thinking about CD
chiLI1987
member
this is my second pregnancy. with my first we went with the disposable diapers and we went through ALOT. Son is now 3 and potty trained, We want to CD with the new baby but are lost with all the choices. Some brands have one size, while others you have to buy new sizes.
I personally want to be able to CD and not have to worry about others being too confused when changing. I plan to be home as much as possible but there is a chance that I will have to work part time and i dont want to have to give up on CD all because someone doesnt understand it.
From what ive read (which is alot) all the brands have the pros and cons. But like the majority of America, i dont have the bank to try every brand there is. DD wants to invest in a system that we can use the whole time so not to keep buying sizes and such. But i wonder if that is the best way to go?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Re: thinking about CD
You could look into a diaper trial. Jillian's Drawers does one, as do several other CD sites. They send you one diaper in each of several brands. You can see what you like and then you return what you don't like for store credit to get kinds you like.
If you plan on having more children a sized option isn't bad because there's less wear and tear. With one child using the same diapers birth-potty training they go through a lot of wear, but with a sized option you can send 3 kids through the same diapers with the same amount of wear as a one size option if that makes sense.
One size options aren't going to fit a newborn so you'd have to get a separate set of diapers for that stage anyway. We use sized covers with prefold diapers. We've only had to buy new covers twice (NB to S and S to M) and it's not that big a deal.
Ease of use for other people can be a consideration but you'd be surprised what people can figure out. I say find something that works for you and try showing it to the babysitter or whoever and if they really can't figure it out after several days then you can get a different kind for them.
Congrats on your pregnancy and for considering cloth. To concur with PP, you should be able to get away with 2 sizes - a newborn stash and a one-size stash. Most OS diapers will not fit a newborn, despite claims by the manufacturers. Luckily, newborn diapers can be purchased rather inexpensively and then sold when you are finished with them. I bought my NB stash used and ended up selling it for more than what I paid.
As far as what you want for your post-newborn stash, it's really a personal preference as well as what works for your LO. I went the One Size route and have been happy with it Most advise against buying a whole OS stash before your baby arrives and hoping the diapers fit your LO and work with your lifestyle. A trial is a great idea, as is stalking sales for good deals on diapers you'd like to try. I acquired my stash by buying used and taking advantage of super sales. Just do your research so you know if you are buying a good brand at a good price.
Also, don't worry about CDs being too difficult for others. An AIO or a pre-stuffed pocket are not any more complicated than a sposie. Even prefolds are easy with the several YouTube videos showing how to do different folds.