Diapers Q&A - Cloth diapers :(?

Cloth diapers :(?

I am getting VERY discouraged with my switch to cloth diapers, my son literally pees every 30 minutes! lol, i didn't realize this until i made the switch, but i have like 20 cloth diapers and use all of them in less than 10 hours. I use gerber prefolds and have made some of my own, i just need some encouragement...has anyone felt this way? how did you get through it?

Public Comments

Do not be discouraged. Are you using Gerber DSQ or prefolds? The regular gerber diapers have a synthetic middle. The pee goes right through them. Do you know which ones you have? Can we problem shoot together to see if there is a way you can make it work? These are great diapers. http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm ETA: what kind of covers are you using as well? Are you using fabric softener?
ay ay ay.. get a pack of huggies... i know this is not what you wanted to hear and i know environment and all, but it's gonna be really hard. also you can do both maybe?? at least you'd be helping with the environment, but not totally killing yourself either..
And that it why I still use disposibles...
I've heard good things about these diapers: http://www.bumgenius.com/ That might help. Do you also have a plastic cover for the diaper? That might help.
Dump the gerbers, they are terrible diapers, only good for spit rags. Get some nice diaper service style diapers, they are softer and more absorbant that the gerbers and are cheap too! http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/ http://www.babyworks.com/catalog/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=11
You don't need to change him the instant he pees (unless he fusses and lets you know he's uncomfortable). Might want to look into using wicking liners and thicker inserts to absorb more before you have to change him. Yes, it's more work than just using disposables, but so are a lot of things we do for our kids! BUT... if it's causing you a lot more strain than you think it's worth, don't sacrifice your sanity on principle. It won't ultimately benefit you *or* your baby! You'll figure out what's best for you. Go talk to some of the cloth diapering moms at mothering.com for more pointers. Hope this helps!
You get what you pay for. Go and get some All in One diapers and you can add in an extra liner that will help the diaper to last longer and they go on very easy. I use hand made AIO cloth diapers from a local lady but you can get Kushies from Wal-Mart. They come in 2 sizes 5-22 lbs(infant) & 22-45lbs (toddler) This way all you need to get is about 2-3 packs depending on how many they will go though daily. Diaper http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4601012 Extra liners http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4601018
i wouldnt use them
Yes, I understand. I swear, we changed our son every hour when he was tiny. He's at 9 months now and it's about every 3-4 hours. Gerber diapers are awful, I swear they soak in seconds. If your son even tinkles a tiny bit in it, it'll be soaked. You can look into getting DSQ (diaper service quality) diapers which will help. You can also add an insert that you lay on top of the diaper. It'll help wick away a little moisture and can save you from having to change him constantly. Think of it this way, though, you may be changing your baby more often but that's a good thing! He's not hanging out in his own pee, which is a positive in my book!
I guess I have not done all the research I could have but last I knew cloth diapers were just as bad as disposables. Exchanging solid waste for wasted water in laundry? Please don't jump down my throat if I am wrong, like I said I haven't done a lot of research. Some thing I read had a mill to grind the disposables so the biodegraded faster?
I too have been down this road! I found that using newborn disposables until my daughter was a month old VERY helpful as she was in a regular pattern of feeding, sleeping and diaper changes. As well I have always used disposables at night time. Around 3 months they tend to only use a diaper a night for disposables. I found that a $20 pack of diapers lasted about 2 1/2 months, sometimes longer. We usually had to purchase a new size after one bag of diapers. It also saves you from changing the bed and/or the bum in the night. WE all got better sleep lol.
Wow!! I admire you for changing.. I mean disposables are so much easier to use... im just curious....why you change??
I am not sure what type of diapers you have, but I use BumGenius, FuzziBunz and Baby Kangas and they are great. They have the fleece lining and PUL outer and I rarely have a leak through. I also have about 20 diapers and I was washing them every day to every other day when he was a newborn, he slowed down in the wetting. My son is a heavy wetter and he stays dry with these diapers, they wick away the moisture to the cotton insert and the fleece is always dry against his skin. Love these pocket diapers, I have been using them for 7 months. I do not use the original cotton diapers with plastic pants and I never use disposables, I don't have to really! www.kellyscloset.com is a great site for diapers! Good Luck! FYI, the money I have save already on cloth diapers is over $1000+
As others have said, Gerber prefolds are awful. That's what I used with my first two babies because I didn't have a computer then and couldn't find the *real* diapers. This might sound a little weird, but with my second baby I actually used a bunch of flannel receiving blankets as dipes. (I marked them with a D in permanent marker so I wouldn't confuse them with his other blankies.) You might want to try that until you can get good prefolds, either Diaper Service Quality (DSQ) or any Chinese cotton prefold. They cost more than the Gerber ones, but you DO get what you pay for. If you don't mind buying used you can get them cheaper and already broken in. Go to the FSOT here: http://www.diaperswappers.com http://www.diapertraders.com Check out the other kinds of diapers out there, too, if you aren't already aware of them. If you live in the U.S. and are getting a stimulus check soon, good diapers would be a good way to spend that dough. That's what I'm gonna do. Cloth diapers are addictive. :-) If you do decide to get something other that prefolds, look for diapers with a hemp soaker layer, or use pockets and stuff with hemp inserts, or a microfiber insert with a hemp doubler. Hemp holds a LOT of pee.
YES. I feel this way. I have a whole stash of kushies, which are cotton like the gerber prefolds, and I have to change him constantly when I am working through those. But I also have a some fuzzi bunz pocket diapers and some baby kicks fitted diapers that use inserts (i like the hemp kind) and they last MUCH longer. so i save them for nap time, etc. Also, I found that if I keep the changing stuff near when I am (instead of in his room) that I get much less discouraged. I keep a cloth diaper blog at http://www.babykicks.com/blog if you'd like to subscribe for more encouragement from a "wanna be earth mama" :)
dont be discouraged...i love my cloth diapers and totally agree with everyone else that Gerbers are great for spit rags, not diapers... invest in some good quality pocket, one size diapers like BumGenius 3.0's or some Baby Kangas...I love both of these and they work great.... be sure to wash with just a splash of Dawn original liquid (yes, dish washing liquid) and dont use bleach. if you need something to get odors out get some baking soda and white vinegar and soak them for a few hours, rinse with that, then wash and rinse again... email me if you want more information...i would love to help you be successful at cloth diapering...ive been exclusively cloth diapering my daughter since birth, she is now five months..and i would never, ever go back to disposables... as far as the environment thing goes...i doubt very much that spraying poop into the toilet and flushing it and doing an extra load of laundry every three days has the same impact as putting all those disposables into land fill!!!