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May 2012 Moms
PotomacSt
member
someone give me a remedial course in cloth diapers...
PotomacSt
member
OK, after the crunchy granola mom post, y'all have got me interested.
Actually, I was interested a long time ago, and my husband told me "no way" and I dropped it. Maybe I can change his mind now that she's not pooping 12x a day anymore.
So give me the basics of how it works. How many cloth diapers do you need? About how much do each cost? Do you just wash them in the washing machine, or is there something special you have to do to get them clean? Any other basic info I should know?
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Re: someone give me a remedial course in cloth diapers...
Check out FAQ on the Cloth Diapering board. It'll give you lots of info. I definitely recommend CDing.
My husband now says he likes cloth diapers way more than disposables.
YAY! My favorite topic!!!
DH originally pictured diaper pins and plastic pants. He even said he just gave in for the sake of letting me have my way but didn't expect to like them... We used disposables when we visited his mom a few weeks back and he couldn't get over how many we were going through.
You should be able to skip the newborn stage now...so you'd need 18-24 diapers...I'm going with 24 at least, because DD still needs to be changed pretty frequently. I like the pocket diapers the best. you put an insert into the diaper and then they go on just like a disposable. You can get a stash for a range of costs... We went a little more on the expensive side...I just paid $400 for 17 diapers, and expect to pay $150 more... but I bought some pricier ones.
They range from $6/diaper direct from China (Alvababy.com) to $30/diaper (swaddlebees).
Bumgenius is a good midrange brand (and they are great) that has a buy 5 get 1 free sale now so the diapers cost about 17$ with free shipping from most stores. They usually are $20/diaper. You can also shop around to get secondhand ones. They have a great re-sale value (so you can get some of the investment back) or you can use them for another child. It costs about $2500 to use disposables birth to potty and about $500 for cloth.
Most people recommend getting a mix of diapers to try first to see what fits your baby best. (you can do a trial where you pay an upfront amount and then get reimbursed when you return them) Jillians drawers is a popular one.
They are super easy to clean. Throw them in a wetbag or diaper pail (I use a garbagecan with a PUL liner) until you are ready to wash...EBF poop washes right out. I do a cold rinse, hot wash with diapersafe detergent (I use original Tide... smaller amount though) and then 2 cold rinses to make sure the detergent is out...
Then you can tumbledry or line dry. any stains come out with the sun.
You need a diaper safe rash cream so the diapers don't start to repel moisture...I use EarthMamaAngelBaby Bottom Balm. It's $14/ 2 oz jar... but I've been using it for 2months at nearly every change and scooped some out for SIL to try and I expect theres enough for at least 5 more months.
Environmental benefits were important to me...disposables stay in the landfill for 500 years. Say 8-10 changes/day for 2.5 years (if they train by then)... that's over 8000 diapers. Again.... you can use the cloth for other children too.
Watching videos online really helped me...I didn't know anyone irl who used them. cloth diapers 101 (7 pt series) on youtube is great.
Also the ladies on the cloth diaper board are fantastic. They've got an FAQ section that explains everything. lurk and post questions there.
My favorite thing about the diapers is that they are fun... they're nicer than disposables and there's lots of different styles/patterns/colours...They're softer too...It's more like wearing a piece of clothing....I guess like using paper plates or real dishes...I'd much rather use a real plate.
Also...not 100% sure if this is statistically accurate... but the nurse I bring DD to for needles/check ups says that the CD babies she sees have far fewer rashes. DD hasn't had a real rash yet... only redness twice.
DH was super reluctant at first, but now I've even caught him talking to his friends about it! He loves them...(It doesn't hurt to buy 1-2 with something DH likes...DH wanted the baby's room decorated in monkeys... I bought 2 monkey pattern ones and he laughes everytime she wears them! Etsy has some sports themed ones etc)
ETA I do all of the laundry from them... but I don't mind...I'm particular about how they are washed.
Definitely check out the Cloth diapering board, I learned a lot from them. I also watched Cloth Diapering 101 on YouTube, she has about a 7 part series and explains everything.
I start CD when DD was 4 weeks old, although I had all the supplies long before that. I just wanted to get the hang of taking care of her first before I introduced CD, plus I had one size, pocket diapers and they just looked too big on her when she was a newborn. You do have to prep your diapers before use (but you'll only have to do that one time), and there is special detergent you have to use. You can't use traditional butt paste if there is a diaper rash situation (DD has never had diaper rash though, so it's not an issue for us). You'll spend far more time researching CD than actually washing them, etc.
I have 24 kawaii pocket diapers from an assortment pack that I bought on black friday. 4 of which are bamboo and we save for night-time since they hold so much more. I do laundry every-other-day, the washing machine does all the work, and I line dry them outside since it's so freaking hot and sunny all the time.
DH likes the CD's too, and he's great at stuffing them when he comes home from work
My favorite sites:
https://www.abbyslane.com/
https://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/
Have fun, it's addicting!
Modern Cloth (google it) offers a diaper trial... You pay a fee and get to try a variety of CD's... Then you keep what you want and send back what you don't. Then you can buy from there.
I use a "One Size" Diaper (8-35 lbs) - I used disposables until my LO was able to fit into her one size which was about 10.5 lbs. When we have baby number two I am going to get pre-folds for the newborn stage. I feel much more confidant about CD'ing now.
I like the Bum Genius AIO Elemental, and the Bum Genius 4.0 pocket. I tried Trend Lab diapers as well and really do not recommend that brand unless you have a really chunky baby (the leg holes are huge and I had leaks).
I like both the pocket and all in one diapers for different reasons therefore I have both. I have 10 AIO's and 10 pockets... I do laundry every day but that is because I am obsessive about not letting the poop or pee stay on the diapers for too long. I could technically do laundry every other day and be just fine. Most people recommend 24 diapers... I find that 20 works fine for me.
I agree w/ pp check out the FAQ on the CD board. It will direct you to some awesome websites.
My favorite is Abby's Lane too. Free shipping with no minimum, the diapers arrive really quickly, and you get reward points that you can use toward more diapers!
DS #1 born 05/25/2012
BFP#2: 06/12/2013 ---- loss
DS #2 born 4/08/2014
BPF#4: 2/1/2016 --- 2/23/2016 suspected molar pregnancy--- 3/15/2016 D&E - diagnosis MM
BFP#5 - 9/22/2016
* formally bornmommy
I have been looking into the aio and the pockets. I think I'm leaning more towards the all in one because I don't have to put the liner in every time I use it. What do you like about the aio and what do you like about the pockets? I was thinking I would only want one kind, but maybe I'm wrong. I'm totally new to this.
My advice:
- try lots of different brands./styles to see what you like and what works best for baby. Don't get frustrated if one type doesn't work for you. There are SO many different brands and styles. Plus you can always sell what you don't want.
- buy used, you can get GREAT deals. Check out Spots Corner and Hyena Cart.
- be patient and you can find good sales. They're usually posted on the CD board.
- there are cloth diaper co-ops on Facebook. Pay wholesale price!
- due to the 3 above, you never should have to pay full price for a diaper
I made my own detergent which works well... It's a mix of oxyclean, baking soda, and borax. Super cheap too. I prefer pockets over AIOs because they dry faster.
4/25/12 ~ Our angel, Persephone James, is here!
Thanks to everyone for the info. I have to admit the logistics of CDing have always baffled me, but I'm determined start after our summer vacation, for the environmental benefits, mostly. So finding this post is super helpful.
For what it's worth, DD1 never once got a rash from disposables, and really disposables are not that expensive if you shop well. It was about $1200 total for 3 years. Sounds like that's still way more expensive than CD's!