Cloth Diapers?

[yellowducky]

Yellow- many congrats to you, mama! I'm glad a cute little bum will be using your stash sooner than later. Happy and healthy 9 months!


Thanks so much! When DH and I aren't feeling nervous, we have been (cautiously) excited!


Haven- The Green Mountain Diaper website was super helpful for me, so I second YD's recommendation. There are tons and tons of brands out there, but I basically lump dipes into three groups: Prefolds/flat/fitteds + covers, pockets, and all-in-ones. There are other styles (AI2, AI3), but they're all variations on the basic diaper cover.

My diapers are all prepped and ready to go! Now this baby just needs to arrive! Stash is below, by brand. Most were new, a few were seconds or just-washed returns, and my ImseVimes are hand-me-downs:

4 GrowVia newborn AIOs
2 GrowVia OS AIOs
6 AppleCheek pockets, size 6 (Please, please, PLEASE last and fit up to 20 pounds, as you promise!)
2 BumGenius OS pockets
2 Charlie Banana OS pockets
2 LotusBumz OS pockets
2 Imagine OS pockets (Nicki's Diapers generic brand, look/feel similar to BumGenius)
2 FuzziBuns OS pocket 'elite'
2 FuzziBuns XS pocket
1 ImseVimse newborn AIO
2 ImseVimse newborn contoured + covers
12 infant-sized cotton prefolds by Imagine (up to 17 lbs)
12 small-sized cotton prefolds by Imagine (up to 25 lbs)
2 Thirsties Size 1 'Duo-Wrap' cover (should last up to 18lbs)
2 Weehuggers Size 1 cover/AI2 (up to 18 lbs)
3 Flip OS covers
4 Bumkins OS covers
2 Kissaluv size 0 fitteds (up to 15 lbs)

There are obvious gaps in this... so point them out to me, please! I want to wait till her arrival to buy more, but I'm trying to plan ahead a bit. I think we're okay for the newborn/itty bitty phase: 4 GrowVias, 3 ImseVimse, 2 FuzziBuns, 6 AppleCheeks, 12 prefolds, 2 Kissaluvs, and 4 small covers (as I doubt the OS

This is probably Exhibit A of my nerdiness but I actually created a spreadsheet showing my itemized diaper stash and the weight limits that they are purported to cover. I know this isn't fool-proof as diapers will also depend on body shape but that helped me to figure out any gaps. Your stash looks pretty healthy and is oh-so-cute, especially with your stash guard dog. As for meconium, I think it should wash out, especially in cotton. My friend has a two week old baby boy who is in prefolds (with no problems). I suppose if youre really concerned about straining, you can use liners. Sorry for the crazy format in my response. I'm posting from my phone and accidentally deleted part of your original message, and I can't seem to manage to insert my responses wherever I'd like.

Question re: diapering newborns. In our newborn care class instructor said to use disposables until baby passes all meconium stools... and then to continue using them for about three weeks! My jaw dropped! By four weeks my newborn dipes may not even fit well, depending on how big this baby is! She said that they're really hard to use with the umbilical cord stump. Did any of you CD before the stump fell off?

 

[lliang_chi]

YD, Looking forward to more pics of cute little bums in your diaper stash. Big congrats!

PPM, THat's a great looking stash you have there. Looks like you have 12 "big baby" sized diapers + 7 "big baby" sized covers, 10 "in btwn" baby diapers, and 11 "squishy/newborn" babies. Prefolds gives you another 12 squishy, and 12 "big baby". I actually think you're doing pretty good. It's great that you have a smattering of everything so you can get an idea of what you like. Do you have AIOs/Pockets with snaps and applix? It's nice to get an idea of which you like more. Example, DH prefers applix, so we went heavy on velcro.
Re: diapering a newborn, we started using the cloth when E was 1 wk old. We came home with a lot of diapers from the hospital, and then E got a diaper rash. So the diaper rash + the fact that we were running out of disposables made us bite the bullet and switch to cloth. Passing the meconium, your baby will pass most of it in the hospital. TBH, I have no idea what it looks like because E passed it by day 2 and I was still on "bed rest" since I had the catheter. Once I got the catheter removed I was able to walk around etc. But honestly I only changed 2 or 3 diapers when we were in the hospital. DH or the nurses did all the diaper changing. I was pumping, eating, etc.

Haven, cloth might seem a little overwhelming since there's so many choices out there, but take it one little piece at a time. You already made the "big" decision to try cloth. I would hazard the next "decision" is What to do during the squishy newborn stage? Only because newborns are so tiny and squishy, and for such a short period of time (approx 3 months), folks choose different routes for that short time period. Choices: 1) used disposables until the baby gets to around 15 lbs and most "regular" diapers start to fit. 2) use prefolds/fitteds + covers 3) buy newborn cloth diapers 4) do a newborn rental program.

 

[yellowducky]

YD, Looking forward to more pics of cute little bums in your diaper stash. Big congrats!

Thanks you, lliang_chi! I'm looking forward to contributing some cute fluffy butt photos like you and other posters have generously done.

 

[indecisive]

Haven- I am trying to lean about cloth too. If you find a few brands you like there are actually a lot of good youtube videos. My husband thinks I am crazy to watch diaper videos but they are helpful!

 

[blondebunny]

Omg so I finally just got thru 27 pages! Haha I just wanted to try to know what was going on before I jumped in!  

Okay so hi everyone! My DH and I are expecting our first little one in November.. A boy! We decided last summer we wanted to cloth diaper our kids. My hubby has a lot of allergies and I have very sensitive skin and the money savings also factored in our decision! We just feel like its the perfect decision for our family. We also feel we are kind of doing our part for the environment as well

Okay so.. My mom bought us 36 Sunbaby OS 4.0 with 72 inserts last summer.. So we have those.. But of course I am buying all kinds of brands

Okay so this is what we have so far:
36 Sunbaby 4.0 OS (only 35 are gender neutral)
6 thirsties duo wrap snap cover size 1
24 Indian prefold infant
36 Indian prefold regular
12 Chinese prefold premium

And then today I bought from Kelly closet..
6 fuzzibuns elite OS (the deal 5 get 1 free)
2 Rumparooz little joeys newborn
And I got a free blueberry simplex for spending $109! 

So I definitely think we want a few different types of newborn diapers... We will have the prefolds with covers and the 2 lil joeys.. But I was looking at the kissaluvs but I'm semi confused about them.. It says diaper cover needed? So would I just out my thirsty covers over them? It would take the place of a prefold.

We are doing cloth wipes too! We have 48 terry washcloths and a prince lionheart wipe warmer.. Anyone have any good recommendations for what to put on them? Just water or I saw olive oil and lavender oil? What sure what people were doing. 

We are going to wait till we are in our new place hopefully NYC! We will find out within the week where hubby will be placed.. But I am going to see how much room we will have for a diaper pail or just a wet bag.. I'm thinking wet bags might be our best option for space saving...

Oh and I want to buy some bum genius, Charlie bananas, swaddlebees, blueberry and a friend of mine who CD her 2 young kids also recommended Alva baby diapers! I'm just trying to space it out over the next couple of months.. Plus I can't order anything else for fear I won't get them before we leave haha.. Probably shouldn't have placed my order today but I was so excited and hubby was taking his first set of boards so I was just sitting in the hotel room bored! Hehee

Well I'm so excited to be joining you ladies!! When hubby was done with his test I could actually talk to him about our cloth diapers and he was just as excited as me about it!  

 

[missrachelk]

Heeelo!

I finally made a deision on my initial purchase!

I decided to get (all secondhand from one seller who said that she triple super loved all of these, and is jsut done having babies so de-stashing)

5 kissaluvs size 0
10 little beetles hemp fitteds (5 size 1, 5 size 2)
10 sugarplum babies fitteds (5 small, 5 medium)
7 bumgenius (these are older v 2.0)
3 bummis super whisper wraps - 1 NB, 2 small
1 wool cover - little beetles, small with snaps

plus 5 hemp prefolds of various sizes and 6 hemp babies doublers.

I can't wait to get my first 'fluffy mail!' I'm really excited to see how the hemp works for us, and I'm actually really happy to get it secondhand because I won't have to do tons of extra prepping like new hemp requires.

I have a list put together of what I plan to get from GMD to flesh this stash out, plus have started stalking ebay for a few random things.

I plan to get from GMD:
A dozen each of preemie, newborn and small prefolds (preemie work as doublers and in case baby is really small)
2 Bummis Whisper covers NB
1 Bummis Super Brite
2 Thirstees NB covers
2 Thirstees Duo covers

then I want to try one of each of:
flip covers
econobum
litewrap
cotnwrap

Also one each NB and small cotton workhorse fitted.

I also spied some really nice looking silk and wool breast pads on GMD that I think I will try.

Later when baby is bigger and we have a feel I may get some wool soakers and various other kinds of diapers. I am leaning heavily towards natural fibers and more diaper+cover than AIO / pockets.


Please let me know what else you'd add / not get from GMD or other sites to be pretty much set at least for newborn and the next 'small baby' phase

 

[miraclesrule]

I just wanted to chime in here and say that the pre-folds and Thirsties with Snappi clips are sooooooooooooo much easier to use than the ones my daughter used. All the covers that she used with all those thick plastic snaps drove me crazy when I would babysit and help her out.

My friend uses the Thirsties with that Snappi thing and boy oh boy, that combo is a gazillion times easier..at least in infancy.

 

[missrachelk]

Any user opinions of grovia? At a baby store today I taked at length with the really great salesperson about them, and I like them a lot! Both the hybrid system and the AIO. I'd love some real world feedback.

The side by side comparison between their fastening and bumgenius was striking (grovia won out big time much stronger hold and much less scratchy surface)

 

[Buttons]

Hi ladies!

I want to buy some samples of the Bumgenius Freetime diapers and I was wondering could anyone advise as to some of the online retailers and where I can get the best deals?

I have some samples of prefolds and some shaped diapers already, and I would like to get a couple of samples of some AIOs as well to try out. I have no interest in the diapers that have to be stuffed (I don't have the patience for that!), so I'm hoping the Freetime may be a good match!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Hi Buttons, Not sure where the best deals on BG Freetimes are, but if you have occasion to visit Diaper Swappers, and post a thread about them there, you will surely get responses. I'll see if I can find any recent topics on these over there for you.

I know said no stuffing; HOWEVER, have you seen Tots Bots Easy Fits? The insert is attached, and these CDs, particularly the new version, are just oh.so.soft. I adore them, however, won't be buying more as I think our CD'g days will be over sooner rather than later (wishful thinking, perhaps!) Anyway, they are made in Scotland, so I assume they are readily available at retailers in Ireland? Cost-wise, I think they'd be much more efficient since you wouldn't have to deal with shipping costs. Because the insert is attached, it really is just one stuff and you're done. The insert agitates out in the wash, so you don't have to un-stuff before the wash.

I will see if I can find anything on the Freetimes for you.

Cheers!

ETA: http://www.diaperswappers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1374841&highlight=freetime According to the one seller on this page (Kissed by the Moon), the manufacturer doesn't allow discounts on Freetimes. I checked her page, and she doesn't even ship them outside of the US!! http://www.kissedbythemoon.com/BumGenius-Freetime-All-In-One-One-Size-Diaper.html

Jillian's Drawers has international shipping, are these rates reasonable: http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/customerservice/shippinganddelivery#q2 And, there is a slight discount if you order in quantity: http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/prod...hdiapers/onesize/bumgeniusfreetimeclothdiaper I also noticed they had just a few of these in Excellent used condition (for $15, I think) if you aren't opposed to buying used.

 

[mayerling]

Buttons, are you in Ireland? If so, fluffheaven.com often has deals on BG such as buy one get one free, etc. It might be worth checking them out.

 

[bobbin]

Any user opinions of grovia? At a baby store today I taked at length with the really great salesperson about them, and I like them a lot! Both the hybrid system and the AIO. I'd love some real world feedback.

The side by side comparison between their fastening and bumgenius was striking (grovia won out big time much stronger hold and much less scratchy surface)

I have 2 Grovia AIO diapers and so far I really like them. I have only had them for a few weeks. I thought I would like side snaps but they are actually a bit harder to do up than normal snaps. But I still like the diaper overall.

I am having leaking issues with all of my diapers now. I switched detergents - I am now using a detergent made by a cloth diaper company here, but all of the diapers are coming out with stains. I want to switch but the detergent was expensive and I don't want to waste it

But other than that, here are my reviews of the diapers I have after 12 weeks of use.

Kissaluvs and Thirsties/Bummis covers: I posted after 1 month of use that I didn't like these as they were cutting into her legs, but then I realised that it was only the Bummis covers that were doing this. I switched to only using the Thirsties and this combo is now my favourite! Until the recent leaking problem with all my nappies, these nappies NEVER leaked.

Bambooty AIO: I still really like these. They are mostly reliable, although they occasionally do leak. However, she outgrew the rise on the smalls way before she got to the weight minimum for the mediums, but we were doing up only one snap so we could use them, so it was most likely that the fit was off. We do occasionally get wing droop in these though.

Cushie Tushies AI2: These seem to be very reliable, but they are fiddly to put on so I tend not to reach for them until they are the last option.

Itti Bitti Tutto: I have only had these for a few weeks, but so far I haven't had any leaks. They are OSFM but are very easy to adjust and put on. The only downside to this diaper is that it has a lot of inserts, and my DH and my mum find it hard to put them back together (although it really is simple as the snaps are colour coded).

Grovia AIO: As above, these are now a favourite too. A little bit harder to put on than Itti Bitti but I still reach for them frequently.

 

[pancake]

Bobbin, Bambooty nappies are the workhorses in our stash, too - they make up almost half I think (stash is very large though!). I found the same thing as you, that S outgrows the rise well before the waist. It happened with the smalls (she was only one snap out from the middle when we sized up) and she's now still on the smallest waist setting on the mediums; if I let it out even by one snap then the waist is too loose, but the rise is currently just right (she's about 7kg). I find them super-duper reliable though, and on sale they are such a good price that I will continue to use them. Which detergent are you using? We use Ecostore powder (rinse cycle, 40 deg wash with 1/3 scoop detergent, 40 deg rinse) and have no issues with leaks or stains.

 

[bobbin]

We are using cushie tushie detergent. We bought it at the baby expo a few weeks ago. It doesn't seem to wash properly and I think it is causing leaking.

I had heard about Ecostore so I will probably use that next. I might just switch to washing baby clothes with the cushie tushie detergent as the nappies really look awful at the moment!

 

[pancake]

It might be worth doing a strip wash, Bobbin - we have a front-loader and the Bambooty girls just said to run half a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent in the wash cycle, then rinse until the bubbles went away. I did it on a few nappies that were in a bucket for longer than they should have been and they came out really well.

I like Ecostore as it's relatively inexpensive, plus you can get it at Safeway/Woolworths.

 

[Buttons]

Loves Vintage and mayerling thanks for your advice!

I just looked up those Tots Bots and I actually like the look of them! Unfortunately shipping to here from the UK is both extortionate (it's £12 on the Tots Bots website, even for just one nappy) and appallingly slow. I may be able to swing something though to have them delivered to someone in the UK, I will have to make enquires with some family members as to when they are next travelling home! I have also seen some on eBay and second hand so I will look into those options too. I have found one local retailer that may also be worth a look so time to crunch some numbers on that one

Re the Bumgenius I don't actually need international shipping, I have somewhere I can have them shipped to in the States... so if anyone has any particular online retailers they have had good experiences with I'd love to hear your recommendations!

ETA - Mayerling, thanks for the tip re Fluff Heaven - I just checked them out and they have incredibly reasonable shipping rates! Yay!!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Buttons,

Are you near http://www.babame.com/. According to some other random site, they carry tots bots, though not on their website. Perhaps you can call them to see if they have any in stock? They do have some tots trainers on line, so maybe they have the CDs in their retail shop only? They also carry freetimes.

Another word about tots bots. Earlier this year, they issued their Version 3 diaper. They sell out immediately here, though I did notice one shop has the bright orange available. The construction is the same, but the V2 had a bamboo inner, while the V3 has a minky inner. The minky is so so soft! I only have one, the Chicken Little, and I love it. I have 8 or so of the V2's. If I had a need, I would get more of the V3s!!

Another All In One, which is nice, is the Osocozy. They are a less expensive AIO. The inner is the same material as a prefold, so a nice cotton. No complaints. I actually like it for it's cotton-ness!

I like Mom's Milk Boutique because they have free shipping at $25, and they often offer free stuff. Right now, there's a free haba toy for $39 orders or more. I like free stuff. http://www.momsmilkboutique.com/

Also, linked to http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/ithacany above. They are extremely nice and very helpful to random callers on the phone! Can't say a bad thing about them. I think they sell a lot. Free shipping doesn't start until $99, however.

 

[Buttons]

LovesVintage Fluff Heaven and Baba Me are actually the same store! I've ordered a Tots Bots sample from them as their shipping is really reasonable

You are so good to put in all those recommendations, I will go through them all now and see about growing my sample stash

Thank you for all your help!!!

 

[missrachelk]

I'm addicted already - help!

I'm awaiting my first big shipment, and have now also bought 2 happy heineys nb pockets, and 6 grovia hybrid shells with 14 inserts and 4 doublers. It's time to cut myself off until I see if anyone gifts us any diapers at our showers besides the prefolds / snappis covers from GMD that I was already planning to get.

I sure hope I like what I've chosen! Though I suppose the resale market is really active and it's not all that difficult to resell if something doesn't work for you.

Wood floors are going in the nursery today, and the furniture should get here by the end of next week so soon I'll have diaper stash pics complete with a genuine changing station! I'm really thrilled that the nursery has come together - I was getting nervous that we were taking too much time (I just turned 28 weeks and really want to get it DONE)

Did / does anyone use those disposable liners? Not a disposable insert, jsut the dryer sheet type thing to line the diaper. Especially at first to avoid any meconium stains I'm thinking of trying them. On GMD some brands came in a box more like tissues than a roll, I think those would probably be more convenient. Any experience?

 

[lliang_chi]

I used the disposble liners. TBH, the reusable fleece ones are much more convenient. YOu can just toss them into the wash with the rest of the diapers, no need to lift a poopy liner out of the diaper.

 

[mayerling]

As soon as N's umbilical granuloma issue is resolved I intend to start him on CDs and I plan to use disposable liners though I'm not sure how much breastfed poop they'll actually catch.

 

[pancake]

I have used flushable liners from the start. I don't know if it helped THAT much with BF poo as it's so runny - plus i always rinsed out the poo nappies before washing anyway - but I think it did make things a little neater. Now that S is on solids, the liners are brilliant!

 

[missrachelk]

LC - 'splain me what the deal is with a fleece liner please ma'am

What's the point of another layer if you have to wash it? Protects the diaper / sort of like a doubler?


And has anyone found any disposable inserts (like the gcloth or grovia ones) that aren't much more expensive than regular 'sposies? I like the idea but not spending twice as much as a disposable for a similar convenience.

 

[Loves Vintage]

LovesVintage Fluff Heaven and Baba Me are actually the same store! I've ordered a Tots Bots sample from them as their shipping is really reasonable

You are so good to put in all those recommendations, I will go through them all now and see about growing my sample stash

Thank you for all your help!!!

That's funny. I didn't realize they were the same shop. Can't wait to hear how you like the Tots Bots! Did you order a print or a solid?

 

[lliang_chi]

Rachel, the fleece liners are exactly that, microfleece strips of fabric that I lay in the diaper. It doesn't really serve a purpose as a doubler since it has no absorbancy. It's kinda more for wicking moisture away from baby's skin when using prefolds or cotton diapers. The extra layer does protect the diaper from staining. That way the liner (cheap, $1 each) gets stained, and the diaper doesn't. Hope that makes sense.

~LC

 

[missrachelk]

Hi All - More questions from Rachel!

Hemp - anyone with experience? I received the lot of used fitteds I ordered and they are very hard and scratchy. I'm super disappointed and trying to get the seller to take them back as a return. She says they were last line dried so possibly they'll soften up with washing - any tips in case she doesn't take them back?

Also has anyone ever dealt with issues like this with a seller? I guess I really misunderstood what I was buying - and I possibly had an unrealistic expectation that all cloth diapers would be soft???

 

[yellowducky]

Hi All - More questions from Rachel!

Hemp - anyone with experience? I received the lot of used fitteds I ordered and they are very hard and scratchy. I'm super disappointed and trying to get the seller to take them back as a return. She says they were last line dried so possibly they'll soften up with washing - any tips in case she doesn't take them back?

Also has anyone ever dealt with issues like this with a seller? I guess I really misunderstood what I was buying - and I possibly had an unrealistic expectation that all cloth diapers would be soft???

Hi Rachel,
I have a bunch of hemp doublers and they are soft. Not quite as fluffy as cotton as the fibers are denser in hemp but the "pile" is still soft. I would definitely give it a go in the washer/dryer before losing hope! Sorry, I have no tips for dealing with the seller since I haven't purchased used fluff that much.

YD

 

[missrachelk]

Seller isn't taking the crunchy diapers back so I'm washing them now. I got ecover detergent and softener (read an article today that said it would be OK for diapers) and am hoping a few rounds in a hot dryer will help.

Some of them need sunning too - good thing we have lots of that right now! Do you sun them dry or wet from washing?

 

[Loves Vintage]

Rachel - You should sun them while wet. You can spray additional water on, which they say helps, so you definitely want to sun them while wet. Sounds like you should wash, then sun, then wash again and dry to see if they get softer. What brand are they?

 

[pancake]

All CDs go crunchy when line-dried - if you want them to soften up, just line-dry until they're almost there, then finish them in the dryer. I sometimes do that with our towels too! During summer I don't fuss with using the dryer for nappies though as S doesn't seem to give a hoot either way.