[russianthistle]

I know we already had a cloth diaper thread, but I'm more into this now, than I was when all the discussion was occurring....and now, the thread is so long, that I thought I'd do a CD update with you all.

What are you doing to get your cloth in order? What kinds are you really using, now that our births are more emminent?

I am using a combo of prefolds, unbleached chinese 8 ply, and kissaluvs mostly with snappis, wool covers, a couple of bummis, and longies. I also have a slew of fuzzibunz in small for those days out on the town. I have a box of disposable for the first few weeks when meconium is an issue (and when washing can be an issue!) and when the baby is too small for the cloth. I have some NB size, but even ds, who was 9 lbs. at birth, was too small for cloth for the first 10 days or so.

I just got some diapers back from a friend...they're already lanolinized and set!

I just went through my sweater stash and found some sweaters that I can part with for covers and longies! I have seamstress friends who will be bonding together to create my desired wool stuff. I just need to felt these sweaters into oblivion! and lanolinize the crap out of them!!!

 

[j_p_i]

I know I should research this a bit more, but I need help in this department! We plan on cloth diapering, and have a diaper service that delivers them weekly (we both work and my DH is in school, so this just made the most sense for us). In addition to the diaper service, I know I need some diaper covers - but have no idea how many to get or what kinds. And what else? I'm going to be getting all this stuff ready over the next couple weeks, but I feel lost with all the options.

 

[blueRhino]

I am glad there is a new thread here for this. I, too was not ready to think about diapers in my first trimester and found the old thread overwhelming by the time I was ready for it.

Can I make a request for this thread for the newbies and try to keep abbreviations down a little? I had that problem on the last thread that I had no idea what anyone was talking about mostly...

I am planning a diaper service with our own covers. (We are laundry mat people so it makes sense.) The service offers very small prefolds, infant, and toddler. The service is new about to open, and actually decided on the tiny prefold based on a a question I asked when my midwife was concerned that my baby was not growing very quickly. (I think their infant prefold is 7-15 lbs). Now a sonogram shows the baby is not so small and I'm not sure what size diaper to start with.

Also, covers... How many would you say? I was going to try 2 thirsties, 2 bummis super whisper, 2 bummis super brite, and a wool. Maybe one more of one of those, I have no idea. Are there any amazing covers I need to try?

 

[mamasurprised]

I have about 48 GMD orange edge prefolds with about 8 various covers and some snappis. 2 G-diaper covers with a handful of flushable liners but plan on using prefold liners. Also two Motherease one size with cover to try out before I bought a huge stash. I like the prefolds and covers for the fast growing stages. I'll probably buy some fitteds or pockets when my babe isn't growing out of everything in a week.

I also have a stash of about 600 sposies given as gifts at Christmas and baby shower. I can see us using them from time to time. I think they have a purpose, just not all day every day.

I really want a wool cover or two, also. And I need to buy or make some detergent. I've seen a great recipe for detergent around somewhere...Gonna have to search for it again. Easy and cheap and great for dipes!! Also need to get a drying line hung up outside!

I'm very excited.

 

[mamasurprised]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueRhino Also, covers... How many would you say? I was going to try 2 thirsties, 2 bummis super whisper, 2 bummis super brite, and a wool. Maybe one more of one of those, I have no idea. Are there any amazing covers I need to try?

In my research I have found that most seem to agree that 6-8 covers is a good start for a newborn.

 

[~Katie~]

I have the majority of my newborn stash sewn up. I've done a bunch of fitted's and some All-in-two's and I've supplemented with some things that I purchased off diaper swappers. I still need to finish up a few more and get some covers done and start my small stash.

6-8 covers is usually sufficient in each size that you plan on using. Even bigger newborns will fit better in the 7-15lb. prefolds for a period of time before moving up to the next size.

Mamasurprised, are you talking about Diva Detergent? Here's the recipe:

1 55 oz. box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Mule Team Borax
2 Cups Oxygen Cleaner-She recommends Sun ($5 @ Dollar General)
1/2 cup Simple Green
1/2 cup Calgon Water Softening Powder

Empty all into a bucket and mix together with your hands. Use 1 heaping scoop (1/8 cup) for diapers, 2 scoops for regular laundry. After we've used this for a while some have had to increase to 2 scoops for diapers, 3-4 for regular laundry....you will probably have to experiment a bit to see what works best with your water. I've heard of using bac-out instead of Simple Green also and some people prefer to disolve it in water before adding it to the wash.

 

[JamieCatheryn]

I bought mine when I was about 3 months along, DS needed some new premium sized prefolds anyway so I got the size small stuff too to save on shipping. DS potty trained about 2 or 3 months ago so we got done with that round of it (he was so easy, just made the transition on his own with little prompting). We washed the infant prefolds to fluff them up when we first got them, yesterday I put together the old bassinet to use to store them in and unpacked them into it. We found something called Litewraps this time, they look a little bulky but have all the features I liked about proraps last time. The first 2 weeks until baby fits in a small we'll use 7th generation disposables, I liked those when we were on vacation with DS they're cushy and catch leaks and don't stink like others do.

Yesterday when we got those diapers out DS had a great time diapering a stuffed bear and bunny and wearing them in the ring sling. He kept blowing raspberries and saying the bunny was poopy every 2 minutes...about right for the newborn weeks IIRC.

 

[Kelly1101]

Woohoo!

What I got:

18 Infant Prefolds (bleached chinese)
12 Baby Prefolds (bleached chinese)
3 Thirsties Fitteds - small
3 BumGenius Bamboo Fitteds- small
3 BumGenius Bamboo Fitteds- medium
1 Kissaluvs Fitted- small

Covers:
6 Thirsties- x-small
3 Thirsties- small
1 Bummies Super Brite- small
2 Bummies Super Whisper Wrap- small
2 Bummies Super Whisper Wrap- medium

I bought mostly from softclothbunz.com and nickisdiapers.com

Since I'm first-time cloth diaper (first-time at having a baby at all, haha), I tried to go simple and functional, but not too expensive (the cost difference between cloth and disposable was a BIG factor for me). I may supplement all of this later on, once I figure out which diapers/covers I like best. I may have to buy more, period, but at least for the first six months or so, I'll be washing every day.

I do have some packs of disposables from the baby shower, may switch to those when travelling.

 

[JD5351]

I bought 10 BG 3.0 to try out. If I like them, I can get more..If I hate them, I can try something else.

If anything they are adorable...lol

 

[SunCB]

I washed my newborn and infant prefolds since my boys grew so quickly. I never touch any of my small covers yet since DS2 was a CS and I could barely handle laundry already since lifting was hard.

I am waiting to dye some CDs until LO arrives. I have been thinking about maybe getting another wool or 2 cover in a Med. or Large bc I think I have enough covers for small size.

 

[Smithie]

Erin: I swear I have used every cover, and my favorite is Bumkins for their near-zero drying time and the fact that you can get them nice and fresh washing by hand if need be. But it really depends on the shape of your baby, which cover you will wind up loving.

I have about 10-11 small Very baby AIOs, which are absolutely teensy and should fit right from birth. Some friends who are done having babies gave me various teensy fitteds and cover to bring my total number of dipes up to 20.

After these are outgrown, I plan to splurge on BumGenius 3.0 AIOs in size Medium. I really don't enjoy one-size or pocket dipes.

 

[Misbehavedmeg]

I don't even remember what we have now! haha I cloth diaper my 31 month old. We have a lot of goodmamas, wool covers in all sizes/shorties/longies, little lions infant prefolds, a bunch of thirsties x-sm and sm newborn covers, 10 bum genius 3.0s, etc.

 

[lotus.blossom]

We're going the fitteds & prefolds/cover route.

diapers:
6 flannel/hemp WAHM fitteds
6 preemie prefolds
4 dozen infant prefolds

covers:
4 nb proraps
1 nb diaperaps
2 unknown nb pul covers
1 nb Imse Vimse Bumpy
1 nb loveybums fleece
3 small proraps
(planning to get 2 each of Thirsties and Bummis Super Brite in smalls)

I don't get caught up in the luxury side of cloth diapering. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but I'm sure as heck not spending $25+ on one diaper that my kid is just going to poo in. There is a whole lot of mamas out there who don't do cd'ing for the financial savings!!

 

[CookAMH]

I think I am all equipped at this point, except for the delivery from the diaper servie of my newborn dapers

. They're coming April 19. I have the covers I need (6-7 in xs and sm) and the infant size prefolds, all washed and ready for when baby is bigger. My friend is giving me her snappis and i have pins. I will probably just use 7th Gen wipes for now.

The covers I have are thirsties and bummis snap.

I have 3 hemp doublers for size small. I would like to get Imse vimse wool covers for

 

[lotus.blossom]

Oh I forgot to talk about detergent. Last time I used Allens naturally. It lasted a long time.......but I didn't really care for it. Felt like I was always having to strip my diapers for stink issues. And my son had frequent rashes. I have been reading on another diaper site about how "fabulous" regular tide is for diapers. I was very VERY skeptical but as I read pages and pages and pages of testimonials I started to get used to the idea. So thats what I'm going to try. I like the idea of using just one detergent for all my laundry. And I am a sucker for good smelling detergent. Any thoughts/critiques on this?

 

[iana703]

I am done with diapers thanks to my shower! I think I have a mix of everything for newborn sizes and mostly pockets for smalls. I hope that my babies bottom never has to see a sposie, but someone bought a pack of newborns at my shower so I have them just in case. Heres what I have:

Newborn
24 orange edge newborn prefolds
5 newborn mutt fitteds
6 Kissaluvs 0's
3 Tiny Heinys pockets
1 wahm pocket
1 Bumpkins all in one
2 luxe wool soakers (1 nb 1 xs)
1 xs wcw wool soaker
1 me made wool soaker
3 newborn prowraps
2 imse vimse preemie covers
1 thirsties newborn cover
1 me made wool sleep sack

Smalls
12 infant prefolds
18 Happy Heinys/Swaddlebees Pockets
2 Bum Genius 3.0 pockets
3 baby beehinds fitteds
2 little beetles fitteds
1 3sr mutt fitted
1 goodmama fitted
1 little beetles wool cover
1 me made wool soaker

1 wool travel wet bag
1 regular travel wet bag
2 pail liners
2 snappis, tons of pins

and my medium stash from DD mostly happy heinys. I never got to larges with her, hoping the same for this lo.

 

[mamayarn]

Ooooh subbing....

I'm getting some stuff from a friend (lots of NB and small covers, 5 fitteds, maybe 5 pockets?) in addition to what's in my stash from DS1 (almost 2yo). I have a dozen Green Mountain Diaper orange-edged infant prefolds, probably 6 random fitteds, 7 or so small pockets and a small AIO. I just ordered an extra pail liner (to make 3 total) and a bunch of hemp/cotton blend doublers to boost absorbency. Oh, and some new Snappis. We've gone through a couple breaking (can live through breaking the thin rubber piece on the end, but not the whole claw!) and a couple went through the dryer. Oops.

I probably have 50 or 60 cloth wipes. I make and sell them so obviously I am biased, but I was very skeptical in the beginning and I LOVE them. Seriously, a poopy diaper without one is torture. I highly recommend them, and personally prefer the size that fits right in a wipes container or warmer rather than needing to be folded. Okay, off the soapbox.

We like Tushies disposables on DS1 for the rare instance we don't want to use cloth. I don't know how they'll work on a little one, but I am not really planning on using them that frequently. We'll see how real life intervenes with this little plan. I also sign up for free samples from the big brands....just because.

About detergent - I will be keeping an eye out here for suggestions! Before DS1 was born (and again, he is almost 2 years old) we bought the giant tub of "Laundry Detergent" from the bulk club for about $13. It was recommended on the Pinstripes and Polkadots detergent webpage. Since then that brand (ha, or lack thereof) has been discontinued and the replacement is not as good for diapers. We still have at least a third of the container of detergent left

, but we'll run out some day and I want to be at least vaguely prepared! As for other stuff going on in the wash routine - sometimes I throw in a little scoop of oxiclean. Sometimes I put a little scoop of baking soda in the fresh pail liner to help contain smells, and sometimes I put white vinegar in a downy ball to release during the rinse cycle. There's not much rhyme or reason to when I do what.

And for stains, the absolute best way to get them out is to put the damp or wet diapers to dry in the sun. You will not believe it until you see it for yourself!

 

[mamarootoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotus.blossom Oh I forgot to talk about detergent. Last time I used Allens naturally. It lasted a long time.......but I didn't really care for it. Felt like I was always having to strip my diapers for stink issues. And my son had frequent rashes. I have been reading on another diaper site about how "fabulous" regular tide is for diapers. I was very VERY skeptical but as I read pages and pages and pages of testimonials I started to get used to the idea. So thats what I'm going to try. I like the idea of using just one detergent for all my laundry. And I am a sucker for good smelling detergent. Any thoughts/critiques on this?

i love love LOVE Charlie's Soap! we didn't start using it until DD was over a year old, but now it is ALL i use! it seriously cleans everything. it is the only thing i can use on diapers when we're at my mom's house... she has a high efficiency washing machine, and we have to wash each load 3 times (once with soap, twice with nothing but vinegar) to avoid rashes-- unless we use charlies soap! then it's just once w/ an extra rinse!

it even got male cat pee out of a blanket!

anyway.

i'm all stocked up on stuff from DD1. we have 36 infant size unbleached, diaper service quality prefolds, and 24 regular size. we have 12 thirsties xs, 7 small. we also have bummies super whisper wraps, and imsee vimsee's in the NB and small sizes, but those didn'f fit DD1 until she was 8 months old! lol
we have 3-4 thirsties all in one's in each size.
we have tons of cloth wipes, liek 5 wetbags of different sizes (i keep them all over the house so i don't have to run around to change dipes!)

 

[j_p_i]

Okay this thread got me motivated, and I went out today and bought a few different brands of diaper covers to try out, as well as some other basic supplies.

I figure I'll wait until after my baby shower to get the rest of what I'll need.

 

[lotus.blossom]

Ooh, Erin, what did you get and where did you go?