cloth diapering...

okay, sooo ive been doing research, and CD seem cheaper in the long run...or am i wrong? the pocket diapers with the inserts seem to be the way i would go. about...$15/diaper, and the the inserts...i dunno. PLUS the energy to wash them, and the time part of it...would i be better off just doing disposables? im looking into it for budget reasons, so im not opposed to suggestions/tips/advice/etc. i'll be living with my parents the first 2 months because DH is in the military, and mom already said unless i want to pay the water bill or go to the laundry mat its not happening. so very supportive of her..not what she said, just HOW she said it...anyhow. i'll probably be too tired in the beginning, but maybe when theyre a few months old..i just dont know. everything is so expensive!

 

We are a cloth house! Doing diaper laundry was always more fun to me than regular laundry. We didn't have much options as DD1 was allergic to the disposies. I have a serious fondness for cloth, some of em are just so danged cute!
And there is no waiting a week for trash to be picked up, just wash every few days and you don't get diaper house! Love it!!

 

What brand of cloth did you use? I am looking into it for the twins, I use disposable for my son. I think I would go with a diaper service so I don't have to worry about all the washing.

 

We will be starting with some prefolds and covers, then moving on to our BumGenius onesizes when we can.
Using a one size pocket is very economical, washing is very easy. Seriously it is a piece of cake!!

 

We're considering cloth, but wouldn't do it at the start. 12 diapers/baby along with recovery from childbirth seems too difficult. Plus, I'm planning to wait til they would fit into the regular sizes.

 

Ours our seven months, cloth diapered from about 2 months up. (Before that was too hard). Its definately more economical. However, if it's about saving money, you are better off with prefolds. You will need covers too. PUL are cheaper. Wool covers are more expensive, but require less laundering, and don't get so stinky.
I lucked out. DH does the laundry. Try negotiating that one, and it really isn't more work at all for YOU.

 

I ordered a 12 pack of bumgenius cloth diapers and if I like them, I will order more. I heard they are the way to go for cloth diapers.

 

ive heard alot about bum genius too. and fuzzi bunz? i think we're gonna do disposables for awhile, and maybe once i get things more settled i'll try. we shall see!!

 

I've started building my CD stash and have completed my New Born stash already. We are going to use prefolds with covers, too. Bum Genius is what my BFF loved for her Twins, and Fuzzi Bunz. HOWEVER, here is why I am using prefolds and covers for the twins (at least in the beginning)...

Okay, I figured I need three dozen pre-folds for an every-other day wash. Then, 16 XS covers. Once the twins move to the Small covers, I can go to www.diaperswappers.com and sell the covers for pretty darn close to what I paid. The resell value on CDs is VERY HIGH as long as they are in excellent or very good used condition. Even plain used condition still will get money. Then, I turn around and take that money to start building my medium stash. We MAY use one-size diapers after that (which means, at around 18-20 lbs, we can invest in one size). BUT, I might stick with prefolds and covers, anyway. One great thing about prefolds is that they rarely wear out. We got some with pur son and have been using them every since... not for diapering, we used them as burp cloths, changing pads, and now we use them to clean spills, etc. They get washed, bleached, and many of them look as good as new!

This is what I am buying...

Chinese Prefold Diapers - I got the Infant (4x8x4) 7-15 lbs. size. They fit the XS and SM covers I got.

Thirsties Covers - I like the price, and the front inside flap. I've gotten some others, but the prefolds seem to fit inside these better.

Of course, the fit is theory really - I've tested them with different folds and looking at the fit, but haven't used them yet.

Another thing - Thirsties will get $9, $10 each, with paid shipping, at DiaperSwappers.com. THAT is a GREAT reason to buy and resell them!


I was REALLY intimidated with the thought of prefolds because I didn't want to use pins - or the Snappis that you use in place of pins.... then I saw this page:
How to Use Prefold Diapers

I love the thought of the tri-fold. They fit SO well in the Thirsties covers because they have that front flap to tuck into.

PLUS, if you decide to go with pockets later on, the prefolds I mentioned above fit in Small Sized Fuzzi Bunz - I've got some and they would be great to use as doublers.

I did a lot of research before I decided to go with prefolds. My BFF used pockets and One-Size Bum Genius and I was encouraged to use them, but cost-wise, the prefolds and covers were a LOT cheaper... at least my choices were. I've found other pre-folds and covers that are a lot more expensive - especially if you want to use an organic material. Not me, I am fine with the Chinese PreFolds and the mid-Ranged price covers. My starter stash cost me about $220. Of course, now I am building my size-up stash and I've spend more than that - especially when you count the pockets I got.

Once I finish doing the dye on the prefolds, I will take a pic of my stash and post it. You don't have to dye prefolds, but I've chosen to.... just to add more color to the stack of three dozen I got!

Hope that helps!

 

We are planning to do cd once they get around 3 months. Lots of people have already given us the birdseye prefolds from bru - what covers work best with these?

 

QUOTE(spiveyplustwins @ Mar 1 2008, 10:15 PM) [snapback]648753[/snapback]
We are planning to do cd once they get around 3 months. Lots of people have already given us the birdseye prefolds from bru - what covers work best with these?



Here is a note about Gerber "cloth diapers" they usually contain polyester fibers, these do not absorb well and can cause yeasty tushies. They don't list it in the contents, but when cut into you can see it.
Birdseye are very very light and not too absorbent at all, so you will be changing very frequently.

 

JediMom-
THANK YOU!!!! Your post was VERY helpful. My mom and I have been researching cloth diapers for months now and there are TOO many choices. We were going to go with BumGenius but after seeing them in person they seemed so bulky?! I think I will try your prefold and cover idea especially if they resell for something too! Thanks so much and any more info that you find please share!!!!

 

QUOTE(gigiRN @ Mar 2 2008, 09:19 AM) [snapback]649017[/snapback]
JediMom-
THANK YOU!!!! Your post was VERY helpful. My mom and I have been researching cloth diapers for months now and there are TOO many choices. We were going to go with BumGenius but after seeing them in person they seemed so bulky?! I think I will try your prefold and cover idea especially if they resell for something too! Thanks so much and any more info that you find please share!!!!



OH if you get the newest version of the BG, 3.0 they come with a soaker, a smaller insert. That insert alone is what you would use on a small baby. I got a bunch of them to use with my "old" BG's. They are alittle bulky, but using cloth is a bit bulkier anyway, so you want to keep that in mind when getting clothes for them. Prefolds and covers are a bit on the bulk side too.
I am inlove with some of the new diapers and covers I have been seeing.
I have a diaper problem. I confess!

 

When we switched to cloth diapers, our water bill did not change. When I had my older two both in diapers, it still didn't change. We just started using them again for the twins, but I've not had to wash them any more frequently than when the older two were both in them. Although, we have more than enough snow here, and water usage is not really a huge problem But a few extra loads of laundry a week should become a huge financial burden, especially not compared to using disposables.

 

The one size diapers are much, much too bulky to use on new borns and smaller infants, in my opinion.

In fact, from what I've seen.... the bulk of a cloth diapers looks similar to a disposable after it's been wet in a bit.

One thing I will NOT miss about disposables is the silica gel. When my son was very active, running around, and would get a wet diaper, occasionally, you would see the little silica gel beads break out of the diaper. I HATED seeing that on his bottom.

I've kept a spread sheet of everything I've gotten for my CD venture. I will have spent close to $400 when I finish buying small covers, but with that $400, I will have them covered in diapers (in theory) up until about 18 lbs. THAT is reason enough to CD! The cost savings!

 

It's totally possible! It is cheaper in the long run especially if you use prefolds. For us, we stopped CDing after 2 months. We were using prefolds and covers. We were doing this figuring we would save money and we would. If we bought another eight covers in each size - which is what we wanted to do it so we would not be washing covers everyday - it would have cost more money than we wanted to spend going the cloth route. Again, for us using cloth was to save money more than anything else. All of the laundry was a lot of work and it took longer to change diapers - frustrating when you're changing diapers all day long times two! It took me two months of CDing this to feel this way though. Sometimes you just have to try it for a while to see how it goes. We started cloth at 5.5 weeks and had disposables bought for us for up to then. We spent the equivalent of four months worth of pampers on CDs. So, we decided, if by the time they are about four months old we have changed our minds, we are not out any money. We had no intention of switching...but things change. This last week I said, okay we're switching to disposables. We went with the Target generic brand diapers (which start in Size 1) and pay 40% less than we would to buy Pampers at a good price in a big box. We have had absolutely NO leaks with them and believe me the babies put them to the test . GL with your decision.

 

I will have to agree with all the mamas who have recommended prefolds. I have cloth diapered continuously for 4.5 years, often with two in dipes, and prefolds are the easiest, mot economical way to go. I have recently purchased a newbord stash for the twins on the way, and have 5 doz preemie prefolds, and 5 doz infant prefolds. We also use flannel wipes and wash them with t

 

wow thanks for all the opinions. i decided to go the prefold/cover route since its the cheapest way. im sure we'll get plenty of diapers for the babyshower so i plan on using disposables until i run out of what im given, and until dh and i are settled in our own home (when the babies are about 2 months) i just got 4 baby softwraps size M on diaperswapper.com for $35, and the ladies on there are really sweet. maybe i'll get a few fuzzibuns too since they get such great reviews all the time. i wish i could see all these diapers in person, but i guess pictures will have to do.

 

We're a cloth house too! I love cloth diapers!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE baby Kangas one size pockets--even better than my bumgenius.

Kellyscloset.com has a great selection of onesize diapers.

 

So thrilled to read this thread. My girlfriend (a new mom of a singleton boy) made my dipes... they are adorable, I picked out the flannel myself... I also have both Chinese and Indian prefolds and for covers: BSWWs and Proraps in S and M sizes. I like the Indian prefolds, they seem softer and the weave is tighter after you wash them a bunch.

I must tell you, though I have not put this into practice yet, my friends who CD cautioned me... wash the dipes numerous times, it helps enormously w/the absorbency and w/the prefolds, you have to strip the natural wax off the fibers. I washed/dried/washed/dried at least 8-10 times. They are so soft. I also use Charlie's soap in an HE front loading washer.

Does anyone have hard water experience in washing diapers in an HE front loader?

Thanks! Tammi
mom to Nick and Alex EDD 4/21/08

 

oh ive been on kellyscloset.com for a good 3 hours today lol. so much fun also did all the math out to see what is more budget friendly...at an average of .20 cents per diaper it will be cheaper to do cloth IF i do one sizes, or if i do prefolds and covers, and can resell the diapers once the babies grow out of them, and use the money to buy the next size up. we shall see! i wont be starting to CD til theyre almost 2 months old, i'll be living with my parents until then and having to fight over the washer is so not worth it lol. besides, we'll probably get tons of diapers for the babyshower. all the research and cute lil bootys and prints are just so...AH! lol adorable! i cant wait til i can hold them in my arms

 

I'm already using Fuzzi Bunz with my daughter (22m), and love them. I'm planning on starting a stash for the babies as well.

Anyone have a guess at how many pocket diapers I will need??
(I know pre-folds are cheaper,but just don't have an interest in using them)

 

Have you all tried cloth diapers right from the start- newborn? Will the hospital accomodate using these? I am curious to know if any cloth diaper is better than the other in terms of fitting a newborn and caring for their cord.

 

We intend to cloth diaper for many reasons (health, environment, convenience, earlier potty training, cost, etc.). We've decided to use a diaper service at least for the first few months and then buy some and launder our own once we get the hang of the whole parenting twins thing.

 

I have been using bungenious for a week now and its going well. The same diaper fits my 3 week old as well as my older son, you just unsnap and put in a larger insert. I only have a 12 pack so I use them in the day and at night use disposbales. I wash them with my towels as its not worth a load by themselves and everything comes out clean and smelling nice.