Starting cloth with a 2yo

[Violet2]

Hi. I'm doing this backwards. We are just now starting cloth as DD has gotten too big for sposies (and, for the record, I always wished I had done cloth, but she was growing so fast I hesitated to invest. Now I have no choice.).

Due to her size (4/5t) and height, I'm doing what I think are called prefolds with covers.

How many covers do you think I need?

Will DD still need 12 cloth diapers a day as recommended for infants? How many CDs do toddlers go thru on average per day? (FYI, I plan to do nakey time at home to encourage pling.)

How do you feel about the pins vs. the snap fastener thingies they have?

Do the flushable liners really catch the poop and make CDing easier? Or is it too good to be true?

How long does a CD last when in use? I'm used to sposies that can absorb a 4 hour outing. I assume CDs don't last as long??

TIA

V

[cyncyn]

Good for you! It's never too late to start cloth diapering and any reason is good too.

I would get 2 covers minimum, 4-6 is better in case a couple get poopy during the day. Most people will reuse the covers for multiple changes, airing it out in between uses. Covers can also be rinsed and hung dry pretty quickly.

Most toddlers will need fewer than 12 diapers per day. They tend to hold it for a couple hours and then let it all go at once. I estimate 8 per day?

I love the snappi but you might have better luck with pins since she is bigger. You can get a toddler size snappi which is quite long, but your folded diaper needs to be able to reach all the way around the hips to overlap the front of the diaper by at least 1" on each side. Pins are a little more flexible. If your cover is a snug fitting wrap, you can just fold the diaper into a pad and use the cover to hold it in place. This folding style gives you all the absorbency right in the middle where you need it, but it isn't as good for keeping poo off the covers. If you know her elimination schedule, you can pin the diaper on with a flushable liner inside when you think she is going to go. The rest of the time you can do the tri-fold style which is quick and easy for wiggly toddlers. Some people love the flushable liners and use them all the time. One dad told me excitedly that they "catch 80% of the poo!"

I recommend changing the cloth diapers every time your baby eliminates. That may be every 3 hours if your baby holds it up for awhile or more frequently. Toddlers tend to go a lot when they go, so you do want to change as soon as you can. Adding an extra absorbent doubler on top of the prefold can buy you a little more time

HTH!

[Violet2]

Awesome! Thank you soooooo much momma!

V

[octobermom]

my DD was a late trainer so I was still fully CD her at 4 years when she was in 5t/6t clothes. We had a few diffrent styles but mostly did prefolds and wraps. At two we probably averaged around 8 diapers a day (plus night).
I mostly used premium prefolds and bummi SWW
Deanna