Product Spotlight 7/26: Diapering, including accessories

kbrown2385

This week we are discussing diapering. This is to include diapers as well as any accessories, ointments etc. 

Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.  

For S+TMs:

• Favorite [diaper(s)]:
• Link/picture:
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
• What you like about it:
• What you don't like about it, if anything:
• Is there a [diaper brand or type] you didn’t use but are considering? Why?:
• Additional thoughts on [diapers]:

For FTMs:

• [Diaper] you're interested in:
• Link/picture:
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
• Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

stashattack

[Diaper] you're interested in: After newborn (i'm just going to get disposables for when she's tiny), I was thinking about the grovia hybrid system
Link/picture: https://www.grovia.com/
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $$
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?: Thoughts on cloth diapering? Is it really worth it? I kinda like this system because I can kinda do a mix of both if I wanted to. Also how many shells/pads should I get/register for??

kbrown2385

Favorite diaper: dim that it’s a favorite but we started with pampers swaddlers with ds and moved on to luvs and Walmart brand.

Pampers swaddlers $$, luvs $, Walmart (parents choice) $

Pampers, I was naive and thought more expensive was better 😆. I like how soft they are and the line to show they peed. Luvs and Walmart brand worked just as well, and as long as we sized up at appropriate times, there was no issue with leakage. We also had zero issue with reactions to them any diapers. 

Pampers are just so expensive and it’s really not necessary to spend that much on them. We also used target brand diapers once in a while and had zero issues with them. I’m all for saving money. 

This go around we are trying Sam’s club diapers. I’ve heard nothing but good things and they are incredibly cheap compared to brand names. 

For other diapering needs, we tried many different diaper creams for rashes and found nothing really worked except hydrocortisone cream. We had issues with rashes quickly going from irritated to bleeding regardless of what I did to prevent it. I had so many creams it was ridiculous. I know a lot of people use coconut oil (and think it’s magical) and that didn’t work for us either. It’s not necessarily good for kids with dry skin or eczema issues (which my son had) as it can be more drying for them. This go around I’ve been looking into the motherlove brand. It’s natural and organic and can be used for both yeast and regular diaper rashes. 

kbrown2385

@stashattack my sister did cloth diapering with her first and will with her second. She loved it. I tried learning about it and was just overwhelmed. There’s so many options of different styles, coming up with a cleaning routine, what I could and couldn’t use on them, I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. She actually bought all of hers used and saved a ton of money, I just preferred the convenience of disposables more. 

marebear15

• Favorite diaper: Pampers Baby Dry
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $$
• What you like about it: It actually fit DD. We shopped and shopped for diapers that fit her because she was so skinny. She had basically no fat rolls at all on her body, and most diapers have pretty large leg holes. Every time she pooped, I was changing her clothes. I probably would have had less laundry with cloth diapers! Huggies and Parents Choice were the worst. Luvs worked for a week here or there, probably right before a growth spurt. I didn't discover the Baby Dry line of Pampers until she was several months old, but it seemed to fit much better than the Swaddlers ever did and held much more pee. It's their "overnight" diaper, but it was the best fit and the cheapest of all of their line. 
• What you don't like about it, if anything: It's a little bit more than Parents Choice or Luvs
• Is there a diaper brand or type you didn’t use but are considering? Why?: This time around, I might buy several small packs of different types of diapers every time baby has a growth spurt so that I don't get stuck in a rut. After discovering Pampers Baby Dry worked, I never really shopped around again.
• Additional thoughts on diapers: Definitely get the diaper pail. That thing keeps the nursery smelling fresh. Also, the best diaper cream I found was Aquaphor. I slathered that stuff on everything from diaper rashes to dry skin and a raw teething chin. 

kbrown2385

@marebear15 aquaphor was amazing for the neck roll/chin irritation.

biolprof

• Diaper] you're interested in: I'm also looking into cloth diapering. More upfront cost but DH works from home an we aren't squeamish. It's a little intimidating with all the options. I think I'm going to do "all in ones" for night and on the go. Looking at Bum genius for newborn size and a bigger size through toddler. Then doing prefolds with shells for other times. I bought a cover and some prefolds and practiced to make sure I could actually fold and secure it. I was looking at the rumparooz cover but haven't decided on the inserts. All I have heard for those is that don't get the Gerber ones.

• Link/picture:

bumGenius All-in-One Newborn Cloth Diaper - Fits Babies 6 to 12 Pounds (Neutral Stripe) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075FG2273/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_m9VoDbFYVX8A1

bumGenius Freetime All-in-One One-Size Snap Closure Cloth Diaper (Greenberry) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T8C25JM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IaWoDb1M7QN75

Rumparooz Newborn Cloth Diaper Cover Snap, Quinn https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CQ9UUAS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Y.VoDbQVEDM0R

• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):

High start up cost bust saves money down the road. I plan to ask for these in my shower and hopefully get a decent stash going.

• Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

Any thoughts on prefolds? Brands that were good? Things to increase absorbancy? 

Also what size stash might you need?

Xstatic3333

I am a loyal cloth user @stashattack and @biolprof and glad to answer any questions! 

@biolprof for prefolds we use Green Mountain Diapers. They are very affordable. I loved prefolds for the NB stage, supplemented with a few NB AIOs because H never got the hang of them. Prefolds are much more absorbent though; NB AIOs are quickly outpeed. 

After trying several brands, my favorite has been Thirsties. For NB age, we used Size 1 duo wraps over Green Mountain Diapers prefolds. Bomb-proof system. For now, we are using Thirsties Pockets stuffed with a GMD prefolds. I have found that “natural” absorbency (cotton) works much better for us than the microfiber inserts that come with most pockets.

@stashattack it has been 100% worth it for us. So much waste is saved and my cute diapers make me so happy. Our daycare loves them too. We never have blowouts with cloth, but do have more pee leaks than a typical disposable user will. It is definitely possible to save a ton of money but I went a little print crazy so I’m not sure I did. 

Someone mentioned AIOs at night-you may find they aren’t quite absorbent enough for that. We use fitteds under a cover at night. If you really want a nighttime AIO I’d recommend the Grovia ONE, which is more absorbent than other AIOs. That worked for us until about 18 months (but my kid is huge). 

Seriously future cloth people, huge nerd here so ask me anything, here or in PM! I’m here to help!

stashattack

@Xstatic3333 I was thinking about the all in ones. But I loved the flexibility of still being low waste if we needed a disposable like when we travel. But maybe doing AIOs and just picking up a pack of disposables when we need a travel system isn't a bad idea. There are just too many options!!! OMG I wish this was simpler LOL

leprechaunlady

Favourite: pampers premium (not sure what the US equivalent is)

Cost: $$ they are on the more expensive end of disposables but they were what worked for us & I’ll go with them again probably this time round. I usually stock up when theyre on offer to keep costs down a bit.

what I liked: they have a line that turns blue when they are wet. Theyre a good fit for dd & I could count on the one hand the number of blow outs or leaks weve ever had.

What I didnt like: does having to change them count? Lol other than that, no complaints.

others id consider: I did try a supermarket own brand once cause they were so much cheaper. But dd used to fuss really badly the minute her nappy was wet & needed changed straight away & whilst she fussed with pampers, she outright screamed with the supermarket own brand so we went back to pampers immediately.
In the past year or so, pampers have brought out a new line called pampers pure & I might give those a try.

additional thoughts: I use sudocreme & childs farm for creams but dd has only every had a bad nappy rash once and that was when she had a v&d bug earlier this year & we needed antibiotic cream to heal it in the end.

MrsJessS

We also do cloth except overnight. DS can pee through disposable overnight diapers so he’s just a lost cause 😂

When DS was in daycare they couldn’t use cloth without a Drs note so we used either Costco brand or Up and Up from Target and loved both. 

For cloth, my go tos are all in ones from The Fluffy Penguin. They have awesome prices and super cute designs. DS is almost 35 lbs and he still has growing room in them as well. 

We also have some “china cheapies” from amazon with microfiber inserts that we still use all the time. Microfiber isn’t the best but we haven’t had too many issues with it. 

We also have Sweet Pea prefolds and covers I got used and I LOVE them. I don’t use them as much because the prefold is just another step and I am lazy. But they work great. 

I got some used BumGenius diapers and didn’t love them as much as I thought I would. The elastics are notorious for wearing out fast. The other brand I didn’t love was Bumkins. We have a few because my mom got an awesome deal on them, but they are very small. This mean they fit DS very soon after he was born but he’s pretty much outgrown them by now. I’ve also had a couple that leak terribly and a couple that delaminated for no apparent reason. 

My biggest advice if you are cloth diapering is to not invest in a huge stash of all one thing because what works for one baby isn’t necessarily what will work best for another. Disposables are the same way 🤷🏻‍♀️ We have a variety and what we’ve reached for has changed over time.

kbrown2385

@MrsJessS you needed a drs note for cloth diapers at daycare? That seems kind of ridiculous lol.

edit forgot words

MrsJessS

@kbrown2385 that’s what I thought too. But maybe because it was the military run daycare? Idk. 

kbrown2385

@MrsJessS the military is weird so I wouldn’t put it past them lol. 

Xstatic3333

stashattack said:

@Xstatic3333 I was thinking about the all in ones. But I loved the flexibility of still being low waste if we needed a disposable like when we travel. But maybe doing AIOs and just picking up a pack of disposables when we need a travel system isn't a bad idea. There are just too many options!!! OMG I wish this was simpler LOL

That's what we do, just buy a pack of disposables if we're travelling for a long time or by plane. We throw a cover over the disposable to catch any blowouts. Don't feel a need to go "all in" on one system before the baby is born. Buy a few things to try and see what you like, and then you can buy more later! You can also sell what you don't like pretty easily. 

amb0924

Has anyone ever done a diaper subscription? I haven't read about them much but with two little babies on the way I'm thinking it may be nice to just have a bunch of diapers showing up at my door every week so I don't worry about it too much 

peppyj9

I'm definitely interested in cloth diapering. I was browsing fluffy penguin per @MrsJessS suggestion and they were all so cute! I was THIS close to forking over $200 on a bunch of all in ones but MH reeled my enthusiasm in. He wants to do more research because he's not loving the idea at all. The money saving part has peaked his interest but he's thinking the convenience of disposables will be better. And I'm like "but also the environment!" But he says so many disposables are biodegradable now. Anyway,  any other reasons on why cloth is better? I'm having a hard time convincing MH and he's certain I will hate it after doing so much laundry. 

stashattack

I mean. Biodegradable in a plastic trash bag still isn’t great for the environment 🤷‍♀️ It only really makes a difference if it has a good way to decompose. Definitely look at the grovia. I think it could be the best of both worlds for you guys since it is a hybrid system. The shells are reusable and they have disposable inserts. So less waste over all. I’m not sure if that’s more cost effective though. 

peppyj9

@stashattack good point about the plastic bag! I'll definitely look into Grovia. Thanks!

peppyj9

So I was checking out Grovia and they offer a trial kit for $20. Comes with 1 shell, 1 reusable insert and 3 disposables. I went ahead and got it so I can show MH in person as I think he's having trouble picturing how it would work. Figure it's a great way to check it out in person without spending much. And this way too we can try it on baby when he arrives and see how well it really works before investing in a whole set. I've already got a ton of disposable diaper samples from all my welcome boxes that I'm gonna use anyway so it's nice to have a cloth diaper sample too! 

justbeachy888

We liked the Kirkland diapers from Costco (they are $-$$) We used Pampers Swaddlers for the first several months and had SO many blowouts. They had no stretch to them and the poop would just shoot straight up the back.

My DD slept through the night very early on and I found Pampers to not be absorbent enough for 12 hours of sleep in the small sizes (1-2).

My suggestions is to try different brands, see what you like, and if they are available on Amazon do the “subscribe and save” option to save 5% or more. If you also have the free Amazon credit card you get 5% back on your purchases which does add up. 

Also, in terms of diapering, we love the Keekaroo Peanut changing pad. It is pricey, but does not require a cover and you can just wipe it down. It is heavy and sturdy and can go on top of any dresser or table. We actually haven’t taken it off of my DDs dresser (she use a pull-ups now so we change her standing up) so plan to just keep it there until #2 comes. 

MrsJessS

@peppyj9 MH loves our cloth diapers and loves being able to brag to people about how much money we have saved haha. Babies=a whole lot more laundry anyways, and for us diapers are just one more load to be washed every 2 or 3 days. So about 3 extra loads a week which isn't so bad.

EmilyE13

@MrsJessS is your washer front load or top load? Is it true you really need a top load if you’re going to attempt cloth diapering?

stashattack

To go along with the laundry question, do you need special detergent??

mama_stef

I’m so happy to see so many positive posts cloth diapers! I’ve been looking into it online and i must not be doing the searches right since I feel like I can only find the ones for swimming. 🤦🏻‍♀️ But my family think I’m crazy for wanting to try. 

Xstatic3333

stashattack said:

To go along with the laundry question, do you need special detergent??

No, but some milder “free and clear” type detergents aren’t strong enough to do the job. We use Tide Powder, which is popular. Persil seems popular as well. Nothing with fabric softener. 

Some cloth diaper users get very heated about wash routine. Take it all with a grain of salt and choose what works for you. 

You don’t need a top loader, but it does seem that front loader people sometimes need more wash routine help and tinkering. 

MrsJessS

@EmilyE13 we have a top loader w agitator, we’ve also used my moms top loader without an agitator. I’ve never tried with a front loader. I think you just sometimes have to add a little “bulk” like towels so there is more water. 

@stashattack we use the Costco version of Tide and it works great. Plus it’s cheap. As @Xstatic3333 said, free and clear isn’t typically recommended. I think anything with optical brighteners is a no no because it causes build up. But Tide or the Costco version of Tide is super popular. Liquid or powder is fine, Tide pods aren’t recommended only because you would need like 5 per load or more lol

stashattack

Thanks guys. I currently use 7th generation detergent  but not the free and clear version. I’ll just have to play around!! I haven’t used pods in forever lol!! I figured out they were more expensive than normal liquid and stopped 🤣🤣

ponyoisfun

Hi all,  STM here speaking in favor of cloth diapering.

• Favorite [diaper(s)]:  Cloth flats with any kind of cover. You don't have to just use ones that are "for" flats.  This has let us use many different used covers. 
• Link/picture: Here is a link to a bunch of folds. We mostly used the mini kite and then the regular kite fold. 
• Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):  We have maybe spent $200 total.  When people hear you are cloth diapering they usually give you ones they do not use.  Our water use is still much lower than average for our desert city.  We dry our diapers outside because we don't have a dryer.  Plus the sun bleaches the diapers.
• What you like about it:  It is actually really easy and saves a lot of $.  We just fold our diapers ahead of time and have them stacked in the bedroom.
• What you don't like about it, if anything:  It is a time commitment to wash and hang them. 
• Is there a [diaper brand or type] you didn’t use but are considering? Why?:  This seems to work well for us. 
• Additional thoughts on [diapers]:  When our dd got bigger we started putting an extra insert from a pocket diaper into the flat fold to be extra absorbant.  It has been a game changer. 

I would be happy to answer any questions. 

persnickity

@stashattack we use the seventh generation free and clear for DD's laundry, but don't cloth diaper. It always did a great job of getting stains out. Also used the Shout free if it was a stubborn stain.

@amb0924 we use Amazon subscribe and save. Set it up to auto deliver diapers, wipes, lotion, you name it. It's been amazing! You can change the date or amount you need before confirming the order.

kbrown2385

Edit * Posted in the wrong area 

jaceru

For DD we used pampers swaddlers and then switched to cruisers when she got older. We had some huggies but they gave her a rash. She has super sensitive skin, so we didn't really want to experiment that much with other brands since pampers worked for us. We also could not use regular or even sensitive wipes with her. We used just plain water and a washcloth or water wipes. 

She is daytime potty trained now but will wear pull-ups overnight. The pampers pull ups now give her a rash so we use huggies easy-ups and they have been fine. 

We also really used our diaper pail. We had a small dekor pail and it wouldn't get too smelly. Also since it was smaller, it forced us to clean it out more often and reduce the chance of stink. I did get rid of it when she potty trained since the plastic held on to the urine smell. I was thinking of getting a metal one this time to see if that would be better. 

For changes, as a newborn, we used a diaper changing mat that we put out on our ottomen for easy daytime cahnges. Once she got a little bigger, we used a munchkin secure grip pad on top of her dresser. https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Secure-Waterproof-Diaper-Changing/dp/B00O64QJOC 
Also, aquaphor and desitin were our best friends to prevent diaper rash. It is kinda silly, but the baby bum brush was awesome for us as it made applying the cream so much easier. 

I am kind of intrigued to try cloth diapers this time, but I am not sure how that would work out with daycare. Anyone use cloth diapers at daycare? 


ETA:
I just realized that pull ups are huggies and easy ups are pampers. So we have stuck with pampers the whole time!

RobynB13

Not my first time, but certainly feels like it because of the age gap!!! I'm hoping to cloth diaper again, so far I plan to use unbleached GMD prefolds (I've already bought some of the newborn ones, and just finished prepping them... they're SO SOFT!!! Way better dimension-wise than the OsoCozy ones you'll find on amazon.) and I plan to use both PUL and wool covers, but that's where I'm getting very confused with a lot of it, because there's so much that has changed... The cloth diaper board seems like a bit of a ghost-town, so I'm definitely going to need some guidance, because I'm feeling incredibly overwhelmed about it. (mostly because of financial stressors going on...)

ponyoisfun

@jaceru Talking about diaper pails reminded me of a hack that we found for storing wet cloth diapers.  Instead of using a traditional wet bag at home to put dirty diapers in we bought a largish dog food container bin from the container store.  It is super easy to put the diapers in, seals tight, way less odor has wheels so we can wheel it to the washer, and is easy to clean.  We were surprised about how much easier it has made our lives.  This time around we are going to get a smaller one just for poopy diapers.  Right now we just use wet bags for those.

Any other cloth diaper users have other storage systems for wet diapers?