CD for FF babies

[SeattleRain]

Due to medical reasons, I will probably not be able to nurse exclusively (if at all) and will have to supplement with formula. I've been looking into the possibility of using CD for my first-born but alot of reviews seem to be directed towards babies who have EBF poo. I've read that FF poo is different, thought I'm not sure how.

I'm also not the most crunchy mama, so CD is a big leap for me. I'm really trying to be more environmentally conscious though, and the idea of throwing 3+ years of diapers into a landfill makes me kind of nauseas and isn't really in line with how we like to live our life. So keep this in mind when you're recommending things, I'm a big beginner and I'm apprehensive. I need easy things.

So if any of you have FF, how did you find that affected your CD success? Did you have to change anything? Did a certain washing technique work best for you?
TIA!

[sehbub]

DD3 was FF and DS was BF, but both were in CDs.

The only difference I noticed was that her urine was a little more acidic, so I had to strip her diapers (wash them in really really hot water without any detergent) more often than DS's.

Other than that, there really wasn't any difference.

We used a lot of prefolds with Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers or wool covers. I got a couple yards of polar fleece from the fabric store and cut liners that I put in each diaper that helped a lot to keep her skin dry. She was more prone to yeast infections/skin irritations than DS (not sure if because of the formula).

Good luck and congratulations on your baby!

[mntnmom]

IME FF babes poop smells a little worse, and they are more prone to constipation. I really don't think that should hurt your cloth diapering at all. I prefer covers with gussets.. but I am still using a lot of the same Whisper Wraps and prefolds with #3, and soon to be #4, that I used with #1!!

[Michigan Mama]

Both my babes were ebf, but from what I know, ff babes often have stinkier, but less runny poo. I don't think it would change your cd'ing that much, except that the poop might be more like what an ebf baby would be after starting solids. To make cleaning easier, many people use a diaper sprayer, but I've never found that necessary.

Sometimes I use fleece or flushable liners to make poop clean up easier, but not consistently.

I love prefolds for nb - they are super easy. But now that baby is getting wiggly, I really like to use an all-in-one or pocket diaper because it's faster/easier to get on him.

I'm really liking the Thirsties Duo Diaper right now. Both my boys fit in the size two, so it's easy to throw those in the diaper bag and go. If I had it to do all over again, I'd have a combo of mostly prefolds for newborn, with some mother-ease one-size (meos), Thirsties duo diapers and mother-ease aios thrown in. For covers, we use a combo of Thirsties original, duo wraps, and wool. I love them all for different reasons.

Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and keep asking lots of questions! There are lots of options, so it can seem crazy when you're trying to make a decision. Remember that different diapers fit different babes differently so I often recommend to try a few different styles/brands so you can see what you like once it's on your baby's bottom!

[*Aimee*]

I have IGT and can't fully breastfeed. Both of my babes were in cloth diapers and ff. I didn't notice anything weird about it but I have nothing to compare it to. I use natural fibers only and have never had to strip diapers.

Congratulations on your new baby!!

[Juliacat]

I just wanted to throw in that there's a generation of adults who were cloth diapered and formula fed, back when breastfeeding was unfashionable but disposable diapers were not widely available.

[Pinoikoi]

My adopted ds was ff. The poo tended to stain dipes more, and wasn't runny like ebf poo.

[CanBoo]

Thanks for this thread. I was wondering about that too for a friend who should soon foster a newborn.

So if I understand, aside for being smellier in the pail, it will also wash off like yoghurt for the first few months? No spraying/dumping required until they are on solids?

[honey-lilac]

I dunno... My DS was FF and although we didn't CD with him I will say that his solids were pretty solid from the start. They wouldn't have washed off. They were like clockwork and there was no straining, so there was no constipation. They weren't stinky at all actually - my EBF daughter had the cute-smelling "popcorn" smelling poo. DS's had very little smell. I mean they didn't smell like roses but there was very little odor; DD had much smellier messes.

[luckygreen713]

My babies were FF and we use cloth. I don't have anything to compare it to, but I never had a problem. I guess the biggest difference was that I didn't just toss poopy dipes in my wet bag/pail like with an EBF baby. I put the poop in the toilet, right from the start. I've never had to strip due to stink issues. We don't have stain issues either. We use cotton prefolds, but we have some Fuzzi Bunz too--no problems with either. I will say though, I do wash everyday (or try to) because if we go more than a day or 2 the diaper pail gets too stinky. Our wash routine is this: cold rinse with no detergent, hot wash with Purex F&C and Oxiclean Free, additional warm rinse, dry on medium heat. Works great!