Diapers Q&A

Does anyone use cloth diapers? What's been the best system for you?

Do you use prefold or all in one? What kind of covers do you use? I want to use cloth on my second baby, and I'm lost because of so many options and opinions as to what's best. Thanks!

Public Comments

1. I used them but my sister did more than I did. I liked the pocket ones or the all in ones. Bummi's are a good brand. I also did searched for homemade ones. A lot of times you can get some good quality ones from ladies who make them at home. I know a lot of them use ebay to sell their stuff and you can get some websites and recomendations from asking on cloth diapering boards. I liked using them. definately saved me money since most came from my sister
2. I like prefolds with a snappi for a newborn, with or without a wool or fleece cover. When they start crawling, fitted diapers work better. I don't know how much money you want to spend, but the best fitted diapers I've seen are little beetles (www.betterforbabies.com). Cheap ones are fine too, but the fit won't be as nice and they won't last as long. I never tried truly waterproof covers because I wanted breathability for comfort. I never tried pocket diapers or all-in-ones for the same reason. Good luck. ETA: Try www.wallypop.net for great cheap homemade covers.
3. We use fitted diapers and prefolds on our little one, and we'll switch over to pocket diapers as he gets older and more active, and changes sizes less often. I like Kissaluvs for newborns, and Cricketts for my older baby. Check out Diaper Swappers for more info.
4. I have 5 bumgenius all in ones, 12 bumgenius one-size pockets, 12 bleach Chinese prefolds, 12 unbleached Chinese prefolds, 3 Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers, and 30-40 cut up baby wash cloths that I use as wipes. I LOVE the all in ones, but the pockets are great too because they can be sized up and down to fit from 5-35 lbs, so they last much longer. The pockets and AIOs are much easier and nicer for when we're out of the house, but my daughter pees right through them at night. I use the prefolds at night and when we're just hanging out at home. I'd love to have more bumgenius, but the prefolds are so much more economical, and really not that difficult. For my washing system, I use a dry pail. It's just a plastic trash can with a lid. I wish I had one with a foot pedal though, just a thought. I sprinkle it with baking powder to keep the smell down, and when it's full I dump them in the washer. If I need to do laundry, I wash them then, if not, I let them soak in the washer for about 24 hours or until I NEED clean diapers. Then I do a cold wash with a free and clear detergent, followed by a hot wash with or w/o detergent, and an extra rinse with vinegar in the Downy ball. It helps remove residue, whiten, and eliminate odors. Then I dry them on high for 2 cycles (the AIOs take a while to dry). With the number of diapers I have, I do laundry every 2-3 days, 4 if I really push it. About once every week or two, I also strip my diapers. I just use Dawn dish soap instead of detergent, and do a couple of extra rinses on them. This helps remove any diaper creams or other residue that can make them repel liquids. No two people really use the same system, but this works for us. I really love cloth diapering though - good luck and congrats on the little one!
5. I use pocket diapers and they work well for me. They have a PUL outer layer that is breathable but waterproof and a fleecy inner layer that lets urine seep through without actually absorbing the moisture (therefore baby's bottom stays relatively dry). There is a removable insert inside which absorbs the urine. Check out: www.diaperpin.com They list different types and brands of diapers and reviews by people who have used them. It might help you decide which cloth diaper would work best for you.
6. I have been cloth diapering for about 5 months. When I told my family I wanted to cloth diaper they went out and bought me a layette of all Kushies Ultra AIO diapers. This was okay until my daughter started sitting up and crawling. She has a very thin waist and legs and we ended up with a lot of leaks around the legs. So I started researching diapers online and with the advice of others I ordered several different kinds of diapers. The MUSTS according to me? 1. Fleece, suede cloth or minkee lining to wick moisture away from baby. 2. Hemp or bamboo fabrics for heavy wetting babies or night use. These are highly absorbent materials, as well as being anti-bacterial and normally are grown with no chemicals! 3. Popper closures. Older babies will start to open velcro tabs. As well, even the most diligent Mom will occasionally forget to close the velcro onto the laundry tabs before washing and end up having to pick junk out of the tabs! And even if you do close them they still get pilly and look bad after a few months! 4. Ability to add more absorbency easily. I love pocket diapers for this. Some AIOs also have a pocket to add extra inserts if needed. Below is a list of the diapers I use on my 8 month old: Swaddlebees AIO side snaps: These work well, but for heavy wetters you will need an insert (these also have a pocket in the back to increase the absorbency). They are very trim, but fit quite small. They take a LONG time to dry. I have to dry them 2 times, the 2nd time I pull them inside out to speed the drying up! I also have some problems with the PUL on these diapers, sometimes wetness does get out! Which is why I need to use an insert with them. Jamtots Berry Plush with Minkee-topped snap in soakers: Excellent diapers! Super cute and soft on the outside and inside! These are an "all-in-2" system. You can just take out the soaker and use the cover again with a new one. They also work as a cover over fitted and contour diapers. The soakers are topped with minkee fabric and have hemp underneath. These dry extremely quickly. They are very pricey though ... Fuzzi Bunz: The Malden Mills fleece in these diapers is really nice and the PUL outer is great for keeping wetness in. We always use 2 MOE microterry inserts in them for my heavy wetter. I prefer to use them with a Jamtots One-size hemp insert because it holds more and is not as bulky as 2 of the MOEs. I am not crazy about their fit though. I find the triangular wings to be a little awkward ... bumGenius 2.0 One-size Pocket diaper: These are a good diaper, but definitely not my favourite. My main complaint is that they have a velcro closure instead of poppers. My daughter likes to open her diapers when they are velcro tabbed. I also find the flap over the opening where you stuff the insert in to be a little annoying. Baby Kanga One-size diapers: These are my favourite diapers. Very comparable to the bumGenius diapers. However these have a popper closure. Also, instead of inserting pads into the back, on these it is done through the front and has a zipper closure. No matter how messy the poopy diapers are it is always easy to open the front of the diaper and get out the insert without getting messy! I use the Jamtots One-size hemp inserts with these. Wonderoos One-size Pocket Diapers: I really don't like these diapers. They are very large for a one-size diaper. They only have two snaps to shorten the rise of the diaper and often in the middle there is a weird puff of loose fabric. The bum has tons of loose fabric on the sides too. I think for a baby that is chubbier these would be good, but our daughter is too thin for these I think. Totsbots Bamboozle fitted diapers: Great night diaper. I pair these with a fleece-topped hemp doubler and a wool or fleece cover and our daughter sleeps 9-14 hours in these with no complaint. A lot of people complain that they take a long time to dry, but mine always dry after one cycle in the dryer. Sckoon Wool Cover: We use this for nights. It breathes well to keep the baby from overheating and doesn't leak! This is a rare find in a wool cover, but they can be machine washed! Polar Bummi Wrap: We also use this for a night cover. It works well, but I find it much bulkier than the wool cover from above. Not all the babies pjs will fit over this! It does it's job though and we have never had a leak. Definitely try several different brands and different kinds. Lost of people go the way of prefolds with covers which is very economical. I prefer the AIOs and pocket diapers because our daughter is squirmy at change time and I think that the ease of use of the pockets and AIO is worth the extra money. No matter how expensive the diapers you choose are, you will still be saving money! My routine? Dirty diapers are put in a step-can (we bought a rubbermaid garbage can that has a removable plastic liner bin inside). I separate the inserts from the pocket diapers before they go in the bin. The bottom of the bin is sprinkled with baking soda to keep down any smell. If there are solids in any diapers I knock them into the toilet. To save water I usually wait until I have to go to the bathroom before I clean the diapers. Then it is not a wasted flush! Every 3-4 days I dump the bin of diapers into the washing machine. I run one cold rinse cycle to get rid of any remaining solids and urine from the diapers. This also helps to stop stains from setting in the diapers. Next I run a long hot wash cycle with a cold rinse. I use 1/4 of the recommended amount of Tide Free detergent. Sometimes I add 1/4 of the recommended amount of Oxy-clean too. After the wash all diapers go into the dryer, or onto the clothes line (depending on the weather). Once dry I stuff all the pocket diapers and fold them into a wicker laundry basket. As I need diapers I take them from the laundry basket. Cloth diapering has been a great experience for us and we encourage everyone who is dedicated to their child to give it a try too!