Please help me understand the fabrics...

[mamatobe08]

I have posted on other boards but I really think an EC board is the only place that will understand what I'm looking for. I asked about it in my other thread, but nobody responded.

I have been stocking up on fitteds for DS and the new baby coming in December. I am so confused which fabrics I should be buying. Organic cotton, cotton fleece, cotton terry...

I want to be able to tell when the diaper is wet as well as have DS/baby feel when they are wet. I have been putting them on coverless at home with DS and plan to do the same with the baby, then wear pockets for outings. I just don't know if all of these materials are going to give them the awareness that I want them to have.

[heatherr30]

Any kind of natural, absorbant fabric--such as all the cottons you mentioned-- should let them know when they are wet. Naturally the less padded the diaper the more wet they will feel (and be)--so you might want to aim for a less absorbant diaper or one with a removable booster pad. Avoid polyester- lined diapers (such as fleece) if you want them to feel the wetness. The pockets will probably be with a stay dry lining, but you only plan to use them when you are out, and it's likely you may not be able to change them as soon as you would like anyway. Some people think it's better to use the stay dry diapers if you can't change quickly, so they don't get used to that wet feeling.
Really, I think there are tons of other considerations when buying cloth diapers--such as how you plan to wash and dry them--that would affect your decision as they pretty much all would feel wet (except for the fleece ones).

ps if you order your cloth diapers through an online company that deals with several brands, rather than through the manufacturer directly, you should be able to email or call for advice.

[Heidi74]

I agree with the PP. One thing that also came to mind when I read your post is that you might want to consider trainers instead of diapers, at least for at-home daytime use. The trainers stocked by stores that sell EC gear will hold one pee, and they take less space in the laundry than fitted diapers do. After we started doing EC, I realized that I was putting so many barely wet fitted diapers in the wash, and I really could reduce my washload by using trainers. Just another thought to consider.

[mcoreen]

I have hand knit wool covers that are great for telling when DS is wet while providing protection from leaks. I'm not a fan of fleece, a friend of mine has pocket diapers that she's been trying to strip to no avail, so they no longer absorb at all. I keep DS 18mos in walmart underwear with cotton flannel inserts at home with or without a wool cover. They don't absorb a lot. If I need extra absorbancy in the underwear I stick in an insert that is flannel topped microfiber terry. I find it feels wet to DS, I can tell it's wet but I don't worry about him peeing right through it.

I think it depends on what you like, but anything other than fleece should feel wet to your son. I found it harder to tell if he was wet when wearing PUL. But usually I can smell that he is wet no matter what he's wearing.

[riboflavin]

Definitely avoid microfleece and suedecloth if you don't want the stay-dry feeling. Cottons are good like birdseye, flannel, knits, etc. Also bamboo velour and hemp will provide a wet feeling. Most velours should allow a wet feeling, though if there is a lot of poly in the velour it may not get as wet as other fabrics.

Like Heidi74 said, most trainers (especially those geared toward EC), will not use stay dry fabrics.