Cloth Diapering
Considering cloth diapers....what do we need.
My husband and I are just recently considering cloth diapers, but I am not sure where to begin. We are thinking we would want one size diapers.
-what are the essentials needed for cloth diapering?
- do we need special detergent or sprays? If so, what is the best?
- any luck with particular brands of cloth diapers?
-it would be difficult for us to tote dirty diapers while we are out, is there a major cost impact if we only use disposables when we are out of the house?
-any other tips, tricks, or advice?
Thanks much!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Considering cloth diapers....what do we need.
A lot of these questions can be answered by reading the FAQ.
https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/ShowThread.aspx?PostID=48640290#48640290
BFP #2 9/5/2012 -- Born 5/20/2013 -- Welcome, rainbow baby!
BFP #1 1/24/12 -- No HB 2/16/12 -- Misoprostol 3/10/12
Yes - check the FAQ!
Also, the Cloth Diapering 101 series on YouTube is great.
To address some of your questions, though:
-One Size diapers are great, but they will not fit a newborn despite what the manufacturer may claim. DD was medium size at birth and gained weight really fast and she did not fit into OS diapers until 6-8 weeks.
-I initially thought that it would be easier to use sposies while out of the house. Until DD had poop leak out of a disposable 3 outings in a row. Cloth out of the house is really NBD. Just bring a small or medium wetbag for the used diapers.
-No sprays. I use powdered Tide to wash my diapers. I've also used Country Save which was fine, but I prefer Tide.
-My favorite brands/types of diaper are BG 4.0 pockets, Kawaii HD2 (OS) and Pure & Natural (newborn) pockets, Green Mountain prefolds and Bummis Super Brite covers.
-Main tip: don't buy a whole stash of the same diaper before your LO arrives.
Where I am you are not supposed to put dirty diapers in with regular trash, so unless a special diaper bin is provided you are supposed to take your dirty sposies with you, and dispose of them at home. So it doesn't matter if you are using cloth or disposable, either way you have to carry your dirties. You can carry them in a reusable wet bag or any old plastic bag. The diaper industry here (UK) seems to make tons of money selling disposable nappy bags just for wrapping up your used disposables.
Hard to say what the cost impact would be for using disposables when you are out. Depends on how many you use, and what you consider major. A lot of people here CD part time for different reasons. Some people's daycare won't do cloth; others use disposable overnight or during travel. Do what works for you.
I recommend doing a diaper trial to figure out what works for you and how much of a learning curve you are willing to deal with. We did the one with Jillian's Drawers and it was a great way to start building our stash.