Educate me please!

[joshs_girl]

Okay mamas, DH and I have decided to do cloth diapers - yay!

Buuuut, I'm so overwhelmed! There seem to be so many options and types and materials and just so many things!

I'm so comfy here in this DDC that I don't really want to venture off to the diapering forum (just yet) so I thought I'd ask yall for my cloth diaper education :

Can someone explain to me the different types and sizing and benefits of the different materials? What are your favorites and why (and links would be awesome!)

The only exposure I have had to cloth diapers, since I was in them , was a lady I used to baby sit for who used soakers that she knitted or crocheted herself.

[justmama]

Okay first the different types:
-flats- probabyl what you were diapered in. it's those big giant squares of muslin or cotton that you fold down to fit baby
-prefolds- my personal favorite. "prefolded" for you so that the middle panel is 8 layers and the two outer are 4 layers in most types. small amount of folding. very cheap and easy to use once you get the hang of it. fits every baby because you customize. needs waterproof cover
-fitteds- also need waterproof cover. elastic in legs and back, need to be sized to fit baby. can get very expensive. closes with aplix or snaps.
-pockets- what it sounds like. a "pocket" with waterproof outer and wicking fabric inside(like fleece) that keeps baby dry. you stuff with absorbent layer to ABSORB pee. easy. also, can get very expensive and need to fit baby perfectly to avoid leaks. most need to be hung dry but they dry extremely fast. do not breathe in hot weather.
-all-in-one's- usually one of the most expensive. go on and off like a disposable. aplix or snaps closures. take FOREVER to dry but lots of moms like them for outings because the are so easy like a sposie. personally I despise them. they don't breathe well at all in hot weather.

and then there's covers. pul is the waterproof stuff most covers are made of these days. they snap or velcro(aplix) closed. they are waterproof and wash easily in the washer and can be put in the dryer.
wool is my favorite BY FAR! totally breathable in hot weather and warm in the winter. I love longies and shorties because they double as clothing and covers. it's not waterproof but water resistant. you have to hand wash and lanolize(add water resistancy) but you only do it once every 2 weeks or so depending on useage and whether or not it actually gets "dirty" because wool is anti-bacterial and will not hold smell once aired out. there are also wool covers if you prefer a snapping alternative under clothing but be warned, it's bulky. that's why I prefer knit or interlock wool(like wool fabric) as a clothing item.
nylon is the stuff those gerber plastic pants are made of. lots of those pull-on covers are made of the stuff. again, doesn't breathe well, like pul. but that may be your choice.

My wash routine:
dry pail everything together. dump whatever dumps into toilet, leave whatever doesn't.
cold wash with a quick squirt of Dawn dishwashing soap and tea tree oil to disinfect
cold rinse at end with vinegar to break up any remaining soap residue
hang dry outside if not raining, inside in basement if icky outside

My daughter wears mostly prefolds and wool. It's what works for us and what we'll do on this feb 2008 baby too. Cheap and breathable, always dependable. Here's some pics if you are interested in what our system is:
prefold with a snappi to close
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/05_31_12.jpg
wool interlock shorties from Wild Child Woolies on HyenaCart(angela is my favorite for interlock. she's a sewing GODDESS and her stuff is amazing!)
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...gs/05_10_2.jpg
knit wool by me
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...gs/05_09_6.jpg
interlock wool soaker by Luxe Baby. it's so trim only because the prefold underneath was BARELY on it was so tiny. this is not indicative of trimness
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/05_26_30.jpg
knit wool pants by me with prefold underneath
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...gs/05_13_0.jpg
pul covers(proraps)
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...gs/06_17_0.jpg
bumgenius 1.0 one-size pocket with a microfiber insert
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...gs/06_05_4.jpg
way back when when we actually used fitteds. i don' have any now. it's an SOS(suzie's one size)
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/110_1039.jpg

wish I had some aio's to show you but again, I don't have any. I think the last one she wore she was maybe 6 weeks old. I hate the things.

[StrawberryFields]

I prefer Kissaluv size 0s with Bummis Super Whisper Wraps for a newborn:

http://www.abbyslane.com/catalog.php...category%3D333
http://www.abbyslane.com/catalog.php...category%3D274

Past that stage I highly prefer One-Size pocket diapers (save money by not having to always buy the next size up in diapers) with aplix closures--NOT snaps. My most favorite are Haute Pockets:

http://www.mtdiaperstore.com/shop/pr...roducts_id=209

and second to the HPs bumGenius:

http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_...roducts_id=954

I prefer fleece inners because my ds gets a rash from suedecloth.

[justmama]

Okay I forgot links

http://hyenacart.com/WildChildWoolies/ my fave interlock lady!
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/ essentials
http://www.cottontailbaby.com/ another for essentials
http://www.fuzzibunz.com/ a very popular pocket
http://swaddlebees.com/ another very popular pocket
http://www.bumgenius.com/ another popular pocket, one-size
http://hyenacart.com/AhMayDesigns/ interlock wool and amazing clothes
http://hyenacart.com/LuxeBaby/ interlock wool and fitteds
http://hyenacart.com/VeryBaby/ VERY popular aio's
http://hyenacart.com/ZephyrClothDiapers/ fitteds
http://hyenacart.com/MuttaqinBaby/ fitteds
http://hyenacart.com/Crankypants/ knit wool
http://hyenacart.com/LittleTurtleKnits/ knit wool
http://hyenacart.com/SweetKnits/ knit wool



this is a very very small sampling. www.hyenacart.com and be amazed!!!! I gave you a few people that are pretty popular. everyone has their favorites. places like crankypants and luxe and wcw are EXTREMELY difficult to get stuff from. you have to be there when they stock, stalking their site, and refreshing every second or two to get something and even then you might miss it. it's tough. try not to get addicted! but you will!!!!

also, I HIGHLY recommend diaperswappers.com right now for used stuff. great boards, great mamas. my other home besides mdc. i buy mostly used for my daughter because it's cheaper and it's the only way I can afford some of the nicer stuff. i'd go look now because some of the more difficult stuff to get is just sitting there now because people are so busy with kids out of school and lots of mamas went crazy buying summer interlock and are now broke so you may score good deals


if there's one piece of advice you should listen to and heed it's this: do not buy all of one thing(well, maybe prefolds). you never know what will fit your kid. buy a mix of things to try until you decide what works for you. I truly thought aio's were god's gift until I used them. blech! And I thought that swaddlebees pockets were too. turns out we leaked out of them at every pee because my duaghter is a supersoaker. i thought i would hate prefolds because you have to do more work. turns out I adore them and cna't get enough. so dont' ever ASSUME! enjoy looking, ask lots of questions, and buy a mix of stuff.

[Mommy2Austin]

These ladies have said it all I havent diapered a newborn yet so I don't know what works best with them, but I use flat diapers, prefolds, pocket dipes, and a few fitteds and AIOs that were given to me for my 14mo. If you aren't sure what you will like a few stores have trial packs that let you try a bunch of different diapers with out costing an arm and a leg. I'll try to find the sites and add them in a little while.

[flapjack]

Do NOT go to hyenacart!!!!!!!!!!!!! That way lies madness and insanity. If you must, go to TP diapers instead and buy your hyena dipes secondhand.

AIO's, nowadays, are totally obsolete; if you like the idea of the convenience then look at a pocket like fuzzibunz or happy heinys. For me, the budget option (especially if you don't have good drying facilities) are flats or prefolds, and the "money no object, let's get something that works" is fitteds. There's no point in using a trifolded prefold on a newborn, btw, you might as well just leave them naked in terms of poo containment. With fitteds, though, you are going to get more problems with detergent buildup and possibly thrush than you would with flats.
For me, I use Totsbots fastened with a nippa, and they're bombproof and relatively affordable- but you guys don't get them in the us You will always get a better fit with a nippa than with any other fastening, and most people who CD for a while tend to end up preferring poppers over aplix.
OH, and never put an aplix wrap over an aplix nappy if you can help it- the aplix is more likely to roll and chafe on baby's tummy.
The best advice, however, is to shop around and pick up an assortment, if you want to use fitteds or pockets. That way, you can be sure that you've got something that works with baby's build.

[joshs_girl]

You mamas are awesome!

Keep the information coming - I'm loving it!

[Mommy2Austin]

Here are a few places that have sampler packages:
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/packages.htm
http://www.thanksmama.com/product_p/dpk-026.htm
http://www.thanksmama.com/Basic_Newb..._p/dpk-705.htm
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_...roducts_id=769

I suggest trying a few of everything. I've learned that I don't necessarily love any one diaper. Different days I use different things. I like having a variety of dipes to mix and match as my mood and his changes. I also do keep some sposies around for emergencies.

[nolonger]

I used prefolds with my newborns. I was unaware that EC ws an option, but my kids still had super-sensitive skin so I did not pin the diapers on 24/7. When I did need to go somewhere, I found that just a diaper would usually contain the pee and poo well enough as long as I wasn't out too long. By the time the baby was big enough for Size A Biobottoms, I started using those more and more frequently.

Biobottoms are very hard to find these days so I should probably explain that they are a wool wrap-style diaper cover that closes with velcro. Nikky also makes wool wraps that are easier to find these days. For my new litlte one, I also have Sweetpeas and Stacinator, which close with snaps, and some WAHM soakers.

I'm sure I would love fuzzibunz and the other modern diapers if I could afford them, but I can't, so I'm not even going to tempt myself other than a single kissaluvs size 0 for outings and two size medium AIOs.

I was hoping to get some flats this time around, but I wound up finding such good deals on prefolds on the trading post that my stash is essentially complete until we get into the toddler sizes. I used diaper service with my big kids and was surprised at how inexpensive it turned out to be to buy my own.

Guesstimating from how many diapers I went through before, I don't think I'll be needing to wash more than twice a week.

[LawrenceDoula]

I use good prefolds and Thirsties covers. Simple is better for me. I also have mother-ease one size fitteds that someone gave me, which I like, but they don't absorb as much as prefolds.

For me the key is how you wash. Research and find what works for you. It's EASY!

[miss_honeyb]

I've kept it simple and CDing has worked out great. Prefolds and a PUL cover like Prorap or Bummis Super Whisper Wrap. Here's my FAVORITE prefolds:
http://clothdiaperoutlet.com/catalog...Fcategory%3D17

And this site has a little bit of everything:
http://diaperwear.com/information/diapers.htm

[OldFashionedGirl]

As you might guess from my name, I'm pretty oldfashioned in just about everything, including my diapers

I use exclusively flats and prefolds, with the cheap-o gerber covers. (I do have one wool soaker I knit that I really like, but my mom thinks they're stupid, so I won't use that til I'm out of the house.)

The first month or so, I used sposies, b/c SO many had been given to me as gifts, and I couldn't find small gerber covers around here. I've been SO pleased since I switched to cloth. And I've since found small covers, so this baby will be in cloth from the start.

My flats I got from...um...crap. Someone on recommened them, and I can't remember....Little Lions! They're super. DO NOT use Walmart flats, they're crap. Walmart prefolds aren't the best, but they do work. For a while, they were all I had. They're still in my regular rotation. I also have a dozen PFs I got from a rummage sale (by far my favorite), and a dozen PF seconds that I got from clothdiapers.com's ebay store. These are awesome. They're a little large for Darren right now, so I don't use them as often, but they're going to be great when he's bigger. Also, the "second" means they're supposed to have flaws, so they don't sell at full price, but I've yet to find a "flaw."

[NamastePlatypus]

Started with AIO, thinning them out now, to long to try and I HATE velcro. I LOVE prefolds with a snappi, one size fiiteds are THE way to go!!!! And wool is addicting and amazing and wonderful!!! That wool interlock, someone is out to get me in trouble, never seen it before and damn it all if it is going to be my next must have!!!! I hate pockets because I hate to stuff but many women would shun me for such blasphamey!!