Cloth VS Disposeable

StephLouise35 · December 2015

1. What are everyone's preferences between and the two? (What you'll most likely do)

2. Your pros and cons for your decision.

Just interested what benefits come from both. (I'm a FTM)

BooksForMe23 · December 2015

I would really like to do a cloth diaper system, but I haven't really done any research yet. If anyone knows about them and could point me in the right direction, that would be great!

AL_TwinCities · December 2015

We plan on cloth diapering to save money but also for environmental reasons (diapers are the #1 item in landfills). There is a great thread in July 2016 with info on cloth diapers that I've been following because I'm a FTM and don't even know where to start!

https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12649036/anyone-else-cothe-diapering/p1

Bookhousegirl · December 2015

I chose disposables with DS due to our daycare situation. I think if I was a SAHM I would consider cloth diapering, especially after seeing how much we spend on diapers each month!

runsoncoffee · December 2015

I really want to use cloth as it saves money and is healthier for baby and the environment. I was a nanny a few years ago for a family that used prefolds and they were not hard to use at all! I don't know too much about any other kind and plan to do lots of research before officially deciding. Oh, I also heard potty training is easier when the time comes! We will see!

allyall10 · December 2015

We did both with DS. Mostly cloth. I will do cloth again with this one.

kattyleigh · December 2015

I did cloth with DS and will definitely be doing it again this time but I need a new stash because DS is almost 5 years old and I sold everything. It's so easy to cloth once you get the hang of what works for YOU. Everyone is different.

amandoza23 · December 2015

StephLouise35 said:
1. What are everyone's preferences between and the two? (What you'll most likely do)

STM here and I plan to CD like I did with my first. There is so much to learn! The cloth diaper board is helpful as is the cloth diaper 101 series on YouTube. We prefer fitteds over the other brands because I don't like PUL. We try to stick to all natural fibers and use wool as a barrier. Sloomb/Sbish and Twinkie tush are our favorites.

2. Your pros and cons for your decision.
My biggest pro was the lack of chemicals my daughter would be exposed to. There are so many chemicals that diapers are treated with. Landfills were also a huge factor. The only con I would say would be poop after they start solids. You get used to it but sometimes it's a bit much haha

Just interested what benefits come from both. (I'm a FTM)

StephLouise35 · December 2015

Wow, thanks for all your words of wisdom!!

allyall10 · December 2015

We have a combo of brands, but pretty much all are pocket diapers. However, if your area has a diaper service, I would recommend that! Ours was so easy! It used prefolds and all we had to get was the covers. It sounds daunting, but it's SO easy!!! Just put the dirties outside and get all new clean ones! Hopefully there is one where we move next, because there isn't one where we are now!

StephLouise35 · December 2015

Sounds interesting! @allyall10 but I live in Australia and cloth diapers haven't been a thing for a while, so I think I'd have to do it all myself. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

taradise09 · December 2015

I used cloth with my last son. I only did it for 6 months. I had a three year old and a newborn and a full time job and it became too much to handle. I'll just be doing disposables this time around.

ZedPM3 · December 2015

Hoping to do cloth. We're planning on having 3 kids so in the long run it will be worth it.

Pros: saving money long-term and helping the environment. Also, they're cute!

Cons: expensive up front and they're a little more work than disposables

DH is on board and my ILs will likely be our childcare when they're babies so it should all work out. I'm not hardcore against disposables, I'd just prefer to do cloth.

DragonMom2 · December 2015

I want to try cloth. DS1 was potty trained by 1 1/2 and DS2 was in diapers till he passed, his around the clock care made it impossible to even consider cloth but I really want to try them with this baby. They are super cute and like everyone has said easier on the environment.

Xath · December 2015

We did cloth with my oldest, and started cloth with my youngest until we moved to the UK (because European washing machines are tiny and take forever). I completely and totally recommend it, especially for the first 6 months (before baby starts eating solids). Pre-solids cloth is so easy because you don't even have to spray or swish the diapers before washing. And that's also the age where baby uses the most diapers, so if you switch after, you're still saving money in the long run. Here are a few of the reasons we decided to cloth:

1) It's cheaper than disposables. (Well, it can be...until you discover fitteds, or pretty WAHM diapers...wool covers...) You can get a set of pre-folds and covers that will last you from birth to potty training for about $200 new (less used). And then you can use those same diapers if/when you have other kids. And then you can sell them or donate them so someone else can use them, and recoup some of your investment in either cash or tax benefits.

2) Fewer rashes. My oldest never really had a diaper rash (until molars....FU molars). My youngest was fine too, until we switched 100% to disposables. They just don't breathe as well and his butt really suffers for it. When we can, we put him in cloth to let the skin breathe, but it's just not as practical here as it was in the states, and the daycare center here won't use cloth (our one at home would).

3) No blow-outs. I have 100% never had a blow-out in cloth. They contain even the messiest of poops.

4) Kids (supposedly) potty train faster in cloth. I don't know if this is actually true, but it was an impetus for us using cloth. I'll take anything I can get on that front.

5) Poop doesn't smell as awful in cloth. (Pee smells worse though, so be warned).

I'm not a hard-core cloth diaperer (obviously). But there are definite perks, and I would absolutely go back to doing it, especially in those early pre-solid months. Once your kid starts eating solids, you will gain a healthy (?) familiarity/comfort level with feces. That's not a bad thing, because kids can be extremely gross in general, and this will harden you to the worst of it. ; )

There are many many many types of diapers out there at different price points. I've tried most types and found that different types worked better for me at different stages of my kids' development. Jillian's Drawers offers a great newborn cloth trial system that lets you try a lot of brands/types of diapers with minimal outlay. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.

ioliodio · December 2015

We clothed with our first, will continue to do cloth with our second.

We have all the diapers, why not.

ioliodio · December 2015

And I second no blow outs. The only time my first kid EVER shot poop up his back or out his diaper at all was in disposables. So gross.

kiwico14 · December 2015

True about no blowouts! I convinced my husband to use cloth with DS and now he is the biggest supporter. He even does the diaper laundry.

We used disposables for the first two months or so, until DS was able to wear the OS pockets we bought. After the first cloth diaper, we never looked back. For baby #2, we're going to buy newborn diapers and start after the meconium stage. We currently use a blend of pockets, AIOs, and prefolds/covers.

Our total diaper expense, including rash creams and accessories, is under $350. We'll up that a bit for #2, but cloth has been one of the best decisions for our family in terms of finance, health, practicality, and environment.

I love talking cloth.

DisneyIsabelle · December 2015

After some research and kind of going back and forth I've decided to at least give cloth a go because it's only a few hundred dollars to start and a real money saver especially if you plan to have multiple children. My reasons for trying it are I work at home and will be home with baby the majority of the time, less chemicals touching baby, saves money, less blowouts supposedly, also some say they potty train earlier. The downside is more frequent changes and a little more of a process since you can't just toss them. We will likely use disposables overnight, when leaving the house for more than an hour or two, and just the early newborn days. Also I've said were just gonn try it, because for a couple hundred dollars it makes sense to at least try. There is a maternity store near me that has a cloth diaper workshop where you can learn about and get your hands on a few types, so I'll probably do that! I'm not sure what type is best yet

Stephanie7693 · December 2015

I really want to try cloth thus time. Now that I stay home, it won't be as much of a hassle to worry about. With my first two kids I worked ft. But there are so many kinds and I know nothing, I need to find somewhere I can go where I can see and learn about everything. But not actually doing anything baby related until almost Feb so I guess I have plenty of time to find something!

Chichigo · December 2015

My 2 year old is still in cloth diapers part time. He's also pretty good about using the toilet, so he's in underpants a lot of the time. He definitely knows when he is wet.

I use mostly prefolds and flats with covers, but also have a few fitteds, pockets and AIOs (all in one).

My preference is flats with a PUL cover. This is the cheapest option. Before solids, I folded over baby and fastened with a snappi. Once we entered the solid poop stage, I folded the flat in a rectangle and placed it in a cover. The cover can be reused throughout the day until it gets poop on it, letting it air dry between changes (switching between 2 covers).

I dislike pockets. They need to be washed after every use, and you need to stuff it with an insert before placing on baby. They typically come with microfiber inserts, which make my skin crawl. I use prefolds as inserts instead.

AIOs are more expensive, and take longer to dry. But they don't require stuffing. They also aren't as easy to customize if hour baby is a heavy wetter.

Fitteds can be basic, like a thick prefold cut into a shape similiar to a disposable diaper with no need to fold. Or they can be made of a magical number of layers guaranteed not to leak even if your toddler drinks a gallon of water before bed. There are multiple choices in between, too. Price varies depending on type of material and how pretty the diaper is.

Wool is awesome. It's the most time consuming to clean, but only needs to be washed a few times a month unless it gets poopy. You wash it with lanolin and it holds in moisture. I use it over cloth training pants and my son's clothes stay dry. It can be a problem if your baby has eczema. And pray your MIL doesn't decide to be helpful and wash it in the washing machine.

Xath · December 2015

@Chichigo I loved wool even more when I realized that upcycled and interlock can go in the washer. Then air dry, give them a quick lanolin spritz and they're good to go.

jwittwer · December 2015

Looks like I'm in the minority, but I will definitely be using disposable. Daycare won't do cloth, nor do I want to deal with washing them. This is more of a convenience factor for myself-- selfish, I know. #sorrynotsorry

Stephanie7693 · December 2015

@jwittwer, I don't blame you.. I never even considered cloth for my first two. I worked full to part time when they were babies, and I didn't think it would be worth it. This time around, I'm home, and with 3 kids I'm cutting costs where I can. It amazing how much more expensive they are in elementary school! It's good for the environment and baby, but the expense is my main reason. I just hope I can get the hang of it!

WinchesterGirl · December 2015

We are doing cloth! I already have a pretty large stash of diapers that I've been worling on for months now, so it's not one big expense during pregnancy.

tbyars07 · December 2015

We are doing cloth! After watching multiple friends do the all in ones/pockets it really seemed like no big deal. And all it took was a little 4 minute Cloth Diapering 101 YouTube video to convince the hubby. I'm also starting early and buying cloth diapers throughout the pregnancy in different brands and such so that the initial cost doesn't hit at once. 1 AIO = weeks worth-ish of pampers. Then we don't have to keep re buying those pampers. That was a huge selling point to my husband.

mrsodonnell12 · December 2015

We will be cloth diapering again. We cloth diapered our 2nd babe until she PTed at 18 months and are currently CDing our 13 month old. We used disposables for our first and will never go back! It saves so much money, it's really not much extra work and has really just become part of my routine. They definitely cut back on diaper rashes. I am a big fan!

olliewallie · December 2015

I really want to do cloth, but it's tough to get the hubs on board! I've done some research and found this website helpful for those of you looking for resources: https://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/

Good luck!

charmedlifex3 · December 2015

We'll do cloth, with those awesome disposable liners.

In my experience, cloth is actually a little cleaner. Let's be real - we are GOING to end up scrubbing poop out of places / things / off walls. Cloth diapers are a little more durable, less prone to blow outs, harder to wiggle out of - and frankly (IMO) cuter. I also heard from mom's when I worked with kids, they were better for sensitive skin.

Depending on our daycare, we'll likely end up doing disposables during the day,but I want to try to find a place that will work with me.

Also - environment.

ramoseecology · December 2015

I'm interested in cloth but need to see what daycare options are since I'll be working full time. If it's an option I'll be researching like mad!

Xath · December 2015

You guys have inspired us to pull out the cloth again. DS2 is back in cloth.

amandoza23 · December 2015

DD has never had a diaper rash or blowout in cloth. Since I stick with fitteds it's not much cheaper but definitely better all around.

Mama2Es · December 2015

Would LOVE to do cloth for this baby. We talked about it for our first but never did it as it wasn't readily available or even remotely affordable back then. Now I have a few friends who make them and if we start early enough we should have a solid supply by the time baby arrives.

MSUgrad12 · December 2015

@amandoza23
What brand do you use?

artcheese · December 2015

We did disposables for the first 6 or so weeks and then switched to cloth with DS, so that's what we will be doing with the new baby.

After trying a few different pocket style diapers I have decided I love bumgenius. We have the 4.0s and will be adding more to our stash as DS probably won't be out of them by the time the new baby comes.

I chose to do cloth because it's so much cheaper.

mlillis · December 2015

I have a 20 month old DD and we've done cloth diapers with her. We use Bumgenius 4 pocket diapers. I love 'em. I'm definitely planning to use cloth for baby #2.

olliewallie · December 2015

I just ordered my first cloth diapers!! I got 3 Thirsties Duo Wraps and plan to get the inserts to make them AI2s. I'm also planning on getting a couple of Alva pockets, a bumGenius AIO, an Ecoable AIO, and a couple of Flip covers. And some varying inserts. Hubs is supposed to get a bonus this week and is sweetly letting me use some of it to purchase what's in my Amazon cart that I've been obsessing over for days. Cannot. Wait.

I'll stock up on more once we get closer to delivery for this pregnancy, but until then I can get acclimated to the process with my 18 month old. YAY.

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