Bumgenius ?

Sarahbeth612

Total newb here from N14, researching before LO gets here. Please forgive if I sound ridiculous

Originally I thought gDiapers would be an easy transition being used to disposables, but having compared them in store to Bumgenius, I'm leaning more toward those.
Just trying to visualize diaper changes, and their website isn't overly helpful. So, with BG the entire diaper goes into the pail/wetbag/etc when dirty, yes? One thing I liked about gDiapers was the flushable liners...wondering if that is more cost effective vs the amount of BG diapers needed to have on hand?

How many BG diapers would you recommend for getting started? Also, would you recommend the sprayer?

TIA!

mrshudson618

gDiapers are the combination of the worst of cloth and disposables put together, and are expensive. So, no I don't recommend them. 

Bumgenius is a brand of diaper, not a type. They make All In Ones, Pockets, and covers. If you use a freetime, or an elemental, those are all in ones. One piece that goes on just like a disposable. 

The 4.0s are  pocket diapers. It goes on in one piece, but the absorbent part in stuffed into a pocket for easier laundering and customizable absorbency. Flips are diaper covers. BG makes stay-dry inserts designed to go in these covers, but they can also be used over a prefold, flat, or fitted diaper. The cover can be re-used before washing. 

There are many other brands that make these different types of diapers. BG is one of the most popluar, but expensive IMO. Try reading the FAQ at the top of the page for some more information about brands and types. 

mrshudson618

As to how many, we recommend 36 changes for nb, 24 for one-size. None of the BG types I listed above will fit a newborn, those are all OS diapers. BG does make a nb size AIO, but they have very mixed reviews when it comes to fit and absorbency. 

You will not need a sprayer until baby is eating solids. Just toss in the pail/bag as is and then wash. I have never used a sprayer, I find the dunk and swish method to be just fine. 

Sarahbeth612

Thank you @mrshudson618‌! I feel a bit overwhelmed.
I've referred to the FAQ several times but didn't see much about brands, will recheck

mrshudson618

Sarahbeth612 said:

Thank you @mrshudson618‌! I feel a bit overwhelmed. I've referred to the FAQ several times but didn't see much about brands, will recheck

Make sure to watch the video series, she talks about a lot of different brands. 

Most helpful is just to hang out here and lurk, but ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS! We will answer, and usually nicely. It is overwhelming at first, but you will catch on quickly.

Rrrrrachel

Flush able liners allegedly make poop easier to deal with. Actual experiences vary but they will for sure not do you any good before starting solids, and even then they won't allow you to reuse the diaper or anything, so they won't save you money.

mrshudson618

Rrrrrachel said:

Flush able liners allegedly make poop easier to deal with. Actual experiences vary but they will for sure not do you any good before starting solids, and even then they won't allow you to reuse the diaper or anything, so they won't save you money.

I assumed that she was referring to the "flushable" gDiaper inserts, which are a whole other story...

Sarahbeth612

mrshudson618 said:

Rrrrrachel said:

Flush able liners allegedly make poop easier to deal with. Actual experiences vary but they will for sure not do you any good before starting solids, and even then they won't allow you to reuse the diaper or anything, so they won't save you money.

I assumed that she was referring to the "flushable" gDiaper inserts, which are a whole other story...

I was...had not seen other flushable inserts!

YellowLily2013

We use lots of bumgenius diapers. I like that they are a reputable brand and they fit a wide variety of baby body types.

While they may be more expensive than some brands. They have second sales and I heard that have good customer service. (Although I've never had to use it.)

mrshudson618

@sarahbeth612, what @Rrrrachel was referring to are liners, while the gDiaper's are inserts. Inserts actually absorb and hold the waste, held in place by a cover. Liners can sit on top of any type of diaper and can assist with poop disposal, or prevent rash creams from getting on the diaper. 

countrycotton

You can also keep an eye on the weekly swap thread. I think most here are willing to sell as well as trade. That may give you a chance to get several different diapers at a better price than new. Nothing wrong with used diapers. I gave to agree that the cloth 101series is an amazing series to help you learn. I watched it several times and had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to try out before I ever got started.

Edited to add. Also keep in mind that bumgenius and other one size diapers won't fit a newborn.

freezorburn

You might want to look around at different diaper trials and see if there is a trial that you like. The idea is that you get to try out some different diapers before committing a bunch of money to a whole stash.

Also, I'm a big advocate of having a diverse stash. DS is super-skinny and the one BG 4.0 that I saved from his diaper trial didn't really start to work for us until he was around 8-10 months, and even then I didn't like the fit until very recently (about 2 years). So if we had started out with a stash full of 4.0s I probably would have gone through a period of frustration during that first year. Instead I had a stash of mostly prefolds and was always able to get a great fit, and then I slowly built up my OS stash by trying out different brands and then buying more of what we liked. All the while feeling very confident with our prefolds. At the moment I've had to take about a dozen Simplex, which are my favorite, out of the rotation because DS is in between sizes and I can't figure out a good snap configuration for them, but thankfully we have enough of a few other brands in the mix, so we can keep on CD'ing without any mishaps.

welly01

Agree with PP's that recommend not getting all the same diaper all at once.  As always, I prefer prefolds and covers for the NB stage.  They are the cheapest way to get your feet wet.  YouTube has a ton of videos that will help you learn how to put them on.

BumGenius 4.0's are my favorite diaper and I've never heard of anyone who loves gDiapers.  Also, their diaper sprayer is good quality, although you won't need it for several months.

Sarahbeth612

Thanks so much ladies!
Did any of you supplement with any type of disposables while building a stash and finding your fav?

usernewname

If you have a diaper service in your town they usually offer a newborn trial and give you different options to try. You could do that and learn what you like and build your OS or sized stash from there.

You won't know what you like til you try. Sometimes CD are bought thinking they liked them but turn out hating them. Everyone is different and we all have our favorites

Eta. We used disposables until about 3 weeks. I had to go buy newborn covers as I have naive to think OS would cover me. So a newborn stash is quite important as since ds is almost 10 weeks and still wearing his nb covers. I would have spent more in disposables than on covers.

welly01

Sarahbeth612 said:

Thanks so much ladies! Did any of you supplement with any type of disposables while building a stash and finding your fav?

Yes.  We used disposables until the umbilical cord fell off and then continued to use up the ones we'd been given at our shower.  It can be intimidating at first, so its definitely okay to supplement when you feel like it.  I remember it took me MONTHS to leave the house in cloth, lol (which is really no big deal at all!).  Figure out what you like and what works and then just stop using sposies!

freezorburn

We started out using disposables since we were mid-renovation during my entire pregnancy, and we had no space to store or prep diapers until we moved back in to our place, which was the same week baby was due. Our diaper trial came at about 2.5-3 weeks, and by that time I was pretty convinced I wanted to make the switch, because we went through so many sposies just during those first couple of weeks. We had enough diapers in our trial to CD one day, then use sposies for a few hours or overnight while the trial diapers were being laundered and dried. I knew within the first couple of days that I wanted to get 2 dozen each of the small and medium GMD prefolds, as well as some fitteds, so that was plenty to get us started.

km_md

You got some great advice already so I'll just share a couple of my experiences.

I love BGs. They are still the best fit on my baby girl and I love their colours.

I also recommend starting out with a few different brands to see what you like. I started with BG and AC. I love them but the ACs aren't as good of a fit as id hoped. Since I started I've also tried a fitted, covers, and I just ordered a prefold with my last order. I like things about all of the different types and use them at different times so it's nice to have variety.

I didn't know much about CDing when we started so I didn't buy any nb diapers. We started cloth when DD was 8 weeks old but had a lot of leaks because she is tiny. So we used disposables until that point. We were gifted most of them, which helped because you go through so many diapers in those first few weeks. If we decide to have another, I will get some flats and covers for that period.

Good luck!

Aurora_Borealis

Sarahbeth612 said:

Thanks so much ladies! Did any of you supplement with any type of disposables while building a stash and finding your fav?

Nope. I had a newborn stash that I started using as soon as we got home from the hospital.

bumpuser9353653

We actually liked gDiapers for our first when we switched to CD at 6 weeks. They fit her well, we used their cloth inserts rather than disposable, and we never had leaks. I guess they just fit her body type well.
Unfortunately, they don't fit #2 well at all. I like their cloth inserts for stuffing pockets, but I won't be reaching for my gDiapers any time soon.

OP, if you want to try a couple out, I can sell you one or two smalls so you don't have to pay full price :-) I think we even have some disposable inserts left over.