March 2017 Moms

Cloth diapering

I am a STM but never even attempted the first time to cloth diaper. This time I'm intrigued but have no idea where to start. does anyone/ has anyone cloth diapered? What is your favorite brand? Do you think it's worth it? Any warnings?
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Re: Cloth diapering

  • I didn't cloth diaper, but just saw that you asked about any warnings so wanted to mention that if your kid goes to daycare, some of them might not be on the cloth diaper train and may require regular diapers only. Obviously if you're a SAHM then this would be a non-issue.
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  • @ElsjaT thank you so much for the wisdom. I've heard good things about the bumgenius too. I will definitely look into those. Have you found that you have to get bigger sizes as they grow? Also are diaper covers necessary? I hope it's OK to pick your brain a little
  • @kiyamurph really good point! Thank you for saying that. The plan is to work from home mostly but you never know and that is good to keep in mind
  • Another Bumgenious 4.0 mom. LOVED them. Also recommend some wet bags (Planetwise makes great bags available on Amazon). Our house smelled way better before switching to disposable diapers which we had to do when kids hit about 18 months, just due to the volume of pee. The wet bags did a better job of containing smells than our diaper trashcans.

    Not all day cares will use cloth, but ours did. About half the infants were cloth diapered at our center!

    I work for a company that makes disposable diapers and I still choose cloth, if that tells you anything!
  • CbeanzCbeanz member
    edited October 2016
    I have 25 all in ones. I'd recommend at least that many. In the beginning they went through about 10 diapers per day so I was washing diapers every 2 days. The more you have the less often you need to wash. The cotton ones take longer to dry than the microfiber, which line dry overnight, so I'd recommend the microfiber all the way.

    Regarding the extra laundry, with the amount of laundry I do each week, the extra diaper loads weren't even noticeable. And line drying saves energy.
    @babyspice
  • I loved Bum Genius 4.0's too! They fit my DS really well. I also used flip covers with inserts when he was less active. Blueberry Newborn AIO's are on my must buy list to try out for when LO gets here. I've heard they are one of the best for newborns. I didn't start CDing my DS until he was 8/9 months. 

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    Pregnancy Ticker
  • @ElsjaT @Cbeanz @betsy538 left out one of the most important questions. How many should I get?? It's hard how many I'll go through in a day. I plan on washing them very regularly but would like a good amount to get through a few days.
  • We've done both.  I find myself wanting to only do disposable lately ((but feel guilty and use cloth most days)) with solid toddler poops combined with pregnancy smells and gag reflex it's so much nicer to toss in the trash. 

    i didn't start cloth till DD was a month or two. When they are newborns you change them what feels like a hundred times a day-and all night: so I didn't want to need so many diapers and all the laundry while getting used to a baby--and I'll be doing the same this time. Also got quite a few packs of diapers as gifts that took a while to go through.  When they're older you don't have to change them nearly as often so you don't need as many. We use disposable overnight for leak issues and comfort - and I wash the cloth every other night.  Also use bumb genius: all in one.  Not a huge huge fan: takes a while to dry, pretty bulky.  But I chose this because it was the one option that DH was on board with and I thought it wouldnt be confusing to him or other family or friends that might change a diaper. 
  • @babyspice I have somewhere around 25 diapers, I was washing every 2-4 days depending on his usage. Another thing to think of is what kind of washer you have, and what kind of detergent you will use. Front load washers are notorious for stink issues. I used a free and clear (can't remember the brand right off hand), I have a top load, and never had smelly diapers. I really didn't strip my diapers too often, just if I was having problems with leaking, or another issue. 

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    Pregnancy Ticker
  • Great question! I used them with my second child but my sister gave them to me and so I wasn't sure which ones to try. She also can't remember the name brand she used. I loved them but I stayed home for almost 6 months. 

  • We have about 30 bum genius 4.0's... Our daycare doesn't do cloth so we don't go through as many during the week anymore.. But when I was home and on weekends it's probably about 8 or so a day... Sometimes more- our son is now starting to tell us when he is wet or is pooping so we seem to be back to changing more frequently... Fingers crossed for early potty training! Lol
    we wash every other day typically-maybe every 3rd day during the week. I've never found the extra laundry to be an issue. Hang up at night and they are dry by the morning- minus the prefolds- they take longer to dry. In the summer we hang to dry outside regularly to help keep the stains away. The sun works wonders on stained inserts!
  • I have 18 Charlie banana diapers and 6 nameless WAHM diapers for night time. We washed every other day and had no issues. Charlie banana was great for my skinny legged baby! I wasn't able to cloth diaper as much with my second because we lived with my parents and they didn't want me washing diapers in their machine :( but next one for sure will be a CD baby!
  • We exclusively use Applecheeks. Pricey, but worth it. The fit and style is great. I have a whole stash of size 2's from my toddler.. but I don't know if I have it in me to CD this baby too. 
    Lilypie Maternity tickers

    <3 Mama to 2 girls - H&I <3
  • I used bumgenious 4.0 with my first child. They worked well, but after my second was born, I decided it was too much work. Not even considering it for #3. I have way too much regular laundry to keep out with! I think it's different for each person and family and their priorities. Def start with a day or two's worth and see if you like all aspects of it before buying a lot. 
  • I love Kawaii diapers. The website is theluvyourbaby.com and today they're doing a 30% off your order sale with a code on their website, and orders over $80 USD or $100 CAD get free shipping. We've had very good luck with their newborn pocket diapers and their overnight heavy wetter diapers. 
    I'm addicted to fluff. I have 42 diapers in my cart right now that I want to get because I love the patterns. With the discount today it's only $230 for all 42, so I'm seriously tempted to get them and complete my stash for my babes.
    ME: 26  |  DH: 33
    Dating: March 17, 2008
    Married: May 18, 2013
    BFP: August 16, 2014
    Our rainbow baby after two losses. Rest sweetly, my angels. 

    IT'S A GIRL!EDD: April 10, 2015
    (Formerly known as amandastewart51813)


  • Resurrecting this thread!  
    I want to know how people got started CDing a newborn - what are the basics to get started with? Did people use the 30-day trials with newborns, or just buy a small amount of a couple brands before they were born? Did you start with the one size fits all ones and have success, or were they too big for your LO at first? 
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • That's my question also. I put them in my registry. I figured if I can get people to buy a few then I'll have a nice stash but I'm nervous about the newborn stage because I don't know yet how big or small this one will be. That's my biggest stressor right now.

  • I personally skipped the newborns and chose to do disposable the first month or two to adjust to having a kid before I adjusted to cd-ing. I also had a good amount of disposables gifted to me at showers and when ppl came to visit that I needed to use before she grew out of them. There are pros and cons to this.  It definitely was nice to not need to have all the extra laundry on top of everything else.  My DD and I had some nursing issues and diapers were constant poopy slimy mess and we were round the clock changing.  So on one hand I think it worked well for me.  On the other-sometimes I wonder if I had done only cloth from the beginning I wouldn't be so tempted still to the ease of just tossing all the messy ones in the trash ;) haha.
  • I am a FTM and wanted to CD right from the beginning but ended up waiting a few months because I was overwhelmed with all I had to learn and adjust to at first.  The brand I bought was Lil Helper AI2 and although I didn't use them on my newborn they are so adjustable that they would fit (and I have seen other newborns in them and seen to fit just fine)!  Lil Helper has a trial diaper deal so you can try out 2 diapers with inserts and see if you like them without spending too much - https://www.lilhelper.ca/cloth-diaper-trial-offer (Canada) or https://www.lilhelperdiapers.com/trial-diaper-deal-35-off-on-2-print-diapers-free-ship-new-customers-us-only (US). 

    I have to admit that I do still use disposables occasionally, when we are out for the day and sometimes overnight just to make things easier for me.  Currently I have about 18 diapers with 10 extra inserts and that is more than enough for my LO who is 10 months now. The charcoal inserts are amazing, they keep my baby's skin dry so I haven't had any problems with diaper rash since switching!  Their bamboo liners are also great for wicking moisture away :)  I can't say enough good things about this company, their customer service is amazing if you have any questions or issues with their product, they care about making sure you are satisfied!

    For anyone unsure about which CD company to try I would definitely recommend you give Lil Helper a try!!
  • Anyone have more cloth diaper questions or stashes to share?

    My cousin just gifted me these cuties and I'm getting more encouraged about thinking about doing this whole cloth diapering thing again.  Still thinking the first month at least I'll stick to disposable as I adjust. But that may change.  Anyone else CD with two kids in diapers at the same time? 


  • @kjd291 Those diapers are too cute!!! I'm following your question. I plan on CDing with twins. Yes, I might be crazy.

    I've started a stash of prefolds and covers in XS and S sizes and my mom really really wants to sew me some covers for when they're bigger. We'll see!
  • @direwolfmini awesome!! And no, Not crazy at all! Big cost savings, and (at least in my head) I think it should be the same work as with one... cuz the extra work is really just running the wash/dry cycles with them, folding etc. so it's the same time spent for two as one kid-just getting more washed at one time! 

    My person lazy thought is the work that goes into two separate sized butts... I have mostly pocket and all in ones with the snaps... so do I just change the sizes for each diaper change depending on the kid and take from one pile? Try and be organized enough to have two seporate pre-snapped piles? ...I'm sure I'm overthinking it. Hahaha. 
  • Would you consider useds or not? Any experiences with diaperswappers? 
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • @sunshine507 I'd consider used cloth diapers. After the first kid, mine were already "used" by dd1! :-)

    Wash them in hot water with bleach and they're good as new
  • Resurrecting this thread again to say I am now so excited to cloth diaper this kid. I really did a lot of research, watched a ton of YouTube videos,  found out a few of my friends cloth diapered and have been picking their brains endlessly, and this thread helped me tremendously! I actually feel like I can do this! And H is really on board with it too.

    I got gifted soooo many cloth diapers from a friend who used tot bots all in ones, grovia all in 2s and rumparoos pocket diapers. The only thing I'm going to purchase on my own is 2 more thirsties duo wraps and a bunch of prefolds until I know what works best for him. Also I'm going to use cloth wipes so I think I'll start with baby washcloths.


    I am really looking forward to this and I love all the cute prints and money we're saving! Anyone else just getting started or anymore veteran advice? Have an awesome stash built up now that the time is really short or giddy like me about these things? 
  • @babyspice you are going to love it!  I was unsure of how much I'd like cloth diapering, or how long I'd stick with it, but it ended up being way better than disposables for us!  I'm getting excited again too!

    We tried prefolds very early on with DD1.  Didn't have the best luck with those - most diaper changes needed an outfit change too, and the pins scared me.  But I would like some advice on prefolds if anyone had more luck with them.
  • After extensive research, i decided to go with prefolds and fitteds from Green Mountain Diapers and a variety of different covers. I decided on this method vs all in ones because I liked the idea of cotton against their skin and the ease of cleaning (normal detergent, ok to dry in the dryer).

    I got my newborn stash used: A hand full of fitteds and mostly prefolds with thirsties xs and duo wrap size 1 covers. The duo wraps should last past newborn.

    I have prefolds (4 dozen each size newborn - medium) that should fit them up through about 18-20 months old and have thirsties duo wrap size 2's, flips, best bottoms, and blueberry one size covers. I have far less of the one size/size two covers. I wanted to wait to see what works best for my boys before I go crazy building a stash. My mom LOVES to sew and asked that I give her the chance to try to make some covers for me. She's really excited about it, even with super expensive PUL fabric at full price, it would cost about $5 to make each cover, vs buying new covers for $15-$20. We were able to get a REALLY good deal on some PUL, so it'll be worth a try even if they don't end up working.

    I also have about 6-8 fitted diapers in each size newborn - medium (up to about 20 months) and then 4 each of size large and xl (good through potty training). I'm assuming that we'll like the fitteds way better, but they were a lot more expensive. If we find that we like them better, I will probably sell off some of prefolds and stock up on the fitted diapers.

    I might add some all in ones, as I think it might make it easier for my husband (he's disabled, and uses a wheelchair to get around most of the time). 

    I also plan on doing cloth wipes, my mom is making those with remnants of flannel and terry cloth.

    @babyspice what are you doing for a diaper pail? Are you doing a normal trash can with a wet bag, or a hanging wet bag?

  • @Cbeanz I took forever to write that response and didn't see your reply (soo distracted tonight!) I'm scared of diaper pins, too, but I plan on using Snappis: https://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/snappi-diaper-fasteners.html and once I get more confident I might work my way up to pins.

    It is a bit of a gamble to do the prefolds, but the resale market for cloth diapers is so good, that I am not too concerned if it doesn't work out for us because I'm sure I can resell them fairly easily. 

    I was cloth diapered and so were my brothers, and my mom is going to be helping me a lot with the twins, so I'm hoping that she remembers some tricks from 30 years ago!
  • @direwolfmini my friend that gifted me all of her cloth diapers gave me her bright orange home depot bucket with lid that they used along with a couple of large wet bags that fit in the bucket (she never snapped the bucket closed just put it on top lightly). She said she never had an issue with smell with that system. So for right now I have that set up where I'll be diapering with that said .... I just put on my Amazon wish list a simple human step-on-to-open trash can and a couple of the larger diaper pail liners with the pul lining in them because it just seems more simple to do one handed.

    @Cbeanz I'm starting to get fanatical about it :D it is nice to see someone who has done it before be excited about it again too!

    I like the fact that all of this can be extremely simple and cost effective but you can easily make small modifications to things you want for convenience. 
  • Hanging wet bag worked so well for us!

    This one in a size Large.  There was zero smell in the house.  Then I had a couple more small size for traveling and to drop off at daycare eventually.

    We switched to disposable diapers around 18 months old and let me tell you, there was no way to contain that smell.  Maybe a diaper genie works but we don't have one.
  • Just washed and hung dry the covers and prefolds I got used over the weekend and I'm curious if anyone has any tips to soften the prefolds after the sun has kind of "crisped" them up
  • @babyspice I'm insanely jealous that you live somewhere where there is sun! We had about 5 minutes of sunshine today, and it was the first time in more than a week!!!!

    That being said, you might consider getting some wool dryer balls and tumble drying (with or without heat) for a short time after you line dry? I have these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067STK3C/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1485799152&sr=sr-1&keywords=woolzies and they work pretty well to soften my clothes without fabric softener (they don't do much for static in non-natural fibers, though, but what can you do?)

    I've also heard that you can actually use natural fabric softener on cotton diapers:
    https://allaboutclothdiapers.com/fabric-softener-cloth-diapers/ I have yet to try, as most of mine are still very new and have only gone through the prep wash cycles.

    I'm a FTM, so all of this is speculative/based on what I've read online, but hopefully it helps?
  • @direwolfmini I love where we live in southern California and I try not to take for granted how mild our weather is for the most part but every fall/winter I miss the actual seasons where I grew up in MA. Everyone's posts about snow makes me a little jelly. The grass is always greener I suppose :D .

    Your suggestions are super helpful! I didn't even think of the wool dryer balls. I will have to look into that cloth diaper safe softer too!
  • Wanted to know what CD mamas do for diaper pails. After perusing the Babycenter CD forums, it seems that most people agree an open pail or wet bag is the way to go, as a lid can make the odour worse? Any truth to that?
  • Planet wise wet bag!!! I posted a link above.
    @mrsflamingo
  • I actually never did a diaper pail. I have my laundry room attached to our main living space, and tossed everything straight into the washing machine as I did changes. 
  • I cannot WAIT to start CDing! But I want DD to get to about 8lb so she fits better in the AIOs. We have a while to go lol!
  • Cbeanz said:
    I cannot WAIT to start CDing! But I want DD to get to about 8lb so she fits better in the AIOs. We have a while to go lol!
    Wanna take a few pounds from my kid ;) hahah.
  • kjd291 said:
    Cbeanz said:
    I cannot WAIT to start CDing! But I want DD to get to about 8lb so she fits better in the AIOs. We have a while to go lol!
    Wanna take a few pounds from my kid ;) hahah.
    My hospital discharge instructions told me not to lift anything over 10lb. I thought of you!!
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