Cloth Diapering

Cloth Diapering can be a little overwhelming at first. When I started looking into CD'ing (yah, look at me, got the lingo down and everything!) it looked like you needed an Ivy League degree to start. There are prefolds, flats, pocket diapers, AIO, AI2, covers(fleece, wool and PUL among others), fitteds and hybrids, oh my! I have only been CD'ing for two months, so I by no means consider myself an expert. I am merely lightly toasted on the subject and wanting to help others who are yet to jump into the toaster.

When my good friend gave me a breakdown and description of each type of diaper I started to doubt my intelligence and feared for the future of my poor daughter. But the more I delved into this subject the more I understood. And so will you.

What diaper should you use? Only you can answer that. Some people might prefer pocket diapers, where as some people might prefer the simplicity and budget friendly prefold diaper with a cover.

How can I find out which I like best? Trial and error my friend. How much you want to spend is up to you, but you will have to try different types to find out what you and baby like. Hell you might get lucky and love the first thing you buy!

Is cloth diapering difficult and labor intensive? So many people are under the impression that to cloth diaper you have to be a martyr. My honest opinion is that no, CD'ing really isn't as scary as you may think. The question of whether it is or isn't for you really depends on what you yourself consider "difficult". Would you rather run to the store when you need diapers, or throw in a load of laundry and put them away once they're done?

Can I cloth diaper part time? Of course you can! And its a great way to find out if it may be something you want to pursue. Some people cloth on the weekends at home, but use disposables for daycare, nighttime and when they go out.

Is cloth diapering expensive? Cloth diapering can be as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it. You can cloth diaper on any budget, from $50 to $5000(yah I have seen it). Flats and Prefolds are a great option for those with a tight budget who want to cloth. I personally have prefolds on standby for laundry day and when we are just hanging around the house. They are easy to clean, easy to use and easy to buy. For the more pampered tooshies there are fancy fitteds ands hybrids and AIO's (all in ones) that are adorable and extremely stylish. You can also trade, sell or buy gently used diapers on online cloth swapping sites.

I personally love going to buffets. I like variety in my food and won't stop eating until I have tried a little bit of everything. I don't want to miss something that I may have loved! I of course was no different when it came to CD'ing. I had to dabble in different styles, fabrics and types. "I'll take this pocket, that hybrid, and can you throw in that fitted? Thanks!" So when I started, I dove right in and completed my "stash" within a month.

Some websites like http://www.diaperjunction.com/ let you test drive their diapers so you can get a good feel for what you prefer. They also may offer trial packages that include a variety of diaper's included. Also to help you in your quest they detail each type of diaper for you, so you may have a better understanding of what you may like and good jumping off point.

There are also work at home moms, aka "WAHM's" that create amazing diapers too. http://www.hyenacart.com/ and http://www.etsy.com/ are great resources to finding those. But buyer beware, you get what you pay for, and take note to each stores feedback. Those who know me know my B4(eh? diaper lingo strikes again) or BubuBebe's. I find these to be works of art and totally worth the 3-4 week wait for them (they are shipped from Canada).

They tell you to CD full time you will need 24 diapers. You can definitely build this "stash" rather quickly and cheaply if you go the prefold or flat route and buy a couple diaper covers. You can build a more diverse and fancy stash later on if you like and go at your own pace. I personally dove right in and never looked back.

Support is great when you want to CD. There are days when you want to throw in the cloth wipe and quit. If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me! Good luck to you in your adventure and be forewarned, CD'ing is EXTREMELY addictive. It may find yourself in a toasty snowball effect!

~Brittney

*Diapers and Brands reviewed by Brittney


Prefold Diapers:

Prefolds Definitely aren't for everyone. A little planning goes in to every diaper change with these, but those who have found the prefold love, are die hard fans. I prefer prefolds when lounging around the house and on laundry day. They are, to me, easy to use as well as easy to care for. There are many different types of folds you can try on your little one to get the best fit. The Angel Wing fold and Bikini fold are my two favorite folds so far.

We currently have Econobum One Size prefold diapers (12prefolds, 3covers). We bought the Diaper Kit because it was a great budget friendly starter package. If you aren't sure about CD'ing, this is a great way to try it out on a smaller sized budget.


Pocket Diapers:

Pocket diapers are known to be very daddy, nanny and daycare friendly. They come on and off the same was as a disposable diaper. The Pocket Diaper consists of a washable shell and a washable insert. These can be a little pricier than prefolds, but have their own advantages. Some consider this one of the easiest options in cloth diapering. I personally am not their biggest fan, though they do have their moments where I find use for them. An obvious downside is that you have to seperate the insert from the diaper before throwing into the diaper pale (this obviously can get a little messy during a huge poop explosion).

We currently have the Bum Genius One Size Pocket Diaper(6). I would recommend these for families who are on the go a lot and for those who need a great nighttime diaper (you can double up inserts for extra absorbtion). They are a relatively trim diaper, where some other types of diapers are bulky. Unfortunately I do not find them to be the most comfortable looking diaper out there. They are a bit on the stiff side. Also, being a one size diaper they fit each baby different and I am not in love with how they fit Rowynn's shape.

Fitted Diapers:

I have the fitted diaper LOVE! These are by far, hands down, my favorite type of cloth diaper. They are very daddy, nanny, and daycare friendly. You can find them in fabrics that are soft, cute, absorbant and easy to care for. Fitteds are basically a prefold diaper that is more contoured to the babys body. They are also much trimmer than prefolds, but they do also require a diaper cover. Fitteds can be aquired on any CD'ing budget.

My favorite obviously being BubuBebe (9, with one pictured at top) which can be found at www.hyenacart.com. Oh B4's how I love thee, let me count the ways. They are extremely luxurious with the inside as well as the soaker system consisting of organic bamboo velour. They have an awesome fit, especially for being a one size diaper. They are extremely easy to care for, which is important to me. When I get them out of the dryer I just have to snap in the soaker and they are good to go! They are a tad on the pricier side, but in my opinion worth every single penny. Also, you have to be patient because they are shipped from Canada and can take upwards of a month to ship(but as with the price, totally worth it!) If I could, I would have all Bububebe diapers(which is my ultimate goal!)

We also have Kissaluv Fitted Diapers. These diapers started out very soft, but have since dropped to my B stash due to them being pretty rough to the touch after multiple washes. The upside is they fit awesome and are easy to use as well as care for. They also score pretty decent on the absorbancy scale, in my opinion. They are great diapers for when we are on the go.

***Other Reviews still in works, stay tuned!