Cloth Diapering

winterwolf4 · October 2015

Hey guys I was wondering how many of you were going to cloth diaper. I am a ftm and I was looking for advice. I am hoping to use flat folds with covers because that is the most affordable option for us.

Lizziesue07 · October 2015

I do! We just Potty learned our 2 yr old (who we cloth diapered) and plan on cloth diapering again with this princess

winterwolf4 · October 2015

@Lizziesue07 what have you used/ do you have any recommendations for CD?

Lizziesue07 · October 2015

I mostly use bum genius, rumparooz, and blueberry.. I tried prefold and covers but didn't care for the fit and learning then when my son was already 6 months old and wouldn't sit still for me but I will be trying them again with this baby

I liked the thirsties and flip covers and will try rumparooz since I like their pocket diapers... I tried "China Cheapies" sunbaby and Alva's but the delaminate fast and could tell the lack in quality compared to other brands... I also tried the new grovia O.N.E. But wasn't crazy on the fit on my 2 yr old but loved how soft they were..I didn't mind bottom bumpers either

Kawaii wasn't too bad Kelly's closet has a trial program that you may be interested in trying out

andresh · October 2015

We are currently cloth diapering our first and will do the same with this baby. Fluff Love University saved me from a lot of hassel with trying to get down a wash routine and finding a detergent that works for us. Their facebook group is Fluff Love & CD Science and you can ask for advise and help from the admins.

notasycophant · October 2015

I'm looking at Bum genius too. I'm thinking of getting a package deal online after trying one or two out on the baby when she is born. I'm so tempted to get the package right now because forex rates are good and I live outside the US. But I from the advice I've gathered it's better to wait and try a few brands before making a commitment.

slthomp92 · October 2015

CD experienced moms, when do you start to use cloth? Can you start once your home or is it better to wait a while? Or just up to preference?

notasycophant · October 2015

Most I've spoken say to wait a few weeks because alot don't fit newborns well. But I guess it depends on what you're using? @AdventureMama is CD'ing mom. She should have some valuable insight.

Lizziesue07 · October 2015

This time I am starting from birth... Bum genius newborns tend to run a little smaller so I have a bunch of those.. My first son was 8 lbs 11 oz.. And my second son was 6 lbs 13 oz.. We are expecting for probably another smaller baby this time.. But not sure.. So I also have some blueberry simplex newborn.. Bottom bumpers.. And will be getting some prefolds and rumparooz newborn covers.. Most newborn outgrow abbsorbancy before fit on newborn diapers that's why prefolds and newborn covers are best bet for newborns... The blueberry newborns have a pocket to add abbsorbancy so I am hopping I can add a few hemp inserts to get my abbsorbancy if I need to

PaniaO · October 2015

After much research, I'm getting a combination of bumgenius freetime and moraki all-in-2. For NB diapers, I'm buying a combination of CDs with umbilical snap features to allow for healing. But I'm a FTM so I could definitely have regrets!

AdventureMama · October 2015

There's lots of great info in the older threads about this, if you use the search function.

We started with DS at three months, which worked well for us. I'm not sure what we're going to do for this one. We like one sized diapers a lot and plan on our kids sharing a stash so we may do the same thing. My CD friends always recommend flats/prefolds with covers for the newborn stage, though!

thisusername · October 2015

notasycophant said:
Most I've spoken say to wait a few weeks because alot don't fit newborns well. But I guess it depends on what you're using? @AdventureMama is CD'ing mom. She should have some valuable insight.

@AdventureMama is like our go to for everything advice person! Lol

So how does one even cloth diaper? Like how do you wash them without the poop getting all over the washer and stuff? (Yes I'm very serious. This is my only CD concern)

AdventureMama · October 2015

thisusername said:

notasycophant said:
Most I've spoken say to wait a few weeks because alot don't fit newborns well. But I guess it depends on what you're using? @AdventureMama is CD'ing mom. She should have some valuable insight.
@AdventureMama is like our go to for everything advice person! Lol

So how does one even cloth diaper? Like how do you wash them without the poop getting all over the washer and stuff? (Yes I'm very serious. This is my only CD concern)

Ha! I'm no expert but I like sharing what I know!

Breastmilk/formula poop is water soluble, which means you can throw it into your washer, wash, and you're good to go. When baby starts eating solids, you need to get rid of the poo before you wash. There are several ways- a diaper sprayer attached to your toilet, using a spatula to scrape it out, disposable liners inside each diaper that catch it so you can just shake it out, whatever floats your boat. We personally do the scrape method because it's cheap.

My favorite resource for CD questions is a YouTube video series by ObbsAndLala (I'm
mobile so it's hard to link but search her username in YouTube's search bar and they're easy to find). She has tons of 10-12 minute videos that answer every possible question you have in a really straightforward way. There is a lot to learn and it can be intimidating, but it's so worth it!

thisusername · October 2015

AdventureMama said:

thisusername said:

notasycophant said:
Most I've spoken say to wait a few weeks because alot don't fit newborns well. But I guess it depends on what you're using? @AdventureMama is CD'ing mom. She should have some valuable insight.
@AdventureMama is like our go to for everything advice person! Lol

So how does one even cloth diaper? Like how do you wash them without the poop getting all over the washer and stuff? (Yes I'm very serious. This is my only CD concern)
Ha! I'm no expert but I like sharing what I know!

Breastmilk/formula poop is water soluble, which means you can throw it into your washer, wash, and you're good to go. When baby starts eating solids, you need to get rid of the poo before you wash. There are several ways- a diaper sprayer attached to your toilet, using a spatula to scrape it out, disposable liners inside each diaper that catch it so you can just shake it out, whatever floats your boat. We personally do the scrape method because it's cheap.

My favorite resource for CD questions is a YouTube video series by ObbsAndLala (I'm
mobile so it's hard to link but search her username in YouTube's search bar and they're easy to find). She has tons of 10-12 minute videos that answer every possible question you have in a really straightforward way. There is a lot to learn and it can be intimidating, but it's so worth it!

Thanks so much!!!

Life is Exciting · October 2015

I cloth diaper and my son, who is now two, from birth and I will be clock diapering my baby girl when she arrives. We have a mix of styles. We used prefolds and covers a lot in the newborn stage, but once he was in daycare that seemed a little difficult for the providers. So, we switched to a lot of all in ones or pockets. We have bum genius, Thirsties, Rock albums, grandpa Rock a bums, rumparooz, WAhm, and little flower brand China cheapie covers. I also use green mountain diapers pre-folds. I've found that different ones work better for different periods in his diapering life.

heatherlemieux · October 2015

Has anyone started out cd from day one ? Like even in the hospital if that's where you chose to deliver? The only issues I can imagine would be meconium and possibly the hospital not being accepting. Does anyone have experience in this area?

thisusername · October 2015

heatherlemieux said:
Has anyone started out cd from day one ? Like even in the hospital if that's where you chose to deliver? The only issues I can imagine would be meconium and possibly the hospital not being accepting. Does anyone have experience in this area?

I have never even had a baby yet, but this was asked at our hospital today. We are a military hospital and even they are prepared for cloth diapering. I mean, it is on the fancier end of the military facilities since it's the presidents hopital (apparently we get a certificate for giving birth here too, kinda odd.) but they are still behind in a lot of other things. Like you can NOT opt out of the eye cream stuff here.

Lizziesue07 · October 2015

I plan to cloth diaper from the start with this baby and I have heard and read that the meconium is not problem.. I started cloth diapering my son at 8 month

DrillSergeantCat · October 2015

thisusername said:

I have never even had a baby yet, but this was asked at our hospital today. We are a military hospital and even they are prepared for cloth diapering. I mean, it is on the fancier end of the military facilities since it's the presidents hopital (apparently we get a certificate for giving birth here too, kinda odd.) but they are still behind in a lot of other things. Like you can NOT opt out of the eye cream stuff here.

I get a certificate when my baby is born too, it's pretty common for a child to get a birth certificate.

mcklough · October 2015

thisusername said:

Has anyone started out cd from day one ? Like even in the hospital if that's where you chose to deliver? The only issues I can imagine would be meconium and possibly the hospital not being accepting. Does anyone have experience in this area?
I have never even had a baby yet, but this was asked at our hospital today. We are a military hospital and even they are prepared for cloth diapering. I mean, it is on the fancier end of the military facilities since it's the presidents hopital (apparently we get a certificate for giving birth here too, kinda odd.) but they are still behind in a lot of other things. Like you can NOT opt out of the eye cream stuff here.

what is this eye cream stuff? I haven't had my hospital tour or anything yet.

mcklough · October 2015

DrillSergeantCat said:

thisusername said:

I have never even had a baby yet, but this was asked at our hospital today. We are a military hospital and even they are prepared for cloth diapering. I mean, it is on the fancier end of the military facilities since it's the presidents hopital (apparently we get a certificate for giving birth here too, kinda odd.) but they are still behind in a lot of other things. Like you can NOT opt out of the eye cream stuff here.

I get a certificate when my baby is born too, it's pretty common for a child to get a birth certificate.

I think she means like a "congratulations you gave birth at George Washington Hospital" (I'm sure that's not really the name) rather than a birth certificate. Like the hospital is giving you bragging rights

DrillSergeantCat · October 2015

mcklough said:

I think she means like a "congratulations you gave birth at George Washington Hospital" (I'm sure that's not really the name) rather than a birth certificate. Like the hospital is giving you bragging rights

Oh I'm sure that's what she means, but I had to say it.

mcklough · October 2015

DrillSergeantCat said:

mcklough said:

I think she means like a "congratulations you gave birth at George Washington Hospital" (I'm sure that's not really the name) rather than a birth certificate. Like the hospital is giving you bragging rights

Oh I'm sure that's what she means, but I had to say it

I was like hmm I feel like she's joking but I can't tell.

DrillSergeantCat · October 2015

mcklough said:

I was like hmm I feel like she's joking but I can't tell.

When in doubt, assume I'm joking. That was just so ostentatious that I had to make a smart comment.

Life is Exciting · October 2015

heatherlemieux said:

Has anyone started out cd from day one ? Like even in the hospital if that's where you chose to deliver? The only issues I can imagine would be meconium and possibly the hospital not being accepting. Does anyone have experience in this area?

I started from day 1. The hospital staff was very accommodating. we just put the cloth diapers and wetbag with the bassinet and the nurse put a sign on it to remind them that we are using cloth.

The meconium wasn't an issue with us, but I don't remember why - whether it was because it didn't stain or maybe we used a liner. Those early days are such a blur. If you're concerned about the meconium, you can use a liner to protect the diaper.

I'm considering waiting until we get home from the hospital this time to start CD'ing. Last time, there was a lot going on in the hospital (I was there for 5 days with am unplanned C-section) and I didn't really feel like doing laundry the second I got home. the first time around, I was concerned that if we didn't start right away, my husband would get used to the disposables and would have a hard time getting on board (he had a hard time getting on board anyways, but he is on board 100% now, seeing how much money it has saved us and how little effort it actually is to launder and fold them every 2-3 days.) Although the newborn fluff is so cute, I might not be able to stop myself from packing it in my hospital bag!

heatherlemieux · October 2015

Life is Exciting said:

heatherlemieux said:

Has anyone started out cd from day one ? Like even in the hospital if that's where you chose to deliver? The only issues I can imagine would be meconium and possibly the hospital not being accepting. Does anyone have experience in this area?

I started from day 1. The hospital staff was very accommodating. we just put the cloth diapers and wetbag with the bassinet and the nurse put a sign on it to remind them that we are using cloth.

The meconium wasn't an issue with us, but I don't remember why - whether it was because it didn't stain or maybe we used a liner. Those early days are such a blur. If you're concerned about the meconium, you can use a liner to protect the diaper.

I'm considering waiting until we get home from the hospital this time to start CD'ing. Last time, there was a lot going on in the hospital (I was there for 5 days with am unplanned C-section) and I didn't really feel like doing laundry the second I got home. the first time around, I was concerned that if we didn't start right away, my husband would get used to the disposables and would have a hard time getting on board (he had a hard time getting on board anyways, but he is on board 100% now, seeing how much money it has saved us and how little effort it actually is to launder and fold them every 2-3 days.) Although the newborn fluff is so cute, I might not be able to stop myself from packing it in my hospital bag!

Awesome thank you for your experience! Part of the reason I am so leaning towards starting in the hospital is so DH doesnt get intimidated! I have a pretty large nb stash with my son I was in the hospital 4 days and am not exactly looking forward to first thing being laundry but hey I've gotta start it sometime but surely I won't be there that long Thai time! I will probably use liners just in case but sunning works wonders I already know! Thank you you've given me that boost of confidence to just decide now to use them from the start! CD Is like not even necessarily accepted where I live in Texas by the majority. Not to say there aren't some parents that do but outside of our small natural minded community people think you are crazy. So it's been hard for me to get real mom opinions on the little things like this!

heatherlemieux · October 2015

@mcklough the "eye cream stuff" is an ABT ointment they put in newborns eyes to prevent ON (a type of pink eye that causes blindness and can be contracted via vaginal delivery if baby comes into contact with certain STDs). This is currently a hot topic like circumcision or vaccinations etc so opinions vary strongly. ☺️

mcklough · October 2015

heatherlemieux said:

@mcklough the "eye cream stuff" is an ABT ointment they put in newborns eyes to prevent ON (a type of pink eye that causes blindness and can be contracted via vaginal delivery if baby comes into contact with certain STDs). This is currently a hot topic like circumcision or vaccinations etc so opinions vary strongly. ☺️

huh... good to know. I'll do further research but that does that mean that if you don't have STDs that it's not necessary? Sorry if this is TMI but I've had abnormal paps in the past so I think I have certain (non warty) strains of HPV. I'll have to see if that's one of the things that it can help them against. I assume with 1 in 4 women having a strain of HPV that there must be a fairly easily accessible established protocol.

What is the benefit of cloth diapering if you still use disposable liners? I never really understood that.

I also wanted to say that my mom said that when we were babies and she used cloth diapers there was some sort of service that the dirty diapers literally went into a bag all gross and then someone came and took it away and brought her a fresh bag of clean ones. Do things like THAT exist? I can't imagine it would be more affordable but it could help with other benefits.

heatherlemieux · October 2015

mcklough said:

heatherlemieux said:

@mcklough the "eye cream stuff" is an ABT ointment they put in newborns eyes to prevent ON (a type of pink eye that causes blindness and can be contracted via vaginal delivery if baby comes into contact with certain STDs). This is currently a hot topic like circumcision or vaccinations etc so opinions vary strongly. ☺️

huh... good to know. I'll do further research but that does that mean that if you don't have STDs that it's not necessary? Sorry if this is TMI but I've had abnormal paps in the past so I think I have certain (non warty) strains of HPV. I'll have to see if that's one of the things that it can help them against. I assume with 1 in 4 women having a strain of HPV that there must be a fairly easily accessible established protocol.

What is the benefit of cloth diapering if you still use disposable liners? I never really understood that.

I also wanted to say that my mom said that when we were babies and she used cloth diapers there was some sort of service that the dirty diapers literally went into a bag all gross and then someone came and took it away and brought her a fresh bag of clean ones. Do things like THAT exist? I can't imagine it would be more affordable but it could help with other benefits.

The eye ointment is protocol they give it to all babies regardless of a moms paps. I know some states allow you to opt out but not sure about the details. And your right a good percent of the population have or is a carrier of HPV. I wouldn't worry about it. As far as I've read in the US chlamydia is the most common STD that causes such blindness but treatments for infections of baby have improved a lot since ointment was introducers I would read and discuss this with your dr. My son received the ointment when he was born and this babe will also I am an advocate of no unnecessary interventions but I am picking and choosing my battles given where I live!

There are liners that are disposable (they resemble a dryer sheet) and there are reusable liners that can be washed the use for them would be to prevent staining. Your diaper would still be the absorbency though! I don't plan to use liners except maybe for the first day or two to just minimize possible stains from meconium! There are also disposable insert but those are considered "hybrid " diapers most are made more eco friendly but I agree what's the point if you are still throwing diapers away but they do lessen the waste.

brushesnbrunch · October 2015

heatherlemieux said:

huh... good to know. I'll do further research but that does that mean that if you don't have STDs that it's not necessary? Sorry if this is TMI but I've had abnormal paps in the past so I think I have certain (non warty) strains of HPV. I'll have to see if that's one of the things that it can help them against. I assume with 1 in 4 women having a strain of HPV that there must be a fairly easily accessible established protocol.

What is the benefit of cloth diapering if you still use disposable liners? I never really understood that.
I also wanted to say that my mom said that when we were babies and she used cloth diapers there was some sort of service that the dirty diapers literally went into a bag all gross and then someone came and took it away and brought her a fresh bag of clean ones. Do things like THAT exist? I can't imagine it would be more affordable but it could help with other benefits.

Yes there are CD delivery services. I think there's 1 that delivers in my area (most I've found only do the "big" cities around me which I'm on the cusp and wouldn't be in their delivery area). Might take some investigating, but I'm sure you could maybe find one in your area.

Life is Exciting · October 2015

"huh... good to know. I'll do further research but that does that mean that if you don't have STDs that it's not necessary? Sorry if this is TMI but I've had abnormal paps in the past so I think I have certain (non warty) strains of HPV. I'll have to see if that's one of the things that it can help them against. I assume with 1 in 4 women having a strain of HPV that there must be a fairly easily accessible established protocol.

What is the benefit of cloth diapering if you still use disposable liners? I never really understood that.

I also wanted to say that my mom said that when we were babies and she used cloth diapers there was some sort of service that the dirty diapers literally went into a bag all gross and then someone came and took it away and brought her a fresh bag of clean ones. Do things like THAT exist? I can't imagine it would be more affordable but it could help with other benefits.

"

-- A lot of people just use the disposable liners when the baby is getting medicines that could stain, for the first few days of meconium poop, or when introducing blueberries, since they stain like crazy. Or when baby has a yeast rash.

(Edited to add quotes. The app didn't add them in correctly)

FriendlySoutherner · October 2015

I'm planning to order about 12 BumGenius solid colored CD's with the snaps next week. If these work good with DS then I may stock up on more along and along for future babies. I may also buy a pack or 2 of Gerber pre-folds for "snow" days in case my washer pipe freezes up like last year. .I'm not against disposables and will probably keep a pack around for when travelling or if things get hectic and I let the laundry pile up.

heatherlemieux · October 2015

@Life is Exciting yes there are cloth diaper services that will pick up and drop of fresh and clean but it depends on your area whether or not there is a service available to you! I would good cloth diaper services near you or ask a local CD parent who may know more. There isn't one any closer that 6hrs drive from me lol

@FriendlySoutherner my MIL got me a pack of gerber pre folds and I will say they were not the best quality for diapering. Maybe good cleaning rags but I have ordered green mountain diaper pre folds they are a bit more pricey but the difference in quality is very evident! If you aren't using them exclusively I guess it won't matter as much but I thought I would comment ☺️

FriendlySoutherner · October 2015

I agree, my mom recommended them as good burp cloths. That's why these will be for DS to where around the house if I cant get his BumG's cleaned due to washer issues. Last year it snowed a great deal and our washer pipe was frozen for a while so I couldnt wash clothes or go out. Thats the only time I plan to use those, in emergency situations.

SU1989 · October 2015

Have any of you received judgement from friends and family for choosing cloth diapers? I'm a FTM and we are choosing to use cloth diapers and was not expecting the judgement from family and friends like I have! I didn't think it was that crazy of a thing to do, but I may be wrong. I never know what to say when I get a strong negative reaction to it!

Life is Exciting · October 2015

SU1989 said:

Have any of you received judgement from friends and family for choosing cloth diapers? I'm a FTM and we are choosing to use cloth diapers and was not expecting the judgement from family and friends like I have! I didn't think it was that crazy of a thing to do, but I may be wrong. I never know what to say when I get a strong negative reaction to it!

@SU1989 - Yes! Big time! When I was pregnant with my son (he's 2 now), my in-laws gave me so much crap about it that I made my husband have a sit-down talk with them to make them realize this is OUR baby, not theirs and we make the decisions.

It helped me to have a lot of knowledge and facts about cloth diapering loaded and ready to spit back at them. For example, the average cost of disposables vs. cloth, how many years it takes disposables to biodegrade, how it doesn't make the washing machine "dirty" because you spray solids off before you wash the diapers and because exclusively breastfed poop is water soluble and can go straight in and will wash out completely. You could also look into celebrities who have cloth diapered or try to educate them on the new styles of cloth diapers (They may think you're going to use nothing but flats and pins and plastic pants like their parents did).

My favorite was telling them how disposable diapers are fairly new, within the last generation or two, and therefore, they were cloth diapered as a child because disposables weren't around. Did they turn out OK? No lasting health problems there!

Good luck. It stinks getting criticized for your parenting decisions, but it certainly doesn't stop after you give birth, so stick to your guns, Mama and feel free to PM me if you need to vent!

slthomp92 · October 2015

SU1989 said:
Have any of you received judgement from friends and family for choosing cloth diapers? I'm a FTM and we are choosing to use cloth diapers and was not expecting the judgement from family and friends like I have! I didn't think it was that crazy of a thing to do, but I may be wrong. I never know what to say when I get a strong negative reaction to it!

Yup. My family isn't necessarily opposed to the idea, they just don't think it's a smart move for me. They swear I'll cave to the convenience of disposables. I'm not a super tidy person, so they could be right. But I'd like to give it a shot and see how it works for us before they blow it off as a waste of time.

heatherlemieux · October 2015

SU1989 said:
Have any of you received judgement from friends and family for choosing cloth diapers? I'm a FTM and we are choosing to use cloth diapers and was not expecting the judgement from family and friends like I have! I didn't think it was that crazy of a thing to do, but I may be wrong. I never know what to say when I get a strong negative reaction to it!

Yes definitely. My Mom from the beginning was acting as if I was nuts and really trying to discourage me. Luckily my DH while not thrilled is excited about saving money and open to it and thinks the little fluff is so cute if i didn't have him on board it would not be working out so well! I've also had some friends and other ladies scrunch up their face and wonder about poop. They wether intentional or not were successful in making me feel kind of nasty or odd. But in my opinion all the facts lean towards cloth being the best choice all around, and that is enough for me to feel confident and ignore what anyone has to say about it because we all know culturally we are a bit backwards when it comes to what's best for baby or environment .

SU1989 · October 2015

Thank you guys! This was something I was very shocked to get the reaction I have from people. It helps knowing I'm not the only one who has experienced that. I normally come back with the whole cost thing and how much better cloth is environmentally. I need to just start carrying around facts with me. Haha. I can understand people from my parents generation questioning it, because when I told my mom about it she thought we would have to go get the rubber pants and all that stuff. So she was shocked when I showed her what cloth diapers are today. I just need to learn not to care what others think/say and not let it get to my head. Cloth diapers is something I'm really excited to do and won't let their negativity change my mind about. It's just frustrating. Thank you guys again.

AdventureMama · October 2015

Ive learned from talking to our parents and grandparents that CDing was waaaay less convenient when they were raising kids. The horror stories I have heard...rubber pants, leaving dirty diapers to soak in your toilet or tub all day, safety pins and non-waterproof materials...eek. It sounds awful. All of our parents thought we were crazy, but when they saw how nice today's CDs are (we use snap pockets), they changed their tune. They're amazed that we just collect them until we have a load full and then wash and hang dry. And that they don't have to do any fancy folding or pinning. I mean really, we have the diapers stuffed before we put them in the diaper bag and then all we need them to do is stick the dirty ones in the wetbag, so they are basically no different than disposables to them. Maybe your folks will change their tune when they see them in person.

thisusername · October 2015

DrillSergeantCat said:

thisusername said:

I have never even had a baby yet, but this was asked at our hospital today. We are a military hospital and even they are prepared for cloth diapering. I mean, it is on the fancier end of the military facilities since it's the presidents hopital (apparently we get a certificate for giving birth here too, kinda odd.) but they are still behind in a lot of other things. Like you can NOT opt out of the eye cream stuff here.

I get a certificate when my baby is born too, it's pretty common for a child to get a birth certificate.

------------------------------------------------
No, it's not the birth certificate. It's a peice of paper in either pink or blue that says "I was born in the presidents hospital" with a copy of his signature. I think this is where they put a set of footprints too. I would be quite concerned if only one hospital did birth certificates!

Edit:quote fail

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