cloth diapering?

[milimama]

I've never used cloth diapers with my other babies but I'd like to use them with this one. I need advice on what to buy and where to buy them. What do I need? What is the easiest type to use? I hear ebay is the best place to buy? I currently live in the South and breastfeeding is kinda taboo so i can't even imagine where I'd look from info on cd!
I would appreciate any help from anyone who has used them in the past!

[justmandy]

There are a million different kinds/types/brands and what's best for me would not be best for you.

In the past, I bought lots of used diapers that had several varieties. They have a high resale value so there's not much risk if you end up with some that you don't like.

For us, dh preferred AIOs (all in ones, there are no separate parts and it's very similar to using a disposable) I hated how long they took to dry so we found a compromise with pocket diapers.

I sold all my old diapers so I have to buy all new again...well, not NEW, I really prefer to buy used everything when possible. Ebay doesn't sell used diapers anymore, craigslist does and there's a used CD forum that I can't find in my favorites right now...anyone else know what it is?

[evinmom]

I've cloth diapered since my DS was a newborn. The available information on cloth diapering as well as the options will make your head spin. There are so many choices now as far as cloth diapers go.

Just a basic breakdown. Cloth diapers often fall into the following categories.

Flats - least expensive, quickest to dry, customizable, requires more folding, requires a closure (pins, snappis, etc...), requires a waterproof cover and may not be favored by those who want easy.

Prefolds - next least expensive, customizable, requires a little folding, requires closure, requires waterproof cover, needs to be prepped by lots of washing before use, comes in bleached and unbleached, some have trouble with poop running out of flats and prefolds. I highly recommend Indian Prefolds versus the Chinese Prefolds if you choose to go with prefolds.

Fitteds - more expensive (prices vary greatly), shaped/closes more like a disposable, requires a waterproof cover, can take longer to dry.

All-in-ones - most expensive, more like a disposable that can be reused, doesn't require a waterproof cover, can take longer to dry.

Pockets - cost varies like fitteds, can be customizable depending on what you use for stuffing the pocket, has built-in waterproof cover, takes less time to dry.

Covers come in all types as well. The classic old-fashioned covers are the pull-up rubber pants. Nowadays you can also find wraps lined with PUL as well as organic material such as wool. Many people also like using knitted wool covers (my personal fav).

Some good links for starting out:

http://www.kissaluvs.com/
http://www.mother-ease.com/
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/ (good prices on prefolds)
http://hyenacart.com/
http://www.diaperswappers.com/

When I cloth diapered DS, I went with prefolds and PUL covers for the newborn stage, then switched to fitteds and PUL covers for 3-6 months, then invested in pockets for 6 months til PLing. I used the old prefolds to stuff the pockets. The pocket diapers I have tried were Happy Heineys and FuzziBunz.

When DD was born we decided to EC and use diapers as back up. Since I would change at the first sign of wetness and DD never had a poopy diaper, I didn't have to invest in anything fancy. We sold all of DS's pocket diapers and just used prefolds and a few fitteds with wool soakers/longies. I had discovered that I liked wool better than PUL at that point. Especially for the needs of ECing since I could feel urination easier with wool than PUL.

For this baby, we will be ECing again with diaper back up. I have mostly prefolds in my stash. Although I also have several prefold fitteds, and fitted diapers for going out. We will also be using wool covers again since I knit them.

Oh if you are on Facebook, here is this babe's diaper stash so far minus the unbleached prefolds, leftover newborn Kissaluvs from my other kids, and all the wool longies I knitted but haven't taken pictures of yet. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/al...&id=1477261109

[carmel23]

I love prefolds. The price is right, and they are the only truly "one sized" diaper, with the exception of new born sized, regular, and toddler... we've never had to get the toddler sized since my guys are typically out of diapers by then.

If you can it is almost better to get prefolds used because then you don't have to wash them 8 to 11 times yourself to get them prepped.

I've never liked pockets, fitteds are cute but it can be hard to find the right fit for your baby... and it is so easy to fold the diaper to fit your baby. Although dream ease have tended to fit my babies once they become toddlers (under wool--it is nice to not have a snappi when they're walking around).

And wool, I love love love wool. But just starting with some bummis whisper wraps is great, too.

I highly recommend Diaper Swappers.com it is a great resource and community, and you can get some great deals from other mamas like us

We have a great cloth diapering store down the street that I am so excited to go into and see what they have. I am a diaper-a-holic, though, so I am going in with a set amount of cash in hand, and a specific goal in mind. That is it.

[flapjack]

Justmandy, it's diaperswappers- mentioned above.

I've done it all, more or less, and we're going with pockets this time round. My big boys were in flats, I ventured out into technology and used (wait for it) prefolds with Isaac, then by the time Skye came along we had muslins and prefolds for the first 6 weeks and a birth to potty set of fitteds. (www.totsbots.com- the nippa version, if you're interested.) Brilliant nappies, but they take forever to dry. So we found Fuzzi Bunz. I have some Bumgenius as well, but I don't like aplix fastenings.

Three things I will say:
Nippas are fantastic things.
Terry towelling without a liner is fantastic for preventing breastmilk poo leaks.
Thirsties wraps are brilliant. Not only are they bombproof, but they also come in pretty colours.

[trinitylou]

I'll also suggest Diaper Swappers. I've found some fabulous deals there, and for the first-time buyer wanting to try out different things, used is a good way to go.

That being said, I really loved prefolds for DD when she was really small. They fold down really well and if you do special roll-folds (I can't remember the name right now, but you'd find it on DS) then it'll keep the breastmilk poo in really well. Thirsties covers are great, and I've had luck with many WAHM fleece covers. I'll be making my own this time around--they're super easy if you have a sewing machine!

As she got bigger and wigglier, I switched to pockets and AIO's to save time. I also have a lot of fitteds that I really love. I found that I personally love buying older AIOs that have lost their waterproofing, and then I'd use a cover over them. Fuzzibunz are pretty trim, so they're perfect for this. And this is a really great route for the price-conscious such as myself.

I'd also suggest going to your MDC Tribal Area and asking about any local stores that might carry cloth dipes. You'd be amazed how many tiny little underground natural mama shops exist, even in the South. I did that on my last trip to East TN and was told about two different shops in my tiny little town!

[evinmom]

In case anyone is interested, I have 2 large girly AIOs that were passed down to me. I'd love to pass them along since I don't have a need for them. They are used, but in fairly good condition. They have fleece outer and applix closure.

[cloudbutterfly]

It's so confusing trying to figure all this cloth stuff out, isn't it? I guess it's better that there are so many options now, but I got very overwhelmed trying to figure out what I wanted to get.

I posted a thread asking for advice on the Diapering forum awhile back and the answers they gave me were helpful:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1112339

Plus there are plenty of threads on the forum talking about it. I decided to get some prefolds, Kissaluvs fitted diapers, covers and a couple other styles to try and just plan to buy most of my stash after the baby is here and I can get a feel for what I like and what fits him well. We're planning to use disposables for the first couple of weeks anyway, and in combination with cloth after that, so there's no rush for us.

[ErikaG]

We use a mix of prefolds and pocket, with a few fitteds and a few AIOs thrown in. I like the pockets for naptime/bedtime when I want a little more absorbency, and for going out, because they're faster than a prefold and a cover, and easier to change in a public restroom when I've got baby, diaper bag, purse, and whatever else.

I'm finding I really like the pockets more during pregnancy, but that's mostly because my sense of smell is so heightened that because the pockets are quicker, it's less likely that I'll vomit...and I've vomited on the kid a couple of times since getting pregnant.

[MamaMonica]

Moved to Diapering.

[carmel23]

I really love diaperswappers (I have to stay away! It is like an addiction )

You can try new stuff for little money, and if you get stuff that doesn't work for you, you can sell/trade it for other stuff.

I'm excited to take my wool out, wash it, and snuggle it

I traded/sold a lot of the smaller sizes, so I'm going to see if (if this is a boy) I can trade/sell the girly stuff for boy stuff, or just get more gender neutral stuff.

[onyxravnos]

evinmom pretty much said it all but I found the easy / cheap thing for me was Kissaluvs size 0 for the new born. they fit good and kinda get you into the swing of things . Just need a cover for them and your good to go.

once he outgrew the size 0's i pretty much switched to prefolds. Prefold + snappie + cover and your done. really not that hard once you get used to it. VERY easy to wash and they dry better too. they are also pretty cheap so it's easy to get a bunch of them.

[octobermom]

Welcome to the CD world. I cded my first child and will be doing it again soon. There are soo many diffrent types which is both overwhelming and great as you can get custom perfect fits for your babies needs. I'll give you a little advice I could have used the first time around.
1) have an idea of budget you can successfully cloth diaper buying new diapers for as little as about $100 birth to potty or you could spends thousands which considering you'd do with sposies isn't always the most horrible decession.. But if cost plays a role consider it before deciding on types. A $200-$300 intial investment would be a good modest decent budget assuming you want to buy new..

2) don't buy all of one type before trying if your unsure considering getting 2-3 or several diffrent types and see what works best there are some places that even provide test drive packages where you can sample diffrent styles and see what works best..

3) don't underestimate prefolds. I tried and had my enjoyment of many diffrent cds with my dd including some pockets custom wham diapers wool ect unfortunually some just didn't work like it turned out my dd was alergic to the poly fabrics found in pockets but it took usa while to figure that out of course after i invested in about 18 pocket diapers and about $200 latter.. same issue with wool turns out dd has a lanolin allergy (making us non wool for this next baby as well) others we really liked but could only order say 1-2 at a time with massive back orders on others... and in the end we actually found our trusty good quality prefolds what we reached for the most.

4) part time is fine. Yes i said it. it is totally possilbe to do cloth full time my dd never saw a sposie on her bum minus the hospital till she was over 2 years old but then several things happened and we really did find a ombo of sposies and cloth worked best and actually ended up loving the arangement. Some HAVe to only use cloth and if thats the case then no issues but many also feel like if they do part time its not good enough. SO if you find you like both baby does well in eaither go ahead...

5) don't forget the extras a kitchen size trashcan with flip top lid make great diaper pails many sites sell pail liners and are totally worth getting. a few smaller ones make great wet bags for outtings as well. Even if you choose AIo or fitted diapers consider getting a set of old fashion pins and a snappi they can help repair a diaper in a pinch and can creat an emergancy diaper out of jsut about any assorbant material in an emergancy.. I encourage every diapering mama even sposie users to invest in 1 dozen diaper service chinese or indian cotton prefolds they have sooo many uses nursing cover ups changing pads burp clothes security blankets bibs napkins emergancy diapers.. latter there great cleaning clothes ect... a few cheep simple pull on pants made from nylon (not vinyl) can also help save the day. Dappi pants run like $3 each and if youve even had a child go through a diarehea bought those extra covers will be sooo apreciated (easy to hand wash and jsut nice udget friendly back ups)

Best of luck and have fun.

deanna