@fitandnerdy if you hate laundry but want to do cloth, maybe a diaper service is for you? It's basically a diaper rental and they pick them up once a week and wash them and leave you a new batch of clean ones. The only thing to keep in mind is you would have to buy and wash your own covers, since they typically only provide the prefolds. It ends up costing about the same as using disposables.
@cornichonmam another really nice UK brand are totsbots! I just adore their bamboozle fitted nappies, as well as their AIOs. So trim! But I know the bambino Mios are very trim as well. I am not much of a velcro girl, but the totsbots velcro is just about the best you can get, IMHO. So super grippy!
I agree about not being afraid to dip your toe in... I am not thrilled about spending money on disposables for daycare all the time, but it is what it is. I still buy half as many or less as what I would otherwise be spending if we were full-time in disposables, and fx once I can stay home, we'll only be using disposables maybe 5-10%. Any amount of cloth we use helps!
@fitandnerdy I hate laundry, too, but a lot of what I hate is the sorting and the folding, which are pretty much non-issues with diapers. I will admit that I really, really hate the nights when I'm crawling into bed after a long day at work and realize "oh sh*t. diapers" and have to spray down some poop and start a load. But it's fine. I imagine with disposables there are similar oh sh*t moments that leave you running to Walgreens at 11pm.
@BusinessWife I've looked at the bamboozle nappies before for overnight, but they are a bit pricey compared to the Mios. I might get a few, we are defiantly going to have to expand our stash with having two in nappies.
I'm with you that any amount of cloth helps. In as for the cost of the CD we paid for hours in terms of how much we saved not buying disposables before he turned 6 m, it's defiantly worth the investment. Thankfully our nursery is fine with the CD, there is actually another girl there who uses the same brand so other than them not understanding how to use a wet bag we've had no issues.
@cornichonmam oh that's wonderful! Ours was open to it at first, but then she had a phase she was leaking through to her clothes and we had to switch. I don't know if they weren't changing them often enough? I tried stripping everything idk. Nothing helped, but also we were were at home with her covers and prefolds. So since I wasn't there at school, it was hard for me to troubleshoot because it was kind of out of my hands. :/ .I had thought it might be nice to revisit with them as we approach potty learning, but we also might not be there much longer, so maybe I won't have a chance to bring it up. Time will tell!
Incidentally, we had been having MOTN wakeups for some time now. And also, I picked up a pack of disposable overnights when the drier broke over the holidays. LSS, I finally finished one half of the pack, so I broke out a CD and used that overnight for the first time in weeks. AND SHE STTN!!!! I don't want to jinx anything, but if this is a new trend, I will never go back to bothering with disposable overnights. They were maybe only good 6, 8 hours max. Which meant she wasn't sleeping well, I wasn't sleeping well, not good for anyone! But last night I just had to quick-replace the binky a few times, maybe a quick snuggle, and back out again no problem. Not these wake up, change and bottle whole productions it had turned into... 🤦🤦🤦 Fx it stays this way! Maybe I'll start to fee semi human again lol
Those of you who have made your own diapers, what pattern did you follow? Or did you design your own?
I used a DIY pattern I was given. Not a big fan of it though. I just think it could have been better especially instruction-wise (there basically were none.)
I remember researching and it coming down to one or two patterns if I'd bought one, but I can't remember which. If I do it again, I'm going to have to research again. I know I considered Homespun Aesthetic's hybrid CD pattern (Etsy). I also was looking at the BabyVille Boutique one, but that one doesn't seem to be available except second hand anymore.
A couple things I would probably do differently. I did snaps, and my diapers were one size. That is a LOT of snaps. My wrists got so tired. I think I'd do hook and loop. I also did turned and topstitched rather than serged. I didn't and still don't have a serger, but I think I'd try to make just zig zagging work. Turned and topstitched takes a lot more time.
@BusinessWife What did you do to strip your nappies I've never felt the need until now as we've had issues with the AIO leaking? It could just be that they drink more now they are bigger though.
I've been weaning my DS now I'm expecing No.2, I'd like my my boobs back for a bit before it's time for round two. But since we've got well into weaning and I've been giving him a cup of milk before bed thankfully he has been sleeping better.
I'm trying to remember what I did. @cornichonmam I use a powder detergent usually, so I think from clean I just did more or less a back to back super wash, with double soap in the first cycle, then extra soap again in my flheavy wash and extra rinse as well. I will try to find the link to the real instructions for you tho. For us it was happening around 9-12 months, so I didn't know if it was really a buildup thing, or like you said, a growth thing and maybe boosters would have done the trick. 🤷
Ok prefold mommas, what is your favorite brand? I'm hearing good things about grovia's new prefold and cloth-eez is always a frequent name. Or is there something cheaper/better?
I'm curious because Amazon has 6 packs of Osocozy unbleached prefolds for $8.
I have only ever used Geffen. Probably not cheaper, I would like to think better! Lol but if in didn't get these I would have gotten the osocozy. Just check the sizing cos i vaguely remember there being something about a different cut they offer that is not the cut you really want... 🙄 It's been too long. @jwhite3116
@BusinessWife I just got a really good deal on some clotheez newborn prefolds so we'll see how they work. If I don't like them I'll look into Geffen and Osocozy.
I registered for OsoCozy but ended up buying some Cloth-eez/GMD because I wasn't happy with the fit. They're rectangular rather than square, here is a comparison:
I found the "rise" was too long when DD was a newborn, but not long enough to fold over neatly for extra absorbency. The width was very similar to the Cloth-eez newborn, so when she started to outgrow the newborn size, the OsoCozy prefolds started to get too narrow as well even though they're supposed to fit up to 15 lbs. There was maybe a week or two where she was a little too big for Cloth-eez newborn and too small for Cloth-eez small that the Osocozy fit well. I did find the quality to be very similar, so if it's a really good deal it can't hurt to buy a pack to try, but they definitely weren't my favorites.
I also tried Gerber prefolds because I figured they were cheap, so why not? They were kind of a joke. They even say on the pack "great for burp cloths" and that's pretty much what they are good for. They were thin, shrunk a lot, and didn't hold much liquid. Maybe they'd be good doublers?
Have any of you tried flats? My mom (who CD'd all 3 kids) gave me a pack but I never bothered to figure out any of the folds. I used them for everything OTHER than diapering, lol.
@BusinessWife Did you use the Geffen Hemp/Cotton prefolds? I've always been hesitant to try any hemp/bamboo prefolds because rayon is generally so delicate when wet, but I am curious how well they work and how they hold up over time compared to cotton.
Thank you @hypermusic. That was incredibly helpful! Also GMD said that if you have a larger baby it might be okay to go from newborn to medium. Do you have any experience with that?
@hypermusic yes! We use all the bamboo / hemp prefolds and we love them! We have the same jersey doublers as well. They are super absorbant, and have held up like practically new, (apart from any staining that I may not have gone crazy trying to whiten out again.)
ETA I keep saying it's time to size up (I think we are still using the small prefolds (for my 27lb+ 16mo, just tri-folded in a flip cover,) but I haven't even bothered because it's still working. It's just such a simple solution that works.
Hi friends! We're having our first baby and I really want to cloth diaper but there is SO MUCH info I'm overwhelmed. Would love to hear what systems everyone likes best AND what would be considered easiest for my hubby who is already annoyed I want to do this....
There really is no one size fits all answer and it's true, there are a lot of choices! It would help to understand better your thought process and how you feel about the solutions you've started to look at? @meagang123
WELL. Lol. I like the idea of hybrids / all in 2s / covers + prefolds because it seems like you get longer life out of your shells and the inserts can be customized based on activity level / kid / situation. I can see the pockets / all in ones being easier for my husband per se but think youre rolling the rice more in terms of initial buy? Will my husband survive a cover / hybrid solution?
@meagang123 I'm a FTM too and planning to order some AIOs and pockets to start out (1 or 2 from a few brands to get an idea of what I/baby like). I'm sure over time I'll add some cover and prefold ones, but I want the transition to be seamless when we first bring baby home, especially since DH has never changed a diaper in his life and I need to make this simple for him.
Here's a question that I suppose I could put in the registry thread but I'll ask here...where do you put the dirty diapers/inserts before you wash them? I don't think just throwing them in my washer (in the basement) 8-10 times a day will be conducive to postpartum life. Do you use any old hamper or is there a technique to this?
A lot of the blogs I've been reading use a bin in nursery with a washable liner bag and wash the bag with the diapers!
I like the AIO ideas too I just worry well need more or less insert sometimes and its less customizeable! I also worry the covers take more of a beating / last less time but people do seem to like them and you make a good point about it being easier coming home at first
@meagang123, pockets won't take less of a beating. You're putting the absorbency inside that pocket, so poop and pee will get on the material the pocket is made out of. A pocket still needs to be washed every time it's used. I used fitteds and covers, and while I liked them, they are an additional step. My H has never been a huge fan of cloth. I know several people who love pockets.
In CD news for me, I was just given a ton of second-hand stuff! I think it's enough to where I won't need to buy anything new to replace what's shot after two kids. Super excited!
@wednesdaygirl1019, some people have a bin. I know people who have a bucket with a lid. I did not get the large wet bags I registered for, so I just threw them in a trash bag on the bathroom floor. Then I just emptied it into the washer. I used the same bag a handful of times before throwing it away. In that second-hand stuff are two large wet bags, so I'm looking forward to using those this time.
@meagang welcome to the group! Please also introduce yourself on the intros thread.
CD’ing as a FTM is totally overwhelming. And what’s right for you depends on a few factors - budget, reasons for CD (crunchiness) and level of effort you are willing to put in. My H was also not thrilled with the idea but he was fine with AIO, AI2 or pockets as long as he didn’t have to do the laundry. I preferred the AIO and AI2 over pockets because I found stuffing them annoying, but the pockets dried faster than the AIO. That’s pretty much the only difference. If it’s 2 parts it dries faster, but requires assembly. I also really liked prefolds and covers, especially in the early days when she peed constantly. I mostly did those at home and AIO when we went out. I never tried flats because I knew folding wasn’t for me. Also, consider your childcare plans - nannies and au pairs tend to be more flexible (and help with the laundry!), and daycares usually require AIO or pre-stuffed pockets if they are willing to do cloth at all.
Eta you can add inserts to AIO too, you just lay them on top or between the flaps if your diaper has them. But for the most part you shouldn’t need inserts. We only used them for long car trips and overnight.
@wednesdaygirl1019 I used a lidded 13 gallon trash can; something like this and then got 2 reusable pail liners like this. It did a pretty good job containing smells, and when I was ready to wash the diapers I would just invert the liner into the washer and throw it in to wash also. Really any lidded container that has a moderately tight lid should do the trick. I liked having a bin that I could open with my foot and toss the diaper in, but some people go even more simple than that.
@meagang123 I got a mix of prefolds and covers, and some pocket diapers to try out. DH had never changed a diaper before DD was born, and honestly he got used to CD pretty quickly (probably because he had nothing to compare it to, lol). He found the prefolds and covers easier to use, weirdly enough. We've been using disposables for almost a year now so we'll see if I can convince him to go back for this baby . It might be worth getting a few of each kind to try out to see which works better for you and YH before making a huge investment.
MH also prefers prefolds and covers. To him it is simpler in a sense that it is a piece of fabric with a waterproof cover, over some whole fancy contraption I suppose. I surprised myself that I preferred my NB aios (once I ran out of the disposables we brought home from the hospital) like my grovia and sweetpea nb dipes, and then my Geffen prefolds + covers once she outgrew the nbs, and really once the poops we're not quite so runny I guess. I don't prefer to have to stuff pockets, either. I just find washing and drying prefolds + hanging up the covers to dry to be a much nicer wash routine than having to reassemble aios and stuff pockets.
@wednesdaygirl1019 in her room, we have a wicker hamper with a flip lid, with an approx 13 gallon plain wastebasket inside, and pail liners (mostly sweetpea and smartbottoms). I also have wetbags in various sizes for if we are hanging out in another room in the house, or for the bathroom by the toilet now that we use the sprayer for poops, or else on the go (but TBH, mostly we use disposables when outside of the house).
Not really, no. The one thing I would say is avoid Gerber prefolds. They are NOT the same thing as "real" prefolds. They are much thinner and not as good for a main diaper, in my opinion. I have used them as extra absorbency for nights and naps, but I don't use them other than that.
I prefer my Sweetpea wetbags to my Planetwise one, but I wouldn't say Planetwise are bad. I think most people really like Planetwise, but I found them too bulky. They are a double-layer of fabric, but my Sweetpea ones have held up just fine with just a single layer. I also had issues with the material getting stuck in the zipper with almost every zip on the Planetwise, probably because of the extra fabric, which I haven't experienced with Sweetpea.
Loving all the advice here! Thank you all. I'm another FTM who will be cloth diapering. My current plan is to start with newborn disposables so we can get through the survival of the first few weeks and as we get a little more bandwidth, try newborn AIOs, and then gradually move to prefolds, AI2, and fitted to see what we like best. I'm trying to stash a smallish variety of each to start with and then order more of what we like later on. I think I'm going to try GroVia and Thirsties for AI2 and to double as covers for prefolds, and GroVia, Smart Bottoms, OsoCozy, and GMD for prefolds; sloomb and GMD for fitted. I have a few other cover brands mixed in there (Blueberry, Rumparooz, Smart Bottoms) and am knitting a few wool soakers to lanolize. Currently sewing some flannel wipes too.....Might be going a bit overboard, but I'd rather be prepared and since my sibling and SIL are also cloth diapering, I can also pass things along if they don't work for us so they can use them.
So glad to not be alone in learning all these things! Has anyone tried the La Petite Cream? It's been all over my instagram and I'm curious if it's as good as it sounds.
@wednesdaygirl1019 We used a planetwise hanging wetbag for dirty diapers for a long time, then switched to a regular ol' lidded trash can with a liner more recently. I loved the wetbag for its size/out-of-the-way-ness and odor control, the only problem was needing two hands to unzip when you're also trying to juggle a newborn and poopy diaper. Some brands (bumgenius, I think?) do make sloped zipper wetbags that are apparently easier.
@barbsaj It'll be great to have others in the family cloth diapering along with you! We basically followed your approach with DS, AIOs at first only later transitioning into covers + prefolds, and it was a nice gradual approach but remember that AIOs are also the most expensive option and newborn diapers last the shortest amount of time. We rented our newborn stash so it wasn't so much an issue, but with this next baby I'm going to go straight into prefolds because the cost of everything else feels prohibitive.
@meagang123 I haven't hated any cloth diaper products I've tried! I'd recommend checking out a few online, highly recommended CD retailers (I love Green Mountain Diapers and Jillian's Drawers) and seeing what brands they stock for various items, then looking into those further to see what might fit your needs best.
I definitely pushed the CD issue in our house, but honestly DH is now maybe more on the wagon than me. It's so surprisingly not that much more work or "ick factor" than disposables, especially in the beginning if you're breastfeeding. I sent DH to Target for disposables before our first big out of town trip, and he came back flabbergasted at the prices. We've never looked back.
@meagang123 the only ones I didn’t like were some newborn AIOs with hook and loop (Velcro) instead of snaps because I was worried about it scratching the baby. Overall I preferred snaps, but the Velcro isn’t as problematic on the OS (you just have to attach it before washing). The other decision is if you want microfiber or not - it’s much easier to get the poop off, but it’s not good for the environment. We had some hand me down that I loved for when I knew a poop was coming, but I chose not to buy any more myself.
@roo_baby Oh yeah the snaps vs. hook and loop debate! I read somewhere that snaps are about twice as popular as H&L, but man I love the truly customized fit from velcro. We didn't have it for the newborn stage, and I've heard it's sometimes too "tall" for the littlest ones - creates a stiff area right where they're most bendy.
We used disposables for the first few weeks with DS as I
didn't want to buy newborn specific reusables and I wanted a few weeks to get
my head round the whole situation.
Now we have half pre-folds & covers and half AIOs with
pockets. All are nappy stuff is from Bambino Mio as it's the main brand in the
UK and the have cute prints. We also have a bucket from them, wet bags for out
and about and a changing matt. Bambino Mio also do a changing bag designed for
cloth nappes that I'm tempted to get this time around.
@emiliadkay that was exactly the issue! We still used them, but it wasn’t love. I would consider buying more of the same diaper (bg) with snaps, though.
@cornichonmam A diaper bag that actually has a good storage solution for cloth diapers?? I am intrigued. We always just stuffed ours in the outer pocket of a wet/dry bag, but then that in turn takes up pretty much the whole diaper bag.
@emiliadkay The only thing that is putting me off is that there aren't very good pictures of the internal configuration of the bag. They ship to the US and have a grab and go option too if you're interested.
If any of you are hoping to order CDs sometime soon, tomorrow is Earth Day. Along with Black Friday, it tends to be the biggest CD sale day of the year.
I wash 2 ish times a week, but with a smaller stash you may need to bump it up to a solid 3x. It all depends on personal preference, if you want to weigh out all those other factors, which may all be valid!
I am on a well, so I don't pay for water, just Tide (and electric), but DH bought some of the Costco brand powder he wants me to try. 🤷 I didn't do cloth primarily for $ reasons, so I may not be the best person to ask. I just love my fluff! :D
Is it true that you need specific detergent for cloth? We use Method laundry detergent because it's the only one that doesn't cause my H to have a reaction.
Re: The Great Cloth Diaper discussion
I agree about not being afraid to dip your toe in... I am not thrilled about spending money on disposables for daycare all the time, but it is what it is. I still buy half as many or less as what I would otherwise be spending if we were full-time in disposables, and fx once I can stay home, we'll only be using disposables maybe 5-10%. Any amount of cloth we use helps!
I'm with you that any amount of cloth helps. In as for the cost of the CD we paid for hours in terms of how much we saved not buying disposables before he turned 6 m, it's defiantly worth the investment. Thankfully our nursery is fine with the CD, there is actually another girl there who uses the same brand so other than them not understanding how to use a wet bag we've had no issues.
Incidentally, we had been having MOTN wakeups for some time now. And also, I picked up a pack of disposable overnights when the drier broke over the holidays. LSS, I finally finished one half of the pack, so I broke out a CD and used that overnight for the first time in weeks. AND SHE STTN!!!! I don't want to jinx anything, but if this is a new trend, I will never go back to bothering with disposable overnights. They were maybe only good 6, 8 hours max. Which meant she wasn't sleeping well, I wasn't sleeping well, not good for anyone! But last night I just had to quick-replace the binky a few times, maybe a quick snuggle, and back out again no problem. Not these wake up, change and bottle whole productions it had turned into... 🤦🤦🤦 Fx it stays this way! Maybe I'll start to fee semi human again lol
I remember researching and it coming down to one or two patterns if I'd bought one, but I can't remember which. If I do it again, I'm going to have to research again. I know I considered Homespun Aesthetic's hybrid CD pattern (Etsy). I also was looking at the BabyVille Boutique one, but that one doesn't seem to be available except second hand anymore.
A couple things I would probably do differently. I did snaps, and my diapers were one size. That is a LOT of snaps. My wrists got so tired. I think I'd do hook and loop. I also did turned and topstitched rather than serged. I didn't and still don't have a serger, but I think I'd try to make just zig zagging work. Turned and topstitched takes a lot more time.
I've been weaning my DS now I'm expecing No.2, I'd like my my boobs back for a bit before it's time for round two. But since we've got well into weaning and I've been giving him a cup of milk before bed thankfully he has been sleeping better.
I'm curious because Amazon has 6 packs of Osocozy unbleached prefolds for $8.
https://www.mysweetpickles.com/Geffen-Baby-Jersey-Prefold-Diapers_p_245.html
ETA I keep saying it's time to size up (I think we are still using the small prefolds (for my 27lb+ 16mo, just tri-folded in a flip cover,) but I haven't even bothered because it's still working. It's just such a simple solution that works.
Here's a question that I suppose I could put in the registry thread but I'll ask here...where do you put the dirty diapers/inserts before you wash them? I don't think just throwing them in my washer (in the basement) 8-10 times a day will be conducive to postpartum life. Do you use any old hamper or is there a technique to this?
I like the AIO ideas too I just worry well need more or less insert sometimes and its less customizeable! I also worry the covers take more of a beating / last less time but people do seem to like them and you make a good point about it being easier coming home at first
In CD news for me, I was just given a ton of second-hand stuff! I think it's enough to where I won't need to buy anything new to replace what's shot after two kids. Super excited!
@wednesdaygirl1019, some people have a bin. I know people who have a bucket with a lid. I did not get the large wet bags I registered for, so I just threw them in a trash bag on the bathroom floor. Then I just emptied it into the washer. I used the same bag a handful of times before throwing it away. In that second-hand stuff are two large wet bags, so I'm looking forward to using those this time.
@wednesdaygirl1019 in her room, we have a wicker hamper with a flip lid, with an approx 13 gallon plain wastebasket inside, and pail liners (mostly sweetpea and smartbottoms). I also have wetbags in various sizes for if we are hanging out in another room in the house, or for the bathroom by the toilet now that we use the sprayer for poops, or else on the go (but TBH, mostly we use disposables when outside of the house).
Maybe it would be easier to ask are there any brands or styles you guys think are just awful?
I prefer my Sweetpea wetbags to my Planetwise one, but I wouldn't say Planetwise are bad. I think most people really like Planetwise, but I found them too bulky. They are a double-layer of fabric, but my Sweetpea ones have held up just fine with just a single layer. I also had issues with the material getting stuck in the zipper with almost every zip on the Planetwise, probably because of the extra fabric, which I haven't experienced with Sweetpea.
So glad to not be alone in learning all these things! Has anyone tried the La Petite Cream? It's been all over my instagram and I'm curious if it's as good as it sounds.
@barbsaj It'll be great to have others in the family cloth diapering along with you! We basically followed your approach with DS, AIOs at first only later transitioning into covers + prefolds, and it was a nice gradual approach but remember that AIOs are also the most expensive option and newborn diapers last the shortest amount of time. We rented our newborn stash so it wasn't so much an issue, but with this next baby I'm going to go straight into prefolds because the cost of everything else feels prohibitive.
@meagang123 I haven't hated any cloth diaper products I've tried! I'd recommend checking out a few online, highly recommended CD retailers (I love Green Mountain Diapers and Jillian's Drawers) and seeing what brands they stock for various items, then looking into those further to see what might fit your needs best.
I definitely pushed the CD issue in our house, but honestly DH is now maybe more on the wagon than me. It's so surprisingly not that much more work or "ick factor" than disposables, especially in the beginning if you're breastfeeding. I sent DH to Target for disposables before our first big out of town trip, and he came back flabbergasted at the prices. We've never looked back.
We used disposables for the first few weeks with DS as I didn't want to buy newborn specific reusables and I wanted a few weeks to get my head round the whole situation.
Now we have half pre-folds & covers and half AIOs with pockets. All are nappy stuff is from Bambino Mio as it's the main brand in the UK and the have cute prints. We also have a bucket from them, wet bags for out and about and a changing matt. Bambino Mio also do a changing bag designed for cloth nappes that I'm tempted to get this time around.
https://www.bambinomio.com/collections/on-the-go-diaper-accessories/products/diaper-bag?variant=31002639106125
https://www.bambinomio.com/collections/on-the-go-diaper-accessories/products/changing-clutch
I wash 2 ish times a week, but with a smaller stash you may need to bump it up to a solid 3x. It all depends on personal preference, if you want to weigh out all those other factors, which may all be valid!
I am on a well, so I don't pay for water, just Tide (and electric), but DH bought some of the Costco brand powder he wants me to try. 🤷 I didn't do cloth primarily for $ reasons, so I may not be the best person to ask. I just love my fluff! :D