All About Our Cloth Diapers

***Really long post! Sorry! I put a recap at the bottom, so you can skip to that if you want to know the gist of this whole long post.

This is a post I've really wanted to do for a long time, mostly just to share with friends and family that cloth diapering is really not as scary as it seems. I also want to have it all down somewhere so that when I find a person that is interested in learning about it I will have a place to reference them to read about it. And since today is Earth Day I thought what a great day to post about this!

So please feel free to avoid this post if you do not want to know how we diaper our kids. (No actually diapering or poop is show, but I will be saying the word poop a lot!)

To start off I want to just briefly mention that there are various types of cloth diapers (from prefolds to all in ones and everything in between). There are so many different ways and brands, it can be so overwhelming to a mom (or dad) just starting to look into it. I am sharing MY way of doing it and what I recommend to anyone who is wanting to start. It is what I have found the easiest and most simple for a new cloth diapering mom.

When I started out I did a cloth diaper trial. Which is where you pay a deposit, get 7-8 types of diapers to try out for 3 weeks, and then return what you don't want or even return it all. If you return it all they keep $10 as your trial fee. (the one I linked to is the one I did, but I know there are other cloth diaper stores that do them) This was helpful in someways but confusing in others. So I kept a few that I liked and sent the rest back. Then I bought others to try. I really wish I would have just got one kind and stuck with it. I think it would have been easier and I would have spent less money. But I learned and that's why I want to share with others, so they don't have to waste time and money.

I started with Colby when he was just shy of one year old. (so it's not too late for you to start!) I was also pregnant with Saige at the time too. So I knew I would be diapering two kids soon. These diapers should last through multiple kids. I've only had mine for almost a year and half but I think they will last until both Colby and Saige are potty trained, plus at least one more child. Some of the velcro has gotten less "sticky" but it's an easy fix to buy some replacement velcro and sew it on. None of mine have gotten to the point where they need to be replaced yet.

Ok here we go: We mostly have BumGenius Onesize Pocket diapers. I love these. They go on just like a disposable, quick and easy. They fit from 7-35lbs (although I think that 7-10lb babies just swim in them). They wash easily and look cute!

Below is a picture of one. Since these are Onesize diapers there are three settings. Small (snapped all the way down on the bottom row of snaps that you can see in this pic), Medium (this diaper is snapped to the second row and in the medium setting), and Large (unsnapped all the way). I love having diapers with velcro on them. So easy to get on a wiggly baby or toddler. The tabs on these have a little stretch to them so you can get a snug fit but it still gives when the baby moves around.

Since these are pocket diapers they have an absorbent insert that goes in them. They are made of microfiber. The inserts are one size and have S, M, L snap settings much like the front of the diaper. You set the insert to the same setting at the outside so that it will fit inside of the pocket nicely.

This is the diaper opened up. The back side is where the pocket opening is. You put the insert in this opening. You want to make sure it goes all the way to the front and lays flat to avoid leaks.

Once it's in there you place the flap over the opening to help keep the insert in place.

Now it's ready to put on the baby. The diaper outer is PUL which is waterproof, the inner is made of fleece so it doesn't feel wet to the babies skin. They get that same stay dry feeling as a disposable. (looks a lot like the same shape as a disposable)

This is another option. It is a FuzziBunz Onesize Pocket diaper. We have some of these too, but I prefer the Bumgenius. The snaps are nice because they don't wear out and are a little harder for toddlers to get off (even though Colby can get these off too, but he usually doesn't take off his diapers). The snaps are also harder to get on a wiggly baby. There are three snaps on each side that have to be done. So it's a little more difficult, but they have some advantages. It really is personal preference.

This is how these diapers are sized. They have adjustable leg elastic (much like adjustable waists on children's pants). They also adjust at the waist too. This allows for a little more flexibility for chunky legs or skinny waists. Easy to adjust, sometimes it takes a few tries to get the right setting for your baby. I have had a few leaks with these, so that is another reason I prefer the Bumgenius.

Insert goes in the back pocket. These come with two inserts, a small and medium one.

And here it is ready to go on baby.

So that's a little run down on my diaper recommendations and how they work.

Now for the scary stuff...dealing with the poop. lol It really is not as bad as most people think. I really prefer having cloth diapers to clean than stinky poop diapers in my trash. For newborns that are exclusively breastfed you do not have to clean off the poop first. It can go straight into the washer. Newborn poop is water soluble and just gets washed away. You can clean them if you want but you don't have to. When the baby starts eating solids or getting formula, then you need to clean off the poop before putting in the washer.

So first thing is you need to have a wet bag to carry with you when you are out and about. I like having zippered ones so whatever I have to put in there stays in there until I get home to deal with it. These are two that I have. The small one will only fit one diaper. I got that when I just had Colby in diapers. The medium will fit 3-4 if needed. I usually carry both just in case. I really don't change diapers much when I'm out because it's usually a short trip and unless they poop I just change them when we get home.

Inside of the bag. It's a waterproof inner with a zipper and cotton outer.

Now when I'm at home and I change a diaper: (make sure to stick the velcro tabs on the washing tabs on the back of diaper)

**Wet only just get the insert taken out and both the outside and insert go into my diaper pail (aka medium trash can seen in middle pic below, usually I have a washable liner in it too).

**Poopy get cleaned off in the toilet with my handy dandy diaper sprayer. Seriously the best thing ever. Cloth diapering with out it is not so fun. (believe me I went a week without one, no fun) The diaper sprayer is attached to the water in hose (whatever it's called) on your toilet. Super easy to install. You just have to make sure you have a flexible hose on there because it will have to bend a little when you add the sprayer. Then there is a hook on the side of the tank that holds it. You just turn the lever and spray the diaper. I usually grab both ends of diaper and flip it so the poop is out and I can hold the top of both ends of the diaper together with one hand while I spray with the other. So spray the big stuff off, don't worry too much about little bit of "skid marks" and then remove insert and put both in pail. ( I really do try to get as much off as I can, but sometimes there is a little bit of residue left on. The washer takes care of the rest)

**For wipes I've gone back and forth between cloth wipes and disposable wipes. Right now I'm using disposables. When I used cloth, I just used baby wash clothes and some soap and water. Simple and cheap. I don't bother spraying them at all just throw them in the pail. Disposable ones go in the trash.
Washing:

**It's pretty simple really. Dump the diapers in the washer. Turn on washer. Prewash Cold, Wash (large load, long wash cycle if possible) on Hot, Rinse 1 or 2 times (I usually do warm but whatever your washer can do works). And I have never found poop in my washer and figure if my diapers are clean then my washer is too. I don't freak out about poop in my washer.

**Detergent: It's best to use a "free and clear" detergent such as All, Purex, Tide. Other detergents will leave behind residues and make your diapers less absorbent or irritating to babies skin. Now I admit that I do use regular Tide because I just didn't think they were getting clean enough. There are tons of "cloth diaper detergents" and any I tried just didn't do it for me. So I'm planning to switch to Tide free and clear and see how that goes. For most people those detergents work. I just think we have funky water here.

**NEVER USE FABRIC SOFTNER (either in the wash or dryer). They create a layer on the diaper that makes them not absorbant!

**Drying: I almost always hang dry everything. Occasionally I have put them in the dryer. But it's better for them to hang dry. The inserts can be dried, so sometimes I put them in the dryer. I just pop up a drying rack and stick it in my shower so it's out of the way. They usually dry within 12 hours (the outsides dry quick, it's the inserts that take time but 20 min in the dryer does it)

**Time frame: I wash every other day for the most part. Sometimes I forget and I might go three days but I try not to because they are harder to get clean the longer they sit in my opinion. I usually throw them in the wash in the evening after the kids are in bed, put them out to dry before I go to bed and then they are ready to go in the morning. Then I stuff all the inserts into the shells and we are ready to go. Or if I'm lazy they sit on my drying rack till I need one and I grab them and stuff one together quickly!

**Night time: I have to admit that I use disposables for night time most of the time. I think they are a little easier and I know for sure they can last all night. I have used my cloth over night I just have to use an extra insert in them so they have a really big looking bum! lol

Benefits:

*Better for Environment: I hate to think about all the diapers in the landfills full of you know what. Who knows how long they really take to decompose (people say 500 years). And really less trash is better. Also the manufacturing of disposable diapers uses resources (wood, water, oil)

*Better for Babies skin: No harsh chemicals, gels, or whatever else they put in those diapers. Babies can still get rashes from being in wet or soiled diapers too long, but they wont have reactions to chemicals in cloth diapers. I also have read that the chlorine used in the production of disposables is harmful to the reproductive organs for baby boys. So I try to avoid chlorine in my disposables too.

*Better for Bank Account:

Money:

A big factor for most of us. Disposable diapers don't seem to cost much when you're buying a pack here and there but it really adds up. Especially over the whole 2-3 years that it takes to get them to potty training. If you are changing 6 times a day (which isn't enough for a newborn but sometimes as they get older you change less, plus I'm estimating low) for 2 years that's over 4,000 diapers, 3 years over 6, 000 diapers! Even if you get diapers cheap it's still a lot of money. If one diaper costs .20 -.25 cents (depending on brand and sales) you would be spending at least $800-$1000 for the first 2 years. This is a really really low estimate though. I think most people spend more than that. Plus if your kid isn't potty trained by 2 it just keeps adding up.

Cost of cloth:

If you are washing every other day, you can get by with about 18 diapers. Now with a younger baby you might need more, but you definently don't need more than 18 with an older baby. Honestly I probably only go through about 6 or 7 changes with each kid right now. The cost of 18 BumGenius is about $315 (12 pack and two 3 packs), then you need pail ($10 at walmart), pail liner ($16.50), wet bag ($14), diaper sprayer ($45), wipes (either disposable, or get some cheap baby wash cloths with a little squirt bottle with soap and water in it). Extra cost for running washer (I haven't noticed an increase because of the cloth, our bill increased from last winter but I was washing cloth last winter so I don't know for sure what caused the increase), cost of water (we don't pay for water, but I've heard others say their water bill went up a few dollars), detergent (extra 3 loads a week, so whatever that cost. I don't notice it really).

So total is about $400. That is from birth* to potty training!!

*I think that a bigger newborn can fit in them, but they will look and feel huge. I used disposables for about a month with Saige until I felt like the diapers fit her better and she was a big newborn. They will work though. (I did buy some specific newborn cloth diapers but I didn't use them enough for it to be worth it, so I don't recomend it) Even if you spend $50 or so in the first month on disposables, you're still saving a ton. (everything I linked is from Cotton Babies the makers of the BumGenius. You can get most of this stuff at a variety of online stores. I just like Cotton Babies, plus they ship free)

One other thing I need to mention is that if you get the BumGenius you have a 30 day money back guarentee and a 1 year waranty. So you can get some try them, if you hate it just return it all, no problem! So awesome!!

A couple pictures so you can see what they look like on:

Saige at 3 months, small setting probably about to move to medium.

Saige right now at 1 year. Medium setting, and will probably stay on it for a while.

Fluffy bum!

Right now Colby is on the large setting and has been since he was about a year and half. For some reason I don't have any good pics of him. And I also didn't do a good job of taking pics of Saige when she was smaller. And if you are wondering yes their clothes fit over the diapers just fine. With Saige I had to size up on her pants but I had to do that when she wore disposables too. She just had some big thighs and bum! Not as much now. She fits in 12 month pants still.

So that's it. I know I wrote a lot, but it's really not that complicated. I love cloth diapering and I love that it's better for the environment and for my babies skin. It may take a little extra time and effort but it's worth it to me. I love that I have hardly any diaper trash now. I love that my kids have cute colorful bums! lol

RECAP:

Wash: Cold prerinse, Hot wash, Warm rinse (or two) using a free and clear detergent, wash every other day. Hang dry outers, hang or put in the dryer the inserts. (can dry on low the outer but hanging will prolong life)

Wet diapers in the pail, spray off poopy ones in toilet with diaper sprayer then they go in the pail till wash day.

Place insert in the outer and put on baby just like that.

Change baby every 2-3 hours or when wet or poopy (duh I know, but you really can't leave a cloth diaper on for more than 3 hours it will leak)

Cost: about $315 for 18 diapers (last 2 days), about $85 for extra stuff needed. Total about $400 from birth to potty training. (plus cost of washing 3 loads a week)

My Recommendation:

Use disposables for the first month with a newborn (hey we are all a little crazy at first and need everything to be as simple as possible, and the onesize diapers are really big on newborns) then get 18 BumGenius Onesize Pocket diapers to last till potty training. If you really want you can try different brands and types but I think these ones rock!

Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have in the comments and I will answer them or just to think I'm crazy. I'm cool with people thinking I'm crazy! But seriously if anyone is thinking about doing cloth I would love to help you figure it all out. I know how overwhelming it is but it is oh so worth it! And if I can cloth diaper two kids, you can cloth diaper yours! :)