Help need cloth diaper brand suggestions!!

SarahsinLove

Hello! I am 15 weeks pregnant with twins after 4 years TTC!!! I am not ready to register yet but I am trying to do all of my research and make decisions now so I am comfortable with decisions when it's time to register. I've always wanted to cloth diaper, the prospect of doing it with twins is daunting but it's just double the laundry right ;-) I've done a ton a research and I am so confused about what brand(s) to go with, I was hoping to get some advice from seasoned experts.

My wants are:
1. Diaper covers that grow with baby. We don't want to buy new covers as the babies grow, we're looking to save money.
2. I do not want an all in one. I want to remove inserts and use each cover for a day or until it's soiled. (Fewer covers, less bulk in the laundry, less dry time.)
3. I would like the flexibility of using prefolds, inserts or disposable inserts
4. I would prefer a velcro type closure as I think snaps may become tedious when changing two babies in the middle of the night. I've heard that these types of closures can wear out overtime, any experience with this?
5. Something that will stand the test of time, wear and tear. I was considering flip but it sounds like they are not the most durable. I would like for most of the covers to make it from about 8 lbs to potty training. (We're starting out in disposable just to make the first weeks a little easier on us.)

Am I missing something on my list? What brands would experts suggest?

Thank you so much for any help/advise/suggestions you can offer!!!

CLLDLL

Congrats on your pregnancy!!

Ok, the biggest thing i think you need to know is that unless you have crazy chunky thighed babies, you aren't going to be able to find something that will fit from 8 pounds to PL'ing.  You can however easily find things that will fit from 10-12 pounds to PL'ing.  

So your options for the NB stage are 1.) use disposables 2.) look into a diaper service 3.) look into a diaper rental 4.) Purchase a NB stash that you can either sell or pack away to re-use with future kids.   The awesome thing about NB stashes is that the are only used for 3-10 weeks or so.  So used NB diapers are in great shape.  You really can purchase a whole stash of used NB diapers or even economical new diapers for way less than what disposables would cost you for that time.  Around here, we recommend using NB prefolds (around $2 a piece) or flats ($1-2 a piece) under NB covers ($5-15 a piece) with a few workhorse fitteds or AIOs thrown in for use during night time changes or for babysitters.  Flats and prefolds (when fastened on with pins or a snappi) are truly the best at containing runny NB poo. 

As far as what to get for OS diapers it sounds to me like you might like an All-in-two/hybrid system.  (AI2) Generally these systems have a cover where the waterproof part (PUL or TPU) is exposed so you can re-use the cover.  Some good options are Best Bottoms, Flips, or even just getting some PUL covers like Rumparooz, Blueberry, or Sweet Pea, and laying inserts or prefolds in the cover.  Best bottoms and Flips have their own inserts that you snap or tuck into the cover, but you can also use tri-folded prefolds or flats in their covers as well.  The only downside to an AI2 is that until baby's poop gets solid, when they poop it usually gets on the cover causing you to need a new one.  If you use prefolds or flats snappied/pinned on there's less chance of this happening.  So you have to decide if you just want to get more covers or spend the bit of extra time to secure the prefold/flat on.

As far as velcro, it's great for the NB stage.  It's great for caregivers that are not familiar with CDs.  But the downsides are that it usually doesn't hold up as well as snaps do.  Also my 19 month old takes off his velcro diapers.   So we pretty much only use them when he has jeans or thicker pants on.  

Other things you'll need: a diaper pail and two liners (one for use while washing the other)  OR two large hanging wetbags for storing dirty diapers.  2-4 medium wetbags for the diaper bag (Less if you SAH and don't plan to leave the house a lot, more if the babies will be in daycare)  CD safe diaper cream (I like coconut oil and CJs Butter)  and some sort of CD safe laundry detergent.

PurpleIris30

It sounds like what we've used for our twins is what you are considering.

We did do newborn covers and prefolds (and I would highly recommend doing so rather than disposables, if you are looking to save money).  Seriously - doing a load of laundry every other day is noooo big deal in the first few weeks.

I had 8 Thirsties Duo wrap covers and 48 newborn osocozy prefolds.  This was sometimes cutting it close for every other day washing, but I didn't mind washing every day if needed, as we were trying to save money.  We did have to use preemie disposables until they were big enough to fit into the newborn cloth (about 6 lbs) and holy hell those are expensive -- we were going through a pack of 20 preemie pampers disposables a day, so about $10/day.  I had intended to buy more covers in different brands, but I found i didn't need more covers and the Thirsties worked well for us.

The newborn prefolds fit until they were about 10 lbs (so about 2 months of use for us).  We liked that system so well that we got the next size up in prefolds (osocozy infant size), and these covers and prefolds still fit at 7 months, so they've gotten a ton of use and have been a great investment.  So the Thirsties covers with 2 sizes of prefolds lasted us over 6 months of cloth diapering twins for right around $250.  

I'm now buying diapers that are considered one size diapers.  I have 9 best bottom covers (very sturdy and really like these), and I also have 4 of the Size 2 Thirsties duo wraps (although these are still too big yet, but I got them on sale for future use).  I've also purchased some of the 15-30 lb prefolds, but they are way too big yet. I really like the AI2 systems like Best Bottoms -- I used them both with prefolds and also with the Best Bottom snap-in inserts. The snap-in inserts are nice to have as the babies get wigglier during diaper changes.    

I first tried the Best Bottom covers when my girls were about 8 lbs, and they were pretty bulky at first, although they didn't leak.  They seemed to fit a little better by about 10 lbs.  But with twins (and a greatly increased likelihood of prematurity and low birth weights), it can be months before your kids are 10 lbs -- that's a ton of money in disposables.  So for twins I think getting a newborn system is well worth the money.  The newborn prefolds and covers system that I used lasted us 2 months and was the equivalent of 2 weeks of preemie disposables ($150).  It can be a long time before they can fit into one size diapers, and Best Bottoms are some of the smaller one size covers.

PurpleIris30

Oh, and we did snaps rather than velcro or aplix, since they are more durable and I like them better.  They weren't hard in the middle of the night.  But I think that's personal preference.  Others can chime in on what brands of aplix are better because some brands do not wear well at all, but others are pretty durable now.

SarahsinLove

Wow! Thank you SO much for your responses! I'll do some more research. This is so helpful!!!

I will reconsider the cloth from newborn. I was hoping to do the disposables for a short period of time but I wasn't considering how long it might take them to get to an appropriate weight for OS cloth. The idea of spending $10 a day for a couple months on disposables seems insane. Even if we do a mix of cloth and disposable it will majorly cut down on the cost.

Do any of you use the cloth diaper liners for 'solid' removal? If so how do you like them do you prefer a specific brand or are they pretty similar?

Thanks again!!

mrshudson618

SarahsinLove said:

Wow! Thank you SO much for your responses! I'll do some more research. This is so helpful!!!

I will reconsider the cloth from newborn. I was hoping to do the disposables for a short period of time but I wasn't considering how long it might take them to get to an appropriate weight for OS cloth. The idea of spending $10 a day for a couple months on disposables seems insane. Even if we do a mix of cloth and disposable it will majorly cut down on the cost.

Do any of you use the cloth diaper liners for 'solid' removal? If so how do you like them do you prefer a specific brand or are they pretty similar?

Thanks again

Liners are not useful until you have started solids, so you have at least 4-6 months to think about that. Before then, there is no need to remove poop, it goes straight into the washer as it is water soluble. 

Aurora_Borealis

SarahsinLove said:

Do any of you use the cloth diaper liners for 'solid' removal? If so how do you like them do you prefer a specific brand or are they pretty similar?

Not with a newborn. Newborn (pre-solid food eating) poo is runny and water soluble. So you just toss the poo diaper in the pail and it all comes out in your pre-rinse. If you use disposable liners with runny newborn poo you actually set yourself up for *more* poop-touching because you'll have to fish the liner out of a poop-filled diaper. And you'll still have a poop covered diaper to wash because it gets everywhere.

Also, PPs are right - get newborn diapers! Newborns easily go through 12-15 diapers per day because they often pee the second you fasten a clean diaper. DD was a singleton (and will be an only child) and I more than broke even on her newborn diapers since I sold them when she outgrew them.

freezorburn

Lots of great posts already so I'll just try to fill in with some info on flats.

Flats (+ a cover) are really the only diapers that are truly OS. They are basically a large single-layer (almost) square sheet of fabric, usually natural fibers such as cotton or hemp. Commercial flats usually are 27x27 inches up to 35x35 inches depending on who makes them. You can DIY flats by cutting up old T-shirts or sheets, or repurposing receiving blankets. You fold them to fit your baby, then put a cover on. Done. Many people find them to be the trimmest option as well, if you care about that.

Some people feel that flats have a bit of a learning curve, but really once you figure out a fold that you like, you get good at it fast -- and then you can usually adjust that fold or learn a new one as your baby grows and changes body shape.

Here are some tutorials on how to fold flats.

GMD's page showing examples of flats on babies.

Some people will fold the diaper and fasten with a snappi while babies are young and have runny poo. This allows you to re-use a cover throughout the day, unless it gets poo on it. To save time, you might fold the flats as they come out of the laundry so they are ready to go when you need them.

Once baby moves to solids it can be easier to pad-fold the flat and then fasten it on with a cover, no snappi. Very similar to an AI2 system.

Another use for a flat is to stuff it into a pocket shell. Most pockets come supplied with a MF insert, which people eventually retire in favor of a natural fiber insert. This is a great option for squirmy babies/toddlers, and also for other caregivers who might feel intimidated by folding.

Flats have a great advantage over other diapers when it comes to laundry, since they are a single layer. They wash and rinse easily, so you have fewer problems with buildup, etc. Also they dry faster than other diapers, which is nice during travel. Right now we are on vacation and I was able to hand wash for the first two days, and then we moved to another place where we have a combo W/D which means it does neither really well. But flats are forgiving, so haven't had any problems yet. I've been able to hang my flats to dry and we haven't run out of diapers yet.

Finally want to say that I also encourage you to consider having a mix of diapers in your stash. Prefolds/fitteds are great during NB stage. They are quick and easy. You can also use small prefolds to stuff pockets. As babies outgrow prefolds and fitteds, your flats will stay in circulation somehow.