Back before Grace was born, when we were discussing using cloth diapers, Zane and I both had our doubts (Zane might have had a few more doubts :o)). I did a bunch of research and found some great information at the Passionate Homemaking blog. Lindsay Edmonds is a cute, young, Christian mom who's all about taking care of her family and living frugally and naturally. She's very thorough in her research and has tried many types of cloth diapers with her two children. The most useful cloth diapering posts on her blog are:
Cloth Diapering 101 Part 1 and Part 2
One Size Pocket Diapers Reviews
Basic Cloth Diapering Supplies
These are the reasons we were considering using cloth diapers:
1) It saves money.
2) I was planning on staying home with Grace and our apartment has a washer-dryer unit so washing the diapers wasn't going to be a huge hassle.
3) People report less diaper rash - why not have less chemicals up against our baby's cute little bootie?
4) Many people also say that babies who wear cloth diapers potty train earlier.
5) Why add disgusting diapers to landfills if it's not necessary?
Because we weren't sure how we'd feel about it once we actually had the baby and were changing diapers all day long, we ordered just a few diapers to experiment with at first. I had 3 BumGenius diapers and 2 Happy Heiny's diapers. Based on Lindsay's recommendation, I ordered them from Nicki's Diapers. Nicki's Diapers, and many other places, also have trial packages where you can try even more brands as you decide what is best for you. I had decided on one-size pocket diapers for a few reasons:
1) They seemed like the easiest solution for dad/babysitters as once they are stuffed, they are pretty much like disposables and very user-friendly. Zane prefers the Bum Genius diapers over the Happy Heiny's because the velcro is easier than the snaps.
2) If you don't use one-size diapers, it's hard to realize any savings as you have to buy a whole new set of diapers each time the baby grows.
We didn't attempt to use the cloth diapers until Grace was about a month old. For one thing, they just looked so huge compared to her tiny body. Plus, we were changing her diaper ten or more times a day and would have needed a ton of cloth diapers to make it work. If you are considering using cloth diapers with a newborn, I recommend reading this post about the kinds that work best.
It's been over four months since we started using cloth diapers with Grace and I LOVE it! We have since built our collection up to 15 diapers of four different varieties. Here's my opinion on each:
Bum Genius - I love these diapers. They are very easy to use and wash and the velcro makes getting a snug fit very easy. I highly recommend this brand, especially for little babies.
Happy Heiny's - Happy Heiny's diapers are cute - they have a lot of fun colors and patterns and I really like the fleece on the inside of the diaper, but we've had trouble with them leaking around the legs. I'm not sure if it's that I can't get them snug enough or if I'm doing something wrong. I don't think I will order more of these, although I am told that when Grace gets bigger and starts trying to take her diaper off, the snaps really help.
Best Bottom - These are the diapers designed by Nicki's Diapers so I thought I would try just one. I really don't like it and use it only as a last resort.
Fuzzi Bunz - Fuzzi Bunz is the newest brand to join our collection and I LOVE it! I would actually considering trying these on a newborn baby because the leg sizing system really makes for a good fit. It's a snap system so it's a little more complicated for Zane but still a great brand.
By my calculation, we have already broken even (the amount we would have spent on disposables pretty much equals what we've spent on cloth diapers) so from here on out it savings baby! 15 diapers works great for us - I wash them every other day just so they don't sit and always have a few extra. We do also keep some disposables around as back up. I've used cloth diapers for babysitters but haven't attempted to (and probably won't) travel with them. Some of my friends around here taught me a great trick of having your diapers and wipes delivered straight to your destination through Diapers.com to save on precious baggage space.
Answers to a few other questions I've had:
How do you wash your diapers?
Before Grace ate solid foods, it was super easy. I just threw them in the washer and did a rinse cycle first, before adding the detergent and washing them. Now with the pocket diapers, you do have to take the insert out which usually is saturated. That's about the grossest part.
Grace now has solid waste so I do one of two things. I either use a flushable diaper liner
and just wrap the waste up in it and flush it (the diapers get nothing on them) or I just shake it off into the toilet. Either way, it's really easy and nothing really sticks on the diapers.As for detergent, I use Arm & Hammer Sensitive/Perfume and Dye Free detergent and you really don't need a lot. I have also tried the trick of doing a cycle with blue Dawn dish detergent to make them smell nice and fresh. Once a month or so, I add in some color-safe bleach. As for drying, I always hang the diapers to dry but run the inserts through the dryer. The diapers dry really fast, especially if you get a good spin out of them before taking them out of the wash.
Is it true about less diaper rash with cloth diapers?
From my experience, yes. Grace has gotten rashes from disposables on trips but never from the cloth diapers.
What do you use as a diaper pail? Does it stink?
I have a wet bag that hangs on the back of the door in Grace's room. Space is of the premium so this was a great way to not take up any room. I got mine at Nicki's Diapers. It's the Planet Wise Hanging Bag. Because I once had a pretty big order at Nicki's Diapers, I also have one of the small wet bags that is perfect for the diaper bag. The room never stinks because the bag has a good seal. And about once a week or every other week, I make sure to wash the wet bags too. I do also have a trash can in Grace's room for wipes.
What about wipes?
So far, we've just used disposable wipes. Lindsay over at Passionate Homemaking has some information about making your own cloth wipes. I have a stack of old receiving blanket that I've been thinking of making into wipes but just haven't gotten around to it.
And most importantly...Do you match Grace's diapers to her outfits?
Of course! :o)
That's all I can think of now. If I've forgotten something or if you have another questions, just let me know!
You forgot to mention a main reason for using cloth diapers. We only used cloth diapers with you!! For some of the reason you noted, especially number 1!
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