[EdnaMarie]

Oh, yes, we are using backup again. Last time I had a hard time with pre-folds because then the covers would get soiled and also it was so much harder to pee her and keep it all together. This time I am thinking of going for fitteds or AIOs... my older graduate has some BGs (large) which were pretty good, but I would also like to have something more in-between to motivate my lazy hoohah. So I'm thinking of fitteds with covers for outings. Ultimately, I think it's cheaper to spend the $$$ on diapers and washing one load of diapers every other day, than trying to wash a few colors separately on hot every day... although I love the diaper-free idea, it's too expensive for us!

So, for those of you who used a similar solution, what did you find? How was it?

 

[schendledecker]

we almost always use backup--dd seems to really love pooing on the sofa and the living room rug! at home i usually use cloth trainers or motherease w/out covers. out and about we use bumgenious or motherease w/covers.

 

[tsfairy]

We're using diaper backup again too, most of the time. DS likes to poop standing next to his train table, which never fails to make a big mess. We're catching maybe 1-2 pees per day, if that.

We have a stash of ME Sandy's - he usually wears them or gerber trainers at home, and we use wool pants or a soaker over the top when we go out.

I don't like AIO's or PUL covers, because DS tends to get warm underneath, and I just can't tell when he pees. Although for some reason, I saw the BGOS at Target the other day and I just wanted to buy one so badly. LOL

 

[EdnaMarie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by schendledecker we almost always use backup--dd seems to really love pooing on the sofa and the living room rug! at home i usually use cloth trainers or motherease w/out covers. out and about we use bumgenious or motherease w/covers.

Motherease, eh? My first never cared much where she peed if she thought she wasn't on the way to the potty. Tsfairy, didn't see where you live but there is no chance of overheating where I am, even in summer, except maybe for three or four days. But I want the chance to feel the wet.

I wanted to get one-size because, well, I'm cheap. But read that the mother-ease ones were bulky for a newborn. Hmmm. I really do not want to spend $200 for one or two months of newborn diapers! But reviews indicate that you really do need at least two sizes. SIGH. My first just grew so fast.

Sorry, just venting, nothing to do with EC, really.

 

[emiLy]

I have a stash of prefolds and SIMPLYcovers to use when I need a diaper. Long trips in the car, the rare times someone else is caring for my son (wish it was more often!), etc. You could use the BGs you have already for this kind of situation.

All other times I really love the Favorite EC Pants at my store. They are waterproof enough to catch a pee and keep outer pants dry for several minutes -- exactly the level of backup I like so I'm not getting clothes wet, but that I'm still aware and checking and offering the potty often enough. The mediums fit my son from 4 months (they would have fit him earlier but I got them around then) until he was over 32 pounds at 18 months. I bought a few larges around 10 months because I wanted a few more.

I think both fitteds and AIOs are just not great for EC. They are designed to hold multiple pees, and have the bulk for it. It's way fun to see babies in trim trainers - one of the benefits of EC!

 

[broodymama]

When we're out of the house and at night I use pocket diapers for backup. I already have a full stash of them from my older two, and I've been using them for so long that I can get them undone for potty trips very quickly, and without even fully waking up for nighttime pottying.

Around the house during the day I really love my non-waterproof EcaPants, they're definitely my favorite! They're absorbent enough to hold a miss if I'm busy with my other kids, and easy to flip down for pottying and quickly refasten with one hand. Great for a squirmy babe who does the alligator death roll whenever I try to lay her down and put a diaper on her.

 

[EdnaMarie]

Thanks, Emily- but $18 is way more than we'd pay for fitteds. I don't want AIOs for home anymore but we are not going for $18 per panties. At 24 for two days, minimum, that is going to be over $350 plus buying extra pocket dipes or AIOs or whatever for trips, and I'll need at least four for a long shopping trip. No way, but they look like a lovely product.

I gave away my others to my relatives because we moved from overseas here and the cost was as much as buying new ones, so I don't have a stash or anything. I'm more building one up now.

 

[lexmas]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't mind the bulk. That said, I've slowly become a SIMPLYcover and prefold mama, but that's after I tried all the other stuff and got it out of my system! We LIKE waterproofing, and I have no problem throwing him in a pocket or AIO when I need it. I think one size is always going to be super bulky on a newborn. That said, I have pretty much all one size diapers, because I'm cheap too! Newborns always "froggy" their legs anyway, so I don't think the bulk gets in their way. For DS at least, the bulk was more of an issue once he could move around, and that didn't happen until he was big enough that the one size things fit him.

However, you should definately browse around diaperswappers.com to buy some (of whatever it is that you want!) used, because that's where I've gotten ALL of my diapers that aren't prefolds and covers, and you can find a good deal on something that's pretty much new. I bought a bunch of mutt3SRs on there for $7 or $8, and they fit DS at 2 and looked like they would still be pretty trim on a little baby. I really liked them. And those retail for like, $30 each, so you can definately find good deals...there's no way I was paying $30 for a new diaper LOL. I've tried some other one size fitteds, but I liked the mutt 3SRs the best. SOS are good too, but definately more bulky.

Okay, sorry to ramble! Hope that helps, at least a little!

 

[sapphire_chan]

For a newborn, I like my tied on flats method. http://www.diaperware.com/picturepages/flatfolding.htm for the fold and

for a picture of how it looks on a teddy bear (jump to 1:20 or so). I like flats because I'm too lazy for a complicated wash scheme.

But if you're set on AIOs/fitteds, how about something like the ecapants from http://www.ecawarebaby.com/? They're basically AIOs designed to flip down more easily.

 

[andtay23]

I also vote for Motherease Sandy's. We got a great deal on a used stash of size S from diaperswappers when DD outgrew the xs.

I use the Sandy's w/o a cover at home and overnight (we do nighttime EC) and BG all-in-ones and one-size dipes for outings. I use prefolds when we run out of Sandy's, but they are a LOT harder to put onto a squirmy 10mo old.

 

[EdnaMarie]

Oh, wrote a reply but it got lost. Lexmas, our babes will be spaced exactly the same, with yours coming almost exactly one month after mine. I am glad I'm not the only one who balks at the idea of a $30 diaper. No judgment, we all have our "things", but it just reminds me of the Conan O'Brian dog, forget his name: "That's a lovely hand-crafted made in the U.S.A. piece of clothing- FOR ME TO POOP ON!"

The mother-ease terries will cost me about $9 / diaper and $9 / cover with their package... I am really leaning that way.

SC- Great method, but what about tummy-loving babies? And do you ever miss untying that knot? I just can't see it working with a toddly-boo around as well.

Thanks again to all.

 

[sapphire_chan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdnaMarie SC- Great method, but what about tummy-loving babies? And do you ever miss untying that knot? I just can't see it working with a toddly-boo around as well.

It's the first half of a square knot with the ends tucked around again in the same direction, so it's pretty flat. And wearing or not wearing it doesn't seem to affect how Lina feels about being on her tummy (on us=good, not on us=bad

)

We don't untie the knot to offer a potty unity, just pull out the front flap of the diaper and then tuck it in again when done. Anyway, I like it because it takes like 2 seconds, 5 if she's got a cover and pants on.

Not that you have to use that method, of course, I just wanted to clarify that it doesn't mean taking the diaper off each time. And at $11/dozen, flats are definitely the cheap way to go.

 

[EdnaMarie]

Oh, I get it. Can you tell I was taking care of a toddler while watching that video? Sorry. How old is your wee girl? The price is indeed unbeatable. Did you use the organic Chinese pre-folds, large size?

 

[sapphire_chan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdnaMarie Oh, I get it. Can you tell I was taking care of a toddler while watching that video? Sorry. How old is your wee girl? The price is indeed unbeatable. Did you use the organic Chinese pre-folds, large size?

She's 3.5 months now. Now that she's bigger and more squirmy--she kicks constantly--I find I have to put a pair of pants on her to keep her diaper up. It's really best for newborns, I just haven't decided on a good next stage yet, possibly going to a prefold belt.

We use packs of Gerber flats that a relative bought for us from Target. The organic flats would probably be a bit more expensive. I don't think they make 27" square prefolds do they?

 

[EdnaMarie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan She's 3.5 months now. Now that she's bigger and more squirmy--she kicks constantly--I find I have to put a pair of pants on her to keep her diaper up. It's really best for newborns, I just haven't decided on a good next stage yet, possibly going to a prefold belt. We use packs of Gerber flats that a relative bought for us from Target. The organic flats would probably be a bit more expensive. I don't think they make 27" square prefolds do they?

Gotcha. Up to 6 months the pre-folds were not so bad for us, either, as I was using them with a cover. I have no idea about 27" organic flats but heck, you can find most anything on e-bay, amazon or by web search, so it's worth a shot.

Prefold belt... hmmmm... just all seems so hard to undo knowing my experience with prefolds and covers with my first. Because I'm thinking, toddler, infant, public restroom, purse, line.. can I do this with 1.5 hands, wipe and re-fasten before the 2.5 year old opens the lid to the sanitary napkin disposal receptacle? Now your tie method looks pretty easy but not too reliable (no offense) but a belt could be different.

Not saying you shouldn't: with my first, it wasn't a problem and I had both hands but I am anticipating a little less time for pottying and fewer hands available with my second.

 

[sapphire_chan]

This morning I solved the problem with the tied diaper coming loose--Snappi!

:Then it turns out that dh had already thought of that and hadn't said anything.

Given how much support a newborn needs when pottying, I don't know that I'd be able to use a public toilet while also watching a toddler.

 

[aikigypsy]

To answer the original question, between AIOs and fitteds I would definitely choose the later. I'm also a fan of flats, but discovered them just before our DD got really mobile and the tied oragami fold stopped working. We got ours at GMD and they're great. In the early stages we mostly used prefolds with a prorap cover or snappi (depending on need for waterproofing or not). At around the time we switched systems, the snappis just stopped working and started snagging my clothes too much. I didn't want to have to fuss with snappis and a cover, so they stopped being useful to me.

Now (from about 7- 12 months) we use a prefold kept on with a diaper belt at home, and waterproof pocket trainers/diapers that I made when out and at night. I saw lots of nice training pants on line, and I thought about buying the Simple Simon pants, but they weren't quite exactly what we needed and it would have been awfully expensive to buy the 24+ I thought we needed. We actually only have 18 now, and I probably saved a bit of money but more importantly I now know how to make diapers, and I'll make anything else we might need in the future.