Cloth Diapers/PP Mama Cloth

[HaveWool~Will Felt]

Are there beginner cloth diaper users out there? Going to use cloth post-partum pads? Have questions? Suggestions?

Please share here!!!!

[~pi]

We plan to CD, purely for cost reasons. It's actually slightly environmentally better to use disposables where we live because they go in the "green bin" with all our food scraps. The city picks it all up and takes it to the industrial compost facility. It's such a great program. (Can you imagine compost hot enough to biodegrade plastic? I love it.)

I'm thinking that we will get the basics: prefolds, snappis (?) and some covers. I plan to learn to knit to make a couple of wool covers. We'll see how that goes. If I end up going crazy and buying all sorts of stuff that we don't truly need, then it will be completely counterproductive, so I intend to stay far, far away from the cute expensive stuff.

For cloth pp pads, are they different from cloth menstrual pads? Because I have some of the latter and I'm hoping they'll work fine. I'm pretty jazzed about finally getting a new keeper, too, for once AF returns. Mine is about to hit the ten year old mark and I really should have replaced it six months ago, but I figured I should be changing sizes after birth anyway and I didn't want to get a new one to use for just a couple of months.

[Mama2ABCD]

i've done cd with all my kids (my youngest is still in dipes). i've kept it simple...just prefolds and bummis (velco diaper covers). it's been a great investment and it's a lot easier to wash and maintain then most people will have you think.

post partum pads. around the house, just using the prefolds are sufficient.

(Can you imagine compost hot enough to biodegrade plastic? I love it.)

Wow!

[lotus.blossom]

Cloth for us! I hate the idea of throwing away at least 10,000 diapers in the course of my childs diaper period. Although composting them sounds great! Why don't more places do that?

I think that we will do cloth very economically. Judging by the diaper forum you can exceed and even double the costs of sposies by buying all those luxury and hyena dipes out there! I'm doing my best to resist for the time being. We'll be doing prefolds and kissaluvs fitteds at first. I knit so we'll be doing wool covers and probably prowraps/bummis.
I'm planning to do mostly used on ebay dipes because I'll be doing my part in recycling, especially for newborn kissaluvs because they aren't used for very long anyway.

As for mamacloth. I used cloth menstrual pads so I'll be using those for post partum. I got mine from here and I like them. Didn't get the chance to try the super pads because I got pregnant! But they are very big, almost too big for me and I think they would work well for post partum.

[sewaneecook]

CDs for me all the way! The only time anyone in my family has had problems with diaper rash (nieces, nephews, siblings) has been when disposables were used! Oh, and DH and I are also very cheap and CDs is a way to cut way back on baby expenses.

[PrettyBird]

I plan on using cloth, but I am not getting a lot of support from my family and friends. I told my mom and she replied: "Oh no! Ewww!" She CD'd my sister in the early '70s because my sis was allergic to the disposables and mom hated CDs. Later on in the conversation she mentioned how she would have to start looking for sales to buy me disposables. DH is not very into the cloth diaper idea either.

[HaveWool~Will Felt]

I have cloth diapered two children and I have used reusable menstrual products for years....
I am running the "The Keeper/GladRags Co-op" here on MDC...and then a couple weeks into the coop...I found I was pg... Someone had said that it must of been the co-op that did it!!!
Anyway....I did treat myself and order new PP pads for when this babe is born.


I forget who mentioned learning to knit....but I am a knitter and have several patterns for wool soakers...if you are interested PM and we can chat more.

[luckymama]

i have one in cloth diapers right now & already use cloth mama pads & diva cup. i will just use my existing cloth pads, and for heavy pp i will use prefolds or flat diapers. of course, i will be doing a fair amount of shopping for small size diapers ... as i am an addict and i only have a few nb size right now, the rest of my stash being size large or toddler.

you can get a fair amount of cloth for good prices used ... i got most of my beginning stash at the trading post or on ebay. also, many sites have areas where you can find gently used items or seconds. saves $$$.

oh, and i think when my mama pads wear out, i'll probably just make my own. and i'm not handy that way, but i think it will be cheap and easy.

[Sandrine]

We cloth dipes both girls so we will do the same with this little one. I will buy smaller dipes as mine are a little too big for newborns. I can't wait to shop for these. I'm also doing to try to cd at night. We were never able to find the right type of dipes for it.

[Red Sonja]

I'm debating using mama cloth for post-partum, but I'm not sure yet. I normally use a Diva Cup for my cycles so I'm not sure that the mama cloth would get any use once the post-partum period was over. I hate to buy it and then not use it again, ya know? After my first cycle with the Diva I was hooked and haven't used a pad since. So, I'm not sure if I'll buy some mama cloth for PP or just use disposable pads for a couple of weeks. Or, I guess I could just use some CPFs maybe. Well, I have plenty of time to decide.

Cloth for the babe, OTOH, is a given. DS has always been CD'd (and is allergic to the chemicals in sposies) so the new babe already has a stash of dipes waiting. I might make some more size NB or S pockets with the VB pattern I have.

[midwestmom]

I have 2 kids in cloth right now and will cloth the 3rd, just hoping that oldest is 'potty learned' before #3 comes, otherwise I will be laundry queen-lol. I get mostly by trade or on e-bay these days.

I think wool is the way to go for nighttime heavy wetters and any old time for that matter, but I use all kinds of cloth. I would love to learn to knit, but I can barely sew a button.

[beautyful]

My daughter is in cloth, although we didn't really fulltime CD until she was a few months old. That's okay, it means I get to buy newborn diapers. I want to use more knitted wool with this one for the summer.. just a teeshirt and a soaker would be adorable, I think.

I'm probably going to pick up more cloth pads.. I was looking at the set here: http://hyenacart.com/prod_details_au...=53373&vid=124 but I can't decide whether wool would be a good idea for PP. Anybody know?

[Yin Yang]

We'll be doing CD again. We too keep it very simple - Bumkins covers and prefolds, and few Fuzzy Buns. But I think this time I'll be using disposables for night. It was major pain to change DS 2-3 times a night and have the bed wet all the time! It's not worth the trouble.

I used doublers for PP bleeding, but I only bleed for 5 days anyway, and very little. I hope for it to be the same this time.

[ma_Donna]

My hope is that DC#2 never has a sposie touch their tush!

For all the new cloth diaper-ers out there, I would recommend using flats over prefolds. They are way more versatile and since they're just a single layer, wash & dry very very well. I also really like hemp doublers (ie like joey bunz) and personally think they make night time diapering the first year so much easier.

One of the great things about flats is that there is just one size (no preemie, infant, etc) and you can fold 2 or 3 of them together easily and still be less bulky than a prefold.

I got mine from kellyscloset and would recommend getting at least 3 dozen.

but, of course I got sucked into the fitteds thing : so I don't totally practice what I preach

BTW, my night time diapering solution (before Noah stayed dry through the night)
Fleece lined hemp fitted
Hemp doubler (or 2) OUTSIDE the diaper and inside the cover
Nice heavy, very lanolized wool cover

[HaveWool~Will Felt]

I can get wholesale prices on prefold....bleached and unbleaced...diaper service quality...

When we are getting a bit closer to our due dates...I am willing to place the order for us all to get great prices....

[paisley]

Originally Posted by HaveWool~Will Felt

I am running the "The Keeper/GladRags Co-op" here on MDC...and then a couple weeks into the coop...I found I was pg... Someone had said that it must of been the co-op that did it!!!

I once found an *amazing* sale on organic tampons and bought like 10 boxes. Found out I was pregnant with ds within a week.

Sort of off topic - but can you use The Keeper or Diva Cup for pp flow? If not I am thinking of making some pads or using prefolds. I was over on the Homebirth board and several people there said that they loved Depends for the first few days pp. Yes, as in the adult disposables. I can see how those could work really well but I am just not sure if I can go there.

We've Cd'd ds since he was about a year old. (I've been seriously slacking lately though : - the rinsing is killing my back and nose. ) I definitely plan to cd #2. While we were waiting to be ready to TTC, I had this small obssesion with newborn diapers so we have a few. Ok, ok, more than a few! I'm planning on fitteds and wool. I want to buy some and make the rest.

[luckymama]

Originally Posted by paisley

Sort of off topic - but can you use The Keeper or Diva Cup for pp flow?

i don't know for sure, but two thoughts come to mind:

1. you don't really want anything going IN at that point, because you'd be making yourself more vulnerable to infection, i would think ... OUT only, and

2. i think it would hurt like the dickens to use my diva cup pp - yowza! honestly, i wouldn't even try it ... jmho.

[HaveWool~Will Felt]

As an aspiring midwife...NOTHING in the vagina for 4-6 weeks PP....if you can do 6 weeks...that is really the best.
So, it is pads ONLY....

And one more thing....the keeper and diva cup suction to your cervix...if someone actually did use one in the first 6 weeks PP....I can only imagine how painful that would be!!!!

[paisley]

I am so glad you ladies are here to save me from my potentially painful stupidity!! I suppose that not only did I forget the pain of childbirth but I forgot that whole pp vaginal soreness thing too. Of course I don't want to be shoving anything in there. Off to add pp pads to my to-buy list...

[HaveWool~Will Felt]

Originally Posted by paisley

I am so glad you ladies are here to save me from my potentially painful stupidity!! I suppose that not only did I forget the pain of childbirth but I forgot that whole pp vaginal soreness thing too. Of course I don't want to be shoving anything in there. Off to add pp pads to my to-buy list...

You gave me a good laugh, Jen!!! But I say that with lots of love!!!

I jsut closed the GladRags coop today....I love their night time pads for PP...they are great!!! LMK if you might be interested in some...Wholesale they are $9.18 and retail they at $14.15...