Diapers Q&A
Question for moms that use cloth or washable diapers?
I just was able to get 4 one size Bum Genius reusable diapers and 6 inserts for free! My question is for the moms that successfully used similar diapers, how many should I get? I know 4 is not enough. And also has anyone used Bum Genius diapers, and if so how are they? Last question is do you have any tips on using cloth diapers? I have a 4yo that I used disposable diapers on but I do not want to go that route again with this baby. --Thanks.
Public Comments
- It is best to have 2-3 dozen. I do not use bum genius diapers, I use plain ol' prefolds, so I cannot help you there. Check out http://diaperswappers.com, you can find some very good deals on gently used cloth diapers, do not be afraid to buy used, they are most often in very good condition and some washing in hot water sanitizes them perfectly. Don't use bleach. Charlies Soap is a great soap to use for washing, look into it. http://www.diaperpin.com is a great resource for cloth diaper information.
- I use the Bum Genius one size diapers for my three month old. I wash them every other day, so I have about 24. This gives me a few extra just in case I don't get them all through the wash before we leave for work the next day. To decide how many you need, you have to decide how often you want to wash them and then figure out how many you'll need per day. The company recommends washing them at least every other day or else the ammonia in the urine can break down the elastic in the diapers. I like the BG diapers. They are really big on newborns, so I'd recommend having some disposables on hand at least until your baby's umbilical cord falls off. Also, plan for the fact that cloth diapers (even trim ones) are bulkier than disposables, so you might need to put your baby in a larger size of onesie than s/he would normally wear. I really like using the cloth diapers because my daughter never gets diaper rashes from them and whenever I change her, her bottom doesn't have any red marks, etc., like it does when she wears pampers. My only other piece of advice is to be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions for washing and do wash them with 1/4 cup of bleach once a month (which the manufacturers also recommends) because over time, they can hold onto odors if you don't. Check out the site www.cottonbabies.com for more information about BG and cloth diapering in general.
- I ahve 14 BG cloth diapers and do laundry most evenings. I find that it keeps the stink away. I store them in a waterproof cloth diaper bag (availabe at nickisdiapers.com) in a garbage bag. I use charlie's soap (charliesoap.com) and love the product. Stains after the wash are usually taken care of by the sun. I lay mine out to dry on the carpet and put a fan on them. The dryer is pretty rough on all clothes. As mentioned above, I really like cloth diapers because they don't leave marks on bottoms and I have had no problem with diaper rash. I think that it's mostly because cloth diapering mamas don't think twice about changing a diaper even if it's just "a little wet" - you're doing a load anyways, what's one more diaper. I use disposables when we will be out for the entire day. I tried taking the cloth diapers, but they took up so much room in my diaper bag and I didn't want to have to deal with rinsing a poopy diaper in a public toliet. My only tip is to find a good tool to use to swish them in the toliet. I use the swish stick from gdiapers.com, but any long plastic tool will do. Even a long handled spatula - what ever works. The swish stick is 2.50 and comes with a little hanger for your toliet to hang it on. Also as mentioned before, I'd use the disposables with the cord cut out until the cord falls off. The waist band of the BG diapers can come up above the belly button. Good luck and thanks for doing your part to keep Earth clean for our babies!
- Cheap prefolds work well. You only need about one dozen per laundry-free day (12 if you want to wash every day, 24 for every other day, 36 for every third day). Click the reference link for a few tips relating to cloth diaperng. :)
- I use cloth diapers and I love them! They are so natural and soft for the baby! And very money saving for parents. BG`s are ok, but I do not like the AIO`s because they dry very slowly and if they get a little poo, you have to change the whole nappy. That means you need more and you pay more. I use NapNappy diapers: I have 16 flannel nappies, 4 terry nappies, 20 terry and 5 wool inserts, and 4 wool wrap. I wash them every second day, but this amount is enough for every third day washing. I dry them on the line, so if you got a dryer, you can come up with even less.
