Cloth Diapering Mamas

[CatSoup]

Does this look like a good starter kit? It was suggested on another forum and it looks good. All of this stuff is new to me. Has anyone tried any of these?

http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=769

[jessiehannan]

Well, it is cheaper than buying several of each kind until you find the ones that work best. :) Is that the place where you get the deposit refunded when you return them?

[Sashahomeschoolmama]

I really love the bum genius and hh diapers. i bought about a half a dozen little beetle fitteds and hated them. i thought that i would love them since they're really soft and cute. they didn't fit right, though. The rise was too short and every diaper, even though they were hardly used, lost a snap.

if it were *me* I would pass on the package and just buy the bum genius and hh's. but i'm well into my days as a cd'ering mama and i can't remember if you used cloth with your other kids. I can stuff a prefold in the above diapers and he can wear it all night. he's a super soaker so it's nice. i got tired of the change-my-clothes-and-his-clothes-twice-a-night.

[CatSoup]

Well, it is cheaper than buying several of each kind until you find the ones that work best. :) Is that the place where you get the deposit refunded when you return them?


No I don't think it is. I had heard that was a good deal too though.

[CatSoup]

I really love the bum genius and hh diapers. i bought about a half a dozen little beetle fitteds and hated them. i thought that i would love them since they're really soft and cute. they didn't fit right, though. The rise was too short and every diaper, even though they were hardly used, lost a snap.

if it were *me* I would pass on the package and just buy the bum genius and hh's. but i'm well into my days as a cd'ering mama and i can't remember if you used cloth with your other kids. I can stuff a prefold in the above diapers and he can wear it all night. he's a super soaker so it's nice. i got tired of the change-my-clothes-and-his-clothes-twice-a-night.

I've never cd'ed before. I've always felt kind of guilty for using sposies (environmentally), but I thought it would be too difficult to cd. I didn't even know there were any kind but prefold (or maybe it was the flat ones, I'm not sure of the difference) until I was pregnant with this baby.

I appreciate your input btw. :)

[Sashahomeschoolmama]

No problem. :) I've had skinny babies and, with Seryozha, a very chubby baby. With Holden, who was a little string bean, I liked pretty basic fitteds. The ones I used then were Under the Nile organic hemp. I don't know if those are still being made but Bum Genius has a bamboo fitted diaper that reminds me of them. Over the fitteds I used wool covers, both knitted and also felted. It was handy because he was a fall baby so in the winter I'd just use his wool cover as pants so I didn't have so many layers to mess with when I was out of the house.

With Seryozha I really like the pocket diapers. They are very handy. Pricey, definitely, but both the Happy Heiny and the Bum Genius are one-size so you figure that the 20-25 dollar diaper is going to last you for two or three years. Another thing I like about them is that they dry so quickly.

Hey, I just had a thought. I have six or so Muttaquin newborn diapers. They have the snap-down for the umbilical cord and everything. Sergei didn't wear them very long because he is so chunky but if you want them I can send them to you.

[KatieLou]

I am not a BG fan, but that is just my PO. The velcro really rubs my babes around the belly and leaves sore marks. Ohter woman really love them though. I have never personaly used HH, but have heard great things about them.

There is a package, somewhere that you can try 1 of several kinds of CD, and then send them back (like jessiehannan was saying) check out www.diaperpin.com you will find alot of CD info there.

[joshsmom]

I love my BG AIOs and use them exclusively now. I do have one HH and like it, also. I use FB at night with moderate-good success. I HATED my Thirsties AIO with pocket. I had the 'first version' and it leaked every.single.time. on both Leah (about 8mo at the time) and Josh (about 2.5yo). They have since released a 2nd version that supposedly addressed the problem of the leaking. I did LOVE Thirsties fitteds, though. I just found that changing Leah is like changing a fish out of water. I switched to AIOs because ditching the covers saved some battle.

CDing can be overwhelming in the research stage, but totally worth it in the long run. I'm really happy I did it with Leah and wished I'd taken the plunge with Josh from birth. We've saved so much money and I love how cute they are!

I do think trying several different styles is a great idea. I've changed my system a few times, depending on what worked. For the NB stage, I liked fitteds and prefolds with covers. They contained those bfed-xplosions and I liked how trim fitteds were. Once she got a bit bigger, I switched primarily to All In Ones. They are easy to manage and quick on and off. I've stuck with that. I use pockets at night and have a few BG One Sizes, but hate dealing with pockets. Initially, I thought I'd do all BG OS, but find them quite bulky. I've also discovered I'm quite lazy and don't like stuffing pockets.

Leah is just about to grow out of her Mediums and I'm looking into Drybees AIOs. I've heard good reviews and think they are absolutely adorable.

[CatSoup]

No problem. :) I've had skinny babies and, with Seryozha, a very chubby baby. With Holden, who was a little string bean, I liked pretty basic fitteds. The ones I used then were Under the Nile organic hemp. I don't know if those are still being made but Bum Genius has a bamboo fitted diaper that reminds me of them. Over the fitteds I used wool covers, both knitted and also felted. It was handy because he was a fall baby so in the winter I'd just use his wool cover as pants so I didn't have so many layers to mess with when I was out of the house.

With Seryozha I really like the pocket diapers. They are very handy. Pricey, definitely, but both the Happy Heiny and the Bum Genius are one-size so you figure that the 20-25 dollar diaper is going to last you for two or three years. Another thing I like about them is that they dry so quickly.

Hey, I just had a thought. I have six or so Muttaquin newborn diapers. They have the snap-down for the umbilical cord and everything. Sergei didn't wear them very long because he is so chunky but if you want them I can send them to you.




I may just buy pocket diapers then. What do I need besides the diapers? I keep seeing liners mentioned. Do I need them?

[joshsmom]

The velcro really rubs my babes around the belly and leaves sore marks.

Huh. Now that I think about it, Leah sometimes gets rub marks on her thighs. I was thinking this was a sign she is ready for the next size. Maybe not? None the less, I'm checking out Drybees bc BG phased out their AIO 2.0s for a pricier 3.0.

[Sashahomeschoolmama]

There are liners that go inside of them. You can put one in for daytime or stuff a couple in for nighttime. They're made of a microterry, I believe. I have some but never seem to be able to locate them when I need them so I usually just stuff a prefold in.

[Sashahomeschoolmama]

I haven't noticed rub marks with the 3.0. Sergei has some serious chunky thighs, too.

[CatSoup]

I love my BG AIOs and use them exclusively now. I do have one HH and like it, also. I use FB at night with moderate-good success. I HATED my Thirsties AIO with pocket. I had the 'first version' and it leaked every.single.time. on both Leah (about 8mo at the time) and Josh (about 2.5yo). They have since released a 2nd version that supposedly addressed the problem of the leaking. I did LOVE Thirsties fitteds, though. I just found that changing Leah is like changing a fish out of water. I switched to AIOs because ditching the covers saved some battle.

CDing can be overwhelming in the research stage, but totally worth it in the long run. I'm really happy I did it with Leah and wished I'd taken the plunge with Josh from birth. We've saved so much money and I love how cute they are!

I do think trying several different styles is a great idea. I've changed my system a few times, depending on what worked. For the NB stage, I liked fitteds and prefolds with covers. They contained those bfed-xplosions and I liked how trim fitteds were. Once she got a bit bigger, I switched primarily to All In Ones. They are easy to manage and quick on and off. I've stuck with that. I use pockets at night and have a few BG One Sizes, but hate dealing with pockets. Initially, I thought I'd do all BG OS, but find them quite bulky. I've also discovered I'm quite lazy and don't like stuffing pockets.

Leah is just about to grow out of her Mediums and I'm looking into Drybees AIOs. I've heard good reviews and think they are absolutely adorable.

There's so much out there! It's just hard to know where to start. I am wanting to start on Eli before this baby gets here though. He's 15 months, so I'm thinking I'll need larges if I don't do one size cds.

[joshsmom]

Liners: I had a pack for Leah once she switched to solids, but never used them. TMI: IME it depends on the poop. Leah's poos are all solid and literally plop, in entirety, into the toilet. No fuss, no muss. I just plop the poo, flush and the diaper goes into the pail. With Josh, totally different story. His poos were all soft and, um, "peanut buttery". The liners helped save a ton of mess, when they stayed put. I invested in a sprayer and found this to be much more effective.


"Essentials" (IMO- Everyone has their own set of must haves, needs, wants, ect)
*Wipes: I know a few people that use disposable wipes, I've been in a pinch and done this and think it is a pain. I prefer cloth. I bought 48 and could easily have managed with 25-30. If you're crafty, you can make them. I'm not and wouldn't know how to tell you. :) I use Isme Vimse wipes and they've been fine.
*Some kind of water/soap: I wet my wipe with plain old water using that handy perineum cleaning bottle you get when you deliver. I just keep it filled with water, squirt the top wipe and use it. I tried "Baby Bits" soap but found it irritated her skin. Water has been perfect.
*Pail/liner: I use a plain Target brand, flip top trash can. lined with a Whammies Liner. I have two liners and just pull the liner when it's filled and it goes right to the wash with the diapers.
*Travel Stuff: I have a small wet bag that I keep stocked with 2 cloth diapers, a few cloth wipes (stored in regular travel wipes container) and a small bottle of water (something you can find in a toiletry aisle of Target or most drug stores).


SHAMELESS BLOG PLUG:
I did a bunch of blog posts on CDing because a few people asked about them. You might find good links/info there. I got a bit crazy and gave a TON of info:

PART I (http://ourlittlefootprints.blogspot.com/2008/05/theyre-not-your-grannys-cloth-diapers.html)

PART II (http://ourlittlefootprints.blogspot.com/2008/05/cloth-diaper-part-ii-s.html)

[KatieLou]

I do not use liners with my pocket diapers. There are some flushable liners that I tried, but that made my sensitive babes itchy. There are some fleece liners too, but for me (agian my PO) it was kind of pointless to wash liners, when I could just empty out he diaps and wash them. My BG and my FB have never stained either.

For what it is worth, I plan to start my next nb in fitted, and pf and not use the pockets untill I get to size M, which I already have a stash of.

Joshsmom, my FB have never done that to the DC, and the BG do also rub DS thighs, and he has skinny thighs. As far as pockets go I love my FB! My BG were the BG pocket 3.0.

ETA I bought some extra thristies cotten inserts for my FB. LOVE them, they hold a lot of pee! For DD who has always been a super soaker, I use a microterry insert, and a hemp pf (as a insert) at nighttime.

[joshsmom]

I haven't noticed rub marks with the 3.0. Sergei has some serious chunky thighs, too.

I think it is more to do with how I do the velcro. She's pretty average sized, I think. Leah literally does log rolls when I change her and I think sometimes I just do it too tight or the velcro misses the mark and rubs her belly or thigh.

I need a CD that slips on like pants. I find the best way to dress her is basically holding her off the ground, between my legs, and slipping her into things. She's a maniac!

[KatieLou]

I haven't noticed rub marks with the 3.0. Sergei has some serious chunky thighs, too.


Could be because DS is up running around and the top rubs him that way. We have the 3.0's

[CatSoup]

I know for sure I don't want to start with prefolds (flat?). Dh can be easily frustrated, and I don't want him to have any excuses not to change the baby.

[CatSoup]

I do not use liners with my pocket diapers. There are some flushable liners that I tried, but that made my sensitive babes itchy. There are some fleece liners too, but for me (agian my PO) it was kind of pointless to wash liners, when I could just empty out he diaps and wash them. My BG and my FB have never stained either.

For what it is worth, I plan to start my next nb in fitted, and pf and not use the pockets untill I get to size M, which I already have a stash of.

Joshsmom, my FB have never done that to the DC, and the BG do also rub DS thighs, and he has skinny thighs. As far as pockets go I love my FB! My BG were the BG pocket 3.0.

ETA I bought some extra thristies cotten inserts for my FB. LOVE them, they hold a lot of pee! For DD who has always been a super soaker, I use a microterry insert, and a hemp pf (as a insert) at nighttime.

What is the difference in fitted and pocket?

[joshsmom]

I know for sure I don't want to start with prefolds (flat?). Dh can be easily frustrated, and I don't want him to have any excuses not to change the baby.

I thought I'd use them a ton. In reality I rarely used them. I bought so many and sold them quite easily. I had only really used about 5 of the 36 I bought. I dearly loved my fitteds on a newborn!

[CatSoup]

Joshsmom, your blog photos are adorable!

[joshsmom]

Joshsmom, your blog photos are adorable!

Thanks! Those posts are from May. A few things have changed since:

1-Detergent. I found out the soap I was using caused a big build-up/stink problem I was having. After seeking help from the site that I bought from, I did a huge strip and switched to Tide. No problems since.

2-Liners: Like I said, I thought I'd be using flushable liners full-time. I never did. Leah's poos are so easy to clean and Josh's never stayed on the liner, so I had to spray down the diapers anyway.

3- Thiristies AIOS: I had just bought the Version One diaper. I loved them for about 2 weeks and then noticed they leaked every single time, on both kids. I'd never buy them again. I noticed around the time I had problems, several reviews started posting about the leak problems. A few months later a new versions was marketed that "addressed the leak problem". I wasn't interested in sinking another $150+ to see if they really did fix the problem or not. That was when I moved completely to BG AIOs.

[CatSoup]

Thanks so much ladies! If you think of anything else let me know. Like I said, all of this is totally new for me.

JM there's tons of info there! Thanks!

[Meredith]

Well, it is cheaper than buying several of each kind until you find the ones that work best. :) Is that the place where you get the deposit refunded when you return them?

Jillian's Drawers (http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/cdcm.html) does that. I'd recommend something like that.

[CatSoup]

Okay, so far I'm ordering 2 fuzzy buns and one bum genius from Abbyslane. Do I need to order liners separately, or are they included? It doesn't say they are, but I didn't want to order any if they were.

[CatSoup]

Jillian's Drawers (http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/cdcm.html) does that. I'd recommend something like that.

Although, I may do this instead.

Yup, this is what I'm doing.

[joshsmom]

Okay, so far I'm ordering 2 fuzzy buns and one bum genius from Abbyslane. Do I need to order liners separately, or are they included? It doesn't say they are, but I didn't want to order any if they were.

The insert is what you stuff in the diaper and they will come with both of those. If you're going to use them for overnight, you may need to 'double up'. People often use Newborn or Preemie sized prefolds or hemp doublers.

[CatSoup]

The insert is what you stuff in the diaper and they will come with both of those. If you're going to use them for overnight, you may need to 'double up'. People often use Newborn or Preemie sized prefolds or hemp doublers.

I'm gunna try the 21 day thing. More than likely I'll use abbyslane when I order though, it looks cheaper. Thanks!

[joshsmom]

I'm gunna try the 21 day thing. More than likely I'll use abbyslane when I order though, it looks cheaper. Thanks!

Join her Yahoo Group. She never sends out emails, but always has an "insider" coupon code for 5% off, all the time!

[CatSoup]

Join her Yahoo Group. She never sends out emails, but always has an "insider" coupon code for 5% off, all the time!

Will do! Thanks!
"cathug"

[lilsea]

The difference between a pocket and a fitted.

Well, you can have a pocket fitted, which is a pocket diaper that you stuff , but you need a cover over.

A fitted is just that, a diaper that needs a cover.

Pockets come in fitteds, and waterproof.

[CatSoup]

:) thanks lilsea

[jessiehannan]

Me thinks I need to start sewing some diapers again. I just got a whole bunch of tshirts from my MIL for diapers too...

[lilsea]

Jessie, I recently got a bunch of cute tees at walgreens on clearance that I need to sew up into dipes! Sad that they need a cover, but they are cute anyway.

[MoonBound]

I used pre-folds (with actual pins and vinyl covers) for ds1. When Ds2 was born I bought deluxe pack of mother-ease. I used the snap in liners as burp clothes because I didn't need a liner. DD1 used them too until she got thrush then a yeast infection, it was like it stayed in the diaper because she would break out everytime I put her in a cd. I've had her in paper for almost a year. I'd like to put her and dd2 in my cd but I need some advice on cleaning them.

[jessiehannan]

Did you sun the CD to get rid of the yeast?

[MoonBound]

No, I washed them a bunch of times, bleached them, oxied them, ran them thru the dish washer once...

[Peanut1207]

i'm dong the jilliansdrawers.com thing too. i'm nervous to get started. we tried when ds was a newborn and it didnt work at all...we were using proraps and prefolds which was a pita with a new baby. now he's older and i'm going to give it another shot i think...send me brave wishes!

[jessiehannan]

No, I washed them a bunch of times, bleached them, oxied them, ran them thru the dish washer once...
Ok, to wash: gentle detergent, no bleach, and borax in the wash, vinegar in the rinse. Line drying preferable, especially if prone to yeasties.

[CatSoup]

i'm dong the jilliansdrawers.com thing too. i'm nervous to get started. we tried when ds was a newborn and it didnt work at all...we were using proraps and prefolds which was a pita with a new baby. now he's older and i'm going to give it another shot i think...send me brave wishes!

Let me know how it goes! :)

[Wildf1ower]

I make my own so I can't really recommend brands, but what I use is contours (just lay in the cover type) along with 1-layer PUL or fleece covers. You can do the exact same thing, though, with prefolds just tri folded in a long rectangle laid into the cover.

When I change DD, if she's just wet I'll just lift her bottom off her diaper, leave the cover there, and stick in a new contour - takes me even less time than AIOs. I'll change her cover usually 2-3x per day if it gets soiled or if she had a very wet contour. I also have a 2-pail system. I keep my main diaper pail in the laundry room and then in the changing area I bought an enamelware chamber pot on Ebay (like a bucket with a lid) and I throw her diapers in there (the contours are trim, so I can fit the whole day's diapers in there) and then each night after she's dressed for bed, I transfer them to the laundry room pail and spray off any soiled ones. Sounds like a bit of work but it's really not and it keeps the smell 100% gone.

[MoonBound]

Thanks JessieHannan, now I just need some sun.

Wildflower I like the two bucket idea.

[CatSoup]

The diapers arrived yesterday and I washed them all in hot water like the instructions said. My only real concern at this point is that they're all pretty snug. I thought I had ordered larges, but I must have ordered mediums cause that's what I got. The first one I tried was the Bum Genius all in one. I don't know if it was the diaper or if it was just too small but it leaked while he was taking a nap. The second one I tried is the Thirsties. I'm not sure what it's called but it had a cover-esk outside and needed to be stuffed with liner. I really like it. He wore it for several hours without any leaks or problems. Whatever brand liners they sent were really great. Tomorrow I'm taking the flat diapers to my mom's so she can teach me how to put them on.
Well, that's my CDing progress so far. :)

[joshsmom]

The Thirsties may have been their AIO~Pocket. I liked them, but had big leak problems. However, I had the 1st version and I've read they addressed the issue with the 2nd version.

I'm having the same problem with my BG AIOs and leaking, actually. I think it is because Leah needs a bigger size, but she always has leaks at nap.

THIS (http://diaperpages.com/pf_folds.php)is a great site for flat/prefold info. I learned how to fold from their tutorial pictures.

[CatSoup]

Thanks for the link. I'll probably still let my mom show me how to put one on. She got all excited when I asked her. She said that's all us kids wore as babies. :D
I have another bum genius to try. I'm thinking maybe it leaked because it was the wrong size too.

[joshsmom]

My mom loves that I CD, too. She CD all 6 of us, even when sposies were available. She did PF with Leah a few times and either she was really rusty or we had a LOT of leaks as babies. ;)

I liked using my PFs when Leah was really little. Once she started wiggling too much, I had to go for the easy route. Changing Leah is like changing an eel on speed.

[CatSoup]

"lol9"

[Peanut1207]

love the eel on speed comparison, that is us too. i'm still sitting here thinking i should order the jilliansdrawers thing but being a wimp. my early failure at cding has scared me off! i'm definitley ready but the cost and DHs support (or lack of support i guess) are holding me back. what do those of you who live where is cold half the year do about sunning diapers? i would love to hang mine outside but it's 40 degrees and raining here (and will be snowing shortly...for the next several months). Sorry i'm a little bitter about winter.

[CatSoup]

^ I HATE winter! If it's below 70 I'm cold, and I'm Aleut!

Try the $10 thing! It's so worth it! I have already decided what diapers I'm going with because of it. I chose the Fuzzy Bunz. They are really great. It's expensive to start with, but you're saving money in the long run. I estimated that I spent about 3 or 4 months worth in sposies on 24 CDs, but most babies are in diapers for 24 months! ....did that make sense to anyone but me?

Plus it's been giving me motivation to do laundry. It was overflowing before now. lol

[Macabe]

Well, with FB, Catsoup, they're not going to last you until 24 months, unless maybe you start with mediums. I have smalls and they'll probably only last us until 6 or 8 months.

[CatSoup]

Ah well that's true. I ordered 12 small (for the new babe)and 12 large (for Eli). Maybe I should change my order from small to medium?