How did you decide?

lburkey21

Hi everyone!! I'm sorry if this question has been asked a million times...I wanted to read the pinned posts that used to be here but not sure where they went! We are expecting our first baby in August and I want to CD...most likely won't be 100% but definitely the majority of the time. Anyway, I've been looking into CDs, watching videos, etc. and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to decide on what kind and what brand. Is it all just trial and error? We were at a consignment sale this weekend and snagged 3 pocket diapers which seem like a good middle of the road choice, but I've also heard really good things about the workhorse fitteds. I need something that DH won't be scared of (he already is trying to play the "I'm not changing diapers" card!).

I thought about doing the trial program through Jillian's Drawers, but I'm kind of OCD and would really prefer to have a stash in place before the baby is born and not have to worry about stocking the whole thing after the fact.

Any suggestions/tips?

ElleBeeDub

I know it's not for everyone, but I built my stash basically out of trial and error. I committed to prefolds and covers for the NB phase, and figured I would probably do OS pockets after that. For the few months leading up to G's birth, I scoured the B/S/T sites and accumulated a pretty decent starter stash. Once I was using the cloth, I worked on figuring out what liked and what I didn't. Since I mostly bought used, I was able to sell most things right around the same price i paid when I started making changes. I waited to buy new until I had a better handle on what works for us.

welly01

We chose prefolds and covers to start out with mainly because of price and to see if we really wanted to commit to CDing.  DH was skeptical about all the "folding" but it really isn't hard and once he got the hang of it, he loved them!  I also got a few pockets because that seemed like a popular choice.  So basically it was trial and error.  The good thing about prefolds is that if you end up not liking them, you can still use them around the house as rags or burp cloths, wipes, etc.  Prefolds are also harder to screw up as far as wash routine.

My stash has continued to evolve as I've wanted to try different things.  We used prefolds almost exclusively through about 6-8 months and now its mostly pockets.  I've also now just started using wool and fitteds ON.  Good luck!

haileyq

I too made my stash of trial and error, but in my case it ended up costing me some money doing it that way. A lot of the diapers I initially bought flat out did not work for us and I'm having a hard time selling them (though I have been able to sell most of them) and so I've got a box of nearly new diapers that I'm stuck with. In my case, I really wish I had done a diaper trial so I could have tried the different types/brands first, and I recommend that to people that are on the fence.

I thought pockets would be the bee's knees, but I hate stuffing them. We use mostly prefolds/covers now and I thought I would hate them. Plus, I have a heavy wetter so that ruled out a lot of different diapers for us.

freezorburn

I thought I would love pockets but they didn't work for us until after DS started solids, around 6-8 months. We had fit issues because he is a beanpole and for that reason I was also scared of blowouts until his poo turned ploppable.

I also thought I would use flats early on but didn't have them in my diaper trial. The diaper trial really sold me on prefolds and fitteds. I had learned a lot from the gmd website so I rounded out my stash of prefolds there and looked around for deals on fitteds.

I wasn't impressed with the pockets/AIOs that were in our trial so I started trying out different brands, based on reviews and built up from there.

If you were to ask what would be an ideal NB stash you would probably get quite a few different answers.

mrshudson618

We decided on prefolds and covers because one of our main motivations in choosing cloth was to save money, so we went with one of the least expensive options. We got a handful of pockets to have around for others and in case we decided we didnt lije prefokds. As time has gone by my stash has increased to include pockets and AIOs, as I have needed to try other things for nighttime and because I got them used at a really good price.

MAdams728

Trial and error. I thought I would love AIO's and pockets, and I hate both types. I sold them. Prefolds are ok, and I use them, but Workhorses are what kept me CD'ing when I was really frustrated. I love them. They make up the vast majority of my stash, with a few prefolds. When DD sizes up out of the red edge, I will buy a full stash of the next size.

I hate microfiber, and love that the WH's and prefolds are 100% cotton. I can wash them like crazy, use Tide, and I've never had the stink issues that I had with microfiber.

TJ1979

I'm one of the few that bought a full stash of one type (BG Freetimes) and had success. I have since bought a mini stash of best bottoms too bc they are great when we travel bc they are less bulky. We still use Freetimes 100% at DC, and 50% at home.

Aurora_Borealis

I did trial and error. My newborn stash was a 12-12-12 mix of prefolds, fitteds and AIOs. I also had 7 OS pockets, 2 OS AIOs, 5 small AIOs, 4 small covers, 2 dozen medium prefolds and 4 OS covers before DD was born.

My original plan was to buy more OS pockets or AIOs once DD was big enough. Turns out that I liked the prefolds and covers I already had and DH preferred pockets. So I bought a few more pockets, sold the AIOs and used a 50/50 mix of prefolds and pocket until DD was 18-20 months old. At that point we switched to prefolds/covers entirely because she outgrew almost all of her OS stuff and it was easier to just buy Large covers than to try to find a pocket diaper that would fit her.

Dreamingmommy4

We knew we were doing prefolds and covers right away because they are cheap and we are doing this to save money. I decided to go with the Flip covers because I liked how they were OS with snaps. They just so happened to be the first brands that had those qualifications that we tried and they work great for us, so I have yet to try anything else. I might add some diversity to my stash once I get KU with #2.

freezorburn

Some suggestions:

1. Consider your budget. Flats and prefolds with covers are probably the most economical. Especially if you DIY flats. Are you willing to buy used? You could look for a used NB stash. The advantage would be it's already prepped, and they tend to have little wear and tear since babies grow out of them quickly.
2. It's not as hard as you think. A lot of people worry about a learning curve with prefolds and flats, but then they are surprise how quickly they learn and how easy it is. If you have a bigger budget and are still worried about the learning curve, check out some fitteds like GMD workhorses and Kissaluvs size 0s. People think pockets and AIOs look the easiest, but when you don't have a good fit you get leaks and blowouts. Sometimes pockets and AIOs don't fit right away, even at smaller sizes. Easy is when your diapers fit and hold everything in. Pockets and AIOs are great for out and about and later on when your LO gets squirmy and mobile. 
3. What kind of fibers? Natural fibers tend to be more absorbent and wash well in the long term. A lot of AIOs and pockets have some kind of synthetic, or a blend. MF is prone to compression leaks and some people say it gets funky after a while. You can always stuff your pockets with some third-party inserts or even flats.
4. Consider the preferences of others who might be diapering your child. If your child is going to be in daycare, how old will they be and does the DC have specific requirements for CD? Family members might have their own preferences in terms of ease of use, it may be a good idea to have some "easy" diapers for them to use. I was lucky in that both grandmas felt pretty familiar with prefolds and DH actually liked them better than the "easier" diapers.
5. Snaps v. Aplix. Many people find Aplix to be more similar to disposables and more user-friendly. It might be easier to get a good fit, especially on small babies. I found it easier in the early months because it took a while for the swelling in my hands to go down. The downside is Aplix can wear out over time and LOs can undo it themselves once they develop a pincer grasp. Snaps are more durable in the long term. Toddlers can figure out how to undo snaps, but we are only just beginning to deal with this.
   

Hope this helps.

lburkey21

Thanks for the adivce ladies - looks like I've got some more research to do!

YellowLily2013

TJ1979 said:

I'm one of the few that bought a full stash of one type (BG Freetimes) and had success. I have since bought a mini stash of best bottoms too bc they are great when we travel bc they are less bulky. We still use Freetimes 100% at DC, and 50% at home.

I'm like TJ except with BG AIOs Elementals instead of freetimes. I love that I was able to stock up during second sales.

We also have some 4.0s and prefolds / covers. The prefolds have been great when dealing with yeast since I can bleach them and dry on high heat without worrying about damaging them.

CLLDLL

I think prefolds/flats with covers is an awesome choice for the NB days.  But I totally understand having a reluctant husband.  I don't think I could have convince MH to CD if we'd started with flats/prefolds.  We started at 6 weeks with AppleCheeks size 1 pockets.   They were awesome for us then.  

Now however I've found some many things I like as well as or better than AC.  So I'm glad I experimented and tried things I was scared of at first, like flats.  I love, love, love flats.  And actually DH likes them too.  

So my advice is to try a few of each type you think you might like.  And then evaluate what to sell and what to get more of.  But remember that your needs and likes will probably change as baby grows, gets more mobile, looses the baby fat, etc.  I've gone from loving pockets to loving prefolds to loving flats to loving AI2s and then back to flats.