Cloth Diaper Review-- Still my favorites!

Rose in her prefold diaper, before I put the cover on.

Prefolds. These are the good old fashioned diapers that many of us wore as kids. I have read that the ones you want to look for are either Chinese or Indian, and you should look for diaper service quality. You can get 24 of them for about $20 to $25. If you really want to save money... Get these! If you have a couple of good covers they really aren't that hard to use. We don't use pins we use a Snappi that just hooks onto the diaper.

Mamabearbabywear
This is a seller I found on ebay. Her name is Amy Washington and she's a mom who makes diaper covers. The link above goes directly to her personal site. Her covers are very well crafted and they are an awesome design. She made a one-size cover that looks like your average pocket diaper. You can adjust the size with snaps and you close it with Velcro. Plus it's great to support other moms!

Rose modeling the cover from Mammabearbabywear.

Another view of the Mammabearbabywear. Note the gussets around the leg.

Mother-ease
This is a wonderful brand. These are like prefolds but you don't have to worry about pins or any kind of contraption to make the diaper stay on. They have a variety of different designs. I have two of the Sandy's (I think I have the Sandy's Organic) and one of the One Size Cloth Diaper (I have the Bamboo). These diapers are super soft and they seem so comfortable. Rose actually wanted to sleep with one of them the other day. Plus they work well. I can really adjust them to fit Rose.

Mother-ease has the BEST covers. I have several Rickki Wraps. These have really effective gussets (gathering around the waist and legs) They also have what they call Airflow Snap (breathable covers), I really like these as well.

Cloth Diaper Update-- After Two Years of Use

Rose asking the question: 'Does this diaper make my butt look big?'

Cloth diapering.... what a ride! We have done cloth diapers through the many ages and stages of Rose and through the potty training stage of CJ. Our diapers have seen close to two years of straight use (this is factoring the six month break we had to take due to my surgery). In that time the diapers have more than made up for their initial cost.

Here is a report on how the diapers held up:

My Bum Genius all need to have new Velcro tabs replaced, which is really a minor sewing project but something I haven't gotten to. I have had to buy more inserts over the years. I have also had to strip them regularly to keep them smelling fresh. I strip the diapers by occasionally running them through the wash with vinegar and baking soda or lemon juice. Since we have gotten our front-loading washing machine I usually soak them in a bucket with vinegar to strip them.

When it comes to stripping the diapers I recommend looking at the manufacturers website to see what they suggest.  

I have been using the Kushies lately because they are less worn out, and Rose has grown out of many of the covers that I have. We stopped using the Kushies early on because I find it really difficult to keep them smelling fresh. This continues to be a problem. But between borax, baking soda and using an odor eliminator, I think I am making progress.

If I had to buy diapers all over again I would probably just buy prefolds and covers. Prefolds can be so intimidating when you are starting out. Pocket diapers and all-in-ones seem so much like disposable diapers, they seem easier and safe. BUT, one thing that I have learned about pocket diapers is that they create a lot more laundry than needed. Doing cloth diapers already increases the laundry, why make it more than needed. 

I like being able to reuse the same cover through out the day, or rotate between a couple. I also think that the prefolds are easier to soak and wash. Plus you aren't having to deal with so much work before putting them in the washing machine. With pocket diapers you have to remove the insert and fold down the tabs. This may not seem like much, but I don't relish spending quality time with yesterday's poopy diapers. 

Rose sporting a prefold and Snappi. 

Once you get the hang of prefolds they really aren't as hard as they look. Trust me! I still like using the Snappi, but with certain covers you don't even need them. I still really like the covers from Mother's Ease. But, I have been hearing great things about the G diaper. 

When I was starting out the G diaper was a combination of cloth and flushable eco-friendly disposable inserts. They were also really expensive. Now, I am hearing that they have a great cover that you can just fold your prefold up in the newspaper fold and stick it in there. The covers are super cute, and hold up well. The most important thing to look for in a cover is the gussets around the leg. You really want to make sure that it is leak proof. I am told that these are really awesome. I am thinking of ordering a few to test them out. 

And that, folks, is my cloth diapering update. Stay tuned for more articles on the many facets of cloth diapering. 

The Cloth Diaper Adventure

Rose sporting her pocket diaper!

I honestly don't know what came over me this past January. What started as something innocent like buying disposable diapers online turned into a life changing New Year’s resolution revolution.

My friend Ami who lives out in the sticks like us told me she buys her diapers off Amazon and gets free shipping and doesn't pay any more than if she went to Costco. That sounded great! Especially since I have no car and making sure we don't run out of diapers has been a stressful thing for us. So I hopped online... and I said to myself... gee pull ups are so expensive! I wonder if there are any cloth training underwear out there that are better then the Gerber underwear and plastic pants.

These little questions lead to amazing discoveries!
Discovery #1-- For what I buy, www.Diapers.com is cheaper than Amazon and there is still a free shipping option. (If you are going to check this out put my number in the referral box and we both will get a discount (JENX 0015). They do free shipping and deliver in two days. Plus they have lots of 'green' options and they sell Melissa and Doug toys (which are GREAT by the way!)

Discover #2-- There is a whole WORLD of cloth diapering options out there! Holy Cow! I was completely overwhelmed by all the brands and different types. You have your prefolds ... Indian or Chinese. Then you have your pocket diaper that work more like a disposable in the way that it is shaped. It has a pocket that you can fill to the level of absorption that your baby needs (more at night time, etc.) Then you have your all in ones (AIO), your one size diapers, and your cloth diapers with out pins that still need covers. Beyond that you have to choose whether you want to go with Velcro or snaps.

It's so involved I recommend taking Diapers 101

(Be sure to click on the links I have included for more information)

Initially, since the idea of cloth diapering sounded a bit overwhelming I thought that pocket diapers would be my best option. Since I did not think people would sell used diapers I initially started my research looking at new diapers. I compared the product sites and I mainly went back and forth between diapers.com and amazon.com as far as comparing prices. I read reviews of the diapers for hours and I ended up getting two Happy Heiny's and One BumGenius. I am bummed to say that I wish I would I gotten three BumGenius' but that's the learning curve.

Here is the scoop on Happy Heiny pocket diapers. I bought one of the regular pocket one size with the Velcro. I have had no problem with this one.

I like the BumGenius a little better but all in all they are pretty comparable. The thing that I like about BumGenius is the Velcro is easier to use and they hold in the leaks a bit better. I ended with the most of these.

The second Happy Heiny that I bought is their new all snap diaper. This diaper is super confusing to figure out. If you have a baby who likes to take off their diaper then this would be very hard for them to get out of. But on the flip side it is very hard for you as a parent to get it all snapped on. And to make matters worse, I have to return it because it actually broke. So I am not a fan.

Then my friend Audra told me that she got all her cloth diapers from Craig's List. Awesome!! So then I completely changed directions... because $20 per diaper was too steep to take seriously.

That's when I discovered the world of eBay! I am proud to say I earned my yellow star through this process! I became certifiably addicted for most of the month of January.

On eBay I ended up getting an assortment of diapers. I bought a few lots of used diapers, but mostly I got brand new diapers from cloth diaper drop outs. Once I decided what I really liked I also purchase some from Amazon.com and diapers.com.

Here is what I have and what I think of each of them:

Tiny Tush
These are well made diapers. I have no problems with them. They are very comparable to BumGenius but not as popular so I was able to get some great deals on them. The BumGenius One-Size Micro-fiber Inserts fit nicely inside the pocket, so I got a set of those from Diapers.com and use them in all of my pocket diapers. It makes it easier then trying to fiddle with a variety of different inserts.

By the way... the diapers made with fleece... like Tiny Tush, Happy Heiny and BumGenius don't stain. The ones made out of flannel and cotton do stain. It is really hard to get them looking clean.

Kushies all in one
If you see these going for cheap.. .just walk on by. These diapers are nice in that they are all in one... you don't have to stuff them with inserts. They are great if you need to just get a diaper on the butt and feed the screaming baby. However, they leak around the leg, and they hold the amonia smell. I have five of these and I think that eventually I would like to replace them with something I like better.



Mother-ease
This is a wonderful brand. These are like prefolds but you don't have to worry about pins or any kind of contraption to make the diaper stay on. They have a variety of different designs. I have two of the Sandy's (I think I have the Sandy's Organic) and one of the One Size Cloth Diaper (I have the Bamboo). These diapers are super soft and they seem so comfortable. Plus they work well. I can really adjust them to fit Rose.

Mother-ease has the BEST covers. I have several Rickki Wraps. These have really effective gussets (gathering around the waist and legs) They also have what they call Airflow Snap (breathable covers), I really like these as well.

Pocket Change
I have two of these. They are a pocket diaper and they seem pretty good. They came with some other diapers I bought on ebay. Unfortunately she grew out of them too quick. They seem pretty good and they will be great SOMEDAY down the road a few years when we hopefully have baby #3. (by the way this link shows their latest model with snaps, mine have velcrow)

Prefolds
These are the good old fashioned diapers that many of us wore as kids. I have read that the ones you want to look for are either Chinese or Indian, and you should look for diaper service quality. I was able to get 24 unused diapers onebay for $20. If you really want to save money... Get these! If you have a couple of good covers they really aren't that hard to use. We don't use pins we use a Snappi that just hooks onto the diaper.

Mamabearbabywear
This is a seller I found on ebay. Her name is Amy Washington and she's a mom who makes diaper covers. The link above goes directly to her personal site. Her covers are very well crafted and they are an awesome design. She made a one-size cover that looks like your average pocket diaper. You can adjust the size with snaps and you close it withvelcrow. Plus it's great to support other moms!

Training Pants
I found some awesome training pants at www.onestepahead.com Cecily really likes them, and they do a great job preventing puddles when she doesn't make it to the bathroom in time.

Make your own!
For all you sewers out there... there are plenty of free diaper cover patterns, and various other diaper patterns out there. Get a few patterns and start experimenting. Simply google free diaper patterns.


Here are my conclusions.

Is it worth it?
I love cloth diapers. They haven't added that much more laundry for me. It's about a load per day or every other day. I use a lot of prefolds with covers at home. The girls both sleep in pocket diapers with one insert at naps and two inserts at night time. CJ likes them because she has some fun colors. I put the diaper all together and then velcrow them first and then have her put them on like underwear. The pocket diapers are nice when you go places or if you have a babysitter who you want to make it a little easier on them.

Rose is a very powerful pooper. She would absolutely explode out of disposable diapers. I found myself changing her entire outfit along with her diaper. One benefit of cloth diapers is that I can tailor them to fit her, and we have had far less explosions these days.

Have we actually saved money? The answer is yes! As times goes on these diapers will continue to earn their keep. I am not planning on reselling them after I am done, rather I am planning to use them for all they are worth!

How many diapers do I have?
I have twelve pocket diapers and 24 prefolds. This is a nice number for me since I have two children who use them, and it gives me the break of not having to wash them all every night. It will also make the diapers last longer since I won't be washing them so much.

What about a Diaper Sprayer?
I don't have a diaper sprayer. I might invest in one later but I am not sure. So far it hasn't been an issue. Rosemary really isn't on very many solids yet. On super bad diapers I do rinse them in the toilet a little (wearing gloves) and I usually soak them in a wet pail. However, the rest of the diapers I just throw into a dry pail. Cecily poops mainly on the potty and even when she was in disposable diapers we were able to plop her poop in the toilet no problem (plopping the poop makes your house and your garbage smell a lot better... plus it is a lot better for the environment to not have all that in the landfills)

Flannel Wipes made from scraps and surged around the edges.

What about wipes?
We started out using disposable wipes for the most part. Then later converted to flannel. If you have old towels, tee shirts, flannel scraps it is easy to sew or surge around the edges and make them into wipes. If you make your own you can easily make them the same size as your wipes container. We switched to washable wipes because the wipes naturally get thrown in with the diapers. If the disposable wipe makes its way into the laundry you have a big mess on your hands... (if you have velcro diapers)!

While using washable wipes I have found having the California Baby Diaper Area wash handy really helps. Plus I love the smell and it keeps their little bums fresh!

Well, that's my diaper report. Let me know if you have questions!

Happy Diapering!