Cloth Diapers Anyone?!

chickpea912

We used an inhome day care, and I always brought an example of the type of diaper I'd send in.  I never had an inhome provider balk at using them, so it's never been an issue with us.

Brittnic531

Good to know, thanks! We're new to the area and haven't looked into our options yet... Hoping we can someone that will support us!

AndreaC428

This is such great info!! Thank you, ladies! (For asking the questions I also had, and then answering them so thoroughly!)

PinkPrettyKitty

I plan on it. My MIL is going to help me sew up a bunch!

missesBAD

We did until about 6 months with DD but she kept getting rashes so we stopped. Still have my stash so will probably try again with this one

MrsStarns

@PinkPrettyKitty that's awesome! I sew myself and I've seriously contemplated giving it a shot, but I'm a chicken! hahaha I seen that Hancock's Fabrics has kits that you can buy to sew them.. but f you buy that you might as well buy one that doesn't need manufacturing! But I've thought about getting it and seeing what it's all about. See if I could sew my own. Good luck! 

skyview222

We plan to cloth diaper.  Baby will be in daycare from about 8 weeks on and willingness to use our cloth diapers is a major qualifier in our daycare shopping.

I have not purchased any yet.  I'm waiting until I choose a daycare in case they have preferences.  I plan to purchase a few different ones before buying a larger stash of the ones we decide we like best.  My fiance is not excited about the idea, but is generally an open-minded kind-of-guy so he is willing to give it a go.

We usually stay with family or in a timeshare (with our own laundry) so we will probably do cloth diapering almost exclusively, but I'd consider the honest brand diapers when traveling as well.

For me, it is both a budget-friendly and anti-chemicals decision. 

elsa1688

I feel like I should cd because I will be a SAHM. The cost, chemical and environmental factors seem like a no brainer but we live in an apartment. We have our own washer and dryer but cannot line dry or use the sun to bleach them. I also want to get out of the house lot, is it hard to cloth diaper in the go?

chickpea912

@elsa1688 For drying I either dry in the dryer or on a standing drying rack. No biggie. I think the biggest obstacle would be if you didn't have laundry in your place, so you should be go. CDing on the go is also not hard. You just find what works for you. I think I talked about it on this or one of the other CD threads

MNOpea

I also just dry on low in the dryer or on a free stand drying rack, I got one for under $20 on amazon. I wouldn't worry about not being able to sun them. I've only sunned my diapers like once, and it was mostly because I wanted to take a pretty fluff picture.

I also think that cd-ing on the go is easy and really no big deal!

Mommykay14

Awesome convo ladies! I plan on CDing too so this was very helpful! I can't wait to start buying my fluff next week!

MrsStarns

@Mommykay14 and @elsa1688 Amazon is having a GREAT deal on some CDs. You get 6 with 2 liners each. I can't remember what brand. Maybe Alva Baby? That's how I started my stash… Buying bundles that were on sale. And if you ladies haven't checked out Honey Buns….. oh man! Yes.. they're a little pricey BUT they're very unique. She's holds auctions ever so often as well on her website so you an win them too. Plus, she has a FB page where people exclusively buy, sell, and trade her diapers… and I've found a few CD co-op pages on FB. Something to look into for all you first timers who are hesitant because of the cost!

skyview222

MrsStarns said:

@PinkPrettyKitty that's awesome! I sew myself and I've seriously contemplated giving it a shot, but I'm a chicken! hahaha I seen that Hancock's Fabrics has kits that you can buy to sew them.. but f you buy that you might as well buy one that doesn't need manufacturing! But I've thought about getting it and seeing what it's all about. See if I could sew my own. Good luck! 

I never thought about sewing my own...something to think about!

PinkPrettyKitty

@MrsStarns and @skyview222 My mother-in-law sewed off of the clothes diapers she used for all three of her kids! Which is why she offered to help! I'm just a beginner sewer so I'm hoping they don't look like crap...lol

kbellizio3

We've looked in to CDing but DH isn't 100% on it. I'm planning on registering for a few shells and reusable pads and then using at night for a little to get him used to it. He's a very hands on kind of guy so I think once he SEES how it works instead of just in his head he might change his mind. But if he doesn't we're planning on doing hypoallergenic/chlorine free disposables.

scrouch7

We are planning on doing cloth diapers.

I will admit that I judged my friend when she did it with her son but when she showed me the all in ones I conceded how epically wrong I had been and get DH on board (by showing him the cost difference).

We are going to do BumGenius All In One's (my friend gave me her I have tried everything now advice and loved those ones best of all) but will probably use disposables for the first few weeks when things are nuts and when we are out and about. 

hotsaucencake@live.com

We're planning on it, but so far I've been totally overwhelmed by the options. Lol

PaddyMomma

I am planning to CD this little one. I have been ordering different dipes here and there. Ive CD before but many many many many years ago lol. I cant wait till my packages arrive.

MrsStarns

@scrouch7 I've considered the same thing. Using Honest Company brand diapers for out and about.. but at the same time… I'm wondering if I just don't stick to it 100% will that stand in the way of my progress with it! I hear BumGenius is a great brand. My friend who has won me over with CD, she just decided after CDing for a year that those are her favorite and work best and is selling the rest of her huge stash to buy more of those! lol CDing is a crazy world… but fun and interesting for sure!

MrsRahl

PinkPrettyKitty said:

I plan on it. My MIL is going to help me sew up a bunch!

I want to do this so bad but I want the all in one kind with snaps. I feel it would be difficult to find the right materials as the pocket all in one's have a waterproof portion lined on only inside of the fabric on the outside layer. It's difficult to describe, but I'm sure it's not impossible. I'm just scared of making then and then not actually absorb or be waterproof for the last layer. Any suggestions on the material you picked out?

saraphaerie

Most of my friends have used cloth, so they've passed a lot of diapers on to me. I think I'll use disposables for the first couple of weeks, though, until things calm down. Too many learning curves at once!

chickpea912

If you haven't read through this whole post in a while, I have a few posts on the second page, including a pretty comprehensive list of the various types of diapers, as well as my thoughts on using cloth out and about.  My biggest piece of advice - don't discount how easy cloth can be - both at home as well as on the go.  I've even CD'd on vacation.  Everyone has their own way, but don't set yourself up for an experience before you've even started it.

CindyJill27

Hey ladies check out https://thebabystandard.blogspot.com/2009/08/cloth-diapering-no-just-for-cruncy.html?m=1#

One of my coeworkers wrote a quick little blog on CD. She and another lady I work with swear by them so I would love to head torwards CD. The lady who wrote this actually is an amazing seamstress and has offered to make me a stash of CD so I am excited. When I told my MIL and DH about CD I think they were picturing the old fashion ones with huge saftey pins haha....but I showed this article and a few others to them and I also showed them what they look like now- they were in!!  My DH is all for it if it is going to save us some money as well haha. I am sure we will get disposable diapers for the baby shower and from DH's diapers and kegs party. So we can use those like @otter1103 mentioned for long car rides or when going out to places.

 Also another pickel we are running into is that some of the daycares we have interviewed with aren't very keen on CD and are actually very effy on it, so not sure on what to do there...

lindsmg79

Hi all! PSA - Baby Half Off has a sale on OS Bumkims AIO diapers. They are half off right now, from $17 to $8.50. There are four color options available. As a FTM, I'm using these kinds of deals to help build my stash, so I thought I'd pass this deal onto the June moms who are CDing.

Sareynoo

Hello! I plan on using cloth diapers until baby is potty trained. Our daycare doesn't allow them unless you have a doctors note but it shouldn't be too hard to get one. I never used CDs with DD and am excited to save money this time around. I haven't bought any yet but already know that I want thirsties with prefolds. We will also be using cloth wipes. I'll be back with questions when I start buying!

amackattack

Slightly scared to ask as I've already got my heart set on it...but has anyone tried Fuzzi Bunz? I have a friend who recommended these to me. Thanks!

LegalLadyBug

We used gDiapers with DD till about 12m, but mostly with the disposable inserts and we love them! Definitely planning on using them with the twins. My only problem with them is they aren't really a good fit for babies with long torsos. They have plastic snaps on the inside that jam into the crease by the hip if the diaper doesn't sit high enough. With DD no matter what size we tried, by 12m, the plastic pieces were leaving purple marks and there was nothing we could do about it so we moved to Pampers :-/

maggiexxx

I just wanted to say I have been using cloth for a while with my son is two and we will be using cloth with this baby also. I started out doing it to save money but it quickly became additive. Lol Don't always buy cheap diapers u find BC it can make u hate doing CD. Read reviews ask ppl look up CD on newborns on YouTube. Do research BC I started out buying all this crappy shit from china and realized that they suck. I use bumgenius 4.0, freetimes and obge and they work great. We use kawaii for nighttime with MF and hemp inserts and it helped him sleep all night. Just be careful what u buy and where u buy it. Good luck ladies I'm here if u have any questions about CD!!

jclester614

I am a FTM and on the fence about CD. Was anyone else worried it would be...gross?

Sorry to have to ask, just being honest about my reservations. : )

I have changed plenty of diapers, so I don't have any illusions that those are not also gross, but is rinsing and washing much different?

That and getting the timing down seem like the biggest hurdles for me.

kayzilly

Anyone heard tricks on washing CDs with a front load washer? I have heard from a friend who CDs that top load is a lot easier as the front load doesn't fill with enough water. She had made front load work by adding water through the soap dispenser, but that seems a bit scary and more work. Any front load experiences?

chickpea912

Lcgroenewe said:

Slightly scared to ask as I've already got my heart set on it...but has anyone tried Fuzzi Bunz? I have a friend who recommended these to me. Thanks!

@Lcgroenewe - I used FBs for a short while - they're fine - I have friends who used them and loved them, but they didn't work as well for me.  They might be just fine for you, though

LegalLadyBug said:

We used gDiapers with DD till about 12m, but mostly with the disposable inserts and we love them! Definitely planning on using them with the twins. My only problem with them is they aren't really a good fit for babies with long torsos. They have plastic snaps on the inside that jam into the crease by the hip if the diaper doesn't sit high enough. With DD no matter what size we tried, by 12m, the plastic pieces were leaving purple marks and there was nothing we could do about it so we moved to Pampers :-/

@LegalLadyBug  - I've never heard great reviews on gDiapers - maybe try a few others this time as well - no need to resort to paper diapers unless you really want to dump the cloth - there are many options out there, probably better options. 

kayzilly said:

Anyone heard tricks on washing CDs with a front load washer? I have heard from a friend who CDs that top load is a lot easier as the front load doesn't fill with enough water. She had made front load work by adding water through the soap dispenser, but that seems a bit scary and more work. Any front load experiences?

@kayzilly - Check the manual and see what are your options for adding any extra water.  I have no problem using my mom's front loader when we visit her, as I was able to find the tricks to make it work (that weren't too difficult - a few extra buttons).  I have heard of putting wet towels in or other such tricks, but I don't have tons of personal experience.

jclester614 said:

I am a FTM and on the fence about CD. Was anyone else worried it would be...gross? Sorry to have to ask, just being honest about my reservations. : ) I have changed plenty of diapers, so I don't have any illusions that those are not also gross, but is rinsing and washing much different? That and getting the timing down seem like the biggest hurdles for me.

@jclester614 - I never found them to be gross.  That's just me, though.  I don't know if it's just my constitution, or if I'm just too invested in using the cloth to let a silly little thing like poop get to me (honestly, the amount of puke, shit and other bodily fluids you can deal with not even counting diapers, it's just not that big a deal).  I never found rinsing and washing to be any big deal at all.  Again, I was invested, so maybe I overlooked some things that others can't, but it honestly never bothered me.  Not sure what you mean about timing - I washed every 2-3 days.  It's the only laundry I actually enjoy.

Sareynoo

I've looked online and can't find any detergents or detergent recipes that are for HE washers and safe for CD.  Any suggestions on what to use? I have a front load washer/dryer combo and would prefer homemade detergents if at all possible. Also which cycles do you use when washing?

chickpea912

I use Tide Original Powder, so I don't have a recipe for you, although I've seen tons of ladies post them here or there.

My wash cycle:

Warm rinse

HOT wash

warm rinse (x2)

Line dry (on a line or on a standing drying rack) or fluff dry in the machine.

Easy peasy.

ETA:  This took me all of 10 seconds to google - looks to be a good recipe from a reputable source: https://www.diaperjungle.com/homemade-laundry-detergent.html

Bozzy2

https://www.kellyscloset.com/Basic-Types-of-Cloth-Diapers-and-How-to-Choose-the-Right-One-for-Your-Family_ep_211-1.html

Here is a cool web site if you need/want to learn more about the different kinds of cloth diapers.

Sareynoo

chickpea912 said:

I use Tide Original Powder, so I don't have a recipe for you, although I've seen tons of ladies post them here or there.

My wash cycle:

Warm rinse

HOT wash

warm rinse (x2)

Line dry (on a line or on a standing drying rack) or fluff dry in the machine.

Easy peasy.

ETA:  This took me all of 10 seconds to google - looks to be a good recipe from a reputable source: https://www.diaperjungle.com/homemade-laundry-detergent.html

Thanks a bunch, I suck at searching for anything online.

chickpea912

@babywear if it's older, I might suggest getting a newer, more efficient one. I don't know the sizes - I know mine holds a good amount, but you don't need a huge one for CDs. I wouldn't wash more than a couple days' worth anyway, so it's more about how large a clothes wash you'd want to be able to do.

MNOpea

@Lcgroenewe we exclusively use fuzzibunz also because they were recommended to me. Here's my completely honest analysis: first they have changed where they manufacture their diapers A LOT and each time they do the diapers are built completely different. Second, they have recently sold the company, and while this may not affect you it affected me big time. One of the biggest reasons we went with FB was that they had a lifetime warranty on snaps and PUL, however they are no longer honoring that warranty, which I find totally shady. Next I would ask your friend if they used perfect size or one size, we went with one size but go through phases of not being able to get a good fit which results in a lot of leaks. I will be using them again for this baby because it was a large investment but when we have more children, if I stick with FB I will be using perfect sized diapers. Lastly, resale value is not as high with FB as some other diapers.

Overall we make do with our diapers because they are what we have but I do not LOVE FB like I thought I would. I wish I would have known better and not put all my eggs in one basket before my baby was born

Eta: words are hard

amackattack

@MNOpea what would you get instead? I like the idea of pocket diapers so that's what I want to stick with, and I also prefer the idea of one size. My friend used one size and she seemed to like it!

Edit: Also thanks so much for your response!

MNOpea

Lcgroenewe said:

@MNOpea what would you get instead? I like the idea of pocket diapers so that's what I want to stick with, and I also prefer the idea of one size. My friend used one size and she seemed to like it!

Edit: Also thanks so much for your response!

I can't say exactly what brand I would have used instead but I would have gone with a few in a few different brands to see what fit works best for us. One thing that I do like about FB is their one sized diapers are more customizable than some other brands, but even with that like I said there are times that I just can't get a very good fit. I would just not recommend buying your whole stash before baby is here. Also we couldn't start using our os diapers until 2-3 months old so keep that in mind as well

amackattack

MNOpea said:

@MNOpea what would you get instead? I like the idea of pocket diapers so that's what I want to stick with, and I also prefer the idea of one size. My friend used one size and she seemed to like it!

Edit: Also thanks so much for your response!

I can't say exactly what brand I would have used instead but I would have gone with a few in a few different brands to see what fit works best for us. One thing that I do like about FB is their one sized diapers are more customizable than some other brands, but even with that like I said there are times that I just can't get a very good fit. I would just not recommend buying your whole stash before baby is here. Also we couldn't start using our os diapers until 2-3 months old so keep that in mind as well

Why couldn't you use it until 2-3 months? They claim to fit 7-35 pounders? Or was your baby smaller than 7 lbs?