Where do I start?!

yella726

I apologize if this has been asked already. I tried rummaging through the board to find answers and got overwhelmed so decided to start again. First off, let me say how much I think this group rocks in terms of support. Reading through all of your posts makes me smile from ear to ear and instills confidence in me that I CAN DO THIS!

This is our first child (due 10/10) and we want to CD but, having never done it before, are nervous as to where to start and about the whole learning curve (which I can only assume is a pretty steep one -- although probably not compared to raising a HUMAN). We're in the process of setting up a registry now, but I don't even know where to begin to build our base stash! I've been reading threads and blogs and know that there are a wide variety of brands that people find that they prefer. But what should I register for as my base stash? H - E - L - P!!!!

I've already registered for the wet bags and the diaper pail liners..but what about inserts vs prefolds (or inserts AND prefolds)? I've also registered for a bunch of BumGenius 4.0 CDs, a couple Thirsties, and one Kanga Care. I also went to a local baby/child consignment shop and was checking out the different CDs that they had for sale there just to see what they were all about and the different between them but felt like I still don't know enough to know what I was looking at, hahah!

So, what would YOU recommend to a new CD mommy looking to build her stash via a registry?

Much love and thanks!

unaveragejane

There is a great link to a YouTube series on cloth diapering in the FAQ post at the top of the thread. The series explains the different types of CDs out there (among many other things). We always encourage families to try a variety of styles to see what works best for your family, so register for a variety. (Also know that others are often daunted about buying cloth, so you may just be creating a wishlist for yourself, but that's okay.) Many folks go with a newborn (NB) stash and a one-size (OS) stash b/c OS normally don't fit at birth, even if the diaper says it fits 7-35 pounds or something. I believe the recommendation is to have 36 NB changes and 18-24 OS changes at minimum. You've probably already seen there are lots of "critique my stash" posts that can help you get an idea of what to include in your NB stash. If you go back to the consignment store and find some diapers you're interested in, you can always ping the board with an "is this worth it?" post.

TJ1979

I would recommend checking out the FAQ post at the top of this page.  Lurk here for a while and keep reading posts, then come back to us with specific questions.

yella726

You're right. I don't know why I didn't go right to that FAQ post. :

Chichigo

A prefold can be folded around the baby and fastened with a snappi, boingo, or pins and covered. It can also be folded in thirds (trifolded) and placed in a cover or pocket. They are commonly made of multiple layers of cotton but can be made of other natural materials.

Inserts can not be folded around the baby. They are always placed inside a cover or pocket. They can be made of natural materials (hemp, cotton, bamboo) or synthetic (microfiber), or a combination. Microfiber is harmful to baby's skin so is best used in a pocket or with another layer separating it from skin.

unaveragejane

yella726 said:

You're right. I don't know why I didn't go right to that FAQ post. :

Hey, but you gif! We'll probably keep you.

wearenutts

When I was learning about CD's I went to youtube and checked out other peoples reviews. They often show the inside of the diapers which is what I was interested in. I would see a brand name on here or a CD site and go to youtube and type in "Fuzzibunz cloth diaper review" or whatever brand you want to know about. Of course you will always find info that doesn't pertain to you but I found it a good place to start with "seeing" the diapers since I didn't have a local shop I could go to. 

Sorry for the ramble. My pregnant brain isn't working too well and all I can think about is the food that's cooking. 

lunarrainn

yella726 said:

You're right. I don't know why I didn't go right to that FAQ post. :

Points for Picard! Cloth diaper choices can be overwhelming. I found that you tube videos calmed my nerves. I would avoid buying a ton of extra inserts at first since most pockets come with some and you can use prefolds for extra absorbency/ non microfiber option until you start noticing what is working/ not working for your Baby.
I've also found that a good source of information are online retailers. You can also get a good sense of there customer service if they are willing to answer simple questions about their products.

mrshudson618

Honestly, the learning curve isn't as bad as you think. 

Personally, I think the best place to start building your stash is to look at your needs. For example, one of the main reasons we decided to CD was cost, and I SAH. So we could easily go with a cheaper option, like prefolds and covers without having to worry about pockets or AIOs for daycare. 

If simplicity is more important to you than cost, then start by looking at popular brands like BG.

abby8279

The best thing you did is found this board!  Even though I live near a brick and mortar CD store and took an intro to CD class I still run into questions that I am thankful to have this board for.  I even stopped and lost the love for CD very briefly until I found this board and realized some of the things I was doing wrong. So start w/ Cloth Diapering 101 on youtube and then feel free to ask any questions you have.

yella726

@mrshudson618 That's a great point. Thanks for sharing! I know we'll end up doing daycare at some point, so another thing to keep in mind.

@Abby8279 Thanks for the advice! I went back and watched all 7 Cloth Diapering 101 videos (and some others) and am already starting to feel a little more comfortable.

Thank you, ladies! You've been more of a help than you realize!

ElleBeeDub

Yay! Congrats on your upcoming squish I'm not sure there's much I can add that all the PPs haven't already touched on. Definitely don't feel shy to ask specific questions if you have them!! 

If you're going to be looking into daycare, it might be worth it to go ahead and look around to find WHICH daycare you want. Sometimes different DCs have different requirements for cloth (some only want AIOs, some prefer aplix, etc...). When G was going, they didn't ask me for anything specific, but I found that they were abysmal at getting snap diapers on him properly. I wound up buying a little stash of aplix just for them, and it worked so much better!