Should I give CD a try on mu three month old?

[clairebear3]

I considered it before birth but i'm actually glad we didn't.  This is our first baby, I had a cesarean and am EPing so it would of just been too much work but now i'm thinking about it.  There are just so many types though, could someone explain the general proces to a noob like me?  These are my concerns/prioritys...

1 DD has never had a diaper rash and I absolutly don't want her to get one or feel uncomfortable.

2 it has to be as convenient as possible and look/be as much like sposies, def with those throw away liners.  As this is our first I have no idea how her poop will change and don't like the idea of dipping them in the toilet.

3 cost, sposies are not cheap but good CDs don't seem to be either, how quickly will she grow out of them?  She is now 11.9lbs and there will be no second babe to use them. 

4 environmentally what a waste it all is! We have to pay for special trash bags and are limited to how much we can throw out so to reduce rubbish would be great.

How do you wash them?  Do you have to wet store before washing or can they be dry in one of those diaper pails with a plastic bag inside?  Can they go in the dryer?

Also I would have to mail order them to where we live in Belgium so that prob won't be cheap, i've never known anyone who has done this and where we live they will prob think i'm mad if I do do it

[skycheattraffic]

For what it's worth, I switched at 12 months and now wish I'd done it much earlier. I'm a total convert and most of the extended family thinks I'm nuts but it works very well for us. I can't comment on the early months but diapers called one size will fit your baby now and will grow with her until potty training.

1: diaper rash. My DD got diaper rash more easily in the sposies to be frank. In the last four months of cloth, she got lightly pink once and some naked time with a little cream after her bath cleared it right up. I'll explain below but if you get stay dry diapers then the moisture will be trapped away from baby's skin just like in a disposable. I find that I change cloth more often but I had a bad habit of not wanting to waste sposies. Now even if it was a small pee, I change her because there is no waste :-).

2: convenience. You should try AIO's (all in ones), AI2's (all in twos) or pockets. AIO's are as close as you can get to a sposie. It's a one piece diaper with a waterproof outside layer. Put it on baby just like a disposable, then just toss in the diaper pail. They are super convenient but take longer to dry. AI2's are an outside waterproof shell that you lay or snap an absorbent insert into. The idea is that unless there's poop on it, you can reuse the same cover multiple times and just put in a clean insert. This saves money because you could get away with say 5 or even less covers and say 15 inserts for a day for example. I just got my best bottoms system in the mail. I'm still prepping them but I can update you on how good they are once I try them. Pockets are sort of in between. The diaper is like an AIO except that the absorbent part is removable, making it easier to wash and dry. I have a bunch of these and DH and grandma always use these first because they go on just like sposies. I have a dozen glowbug brand and they are cheaper than most brands because they are made in China (under fair labour conditions though). The quality is pretty similar to most more expensive brands though so I'm happy to have them. I also have some rumparoos, a fuzzibunz and a baby kanga and they are all great too. If you are looking for a trim diaper, the fuzzibunz are the trimmest I've tried. On the matter of poop, once she gets older and starts solids, her poo will be more solid and will often just roll off most diapers. While she is on breastmilk exclusively, her poo is water soluble and can go right in the washer. If you need to give her formula then the next poop will have to be taken off. DH and I don't dunk diaps in the toilet. We use toilet paper to scrape it off. Still not fun but we find it less yucky :-)

3: cost. Most AIO, AI2 and pocket diapers come in a "one size" setting. That means that they have a system (usually snaps but fuzzibunz uses elastics) to change the size and fit of the diaper so it will fit a baby from early infancy (10, 8, some even 7 lbs) into potty training (30, 35, some even 40 lbs).that makes these diapers the only cloth you need to get until you need underwear.

4: environmental: solid poop gets flushed and the diapers are 100% reusable. What's better is that there is good demand for used diapers out there so once your DD is done with diapers you can sell them to get some of your investment back. Actually you may be able to get many of your diapers used, reducing the cost further. I have used diapers and they are just part of the rotation. :-)

5: washing. The only thing you need is some good residue free detergent. Rockin green is a popular choice. I use laundry tarts. In 4 months of washing every 24 to 48 hours, I have used about one third of my $20 (Canadian) bag of detergent. I think it was a 2kg bag; I'm not sure. You don't want to use a lot and you want to stay away from most popular brands because the additives can build up in your diaps, reducing absorbency. Most people run a short wash or a soak with no detergent and then a full warm wash with detergent. I don't have a chance to do either because of Velcro toddler and washer in the yucky basement so I am just careful to use a little less detergent. All diapers can go in the dryer on a lower heat setting. Mind you it took me a couple months to find that out and the high heat didn't kill them but low heat will help them stay in better shape. You can use a dry pail for storage, no problem. I use a good garbage can with a step on lid for convenience. You can buy a wetbag or pail liner but if you wash every other day (or more frequently) then you may not even need that.

Ok I did my best to answer your questions. I hope that helps. If you're unsure, you can get say 6 used diapers and try it out. It would mean that you still need sposies but it would help cut down on the waste. Then if you like it, build up a stash of 24 or more diapers and you can do cloth full time. I was wary of the extra work but with a washer and dryer, it really is no big deal. In fact stuffing my pocket diapers and folding them into neat piles is a favourite way to unwind at the end of a busy day. These days DD often "helps" me with it lol.

Good luck and hope you like it :-)

[clairebear3]

Thanks for the info!  I still have a couple more questions

My DD gets 4 bottles bm and 2 formula per day, so I wouldn't just be able to toss them in the wash then?  What's the difference actually?

Do you have to change them more regularly than sposies?  I normally change her before every feed which is every 3 hours during the day.  at night I would prob stick to a sposie because she pee's a ton.

I'm going to check out which brands are available here and then I might post to see if anyone has any views on them.  The only secondhand ones I can find so far are kushies, bambino mio, coolababy...
 

[skycheattraffic]

Ah the poop. Breastmilk is so finely tuned to baby's needs that there is very very little waste. You may have smelled the difference between all breastmilk poo and formula poo with your LO. Formula poo is more like poo from solids, there is much more that the body can't use. I hope moms more knowledgeable about this topic chime in. I just know that breastmilk poo is special, washes out easily in water and doesn't need to be scraped off.

I find I change cloth more often but I have a toddler who pees a ton. If I don't change soon after a pee and she goes again, the diaper just can't take it all. Night diapering is tougher with cloth. At least until you get more comfortable with it it's not a bad idea to use sposies at night.
I gotta run; bedtime.

[clairebear3]

Hhm I think the all in two's are actually the best for us, I really liked the glowbugs though (there AI1 right?)

Can anyone recommend some cool AI2's?  You can use those disposable liners in any of them can't you?

Thanks again, good weekend!
 

[clairebear3]

Sorry i'm confused again, if Glowbugs are AI1 how come you get twice as many inserts?  If they go in a pocked then I assume the pocket and whole diaper is also wet and needs to be washed... i'm such a noob!
 

[skycheattraffic]

Glowbugs are pocket diapers. You put the insert in the pocket, baby pees, you wash the whole diaper and insert. They give you two inserts per diaper because if you have a heavy wetting older baby or toddler then you need two inserts to absorb enough pee. I need both inserts with my 16 month old but you should be just fine with one insert for s few more months.
I have had time to try my AI2: best bottoms. I love them!! Highly recommend them. The insert snaps into a waterproof shell. When you change baby just take off the wet insert and snap a clean insert into the same shell. They hold a lot of pee and don't leak. You only need to change shells if poop gets on them or when you find they really need it.
HOpe that helps. I was a real noob too in March and now I'm very comfortable with cloth diaps. It just comes with experience. Don't be surprised if you find you need a little while to really get into it. In the beginning I used sposies when our of the house until I grew more confident.

[clairebear3]

Well i've decided to get some Best Bottoms!  The reviews sound great, they're really cute and there is a shop in Holland that will ship here.

I'm going to start with 4 shells, 12 stay dry liners, 6 micro boosters and a roll of grovia liners.  All in size medium, LO is about 5.6kg.  If it works out I will order some more and a wet bag.  I prob won't order until end August as money is a little tight but i will def let you know how it goes.

Thanks for the tips!

[SweetMamaKaty]

Originally Posted by clairebear3 

Well i've decided to get some Best Bottoms!  The reviews sound great, they're really cute and there is a shop in Holland that will ship here.

I'm going to start with 4 shells, 12 stay dry liners, 6 micro boosters and a roll of grovia liners.  All in size medium, LO is about 5.6kg.  If it works out I will order some more and a wet bag.  I prob won't order until end August as money is a little tight but i will def let you know how it goes.

Thanks for the tips!

Looks like you have some good info already, just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in - GroVia has an AI2 option you could look into.  I'm using their AIO's and they're really trim...

[clairebear3]

Thanks for the tip!  I still haven't ordered anything yet because it's just one big cost after another here, hopefully in September so I will def look into the Grovia AI2's
 

[JudiAU]

3-4 months is actually a great time to switch because most babies are outgrowing newborn diapers and most "real" workhorse diapers will no fit or even the popular one size.

[clairebear3]

Well I finally got my Best Bottoms a few days ago!  The inside of the shells was a lot less plasticky (sp?) that I thought it was going to be.  I had watched some reviews on youtube and I thought it was going to be super shiny slippery plastic but it’s actually softer than I thought.  I got the large inserts and even though I use the snaps to make the rise of the diap smaller, the insert still fits in really well without too much sticking out the top.  I ordered the microfiber inserts but I was a bit disappointed to see that the edges where serged so they look kind of scruffy.  I couldn’t really tell when I was ordering them but I thought they had some kind of binding or something around the edge.  When I had washed them one of them came out completely pilly.  It was odd the others where fine but I think I will have to use DH’s beard trimmer to get it all off!  I dried the inserts in the dryer and they are so lovely and soft it’s unreal, left the covers out to dry overnight.I do wish that hook and loop ones where available here because sometimes I feel that it’s either too tight and leaving marks on DD or too loose.  I’m also not used to having the bulkier edges on her skin compared to the thin edges of a sposie.

I washed everything first using a prewash (30c) then main wash at 30c and extra rinse cycle but to me it looked like one of the covers I had ordered (Moo-licious, cow print) that the white wasn’t really white anymore, like the black print had caused it to go greyish.  My machine only does a prewash at 30c, I thought that was classed as cold?  Otherwise can wash them on a wool cold cycle first and then a synthetic 30c?    I had also ordered liners but I really don’t think they’re any good unless LO is on solids.  DD is on 4 bottles BM plus 1-2 FM a day so her poop is completely liquid and the liner just doesn’t do anything apart from let the liquid through and get all bunched up, also they feel a bit scratchy so I will try them again when she is on solids.

I’m a complete CD noob so this is probably a stupid thing to say but I didn’t realize just how wet she would feel in cloth.  I wasn’t sure how often to change her, with a good disposable I normally change her every three hours, the first time in cloth I thought I would do the same to see how it was and I literally had to wring out the insert in the toilet before putting it in the wet –bag.  Now I’m doing it every 2 hours, it doesn’t seem to bother her if she feels wet but it bothers me.  I also need to get more shells to make a proper go of it.  I only have four and although you can re-use them if she’s pee’d if there’s poop, the shell has to go in the wash.  With the disposables it didn’t matter if the poop  flowed around too much in there (tmi?) because it got absorbed any where in the diap but in the BB’s it flows off the insert into the shell and stays nice and runny so the shell def has to go in the wash.  The poop also creeped up the back of the diap under the insert so I really had to be careful taking it off that she didn't get covered in it!  Regarding spraying the inserts off in the toilet there doesn’t really seem to be anything that you can spray off, unless I’m doing something wrong so I am just putting them in the wash like that.  Today is the first wash day so I’m curious to see how they come out.

I have a wash bag from Planet Wise and you really can’t smell a thing through it, it’s excellent!  How often do you wash the bag?  Every time or is that not so good?

I bought a bottle of Eco washing detergent and am just using a tiny bit so I hope this is OK…

[erigeron]

I've been washing the bag every time. My bags have had an average lifespan of six months, though, so maybe I'm doing it wrong. 

[clairebear3]

Originally Posted by erigeron 

I've been washing the bag every time. My bags have had an average lifespan of six months, though, so maybe I'm doing it wrong. 

Maybe every other time is enough?

Can someone urgently give me an opinion?  I'm on the point of ordering a few more BB covers and now I have found someone who can ship me the hook and loop covers, thing is they say they normally don't offer to sell them because because it wears out and breaks more quickly than the snaps and that after a while babies can get it undone (which they must be able to do with sposies as well then?)  Anyone used both of them for a while and have any thoughts?  I would like to order them real soon

[AmandaT]

I wash my large planetwise wet bag (diaper pail size) every time. Its still going strong after 7.5 months. I wash my travel PW wet bag about every other time and it is still in great condition. I usually do was every other day. 

[erigeron]

We had mostly h&l at first. eventually they got less "tacky" and she also learned to remove them. we just got a bunch converted over to snap. snap are harder to learn to use at first, but imo better in the long run. 

[clairebear3]

Oops, I've just read on another forum about someone washing her new inserts 5 times before using them.  I've only washed them once   Should I was them again, with or without detergent and drying in between?  Such a noooob!

[clairebear3]

So I've been using the Best Bottoms for a couple of weeks now but I keep having leaks.  Mostly on the front right side around the gusset, even when she has only been laying on her back.  I think the non pul material of the inside of the gusset must be wicking the moisture up from the insert.  I change her every two hours but it even happened when i changed her after 1 1/2 hours so it's not like she's soaking.

I ordered the large inserts, from 7.3kg, because she was 7.2kg at the time.  I do still have to adjust the rise to the third row of snaps so I really have to stuff the insert in there.  Do you think this is why I am having leaks?  Even if I didn't have to adjust the rise the insert is still so wide that I can't imagine it not coming into contact with the material binding of the inside of the gusset.  Any one have any advice?

Also when I started I didn't have enough covers so I CD's for two days, she had sposies on on the third and then I washed everything including the wet bag.  Now I have bought extra covers so I have enough to keep her in CD while some are in the wash but what do you do with your dirty diaps when the wet bag is in the wash?  It takes quite a long time to line dry...

[Michelle Lee A]

SoftBums (an AI2 style diaper) is offering a starter kit promotion. It works out to be about a day's worth of diapers. I know they ship to other countries but not 100% sure about Belgium. The deal is the first coupon on the list here: http://www.babycenter.com/free-baby-stuff  They are one of the only brands I have found that truly are a one size, fitting a newborn AND fitting a toddler.

[MLog]

Originally Posted by clairebear3 

I ordered the large inserts, from 7.3kg, because she was 7.2kg at the time.  I do still have to adjust the rise to the third row of snaps so I really have to stuff the insert in there.  Do you think this is why I am having leaks?  Even if I didn't have to adjust the rise the insert is still so wide that I can't imagine it not coming into contact with the material binding of the inside of the gusset.  Any one have any advice?

Also when I started I didn't have enough covers so I CD's for two days, she had sposies on on the third and then I washed everything including the wet bag.  Now I have bought extra covers so I have enough to keep her in CD while some are in the wash but what do you do with your dirty diaps when the wet bag is in the wash?  It takes quite a long time to line dry...

We ended up using a regular trash can that has a removable inner container for our dirty diapers.  When I wash the dipes I rinse out the container and leave it on the porch to dry for a bit or towel dry it if needed.  You could always get a second wet bag so that you always have one clean and dry.  Or maybe repurpose an old wash tub to put dirty diapers in while your wet bag dries.

As for leaks, it sounds like your inserts are repelling instead of absorbing.  I would try prepping them more (wash in hot water, no detergent, dry, repeat several times).  Be sure that you're not using much detergent when you are washing dirty dipes.  It can really build up on them and keep them from absorbing.  HTH!