Cloth Diaper Users!! « Back to Group Discussions

[sere234]

How is it going for all the cloth diaper mams out there? Updates? What diapers have you found that work well for newborns?

The NICU gave us a bunch of disposable diapers to take home so we've been using those and cloth (mostly disposables though  ). When we use cloth, Everett pees such giant amounts he tends to leak. Or maybe the covers are getting old and leaking? We're using prefolds and Thirsties covers, same as with DS1. And still CDing DS1 though he uses OS BGs and Kawaiis so his diapering seem easier than E's prefolds. It's just kinda annoying to have to change E's clothes a couple of times a day when the CD leak.... 

I do love just dumping these breastmilk diapers in the pail though. Totally easy and awesome after scraping and spraying DS1's toddler poop diapers! 

[finnegansmom]

Hi, We are using BG freetime one size diapers right now.  We started using them at about 2 weeks when his cord stump fell off.  I had bought newborn PFs and covers but like you, he leaked right through them.  Baxter nurses like mad and saturates the diaper.  It's crazy, these are the same diapers I use on my 21 month old and Baxters weigh more when I change him.  I've never had much luck with the small size diapers, in terms of absorbancy.  I change him often, he just nurses more than what the diapers hold.  (Also, I found that thirsties in general always wick around the leg elastic....I think there is some cotton in the foldover elastic they use around the legs...)

We are also using some BG 4.0s but I don't like how they fit around his waistband right now, because of how the insert gets folded in front.  I also have some of the BG organics (one size as well) which work great.

I have a different stash for my 21 month old and I agree, spraying and dealing with toddler poo isn't really that fun.   I'll be sad when Baxter starts eating solids....

[tm0sweet]

Prefolds and covers is about all I can use for my skinny legged LO. I do feel like I'm changing him constantly to avoid leaks. I've had success with Kissluvs fitted diapers at night. I've got my big boys in fuzzibunz at night time so I will probably buy some for Edison when he gets bigger. Anyone have any thoughts on BumGenius vs Fuzzibunz? I'm not a fan of all the snaps on the BG one sizes…

[PacificMar]

Yesterday Luthien graduated from her newborn-sized Bummis organic prefolds and covers to Bum Genius Elemental one-size all-in-ones. The Bummis were great and she actually lasted longer in them than we'd expected, since people kept telling us that newborn diapers get outgrown in about five seconds. Happily, she never experienced a blow-out or leakage. So far, the BGs are working well, but I see what you mean, tm0sweet, about all the snaps. She tends to fuss while we're getting them done up. The extra padding makes them nicely absorbent, though, so if it takes either of us more than 30 seconds to change her after she makes her poop face, she's not hollering blue murder. 

[sere234]

I've pretty much switched over to using Thirsties covers and GMD prefolds during the day and a disposable at night. Everett usually doesn't poop at night (already!) so I don't change him until the morning. Very nice! Also, as long as I change him every 1-2 hours, he doesn't leak out of his cloth diapers anymore. I have to get them on him fast during a diaper change though since he really seems to hate naked bum time!

Also- E hasn't peed or pooped on me yet, (other than when he pooped all over my tummy right after he was born). I'm starting to wonder where if that penis of his actually produces urine.... DS1 gave us lots of surprise pees when he was tiny!

[tm0sweet]

Updates anyone? I'm curious to see how diapering is going as our littles grow bigger!

Eddie is a chunky baby all around. I finally decided to invest in some BG 4.0 and I LOVE them! I can use the newborn insert as a doubler for nighttime and I haven't had an issue with leaks. He's already on the second rise setting so I'm glad I didn't waste $$ on sized diapers. I also have some Just Simply Baby diapers that are fabulous. My FB mediums from ds2 are my last pick. I've already had the elastic blow out of 2 and the snaps blow out of 3! Definitely not worth the price IMO. I confess I dislike the big butt look with cloth diapers, but I'm digging not having to worry about buying more diapers every week

[PacificMar]

We used Bummis newborn diapers for the first two weeks of Luthien's life, and now we've been using Bum Genius Elementals, which we love. So far, she's had just a few blowouts, and the snap system works well for us. We've found the diapers durable as well. Alas, the only drawback is the big ol' butt, which has caused her to require larger-sized clothing. She swims around in the top part in order for the bottom part to go over her diaper-augmented buns. However it does look hilariously cute!

[MrsKoehn]

Edited by MrsKoehn - 2/26/13 at 6:37pm

[MrsKoehn]

How did I miss this thread? Easy looking at the date, I need to go back and read all the Birth stories I missed.

I've had Ana in cloth since she was about three weeks. I wasn't planning on her NOT fitting in what I had, so I ordered some newborns. No idea what brand. I think I slept through that part. They were plain, off-white, Velcro covers. I got some unbleached Indian cotton prefolds and the covers were so so on her. They leaked a lot. First could have been that her legs were too skinny, then they got too fat. Lol

Now she's 15 weeks and 12 1/4 lbs, about 23 1/2"long. Chunky thighs, so chunky. We still use those same prefolds, plus I got a dozen preemie size to use as soakers at night. I have some hemp-cotton soakers ordered but they are in Back order. Had I known that, I would have gone with another company or something.

I have tons of different things in my stash. All used, so who knows the particulars! For nights the Kawaii pockets with snaps work best for her, though I still get some leaks. I think it's because I need more soakers. We'll see when they come. I also have two Fuzzie Buns and one Oh Katy which are pockets and snaps. The FB are so so and the Oh K isn't that great. It was better when she was smaller I think. I have 10 or 12 of the old, ugly BG with microfiber inserts sewn in and Velcro. They are convenient, but I hate the Velcro. It's Very tough, curling with age, and comes off of the laundry tabs in my washer. I have some repairing to do already. Grr. I have three Flip covers which are pretty good for day. I use my Indian cotton prefolds there. I have some micro fleece I have been cutting up for stay dry liners. I have some hemp blend to use for inserts, but that takes time. I cut two up for nights with pinking shears so they are useable if I fold them.

I have a bunch of some sort of larger Velcro diapers for later. Honestly, I don't recall what they are. They are old, off white with patterns. Kushies maybe? And I think either all in one or all in twos. Really not sure, it'll be a while for those.

[kateaton]

Genevieve is 14 weeks and 14 lbs.  We've been using GMD prefolds since she was 2 weeks.  She's currently on the cusp of outgrowing the infant smalls.  I just ordered a bunch of the mediums.  I'm using thirties, bummis, and imse vimse covers (this one is my favorite).  We have no issue with leaks.  It sounds like she is a lighter pee-er compared to what some of you were describing above.  I do use fleece liners for bedtime to keep her dry.  

I am having an issue with ammonia smell and rashes on her:-(  I've been trying several different things to add to the wash (calgon, super washing soda and switching detergent).  I currently use Charlie's.  I have very hard water, so I'm sure that's the problem.  Right now I had to put her in sposies, b/c her bottom was so red.  I hate sposies.  I'm going to try to strip with RLR treatment today and see if this improves things.  If anyone has had this issue and has hard water and has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

[finnegansmom]

We are using BumGenius "freetime"s.  We are on the middle snap setting now (have been for at least a month). 

They are working really well for him.  We do have some elementals but his bottoms seems sensitive to have it feel wet.

He was 9#7oz at birth and fit into the BG one sizes pretty much right away (or when his stump fell off).

I don't know how big he is now.  He was 13.5# at his 2 month check up and his 4 month is next week.

He's a little on the chunky side but seems he has spent the last 2 months growing tall. 

At night, we use a BG 4.0 with 3 inserts!  I change him when I go to bed around 11pm but I can't count on myself to wake up entirely to change him in the middle of the night.  I am a sleep nursing mama for sure with this babe.  By 6 or 7am the diaper is totally full.  He nurses a lot at night....4-5 times?  Yawn.

We are having a pretty easy time with diapering this time around.  Although I still do have a toddler (2) who is in diapers as well.  Some of his diapers are in need of being retired...so I'm glad I splurged and bought Baxter all new diapers since a lot of my toddler's won't be able to be passed down.

[MrsKoehn]

We have hard water. I tried Rockin' Green samples with a water tester. It was 'perfectly hard'. The RG made my diapers smell like ammonia when she peed. I forget what I did to strip. strip. I think I just soaked in hot water, Dawn, Borax and Wash Soda. I might have had a little beach too. I think I did. Then I rinsed multiple times and washed with more Borax and Wash Soda twice?

I always use Borax and Wash Soda in my cold soak, I have about a 2:1 mix premade, this time it actually has about half the WS amount in BioKleen Oxy Bleach too, but it's fine without it. I shake about 1/2 to 3/4 cup in the soak. When I wash, I shake about as much in it, plus my homemade wash soap. (8 bars of castile soap which I make and grind up, 1 box Borax, one box Wash Soda, a 2 lb box Baking Soda, one tub of BioKleen Oxygen Bleach. I use about 2 T per load in a regular old top loader).

I very seldom have any issues. If I do, I add a scoop of wash soap mix to my soak and it seems to cut it. I add vinegar to my final rinse. Some say some of those things ruin your clothes or can hurt baby but so far, no issues. . And I do our clients this way, have for years with no problems.

Good luck, Mama!

[oikophile]

We had a diaper service for the first 6 weeks, prefolds that we used with our own Thirsties covers. That diaper service was a lifesaver--we are recommending it to all our pregnant friends. At around 6 weeks we started EC. At home we keep baby in a prefold with a diaper belt during the day, and a hempbabies flat with a cover at night. Sometimes we catch that first morning pee, but most of the time we don't. He has been sleeping through the night until 7:00 or 7:30 these days! Trying to enjoy it since we know that could change any day. Anyway, I really like those hemp/cotton flats. If they weren't so expensive, I'd get one or two more. We use Honest disposables when we're out and about. We try to EC whenever we can (baby has peed/pooped in a few toilets, even!) but I find the disposables are easier to transport than prefolds and covers.
Our prefolds were hand-me-downs and had kind of a skunky smell for the first use--not sure if it was that the previous owner fed formula, or that her water was different. We did a cold wash with biokleen detergent, a hot wash with oxobrite and an extra rinse with vinegar, then hung them in the sun. That seemed to take care of the smell.

[sere234]

Kateaton- I've had to add a little else than 1/4 cup of bleach to the first wash to keep the smells away. I know it might break down the elastic faster but I figure it's only a tiny bit so I do. So I add 1/2 scoop of Charlie's and 1/4 c bleach to a cold wash, double rinse. Then the second wash I add 1 scoop of Charlie's to a hot wash, double rinse. Seems to work for us!

Everett is still in his small GMD prefolds and small Thirsties and Bummis covers at 17 pounds. I could totally switch him to DS1's BG 3.0 and Kawaii at this point but I'm getting the elastic in the 14 BG replaced. Since I bought all the BG used, the elastic isn't the greatest. Plus they've been in use for 2 years now! And maybe the bleach? Anyway, it'll only be $25 to have someone replace it so I'm not worried since I couldn't buy 14 diapers for $25 anywhere!

We use disposables at night though E really doesn't wet his cloth diaper until 3-4 in the morning now. I suppose I really could just put another cloth one on him then and see how it goes. He's getting very good at holding it until early morning, when he pees and poops up a storm right before he wakes and then right after. 

Between the two boys, I wash diapers every other day, mainly for E. DS1 has 38 OS diapers and E has 20ish prefolds and 5 covers. Basically I have to wash for more covers since poo gets on them sometimes.

[kateaton]

Originally Posted by sere234 

Kateaton- I've had to add a little else than 1/4 cup of bleach to the first wash to keep the smells away. I know it might break down the elastic faster but I figure it's only a tiny bit so I do. So I add 1/2 scoop of Charlie's and 1/4 c bleach to a cold wash, double rinse. Then the second wash I add 1 scoop of Charlie's to a hot wash, double rinse. Seems to work for us!

.

thanks, I'll try adding the bleach.  I did have some improvement by doing an RLR treatment, but there is still a bit of ammonia smell and tiny redness on her bottom.  I found my info packet from GMD and found it very informative.  I'm going to try to test my water to find out the ph.  Apparently, that determines what you should or shouldn't add to the wash.  You want the diapers to end up neutral, ph 7.  Too acidic and you will end up with rash issues.  

I did read that Charlie's recommends bleach as a disinfectant, so that makes sense as a next logical step..  I had no idea this could be so complicated.

[MrsKoehn]

I think when hubby gets a laundry line up for me, diapers will take a little longer, but they should be whiter and cleaner with the sun bleaching them. I think I'll try to wash them last thing better bed, then hang them up as soon as I'm up and around, then take them down when I get time.

[MrsKoehn]

I think when hubby gets a laundry line up for me, diapers will take a little longer, but they should be whiter and cleaner with the sun bleaching them. I think I'll try to wash them last thing better bed, then hang them up as soon as I'm up and around, then take them down when I get time.

[alovewell]

I use gmd prefolds with thirsties and econobum covers during the day and still use disposables at night. I am still waking up a lot to nurse. Once this stop, I want to use cloth diapers at night. What have you found to work the best for night time?

[kateaton]

Originally Posted by alovewell 

I use gmd prefolds with thirsties and econobum covers during the day and still use disposables at night. I am still waking up a lot to nurse. Once this stop, I want to use cloth diapers at night. What have you found to work the best for night time?

I'm using gmd prefolds (with whatever cover) at night, but I use a fleece liner to keep the moisture away from her skin.  My daughter is not a terribly heavy pee-er.  If your LO is you can add a hemp liner that has fleece on one side- that will absorb a lot and keep them dry.  GMD sells these.

[MrsKoehn]

Ana is a big eater so a big wetter. I'm experimenting, but the best solution is the Kawaii. I have the Good Night Heavy Wetter, but I use combos of hemp, Indian cotton tiny prefolds and some random maybe cotton inserts? Not sure what they are but they work.