New Mama Q&A!

Question:
Hi there! I am due august 1st and want to start cloth diapering but i wondering how to get started. ie. how many will i need initially and do i commit to one brand to start or how do i try multiple? is it better to buy 20 diapers of all the same brand that i think i will like the best? what if i'm disappointed? or should i buy several different ones? will that be annoying in trying to figure out a system?
i want a less bulky bottom and whatever is the least work (as far as assembly i think) that is also not going to leak! :)
thanks in advance for answering all my questions!
-K

Answer! Thanks for sending this in - these are GREAT questions!  Most of them are ones I had when I started my cloth diaper search.
 
I think 20 to 24 diapers is a good start (you'll be changing about 10-12 diapers a day for newborns).  I had 22 to start, and that worked just fine.  We used the disposables until the umbilical cord fell off (so, one week). 

My Sweet Pickles (and other places like http://www.nickisdiapers.com/) have sampler packages if you'd like to try multiple types before picking.  This covers the disappointment concern.  Most places also have some sort of 10-14 day return program where you can send back the ones you don't like (even if you used them) for different ones.

I think picking one kind or using multiples is up to you.  We had to pick one kind so daycare wasn't confused.  If you're staying home or your care situation is more flexible, you have MANY more options.  My sister-in-law did prefolds for the newborn stange (first few weeks) and then transitioned to bum genius 4.0.  My boss and his wife are constantly using different kinds....if you really get into cloth diapering it's kind of addicting to try different types.  My husband gives me a hard time because I'm constantly wanting to try a new one.  :o) 

A less bulky bottom would have to be something that was sized (couldn't do a one size as those tend to be ginormous on the tiny baby bums).  Least amount of work would be an all-in-one (drying would take longer, but I've heard it's not horrible), and you can get these in the different sizes (you'd probably only need smalls and mediums).  All-in-ones have the absorbant "inserts" of the pocket diaper fame attached.  So, there's no stuffing or inserting or folding or etc.

Nicki's has a BUNCH of different brands of all-in-ones.  A decorating blog couple I follow is using bum genius all-in-ones and LOVES them.  They only got 12 and that's worked for them (here's the post).  I must be very lazy compared to them (they do two posts a day and I barely am doing that in the month of July, so obviously this is true), but I think that the frequency of washing with only 12 would be WAY too much for me.  Personally, I think the nice thing about going with a well known, national brand like Bum Genius is that the customer service is fantastic. 

One thing about sized diapers is sometimes the cost.  With Nicki's, you get a quantity discount.  And, you can enter the code PARENTING and get an extra 5% off on top of the quantity discount.  This tends to be the best deal out there.  One of my friends sells the smaller size on craigslist to get money for the next size.  This is another situation where the national brands are good too - they're more well known and so easier to sell.  Personally, I'm hoping we have more than one kid and being a saver, I'd want to keep the first size for the next kiddo.  Up to you though.  It's working for my friend (I think she's making money on the deal as she tends to buy her diapers used on craigstlist too - so that's another way to save). 

Good luck, K!  Let me know if you have any additional questions.  How about you - what questions did you have as you started your cloth diapering adventure?

Pocket Diaper Brands

This post is a LONG time in coming!  Sorry for the hiatas...it's been so nice out that I've been shirking my blogging! 

So, here it is.  There are SOOOO many brands of pocket diapers.  Probably because Bum Genius really put some publicity on this format, and it's such an easy format to introduce to non-cloth diaper users.  Here's the post on what a pocket diaper is like. 

Top to brands that you hear about are the Bum Genius and the Fuzzibunz:

• Bum Genius 4.0

These come in both an aplix (velcro) and snap closure.  You can get these at target.com in either aplix or snap.  This is a super nice option if you're on your first baby and find yourself overwhelmed with target gift cards - a great way to start your collection of cloth diapers! 

These are the one-size format, adjusted with three rows of snaps on the front.  The  fit is supposed to be from 8-35 pounds, but generally newborns are harder to fit (even if your baby is around 8 pounds like my niece). 

The 4.0 indicates that this is the fourth version.  New and improved, they say.  And actually, it's true.  This is the first version with snaps as a standard option.  They've also made some improvements as far as fit. 

• Fuzzibunz

These come in just a snap closure and claim to be the longest existing pocket diaper on the market.  These need to be purchased at a cloth diaper retailer.  There are several sites/stores in the twin cities area - I got my first set at mysweetpickles.  My second set I got from Nicki's Diapers in Madison (free shipping).  (Why a second set?  Story of my situation, here.)

These are the one-size format as well, adjusted with buttons and elastic in the legs and the waist.  The fit is supposed to be from 8-35 pounds, and these definitely fit newborns.  With the elastic, you can adjust to MUCH smaller than 8 pounds - you'll just have a super cute poofy baby bum.  :o)  You get a second set of elastic for replacement (what typically gives out first in these diapers).  So, these will definitely last through all 2-3 years of diapering on a child, and probably through a second. 

We went with the fuzzibunz because of the extra elastic and the ability to fit any size newborn.  I was hoping for a small baby and we ended up with a nine pound chunker.  Maybe the second one will be smaller....here's hoping!

• Kawaii Baby

We bought a few of these as my friend sells them!  They're definitely a lower quality, but at 10 bucks a pop, you can buy twice as many.  They come with two inserts per pocket, and we use them as a cover!  It was actually my friend's suggestion to do this.  I can get through at least a day with four covers (longer if there's not much pooping happening).  I picked up some prefolds to use too - I just lay them on top of the pocket.  We're four months in and still love them.  Snap closures!  Leave a comment if you want some of these and I'll send you her email. 

Here are some other brands - with links to view pics and current prices.
BabyKicks - $18.50
Blueberry - $19.95
Bum Genius 4.0 - $17.95
BumWear - $16.95
Fuzzibunz - $19.95
Happy Heinys - $18.95
Kawaii Baby - $10.00 (if you're interested in these, leave me a comment as my friend sells them!)
Knickernappies - $19.95
Rocky Mountain - $17.95
Rumparooz - $23.50
SoftBumx Omni - $20.95
Thirsties Duo - $17.75
Tiny Tush - $19.95 (my good friend uses these and looooves them - if you're in Madison, she got them at Happy Bambino.  They no longer sell online, booo)
Tweedle Bugs - $12.95

Are there other brands of pocket diapers you've seen and want included in this list?  Are there questions I didn't answer about this? Let me know and I'll add it!

Next up, time and savings for commenter Josh!  :o)

Cloth and Daycare

I think one of the biggest concerns I had about using cloth diapers was the fact that I'd be going back to work.  I didn't think I would be able to find a daycare that would use cloth diapers.  Was I wrong or what!

Now, to be clear, most daycares aren't going to publicize that they take cloth diapers.  And many might try and dance around the topic and make you think they won't let you use them.  It's all about how you broach the topic.

Bring a diaper with you to your intro meeting to show the format that you're using.

1. Take out the diaper and nicely share that these are the types of diapers you're using - ask if that will be a problem.
2. Before the question comes up about what they would do with the dirty diapers, volunteer that you will bring a bag and pail for them to put the diapers in.  You will then bring them home with you at the end of each day. 
3. Reiterate that from the provider's perspective, there won't be anything different from a disposable diaper besides the different pail to put them in. 

We're at a center at my workplace (very corporate), and we're using cloth.  The director was very discouraging about the idea, but never said no.  I was confident about the fact that these were the diapers we would be using and very agreeable about the requirements she established (I'd have to talk to the health nurse (which never happened), bring in my own pail, and there could be NO leaks). 

I brought up the concept with other daycares and most were agreable.  The fact that there was no extra work for them made it a pretty easy sell.  Some of the home daycares even mentioned that the state included how to handle cloth diapers in their licensing information.

So, it CAN be done.  And, here's my routine...note, I'm part time which is helpful.  Any full-time moms want to comment on their routine?

Sunday night:

*Wash diapers in pail, put together, put six in bag for daycare.

Monday night:

*Bring home dirty diapers, dump in pail, pull out clean diapers and put six in bag for daycare

Tuesday night:

*Bring home dirty diapers, dump in pail, start a load of dirty diapers, put six clean ones in a bag for daycare

Wednesday night:

*Bring home dirty diapers, dump in pail, put together clean diapers from Tuesday's load - ready for the rest of the week

It totally works.  And (per my fuzzibunz post earlier) we've been using disposables these past couple weeks and I HATE having to buy more diapers to bring to daycare!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm addicted to cloth.  :o)

Diaper Wipes

You may be wondering, what kind of wipes do cloth diapering people use? 

To be honest, it really varies!  I have friends who use disposable wipes and just put a trash can next to the diaper pail.  We use disposable wipes at daycare...these are the ones that I found to be the least expensive with the least amount of unrecognizable ingredients without going into the uber-green wipe category. 

Anyways!  At home we use cloth wipes...for me it's easiest to toss the diaper and the wipes all into one pail.  It's also somewhat therapeutic to stack them all as I'm putting the diaper laundry away. 

What kind of cloth wipes to buy?  There are so many different cloth diaper specific wipes available, and they're all stinkin expensive!!! 

My secret!!
We bought white gerber washcloths!!  Eight for $5 at Babies 'R Us...and you can usually find a coupon for 20% off! 
48 for $30 - Gerber washcloths
48 for $60 - cloth diaper brands

To use them, I just stack them, run water through them and then wring out the excess.  I keep them in an old tupperware lid.  For a while I folded them in half and kept them in a larger glad ware container.  Either works!  Here's a pic of our wipes :o)

 

Do you think you'll use cloth wipes?

My diaper pail

Here's a pic of my diaper pail....as you can see...I'm not hitting the "wash every two days" thing. 

We ran into an issue with our Fuzzibunz OS diapers!!  We'd been using them about six months, and all of a sudden they wouldn't hold ANY liquid. 

Pumpkin wakes up from a nap and the crib is soaked (thank heavens for those waterproof pads and the ultimate crib sheet!).  It was annoying for me, but pretty much unacceptable for daycare.  So we stripped the diapers...a BUNCH of different ways:

1. Scrubbed each diaper with a couple drops of original Dawn Dish Soap and a toothbrush
2. Ran a couple of loads with a teaspoon of Dawn Dish Soap and then rinsed rinsed rinsed until no soap bubbles.
3. Added a 1/4 cup of Oxi-clean and then rinsed rinsed rinsed until no soap bubbles
4. Purchased some Rockin Green (cloth diaper specific soap) and did an overnight soak with the detergent and then rinsed rinsed rinsed.

NO difference.  If anything, things got worse.  So, I contacted fuzzibunz via their website, explained my situation, and they said "send them back"!  I just got the new ones (BRAND new, still in package) on Friday, and a couple of leggings thrown in to make up for the shipping I had to pay.

All that to say, we've been using disposables at daycare and prefolds at home.  With so few diapers, it hardly seemed worth it to do a load...and then my days off and the weekend hit and WAM!  Laundry time!

Happy to report we're back on track and pumpkin drifting off to sleep in a prefold.  :o)

Pockets

These are the diapers that everyone is talking about when they say that cloth diapers are new-and-improved!  We'll talk about all the different brands in the next post, but the ones you've probably heard of are Bum Genius (they're even sold at target.com). 

So, what the heck are they?

Why Pocket:  These diapers have a waterproof cover and a soft fabric interior - the space between these two materials is a pocket.  

Material: The exterior is made of PUL (polyurethane laminate) - a breathable, waterproof fabric originally (and still) used in the medical field.  The soft fabric interior layer can be many types of fabric (bamboo velour, fleece, and sueded fabric are some of the most popular).

Waterproof:  Yes!  The fun colored exteriors are waterproof!

Format & Use: 
*A pocket, as described above
*Most come with one or two pads or "inserts" that you stick in between the exterior and interior...in the pocket.  This is what actually holds the wetness. 
*The entire diaper gets washed after each use (the pocket and the insert all go in the wash). 

Size: 
Sized: 
*Typically available in Extra-Small, Small, Medium, Large, and Extra-Large
*Drawback - need to purchase more than one set to diaper baby until toilet trained
*Benefit - much trimmer on a baby's bum
One-Sized:
*With snaps or elastic that adjust the diaper to fit babies anywhere from 7 to 35 pounds.
*Drawback - baby's bottom is bulkier
*Benefit - only have to buy one set of diapers

Price: Generally a more expensive cloth diaper option.  Price really depends on brand (which somewhat determines durability) and is anywhere from $10 to $23 per pocket diaper.  We'll cover brand options in another post.

Other notes: 
*This is a great option if you're hoping to cloth diaper in a daycare as a daycare provider can diaper baby just like they were using a disposable
*Closures on these diapers can be aplix (just like velcro) or snaps
*Inserts can be removed from the pocket before drying to shorten drying time

Quantity and Pricing Example:
(Assumptions:  8 lb newborn in diapers until age 2 at 35 pounds, washing every two days)


Prices based on Fuzzibunz at http://www.mysweetpickles.com/ - Mpls web-based diaper store!















Your turn: Have you seen a pocket diaper in person, or do you know someone who uses these?

Diaper Type Overview

I think this is where I probably should have started.  Let's review the types of cloth diapers out there!  As I post about each type, I'll update this post with a link to the entry with more information. 

There are two basic catagories of cloth diapers. 
1.  Those that need a separate cover that provides the waterproof layer
2.  Those that have the waterproof cover or layer built into the diaper

Most types within each catagory then also come in two types of sizing:
1.  One-size (OS) diapers - these adjust to fit baby from birth to potty-training
2.  Sized diapers - these generall come in Small, Medium, and Large (although some brands have Extra-Small and/or Extra-Large).  You typically have to buy at least the Smalls & Mediums, but the benefit is a much small cloth baby bum.  :o)

Separate Waterproof Cover Needed:
 

Contours


 


Prefolds


  
 



 



Fitteds



Waterproof Cover Included:



All-In-One









Pocket Diapers

 

All-In-Two -OR- Hybrid















Well, that's the intro!  What questions do you still have?  We'll of course go into more detail on each type, AND all the different brand options out there in future posts. 

Which of these types should I cover next?

Washing Cloth Diapers

There's always that questions about...you know...the poo.  And besides that, is there a method to the madness of washing these things?!  Yes.  There is.  :o)

First, detergent.  As Katrina mentioned in a facebook comment, people have all sorts of different ways of washing and solutions they wash with.  If you're interested in looking at all the different detergents out there, reference this chart.  Otherwise, I recommend Arm & Hammer Sensitive Skin (free and clear). 

I've tried All free & clear, Norwex detergent, and Rockin Green (cloth diaper specific), and they caused me problems or didn't clean good enough for my liking.  Arm & Hammer works great AND it's affordable. 

Storing the Diapers until you wash...
I got two planetwise pail liners so I have one to use while the other is in the wash.  Then I got a $10 garbage can from Target and popped a liner in there.  I just drop my dirty dipers straight from the munchkin's bum into the pail.  They sit there until I wash. 

The...poo...
Exclusively breastfeeding:  You can still follow the plan above when you encounter a dirty diaper (and let's be serious, most of the first diapers are dirty).  Just throw it in the pail!  Breastfed baby's poo is entirely water soluble and will wash away like any other dirt you put in your washer.  Yay!

Formula and/or solid food:  You need to remove most of the solids from the diaper before putting in the pail and/or washing.  As we were transitioning to more solid foods, the poo was still pretty runny and sticky so it was more difficult to remove.  I definitely used my diaper sprayer for those diapers.  Now, however, I'm able to just hold the diaper over the toilet and the poo falls off. 

Other methods for removing poo from a diaper:
*use toilet paper to wipe it off
*dunk the diaper in the (clean) toilet water
*use a diaper sprayer (separate post to come on that)

After the majority of poo is removed, drop the diaper in your pail.  If you dunked, your wet bag will contain any moisture.  Just be sure to wash within 2-3 days.  :o)

Washing Method!
1.  Dump all the diapers in the washer, along with the wet bag
2.  Select the largest load size possible.
3.  Run a warm-cold cycle without detergent
4.  Run a hot-cold cycle with detergent
5. Optional - run a cold-cold cycle without detergent to ensure everything was rinsed completely

If you have an He washer, I've heard throwing a wet towel in with the load ensure you get a lot of water flowing...which is a key to clean diapers. 

Drying
Throw all your inserts and prefolds in the dryer.  Each brand of waterproof barrier (cover or one of the new formats with a built in cover) has different instructions about drying.  You're safest if you hang dry the waterproof part.  This will also ensure that your covers last longer - we all know heat causes plastics to deteriorate, and I know I want my diapers to last thru however many kiddos we have.  :o)

So, thoughts?  Can you handle the poo??  Are there other questions you have that didn't get answered?

Pre-folds

This is the first image that comes to someone's mind when they hear that I use cloth diapers.  These are the diapers I grew up with, the diapers my Mom tried to talk me into using and that I looked down my nose at, and the diapers that I most LOVE now.  How I wish my daycare would be willing to use them.  Oh well.

What are these things called pre-folds? 

Why Prefold:  These diapers are sewn to naturally fold into thirds

Material: Regular or Organic Cotton (bleached or unbleached) - unbleached is shown

Waterproof:  No. These need a cover.


Format & Use: 
*Multiple layers of cotton
*Additional layers in the middle third for extra absorbancy
*Flat diaper that is folded in thirds to fit inside a waterproof cover

Size: Different sizes are needed as your child grows. 
(Newborn, Infant, Regular, Premium, Toddler)

Price: Generally the least expensive cloth diaper option. Prices go up as you go up in size.  Range is $1.83 to $3 per prefold (sold in dozens or half-dozens).

Other notes: 
*Depending on the waterproof cover you select (more on that later), you might need something to secure these diapers around your child.  You can use a snappi or diaper pins.
*Unbleached option needs to be prepped by washing and drying several times to remove the natural oils. 
*Pre-folds become more absorbant over time, and will shrink and soften up from when you first buy them.

Quantity and Pricing Example:
(Assumptions:  8 lb newborn in diapers until age 2 at 35 pounds, washing every two days)


Prices from http://www.mysweetpickles.com/ - Mpls web-based diaper store!

Your turn: Do you use pre-folds or are you considering them?  What's kept you from using them so far?  Any more info I can help with on these?

Introducing...Bekah's Cloth Bums!

I grew up as a cloth diaper kid - the first diapers I ever changed were with big diaper pins with the yellow ducks on the ends and the white plastic pants.  Before I was pregnant, or even thinking of kids, I wanted to cloth diaper.  Before I knew about the new great cloth diaper formats, I was planning to cloth diaper. My daughter is six months old this week and I can't believe it!  We're six months into cloth diapering and I haven't regretted it ONE minute.  I love love LOVE it. 

When I was searching for the diapers I would use with our daughter, it spent HOURS researching.  If you've started looking down this rabbit hole, you know how overwhelming it can be.  My hope is that I can help you navigate the sea of diaper choices with far less time invested than I did. 

"Bekah's Cloth Bums" is my foray into the cloth diaper world...for YOU. 

Your Turn:  What questions do you really want answers to and what topics would you like covered?