Fluffy Baby Bottom Thread « Back to Group Discussions

[lactomom]

Here is a thread to discuss cloth diaper:

making

buying

share stash photos

ask questions

[XanaduMama]

I'm so glad you started this--I was just thinking about doing so. We used prefolds and covers with #2, though we ended up using mostly disposables by the time she was 1...childcare, moving, etc. I got rid of most of my stash (I'll have to take a look to see what I've still got), but am keen for recommendations from others. I'll likely be looking to buy a used stash and am inclining toward prefolds again--cheaper, so easy, and not hard to launder (like I've heard about some of the AIOs). dd was a heavy wetter, though, so I'd also appreciate suggestions about dealing with that.

[lactomom]

WendyJ0410 hee are the answers to the questions you had in the Baby List thread. 

My last baby I made all his diapers, this time I want only natural fibers. When doing more research into diaper materials I found that raw silk (also called noil silk) is the only stay dry natural fiber (typically fleece is used). I was planning on knitting mine, but they can be sewn too (here is where I'm getting the yarn http://www.dharmatrading.com and they have raw silk fabric too). 

The stay dry layers that I use now, are rectangular. This time I plan to knit them the same size and shape as the contour diaper (a diaper shaped to the contours of babies body, it doesn't contain elastic http://www.google.com/imgres?q=contour+diaper&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=653&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=9HGylUMZhC2A0M:&imgrefurl=http://www.mommasbaby.com/item--Standard-Contour-Diapers-Hemp--sdch.html&docid=8oKvCd5Xo4ohVM&imgurl=http://www.mommasbaby.com/ccp51/media/images/product_detail/prodimages/hemp-contour-diapers.jpg&w=420&h=420&ei=Hk8PT7bbFKb-iQKOvdy8DQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=600&vpy=141&dur=355&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=154&ty=142&sig=112194563229045691465&page=1&tbnh=148&tbnw=143&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0 must be used with a cover). I've been developing a pattern for a few months now 

[lactomom]

Originally Posted by XanaduMama 

I'm so glad you started this--I was just thinking about doing so. We used prefolds and covers with #2, though we ended up using mostly disposables by the time she was 1...childcare, moving, etc. I got rid of most of my stash (I'll have to take a look to see what I've still got), but am keen for recommendations from others. I'll likely be looking to buy a used stash and am inclining toward prefolds again--cheaper, so easy, and not hard to launder (like I've heard about some of the AIOs). dd was a heavy wetter, though, so I'd also appreciate suggestions about dealing with that.

I'm not a fan of AIOs because they take so long to dry. I used flats (folded in a rectangle) with my son (second child first was exclusively disposables). 

My son is a heavy wetter also! For him I had to put extra layers in at night (mostly toward the back) or we would have leaks. How often did you strip diapers? 

[XanaduMama]

Do you use the staydry layer between baby and the prefolds? I used to double up the prefolds at night for heavy-wetting dd, which worked ok as far as leaks were concerned, but I worried about her skin against the soaking wet diapers (this was more of an issue later, once I stopped changing her every 2 hours at night). And I'm a total newbie with anything complicated--like these staydry layers! Keen to hear more.

I stripped my diapers every now and then, whenever it seemed like they needed it--maybe every few months or so?

[lactomom]

Striping once a month helps prevent leaks.

I have always used a stay dry layer, to help keep the moisture from being in direct contact with babies bum. My diapers are in the wash, but I'll take a picture of my current set up (I'm changing for the next baby). My stay dry layer is just a rectangular piece of fleece, that I place over the rectangularly folded flat or microfiber towel. 

[ms.shell]

I have a big question, and that is whether anyone has any tips on washing dipes in a front loading washer that won't let you add water?

There was nothing wrong with my regular washer, but dh felt the need to replace it with a front loader soon after my last baby was born.  After stripping and rinsing and rinsing and washing 4 or 5 times (or more), and stripping again, I determined there was absolutely no way to use this stupid washer to get the stink out of ds's (who is a very heavy wetter) dipes, and am ashamed to say that I had to switch to sposies for him because of this.  I REALLY want to go back to cloth for this baby, but don't know what to do.  I did some searching online and everyone was saying add extra water to these kind of washers.  I couldn't figure out how, and called frigidaire last week to ask...she said there is no way to add water on the washer we have (it's an affinity).  Any suggestions?

(and no, DH won't agree to getting a top loader again)!

[lactomom]

How are you striping them? What is your striping process...

[emergencegrrl]

Okay, I'm a total newbie to this idea of cloth diapers, but very interested.  Does anyone have a link to resources in this stripping thing folks are mentioning?  Totally don't understand.  :-P  

Also, I'm pretty sure I wont be up for making my diapers, so are there links to places that one can buy ones that folks recommend?  

[XanaduMama]

http://www.cloth-diapers-made-easy.com/stripping-cloth-diapers.html

This is pretty much how I did it. Like I said, I only did it when they got stinky, because I never really had problems with leakage (at least, I don't think so--it was [or feels like] a while ago now).

I'd also be interested in recommendations for online places to buy diapers. Though I'm probably going to start with craigslist for the basic stash, then buy things like liners online.

[lactomom]

Where you buy diapers really depends on what style you are wanting. For first time CD users, I recommend getting 1 or 2 of many different kinds/brands (saving for diapers during the pregnancy) and try them out for awhile. That way you find one style/ brand that you love and feel comfortable buying a set of them.

As for striping (removing soap residue from the diapers) I do it a bit different. With my son we mainly use micrfiber towels and they NEED stripped before they start to smell bad (so I would recommend the same for microfiber inserts).

Wash first warm, no soap

Wash second with vinegar (I use 4 cups, large top load washer), prolong the wash cycle (I have it run twice, continually. So don't let it drain and run the wash setting again)

Dry

The vinegar cycle kills any bacteria (I wash regularly in cold with vinegar in the rinse cycle) and removes any buildup.

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by ms.shell 

I have a big question, and that is whether anyone has any tips on washing dipes in a front loading washer that won't let you add water?

There was nothing wrong with my regular washer, but dh felt the need to replace it with a front loader soon after my last baby was born.  After stripping and rinsing and rinsing and washing 4 or 5 times (or more), and stripping again, I determined there was absolutely no way to use this stupid washer to get the stink out of ds's (who is a very heavy wetter) dipes, and am ashamed to say that I had to switch to sposies for him because of this.  I REALLY want to go back to cloth for this baby, but don't know what to do.  I did some searching online and everyone was saying add extra water to these kind of washers.  I couldn't figure out how, and called frigidaire last week to ask...she said there is no way to add water on the washer we have (it's an affinity).  Any suggestions?

(and no, DH won't agree to getting a top loader again)!

I wish our washer would break so we could get a top loader!

We do an "extra spin" or "spin cycle" and then add the option of an extra rinse -18 minutes total. (although usually longer because the dang timer is always off)

Then a heavy duty wash with an extra rinse and I put a little vinegar in the rinse compartment every time - 65 minutes

Extra spin cycle again - 18 minutes

BUT I was still having minor stink issues so I started putting a dash of bleach in with the heavy duty cycle.  Not a ton, but a little bit, not even to the minimum line.  So much better.  I don't usually use bleach, but it was either that or use sposies or be stripping diapers all the time.  Oh and if you do a way smaller load, like a days worth, that helps too.  Much more room for water to move through the diapers.  Another thing you could try is to rinse all the pee diapers in the toilet and get as much out before throwing them in the diaper pail.
 

[Nicole730]

For those of you who asked, when I need to buy new I use Nicki's Diapers or Green Mountain Diapers.  Nicki's is somewhat local (in my state), so I like to use them and I've always been happy with the product.

[blumooned]

I ordered my cloth diapers from diapers.com, they have a small, mostly "namebrand" selection.

We used Flip - they're the only ones I ever tried & I liked them.  BUT . . . I didn't start cloth until DS was about a year old, so I have no idea how they'd work with younger babies.  Which leads to my question: do cloth really work for newborns?  How many do you need when they're still pooping through the night?  Do they fit their skinny little bottoms?    I'm kind of thinking about starting out with sposies again & switching to cloth after the baby gains a little weight.  I don't want to buy another set of dipes just for a short use.  Also - do you wait until the meconium passes?  Do you wait until the umbilical stump falls off?   Sorry, I've used cloth, but I feel like a newbie when it comes to the first year!

That being said, I would like to add to our stash.  Any more suggestions on favorite brands or types?  I'm not crafty enough to make mine.  The reasons I liked Flip are: they are one size fits all, so only had to buy one set; they are inserts & covers - could reuse the covers if insert just had pee on it; they were fairly easy to wash - I don't really think I ever stripped them & they never smelled bad.  We did do sposies at night for DS, the cloth leaked, so I don't recommend Flip for nights. 

[Nicole730]

blumooned - I think cloth is better for newborns.  When they have that super squirty, shoot up the back poo - cloth has only failed us once through two children.  The first time we had a "poop" explosion was when DS was 3 months and I took disposables away for the weekend.   We use fitteds (homemade from the Rita's Rump pattern) and Thirsties covers for the most part.  I love Thristies covers, they are by far my favorite.  If you want something simple until the Flips start fitting, I'd go with flats or prefolds.  Small flats would probably be a better choice, they should for sure get you from newborn well into the small size and then I would think the one size flips would start working.  I've never used flips though.

[sjdragonfly]

Wow, as a FTM, this whole cloth diaper thing seems so overwhelming. I can sew a little bit, but I'm not totally sure how hard it is to sew a diaper. I know my local fabric store has some fabric for the cloth diapers, which is awesome, but does anyone have a pattern online or something? Just curious to look at it and decide if I can sew them myself before buying them.

But since there seems to be so many different brands of diapers to buy, wouldn't all of the patterns sort of mimic that as well? I don't want to spend the time and money to sew a bunch of diapers just to find out I don't like that particular kind.

I live in an apartment and have a shared pay washer/dryer which barely works, so I'm not so sure how clean and unstinky my diapers will end up being, which is a bummer. In the city I live in, it's almost impossible to find a place that has in-suite laundry, so just have to make do. 

Okay, so buying or making - how many diapers would you ladies get for a newborn? And then for the upcoming stages? I'm going to be mostly asking for this kind of stuff on my registry when it comes time for that, especially since I don't want a bunch of other useless crap given to us. I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to cloth diapering, though.

[lactomom]

sjdragonfly, it can definitely seem overwhelming at first there are so many options and so many different ways to care for your diapers.

My son (who will be 2 on 02/04) has never had a disposable diaper on. As a newborn, cloth diapering was much easier. Breast milk poop diapers can go directly in the wash.

The Meconium is the worst. But I put down a paper towels and covered his bum in extra virgin olive oil. That way the super sticky poop come off the bum easy, and I can just toss the meconium and not have to try and get it out of the cloth.

I started with 20 diapers, so I was washing every evening. I recommend 30 so you can wash every other day.

You can save yourself a lot of work by having reusable covers, such as wool or PUL. I plan to knit wool covers for this baby.

[WendyJo410]

Wow - so much to discuss!

First of all, I was a nanny for many years before I was a mama and I have had more than my fair share of blow-outs, diaper rash, etc. with disposables. Maybe I'm just lucky, but we have not had ONE SINGLE POOP blowout for 13 months with DS with cloth and diaper rash we've seen before the major teething incidents - otherwise, none at all.

The only issue I've ever had with cloth is 1) hitting the umbilical cord when firstborn, and 2) ammonia issues in the winter.

Because I didn't know a single person that cloth diapered while I was pregnant, I drove an hour to the closest "local" diaper store and felt everything... and talked to other moms. That's a big recommendation - if you can find anywhere to got to TALK and FEEL diapers, you'll see what you love. I ended up buying a variety of diapers and now definitely know what I do and don't like the best. Here's my advice for what we love/don't love - and what I've learned from other mama's in other situations:

1) My favorite diapers: I love MotherEase Bamboo fitted diapers - they're soft, absorbant, easy to wash/dry, they're one-size, so they fit from 10-35# easy. I use wool covers 90% of the time, otherwise I'm a big fan of Imsy Vimsy covers because they're cute and the velcro is really tough - babies can't take off their dipes by themselves. At night we use a motherease fitted, bamboo doubler to snap in, and then a stay dry liner with a wool cover. It takes us all the way through the night (12 hours) and DS's butt is dry when I change him (the outer diaper is NOT).

2) When we travel or I'm going places, I'm a huge fan of AIO's. I bought One-Size AIO's so that I could get 'more for my $$' and they would fit the whole time we cloth diapered. I have mostly bumGenius organics and I'm happy with them, but my favorite AIO is Bummis velcro bamboos - they're kind of like a pocket, but it's more that this huge long piece of fabric folds into the inside of the diaper (it's attached) and therefore, this makes drying and washing a snap. Plus, now that DS is such a mover, I'm not a big fan of having to put a prefold on, use the snappy, then put a cover on. Three steps when you're in a gross bathroom is not ideal with a toddler. We still do flats/prefolds at home for when I know we're not leaving, but 99% of the time, when we're out, he's got an AIO on.

3) WOOL, WOOL, WOOL. It's the best possible thing in my book.  You wash it typically once every 2-3 weeks, it absorbs 30% of it's weight in water, urine reacts naturally with the lanolin in the wool - creating a 'soap' of sorts and cleaning the fiber, and it's the most temperature regulated cover that's around. It keeps babies cool in the summer and warm in the winter. This is why I think we have basically no diaper rash. Plus, little wool shorties and longies are possibly the cutest thing to see running around on a little bum. If you knit - you can make themyouself... if you sew, you can buy old merino wool (super soft) sweaters and make them yourself! (this is my next project)

4) We have well water - which is hard water. So, even though I do love pocket diapers or the idea of microfiber... it just doesn't work for us. They leak, constantly, no matter how much stripping I tried. They basically leaked the 2nd time I used them. Therefore, no pockets here. ALSO - with the hard water - I've been strongly advised to never use vinegar for stripping. Supposedly it reacts with the hardness (iron) and turns your diapers orange and ruins them. Therefore, I've heard great things about the usage of vinegar, but I'm scared to try it with our water issues.

5) Other covers... I have a variety, but like I said above, I'm a huge fan of wool and Imsy Vimsy. The other covers I've tried - specifically thirsties - just didn't fit well on my little guy. Plus, the velcro is so easy - he's able to take his covers off in a snap... not something I'm a big fan of! The other issue I have with velcro is that it a) catches on our silk/wool onesies and b) can irritate my LO's stomach.

6) Newborn diapers. I tried EVERYTHING except for fitteds when DS was born to keep things off of his umbilical cord - to no avail. Bleeding... poor little man. This is the only time we used disposables and I didn't like it. I'm buying (and really strongly considering making) newborn fitted diapers with an extra snap in the front to fold down the middle so that the umbilical cord is undisturbed. I know it's just for a short time, but I hate to put baby in any more uncomfort right after they're born. I would absolutely love to buy bamboo flats - but darn - those things are PRICEY!!

7) The sunshine is your best friend. As every mother who is a cloth-diaperer knows... the sun is amazing. Wow. There will be a diaper with dark black poop stains that is pristine white after hanging on the clothesline for a few hours. Plus, it naturally gets rid of smells and other issues! This is why we only have ammonia problems in the winter - not enough sun here in Michigan!

8) My stripping process is: cold/cold rinse, hot/cold rinse w/ diaper soap, warm/cold rinse with about 1T of blue dawn squirted in there, then 2 more cold/cold rinses. It seems to work... but I almost want to try something else... it doesn't seem to work for long. Does anyone else use BioKleen? We have a top loader, so I know I'm getting enough water and the soap isn't an issue. I really don't want to use bleach, as I have such a variety of diapers I'm not sure how it will effect everything.

I have to add - I love this little forum. Thanks for starting it!!

[lactomom]

Wow that's a lot Wendy :thumbup:

We have hard water (probably why I need to strip so often) and I use vinegar. No issue with ruining my diapers. I also refuse to use bleach (or have any unnatural cleaner in my home).

I teach a local free cloth diaper class, the main point is to let parents see all the possibilities they have with cloth diapers.

[XanaduMama]

Did you all buy your diaper stash new, from scratch? I know we've got some crafty mamas who made theirs (), but realistically, this isn't going to happen for me! I'm interested to hear how much $$ you shelled out up front for yours.

Thanks for all that awesome info, WendyJo! I'm really intrigued by this whole wool thing. We used Thirsties, I think it was, and I liked them a lot, but wool sounds very promising. Does it keep the moisture in as well as PUL?