Can't decide about diapers

Hi everybody! I haven't poked around this forum too much yet. I'm set on using cloth diapers but I'm still trying to decide between a prefold diaper service and just buying my own.

As far as purchasing diapers, anyone have any preferences, opinions or experiences with fitted diapers w/a separate cover vs all-in-one diapers? Does washing your diapers run up your electric bill a significant amount?

With the diaper service, I wouldn't have to wash anything which is, of course, a plus. That service would run just under $20 a week.

Any input would be very helpful!!

 

Hi!
I am doing mostly cloth diapers. I did ALL disposable for my daughter previously, and thought I would give cloth a chance. Well, for the most part it has worked well. We have a diaper service in the area, so this is WONDERFUL. I don't actually have to wash any of the poopy diapers!! They come and pick up my pail or bags every week, and deliver fresh new ones! Having said that, I still use disposable. Mainly, at night, because they absorb more and I was finding my babies were waking up too many times a night due to leaks with the cloth diapers. I also use disposable occasionally when I am out of the house for several hours at a time. This also cuts back on the leaking.

So, kind of a combo thing, but so far it is working! And, I am saving a lot more money this way!

 

Are they prefold diapers? The flat, rectangle old-fashioned kind? That's what the diaper service here uses.

It is definitely a plus to not have to do extra laundry!

 

We use the Bum Genius all in ones.. they are fantastic. Throw 'em in the wash and stuff the liners in.. virtually no hassle. We still use disposables if we're going out somewhere. I haven't noticed too much increase in the utility bill.. it's basically one extra load of wash every other day.

 

I am planning on CD-ing once the boys are big enough! All of my covers and pockets start around 7lbs and the boys were born small. I CD'd for my older DD though and decided the first 3 months just to do disposable figuring I would have enough on my hands w/BFing, and adjusting. So not much longer till I can return to CD and I will be happy to do so. Never found it much of a hastle w/DD, and agree with PP about using disposables overnight. Around 10months the cloth diapers just didn't keep her dry enough at night and I couldn't take the wake-ups! diaperswapper.com is a good resource, fwi. Also agree that bum genius are good diapers, they really go the distance.

One more thing, if you can get friends/family to stock you up with the CD supplies (maybe about 3-400 $?) then think about your savings! You would spend virtually nothing on diapers PLUS if you have more kids you can re-use them again...

 

I am using cloth diapers exclusively for my girls (except for trips out, then we use disposable), and I love it! I have found that it is actually not very difficult to do all the washing myself. I usually wash a load of diapers once a day and I have not noticed a significant increase in my electric bill. I'm using goodmama's, and they work great! They are pretty pricey, but I was able to stock up when they had a killer sale going on. We are also using a brand sold on ebay called babyland. They are actually pretty good cloth diapers for the price. At night we use vinyl covers over the diapers and they help keep the girls from waking due to soaking through.

 

We've been CDing since the girls were 5 months old. Switched because every disposable we tried failed to contain those explosive poops. I figured I was washing poop out of outfits every day, I might as well be washing diapers.

After a long odyssey with cloth, I could write tomes on the subject. The hardest part by far was figuring out what would work for us, buying it, prepping it, and getting organized. The added laundry isn't a big deal in cost or time. If I had it to do all over I would start with a diaper service. Makes it easier during those newborn days, and no need to by dipes your twins will outgrow quickly. They'll be in M and L a long time. And if you're really good, I'd get my mediums bought, washed and ready so you don't have to worry about it later. Just grow into it. But that's almost insanely organized.

Here's what works for us:
My hubby loves fitted diapers (Crickett's hemp). They are awesome. Very absorbent, pretty trim, and fit a bunch of sizes (although the NB didn't last anywhere close to a year or 20 lbs). I like them too, but I prefer prefolds, mostly because they're cheaper. I fold my PFs into a newpaper fold with a doubler in the middle. (Green Mountain Diapers PF, Hemp Babies doubler). For covers we use Mother's Ease Air Flow. Not the cutest, but TOTALLY LEAKPROOF! Had fancier covers, but ditched them for these. We do use Thirties as back-ups, and they're really nice, but I really prefer snaps to velcro. They don't wear out, toddlers can't undo them, and nothing to remember with the laundry.

At night we use a fleece topped doubler over a fitted or PF, and we use a fleece cover. It means babies with huge behinds, but it's dry and good for breathing on skin.

I use pins rather than snappi, it's easier for me. Hated the snappi, but others swear by them. The secret to pins is sticking them in a bar or soap before use. Makes them glide through the PF.

We do use AIOs as an emergency dipe tucked into out Ergo pockets. Sposo-easy from GMD. I like them a lot, but they're less absorbent and not as leak-proof.

Also love my potty pail and sprayer. Blasts poop off, so we don't smell it between washes, and nothing really dirty goes in my washing machine.

Because we spray poopy diapers, I just do one wash on hot with Country Save. Drying does take longer than clothes, about 90 min. Never had a problem.

We've tried everything but pockets, because I saw how often friends had to change their daughter in pockets, and because I've heard stuffing the pockets can be a pain. But I don't really know.

Check out Diaper Pin - it's a good site with lots of reviews. That's how I made up my mind. And trial and error.

Here were my priorities in order:
Absorbancy / leak proof
Ease of laundering
Cuteness

Good luck!

 

I use cloth diapers on my boys. I use Motherease with the snap in liners and I'm really pleased with them. I fold the liner in half and change their diapers about every 3 hours. I haven't had any problems with leaking. I use different covers, but my favourites are ones with velcro tabs. I have a few Motherease Rikis which have snaps and they are a pain, especially now since my boys are very squirmy and try to crawl away during changes. Velcro is much easier. To tell you the truth, as pleased as I am with the motherease, the snaps are starting to frustrate me because they take longer to do up than velcro. I'll be really glad when the crawling away during change phase is over!

 

Wow, so many different options! Thanks for your help everybody.

 

We use cloth diapers as well. For me I had to go with the all in ones because I found that I was getting to lazy with the prefolds and didn't want to take the extra steps. So we have all in ones and pockets. They are a little more expensive but no more extra steps than regular diapers. I use the Bum Genius AIO pockets which are okay but I hate stuffing them because the opening is awkward. The bum Genius AIO organic are really nice, the snaps are better than the velcro but they do take longer to dry than most. I also use mums bums AIO fitted with the help velor inside and love how soft they are but was disappointed with the absorbancy of them so they need to be changed more often. I also have some happy heinzies pockets which are great and easy to stuff and some fuzzy bunz pockets which are also great. I would say that buying your own would be a little more expensive at first but save you a lot more money in the long run. My only concern with the diaper service is how often do they come get the diapers? If it is a long stretch than your diapers may stink up your house. I find that I wash my diapers every second day and that works well for us. I don't notice a difference in my utility bill at all because we are always doing laundry anyway.
For cloth diapering is easier to stick to if I have a good routine going and make it as easy for me as possible. Best of luck

 

Another CDer here. We started from the day we brought them home. We are using a combo of prefolds (only me though), fitteds and AIOs. PFs didn't contain poo for us, I guess we needed more practice, and the fitteds were good for NB poo. Kissaluvs are the best for that buy not so absorbent. We also love the Bum Genius bamboo fitteds and Nanipoos. Only thing we don't like is that the covers we have tried (Proraps and Bummis) leave red marks around the legs- but we have never had a leak. We also used Loveybums wool covers which we loved.

For AIOs- favorite is definitely Sposoeasy for fit and trimmness, but have had some leaks if poo is runny. We also have Dream-eze, Bottom Bumpers, and BG Organic AIOs. I prefer the side snapping ones so far.

I do a load almost every other day, sometimes on the third day. We use sposies at night because DS2 is too sensitive to sleep wet and they are both super soakers. We have had the sposies burst a few times already in between when they wake up to feed. So far the only time we have had a major poop explosion has been in a disposable- right up the back. That we have never had in a cloth diaper.

Both DH and I are really happy with our choice to CD.

 

Yes, they are the prefolds!!! It is great to not have to clean them!!!
The prefolds are definitely more work than the all in ones, but it isn't too much work honestly... I haven't tried the other kind as my friend gave me a ton of the prefold covers, so it was easier to just stick with this route. What does your diaper service provide if you go that route?

 

what are the basic supplies you need to start CDing? I'm thinking about doing it in the evening and on the weekend. Our state doesn't allow CDing when the kids are in daycare so they will need to wear dispoables which is fine with me.

I don't even know where to start, how many to buy or anything.