Disposible to Cloth Diapers

Updated on August 20, 2008
K.C. asks from Woodland, CA
39 answers

My son in 4 months old and I am wanting to switch from disposible to cloth diapers. For a few reasons, budget is getting tight, healthier on the environment, and I am at home. How do I do it? I was researching and their is just to many cloth diapers to choose from. My baby is 18 pounds and has chubby legs, what would be good for me to use, and not cost a lot of money. I am spending $40.00 in disposable diapers a month right now. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thank you for your time.

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J.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Have you called one of the diaper companies? There is Tidee Didee as well as Diaper Duty. Tidee Didee's number is 800-892-8080 and diaper duty is ###-###-####. They may be able to give you helpful advice, plus, I am told their charges are less than the cost of disposable diapers.

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M.C.

answers from San Francisco on

I used a diaper service with each of my children and plan to use one again with my expected child. I was in Northern California for my boys and used Tiny Tots Diaper Service. They have various sizes, and even do a training pants for potty training days which saved me a LOT on washing all those padded undies!!!

It's worth a call 800.794.5437 or go to http://www.tinytots.com

Mom of 4: girl, boy, boy, and baby on the way (due 10/1/08)

p.s. They also have great online advice/tips, a baby boutique and a community forum.

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S.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Hello K.,

I started out with cloth diapers with my son for the same reasons you give. However, once I started I only lasted a couple of weeks. The smell alone was always roaming the house and the laundry was tremendous. But, the reason I changed to disposable was becuase my son and his clothes always seemed to be wet. I tried rubber pants and I tried the diaper wraps and his clothes would still get wet. This I did not like at all.

With that being said I understand that the cholrine free diapers are the way to go, espcially if you have a boy since chlorine is known to affect thier reproductive systems.

I hope this helps

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K.M.

answers from Chico on

Hi K.,
Cloth diapers are so soft and comfy for baby and certainly easier on the budget in the long run, it's a big expense at once but then that's it. There are so many options in cloth diapering and all have their pros and cons, it can be overwhelming when first looking into it.

Since cost is an issue I thought I'd limit my information to prefolds with covers since they are the least expensive option. Pins aren't necessary (velcro or snap covers hold the diaper in place or you can use a snappi clip). I suggest buying "diaper service quality cotton prefolds" (the cloth diapers you can buy in places like WalMart and Toys R Us are too flimsy and thin). You'll need 2-3 dozen DSQ CPF's and 5-6 covers, depending on how often you'll wash. DSQ's run about $24 a dozen and covers run anywhere from about $7.50 - over $20 depending on what you're looking for (Bummis Super Whisper Wrap is one of my favorite diaper covers). Check out local second hand baby shops for even more savings. You may also want to consider purchasing flushable diaper liners so that poop can be lifted out of the diaper and flushed directly down the toilet which will save you from dunking diapers (though this isn't necessary until baby starts solid food, breastfed baby poop washes completely out in the washing machine).

Covers can be rotated when only wet and placed in the laundry when soiled. You'll want to wash every 2-3 days. Avoid using bleach as it reduces the life of your diapers and isn't necessary, the sun will remove poop stains if you hang stained diapers out to dry (another way using cloth diapers can save you money) diapers can be dried in the dryer for 10 min to keep them from getting stiff and rough from being completely sun dried.

Other styles of diapers are wonderful too and even easier to use but these are a good and cost effective option.

www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com and www.diaperjungle.com have great information on laundering diapers and detergent types. www.diaperpin.com has laundering tips and reviews for different diapers. www.1cascade.com carries "litewrap" a decent and reasonably priced diaper cover and they also carry diapers. The March/April issue of "Mothering" magazine has two great articles on clothdiapering, back issues can be purchased at www.mothering.com if you're interested.

I hope to have given clear and helpful information and reduce some of the overwhelmingness. Best of luck in your cloth diapering adventures. A word of caution: diaper covers come in a variety of fun and colorful prints and designs, it can be addicting. - K.

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M.K.

answers from Chico on

TideeDidee was a great service for me when I lived in Windsor, but I think they are based in Sacramento (and would therefore go to Woodland), however, they were about the same cost as if I had used disposables! Goore's in Sacramento (I think they are near Marconi Ave. if not on it) has a good selection of covers and supplies.

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A.K.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi K.!

I totally commend you for wanting to try cloth diapers! My son is three months old today, and I started using cloth diapers with him when he was two weeks old (for, it sounds like, many of the same reasons as you). I approached the whole experience as an "experiment," and I'm happy to report that I was VERY satisfied with the results. Before I began using cloth diapers, my biggest concern was how to go about laundering them, and it turned out that that couldn't have been easier!!! Cloth diapers are very absorbent, especially when combined with a waterproof diaper cover, and it just feels so nice to wrap my son's delicate skin in soft cotton instead of synthetic materials. I purchased my supplies online from Nicki's Diapers, and I would highly recommend checking out their website. Another good web resource is Green Mountain Diapers. There is an overwhelming array of diapering supplies available, and it's quite a job to figure out what would work best for you. I followed the formula that my husband's cousin found most successful, and if it weren't for her suggestions I would have been completely lost. She recommended using Chinese prefolds and waterproof diaper covers from LiteWrap. I would recommend purchasing a Snappi clip (instead of pins) to fasten the prefolds. Unfortunately, my husband never got on board with cloth diapers (basically without ever attempting to use a single one he decided they were too much work and refused to have any part of them), and continuing to use then in the face of his overwhelming negativity and lack of support has been difficult. Because I'm headed back to work in a couple weeks and neither his daycare facility nor my husband share my enthusiasm for cloth diapers, my son will be back in disposables until next summer. Oh! One more thing--cloth diapers are much more bulky than disposables, so this may have some effect how your son's clothes fit (or perhaps I should say, don't). Hope this helps, and best of luck!!!
A. K.

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J.S.

answers from San Francisco on

If you want to look up used diapers on Ebay, search "DSQ cloth diapers" (short for diaper service quality). I got a lot of my cloth diapering supplies used--they last forever!

I also made some on my sewing machine, using the Honeyboy pattern found on the Internet. There's even a Yahoo group discussing the pattern and diaper sewing if you go that route.

Good luck on your excellent choice--you'll be glad you did cloth when your child is fully potty trained around his second birthday!!

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G.L.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi K.,
Way to go on the cloth diapers! You will save so much money not to mention not filling up a landfill with non biodegradable junk.
I use Fuzzi Bunz. I started with a diaper service but around 6 mos. my daughter became so squirmy during diaper changes there was no way I could get the fold and clip done on her. The Fuzzi Bunz snap on but unlike the Bum Genius that are velcro, she cannot take them off! The fleece surface of the Fuzzi Bunz lets poop roll off especially after they start solids. (There are flushable liners you can put in to any cloth diaper to catch poop too, I haven't used them yet.)
If you go with Fuzzi Bunz the size medium should be all you ever need. They are adjustable so they will fit 10 lbs. until potty training. My daughter is 22 lbs. and still one the tightest snaps.
One other tip: whatever diaper you get you might want to buy some Biokleen Bac-Out to spray on poopy diapers. It is a natural enzyme cleanser that dissolves any stains, works like a miracle!
Good luck.

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E.L.

answers from San Francisco on

We switched to cloth diapers when my twin boys were 8mths old. I wish we would have done it sooner! The main factor for me was environmental, and I'm still sad thinking of the humongous heavy bags of soiled dipaers we were dropping in trash every other day. They will stay in the ground for a few hundred years!!! As far as costs, it is also an investment (it cost us about $500, I bought about 24 diapers for 2 daysX2 babies) but it pays off if you used it for a couple of years, until baby is potty ready. There are a LOT of cloth diapers out there, but I decided to use All-In-One (AIO) which include everything. Their outer coverage is water proof, internal is made from fleece like material which takes the water in, but makes if feel drier to baby skin. The ones that I had chosen are BumGenius by Cotton Babies. You can check them out here:
http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php?cPath=28

The winning factor in chosing them was better ratings on Amazon.com and that they "grow with the baby", i.e. they are adjustable in size. They come with inserts. First you use the small inserts for the small baby, and later a bigger one.
I've been using them for almost 5 months now, and there are good quality, but you have to wash them with the simple, biodegradable detergent (they tell you which ones are OK), otherwise they start to have a build up and may leak a bit. I'd say they are acceptable. I just checked Cotton Babies site and they have a new one with Organic material next to baby skin.

Also, I disagree with the post stating it is better for the env. to use disposables. According to the research I read in one of the parent's magazines, the main elements in our landfills are disposable diapers, and they will stay their for hundreds of years! Also, the water used is still less cost effective and less taxing on the env. then the trash with poop in the landfill.

You'll need to soak them, otherwise they smell. But it not a big deal really. I just have one big bucket with cold water and drop used diapers in there. When it is full, i drop it to the laundry. When diapers are soaked like this they lose the smell and become clean with one laundry.
Also, Oxy-Clean a bleaching agent based on oxygen, and not containing any chlorine is taking away any stains quite well!
Hope this helps and good luck!

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T.S.

answers from Sacramento on

TidyDidy is the diaper service in Sacramento. Look them up and give them a call (I think the service is totaly worth it). Even if you don't use the service you can still buy covers from them and then jsut buy the "prefold" diapers at target or walmart if you want to wash them yourself.

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A.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi K.,

I am in the same place as you. I have a two month old and I am looking into cloth diapers for the first time. I also have a 21 month old so I have two in diapers.

I found some really nice used diapers and covers at a baby store in Santa Cruz. I am going to try them starting tomorrow.

I will try and remember to let you know how it goes. We are starting small with only about 5 diapers. I looked into a diaper service but it just seemed like another bill. Even if it is cheaper.

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N.G.

answers from Sacramento on

It may take you awhile to find the cloth diapering system that works best for you and your baby, but it's definitely worth it. The only time my son has ever been in a disposable diaper is when we brought him home from the hospital. It's really not that much work once you get a system worked out (unless you're unnecessarily soaking them in bleach water and using diapers from wal-mart that don't work- yikes).

We use prefolds (I like the Indian better because they're softer) held by snappis with a pull over cover. We've found that the pull over covers are actually easier to get on and less likely to leak (and they're only $2.50 a piece). At night we put him in a bum genius with a hemp insert put on top. That lasts him through the whole night with no leaks. We have a sprayer attached to the toilet to get the poop off of the diapers now that he's eating solids. A waterproof, washable bag to store the used diapers makes laundering easy as you can just throw everything in the wash together. On trips we have a smaller version of the bag that we use to collect the used ones. Speaking of which, it's a good idea just to invest in some cloth wipes. That way you don't have to have a separate disposal system for the wipes. Everything can just go into the wash together.

Diaperpin.com is a great resource for reviews and Cottonbabies.com also has great info and all of the products that you'll need. They are also very helpful if you have any questions.

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M.H.

answers from Sacramento on

I've been really happy with a combination of fitted diaper (by Imse Vimse but I don't think anyone's selling it any more - it's the grow-with-you kind) combined with a prefold at night. I use the Imse Vimse covers, too. I tried a BumGenius diaper but I found it way too expensive and not much, if any, better than what I had been using.

For what it's worth, get organic cotton if you can. The bleaching process, along with many dyes, are h*** o* the water supply. And while you can use the Bac-Out if you're super concerned about stains, I've been satisfied with a combination of hydrogen peroxide applied to poopie stains and a half cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. My cloth diapers have lasted nearly two years and my son, who will be two next week, is nearly potty trained.

With the $40/month that you're currently spending, you can also try a couple of different styles or brands of diaper and then get more of the one that you like. That's how I figured out that I wasn't impressed with the BumGenius.

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B.R.

answers from Merced on

I made the switch also. Check out diaperswappers.com or diaperpin.com. They are online trading and selling spots of new or used diapers. I have tried pinning, All in ones, fitteds and pockets. I thought I would like the fitteds the best, but the pockets are the easiest. Pockets are the cover and diaper in one with a pocket to put inserts to soak up the mess. I have a few microfiber inserts but I mainly use the old fashion folded cloth diapers for inserts. My son is eatting more solids and his poop has changed. It has become hard to get the stains out. A friend turned me onto paper liners. It makes cleaning so much easier. She also bought a shower head that conects to her toliet to spray the poo away. She said she wished she had it sooner. I still use disposables for traveling and bedtime. But I still see a difference in the pocket book.

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J.H.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi K.,
Thanks for considering using cloth diapers instead of disposable. When my kids were little (that was over 10 years ago!), we used a cloth diaper service. They would pick up the soiled ones and left fresh ones. They would also upgrade the size as needed. I really liked using the service. When we went out of the house, we did use the disposable. And since I was home with the kids it wasn't that many. So I'm not sure how all that would compare price wise since it is probably cheaper to buy your own but there will be more washing. Good luck with that!
J.

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L.F.

answers from San Francisco on

I am using Fuzzi bunz. They are not cheap, but in the long run they are cheaper than disposables. They are soft on baby's bottom and they have several snaps enabling you to adjust to your growing baby. If you buy the pail liner, then you just throw the liner and the diapers in the wash all together.
I also tried the G diapers. they are good for the environment because the insert just dissolves in the toilet. We couldn't get them to not leak, but it could have been the shape of our baby. He is very long. Hope this helps.

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E.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi K.,

I used cloth (prefolds) with my son till he was 18 months, and am now using cloth with my daughter. The diaper service is the hands-down most convenient way to cloth diaper (in the Bay Area it's Tiny Tots), but it's not the cheapest. If you choose to buy prefolds and wash them yourself (definitely the cheapest way to go), I recommend buying them from Tiny Tots because they are used and therefore already soft, and will not require any pre-washings. I am planning to switch to all-in-ones when my daughter is about six months old, so thanks everyone for all the advice on that. I found that prefolds became inconvenient after a while, when my baby became chubby and wiggly, so I'm hoping all-in-ones will be the way to go. By the way, you can buy them used at Chloe's Closet (in SF) or on Craigslist.

-E.

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K.V.

answers from San Francisco on

Everything Kimmie said is spot on. I switched to cloth when my daughter was a month old, after using disposables on my son. Even with me working full time, it was a million times easier to cloth diaper, and my babysitter was on board with me (it saved her as well). I went a bit overboard in my cloth diaper purchasing and spent around $400 total on covers and prefolds. I would mainly use prefolds inside a cover and for nighttime would add a soaker pad in the prefold. However, that initial $400 purchase bought diapers that fit my daughter from 2 months old until she potty trained. What I loved about the cloth diapering was how adjustable the covers were and how I could use one from newborn stage up until she was potty trained. Plus, I never worried about running out of diapers. If I ran low, I just did a load of laundry. I had enough diapers to last about a week without having to do any laundry.

I only wish I had discovered it when my son was a baby and cloth diapered him as well.

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K.P.

answers from San Francisco on

The initial investment in cloth can be a bit much but once you buy the supplies your set and only need to get new diaper covers when the kid out grows them. http://www.babyworks.com sells some good stuff but you might want to check Craigslist see if anyone is selling off their supplies it might be cheaper

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J.D.

answers from Sacramento on

Hi K.,

I used cloth diapers with my daughter who is now 12 because she was slightly allergic to disposable and I was also home. Here's how I did it. I fixed a very diluted bleach bucket every morning and with every change I would rinse out the diaper (and then disinfect the sink) and toss the diaper into the bucket and at the end of the day I would wash the cloth diapers in hot water only since they had been soaking in a very diluted bleach solution. To me that was the only way to make sure they were clean. I would use disposables only when we were going to be gone for a a few hours at a time. If I didn't have bleach I would let it soak in diluted detergent until the end of the day. I just used the plain cloth diapers from Baby's R Us. There are still diaper services. My daughter had chubby legs as well and I never had problems until she got older around 10 months and then I changed back to disposable and she handled it much better. Hope this helps.

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J.K.

answers from Sacramento on

My son is due in a fer days ... I got most of my info from diaperswappers.com. I bought a few BumGenius All-In-One (AIO)and Ones size (OS) Pocket from www.cottonbabies.com and diapers.com. I got some free prefolds (pf's)from Freecycle in my area ... there is one in Woodland http://groups.yahoo.com/group/woodlandcafreecycle/.

Target just started selling the Ones size (OS) Pocket from BumGenius I would call them at 1.800.440.0680 to see if there are any in your area reuseable diapers: 030 00 2126.

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J.A.

answers from San Francisco on

Starting out cloth diapering the best/easiest kind to use are either All-in-one diapers or Pocket Diapers. (I recommend bumgenius [www.bumgenius.com] pocket diapers). Having the following is also quite helpful:
-flushable diaper liners (so that all solid matter can be flushed down the toilet with minimal fuss
-washable waterproof bag (soiled diapers can be kept in here and then the bag can be dumped into the wash along with everything else).
-baking soda or activate charcoal to keep the smell at bay

The diaper service idea is great - btu won't really help your budget.

Finding what will work for you is trial and error just like everything else - good luck!

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V.R.

answers from Sacramento on

Wow, that's great you got so many responses already! I'll keep mine short & sweet.

Yes, there are tons of options. But if you want it to stay simple, sane & CHEAP, stick with prefolds (pf's). That way, if you have extra $$ & you want to try a different diaper now & then, you can without sinking tons of cash into a set of diapers that do not work for you.

I started my boy at 6 mths & he was super skinny. But regardless they pee a lot more (as you know) at this stage - another reason to stick with pf's. You can use pf's for many other thing besides diapers later on!

My best find for PF's in terms of quality & cost was Green Mountain Diaper's Cloth-Eeze prefolds. Thick, absorbant & the fit was much better than a traditional PF - especially for larger babies! http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/diapers.htm It's a lot of scrolling, but I've tried several other brands - buy a few of these, give them a good wash 5 or 6 times & try 'em out (with covers, of course). Bummis are good to start with. Snappis are the best (no pins!) - get a 2-pack first, that's usually all I need until they wear out.

HAVE FUN! If you get started & have questions about washing, fit, etc., feel free to email me. My son just turned 2 & he's still in cd's. :)

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M.P.

answers from Sacramento on

First of all congratulations on wanting to switch. If you want to diaper on the cheap good quality chinese prefolds and covers are the way to go. Then you can use the money you save each month so get some good fitteds or pockets to supplement and see what you like best. Where are you located? Also if you sew at all diapers are addicting to make. I love my home made diapers the best because I can customize fit.

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A.M.

answers from Portland on

Hi K., I am doing the same thing! I just posted something similar. I was using Gdiapers.... but want to save on cash and still continue to help the environment. Well I meet this mother who uses the Gdiapers as the covers and then using prefolds (which are so cheap) as the insert instead! I have been doing that the past week and it is fantastic!!! I just bought a few more diaper covers and think I am going to buy organic prefolds for my sweet babies tush... not to mention all the ones I used for burp clothes in the beginning stages!! Good luck!

Oh and I just read some of the responses.... I read somewhere, Maybe my green babies, sage mommy book that using a diaper service is bad on the environment because they may use chemicals and what not.... just an FYI!

A.

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C.M.

answers from Salinas on

Check out diaperswappers.com ... you will find lots of great info!! we're on a budget and using prefolds. i think that's the best way to save money!!

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J.L.

answers from San Francisco on

In addition to all the great advice here, you should look through the archive on diapers on this site. I settled on Motherease; easy to use, easy to wash, and cheaper than many of the other styles. See if you can get some used ones, or buy a sample, in a few styles to try out before you make your investment--it's helpful to see which ones fit your baby and your lifestyle best.

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J.K.

answers from Redding on

i think getting a few dozen chinese prefolds ($24 per doz) plus maybe 4 or 5 wraps (i used prowraps -- very easy to get a nice fit) is a great start. i made sure to use a second liner made of really absorbent material for night time. if your budget can afford, it would be worth buying 4 fuzzi bunz to use at night. also, look into used diapers. cloth can really add up with the initial investment.

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S.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Good for you! I use cloth diapers when at home and disposables when away and at night. I was able to use cloth at night until she started filling them up more and I couldn't find a wrap to keep everything in. I went with www.tinytush.com. I first ordered a sample package and tried most of what was in it. What I didn't use, I use for nursing or burp cloths. I ended up buying the One Size Organic Trim Fit. They were a little more, but I bought 30 and they have grown with my daughter. Oh, and we got the velcro waist, you just have to make sure it doesn't rub the baby's tummy. I also got the disposable liners and the sprayer you attach to the toilet. The liners are a must! I've learned to wash the pee liners once and re-use them. The poop ones I've used to hopefully help with toilet training and having my daughter wave bye-bye to it when I flush it.
Wraps.. I ended up buying Lite Wraps, 5 in each size, and that has been enough. I made a little clothes line next to the changing table and hang them there after each changing, only using 2 at a time unless one gets poop on it.
Washing... just make sure you use super hot water and you can either line dry or dry on high, or do both to soften the cloth after it's been on the line.
Have fun researching and I'd recommend buying a sample package from whatever site you decide to try. I'm very happy we made the decision to go with cloth for all the same reasons you are considering.

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A.C.

answers from Sacramento on

Congratulations on choosing cloth, it really is great. I've used cloth diapers from the begining with my 1 year old and now I think disposables are so gross! Anyway, we use premium indian unbleached prefolds with snappis and one size organic cotton velour fitteds from swaddlebees during the day and bum genius 3.0 and happy heiney's one-size pockets at night. If you just get prefolds, that's an economical way to start and prowrap covers work great, I think they are about the cheapest. I would get the indian unbleached over the chinese, I think they are thicker and softer. I like the pockets for night time because they have a fleece layer on the inside to keep the baby dry. You can cut a liner from anti-pill fleece from Joann's and put that inside a prefold, and that works just as well. I think the fleece is on sale right now and you can get a ton of liners out of 1 yard. If you can sew, you can also make covers from the fleece for very cheap. Look up Katrina's Quick Sew fleece diaper cover for a pattern.atrinassqs.blogspot.com/ Good luck!

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C.K.

answers from Stockton on

I have heard from a few people that cloth diapers do not save any money with the first child. You actually see the savings if you use the same diapers on your second child. I have heard you don’t see a savings because of the extra water and detergent use and a lot of disposable diapers are expensive. I have heard if you have a diapers service near your home it ends up being about the same price as buying disposables.

Cloth diapers do help with disposal issues, but you will be using more water washing the diapers. I actually work in the environmental field and there is a lot of debate on whether disposables or cloth is better on the environment. I have actually read an article that stated researchers have found that disposable diapers are actually starting to break down after time. The biggest concerns I have with disposables are the chemicals used in them that touches your little one’s skin. I use chemical free disposable diapers on my baby girl and thank goodness she is almost potty training age, so now I just have to worry about all of the phthalates she is ingesting from all of the plastic products in our household.

If you really want to switch look into the flannel diapers that do not require the over pants that are sold at babiesrus.com. I think you can buy a five pack if you just want to try them out.

Good Luck. 

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C.D.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi,
I use Mother Ease cloth diapers and love them. My son is 12 months old and has been in them since 3 months, they have lots of snaps on them to change the fit as your baby gets bigger. The diaper covers, air flow covers are also great, you may need a few small ones at first then I switched to med large and am still using that size. They are easy to launder, and will last through multiple babies because without velcro they do not wear out. There is an initial cost to buy the diapers- I bought a special package with about 30-40 diapers and a few covers for about $200, but all I have spent since then is laundry detergent and a few larger covers. I am pregnant with a second baby and plan on buying 20 more diapers to cover both of my babies until potty training time. Check out their website- MotherEase.com I think or google mother ease cloth diapers, the company is family run from Canada and can answer any questions you have
Good Luck

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V.M.

answers from Sacramento on

The simplest system (and least expensive) is to buy prefolds and covers. I like wool covers, especially longies in winter time, and I also like PUL covers for wearing under clothing. Bamboo prefolds are amazingly soft and very absorbent, but regular cotton is good too. I like www.greenmountaindiapers.com for a good selection of quality diapers and covers, if you are going to buy new. Cloth diapering is great, especially now with all the adorable styles available it takes what is normally a kind of icky child care task and makes it almost a kind of hobby!

I prefer the Chinese prefolds, while they aren't quite as soft as the Indian, they are more absorbent for my heavy wetter. I also like using fitted diapers, which are shaped just like a disposable and have elastic at the legs & snaps or velcro at the waist. Fitteds, like prefolds, require a cover. Wool is the best as it breathes, stays cool in hot weather and doesn't pick up odors.
I have always put my daughter in cloth at night and we haven't had any problem with rashes.

I don't use a service, I bought enough diapers for two days and I use a "dry pail" system because I tried the wet pail and found it to be a big pain in the rear, with no better results than the dry pail method. I prefer to keep on top of the laundry and wash daily but ti's not a big deal if I have to do it every other day. Also, you should know that poo from a breastfed baby doesn't need to be rinsed because it dissolves completely during the wash cycle, so there's no fooling around with sprayers or anything like that. When the baby starts solids at 6 months, then you need to remove the stool before washing.

I learned a lot about cloth diapering and found my best deals on trying different styles at www.diaperswappers.com. When your baby outgrows the diapers, you can sell there and buy up to the next size. You can make a considerable portion of your money back so that in the end you have spent much much less on diapers!

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A.L.

answers from Sacramento on

I'm in the process of transitioning to cloth diapers, I've started using "bum genius, all in one" diapers, they are great, and they're cute too. I bought a trial pack of 6 diapers (and inserts) for around $100 and am going to buy more. Check out www.cottonbabies.com and diapers.com

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S.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Here's my suggestion:
read all you can read at diaperpin.com That website really helped me get all the info I needed when switching over.

I bought items from
nickisdiapers.com
babycottonbottoms.com
cottonbabies.com

Good luck!

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N.D.

answers from San Francisco on

Hi K., I have found that cloth diapers are kind of a trial and error system. You have to figure out what works best for you and sometimes that means that you buy a few different types and use them for a while before you know what you want to buy more of. We started with prefolds and covers on my daughter, but by the time she was growing out of the newborn size, she was moving around so much that she kept wiggling out of her diaper and soiling the cover instead. I could have gotten pins and used the old fashioned method of pinning and then covering. But then I found the Kushies Ultra all-in-one diapers at Walmart.com of all places! They had a great price like $35 for 5. They are all cotton (with plastic outer) which I prefer to the polyester ones out there. My husband also prefers them because he doesn't have to do two steps. I bought two sets and then used a combination of cloth and disposable. It worked for me, I am about to buy a couple sets of the next size up. Good luck on the cloth adventure!

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S.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Cloth diapers are the way to go!!! Not only are they a bonus for the environment, but because they are not uber absorbent when it comes to wetness against the skin, you will have a much easier time with potty training - later on.

I suggest a service. You put them in a bag, they pick up the bag and bring you fresh, clean, folded diapers for use. You can find services now that are more environmentally conscious about how they clean and sterilize so that is also a happy happy thing.

Then, a little secret.....buy disposable for overnight only. Because they are much more absorbent, you are less likely to have soiled linens in the morning and a child with a rash.

Remember that because cloth does hold the liquid and such next to the skin, you can't be lax about changing. But this is also healthier for the child anyways.

Good luck!!!

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M.G.

answers from Sacramento on

I've heard good things about bumgenius cloth diapers. This is a one size fits all and has inserts.

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J.B.

answers from San Francisco on

I use a diaper service and find that really convenient.

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