Diapers Q&A

Info on cloth diapers??

I've decided on using cloth once my husband and I have a baby. I'm trying to price it and figure it out... we're TTC now and I just wanted to have a more educated budget and idea of what's up. So I have a few Q's... please answer if you can and feel free to give any more info you think would be helpful... 1-What is the best brand?.. and why? (Fuzzi Bunz are the ones I've been considering.. anyone know how they are??) 2-How many diapers is reasonable to get in each size? 3-Do cloth diapers help or hurt diaper rash? 4-How often does a baby need to be changed while wearing a cloth diaper? 5-Should a special detergent be used as to be more sensative to the skin of the baby? ... if so.. do you have any recommendations? Again, please feel free to add on info that you think would be helpful. Thanks so much!

Public Comments

1. 2-How many diapers is reasonable to get in each size? It depends on how often you want to do laundry! If you do cloth diapers plus diaper covers, about 2 - 3 dozen diapers, plus 3 - 6 diaper covers is good. 3-Do cloth diapers help or hurt diaper rash? Cloth diapers are the best thing for preventing diaper rash! 4-How often does a baby need to be changed while wearing a cloth diaper? Before it leaks. Sorry if that is not helpful! 5-Should a special detergent be used as to be more sensative to the skin of the baby? ... if so.. do you have any recommendations? Soak diapers ina bleach solution. Then wash without detergent. Or wash with Dreft. Or wash with regular detergent, and wash a second tim in a row (before drying) without detergent. If your baby gets a yeast diaper rash, put vinegar in the final rinse.
2. congrads on the baby! i used a diaper sevice it was actually about the same prce as disposable diapers...they pick up the diapers and launder them, they bring all the stuff u need... you would still change the baby as they wet or mess....on how often, it just depends on how often the baby wets or goes to the bathroom. just remeber to use the plastic cover pants.... they should be under diaper service or you could talk to your docter about some numbers for a service.... i used disposable with my 1st son, then cloth with my second.. never had a diaper rash with the cloth...ps...they work great for burb cloths also....
3. I used Chinese pre-folds with the Imse Vimse or Bummi Light Whisper Wraps over them. They're super easy. I bought a couple dozen high quality Chinese prefolds and about 6 diaper covers. You have to factor in that when they're newborns you will be changing much more frequently and it's much more common for them to soil up their backs and all over the covers as well. And you have to factor in how often you want to do laundry as well. I rinse the poopy diapers off in the toilet with a special hose thing that attaches to it that you can buy (I'd recommend one) then I place them in a bucket and do an extra load of laundry every 3-4 days or so. No biggie. Cloth is actually better at preventing diaper rashes if you change them promptly after the baby soils. They're more breathable than conventional disposables. I've used numerous detergents... just don't use as much if you're using something that has fragrance. I try to buy natural products with minimal or no harmful chemicals, dyes or perfumes. It's better for the environment and everyones skin. Best wishes.
4. 1- I used Kushies All-in-One. I liked them the best because they went on like a disposable but I've heard great things about the Fuzzi Bunz. 2-I did not buy the newborn size because of how quickly they grow. I had 15 for the next sizes and wish I had 30. I was washing the diapers every day. 3-My daughter never had diaper rash. I've read that cloth help diaper rash. As long as the baby's bottom is dry they won't get diaper rash. Also some babies are more prone to it than others. 4-Every 2-3 hours. 5-Use vinegar and a very small amount of detergent to wash the diapers. The vinegar eliminates and odor while just using detergent alone or a lot of detergent seems to trap the odor. Vinegar also softens the fabric. I have always used a "free and clear" type of detergent. Hope that helps!
5. I am a cloth diaper advocate and have supported hundreds of cloth diapering parents. I would love to answer your questions, I warn you though this is my favorite subject and I tend to be very long winded while discussing it- so my reply is going to be looong. :) Congratulations on choosing cloth diapers! I wish more parents would realize that they have changed tremendously in the last 10-20 years. 1- Best brand is a matter of opinion. I advise parents of newborns against using pocket diapers or all-in-one diapers. Newborn baby poop is very watery and has a tendency of leaking right out the legs of one piece diapers-and this is including disposables. Having a cover over a diaper protects against leaks. I had tons of blow outs when my newborn daughter was in disposables, but when using cloth diapers (fitteds or flats topped with a bummis sww cover) with my son, I never had one leak. Once baby's poop solidifies some and is not peeing so much (fuzzi bunz are expensive- do you really want to buy 2 to 3 dozen when you baby will only be in the small sizes a short time?), then you could look into pocket diapers or AIOs. 2- Newborns go through 10-12 diapers a day. They slow down as they get older. In order to wash diapers every two days, babies should have 24 diapers as a newborn, 18 diapers at 6-12 months, and 12 diapers at 1- year-old and older. Parents often invest in 3 dozen diapers for newborns (especially if they are using contours, prefolds or flats as they have a wider size range than fitteds, AIOs, or pockets). 3- They most definitely help. Sometimes the wrong detergent or washing routine will cause a rash, but cloth diapers themselves rarely cause diaper rash. The reason why a lot of people think they do is because years ago when the only option for diaper covers was vinyl pull on covers (aka; plastic pants) they didn't allow the diaper to breathe, and the wet diaper sitting on the baby's tender skin with no air coming in would cause the rash. These days there are so many more choices for diaper covers. You may see something available online that look like plastic pants, but these are made from nylon- nylon is breathable. In the baby aisle of your department store though- those ARE plastic pants. 4- When the baby is wet or poopy. For newborns this is about every 2-3 hours or so. They go longer between diaper changes the older they get. You should never let a baby sit in a soiled diaper. Many parents of disposables leave their children in a soiled diaper until it's practically falling off- because the diapers are so absorbant. But in my opinion that is a poor excuse. Those absorbant gels break down the poor baby's skin. 5- NEVER bleach or Dreft! Bleach breaks down the fibers of the diapers and dreft contains chemicals and enzymes that will build up on your diapers. Here is a run down of the best detergents for diapers- http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoicesataglancepspd.htm To make the cost of purchasing cloth diapers more do-able, try putting aside money once a month, or purchasing a few items here and there. Many cloth diapering websites also have baby registries. Also check out the first link below in sources there are many wonderful links on that page- including several sites that sell used cloth diapers. This is not as weird as it sounds. Many people purchase used cloth diapers. When your baby has out grown his diapers, selling them is sometimes the best way to come up with the cost of the new size of diapers. Good luck!
6. 1-What is the best brand?.. and why? I'm wondering the same thing, I'm choosing the fitted ones with breathable covers (see below) 2-How many diapers is reasonable to get in each size? You should have about 24-36 diapers if they are all one size, or buy about 24 of each size (which is obviously more pricy) 3-Do cloth diapers help or hurt diaper rash? Cloth diapers help prevent diaper rash, specially when used with a breathable diaper cover (no plastic bums), and if you allow baby to play without the cover on for an hour or so per day. 4-How often does a baby need to be changed while wearing a cloth diaper? Very little the first few days of life and then very often in the first few months, but it sould slow down to every 2-4 hours (usualy goes with feedings). 5-Should a special detergent be used as to be more sensative to the skin of the baby? ... if so.. do you have any recommendations? YES! Use baking soda, a capful (or a little more) or white vinegar and 5-6 drops of tea-tree oil. Why? Baking soda tastes away adors and cleans. Vinegar helps everythign come out clean. Tree-tea kills bacteria. Dry them in the sun WHENEVER possible. This help keep them white (or natural coloured), and kills bacteria. If you are using a wet pail you need to change it every day, keep a mixture of water, baking soda and tea-tree and/or lanvender. If you are using a dry pail you can fill it until laundry day, place baking soda and tea-tree oil at the bottom of the pail for freshness. Never use bleach. This ruins the fibers very quickly, cloth should last for 4 children (or more) if treated correctly. Never use fabric softner, this will reduce absorbancy and ruin the fabric. You can use vinegar in a fabric softner ball. Shake out the diapers after the spin cycle before line drying to make them softer, and toss them into the dryer for a few minutes to fluff. Buy a yard of fleece and cut it into strips to fit inside the diaper. This will 'catch' all the poop, so when you are changing baby you just need to rince this piece not the whole diaper. This also reduces diaper rash as moisture is pulled away from skin faster. It also reduces stains on the diaper as no poop is actually touching it. It helps for overnight leaking. Very good investment. You don't need to know how to sew as it doesn't fray, just mark and cut (or just cut!). These pieces can be washed with the diapers, no extra care needed. Double layer for overnight. Think about what types of wipes you are going to use. I recomend simple cotton wool and warm water, or a warm wet cloth (can be washed with diapers, ready to go). Any purchased wipes you can be sure will cause a reaction. Hmm, I can't think of anything else right now. I hope these tips where helpful.
7. In my humble opinion, there is only one choice in this matter. That is cloth, cloth, cloth, cloth. The only real diaper is a cloth diaper. Cloth diapers are cheaper in the long run than disposables, true, there is a larger cost up front but each time you use those cloth diapers they become cheaper and cheaper until the are less than the disposables. Cloth diapers breathe where disposables won't. Even with wearing diaper covers over the cloth diapers, they breathe better. This means next to no diaper rashes. You just need to make sure that you change them right away. They are better for your baby's skin. Cloth diapers aren't that difficult to maintain. Under normal circumstances, for one child, you shouldn't have to do more than one or two loads of diapers a week. That really isn't that much when you think about how much better off your baby will be in the long run not to mention your wallet. Cloth diapers, when taken off your baby, should have any waste dumped into the toilet and flushed away, then they should be put in a diaper pail with water and white vinegar to cut down on the odor causing bacteria. Cloth diapers should be washed with a detergent just like your other laundry, don't use the kind that says "chemical free" because they leave a residue in the diapers. Make sure you use a 2nd rinse cycle. During the first rinse cycle put in a cup of white vinegar and let the 2nd cycle rinse it out. Cloth diapers should not be washed in bleach because bleach will break down the fibers in the diapers causing them to prematurely wear out and become nothing more than rags. Cloth diapers should not be washed or dryed with any kind of fabric softener because it leaves a coating on the fibers and makes them less absorbent. Cloth diapers can be dryed in the dryer but if you can, hang them in the sun, it is a natural bleach and helps get rid of stains and gives the diapers a very fresh clean fragrance. I use a drying rack instead of a clothes line to dry mine. That way I don't break my back reaching up to hang them up, I don't drop clothes pins and I don't hang myself on the clothes line. Yes, I say mine, I'm incontinent and have to wear diapers 24 / 7 due to a medical condition. I wear cloth diapers all the time. The only time I will wear disposables is on a long trip where it isn't easy to wash or store used cloth diapers. Give them a try, I think you will like them, today's cloth diapers are not your grandmother's diapers any more. There are so many different styles of diapers and diaper covers that are just as easy to use as disposables. Congratulation on the baby. Good luck.
8. 1. The best brand depends on your needs. I personally HATE Fuzzi Bunz. Happy Heiny's are almost exactly the same, but much softer. Fuzzi Bunz as a company has many unethical practices and they are responsible for driving up the cost of cloth diapers. Also, they manufactor their diapers in Mexico. Swaddlebees are another good choice and they are trimmer than other pocket diapers. I used fitted diapers when my son was a newborn. We didn't move into pocket diapers until he was about 4-6 weeks old. Fitted diapers are much less expensive, which is important when you are changing every 2 hours. You can see some great fitted diapers here: http://www.envirobabystore.com/categoryNavigationDocument.hg?categoryId=6 My favorite brands of newborn diapers are Happy Heinys sherpa fitted and Swaddlebees newborns. They are so soft! 2. A newborn will go through about 12 diapers a day and this will lessen as time goes on. By about 6 months a baby will go through 6-8 a day. How many you buy depends on how often you want to wash. Only buy 1 size at a time, you can sell them and use the money for the next size up when you're ready. 3. A fleece diaper (like swaddlebees or happy heiny's) is great for diaper rash because it wicks mositure away from the skin. My son is 8 months old and has enver had a diaper rash. Make sure that if you do use a diaper cream, to also use a liner to protect your diaper. Diaper rash cream will ruin your diapers. 4. I've used disposable diapers on 2 kids, cloth on one. With modern cloth diapers, you change just as often as you would with a disposable. My baby sleeps 10 hours or so at night and always wakes up dry. I always use a hemp insert at night because they are more absorbent than microfiber. They are also more expensive, but you only need 2 or 3.This is my favorite hemp insert: http://www.envirobabystore.com/displayProductDocument.hg?productId=16&categoryId=4 5. Do NOT use special detergent for the diapers. Baby detergents, as well as "free and clear" detergents can cause build-up on the diapers. This will result in leaks, odors, and sometimes chemical burns. Make sure when you wash, you only use a few drops of detergent. Please email me if you have any further questions.