The official May babies in Cloth thread! - Page 2

[mamayarn]

Originally Posted by CookAMH

What would be a range of costs to supply yourself with diapers for the first time? I'm sure it varies a lot. Say you did all prefolds with simple covers? How many do you know how to get in each size?

I got a lot of my diapers used, which helped with costs. Let's say you're buying new everything. There are lots of diaper websites out there with lists of recommendations to get started. If I were starting from scratch and wanted to do prefolds and covers, I would get .....

2 dozen newborn or infant prefold, about $20/doz
5 small covers, Proraps ($7.25), BSWWs ($12.50), or Litewraps ($8)
2 Snappis ($3 each)
pail liner (~$15)

That will get you going for about $100-$125. I personally could not have made it without two pail liners and pocket diapers for my lazier moments. You will probably wash diapers every other day.

[the_lissa]

I use a mix of prefolds and muttaqins for newborns. Newborn diapers and some small are too small for my mutant babies.

[MotherMama]

We will be using cloth for sure! This will be my third cloth diapered newborn, my oldest didn't start in cloth until he was 3ish months old.
My last babies had mostly prefolds in the newborn and small stage but this time around I will be focusing on fitteds and covers. I started my cloth stash before this baby was even conceived. I have just over a dozen Kissaluvs in size 0, 10 thirsties covers in XS, a few in small too, and 5 Nanipoos in newborn.

My just turned 3 year old in still in cloth but I hope potty learning is right around the corner. Cloth isn't as cute with a grown up child diet lol

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by mamayarn

You will probably wash diapers every other day.

Thanks for the ideas. As for laundry...the one thing I will hate! We have to go down to the basement to wash, and we're on the third floor of our apartment building. Plus we have to have a stash of quarters.

[catters]

I bought a TON of prefolds and several wraps and sadly DS got HORRIBLE diaper rash with them. I don't know what I was doing wrong. Anyway, I moved into BumGenius pocket style and he wears them still. I also use G-Diapers regularly for the "disposable" times when needed and I do have some 7th generation for when we go to the inlaws house for the weekend and for other travel. I sort of feel bad washing diapers at other people's houses, but I like to do it at home. I love the little diaper sprayer/bidet attachment I bought. It is a LIFESAVER.

The one thing I am having trouble with is that my Bum Genius seem to need to be washed EVERY DAY now. I have about 16 of them so usually I can have enough to last me two or so days but after the first day, even if there's only four diapers in there, the pail smells sooo badly of urine. They never used to though... I'm not sure if its DS or what!!? They come out of the dryer smelling fine.... I just don't know what to do. But Every day to wash just four diapers seems like a lot. Anyone else have any ideas. Basically what I do now is just sprinkle a lot of baking soda in the pail (dry pail) until the next day when I wash two days worth of diapers.

[catters]

Originally Posted by Momtoharry

We use Bum Genius 3.0 for DS and they have been great. I'd love to hear if anyone has had luck using them snapped down for a newborn. I also wonder about the umbilical cord issue.

I'm excited because BG just came out with new colors. I can't wait to add to my stash!

I had difficulty with them snapped all the way down for DS. They were just so thick in the middle that his poor little legs were all akimbo. So, admittedly, DS was in Pampers for the first month. He was only 7lbs 1oz at birth (full term!!!)

I have a few fuzzi bunz and I love how they are slimmer than the BG's but they (I have the older snap ones) wicked too much for my taste around the seams. I have a ton of BG's one size velcro tabs (2.0 I think) so I'll keep using those.

[mamayarn]

Originally Posted by catters

I have about 16 of them so usually I can have enough to last me two or so days but after the first day, even if there's only four diapers in there, the pail smells sooo badly of urine. They never used to though... I'm not sure if its DS or what!!? They come out of the dryer smelling fine.... I just don't know what to do.

Time to strip the diapers!

[catters]

Originally Posted by mamayarn

Time to strip the diapers!

Can you do that with pocket diapers? I thought since they were synthetic fiber inserts you couldn't do that. Hmm, so... palmolive? I'll try anything, something is OBVIOUSLY up with them!!!

ETA: Ah hah!!!! This is so me.

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/resou...entdebate.html

BTW: I'd been using County Save detergent and BacOut...

I'll be stripping tonight!

[mamayarn]

There are different stripping methods for different causes of the stink. Mine was detergent buildup, so I washed the diapers as usual and at the point where I would hang them on the line I instead turned up the water heater and washed them with HOT water and a couple squirts of our dish detergent. Then I ran wash cycles one after the other, skipping the rinse, until during agitation there were no more suds in the water. That did the trick for my diapers. You have BGs right? If I remember correctly, as long as they are version 2 or 3 you can wash them in hot water. The nylon of version 1 is not supposed to be washed on hot. I have 1s so I didn't strip the BGs but I did strip the FBs and prefolds to no ill effect.

Good luck!

[catters]

^^Thanks!!

[kdtmom2be]

I've been having the same problem as catters with the stinky diapers. They smell fine out of the wash, they smell fine coming off the babe, but later in the day the smell of ammonia is somethign fierce. I have tried stripping my dipes a variety of ways, no luck. I think it might just be the change in diet as they get older frankly... if you figure it out let me know!!

[~Katie~]

Originally Posted by kdtmom2be

I've been having the same problem as catters with the stinky diapers. They smell fine out of the wash, they smell fine coming off the babe, but later in the day the smell of ammonia is somethign fierce. I have tried stripping my dipes a variety of ways, no luck. I think it might just be the change in diet as they get older frankly... if you figure it out let me know!!

What laundry detergent do you use? If you look on my blog in my sig I have a section about washing diapers, there's a link to an excellent detergent chart for what's best with cloth diapers. I would suspect that even though you're stripping the diapers the type of detergent either has optical brighteners, enzymes, some kind of fragrance, dye, fabric softener, or a color safe bleach in it. Any of those can cause build-up of ammonia odor.

[Shonahsmom]

I'll be CD'ing. Just pre-folds and longies and covers that I knit.

[SunCB]

I recently dyed stuff and still have dye left. All the prefolds are already packed away so I am a bit afraid to pull them back out since they are stored at ILs' house in their attic. I hope they do not suspect anything if they catch me taking them down though I can say I am just using up my dyes.

I need to find a few more covers though in the larger sizes. Never touched my small covers bc I ended in a C/S and that was just to much work since I am the one having to haul the bucket to the wash and I had already pushed myself to hard. This time will be different and I will get my VBAC so I can start to CD right away.

CookAMH~

I think for everything I got was about $450. I got all size prefolds (24 NB, 48 regular, 48 premium, & 24 toddler) probably more than what most would get, all my covers, wet bags, wipes, snappis, and a dipe pal (it is one you use with posies but it well work enough for me). Think that is it. Hope it helps.

[triplembride]

I can't wait to CD the new baby! I have never used cloth for a newborn we started DS on cloth at 10mos old but we love the BG 2.0 and 3.0's for him and i have some PF's for him that I like too...but will most likely use PF's for the newborn cause they are so cheap and wonderful :

YAY a CD thread ::

[Haydee]

Originally Posted by kdtmom2be

I've been having the same problem as catters with the stinky diapers. They smell fine out of the wash, they smell fine coming off the babe, but later in the day the smell of ammonia is somethign fierce. I have tried stripping my dipes a variety of ways, no luck. I think it might just be the change in diet as they get older frankly... if you figure it out let me know!!

Did you try sunning them? The sun kills all sorts of bacteria and gets rid of stains. I used to sun my diapers once a month. Wash them, rinse them, then lay them out in the sun to dry. They sometimes come back somewhat crunchy, but not smelly at all. If you don't like the crunch you can throw them in the dryer for 15 minutes and it helps a lot.

[ScootchsMom]

I'll be CD'ing this next baby. We were never able to CD DD because we didn't have a washer and dryer, but now that we're in our own house we can do it.

I have no idea about any of it though, so I'll be doing a ton of research before I start buying them.

[meredith509]

This will be my first time CDing a newborn. We didn't start with DS until he was about 15 months. We use all kinds right now - Bumgenius for going out, Motherease fitteds and covers for at home and at night, and prefolds when I don't get to the laundry as often. For our little one on the way, I have about a dozen infant sized prefolds, one kissaluv fitted, and two Thirsties AIOs. Hoping to get more Kissaluvs and maybe some orange-edge GMD prefolds (or the new lavendar edge). Not sure what covers to get - maybe Thirsties?

I'm not totally opposed to using sposies for those first few weeks, but if we can find a CD that works, I'd rather do that!

meredith

[iana703]

I am diapering a newborn for the first time too! I started with DD when she was 6 mo. I am so probably going to do prefolds and wool with a few pockets for dh and others since I will probably be doing most of the diapering anyway. I cannot wait to get all the cute newborn wool covers!

[Momtoharry]

Originally Posted by KatieJD

What laundry detergent do you use? If you look on my blog in my sig I have a section about washing diapers, there's a link to an excellent detergent chart for what's best with cloth diapers. I would suspect that even though you're stripping the diapers the type of detergent either has optical brighteners, enzymes, some kind of fragrance, dye, fabric softener, or a color safe bleach in it. Any of those can cause build-up of ammonia odor.

That chart is amazing! I just sent it to DH (SAHD) so we can find something better. Thank you for posting that!