[Juliacat]

I'm in the mood to hear from flats, prefolds, Proraps, Bummis, and Dappis users. Nothing specific, just general ideas about how you did it, how you feel about it, etc.

 

[Spicey Momma]

I started out with just prefolds and proraps. It was fine, until I tried something nice. No, I take that back; I got sick and tired of newborn poop blow outs! Poop never stayed in the prefolds, but the cover held it in. I was constantly washing covers and sick of all the mess. Finally I decided it was time for fitteds!!! :LOL But now that DD is 16 months, and we use fitteds/prefitteds full time I still feel very frugal. In my 16 months of diapering I have only spent $300. I searched the trading post for the best deals I could find. I bartered, traded and negoticated. This winter all of DDs wool longies are made from sweaters I found at the thrift stores.

I consider myself frugal, but I refuse to diaper again with nothing but prefolds and proraps! Not to meantion my DD can't tolerate PUL well.

 

[judybean]

I didn't start out frugal (though it was my intention... at least that's what I told dh). But now I love my prefolds. I love a simple PUL cover (Motherease Air Flows are my favorite, but I've only bought all of them used).... I use the ME AF and Bummis often. I don't like aplix, but it goes on quicker than snaps and sometimes it's exactly what I need.

When Katherine was a newborn, I wouldn't have given up my ProRaps for the world. I still won't. They saw plenty of use, as newborn covers are bound to, and they're still sturdy and great looking.

I'm at a point now (yes, I'll admit my moods change often) where fancy schmancy is nice, but sometimes it's the simplest things that are known to do the job that I just can't pass up. I'm especially loving my PUL covers because I don't have to worry about them when I'm wearing Katherine in the sling or Asian-stye Baby Carrier (or the gauze wrap I made myself!).

Ooh... and on laundry day you don't have to worry about making sure everything's unsnapped before throwing it in... and with workhorse covers, if they get tossed in the dryer, well, you know they'll still perform to their highest. And when you pull out the dried dipes you don't have to find the matching pieces to every dipe or worry about snapping them up or folding. Prefolds look gorgeous in a simple stack.

This is where I'm at right now. I'm liking the simplicity.

(I do feel the need to throw in the fact that I *did* just get a hot pink Fuzzi Bunz... but it's more for dh when he's home with the girls on days I work and he doesn't... and it's Katherine's Christmas present).

 

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

Even though I have a bunch of fitteds and aios, I use my prefolds and Bummis a great deal. I went thru a couple weeks where that's all I used- except at night.
Can't be beat for ease of use, trimness, wear...and it's a pretty cheap way to diaper. I'm still thinking about selling my fitteds and going to all prefolds/prefitteds.

 

[clothcrazymom]

Well I don't think I'm frugal. But we are using mostly prefolds these days. I HATED them in the early days and only used fitteds. Then not too long ago I got sick of the fitteds not fitting right, starting to fall apart, or not being able to get the ones I wanted easily, and went to prefolds.

I only use wool covers though. We don't do polyester....Alex gets rashes if we do.

We do have some fitteds but I don't use them very often at all these days. We also have flats and I'm not using them much right now. Sometimes I get on a kick and will use them for a few days in a row though.

With my older kids I only used gauze flats and Nikky wraps (Nikky's were REALLY cutting edge 17 years ago!)

I'm also loving the simplicity and it makes packing diaper bags or things for trips very simple. Washing and folding is super simple too.

 

[Spark]

: Shhhhh, don't tell anyone... I used to be frugal! Can I channel my previous self and reply on your thread???

With my DS I used bummis wraps. I had 6 in each size that I got new for my baby shower and Christmases. I then inherited my MIL's PF stash from when my DH and his two sisters were babies. The things were 27 years old when I got them. They were tiny and thin. Perfect for newborn/small babe time. Then, I had exactly 16 evil PFs from something similar to Gerber that I got at a few stores and hand-me-downs. Basically, I spent about $15 of my own money and then water/detergent/dryer costs.

Did I have fun? No.
Did I want to give up? Yes.

I was so annoyed that my DS had the biggest butt every and it wasn't even cute. Some people likes my velcro instead of pins, but most everyone snubbed their nose at the ick. Plus, with my crappy PFs they leaked so bad. It was not fun.

When my DS starting taking off his clothes and easily unvelcroing his diaper a little past a year old, I gave up and went to sposies. I was so tired of all the leaks, the messes, the big butts with pants 4 sizes too big.

(Then I began my more hyena ways when my DD was born. Again, I used the family PFs for newborn times... then when she was about 6 weeks old I bought a used angel wrap www.angelwraps.com and OMG! The world of CDs opened up for me... it was FUN! It was cool! People around me were amazed. My DH was converted. My MIL was converted. And, everyone else, too. Now, after trying a WHOLE BUNCH of HYENA things... my stash still mainly consists of PFs, but they're Tye Dye Dreams PFs, OC PFs, and then a rocking collection of www.daisy-doodles.com and some FCB AIOs for going out.)

 

[natashaccat]

My nb stash is pretty frugal:

-diaperwrap covers either used w/dd1 or found at thrift store for $1 each.
-infant prefolds from dd1 and used by at least two of my friend's kids also
-homemade wool covers made from thrift store wool skirts $1 each
-wipes made from recycled materials

For small-PT I splurged and collected about 20 disposanot pocket diapers ecause assuming that this baby is like dd1 these should fit nearly from birth to PT and pocket diapers are cheaper for me to wash than any other type of diaper.

I'd put ME airflows in the frugal category also just because they are so darn durable and have such a big size range.

 

[sovereignqueen]

Before I discovered MDC I was content with my 6 prowaprs and my prefolds. I didn't know much about CD, but was happy (iingnorance is bliss, and easier on the pocket book, at least in CD land

) My stash is alot bigger now but it's still all CPFs and mostly bummies, dappies, proraps, etc for covers (tho I have saved up my allowance to splurge on a couple nice ocers like a luxe and a BBH). I had (and have) fun and I had/have no intention of giving it up.

 

[kvan]

Glad to talk about it! My son is currently outgrowing my whole stash- because we were using all kissaluvs and the rise became too low for him. So I pulled out the stack of prefolds that were handed over to me (ever notice how when you mention that you are/will be cloth diapering, everyone who gave it up donates their stuff to you

. They're all way to small now except for the Gerber gauze ones, which barely fit around his belly.

I LOVED the CPF's he used an a newborn. I love their softness, their whiteness, everything about them but the poo-leaks. That's why I stopped using them and went to fitteds in the fiirst place. That, and I didn't like fitted velcroy covers. I love dappi pull-ons. I love my new snappi. Just got my first one. It's awesome!

A fellow MDCer (Brit

, Pipsqueakdiapers.com just made me a few semi-fitteds out of prefolds and they're awesome too. It solves the poo issue for a few extra bucks (if you have a nice talented lady to convert them for you).

 

[Knittin' in the Shade]

I used prefolds with prowraps from a service for aj's first several months (MIL gave it to us as a baby shower gift, gotta love her!!)

He, of course, also had mama-knit soakers (he was a summer babe) and then longies in the winter, so he was in pinned prefolds under them. I loved them, but then a mama in my LLL group (Inge at diaperware) started her biz, and I discovered the world of WAHM diapers, LOL. Molly togs, poochies, etc, and I was in heaven. Used mostly all fitteds with my second, and now with my third I've come full circle back to simplicity with flats, prefolds and wool (with the occasional fleece cover thrown in for good measure, LOL) I snappi or pin now that MacGregor is mobile, but before that I just laid the prefold in a ribby wrap or patchwork pixie woodland wrap. I have handdyed all of my prefolds and flats though so they are fun to look at

In the beginning with AJ I had the poop leaking problem, but then invented (unvented?) the Sidewall/Jellyroll fold and have never looked back. Now with flats on MacGregor, I use my More Origami Fold and it's never leaked or otherwise failed me yet

 

[Book Addict Jen]

You could also do butt sweaters for super cheap if you can sew.

 

[[email protected]]

For my first baby I had Rainbow and Green contour dipes and mainly Bummis covers. This worked fine until my little guy started to soak the diapers. So, I went to mainly Fuzzi Bunz which were all the buzz at the time.

Now, for my second baby I use lots of prefolds, both cotton and hemp, but have stopped using PUL because my daughter has sensitive skin. My son never got a rash from anything. My daughter gets a rash from PUL especially when it's hot and we live in TX. She also gets a rash from disposables and from wet diapers. So, we now use fleece covers (wash like a dream and not very expensive), breathable cotton Nikky covers, and wool. My husband is allergic to wool, so I keep it covered up with pants or avoid the wool when he's home.

I mainly bikini twist my prefolds with a snappi. The bikini twist is great for chubby thighs. For my hemp prefolds, I do the angel fold and snappi. My dd (7 months) doesn't poop all that often anymore, so I don't have to deal with lots of cover washing. The snappied prefold seems to do the containment trick much of the time.

I'm not into super cute diapers. Classic white and natural hemp look great to me. Cute covers can be fun. I haven't tried wool soakers, but would like to at some point. The pull up option seems convenient for babies who don't like to lay down for changes and they seem like they would be very cute under dresses. Prefolds are so inexpensive that you can have a little extra to splurge for covers.

 

[lisabc311]

I am not the frugalest (is that a word?) but I came to realize just how much $ we are saving by CD'ing this summer when I had severe morning sickness. We used disposables for two months and WOW- it's expensive!

Anyway, we use prefolds with wraps and fitteds with wool. We have a handful of AIO's/pockets, but that's strictly for diaperbag use. I don't do the stalking thing because I can't imagine ever paying more than $10-12 at the MOST for a diaper!

Now that we are expecting our second baby, I am really reaping the benefits of CD'ing. I have almost our entire newborn stash ready-to-go. I have bought a few new covers and fitteds for fun, but that's it! The bulk of my stash is sitting there waiting for the baby to arrive.

That's the great thing about CD's.....using them again on more kids!

 

[2much2luv]

I was very frugal with my first 2 children (MDC is a bad bad place

)

First daughter was coming and I thought cloth diapers were SOOO expensive. We hadn't been married or adults very long and that 100-200 dollar investment seemed like ALOT. I bought 10 nb and small bummis SWW and used a diaper service for the first 2, maybe 3, months. Then I decided I wanted to tackle washing my own diapers so I ordered 2 dozen regular prefolds and 1 dozen premium. They were HUGE on my teensy petite little 3 month old

but I used them anyway. The thought of buying infant prefolds AND premium prefolds was just too much for me. So I used the prefolds, Bummis SWW, and gerber plastic pants. I love looking at pictures from that time, of her in her big ol plastic pants.

so old fashioned looking.

This system worked really well for me and I have no complaints about it. Oh, I should also mention that I bought a couple dozen little wipes that worked well too.

When I was pregnant with my second dd I decided to splurge and buy those infant prefolds. :LOL Soon after she came along I had to find a nighttime solution because she was an around the clock nurser and leaked all over every night. So I bought an Aristocrat. It was soooo expensive but it really really did the trick. I was happy with this system too. I battled with PPD during the first year or so after she was born and both my girls spent some time in disposables in there, but hey, what are you gonna do?

Those were my frugal diaper days and it was lots of fun.

I was always quite happy with prefolds and simple wraps.

 

[monkaha]

Frugal here too! Though not by choice-I'm drooling over all the WAHM fitteds and AIO's that I see. They're just out of my reach, price-wise. I do like prefolds and flats (just run a search for flats, you'll find me in every post :LOL I was on quite a flats kick for a while.) There's just something about the simplicity, especially when coverless, that makes me go "awwwww...."

Plus I feel like such an uber-cloth mama when I've correctly folded and pinned on a flat, like there's a connection there between me and generations of women pinning dipes on their babes.

I think my favorite cover is a toss-up between the proraps and me airflows. The airflow was definately my fave with DD, but I didn't have any proraps. Now, with DS, my fave is proraps, but I don't have the airflows anymore

 

[GeorgiaGalHeidi]

I started out with just proraps, bummis, kushies covers and prefolds. I hated teh infant prefold-never really fit with a snappi, and too many leaks with the tri-fold. Ihad a bigger baby by week 2, however. I loved my prefolds when I sized up to premium and used a snapi. Loved them even more when I discovered pins! Dritz rock! I used plastic at first then moved to the classic. Prefolds-I like UBCPF best-trim and soft. Unbleached IPFS are nice, but my baby is tall, so the shortness gets on my nerves, and, now, I like trimness over fluffiness!

Flats-LOVE THEM! I really wish that i had used these earlier. I cannot wait to use these on a newborn! The origami fold will be great for us cause it will give more width-that is the problem I had with the infant CPFS-not wide enough for pins or snappis! Also, you can fold them like a prefold, and make the width as narrow or as wide as you need! I am using 27" indians and 30" doodlebottom flannel flats. They are my faves! I fold them like a prefold per advice on thediaperhyena.com, but to accomodate a longer rise, I do not fold over first, and I do no overlap when I fold to get a wider width.

When I used PUL, my fave was prorap velcro. The snaps did not hold as well-the sides not snapped would sag. Bummis are great, but not as strong. I hated the kushies. TO big and got ugly fast.

 

[Izzybee]

I know you're not asking about these, but Kushies are pretty inexpensive too, and they worked very well for us, as far as reliability.

 

[Juliacat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Izzybee I know you're not asking about these, but Kushies are pretty inexpensive too, and they worked very well for us, as far as reliability.

Cool, it's good to hear something good about them.

 

[bwylde]

I consider myself a pretty frugal mama and daily think I wish I'd only of bothered getting prefolds and nylon covers. That's what we use mostly anyway and I ended up with a bunch of things I don't like and/or never get used but aren't really of much value.

I do like Kushies, but DD outgrew the 10-22lbs size at about 1.5 months and the other ones we have are very old (probably the first ones made; we've always had to use covers with all of them as they were never leak proof).

 

[memory maker]

I started off with fitteds and have switched to all prefolds and ME airflows and bummis. I would definately say that the ME airflows are the best cover (both price and durability) I have size mediums and they still have room to grow on my 18 month old dd. Prefolds are the way to go