Diapering

How many cloth diapers should I buy per baby?

How many covers should I buy per baby?

Do bum genius one size pocket diapers have to be washed between every use or do you just change the pocket lining at a diaper change?

I'm totally clueless but willing to learn. I even sewed several of my own diapers in an infant size...I will buy some more prefolds at target to have enough, but I wanted to use up some flannel and terry I had that wasn't going to use and I thought having a smaller size than what is readily available would make it easier in the beginning. On top of that, the infant prefolds can be doublers for nighttime when they outgrow them. I'm not into investing a ton of money into this until I am living the life of nursing and cloth diapering twins. If one has to go, it will be the cloth diapering NO QUESTION. Breastfeeding is way higher on my priority list as is my sanity and caring for my other child. I don't get a lot of help from the DH...he's willing but requires SO much asking and direction it makes it less helpful, ya know?

 

I don't know if I'll help or add to the confusion, but I agree with how complicated it can seem to get into cloth and I just 'finished' my research and took the buying plunge.

I agree that the BumGenius 2.0 one-size seemed to make best money sense for twins. It's also super easy for non-CD people, like husbands. I have them now and they do seem that it will be a bit before teh babes fit into them. Especially considering that twins tend to be a little smaller.
diaperco.com

Soooooo...an approach I'm taking is to use the CPF-Chinese Prefolds (not all cloth dipes are the same-some are much higher quality and they are called CPF's and also are a brand called Thirsties) along with Bummi's Super Whisper Wraps at the beginning. I read from other moms that you can keep reusing two wraps all day long, rinsing them out and letting them dry while using the other with a fresh CPF. I have 4 of them and am hopeful. I also bought a sample pack to try different kinds out, like the Happy Heinies covers and Kissaluvs that need covers.
Bummi's

I got a killer wetbag on my registry right now from this site. It was very highly recommended-I guess there can be icky wicking that can happen with a poorly made wetbag.
wetbags and wonderbags

Finally, here is a link to some Chinese Prefolds. The thing about them is you need to wash them and the FuzziBunz etc in an extremely clean detergent or the fabric becomes bogged down with residue and doesn;t work.
CPF's
amazing detergent chart

All in all, we've spent $700.00. I am probably done buying dipes. I found great deals on ebay and have every intention of getting 60-80% of my investment back when I resell them on ebay. Can't resell a used disposable. Yuck.

I highly recommend going to places like mothering.com and checking out their Diapering forum. There's also a place called the Diaperpin that rates homemade dipes, but I found that overwhelming.

 

One more question on cloth diapering...

I may have to put my twins in daycare. If so, it will either be with a nanny at our house or in someone's home with only a few small children. Do any of you have problems getting your childrens' caregivers on board with cloth diapers? Or are you all SAHM's?

Thanks.

 

There are some larger daycare providers that refuse to do it, but people often strike deals.

For example, if the parents furnish the easy-as-disposable pockets they've pre-stuffed or all-on-ones (AIO) then it's really no different for the daycare folks to deal with it. They simply toss the dipes into a wetbag that the parents have there for them vs the garbage can. Sure, tehy won't shake out the poo for you or anything, but you have the satisfaction of

-having less chemicals messing with your babies' resistance to chemicals
-usually less instances of diaper rash
-creating the ability for kids to be aware of elimination processes and therefore tend to potty train earlier
-and of course, helping the environment

I would like to also add something many people don't realize, just an FYI. It's actually ILLEGAL to throw soiled diapers into the landfill!

It has been creating a rampant disease control problem even the CDC admits to. We're supposed to scrape-shake off the poo into the toilet first before throwing it out. It even says so on the diaper packages.
So cloth diaper folks compared to disposable folks who don;t do that are also helping protect their own community from spreading illnesses and diseases into the water and land systems.

 

There are a lot of questions so I'm going to start at the top and try my best to answer all of them:

1) Does it take extra time to change the babies using CD's? Is it just as easy?

After a lot of experimentation, we used almost all Happy Heinys and those went on as quickly as disposables. The Happy Heinys have velcro so you just strap them on like a disposable. I could usually change my babies faster than the other moms at playgroups and other classes. I changed both babies and then would do throw any poop in the toilet afterwards. I also liked to remove the inserts from the pocket before throwing the diapers into the wetbag. When you consider that you have to wrap up and throw away a disposable diaper anyway, the extra time is minimal.

2) Is it still ok to use the same washing machine to wash clothes and diapers?

The cold rinse removes the poop and urine and sends it down to the sewer while the hot wash sanitizes the diapers so you can use the same washing machine.

3) Do you have to prepare the diapers before, eg if you were going out with the babies?

I always stuffed my inserts into the diapers as soon as I was done washing. This way I just pulled one off the pile at changing time and put it on the baby. If you do this, all you have to do before running errands is put a few diapers and a wet bag in your diaper bag and you're ready to go.

4) Has anyone found a specific brand of CD that works best for little boys?

All cloth diapers are unisex, but like Fay said, the hemp stuffins used with Happy Heinys can be customized for boys. To do this, you just move the hemp oval to the front of the stuffin to provide extra absorbancy up there.

5) What are our options when out running errands,etc? One poster mentioned have a wet bag. Is that what everyone does? And what about when traveling on vacation, etc?

I just kept a wetbag and few diapers in our diaper bag for errands and changed the babies like I would with a disposable. On errands, I usually didn't throw poop into the toilet and I just put the diaper in the wetbag and threw the poop out at home. Wet bags hold in odor wonderfully so you couldn't smell the poop at all.

For vacations of 1-2 days, I took our Happy Heinys with us and just threw them in a large wetbag to wash at home. Anything longer I used disposables because I almost never had access to a washing machine and I didn't have enough cloth diapers to last long enough.

6) Which ones do not require a diaper cover?

All-In-Ones (AIOs) and pocket diapers (sometimes called All-in-Twos) do not require covers. Prefolds and fitted do require covers.

7) Can the one size fits all really last? I think it is Bumgenius that are this way?

The Bumgenius is a relatively new diaper so I didn't get to try it with the girls. I have a couple to try out with our new baby. The previous popular one-size pocket diaper was called a Wonderoos and that worked for my girls until about 18 months old. At that point they outgrew the rise. If you go with a sized diaper, you will probably only need 3 sizes and you'll need a smaller number of medium and large diapers than you will of smalls because babies use fewer and fewer diapers every day as they get older. The size large fit my girls from 1-2.5 and 3 years old.

8) Would the One Size Bumgenius last the longest? At what point could you being using them?

Assuming it fits your baby correctly, the bumGenius should last the longest. Out of the many cloth diapering moms I know, I don't know anyone who uses them though so I don't have any experience with them. Your twins are most likely going to be under 8 lbs so you'll probably need to wait until at least 1 month old or so before the bumGenius will fit.

9) How many cloth diapers should I buy per baby?

For newborns, you'll need about 12 diapers per baby in size small or extra small. In medium, you'll probably need about 10. In large, 8 diapers per baby should be enough. This is if you throw them in the washing machine every night.

10) How many covers should I buy per baby?

You only need covers if you are using prefolds or fitted diapers. I couldn't make a cover last for more than 2 changes but others have said they can make them last for 3-5 changes. IMO, you'd need 6 covers per baby for newborns, about 5 covers in the next size, and 4 in large.

With pocket diapers or all-in-ones, you don't need covers.

11) Do bum genius one size pocket diapers have to be washed between every use or do you just change the pocket lining at a diaper change?

BumGenius are pocket diapers so they do need to be washed after every use. There is no pocket lining. There is an insert that you put inside the "pocket" of the diaper and that insert absorbs the pee.

12) Do any of you have problems getting your childrens' caregivers on board with cloth diapers? Or are you all SAHM's?

We used Happy Heinys and those are very easy to use without any instruction. Basically, the caregiver just velcroed the diaper onto the baby like any disposable and they put dirty diapers in a wetbag instead of in the trash. It didn't require any extra work for them. You may have to show them how easy it is rather than just asking "Will you use cloth diapers?" because they may think they'll have to deal with prefolds, pins, and dunking.

13) How much money do you think you save using cloth with 2 babies?

The cost of disposable includes the diapers, wipes, any diaper disposal system you use (like Diaper Genies) etc. Each baby will go through about 12 diapers the first 2 months, 10 diapers the next four months, and 8 or so from 6-12 months. Add in six diapers per baby per day for the 2nd and 3rd years and you have a total of 15,576 diapers for your twins. Disposables get more expensive as you go up in size so I'll just assume an low average per diaper cost of $.20. That's $3115 just in diapers and then you still have to buy wipes etc.

Happy Heinys, including an insert, cost about $17.95 each. You probably need 24 size small, 20 size medium, and 16 size large. That's $1077. If you use prefolds as inserts, the cost drops. If you use hemp stuffins, the price increases a little. Buy the diapers as a package (like in our Twins discount at Noss Galen Baby) and the total for 24 diapers of each size along with 32 microfiber inserts is $1152. You've already saved $1963 - $2038.

You can use your extra savings on wipies, diaper genie refills, broken or leaky disposables, diaper cream, etc. to pay for the small amount of water and electricity you are going to need to wash your cloth diapers.

14) when they start solids I know there are disposable liners so you don' thave to scrape the real poo? Can't I just buy diaper flannel and make these myself by cutting rectangles?

If you use diapers that are lined with fleece or microsuede, you don't have to scrape off poop. This includes all pocket diapers. You just turn the diaper over the toilet and it falls off. With prefolds and some fitted, you can use flushable rice liners or buy a diaper shower (a little sprayer that hooks to your toilet) to make the poop easy to remove. You can use whatever you want as liners, but liners are not a neccesity.


Terminology:

All-In-Ones - diapers that are one piece with no removable or extra parts needed. They may close with velcro or snaps and they have a water-proof outer layer. This type of diaper tends to be the most expensive but it is very easy to use. They are washed after every use.

Pocket Diapers - (see picture) a diaper sewn with fleece/microsuede on the inside and a PUL waterproof material on the outside. The two fabrics form a pocket that holds an insert of your choice. These diapers require an insert since it is the insert that absorbs the pee. Poop fall off the fleece/microsuede into the toilet and the you can customize the absorbancy using different types or quantities of inserts. These diapers do not need covers and the diaper and insert are washed after every use.

Prefolds - What you probably think of when you think of cloth diapers. These are cotton rectangles that tend to have 4 layers of fabric on the outer edges and 8 layers in the middle (since this is where the baby will pee). You cloth diaper a baby in a prefold using pins or Snappis and then put a cover on top. A prefold only absorbs pee, you need a cover to make the diaper water-proof.

Covers - A water-proof layer that is placed over prefolds or fitted diapers. Can be made of PUL, fleece, wool, vinyl, nylon, etc. Does not have to be washed after every use.

Fitteds - Basically these are diapers that do not have a water-proof outer layer. You strap them on a baby like a disposable but then you need to put a cover on top. These are sometimes good for very heavy wetters or nighttime use.

Diaper Doubler - Can be placed inside of any type of diaper to increase absorbancy. Must be washed after every use.

Snappis - A y-shaped apparatus that you use to easily close a prefold on a baby. Safer and easier than diaper pins.

Inserts - Used with pocket diapers. Place an insert in the pocket of a pocket diaper to absorb pee. Folded prefolds are cheap but bulky inserts, hemp inserts absorb a lot, and microfiber inserts absorb very quickly. Having a few different types of inserts on hand lets you customize your diapers for night and daytime use. You will need more absorbancy at night so you'll probably use 2-3 together inserts at that time.



I hope I found all the questions but please let me know if you have any others and I'll be happy to help.

 

Wow! Ali M pretty much covered it all!

I just wanted to second what she said about the diaper covers - I am trying prefolds and covers with my son right now, and I can't get a cover to last for more than 2 or 3 diapers max. So I think you do need more than most places recommend.

Also, wanted to add, I use pocket diapers - mostly bumgenius, and I still like to use the rice liners instead of dumping them. 90% of the time they dump just fine without the liner, but if you have a really messy diaper, it's a pain.

 

hiya- i'll come back to respond to some of the questions soon- just busy atm with something. we mostly used CD on my son, and i really enjoyed it. i'm working on my husband to let us do this for the twins. i think i'll win, just as long as we can get a washing machine on the main floor so i can wash them (SO not a big deal, btw).

okay- i'll be back later with some opinions and advice!

 

Ali, thanks for the thoughtful responses. I appreciate you spending that much time typing all that out!

I have another question: I am going with the bumkins covers. I have already bought them because they seem like a really easy first step into cloth diapering. It is very hard to understand all the ins-and-outs and I know how to care for these covers (because they seem very old school with the convenience of a wrap vs pull on). Anyway, I know I have to use a prefold diaper with these, but do I have to use a snappi as well? My sister said I probably wouldn't need pins until the babies were mobile, but if I am going to have to pay for them anyway I'd rather have them on hand in the house when the babies get here. Will snappis work on birdseye cotton dipes?

I'm actually really excited about cloth diapering now that I found these covers! I was so overwhelmed before by the cost and all the different options.

 

You know, that's a good question. I just yesterday held my first bird's eye dipe and was so surprised at how thin it was. But I guess the secret is in the folding. Anyway, I would think pins might work a little better than Snappi's. It would seem liek the wrong fasten would easily pull the threads apart in the bird's eye.

If they work great for you, GREAT! But in case you get discouraged, please try some high quality Chinese Pre-folds like the ones sold here:
unbleached CPF

 

I believe the Bird's Eye dipes you have are flat diapers right? I've only ever used prefolds with Snappis so I'm not sure how well they'd work with the thinness of a flat diaper. If the babies aren't moving, you can probably just lay the diaper inside the cover and then strap everything on. Once they start squirming around more and get ready to roll over, you're probably going to need a diaper fastener of some sort so the diapers don't get moved around in the cover and cause leaks.

I have a lot of pocket diapers on hand for this new baby but I also have a stash of covers, prefolds, & snappis. I will probably start out using the prefolds without the snappis at first and see how it goes. If you still have some items to order, see if the retailer has Snappis in stock and get about 4 to have on hand for the day you suddenly need them. You might want a pack of diaper pins too, just in case you find they work out better than the Snappis. Diaper pins are cheap.

 

Ali, I only have prefolds (I made some from the frugal baby pattern in infant size and am planning on buying about 36 prefolds to go with the 13 I made).

Pins- I am really scared of these because my nephew was cloth diapered and when I was watching him one day I stuck him in his tummy accidentally. It was a horrible horrible feeling as you can imagine. Sharp objects plus squirmy babies scare me!

 

has anyone used the new bumgenius 2.0?