newbie.... is it too late?

stefaniew26

Hi girls! My daughter Amelia is 14 months and we have been using disposables since birth. I had thought about CD when I was pregnant but was talked out of it by family and dc (they will only use disposables).  Ive made the decision to try it out but I have a few questions first.                                             1. is it too late to switch her over to cloth?                     2. I am only interested in OS AIOs. any brands that you love and would recommend? (I will be getting only 4 diapers to start out with to make sure this is something I can do/stick with)                                         3. do they asorb as much as disposables? or would I be changing her more frequently? do I need extra inserts with AOIs?                                                               4. my mom keeps talking about the ammonia building up.... is she just referring to pee?   thanks for letting me pick your brains and sry for the wierd format... I am on my phone

tjkdlhb

1. Diapers have a great re-sale value, so you can sell them for almost what you paid for them... I've only been CDing for 2 months, and my newborn diapers are "paid for" (compared to cost of disposables) and I've almost paid for my One Sized  diapers, which she hasn't even used yet. Also, if you decide to have another child, you can use them again.

2. Can't help you yet... not into the OS yet... I like my NB Grovia AIOs... I know you said that you only want AIO... but pocket diapers are pretty easy too.  You just put an insert in and then it works like an AIO.  You can get some decent pocket diapers from Alvababy.com and Kawaii (www.theluvyourbaby.com) There isn't much of an investment there, those brands range from $5-$10. You may want more than four in order to get enough agitation in your wash, but if not, throw them in with a couple of old towels to make sure they get clean enough.

3. I am amazed at how much they absorb... I'm not sure if I am changing her more frequently comparatively speaking... but it's not necessarily a bad thing... it keeps the yuckiness away from her bottom.  The only real leaks I've had have been in disposables... unless I had a liner or something poking out.... which is my mistake.

4. I haven't had a whole lot of issue with smell build up (I've only been cding for 2 months)... This past week I noticed a slight odor, so used some vinegar and a little bit more detergent, and they came out fine.

Good luck!

 

 

 

tjkdlhb

2.  If you go with four, try four different brands (at different price points) so that you can get a feel for what is available.

 

lageorgiapaperie

stefaniew26:

Hi girls! My daughter Amelia is 14 months and we have been using disposables since birth. I had thought about CD when I was pregnant but was talked out of it by family and dc (they will only use disposables).  Ive made the decision to try it out but I have a few questions first.                                             1. is it too late to switch her over to cloth?                     2. I am only interested in OS AIOs. any brands that you love and would recommend? (I will be getting only 4 diapers to start out with to make sure this is something I can do/stick with)                                         3. do they asorb as much as disposables? or would I be changing her more frequently? do I need extra inserts with AOIs?                                                               4. my mom keeps talking about the ammonia building up.... is she just referring to pee?   thanks for letting me pick your brains and sry for the wierd format... I am on my phone

1. Depending on how much longer you think DD will be in diapers it isn't too late. You won't be saving as much $ as someone who started earlier, but it's doable.

2. GroVia, Tots Bots, Imagine would be brands I would recommend. I didn't like Thirsties Duo AIOs.

3. I find them to be very absorbent. We use pockets and during the day I change every 2-3 hours on average and he can go 12+ hours with my nighttime dipes. You might want some extra inserts for overnight, but generally they're not needed during the day.

4. Ammonia buildup/smell is caused by pee. It's not a huge issue and you can strip your diapers every once in a while to get rid of the problem. 

GL!

JenniferB1024

I'm actually still pregnant and haven't used cloth diapers yet (but plan to). Thought I'd mention something I heard about cds - apparently children potty train sooner with cds. The diaper is probably a little heavier, and/or they can sense the wetness faster, I think. So I'm sure it's not too late, and this could be an added bonus. Good luck

hispenguin

1. It's definitely not too late to switch to diapers! You could possibly still have another year and a half of diapering (hopefully less!) left, so definitely worth your while!

2. I've never used AIO's, since I prefer pockets and fitted diapers. Some good AIO's are GroVia, BumGenius (both Elementals and Freetime), Tots Bots Easy Fits, and Swaddlebees Simplex. Depending on how much your DD wets, the AIO's may or may not work for overnight, you'll only find out with trial and error.

3. Most of us change our LO's every 2-3 hours. It might be more often than with disposables, but I find my family/friends keep their LO's in disposables way longer than they should IMO. I have diapers that absorb for 12 hours, so I say they absorb as much as disposables For naps, or overnight you might need a hemp or bamboo insert to boost absorbancy.

4. With a good wash routine you shouldn't have to worry about ammonia build up. If you use all natural fibres it's even less of an issue.

LizBGood

I second everything hispenguin said. Disposables are more absorbant (not many CDs can go 12+ hours except overnight dipes) but thats not a good thing. Unless they are STTN no child should go that long between diaper changes. I change about every 3 hours with no problems. I love AIOs. Swaddlebees Simplex are my favorite but there are many good brands. Smell isn't an issue. If you happen to get a buildup smell, tweak your wash routine. Simple. I hope you enjoy CDing!