use them now almost exclusively with my 8 month old son and I would never use anything else. I also nanny for a one and a half year old who is just now potty training from cloth. She uses diaper pins and plastic pants because they fit her slim frame better, while with my son we use velcro covers. Both serve the same purpose, so that's just a matter of preference. Cloth diapers are so much gentler on the skin than disposables because they don't have any of the chemicals that disposable are stuffed full of. I hate having all that bleach and perfume and other chemical junk they fill disposables with so close to my son's precious body.

I use TideeDidee diaper service and I love it. I just put the diapers in a diaper pail, then place the bag of dirty diapers on the front porch once a week and it gets replaced with a bag of fresh diapers. You get to decide how many diapers you want each week and the cost is based on that. I actually received one free year of diaper service as a gift, so I can't personally attest to the cost. I know though that in Metro Parent magazine there is always a coupon for I think 4 free weeks of diaper service from TideeDidee. You can pick up the free magazine at libraries, and once you start the diaper service Metro Parent gets delivered free once a month with the diapers! Just a fun little addition :) You can check out TideeDidee's website at www.tideedidee.com . They also have good reasons listed on the website as to why cloth is better.

Cloth isn't as absorbent as disposables, so you will probably need to change your baby's diaper more often. I change my son every hour to hour and a half, but you could go a little longer depending on how dry you like your baby to be. We also sometimes will use fleece liners which are super absorbent and keep him completely dry for long periods of time. Going out with him in cloth is easy too. I just always bring along a plastic grocery bag that I stuff the dirty diaper into when we're out, and when we get home I just empty out the bag into our diaper pail. No mess!

If you're looking to buy your own diapers, in addition to all the websites that other people have mentioned, ebay is a great place to buy diapers and wraps. I would recommend researching the best way to launder your diapers so you can make sure they get clean enough.

Hope this answers some of your questions, feel free to ask if there's anything else I can help you with!

Regards,
A.

Check out gdiapers.com they are an environmentaly friendly flushable diaper! I also use folded up flatfold diapers in the covers durring the day. They are great! When you are out and about you don't have to worry about trucking home wet cloth diapers. All the local healthfood stores cary the Gdiapers and you can get them online as well. If you have any questions please let me know. I love love love my Gdiapers! I have one small cover if you would like to buy it cheap to try them out. ~V.

I really enjoy using cloth as well. As far as saving money, as many people have mentioned, you probably won't see a huge savings (especially in the beginning). We purchased about 18 diapers at the beginning, and it is an investment. Cloth is hard when you are going out; sticking a sopping wet diaper in a diaper bag is tough. So I usually try to use disposibles when we are out and at night.

I absolutely love pocket diapers. They are just like disposibles, and they are really easy to deal with. And they don't leak all that much. I have had diapers that I have changed that I know would have blown out of a disposible, but the pocket diaper held. The diapers I use are called BumGenius. You can order them online, or there is a store called MoonFaeries on El Camino at Avalon in Sacramento that carries those, along with a variety of other cloth diaper solutions (check them out at www.motherssupportnetwork.org). The BumGenius diapers don't soak through when she has a really wet diaper, and the top layer keeps the wet insert away from her body, which I like. And they are one-size-fits-all so theoretically I can use them from now until she is potty trained.

Good luck, and I would definately recommend giving cloth a try. Start out slow, and when you find a diaper that you like, then you can purchase a lot at that time. It took us a few tries to find the right diaper for us. As many people have said.. it is hard to figure out if it is cheaper. We don't have a diaper service, so we wash them ourselves. Now that we have enough for 2 days, we can wash a full load every two days, so that helps with the electricity, water, etc. But they may not be as cheap as some of the generic brand diapers you can get.

I have a very active 5 year old boy, sd well as a daughter turning 11 in March. Where do you live? Maybe a park day is a good idea. C.

I am amazed at all the wonderful replies to this question!!

too bad we are not closer together, I am a JUGE cloth diaper advocate!

You might save a little money, but let me tell you, the ammonia smell from the urine will knock you out. Also having to dispose of the "brown stuff" that is not always solid before washing, not fun. You'll probably change them more because they aren't absorbant at all. You'll constantly be doing laundry. So the amount of electricity you'll use to heat up the hot water, along witht he detergent, and the bleach plus the time it will take you to wash, and dry (including electricity to run those machines) not to mention you have to buy the cloths adn the plastic overpants, it seems like more of a time waster than just using disposable.
I potty trained my daughter with her wearing underwear and plastic pants, and it was not fun. All the above was not worth it. Hope this helps, whichever route you go.

I used ABC diaper service and loved it. I think that my daughter potty trained easier because of it. I actually missed them with the next 2 because the baby sitter only took disposibles! They are a lot easier to use than it seems and most services have trial periods. ABC is out of Berkeley. In california the choice is truly up to the parents. Yes disposibles go in dumps, but cloth have to be super washed. Both land and water are equally precious, go with you heart. Good luck:)

Hello J. my name is S. and I have three children. Taylor who is 8, Jessica is 7 and Lucas who is almost 17 months. I stayed at home last year with my son and thought about cloth diapers to save money. I have heard they help financially but can be expensive to buy when just starting out. My problem was i just did not have the time with all the clothes I have to wash. I was also wondering how you got hooked up with Sylvan as an online teacher. I currently am a reading and math intervention teacher parttime for Scandia elementary which is on Travis Air Force base but would like to find something at home to do so I could spend more time with my kids. Hope to hear from you soon and I heard cloth diapers can be good. S.

check out tidee didee diaper service online. their site is very informative. if you are in their area, the service is unbeatable.
good luck

I have a relative who swears by them! You could alway use them for other things if it doesnt work out. I use cloth diapers for so much that i would buy them over many baby items that i own. Plus they are cheap and like i said very handy.

Today, I just posted a "dissertation" on why cloth is great..please read!

I have a 13 month old and am due in August to have our second child. I used a service when my daughter was newborn and loved not having to do the laundry. Now we use Kushies all-in-ones. My husband is much more confident using the all-in-one. With a fold and wrap diaper system he always felt he was doing it wrong and it took time to put together. Older babies don’t give you much time during a diaper change.
We have had no leaks with these diapers even over night. We use cotton liners for extra absorbency at tap time and bed time. We do use disposables on out of town trips or when we go out for dinner. My husband is a total numbers man and tells me that we are saving money. Especially because we can use the same diapers (if still in good condition) for our next baby. I enjoy using cloth because of the benefits it gives out children, the environment, and our check book. Hope this helps and good luck.

i didn't read all of the responses, so i'm sorry if this is a repeat..
congratulations on such a great decision. i've always cloth diapered my son and it's been so easy. we use a pocket diaper. my washing routine is to soak them overnight in borax and cold water (hot water will allow stink to get into the fibers). then i wash them in really really hot water and rinse in cold. i use mrs. meyer's clean day laundry detergent. it seems to work the best for me, but i know there's others out there that work just as well.
my initial buy in was pricey, but in the long run, i've saved money.
congratulations on your little bean!

Hi J.,

I used cloth diapers until my son was 8 months old (he is now 2.) I loved them!!! I used a diaper service, where they provided the diapers, wraps, and an odor-proof diaper pail, and they picked them up once a week. It cost $45 a month, with a $100 startup fee. I changed his diaper about once every two hours (or as needed.) At night, I double-diapered him and used a larger wrap to prevent leaks and avoid night-time changings. (I don't believe in waking sleeping babies!)

After we found out we were moving to an area that did not offer diaper service, I canceled the service and washed his diapers at home during our two-month transition period. I had inherited about two dozen cloth diapers and some wraps from a friend, so I tried my hand at washing them at home. This was DEFINITELY a money saver, but more time intensive!

We've been using disposables for the past year and a half, and I have to say, we really didn't save money going with cloth. If you are trying to save money, don't go with a service. It's convenient but comparable to the cost of disposables. The best case scenario is to buy wraps at second-hand stores or inherit a cloth starter kit from a friend. But get ready to spend more time and energy in your laundry room that ever before! =)

If you do a search on "cloth diapers - Portland, OR" you'll find a number of websites where you can order cloth starter kits, get instructions on how to wash diapers at home, and get numbers for diaper services in your area. As for me, I loved using cloth diapers for the first 8 months, but they were so bulky he was having a hard time sitting up. As soon as we switched to disposables, he starting sitting, then crawling shortly thereafter! Honestly, for my next child (big fat IF!) I would probably just go with disposables from the get-go, landfills and all.

Hope that helps! =)

I've used cloth diapers with both of my children and it's definitely saved us money. It's also a lot of fun! My favorites, for ease of use, are fuzzi bunz. Good luck!

We used cloth diapers exclusively for my daughter until she was around 10 months old. We've tried several different kinds... velcro covers, snaps. We found the best ones were the tried and true diaper pins. They were more secure and less likely to leak. By the time she turned 10 months, we were having to change all her clothes every time she peed, as it was more than her cloth diaper could handle.

We loved doing the cloth diapers, and saved a lot of money and space in the dumps! We washed them ourselves to cut cost from a diaper service. It was easier than we had anticipated!

Hi J.,
I read a few of your responses and they say what I would- YES, you do save tons of money. I got lucky with my diapers- my son is 26 months and still in the same diapers he wore at 9 months (a small bum) I spent a total of $75 on diapers off Craigslist, then I also made a couple more when he was 15 months old.
Don't let the thought of washing make you think disposable is easier, you'll get into an easy habit of it and it won't phase you at all. You may even find a cloth diapering group of mommies around you and make a few friends.
Now, while going through potty training, I wish I'd done like several of my girlfriends did and "EC'd" him- that's basically teaching them to use the potty when they're babies like they do in other countries. One friend's boy was in "big boy underwear" at 11 months, and she started at 9 months. If you're curious, check out the library to see if they have any books on "diaper free baby" or "elimination communication" There'd be no cheaper way than to potty train as a baby!
P.