I'm starting to obsess over my stash again so I thought others might be too. Time to start up the cloth diaper discussion!
I'm hoping this can be a place for cloth newbies, cloth veterans, and those even just toying with the idea of cloth to ask questions, get advice, and talk about all things cloth, like:
1. types of diapers available,
2. brands,
3. washing routines,
4. stripping and troubleshooting,
5. deals/sales,
6. etc.
Here are some links that have been suggested so far. If anyone wants to add others along the way, just LMK!
All About Cloth Diapering:
Cloth Diaper Glossary
Fluff University
Kelly's Closet
Cloth Diaper Retailer Suggestions:
Nicki's Diapers
Green Mountain Diapers
Happy Diapering!!!
Me: 35 I DH: 38
*TW loss and children mentioned*
DD:2006 | Dx: Unexplained Secondary Infertility | DS: 2011
TFAS since 2012
Oct 16: Spontaneous BFP | m/c @ 9w1d (massive SCH) | D&C
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
Apr 18: FET #3 (natural cycle) = cancelled due to missed ovulation
Apr 18: FET #3 (natural cycle) = BFP! Beta 1: 201 Beta 2: 585 Beta 3: 3254 Beta 4: 9715
U/S 19May - one bean measuring on track with a HB of 125!
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
Re: The Great Cloth Diaper Thread
For daytime I mainly used Lil' Joeys which worked well for us but I hear it's hit and miss with others (and who knows if they will work for this LO). I'm looking for a few other options, preferably AIO but not opposed to other varieties. I tried out Fuzzibunz with DS and hated them - they always leaked. Also had a couple bumGenius which were hit and miss. Since cloth diapering him, I see that both Thirsties and Tots Bots have come out with newborn AIO diapers. I used both those brands when DS was out of the newborn stage and loved them, so looking to see if anyone has used the newborn style recently in either of those brands and can give a review.
For nighttime I used fitteds with a wool or PUL cover which was the only combo that worked for my extremely heavy wetter. The brand I used and loved (Kissaluvs) has been discontinued so I'm looking for other fitted brands that people have had success with.
*Edit formatting
*TW loss and children mentioned*
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
Eta - Ok, i'm reading more and apparently you rinse them in your toilet
I’ve arranged to borrow some diapers from friends who cloth diaper before I buy a whole stash. This way I can try out some different brands. I also got some pockets for cheap during prime day and they are so freaking cute!!!
BFP April 24, 2018 | EDD December 29, 2018
Dating: 2/2007 Married: 4/2011
TTC #1: 9/2016
*TW*
BFP #2: 3/9/2017 - CP: 3/10/2017
08/2017: DH's SA = normal
08/2017: Low progesterone (4.6) all other BW normal
11/2017: HSG Clear; Pelvic Ultrasound Normal; and AMH, FSH, and Estradiol normal
12/2017: 1,000mg Metformin
12/2017: 50mg Clomid + TI = BFN
01/2018: 100mg Clomid + TI = BFN
01/2018: RE Consult
03/2018: 5mg Letrozole + 50 units Gonal-F + 500 μg Ovidrel + IUI = BFP #3: 4/1/2018 - CP: 4/4/2018
04/2018: 5mg Letrozole + Gonal-F + Ovidrel + IUI = BFP #4: 5/2/18
@galactickates No pre-rinsing necessary in the first 6 months (until solids). Just throw them in the wash - everything is water soluble. Even then, it depends what kind of pooper you have on your hands once you introduce solids. DS was a "Houdini" pooper. He would poop and none of it would stick to the diaper or to him. Even in the peanut butter poop stage. I would just turn the diaper over and plop it into the toilet and it would barely even leave a mark. If you have a messier pooper you could always use a disposable liner. They are sold in huge rolls and kind of look a little like dryer sheets. So, if you're going through a messy phase you haven't figured out how to deal with yet, just throw a liner in the diaper. FWIW, fluffy laundry was always my favourite kind of laundry...I never minded washing and drying cute little diapers!
ETA: Also, I wanted to add a list last night but really needed to go to bed. If anyone has any great website recommendations, post them here and I'll add them to the original post. I'm going to add a link to Kelly's Closet and a good online discussion group, but if anyone else has website links or youtube videos or whatever, please share!
*TW loss and children mentioned*
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
Dating: 2/2007 Married: 4/2011
TTC #1: 9/2016
*TW*
BFP #2: 3/9/2017 - CP: 3/10/2017
08/2017: DH's SA = normal
08/2017: Low progesterone (4.6) all other BW normal
11/2017: HSG Clear; Pelvic Ultrasound Normal; and AMH, FSH, and Estradiol normal
12/2017: 1,000mg Metformin
12/2017: 50mg Clomid + TI = BFN
01/2018: 100mg Clomid + TI = BFN
01/2018: RE Consult
03/2018: 5mg Letrozole + 50 units Gonal-F + 500 μg Ovidrel + IUI = BFP #3: 4/1/2018 - CP: 4/4/2018
04/2018: 5mg Letrozole + Gonal-F + Ovidrel + IUI = BFP #4: 5/2/18
Least favorite for newborn phase: lil joeys and thirsties. I had the most leaks with these.
Favorite AIOs for the newborn phase: blueberry simplex and tots bots. Also had a few Nikki’s and they’re pretty great. And the grovia newborn.
My favorite nighttime was a newborn cloth-eez fitted diaper from green mountain diapers with a cover. I almost never used these during the day but I SWEAR by them at night. As she became a slightly heavier wetter I would add a small cotton insert in.
Least favorite one size AIO: ecoable.
Favorite one size AIO: blueberry simplex and nickis diapers. Mama koalas are absolutely my jam BUT they’re not technically true AIOs because you have to stuff the insert into the pocket. These work AMAZINGLY WELL for being microfiber. And they’re also only around $40 for 6 diapers on amazon. Now that DD is older I do use a booster cotton insert in them as well.
Favorite night time solutions: Grovia ONEs all the way. Before I had a full stash of them I would also stuff a pocket diaper with a flour sack towel, prefold, and cotton insert all tri folded and that worked exceptionally well. Plus fitteds and covers are always a good night time option.
@galactickates So only babies who are EBF have water soluable poop. Since I formula fed my DDs poop was not water soluable. That being said - I use diaper liners. They kind of look lIke dryer sheets and make it so that you can throw the majority of the poop away. Then I used a diaper genie to keep the poop in so it didn’t smell. And I would throw the diapers into a wet bag (this is just a bag that prevents from liquids from coming out- you don’t actually put any water in it) that I hung in our bathroom. So I spent about 0 time cleaning diapers other than washing and stuffing them. Unless I forgot a liner. Then I did the dunk and swish in the toilet, which doesn’t have to be cleaned afterward.
Links:
https://www.fluffloveuniversity.com/ - this website is like the holy grail of how to take care of and trouble shoot your diapers. This is where I found the wash routine that works best for my washer,
and learned what the best detergent to use is and how much in each load. I have been almost exclusively cloth diapering for 13 months and I’ve had 0 issues with the routine I got from here. It’s an amazing resource with so much information.
My favorite diaper websites: these are where I buy most of my diapers.
https://www.nickisdiapers.com/ - this site sells a ton of brands, but I can vouch that their personal brand is amazing. I was a huge fan of both the newborn and one size AIOs. Their diaper covers for fitteds are also cheap and amazing.
https://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/ - I bought my cloth eez fitteds from here as well as all of my extra organic cotton inserts and my prefolds (I only use prefolds to stuff).
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
I liked pre-folds the most, most of the time. They are basically just a square of cloth. I think they can seem intimidating but they are fairly simple once you’ve done it a couple times.
Pros: They are easy to wash and dry and are inexpensive. You only have to change the cover if it gets poop on it.
Cons: There is more of a learning curve because you have to fold and fasten them. There are more steps to putting the diaper on which can be be difficult when you child won’t stay still. Other people may be less willing to use them (my DH wouldn’t). Prefolds are typically sized, but you can usually get away with a few sizes by folding them differently.
Fitted: Shaped like a disposable, with elastic around the legs, but no waterproof layer so you need a separate cover. Some people really like these, I liked prefolds better.
Pros: Shaped like a disposable with elastic around the legs, so they are more user friendly and can hold runny newborn poop in better than a prefold. Some have snaps or Velcro so you don’t need a separate fastener. You can reuse the cover unless it gets poop on it.
Cons: There are still two separate parts to put on. Some still require a fastener. These are generally sized so you need to buy more of them and are more expensive than prefolds.
Pockets and AI2 (All-in-twos): Pockets have an opening where you stuff an absorbent insert, AI2s the insert snaps in. These were my favorites when DD was uncooperative and wouldn’t stay still.
Pros: Easier to use and faster to put on than a profold or fitted, especially for people who want something more like a disposable. They dry faster and I think wash more easily than AIOs (all-in-ones), and definitely dry faster since the absorbent part is separate from the waterproof part. You can adjust the absorbency by adding more or fewer inserts.
Cons: They take time to stuff or snap the inserts in. You have to change and wash the whole thing for each change. You have to use a compatible insert with AI2s. More expensive.
AIOs: The absorbent inserts are sewn in so the whole diaper is all one piece.
Pros: Easy to use, quick to put on. No stuffing or snapping in inserts. They are the most like disposables.
Cons: They take forever to dry. You can’t easily adjust the absorbency. Expensive.
Pockets, Covers, AI2s and AIOs generally come in “newborn” size and “one size.” I think DD was in newborn until she was a couple months old, obviously that depends a lot on the size of the baby.
These are are just the kinds I tried. There are more, but I don’t have personal experience with them.
I prefer natural fibers over microfiber because I feel like it washed better. I felt like the microfiber held onto smell more, especially with hard water.
Washing was really intimidating when I was reading about how to do it, but it hasn’t actually been that difficult. I did find it easier when we didn’t have hard water. I had to change my routine up when we moved to a place with really hard water, but I got it figured out fairly quickly. Tide is often recommended, but we couldn’t use it because DD (and DH) react to it.
I got some of my diapers from consignment stores, but that is pretty hit-or-miss. There are also online swap sites. I got a lot of DD’s diapers during Black Friday/cyber Monday sales.
Related, I love my wetbags. Besides CDs they are useful for wet clothes, swimming suits, used disposables when you aren’t near a trash can, and potty training.
I’m excited to read about everyone’s favorites and try some new brands!
As others have stated fluff love university is an awesome website! There’s also a Facebook group that’s great as well.
Dating: 2/2007 Married: 4/2011
TTC #1: 9/2016
*TW*
BFP #2: 3/9/2017 - CP: 3/10/2017
08/2017: DH's SA = normal
08/2017: Low progesterone (4.6) all other BW normal
11/2017: HSG Clear; Pelvic Ultrasound Normal; and AMH, FSH, and Estradiol normal
12/2017: 1,000mg Metformin
12/2017: 50mg Clomid + TI = BFN
01/2018: 100mg Clomid + TI = BFN
01/2018: RE Consult
03/2018: 5mg Letrozole + 50 units Gonal-F + 500 μg Ovidrel + IUI = BFP #3: 4/1/2018 - CP: 4/4/2018
04/2018: 5mg Letrozole + Gonal-F + Ovidrel + IUI = BFP #4: 5/2/18
+1 for Best Bottoms covers. I LOVE mine. Their double leg gussets really hold in the mess and they do run a little smaller so you can start using them earlier. Also, they have super cute prints.
*TW loss and children mentioned*
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
@pttomato Oh I forgot about my smartbottems. I have 4 of them. I do like them and they work well as long as the leg elastics are rolled in - which as far as I know is actually a quality of some diapers (the fact that they have to be rolled). That being said, this is only word of mouth, but they've done a redesign that I've heard is MUCH better. Anyone I know who has their current diaper says it is AMAZING especially compared to the original.
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
We will do disposables for the newborn stage again as I'm lazy and I dont want to deal with reselling newborn diapers after only a couple months of use.
For non soluble poop, we used liners and will go that route again as the liners really were inexpensive.
@galactickates, we rinsed them off in our utility sink when DS was on solids. Before that, we could usually just throw it in the wash and run a pre-soak cycle because BF diapers are much different than solid diapers. I did diaper laundry every other day.
We switched to disposable when DS was a year old because I got pregnant and sick & exhausted, and he turned into a little acrobat during changing, which made it hard to keep using cloth. We do plan to cloth diaper baby #2.
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
Also... is there any difference in type of diapers and gender of baby? I remember my mom always saying certain diapers (disposable) were better for boys for whatever reason (i guess because of where the pee is concentrated).
Hopefully I can get the real deal scoop here and not buy as many lame things.... Its so great having access to you guys' experience
Great info!!
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
I basically +1 everything that @BitterBetty12 just said haha...that was easy!
No but really, for newborns, fitteds with a waterproof cover were the only combo I'd use for nighttime. AIO will likely leak at night, especially if you don't change the diaper at every feed. Like BitterBetty12 said, I also preferred AIOs for daytime use. They are the easiest. They are more expensive and do take longer to dry, though.
For the later stages, I still preferred AIOs for daytime but did also use a lot of pockets since they allowed me to customize absorbancy and the location of absorbancy better.
As for the baby's sex vs. diaper type, boys and girls do concentrate their urine in different areas - girls will be more in the middle of the diaper and toward the back (especially when newborn and laying on their back a lot) and boys soak more toward the front of the diaper. If I ever had issues with the location of soaking and subsequent leaking, I would just take a thinner piece of cotton or bamboo and fold it up and place it where I needed the extra absorbancy, even in an AIO. Usually solved the problem. But, you totally may find that certain brands work better on your baby purely based on how they're made and how your child soaks/messes their diaper. Same thing for disposables.
*TW loss and children mentioned*
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
I feel like it feel like the right move for me so learning as much as i can about the process from experienced moms is bound to give me a leg up!
*TW loss and children mentioned*
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
I think the majority of my ‘AIOs’ are actually pocket type diapers that have to be stuffed which makes them AI2 (if the diaper comes with it’s own insert to stuff in a pocket or if it comes with an imagery to snap in, it’s considered an AI2 since it isn’t just one piece, but it comes with everything you need to use it). The only brands I have that are a true AIO are my blueberry simplex and a couple of my bumgeniuses. A true AIO should literally be just one piece. And to differentiate pockets from AI2s, pockets don’t have any absorbancy attached to them and instead have a pocket to stuff whatever you want in, but don’t come with their own inserts.
The difference between pockets, AIOs and AI2s can kind of be a grey area.
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
That makes sense! lol You do everything you can to get the lil booger to sleep then destroy it with a harsh tearing Velcro sound!
The pink ones were probably just for her girls...She had two boys back to back, then two girls... we were probably deep into pink pin territory by the time i arrived (if only mama knew me better shed know i prefer ducks!)
i AM glad it doesn't sound like i will need to be worrying about using pins THESE days! lol
That being said - I do find the Velcro diapers the easiest to use for other people because they are as close as you can get to disposables. I had a lot of them for the newborn phase.
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
I wish there was a cloth diaper starter pack of a mix of these products
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
*TW loss and children mentioned*
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
ETA sorry @kns1988 I don’t know how but I completely missed your post before!
Married: November 2015
TTC#1: January 2016
BFP #1: 5/02/16 - MC: 5/27/16
BFP #2: 10/06/16: 6 - EDD: 06/20/17
DD Born 06/23/17
TFAS: April 2018
BFP #3: 03/21/18 - CP
BFP #4: 04/23/18 - EDD 01/04/19
Married: October 2014
Began TTC: April 2015
BFP #1: 9/18/15. EDD 5/18/16. MC 10/26/15. (9w)
BFP #2: 2/27/16. EDD 11/7/16. MC/D&E 4/20/16 (11w)
BFP #3: 9/22/16. EDD 5/29/17. DS born 4/24/17
BFP #4: 5/20/18. EDD 1/23/19.