I'd like to sort out the process I've gone through in order to pick the diapers I think will work best for my family and me. Of course, this may change once I actually *have* the baby, but the theory interests me and I thought it might interest some of you, too.
First of all, I am 100% committed to cloth and have been since I was a little kid. I don't like disposables and I think many of the "easy-use" cloth diapers are overkill for me.
Secondly, I deep-down think it's better to have diapers that don't come with fasteners or elastic. They'll hold up better, be easier to care for and be more useful in the long run.
That leaves flats, prefolds and contours.
Contours are out because I have heard more negative reviews than positive, both from sellers and from mamas I've polled.
That leaves flats and prefolds, and really I love flats most of all because they are the ultimate in simplicity. But prefolds are nice and soft and fluffy and MUCH more popular and my dh likes them better. So--both.
I think I prefer the idea of fastening to laying the diapers in wraps, because fastening holds things together better and lets you use any kind of cover. I'm not scared of pins, Snappis are fun, and I dislike Velcro (though I do think the BSWWs are adorable).
I like the idea of PUL during the day and wool at night. Trim and waterproof on the one hand, natural and breathable on the other. I can find moderately priced covers with good reviews in both categories.
The diaper bag/babysitter diaper was harder since pocket diapers creep me out on the synthetics-against-skin level and AIOs creep me out on the sanitation level. Plus, I don't like Velcro, but babysitters generally do. My current decision is to compromise on the Velcro and get quick-dry AIOs for the sanitation creepiness.
I'm lucky enough that my husband, mother and mother-in-law are all in complete agreement with me that cloth rules, my husband because he's just as much of a tightwad environmentalist as I am and our mothers because they used it on us with no major problems.
Anyway, that's how I sorted through the 4,235,268,438,097 cloth diapering options on the Internet and drew my own conclusions. I know everyone has different needs, but I always like logical, step-by-step thinking through a complex problem. Plus, it's nice to have it all laid out for the times when I doubt my decisions.
What is important to you when it comes to choosing the type of cloth that works best for your family?
First of all, I am 100% committed to cloth and have been since I was a little kid. I don't like disposables and I think many of the "easy-use" cloth diapers are overkill for me.
Secondly, I deep-down think it's better to have diapers that don't come with fasteners or elastic. They'll hold up better, be easier to care for and be more useful in the long run.
That leaves flats, prefolds and contours.
Contours are out because I have heard more negative reviews than positive, both from sellers and from mamas I've polled.
That leaves flats and prefolds, and really I love flats most of all because they are the ultimate in simplicity. But prefolds are nice and soft and fluffy and MUCH more popular and my dh likes them better. So--both.
I think I prefer the idea of fastening to laying the diapers in wraps, because fastening holds things together better and lets you use any kind of cover. I'm not scared of pins, Snappis are fun, and I dislike Velcro (though I do think the BSWWs are adorable).
I like the idea of PUL during the day and wool at night. Trim and waterproof on the one hand, natural and breathable on the other. I can find moderately priced covers with good reviews in both categories.
The diaper bag/babysitter diaper was harder since pocket diapers creep me out on the synthetics-against-skin level and AIOs creep me out on the sanitation level. Plus, I don't like Velcro, but babysitters generally do. My current decision is to compromise on the Velcro and get quick-dry AIOs for the sanitation creepiness.
I'm lucky enough that my husband, mother and mother-in-law are all in complete agreement with me that cloth rules, my husband because he's just as much of a tightwad environmentalist as I am and our mothers because they used it on us with no major problems.
Anyway, that's how I sorted through the 4,235,268,438,097 cloth diapering options on the Internet and drew my own conclusions. I know everyone has different needs, but I always like logical, step-by-step thinking through a complex problem. Plus, it's nice to have it all laid out for the times when I doubt my decisions.
What is important to you when it comes to choosing the type of cloth that works best for your family?
