Cloth diaper newbie here

[BlueWolf]

Well after much discussion and research, my husband and I decided to give cloth diapers a go. I'm still a bit intimidated by them, they seem soooo complicated, but I think it's the best decision for us. We've decided to go with bumGenius http://www.bumgenius.com/ and I was wondering if anyone has any negative or positive things to say about this brand. And any helpful newbie tips!

And then on a side note... my mother just makes me feel so warm and fuzzy about this. She's been pushing the cloth diaper option at me since we announced our pregnancy. She used cloth on both me and my brother, and feels it's the best overall option. She is totally amazed at all the "cool new" cloth diapers out there. She's totally overwhelmed by them, but so enthused by it. She's been waiting on our decision for months now, and I finally told her we were going with bumGenius and sent her the link. She wants to buy us our cloth diaper stash. :

In regards to such an non mainstream decision on our parts, I am so blessed to have my mothers 100% (and then some) support on this. How lucky can a person get?!

My brother's wife is also pregnant, but 2 months behind me. My mom had me ask her if they were using disposable or cloth (again, she wants to buy the stash for them), but SIL said they decided on disposable. My mom was so disappointment, but perked up saying "I bet they'll change their minds after they see yours".

[donutmolly]

I totally agree that starting CD can be intimidating -- all the lingo, all the styles, all the reviews. It's enough to make your head explode. I have a couple BumGenius and love them. But then, I do mostly fitteds with covers, so AIO's are like a big treat for me.

Washing imo is not a big deal at all. The BG have washing instructions that I have found to work great for all my dipes. But once you find a routine that works for your washer, it's so easy. I honestly have never heard anyone say they regret doing cloth -- and even if you did, dipes resell so well that you haven't lost any thing!

Have fun with your stash!

[Ianthe]

I have used and like Bum Genius too.

[koalove]

i havent used that brand but ive used tons of other and heres my reccomendation. just get the dsq prefolds and wool covers (especially if someone else is buying) and some snappis. i think the all in ones are a total pain as you have to wash the whole cover and all every time. i also had a few covers with the pul on the outside for over nites to make sure no wet spots got on my bed (but they still did of course) and in the end, that was what we loved best. basic prefolds with seperate wool covers. you can also throw in some flushable liners too, which are awesome for getting the poo off.

[askew]

Those diapers did not work well for my son. They have a suedecloth liner on the inside and when my son peed it did not absorb quickly enough, so the pee would leak out the side. My DS peed a lot, and fast so finding the right diaper for him was a challenge.

To be honest, I would hold off buying a stash of anything. Different babies fit different diapers, and what one mom loves another hates. My suggestion would be to buy a bunch of newborn diapers, or prefolds and covers for the first 6 weeks or so- and then try one of a few different diapers to see what works best for your child.

I also never liked one size diapers. Until they get to the biggest setting, there is a lot of extra material that snaps down and it was so bulky. To the point I had a hard time getting pants on etc. I much preferred to use diapers for each size. My son went into medium Fuzzi Bunz at 4 months and is still wearing them now- at 27 months.

[eli's mama]

I use BG 2.0's with my son and I will say that they are easy to use. But IMO I wouldn't spend the money on newborn sizes. If someone else is footing the bill that's different. But with the amount of diaper changes per day for a newborn prefolds and covers are what we are going with. With both my boys we used them for the first 4 months. By then they fit into mediums in pockets and aio's, and mediums and larges have lasted us from then until now and my little one is 2.5. I think it's a matter of opinion though.

[rjruiz_415]

were you thinking about the OS pockets, or the AIO's? I had a few and they werent my favorite, but they were nice. I like prefolds or fitteds and covers best, esp. for the little itty bitty stage.

[BlueWolf]

Originally Posted by eli's mama

I use BG 2.0's with my son and I will say that they are easy to use. But IMO I wouldn't spend the money on newborn sizes. If someone else is footing the bill that's different. But with the amount of diaper changes per day for a newborn prefolds and covers are what we are going with. With both my boys we used them for the first 4 months. By then they fit into mediums in pockets and aio's, and mediums and larges have lasted us from then until now and my little one is 2.5. I think it's a matter of opinion though.

My mom has expressed that she wants to buy my stash, so she is footing the bill.

[BlueWolf]

Originally Posted by rjruiz_415

were you thinking about the OS pockets, or the AIO's? I had a few and they werent my favorite, but they were nice. I like prefolds or fitteds and covers best, esp. for the little itty bitty stage.

I was thinking a combination of the two, but mainly the AIOs.

[bemommy]

I second (third-forth) the recommendation to not go with one single type or brand of diaper. The biggest hurdle of cding is that there isn't always one best way. What someone loves may not not work at. . it's all about fit and the bathroom habits of your LO.

I've cded with both my kids and honestly it's been an evolution of what fits our needs. the bulk of our diapers are prefolds with snappis and pul covers. I like velcro for the early ages but move to snap covers (both my kiddos learned how to undo velcro at an early age).

It's probably best to build a stash that is a mix of different things. . so that you can find what really works for you.

[georgiegirl1974]

Two things.

(1) Bum genius did not with with DD. She was very petite, and those diapers just overwhelmed her. There was a lot of trial and error to figure out what fit her best. (I didn't start CDing until she was 1 year.)

(2) What kind of washer do you have? I have a first generation Maytag Neptune (from 1999 I think), and it is on a floor higher than my hot water heater. It was HORRIBLE for washing diapers. It did not have a sanitary wash option, and no matter what I did, the diapers would not stop smelling (I spent a lot of time on diaperswappers looking for solutions). The combination of a bad washer and the fact that the water couldn't get very hot (since it was far away from the water heater) meant I was washing the diapers 3-4 times and they still weren't getting clean. I ended up giving up after 9 months. I felt like I spent all of my time washing diapers and my water bill was getting really big. So I gave up. (I later found out that a friend had this same problem too.)

[mamaveggie]

The one thing I didn't like about the bg aios was the dry time. I have a front loader, so things come out only a little damp, but it took 2 dry cycles to dry them through. I prefer pockets, which bg also have along with Fuzzibunz new one size which I plan on buying for the next one.

[DahliaRW]

I would get a few to try and then get the rest of your stash after you know what you like. I bought 6 bgs and they just didn't work well on my boys. After the first few months, they peed so fast and strong that the pee wouldn't go through the suedecloth fast enough and they would leak. No matter what I had for an insert (and I tried every trick). So buying 2 dozen BGs, just to find out they don't work on your babe, would be an awful lot of wasted money!

[Angelorum]

I'm new to the cloth diaper thing too. I've been reading up on reviews all over and have come to realize that there isn't one kind of diaper that will work for everyone. This is highly annoying, how's a mama supposed to plan? MIL said she could help us get started with some swaddlebees, since she carries them in her store and gets them wholesale. This is great, as long as they work for our baby. So my current plan is to get a few of those, some prefolds, and kissaluvs 0s for the newborn phase. For covers, I'm busting out my knitting needles and yarn. Does that sound reasonable, wise mamas? How many newborn dipes? And what's a dsq prefold?

[Ianthe]

I agree with the PP who suggest trying a variety of different diapers. Maybe you can look on a website that sells lots of different types and get one or two of each and see what you like. Then when they grow into the next size up, you can make your stash more uniform.

I have a mixture of everything: AIO, prefolds, fitteds, and covers. I like them all for different reasons.

[ATruck]

I agree with others about trying a variety. You really don't know what is going to work best for you or your child's shape till you try a bunch.

My thoughts on Bum Genius dipes specifially-

AIOS- are pretty awful. They just don't get clean. I only have one, and it is a last resort diaper, as it pretty much always stinks. They take forever to dry as well (like most AIOs). We have fairly hard water, maybe they work better in other areas. They are also sized, so you can't use them for as long as the one-size pocket diapers.

one-size- fit better than anything else. We used them when my DD was 10 pounds, and they still fit her great at 30 pounds. I have not had many problems with leaking. However, the velcro is terrible and wears out. With mine, my DD has to have pants on over them, or they will fall off, the velcro is so weak. It is obviously a known problem, because the cotton babies website offers free tab fixing kits... which is nice of them, but I don't know why they don't use stronger velcro (like Happy Heinys and others) or snaps, instead of expecting customers to repair their own diapers. I don't sew, and it is just not convenient for me. Even when the tabs are still in good shape, any 10 month old can take their own diapers off, which is often rather inconvenient, to say the least.

Congrats on your choice.. we have found CDing to be pretty easy all around...

[Ianthe]

Originally Posted by Angelorum

I'm new to the cloth diaper thing too. I've been reading up on reviews all over and have come to realize that there isn't one kind of diaper that will work for everyone. This is highly annoying, how's a mama supposed to plan? MIL said she could help us get started with some swaddlebees, since she carries them in her store and gets them wholesale. This is great, as long as they work for our baby. So my current plan is to get a few of those, some prefolds, and kissaluvs 0s for the newborn phase. For covers, I'm busting out my knitting needles and yarn. Does that sound reasonable, wise mamas? How many newborn dipes? And what's a dsq prefold?

I would also get some PUL covers as well as the wool ones you plan to knit. I LOVE wool shorties and longies, but they are so time consuming to wash by hand. PUL covers you can just throw in the wash with the rest of them. I like Bummis Super Whisper Wraps (BSWW) the best.

DSQ prefolds= "Diaper Service Quality" Prefolds. Gerber is NOT DSQ

[askew]

Originally Posted by Angelorum

I'm new to the cloth diaper thing too. I've been reading up on reviews all over and have come to realize that there isn't one kind of diaper that will work for everyone. This is highly annoying, how's a mama supposed to plan? MIL said she could help us get started with some swaddlebees, since she carries them in her store and gets them wholesale. This is great, as long as they work for our baby. So my current plan is to get a few of those, some prefolds, and kissaluvs 0s for the newborn phase. For covers, I'm busting out my knitting needles and yarn. Does that sound reasonable, wise mamas? How many newborn dipes? And what's a dsq prefold?

Swaddlebees were by far the worst diaper I ever tried for my son. He would leak out of them every time. They are really narrow in the crotch, and I think that contributed to the problem. I did have a friend that loved them, but I still say only get a few until you know if they work for your baby.

[annettemarie]

In keeping with the DDC Guidelines, I am moving this to the Diapering forum. Good luck!

[skolbut]

I don't have any personal experience here... but I do have a very very good friend who invested in the one size pockets for her now potty trained 2yo and will be using the same with her dd due in June...

She LOVES them, and in echoing experiences of the PPs, her velcro is looking somewhat forlorn. These dipes will probably last her through baby girl, and then she'll need to reinvest.