cloth diapering

bebrittain

Hi everyone-I am new to this whole posting thing but I had a question regarding cloth diapering and what everyone's experience is regarding the matter. I have a 2-year old little girl already and we did disposable with her. She had sensitive skin and certain diapers weren't possible because she would break out (i.e. pampers or ANY wipes) so, with our 2nd little girl, due Jan. 29, we are wanting to get into cloth diapering, however, it seems so overwhelming with the amount of things needed and the amount of ways (AIO, fitted, covers, etc). We have narrowed it (we believe, to Bumgenius 4.0). We've heard that we will need a newborn stash as well because of leaking. I am wondering what everyone's experience is and whether they would recommend CD or not? If so, what types did you enjoy? Are there any local retailers in Western, MD (frederick or hagerstown)? Also, if any one you are looking to sell your CD lot or accessories, I may be interested(??) thank you!

the_jackpot

You can post this question on the cloth diapering board too if you want some other feedback. I used cds on my son from birth until he potted learned. It was pretty easy. Try not to let the many options overwhelm you. You can do a trial through places like Jillian's Drawers to get you through the newborn phase. BumGenius are great but they won't fit right away,plus I don't recommend doing all one brand in case you don't like them. My stash was made up of a variety and I like different ones at different time kwim. I worked fulltime and still managed to use cds- his daycare was very cd friendly which is not always the case. GL

I loved using cds! 

northernvabride

I was also going to suggest posting on one of the speciality boards.  I looked into CDing prior to DD#1's arrival, but none of the daycares accepted them, which really swayed my decision (maybe more than it should have).  Hopefully you can find a place that accepts them.  The mamas I know all have a bunch of different ones, like pp said.  Good luck. 

pixieprincss

For NB, we loved Kissaluz Size 0 for LO + Thirsties Size 1 covers. Some families use disposables for the NB stage because they don't think they will get enough use from a NB stash for it to be worthwhile. That is a true statement, depending on the size and shape of your LO. DS wore his NB diapers for 6 months, so we got great use out of ours. Other friends used theirs for 8 weeks or less, which is less use for the money. (However, the bonus is diapers with less use that you can sell used for more money than very used diapers.)

CDing is overwhelming at first, but once you really get a handle on the differences, it is quite managable (even easy). I am a fan of having a variety of diapers and then narrowing it down. There is no way we could afford all BG 4.0, though. If you can--and you love them--that is great! We really love the cheapest option--prefolds (or flats) + covers. Our whole diaper stash cost about $300, including NB (albiet that includes gifts, I did a diaper registry with Abby;s Lane and hand-me-downs from friends).

I would encourage you to post on the CDing board on The Bump, check out Diaper Swappers for cheaper used diapers, and if you ever make it to NoVa, check out Abby's Lane and attend a Diapering 101 class.

GL!

LJM0521

We did not switch to cloth until my youngest was 4 months old, but I've read prefolds and covers are great for newborns.  You can use the prefolds as inserts once the baby outgrows them, too.  We use mostly pocket diapers during the day and fitteds at night.  It's not recommended that you buy all one brand because it may not fit your baby correctly.  I don't know of any cloth diapering stores up there, but we visit Abby's Lane often and love their staff.  They are extremely helpful.  Good luck.