Newbie to CD question

jenjury

I bought 4 pocket diapers that came with inserts. I'm supposed to put and insert in the pocket but won't the baby just go on the diaper itself and I'll have to wash it each time? What is the advantage to having an insert then? Sorry if this is dumb but I cannot seem to visualize how this is going to work!! Thanks!!!

punkrockabye

The insert is for added absorbency. The baby goes on the diaper and then it must be changed/washed, and to wash it you remove the insert. Without the insert you run the risk of leaks since there is less absorbency. You can use multiple inserts and inserts made out of various materials, depending on your baby's needs.

lasfresasrojas

Ditto PP.

The insert is for absorbency... something has to hold all the pee/poop. The suede cloth is there with the shell because microfiber isn't supposed to touch skin- it causes irritation. 

lageorgiapaperie

The fleece used on the actual diaper is not absorbent at all. If you just used the diaper w/o the insert it would leak immediately. You need both parts for it to work. Check out AIOs, where everything is together and you don't have to stuff.

An advantage of pocket diapers is that they dry much quicker than most AIOs b/c the insert isn't attached at all. 

ExcitedFTM

That's exactly why I didn't go with pocket diapers and went with prefolds instead. It seemed silly to me to have to wash the insert and diaper (plus pulling out the wet/poopy insert lol) when I could just go with prefolds and only wash those. Of course I still have to wash the covers but I can reuse them until they get wet from a super soaked prefold :-)

namara5532

Yep, pockets aren't reusable between washes.  If you want something reusable, look into a hybrid system where you use covers.  Covers are like pockets but without the lining.  You just can't put microfiber in covers as it can cause a bad rash.  I like flip covers myself, although we don't use their inserts as prefolds were cheaper.  The downfall of covers and inserts/prefolds is it's the trickiest method to put on at diaper changes, but it's the easiest to get clean.  If you want something easier to put on but don't want to mess with inserts, look into AIOs.