Want to switch 15mo to CD

[pampered_mom]

My husband and I are going through our lives and trying to rethink the things we do and find an alternatives that are more earth (and most often, budget) friendly. We would like to switch our son over to CD after our stash of disposables thins out. We do plan on having other children so will envision reusing the ones we get now, but given the fact that we are further down the diapering road with our son, we don't want to have to spend a lot up front.

I've been spending hours (yes, hours) online trying to consider the options and decifer what our best choice is, but...well...quite frankly, I am MORE THAN OVERWHELMED. I was sort of hoping that give your collective wisdom, you might be able to help me (I don't want to reinvent the wheel). So...if I give you the things I think are important for us...can you give some suggestions or at least point me in the right direction?

*I'd prefer organic cotton. I'm open to synthetic, but not for the layer that directly touches his bottom.
*I plan on line drying them during the spring/summer/early fall months.
*I don't mind doing laundry every day/every other day.
*I don't want an expensive system, but I also don't want to make my own.
*I don't want a lot of bulk.
*We have had some absorbency issues with disposables - had to get the pricier diapers to stave off leakage.
*We would be using the CDs full-time.
*I'm thinking we'll want some that aren't too easy for a toddler to take off.

So...your thoughts? Oh...and what else am I going to need? Cloth wipes and ?

[PrincessCass]

I would recommend the toddler cloth diaper pkg from diapers and more. I would put a link if i could remeber it but sadly i can't so maybe someone can help me out I think it is whole family market. a bikini twisted prefold is actually pretty trim snappi that sucker on and get some cute wool if you can afford it if not the prowraps in the package work great.

[Nickarolaberry]

I think the organic prefolds from www.tinybirdorganics.com would fit the bill exactly. They're easy to get, easy to clean, quick to dry on the line, organic, not real expensive, can be either tri-folded into a wrap or pinned on (i.e. hard to get off by a toddler!). Jennifer from tiny birds is wonderful to work with.

Another option would be the new organic cotton diapers from www.motherease.com. They have onesize diapers and another fitted called Sandies -- different kinds of fit, but both are nice, workhorse diapers. Not fancy, and the onesize aren't absorbent enough for lots of people without a doubler, but lots of others really love them. Also easy to get, not hugely pricey, and not easily removable under a cover, although the Sandies are frequently used by potty-learning toddlers as a "pull-up" if you put on a nylon pull-on cover over it.

Good luck!

[2much2luv]

I think that's great that you are switching, especially so late in the game. Way to go.

I agree with the previous recomendation of organic prefolds. With a snappi you can fasten a prefold on in a snap. Even pins don't take long once you get the hang of it. I also recommend wool covers. I haven't been diapering lately so I don't have any links handy, but I would go with a prefold/soaker/woolwrap system. As time goes by you can gradually start trying out some good organic fitteds if you want.

Good luck!

[studentmama]

I have totally fallen in love with http://www.softbums.com and it looks like it could be done in a really economical way to by reusing the shells and ordering lots of extra inserts. They are super trim, but they are still super absorbant(my guy is a heavy wetter). Also, I am pretty sure she offers organic and hemp fitteds and may also have organic inserts for the shells.

Good luck mama, your going to love cloth diapering. But beware, it is very addictive, lol.

[BirthInStyle]

Organic prefolds are definitely more cost effective, but if you want some organic fitteds for going out, etc, I love my Little Beetles! For a heavy wetter you can just add as many doublers as you need under the beetle booster.

[pampered_mom]

Using Prefolds

So...if I go the prefold route I will need the prefold diapers (probably around 24?), some sort of fastener (pins or snappi) since my little one is VERY active, and some covers (wool or PUL). I'll also need a wet bag for the diaper bag, a wet bag for the dry pail, some cloth wipes (around 36?), and a container to keep wipe solution (or just plain water) in at the changing table. Am I missing anything?

Will the PUL covers work at night or is it best for leakproofness to get at least a couple of wool covers for at night? Will I likely need any doublers (at night or for out and about)?

Oh, and thanks for all the website suggestions! There are SO MANY sites out there and I'm afraid I was on information overload!

You guys have been so helpful - any other suggestions are certainly welcome and MUCH needed!

[studentmama]

nak,
you know going the prefold cover route would be cheaper, but in my experience using a prefold/cover on a toddler is a pain(you know it's laundry time in our house when i am resorting to my stash of prefolds and covers,lol).
my guy is always trying to run away so i need a super easy dipe to put on and i have been so pleased w/ them in that way as well because they are just as quick as a disposable. you could go the more economical route by buying a few shells and lots of extra inserts, then you can just switch out the inserts instead of changing the whole thing.

[pampered_mom]

Soft Bums

Originally Posted by studentmama

nak,
you know going the prefold cover route would be cheaper, but in my experience using a prefold/cover on a toddler is a pain(you know it's laundry time in our house when i am resorting to my stash of prefolds and covers,lol).
my guy is always trying to run away so i need a super easy dipe to put on and i have been so pleased w/ them in that way as well because they are just as quick as a disposable. you could go the more economical route by buying a few shells and lots of extra inserts, then you can just switch out the inserts instead of changing the whole thing.

It may be that I'm not necessarily understanding the Soft Bums systems well enough, but it seems to be quite a bit more expensive to me than doing the prefolds/covers. Here's what I figured:

-4 shells @ $14.95 ea (on sale now) $44.85
-16 organic cotton soakers @ $6.50ea $104

So for diapers I'm up to $148. Plus the site makes mention of needing doublers for heavy wetters and the possibility of an extra pull-on nylon pant to help prevent leaks for naps/nighttime. Am I going to need any of those? I want at least a few shells b/c my little guy is fairly regular (sometimes 2x a day) and b/c they're soakers I'll need to change out the shell with a soiled diaper, right? Or...with what I've got listed above am I severely underestimating my needs?

Also, how quickly will they dry? I'm going to line dry my CDs so I'll need to have enough shells to accomodate that. I could try their pt pkg and use it for my ft needs (since my little guy has fewer diaper changes than the littlest ones), but then I don't think I can get the organic cotton inserts. Thoughts?

BTW...thank you for your patience in this, I'm just trying to find the best use of my resources. It sounds silly since I'm paying $20+ every two weeks for disposables that I just throw out, but economics is part of the reason. :0)

[studentmama]

Yes, they are going to be a bit more expensive than going the prefold/cover route, but honestly, the convenience of not having to deal with folding the prefold and trying to get it in the cover all the while baby is trying to run away is totally worth paying extra. IMHO the prefold/covers are best for newborns and younger babies that are more easily contained during diaper changes and the bulkiness is not an issue(prefold/covers are quite bulky) because their clothes are still loose and big enough and they aren't walking around. I also feel like there is a definate learning curve with the prefolds and covers and trying to do it with a toddler is not going to be so fun.

I haven't used a doubler yet overnight, but I also change my guy once in the middle of the night(it wouldn't matter if I used the doubler andyway, he is just the kind of baby who needs to be changed right away), but if your baby goes through the night without waking a doubler may be a good idea. I suppose the mention of the vinyl pants is just so there is another barrier, but they are pretty inexpensive and you might only need one or two(I have seen them around for like $7 or less).

The line drying time I am sure will be half of what it would take to dry a prefold(they take forever), I know that in the dryer they dry very quickly.


And you know, I don't know if you can get the organic in the package, but maybe try emailing her. She was very nice and really worked with me to make sure I got exactly what I wanted, so I bet she would be willing to work something out.


Even though you would be spending a bit more up from, you are still going to save money overall and if you end up not having any more kids, cloth diapers are very easy to resell.

Good luck mama!

[pampered_mom]

Thanks, studentmama! I certainly appreciate your assistance. It's definitely clarified quite a bit for me. I do have to say with the Soft Bums, the trimness was definitely a big plus! :0)