Going about it the wrong way? - Page 2

[Ifluffedthree]

Shame on that lady, she is teaching a class and needs to teach. You should report your complaint to the facility that she was teaching at.

That said. If you really really wanted to use them, gerber will do a job for you. However they will not perform very well at all. You are much much better off making the small investment into Chinese Diaper Service Quality or Indian Prefold Diapers -- they will perform well for you for a very long time. I actually prefer pins over a snappi. Good covers will play a big important part. Expect to spend about 10-14 for a decent cover -- even if you only have two and then pick up some less expensive ones for daytime when you can be more attentive to changes. This is one way you can balance you cover budget.

IMO -- AIO's are not all that they are cracked up to be and why I lost interest in making them 5 years ago. Fuzzi Bunz are a not an all natural fiber content. You may also want to weigh that into the equasion when you are choosing where you want to be in your diapering experience.

Good luck and congratulations. You will get this all figured out before you know it and expect room for mistakes while you learn -- mistakes are part of the package.

[SleeplessMommy]

I got *6 dozen* India prefolds from little lions for less than $100. And 10+ gently used infant covers from 2 MDC swaps (you can also make prefolds from worn out flannel sheets if you like to sew)

The covers should last us about 3 months, we will have plenty of experience then to choose the type of cover we prefer for 15 pounds +.

[savithny]

Prefolds all the way. You could diaper a baby from birth to age 5 for what it would cost for 2 dozen newborn dipes she's trying to sell you.

Plus, its way more flexible. You can go cover free in summer for huge breathability. You can use different folds as baby's legs thin out or bulk up. If you decide you don't like a certain cover style (velcro vs. snap, side snap vs. front snap), you haven't invested in an entire "system" that isn't working for you.

You can mix and match all kinds of covers with prefolds -- you can have wool, or fleece for nighttime, or a good sturdy PUL for daily wear. Around the house you can go coverless, or not. YOu don't have to wash every cover every time you change a diaper, either, so your laundry isn't as bulky.

And when you're done diapering, prefolds are AMAZINGLY useful to have around the house. They're soft, and absorbant, and will suck up a whole glass of spilled milk in a second. We keep a stack of them in the linen closet for things like that - when a glass goes over or there's a tidal wave over the side of the tub, someone calls out "GRAB A DIAPER!" When someone is feeling pukey and gets a barf bucket next to them, we put down a layer of diapers around the bucket. They're good for cleaning cat barf and washing windows. My prefolds diapered two children for 3 years each (almost) and are still in great shape for this work. If they ever wear out? I'm buying another dozen!

If my DH could learn to pin a prefold onto a baby and get a good fit every time in under 30 seconds, ANYONE can.

I hate that cloth diapers have become just another area where moms can compete about material things. For all the natural parenting and AP movement say they're about avoiding that kind of materialism, it works out just the same. An AP mama may not compete about getting a Bugaboo stroller, but she'll sure sneer about your low-cost diapers or "last year's sling."

[srs]

Originally Posted by savithny

And when you're done diapering, prefolds are AMAZINGLY useful to have around the house. They're soft, and absorbant, and will suck up a whole glass of spilled milk in a second. We keep a stack of them in the linen closet for things like that - when a glass goes over or there's a tidal wave over the side of the tub, someone calls out "GRAB A DIAPER!" When someone is feeling pukey and gets a barf bucket next to them, we put down a layer of diapers around the bucket. They're good for cleaning cat barf and washing windows. My prefolds diapered two children for 3 years each (almost) and are still in great shape for this work. If they ever wear out? I'm buying another dozen!

This too. We keep them in the kitchen, in the bathroom. The answer to just about any mess is "Go get a prefold!" Even the two year old can go do this now. I really don't know how people clean up messes without them.

[savithny]

PS: A few more thoughts:

1) I did have a few fitted diapers (not AIOs, just fitted snap-fastening diapers) for outings and for "convienience," and while I liked them, they did annoy me whenever the kid pooped in them. Prefolds just sort of unfold out of your hand from the clean part you grab, and since they're flat, there are no seams or ruffles to get poop stuck in. WIth the fitteds, half the time the poop chunks would get stuck in the gathers and you'd have to swoosh it hard around the toilet, knock it against the side of the bowl a bunch of times, and then you'd have to squeeze out all the extra water by hand because it wouldn't fit through the diaper duck (a wringer that meant you didn't have to touch a dunked dipe). (you really don't want to wet-pail, so you want the dipes as dry as possible, and you want as little poop as possible going into the washing machine. IT will wash out -- but you don't want big chunks of poop. Trust me on that).

2) Do not fear pins. Pins are your friends. Pins make prefold diapering easy, clean, and fun. Get good pins, SHARP ones. Dritz are good. Start when baby is young and immobile and by the time baby is squirmy you'll be an expert in pinning and baby will be used to the process too.

3) People have been knitting for 1500 years and machines have been invented to do it, yet people still spend tons of money and countless hours hand knitting. People have invented all kinds of fake packaged food, too, yet some people still like to cook real food from scratch. Just because something is "old fashioned" or a new way to do something has been invented does not mean the *old* way is *worse.*

[PaytonPlace]

If you want to try out different kinds of diapers, you can find a plethora of gently used diapers, covers, all-in-ones, pockets, and accessories on the DiaperSwappers site.

[Friday13th]

I 2nd, 3rd...12th, what everyone else is saying. Get some good quality (not gerber) prefolds, a few snappis and some covers and you're good to go. If you'd like something easy for babysitters or to keep in the diaper bag maybe save up for a few one-size pockets or AIOs (that will from a few months old to potty training) Prefolds and flats are so easy to wash and easy on the wallet.

Good luck!

[Channelle]

Thank you everyone!: I feel soo much better now! You all have given me some great advice, I'll definately get a different prefold, look into the different sites and diapers recommended, and I'm going to check out diaperswappers real soon!

Thanks again!

[Juliacat]

I'm glad you're feeling encouraged, Chanelle. : One thing about pinning: I discovered when dd was 2 that I'd been doing it wrong all that time, which was why her diapers started falling off when she was coverless as soon as she learned to crawl. You have to put the pin in and out on the same two parts of fabric. I learned this by carefully studying the pictures at Green Mountain Diapers. It is NOT difficult to do, I'm just not a visual person and so it took me a long time to figure out what was wrong and how to do it the right way by feel. Just a tip, because pinning really is awesome once you get the hang of it--you can go coverless or use ANY type of cover, and use fewer covers, and basically save a lot of money and laundry headaches with two little pins. I buy Dritz pins at my local Hancock fabric store and they work great. Good luck!

[scrapadoozer]

Pins really do rule. I don't understand why so many don't like them. I can get the best fit imaginable with a twisted & pinned prefold. Oh, and I love my Thirsties covers. I only have three of those and a few other assorted not as cool covers. I was going to buy more but haven't needed to. I am definitely saving money over disposables, especially since most of the prefolds I have are on baby #2 and still holding up great. I don't think I can say that about any fitted, pocket or AIO I've ever encountered.

[funkymamajoy]

I love prefolds, pins and covers or wool. My toddler is in the stage where she wants to take her diaper off but she's not potty training, with pins she can't take it off. And nothing fits better because its a custom fit every time.

Snappis are nice and I do use them too. Like the pp said, get indian prefolds. The Gerber ones aren't what they used to be but do make good burp clothes.

[LianneM]

I've tried a ton of different diapers - fitteds, aios, etc - and my fave by far is prefolds with good covers, and a snappi. Cheapest, simplest, and they work!

I actually really dislike fuzzibunz for little ones b/c they don't hold BF poo at all. Jellyroll the prefold and you're all set