Cloth Diapers March/April

Patience7150

Now that we have outside babies, let's chat cloth diapers!

1) Have you transitioned to CDs? If not, what's holding you up!?

2) What type(s) of CDs are you in?

3) What brands are working for you? What's not? 

4) Any ongoing issues you're having? 

5) What CDs are you eyeing to buy next!? 

SawyerRichardson

@Patience7150 Thank you for starting this! I was just trying to think of a new CD thread to start but couldn't come up with anything.

1) Have you transitioned to CDs? If not, what's holding you up!?

Yes. We did disposables for about a week or two, then have been doing CD since. My H is still hesitant on CDing so he uses what's left of the disposables when he changes her. Which is like twice a week. *eyeroll*

2) What type(s) of CDs are you in?

99% prefolds. I have a couple AIOs and I find myself avoiding using them. I feel like they aren't as absorbent as the prefolds.

3) What brands are working for you? What's not? 

We haven't really run in to anything that hasn't worked as far as brands go, just styles. I've just learned that I'm not as big of a fan of AIOs. Good thing I only bought a couple to try.

4) Any ongoing issues you're having? 

Nope. It's been going better than expected. My mom tried so hard to talk me out of CDing and I'm really glad I stuck to my guns and decided to go for it. I absolutely love it. For as much as you can love doing diapers, I guess!

5) What CDs are you eyeing to buy next!?

I originally decided to CD to save money so I'm trying reaaallllyyy hard not to look. There are so many cute designs I know if I start looking I'll end up buying more!

Gretchypoo

1) Have you transitioned to CDs? If not, what's holding you up!?

We have mostly switched to cloth, mostly prefolds because she still isn't quite fitting in some of our OS pockets. But she is super close so we are trying to only do sposies at night and when we are out.

2) What type(s) of CDs are you in?
We have mostly pockets with some prefolds with covers.

3) What brands are working for you? What's not? 
We are using Mama Koala, some pre-loved BGs and some no-brand cheapies from Amazon. They are all working pretty well right now. The fit on some fit better than others. 

4) Any ongoing issues you're having? 
Nope! Our wash routine seems to be working and H has figured out how to change a CD! He prefers the pockets to prefolds but whatevs ;-)

5) What CDs are you eyeing to buy next!? 
I'm looking at wool for night. She is a heavy wetter and I'm looking forward to sleeping through the night. Anyone ever used wool before? How did it work for you?

chef'swife

@Gretchypoo We had a wool cover for DD that we loved. I can look in my bigger size bin and let you know what brand when I get home from the park. Im pretty sure I bought on the GMD website. I also made some fleece covers that worked really well once she got to  about 6 months. 

Partyof6?

1) Have you transitioned to CDs? If not, what's holding you up!?
 Yes, but we are still doing disposables at night and out of the house out of laziness 

2) What type(s) of CDs are you in?  
BG AIO sz  xs and prefolds and covers

3) What brands are working for you? What's not?

  Prefolds are great,  I am really liking them more this time.  I have a good number of the GMD orange edge but I really need to learn how to use my flour sack towels 

4) Any ongoing issues you're having? 
Nope!

5) What CDs are you eyeing to buy next!?  
I might get the next size up in prefolds and keep going longer with those and covers.  I have a crazy number of pocket diapers from before, so technically I don't really need anything else,  but I might get some fitteds or the Grovia ones to switch things up. 

scottipino

1) Have you transitioned to CDs? If not, what's holding you up!?
We have done cloth since the end of meconium.  

2) What type(s) of CDs are you in?
Currently doing a combination of newborn sized AIOs and OS AIOs during the daytime and fitted plus cover overnight.

3) What brands are working for you? What's not? 
Newborn AIOs- Still fitting into almost everything, but using mainly blueberry simplex, bitty bees, and a few lil joeys.  Most are on the biggest settings except the simplex.  We did prefolds and covers in the beginning, but once we grew out of newborn the smalls were just huge.  We could probably add them back in, but have enough changes currently to not need them.  In OS we are using smart bottoms, lalabye, and a little known brand called Meadowlark- they have some of the cutest prints.  For overnight we are doing sloomb fitteds with a newborn cover(imagine or RAR).  Will need to size up to OS covers soon.

4) Any ongoing issues you're having? 
Only issue we are having is rashes that I thought were related to allergies, but starting to suspect it might be our detergent.  We use Tide original and I am going to try free and gentle.

5) What CDs are you eyeing to buy next!? 
Just bought the new smart bottom mabel print and more sloomb for overnights. I have a decent OS stash already so just holding out for new prints.

Xstatic3333

1) Have you transitioned to CDs? If not, what's holding you up!?
We CD from day one home from the hospital. The meconium actually washed out fine!
2) What type(s) of CDs are you in?
Quite a variety! When I change at home I used prefolds (GMD medium folded down a bit because we need the absorbency) and covers (Thirsties Duo Size 1, Nicki's NB, Best Bottoms). For out and about or H changes we are in our OS AIOs (Nicki's Bamboo, Thirsties NAIO, TotsBots Easyfit Star, a couple of Blueberry Simplex). We have a couple of TotsBots Bamboozles that I also like for sleep stretches. Once he STTN, we have two Nicki's Bamboo and one Sloomb to try, then I'll buy more of what I like.
3) What brands are working for you? What's not? 
I love the prefolds and covers. They would be all I used if I was going to SAH! They wash up without stains and I have never had them leak. For AIOs, I like the Nicki's for sleep stretches (up to 5 hours, which is as long as we go at this point), TotsBots, and the Thirsties. We have two Blueberry Simplex that I also like, but I read that the brand is having major QC issues so I'm hesitant to buy any more given the price. Imagine Bamboo is a big failure for us. The Bamboo fabric puffs out of the top and causes wicking. I can't even use them.
4) Any ongoing issues you're having? 
We had to tinker with our wash routine since we were getting musty smells at first. I upped our Tide and now we don't have that problem anymore.
5) What CDs are you eyeing to buy next!?
We found a daycare that will CD, and I'd like to send them all one kind. We think the TotsBots are the most user-friendly, so I'm hoping to get more of those during the Earth Day sales. I may also grab a few more Nicki's since they have such great absorbency that I find myself reaching for them first for naps and car rides. I want some flats to potentially use on our beach trip this summer. Other than that, I am one of those people who's gotten a little addicted and I'm sure I'll keep buying more when prints I like come out. 

becks13-2

1) Have you transitioned to CDs? If not, what's holding you up!?
I transitioned my little boy into cloth diapers about 5 days ago

2) What type(s) of CDs are you in?
I only really have a large stash of pocket diapers, I only have like two pre-folds w/shells. My pocket diapers are a brand called Giggle Life which originates in Ontario, Canada, they're fleece lined with bamboo inserts; my two pre-folds are apple cheeks brand shells with AMP hemp pre-folds. I also have two sweet pea pocket diapers I got from a co-worker

3) What brands are working for you? What's not?
I've only tried the Giggle Life and the Sweet Pea diapers for now, and I am going to have to say that the Giggle Life are a much better brand. They're pretty bulky because they're one size, but I can still get his onesies over him so I'm happy. The Sweet Pea I find leaked too much, I went to pick my little boy up and noticed that they seemed to have leaked out the leg all onto his onesie... I won't be using them too much if I can help it.

4) Any ongoing issues you're having? 
I can't say that I do have any issues as of yet, just the leak with the Sweet Pea brand. I suppose time will tell though because I have only been using them for 5 days.

5) What CDs are you eyeing to buy next!? 
At the moment I don't have my eye on anything, I'm pretty satisfied with my stash.  If I were to add to it down the road though I would want one he could potentially swim in. I've heard they exist and I think it'd be great for a beach visit when he's older ^_^

poetryandoceans

1. We had been rocking the prefolds and covers for a while, but have gone back to disposables to ride out the rotavirus vaccine. The diarrhea seems to overpower the cloth, and while the covers usually contain it, the lakes of poo in the covers got a bit gross.

2. We're mainly using Bummi prefolds and covers, along with some random preused covers that are working just fine. We also are trying out the Bummi AI2 system, for when we have sitters. I like them because the AI2 covers can be used with prefolds too, and the inserts are really user friendly. My husband prefers the inserts, I like the prefolds because you can get a more customized fit, but we're happy with both.

3. I think I covered that in 2

4. Besides the diarrhea? Nope! We had an awkward in-between size phase, but he's happily grown into the small size of the OS we have.

5. Swim diapers!! I'm so eager to start this one in swim lessons, so I'm shopping around for the best swim diapers. I'm eyeing Grovia, applecheeks and Bummi. Anyone have any experiences to share? Dire warnings of brands to avoid?

pickle-chips

For those using prefolds, what is your favourite fold? 

Xstatic3333

floatingelephy said:

For those using prefolds, what is your favourite fold? 

I'm all jelly roll, all the time. It's the easiest and (knock on wood!) I've yet to have a blowout.

SawyerRichardson

I use Jelly roll as well. DD poops like a full grown man and so far it's kept everything in.

She is 7 weeks and I think I'm going to have to move her up from Newborn to Small size GMD prefolds and I'm kind of upset about it. I think the fact that's she isn't a "newborn" any more is really hitting me how fast she is growing up. 

chef'swife

@SawyerRichardson I feel you on that one!  I packed up all the 0-3 months clothes today because they are pulling at the neck on Harrison. Carters clothing labels just say 6months on the 3-6 month size, so a drawer full of 6 month labels gave me a freak out moment this morning. My little 4 lb preemie is about 12lbs and will be 3 months this week. It's crazy how fast time is going!

poetryandoceans

@chef'swife I had to do the same thing. Thinking of my little boy in 6 month clothes has been wigging me out!

@floatingelephy I use a combo of the newspaper fold and the jellyroll. The extra fabric up front helps my heavy wetting boy not soak through as much. Though he's getting so big that I may have to go to straight jellyroll soon...

FreshBakedBrownies

@poetryandoceans for DS1 I used iplay swim diapers from target, Motherease and also Applecheeks size 1 when he was little, then size 2 when he was older.
The pull-on iplay ones that Target has worked fine, but were messy to take off the few times he pooped while swimming.
The Motherease (I'm not sure if that brand still exists but it was great) and Applecheeks both snapped on, so much easier since I didn't smear poop down his legs if he had a messy diaper. The Applecheeks fit great, nice and soft but snug enough around the legs to contain poo when needed.

poetryandoceans

@FreshBakedBrownies That's so good to hear! I picked up an Applecheeks and we're planning to try it out this week. I was concerned about the pull-down options for exactly the reason you mentioned, so I wanted to try out the snaps options. Fingers crossed the Applecheeks are reliable and we don't accidentally shut down the pool!

Partyof6?

I wrapped my guy up in a flour sack towel yesterday and kinda loved it.  They are so soft and trim.  

SawyerRichardson

I'm a huge Thirsties Duo Wrap fan. But now that DD is getting bigger I have been trying out some Flip OS covers and actually think I may like them better. The double gussets on the Thirsties are great but I've been fighting with some staining on them. The Flip comes right off. I also the the material is a little nicer as well.

FreshBakedBrownies

@SawyerRichardson for DS1 I liked the Thirsties duo wrap size 1 when he was little. But the size 2 didn't fit him as well as he grew. I liked the Flip covers better than duo wrap size 2, especially once they are eating real food and the poop is solid (less concern about runny poo leaking out the legs). And it is so easy just to tri-fold a prefold and stick it in the flip covers! I did not think the leg elastic hold up well though. Most of my Flip covers from DS1 need new elastic (which is disappointing if you hoped to use them on more than one kid without doing repairs).

pennylucille-2

1) Have you transitioned to CDs? If not, what's holding you up!?
Yes, started cloth between 1 and 2 weeks old.  We used up the disposables from the hospital and bought one more small pack because even our newborn cloth was a bit big at first.

2) What type(s) of CDs are you in?
For the newborn stage we did prefolds and covers.
A big assortment. We are totally out of the prefolds/covers and in a mix of AIO's and pockets.

3) What brands are working for you? What's not? 
Our favorite diaper has turned out to be the Smartbottoms 3.1. They are super expensive and I only purchased a couple in the beginning because I found them on clearance, but once they were finally prepped (which felt like it took a million years) we fell in love, so I have since purchased 5 more I found on clearance from a couple different sites.
Our least favorite are our Wink pocket diapers. The elastic gussets are so thick and seem so uncomfortable for baby. They also leak pretty much every time. Weird because I've heard great things, but we just don't get a good fit with them on our baby.
I'm very glad I only got prefolds for the newborn stage. I had a feeling I wouldn't really like them and I was right. I went that way because I knew we wouldn't be using them very long and I didn't want to invest in a ton of newborn aio's, so it worked out well, but I'm glad to not be using them anymore. She is way too wiggly, haha.

4) Any ongoing issues you're having? 
No real issues, just always having to experiment with different inserts as she grows. Right now we've got a pretty good system and aren't getting many leaks.

5) What CDs are you eyeing to buy next!? 
Always on the lookout for good deals on more Smartbottoms 3.1's

SawyerRichardson

I'm hoping there are still some CD'ing Mama's left on here. I'm looking to hear how you are going to modify your CD routine once starting solids.  Senna is 4.5 months and showing a huge interest in food. I'll probably start closer to 5 months, so in the meantime I figured I should get a game plan ready for when she has real poops!

chef'swife

We've started solids, as Harrison is almost 6 months. He definitely poops less frequently now but the consistency has changed. We just spray them off with our diaper sprayer that hooks into the toilet water supply. And then toss in diaper pail and wash every 2-3 days as before. This worked for our whole cd time with DD, so hopefully it will be as easy this time around too. We use mostly prefolds and covers but have AIOs too 

SawyerRichardson

@chef'swife Great, thank you! That's perfect since I'm doing prefolds and covers too. I figured I'd probably have to get a sprayer if some sort. I'll go ahead and order one tonight.

madamerwin

@SawyerRichardson we have not started solids yet, but we use fleece liners because LO has sensitive skin and gets diaper rash easily (since fleece wicks moisture, it really helps with his rash). But I figure once we start solids, the liners should catch most of the poop, and we will either use a sprayer (which we already have but need to install) or do a dunk and swish (which I occasionally have to do anyway when LO has a huge poop after not pooping for a couple of days).  And if there is a particularly bad poop that's too hard to wash off, I can always just throw away the liner - we made them from a $2 fleece blanket from Walmart, and we got about 2 dozen out of a blanket, so tossing one occasionally is fine - especially when they need to be replaced every few months anyway.