I have a quick question. We are planning on cloth diapering for a variety of reasons (one being that we live in the country and do not have garbage pick up and need to burn our garbage or pay to dispose of it) and have enthusiastically told most of our friends and family. My sister included a "diaper raffle" in my baby shower invitation and now I'm being flooded with questions from many confused friends asking why they should bring disposables when I'm cloth diapering. I don't want to step on any toes or look ungrateful but... really?? I have no idea why she would put that in there when she knows we're CD! I'm considering telling my sister about all the inquiries and asking if these people can bring a $5 Target gift card to be entered into the raffle (I can by my CD stash from Target). What would you do?
I have a question too. Poop removal. I heard the sprayer is the way to go but is it needed? We also have just a tiny bathroom and can't keep things like a wet bag or spray guards and stuff like that is there. I need some tips. I was gonna do CD for the cost savings and keeping diapers out or landfills but I was thinking "I'll just use the flushable liners" but then I heard they bunch up when they move around and the poop ends up on the diaper anyway. Idk I have lots of questions but the poop is number one.
@adiaz132003 As far as I know the poops while baby is on a liquid diet is water soluble, so I just put them in the wash and always do a rinse cycle before I wash diapers. I rinse even if there is not a poop in the load. Once they are more solid it is up to you on a sprayer, but I just dunk them in the toilet and flush while holding them. I use an old Tupperware bowl to transform them from room to the bathroom and back when they are poop diapers. Also we have used a step trash can, with a wet bag in DD's room. At one point I even had a hanging wet bag on the back of the door for dirty diapers. The smell was only an issue once or twice really and that was when my wet bags had formed holes because I was not cleaning them properly. I only had one wet bag and would throw it in the dryer on low heat and my dryer is old and doesn't seem to have low heat.
I have a quick question. We are planning on cloth diapering for a variety of reasons (one being that we live in the country and do not have garbage pick up and need to burn our garbage or pay to dispose of it) and have enthusiastically told most of our friends and family. My sister included a "diaper raffle" in my baby shower invitation and now I'm being flooded with questions from many confused friends asking why they should bring disposables when I'm cloth diapering. I don't want to step on any toes or look ungrateful but... really?? I have no idea why she would put that in there when she knows we're CD! I'm considering telling my sister about all the inquiries and asking if these people can bring a $5 Target gift card to be entered into the raffle (I can by my CD stash from Target). What would you do?
I like having disposables on hand. I keep some in my car and some incase of diaper rash (which only happened a few times around introducing some new foods). But you can return anything you get at Target or similar for store credit (which won't necessarily help with your CD stash but can be applied to other expenses instead). It's a little strange your sister included that. But seems like a fine substitute?
ETA: it's also nice to have a few disposables for when your washing machine randomly breaks mid spin cycle and is full of all of your dirty diapers! Like me.... Right now!
@kristadee I'm not sure how to address that if invitation were already sent out, unless you have an evite or group to change information. I'm not sure if a Target gift card is much better, since raffles are usually about the quantity that is brought. Maybe just sending out a reminder of your where you are registered and putting something about cloth diapers still being preferred . This is far fetched but some people make wipes out of old clothes, and you could add a link on how to and materials. People could make and brings those for a raffle?
I have a question too. Poop removal. I heard the sprayer is the way to go but is it needed? We also have just a tiny bathroom and can't keep things like a wet bag or spray guards and stuff like that is there. I need some tips. I was gonna do CD for the cost savings and keeping diapers out or landfills but I was thinking "I'll just use the flushable liners" but then I heard they bunch up when they move around and the poop ends up on the diaper anyway. Idk I have lots of questions but the poop is number one.
I have a sprayer and it really doesn't take up much space. I don't have any spray guards or anything like that. I have a small plastic bin in DS's room that I transport dirties back and forth in and just use the one large bin in his room. I rarely needed the sprayer from 6-14 months because everything just plopped out but now they're wetter and sometimes need a little extra encouragement to get into the toilet. I also had the liners but didn't need them initially and now spraying is no big deal for me.
I have a question too. Poop removal. I heard the sprayer is the way to go but is it needed? We also have just a tiny bathroom and can't keep things like a wet bag or spray guards and stuff like that is there. I need some tips. I was gonna do CD for the cost savings and keeping diapers out or landfills but I was thinking "I'll just use the flushable liners" but then I heard they bunch up when they move around and the poop ends up on the diaper anyway. Idk I have lots of questions but the poop is number one.
You don't need to spray until LO is eating solids, so it's not an issue the first 6 months. A diaper sprayer takes up virtually no room (my bathroom is tiny, but it connects to the toilet and comes with a holder that we mounted to the side of the vanity right next to the toilet) and you don't need spray guards, although it will take a bit of practice to get the hang of doing it without spraying all over the bathroom. I've never used liners; they just seem like a hassle, and it seems like a waste to put them in every diaper when most diapers won't even get pooped in.
I've ordered a roll of the liners for poop already. They sound amazing!! I bought newborn Bummies a used set. From there I'll have to figure it out. I have also received some disposables as a gift (already!!) so we will have both if needed. Other than that I don't have any wisdom to share. When I was 5 or so I used to change my sisters diapers. The old school big piece of cloth ones with the big pins (don't poke the baby lol) we've got all sorts of great options.
Married 11/27/09 and TTC right away Dx: Complete septate uterus with cervical duplication, endometrial polyps, PCOS, endometriosis, hypo thyroid, luteal phase defect 4 uterus surgeries to correct my complete septum and to remove polyps and 2 years of seeing the RE, medicated cycles and IUIs Baby 1 and 2: BFP 3/3/11 with 2 babies EDD 11/1/11, M/C 4/6/11 Baby #3: 8/11 pregnant EDD 4/27/11 and m/c:( Baby #4: 10/12/11 BFP! EDD 6/16/12m/c 10/26/11 Baby #5: 3/13/12 BFP! EDD 11/25/12 ANOTHER m/c
Baby #6: 2/14/13- BFP! EDD 10/24/13, CP 2/19/13 Baby #7: 3/15/13- BFP! EDD 11/27/13, another CP Baby #8. BFP 5/19/13 EDD 1/22/14. 8 was not our lucky number
4th septum resection on 5/31/13. Baby #9: 6/29/13 BFP. C section scheduled for March 5th!
My miracle baby was born March 5 at 9:33am. He was 8 lbs 12.5 oz and 21.25 inches long!
There is a little company close to me that has a newborn CD rental service. You can choose boy/girl/neutral, and they have a few different diaper style options in their packages. Is this something that might be a good idea? I'm a FTM so I have no idea what my CD preference will be, and they have a "sample pack" where you can rent and try several different styles... Also, is it gross/ weird to rent newborn diapers?
There is a little company close to me that has a newborn CD rental service. You can choose boy/girl/neutral, and they have a few different diaper style options in their packages. Is this something that might be a good idea? I'm a FTM so I have no idea what my CD preference will be, and they have a "sample pack" where you can rent and try several different styles... Also, is it gross/ weird to rent newborn diapers?
This is a really good idea and not gross at all. Our newborn diapers were secondhand, which was awesome since we had expected we would just have to use disposables until after the umbilical stump came off. Rental will be a great way to try some different styles and get in the groove of CD right away.
On the sprayer question -- we have never had one. We used disposable liners during the early solid foods stage, and once things got more solid, we stopped using those. Now at 26 months, most of the time gravity is enough to get the poop off the diaper; if there's anything left over, I'll just use a couple of squares of TP to wipe it off.
@gray51015 - I would recommend a diaper service that allows you to try different styles of cloth diapers before committing to buying a stash if you're new to cloth diapering. It allows you to figure out your ideal system and what fits your baby best. I had planned on that before having my son, but there wasn't a diaper service in our area.
@kristadee the diaper raffle may have been for people to bring cloth diapers instead of disposables either way some disposables are good to have just incase and target and Walmart are good for size exchange or credit for unopened packages.
@adiaz132003 breastfed newborn poops are water soluble so they don't have to be rinsed before the wash (beyond the prerinse cycle) formula fed or solid/puree food will need to be rinsed off first before washer I've been CD for almost 2 years and don't own a diaper sprayer when I lived in an apartment I pushed as much poop off into the toilet with a piece of toilet paper or wipe then scrubed the remaining off in the sink with a cheap scrubie (plastic version of an SOS pad often used for fish tanks) I still do the same but we have an industrial sink beside my washer I use instead. Another option if your shower head has a long enough hose you can use that as your diaper sprayer if it reaches your toilet. As for flushable liners I do occasionally use them especially around the time my son usually poops but they are a pain some days and they do sometimes bunch up sometimes not.
As for the original post lots of good info on here look for a local cloth diaper retailer they sometimes have cloth diaper work shops and trail packages my local on for 35$ gives you a bunch of different brands and styles to use for 2 weeks to see what you like/what works on baby.
I personally use pockets I like how quick they dry and how customizeable the absorbance is I prestuff all of them so its just like having a disposable ready to go. I used sunbaby OS size 1 (6-22lbs)for my son I didn't discover this brand until he was 2 months everything else he leaked outta because he was so small and skinny (sunbaby size 2 is also newborn size but for chubby babies) then when he grew out of them I used kawaii OS (8-36lbs) though often don't fit until 12-14lbs depending on your babies chubbiness. And he still uses them I also have a few alva brand but prefer kawaii the most we use disposables at night majority of the time because we at the time had compression leaks I don't know if we still do cause I couldn't be bothered to try again and didn't want to spend money on fitteds or hybrids.
The 3 brands I listed are classified as china cheapies I paid about 5-8$CAD per diaper and I have a stash of 28 sunbaby 28 kawaii 6 goodnight heavywetter kawaii (thicker pul) and 4-5 alva. I ordered my kawaii off of www.theluvyourbaby.com and wait til they have deals. I do recommended trying a couple different types.
@gray51015 no its not gross if your getting it from a reputable place they strip (thoroughly clean) the diapers between customers. It's a great way to try different types and brands.
Also, it's not gross or weird to use previously used diapers. A service professionally cleans them, just like they do with linens in hospitals, and I've purchased used diapers for my own personal stash. I just made sure to thoroughly clean them before use.
I send my daughter to an in-home daycare with cloth diapers. She just puts them in the wetbag and I put them in our diaper pail when we get home. For poop, we use a flushable linear that allows for poop to be flushed before the diaper is put in the wetbag. I would suggest going to a cloth diaper store if you have one in your area. It's so helpful to see them.
So excited I found a cloth diaper store that sells many different kinds and they do workshops to show you ins and outs and see what kind you might want to try! Going to sign up for a class this month. I'll let you guys know how it goes. I feel it will be easier to get a feel for it if I can see one in person haha
I guess I'm a really old school old mom. I'm on baby 5 and I love tushieties.com I also use Dappi nylon diaper covers. I also ran a daycare for 8 years using all sorts of CD's. I have even used old school double-napped flannel, kite folded, safety pinned with rubber pants. Tushie ties are made of bamboo velour. They are 10x more absorbent than cotton and naturally anti-microbial. The Dappi covers are soft and hold in even the WORST yellow poop blowouts.
I have been looking into Grovia ones, I love that you need less shells and use inserts. I need to read the rest of the comments but anyone just love these? The seem to make the most sense for me. FTM here but I understand the importance of CD. Also I was going to buy the poop inserts for after 6 months when its solid. you just take it out and flush. I have been researching for hours. My only worry is it won't fit a newborn. I was a tiny baby at 6lbs 8 oz so If my child is too then idk what to use for newborn. any ideas? Would an AIO be best in new born size?
I used CD for my son and plan to use them with this baby. Every time I bought a package of disposables (travelling, grandparents house, etc) it made me glad all over again when I saw the price! I ended up with a huge stash of mostly Sunbaby, Alva and AnAn Baby as well as a few of the more expensive brands. I also had a set of newborn from Alva because they were cheap enough to make it worthwhile. We used mostly charcoal bamboo liners rather than microfiber because the absorbency was so much better. We also used the thin bamboo only liners with another one for overnight, car trips etc just for added security.
I would never want to use CD without my sprayer, it didn't seem like a big deal at first but once he started solids it totally made sense.
You can rent trial kits from places online if you don't have local stores, I think Nikki's Diapers has a few different options. We had a variety of things that we liked and used at various times over the two years. As a bonus, people were pretty surprised that our son potty trained so early, but that seems to be more typical with babies who wear cloth.
Our son went to a daycare that was great about accepting cloth. We took in a big bag of clean diapers at the beginning of the week and each day we were required to bring a plastic container that sealed completely for them to put dirty diapers in each day. We just used a snapping Rubbermaid container with a lid that we kept a wet bag in. I'd stuff diapers on the weekend, put a liner in each, roll them up and put them in the bag. Each day we'd bring home the dirties and wash every couple days. I ordered Country Save detergent off Amazon because it was easy and affordable and it was a brand I'd used and loved before. Then we would dry with dryer balls (dryer sheets with hurt the absorbency) and it was never a big deal. I just use the same system for my regular laundry because I have sensitive skin so I never used anything strongly scented or much fabric softener anyway.
People thought we were crazy but it really turned out to be pretty easy and affordable. I loved collecting all the fun prints to show off and didn't find it was really that much more work once we got into a routine. I did buy enough diapers to get me through a week of daycare though, so I would just wash/stuff on the weekends. For me, it was a great investment and we'll be able to use the same liners and diapers again.
I have been looking into Grovia ones, I love that you need less shells and use inserts. I need to read the rest of the comments but anyone just love these? The seem to make the most sense for me. FTM here but I understand the importance of CD. Also I was going to buy the poop inserts for after 6 months when its solid. you just take it out and flush. I have been researching for hours. My only worry is it won't fit a newborn. I was a tiny baby at 6lbs 8 oz so If my child is too then idk what to use for newborn. any ideas? Would an AIO be best in new born size?
I had trouble with Grovia when my baby was younger (like <6 months) because my baby would freak out when she peed in them. Like, LOST HER MIND. She didn't like having the absorbent cotton right against her skin, I think. It probably could've been solved by putting a fleece liner over top but since we had a mix of different diaper types, I just used the pockets we had instead since they come with the fleece/moisture-wicking layer built in and absorbency goes inside. She isn't so bothered by stuff like that now and I use other types of diapers (mostly at night) that don't have a moisture-wicking layer with no problems, but we already sold off the few Grovias we had. I know lots of moms who love them! They were easy to sell
I mostly used AIO for newborn. I found it was worth it to buy a newborn stash as one-size diapers were ridiculous on my newborn, even though she was 8 lbs at birth and they "technically" fit. You could probably find someone selling an entire newborn stash used if you start looking online now. Even if you do buy them new, I really find diapers very easy to resell.
I have been looking into Grovia ones, I love that you need less shells and use inserts. I need to read the rest of the comments but anyone just love these? The seem to make the most sense for me. FTM here but I understand the importance of CD. Also I was going to buy the poop inserts for after 6 months when its solid. you just take it out and flush. I have been researching for hours. My only worry is it won't fit a newborn. I was a tiny baby at 6lbs 8 oz so If my child is too then idk what to use for newborn. any ideas? Would an AIO be best in new born size?
One size cloth diapers will not fit a newborn. They won't fit until around 12-15 lbs. You can either buy newborn cloth (we used pre folds and covers as a cost effective way to do that with DD), of some choose to use disposables until their baby fits into the one-size cloth.
Sorry to resurrect an old thread; I thought it might be helpful if the majority of our cloth diaper stuff stays in one spot.
****QUESTION****
Can someone give some names of places where they do the cloth diaper swaps, or sell them gently used? I've heard lots of people say that there are forums on Facebook and such, but when I search I don't really find anyone selling, just chatting about CD. I'm hoping to start my stash soon, and want to find the best deals possible.
Who has bought gently used cloth diapers online? I'm not really comfortable with the whole Craig's list buy sell trade group scene. Any websites y'all like? I'm looking to get a small collection and both cloth and use disposable with this baby.
Try https://www.diaperswappers.com/ -- big online cloth diaper community with a secondhand marketplace. I have bought cloth diapers off Craigslist, but I made my husband talk on the phone to the seller and sent him to pick them up, since... well, you never know.
I bought some from kijiji (like Craigslist) just by a Google search. There seem to be lots of choices online if you do some searching. I'm going to check out the Costco one above too (the price is pretty good)
@gray51015 there are a ton of BST site on Facebook for CD. I mostly just put in a brand name and added bst next to it in the search line and found them. I'll link a couple for you though.
If you're looking to buy certain brands you can search for that group on Facebook. You usually pay around $5 for shipping and it will be included in the price (ex. $25ppd)
Selling in brand specific groups seems to be the highest return in my opinion if you're looking to sell unwanted cloth in the future.
I did just what @Emztron500 did and searched for a local cloth diaper group on Facebook. Last weekend I was able to double my stash of Bumgenius 4.0s by buying half of a nice mama's diaper stash after she finished potty training her twin toddlers. It's perfect since we're expecting twins and my son will be out of diapers before the twins are born.
This is a great thread. I've been watching hours of YouTube reviews trying to prep for this. FTM and new to CD. I plan to use a service in Cincinnati. They just don't provide covers.
Something that was a deal breaker for me was the snaps versus velcro debate. So for anyone curious, velcro can become weak after a certain amount of washing. Snaps are good because I've heard eventually babies figure out how to take covers off if it is velcro. However some people don't like snaps because they are predetermined sizes like a belt. Velcro is the most similar to putting on a disposable.
Just research that part. It made a difference in which covers I looked at.
This is a great thread. I've been watching hours of YouTube reviews trying to prep for this. FTM and new to CD. I plan to use a service in Cincinnati. They just don't provide covers.
Something that was a deal breaker for me was the snaps versus velcro debate. So for anyone curious, velcro can become weak after a certain amount of washing. Snaps are good because I've heard eventually babies figure out how to take covers off if it is velcro. However some people don't like snaps because they are predetermined sizes like a belt. Velcro is the most similar to putting on a disposable.
Just research that part. It made a difference in which covers I looked at.
I've had lots of both and I am firmly in the snaps camp! Velcro is a laundry nightmare (if you forget to stick it down before washing, it snags on everything in the wash and does serious damage to fabrics) and like you said, once babies get a little older they love pulling it off. Snaps aren't as adjustable I guess but I've never seen a cover that didn't have tons of snaps on it so that you could choose the ones that fit best.
Question for CD mommies....how do you store/display them? Trying to get pieces for the nursery one at a time. And I have to clue how I want to do this. Interested in pics and tips for setting up a bomb diaper stash.
Ok so I started my 1 1/2 year old on cloth diapers! I got my stash ready and figured if I have them here I might as well. Today is the first day and were using bumgenius AIOs to start off our trial, wish us luck!
Ok so I started my 1 1/2 year old on cloth diapers! I got my stash ready and figured if I have them here I might as well. Today is the first day and were using bumgenius AIOs to start off our trial, wish us luck!
Good luck! Let us know how it goes! My friend, who is my cloth diaper guru, suggested BG AIOs, so that is what we will be going with (after getting through the newborn phase for which I have FuzziBuns newborn diapers and borrowed workhorses and covers).
Ok so I started my 1 1/2 year old on cloth diapers! I got my stash ready and figured if I have them here I might as well. Today is the first day and were using bumgenius AIOs to start off our trial, wish us luck!
Good luck! Let us know how it goes! My friend, who is my cloth diaper guru, suggested BG AIOs, so that is what we will be going with (after getting through the newborn phase for which I have FuzziBuns newborn diapers and borrowed workhorses and covers).
Thank you! Ya I've heard good things and I bought 60 for $200 off Craigslist and I was psyched, it's over $1,000 worth! For NB I found a great sale where pockets were $6-7 a piece so i bought some of Those. I have pockets in O/S to try those out as well. Really the only thing I don't have is pockets and covers but hey id be willing to try those too haha
Question for CD mommies....how do you store/display them? Trying to get pieces for the nursery one at a time. And I have to clue how I want to do this. Interested in pics and tips for setting up a bomb diaper stash.
When I used to have a baby I could park in one spot for a while, I would stuff and fold all my pockets and line them up (folded like they were being worn and snapped shut with one snap) in baskets, bottom fold up. Our changing table is an old tall dresser with the drawers removed. I repainted it and turned the drawer spots into shelves, and each shelf fits two baskets of about 12-14 diapers each.
Full disclosure, though, now that she's a toddler and we spend all our time picking up toys and books and whatever she's strewn around her room after waking up from her nap, usually the clean diapers just stay in the clean pail liner after it all comes back from the laundry, and we pick them out and stuff them one at a time. When we need the pail liner, the diapers have been getting dumped in the vacant crib. (My husband is the stay-at-home parent. This is not how I would do it, but I've learned to let some things go. Obviously we'll have to get a better system together by the time the crib is back in use.)
Also, velcro/aplix closures are the worst, even on good quality diapers. My two velcro closure BG 4.0s became unreliable after just a few uses. The exception, in my experience, is gDiapers. I haven't had any real problems with those velcro closures, although you have to remember to close them on themselves before you put them in the laundry or they stick to everything.
Re: Cloth diaper mamas
Also we have used a step trash can, with a wet bag in DD's room. At one point I even had a hanging wet bag on the back of the door for dirty diapers. The smell was only an issue once or twice really and that was when my wet bags had formed holes because I was not cleaning them properly. I only had one wet bag and would throw it in the dryer on low heat and my dryer is old and doesn't seem to have low heat.
ETA: it's also nice to have a few disposables for when your washing machine randomly breaks mid spin cycle and is full of all of your dirty diapers! Like me.... Right now!
Married 11/27/09 and TTC right away
Dx: Complete septate uterus with cervical duplication, endometrial polyps, PCOS, endometriosis, hypo thyroid, luteal phase defect
4 uterus surgeries to correct my complete septum and to remove polyps and 2 years of seeing the RE, medicated cycles and IUIs
Baby 1 and 2: BFP 3/3/11 with 2 babies EDD 11/1/11, M/C 4/6/11
Baby #3: 8/11 pregnant EDD 4/27/11 and m/c:(
Baby #4: 10/12/11 BFP! EDD 6/16/12m/c 10/26/11
Baby #5: 3/13/12 BFP! EDD 11/25/12 ANOTHER m/c
Baby #6: 2/14/13- BFP! EDD 10/24/13, CP 2/19/13
Baby #7: 3/15/13- BFP! EDD 11/27/13, another CP
Baby #8. BFP 5/19/13 EDD 1/22/14. 8 was not our lucky number
4th septum resection on 5/31/13.
Baby #9: 6/29/13 BFP. C section scheduled for March 5th!
My miracle baby was born March 5 at 9:33am. He was 8 lbs 12.5 oz and 21.25 inches long!
*** Question***
There is a little company close to me that has a newborn CD rental service. You can choose boy/girl/neutral, and they have a few different diaper style options in their packages. Is this something that might be a good idea? I'm a FTM so I have no idea what my CD preference will be, and they have a "sample pack" where you can rent and try several different styles... Also, is it gross/ weird to rent newborn diapers?
On the sprayer question -- we have never had one. We used disposable liners during the early solid foods stage, and once things got more solid, we stopped using those. Now at 26 months, most of the time gravity is enough to get the poop off the diaper; if there's anything left over, I'll just use a couple of squares of TP to wipe it off.
@adiaz132003 breastfed newborn poops are water soluble so they don't have to be rinsed before the wash (beyond the prerinse cycle) formula fed or solid/puree food will need to be rinsed off first before washer I've been CD for almost 2 years and don't own a diaper sprayer when I lived in an apartment I pushed as much poop off into the toilet with a piece of toilet paper or wipe then scrubed the remaining off in the sink with a cheap scrubie (plastic version of an SOS pad often used for fish tanks) I still do the same but we have an industrial sink beside my washer I use instead. Another option if your shower head has a long enough hose you can use that as your diaper sprayer if it reaches your toilet. As for flushable liners I do occasionally use them especially around the time my son usually poops but they are a pain some days and they do sometimes bunch up sometimes not.
As for the original post lots of good info on here look for a local cloth diaper retailer they sometimes have cloth diaper work shops and trail packages my local on for 35$ gives you a bunch of different brands and styles to use for 2 weeks to see what you like/what works on baby.
I personally use pockets I like how quick they dry and how customizeable the absorbance is I prestuff all of them so its just like having a disposable ready to go. I used sunbaby OS size 1 (6-22lbs)for my son I didn't discover this brand until he was 2 months everything else he leaked outta because he was so small and skinny (sunbaby size 2 is also newborn size but for chubby babies) then when he grew out of them I used kawaii OS (8-36lbs) though often don't fit until 12-14lbs depending on your babies chubbiness. And he still uses them I also have a few alva brand but prefer kawaii the most we use disposables at night majority of the time because we at the time had compression leaks I don't know if we still do cause I couldn't be bothered to try again and didn't want to spend money on fitteds or hybrids.
The 3 brands I listed are classified as china cheapies I paid about 5-8$CAD per diaper and I have a stash of 28 sunbaby 28 kawaii 6 goodnight heavywetter kawaii (thicker pul) and 4-5 alva. I ordered my kawaii off of www.theluvyourbaby.com and wait til they have deals. I do recommended trying a couple different types.
@gray51015 no its not gross if your getting it from a reputable place they strip (thoroughly clean) the diapers between customers. It's a great way to try different types and brands.
I would never want to use CD without my sprayer, it didn't seem like a big deal at first but once he started solids it totally made sense.
You can rent trial kits from places online if you don't have local stores, I think Nikki's Diapers has a few different options. We had a variety of things that we liked and used at various times over the two years. As a bonus, people were pretty surprised that our son potty trained so early, but that seems to be more typical with babies who wear cloth.
Our son went to a daycare that was great about accepting cloth. We took in a big bag of clean diapers at the beginning of the week and each day we were required to bring a plastic container that sealed completely for them to put dirty diapers in each day. We just used a snapping Rubbermaid container with a lid that we kept a wet bag in. I'd stuff diapers on the weekend, put a liner in each, roll them up and put them in the bag. Each day we'd bring home the dirties and wash every couple days. I ordered Country Save detergent off Amazon because it was easy and affordable and it was a brand I'd used and loved before. Then we would dry with dryer balls (dryer sheets with hurt the absorbency) and it was never a big deal. I just use the same system for my regular laundry because I have sensitive skin so I never used anything strongly scented or much fabric softener anyway.
People thought we were crazy but it really turned out to be pretty easy and affordable. I loved collecting all the fun prints to show off and didn't find it was really that much more work once we got into a routine. I did buy enough diapers to get me through a week of daycare though, so I would just wash/stuff on the weekends. For me, it was a great investment and we'll be able to use the same liners and diapers again.
I mostly used AIO for newborn. I found it was worth it to buy a newborn stash as one-size diapers were ridiculous on my newborn, even though she was 8 lbs at birth and they "technically" fit. You could probably find someone selling an entire newborn stash used if you start looking online now. Even if you do buy them new, I really find diapers very easy to resell.
Sorry to resurrect an old thread; I thought it might be helpful if the majority of our cloth diaper stuff stays in one spot.
****QUESTION****
Can someone give some names of places where they do the cloth diaper swaps, or sell them gently used? I've heard lots of people say that there are forums on Facebook and such, but when I search I don't really find anyone selling, just chatting about CD. I'm hoping to start my stash soon, and want to find the best deals possible.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/207260886055365/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/484132468273467/
Selling in brand specific groups seems to be the highest return in my opinion if you're looking to sell unwanted cloth in the future.
Something that was a deal breaker for me was the snaps versus velcro debate. So for anyone curious, velcro can become weak after a certain amount of washing. Snaps are good because I've heard eventually babies figure out how to take covers off if it is velcro. However some people don't like snaps because they are predetermined sizes like a belt. Velcro is the most similar to putting on a disposable.
Just research that part. It made a difference in which covers I looked at.
When I used to have a baby I could park in one spot for a while, I would stuff and fold all my pockets and line them up (folded like they were being worn and snapped shut with one snap) in baskets, bottom fold up. Our changing table is an old tall dresser with the drawers removed. I repainted it and turned the drawer spots into shelves, and each shelf fits two baskets of about 12-14 diapers each.
Full disclosure, though, now that she's a toddler and we spend all our time picking up toys and books and whatever she's strewn around her room after waking up from her nap, usually the clean diapers just stay in the clean pail liner after it all comes back from the laundry, and we pick them out and stuff them one at a time. When we need the pail liner, the diapers have been getting dumped in the vacant crib. (My husband is the stay-at-home parent. This is not how I would do it, but I've learned to let some things go. Obviously we'll have to get a better system together by the time the crib is back in use.)
Also, velcro/aplix closures are the worst, even on good quality diapers. My two velcro closure BG 4.0s became unreliable after just a few uses. The exception, in my experience, is gDiapers. I haven't had any real problems with those velcro closures, although you have to remember to close them on themselves before you put them in the laundry or they stick to everything.