Opinions on Cloth Diapers

There was a really great article about the different types of cloth diapers in last month's Parent's Magazine. I use disposable because of the convenience... But here is a link.
http://www.parents.com//parents/search/results.jsp?search...

Used them and loved them. With both kids I used prefolds and also had some fancier/fun diapers. Fuzzi bunz and Bumkins to be specific. So many out there to choose from and what one Mom loves another might not. A site for some great how to info is www.punkinbutt.com

Good luck!
M.

Hi D.,

I used cloth diapers for both of my kids. For the first few months i just used organic prefold diapers (unbleached) with prowrap waterproof covers and stacinator wool wraps at night.

At about five months I switched over to Fuzzy Bunz due to the fact that the bm's become more solid and easier to just use a flushable liner that just gets tossed into the toilet.

I swear by Fuzzy Bunz. I loved them and so did my kids. You can ever get Hemperoo stuffs that hold so much liquid and keep the diaper pretty trim.

There are a lot of good cloth diaper producs out there, just research, knowledge is power.

good luck.

D.

A little about me:

I am a full time working mother of a 2.5yr old girl and 4.5 year old boy.

Hi D.,
I'm using cloth diapers with my first child, who's now 4 months. I had Dydee service for the first two months (which I'd really recommend. Washing diapers now is not a big deal but it would have been hard at least for the first month)My mom made me diapers, but dydee's are very high quality and I would recommend buying them. (you can order online or just get them from the co. if you use their service)Diaper covers from babybestbuy.com werevabout $1.50 each. email me to chat more

Hi
Congrats on your new baby to come!
I wanted to give you a tidbit of info on cloth since that is what I do. There are so many great products out there, its just up to you about what you are looking for.
First:
San Diego has its own diaper service- so you get your weekly set of cloth diapers and we (I work for them) pick up your dirties and drop off clean ones. We also have lots of wraps & supplies. Check out the website: www.sddiaperservice.com or you can email me: ____@____.com
Second:
There are pocket diapers & all in ones. I really like Mother's touch pocket diapers b/c I think they absord the moisture well and you can even re-use them a few times if there is no poopy. Happy Heiny's are popular too.
I also like the all-in ones: Over the Nile: they are all natural and soft.
Baby Frenzy in El Cajon sell cloth and the Lily Pad in South Park.
Good luck !
I suggest trying different things b/c you will eventually find something that fits.
Have a great day.
D.

I highly recommend Bum Genius. They don't leak on my two-year old, even at night. They are incredibly soft. I wash and line dry and they come out clean every time - even those that looked hopeless. Fuzzy Bunz has the brightest color choices but we've had more leaks with those. Bum Genius one-size reusable diapers with cloth inserts are also adjustable from newborn to toddler so they'll save you money because you won't have to buy different sizes. We also use cloth wipes which I throw in the laundry with the diapers.
I am such a fan that I carry Bum Genius diapers on my site http://www.seahorseorganics.com

I used cloth diapers on all three of my children, and I would not have done it differently. My daughters are 12yo and 10yo and my son is 5mo. Supplies are a little different now for him than they were when my daughters were babies, but I think you will find the best things at Mother's Guild in Ventura. They carry a variety of different covers as well as the cloth diapers, even organic if you choose. I prefer the Bumkins brand covers that you lay a cloth diaper in and then you put it on the baby just as you would a disposable diaper. This brand also sells a pre-filled diaper, but I have never used those ones. I think the Bumkins keep the wetness from the diaper in the cover better than others I have tried and they are even "vented" a little in the rear which I think is grest. You can use the cover more than once before washing it, so long as it hasn't gotten dirty, just rinse it and let it air out first. You can also keep the covers once they are outgrown and use them again later, if you have another child...I used all of my oldest daughter's covers on her sister when my youngest daughter was born. And I soak his dirty diapers in a diaper pail filled with water and a splash Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing which helps keep the diapers white, even if they are dirty, while they are soaking until you have a load to wash. The bluing might be hard to find, but check out their website at mrsstewart.com...I used to be able to find it at my local Albertson's, but not anymore. If you check out Mother's Guild, I think you will be very happy, not just with their supplies, but also with the helpful people and great advice and courses they have to offer. They are a tiny little store, just the block passed and on the other side of the street from Ventura High School, right behind a little barbecue place named "It's in the Sauce". Hope this helps...you can always let me know if you need anything else or how things go. Good luck!

There's a cloth diaper store in LA called Angel Bunz (www.angelbunz.com). Kayla could talk to you about the best products. In fact, she only carries what has worked for her in her store. She doesn't carry much in the way of prefolds, since you could order those from dydee diaper service (www.dy-dee.com, I think--you don't have to use the service). That's the cheapest way to go (prefolds). Good luck!

I use cloth diapers!!! I love them. In fact, I have a website selling them, I love them so much! LOL. www.KeenBambino.com

I also have a local cloth diapering group for moms in the IE.
http://attachmentparenting.meetup.com/401/
You are welcome to join if you'd like to chat with cloth diapering moms in the area. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. =-)

____@____.com

I was in a similar situation, my daughter was 2yr1mo when my son was born. I did not use cloth diapers at first, because I'm lazy and hate laundry. :) Now that my son is 6mos we're starting to use some cloth. Son is nearly 15 lbs now, and daughter is petite, so the benefit is they can both wear the same size in many diapers and I won't have to buy another size for him later.

I have a mix of types: pocket diapers (fuzzi buns, happy heiny one size, drybees), fitted diapers (home sewn) with cover, and prefolds with cover. I really like the Thirsties covers and also use it on the rare days my daughter is willing to wear thick cotton panties. It keeps the leaks inside when she has an accident.

So far everything is working out well for us. The pockets and prefolds are easy to wash and dry. Since we are only CDing part time, I throw a load in every 2-3 days. My husband is gone (in the military), so I'm on my own, but I haven't found it to be too much of a hassle. Plus, I'm saving some money buying fewer disposables. Good luck!

Hi D.-

I have used cloth diapers with my children. I first used the traditional “Chinese prefold” diapers. They worked well. They added a lot of bulk to the baby’s bottom area and I had to go up in clothing sizes. These were given to me by my sister so I tried them out. I later found “bumGenius 3.0 one-size diapers”. I love them. They are on the pricey side but they do pay for themselves over time. I have enough so by the third day I am washing them. I wash them myself because our area does not have diaper service. It is not that bad to wash them yourself. It is a couple of extra loads a week. Once the child starts solids it takes some getting use to but its fine. SO much more cost effective and way better for our envirnoment.
I hope that helps.

Hey there -- I used cloth diapers with my son (now 5) and he was the easiest, earliest potty trainer I know. I think cloth diapers get changed a LOT more often than paper diapers and I am sure this is a factor in ease of potty training. They are really easy to do -- we used velcro closure wraps and cotton diapers and the washing/rinsing is all very manageable. I have a new baby now (3 months) and we are using cloth again. On average, he goes through about 12 diapers a day so I would recommend getting about 4 days worth of each size (through 6 months, then larger to last till potty training) so you only have to wash every other day or so. I hang dry and then fluff the diapers and line dry the wraps. (I will say that I also live in Hawaii where line drying is possible year round which really extends the life of the diapers -- not to mention all of our clothes...)We bought our newest diapers from Green Mountain -- an online Vermont based business. The "chinese prefolds" are GREAT diapers -- they clean up easily and I highly recommend them for durability and cost. We spent about 400$ on new diapers -- 48 each of small and regular -- and wraps and it is well worth it. Hope this helps. aloha JP

Great Choice. I found some diapers online called Little Lambs or something like that. They leaked terribly. So after that investment I decided To try a few different brands and only buy one at a time. This was good. I really like Fuzzi Bunz diaper covers. Here is a good site to help you recognize what is what in the cloth diaper world. This was helpful for me. http://diaperpages.com/cd_article.php . It is also a great idea to look up how to clean the diapers and covers. This is key to keeping them sweet smelling and low hassle. In the end I opted for a completely different diaper because my washer just didn't have hot enough water to do the trick. I found GDiapers, they are flushable/compostable diaper inserts with washable diaper covers. This was the best solution all around because they never leaked and they were as convenient as disposables. I could purchase them online of at the local health food store. Best wishes, whatever you decide.

We used Mother Ease diapers. We ordered them online. They were awesome. They're fitted, soft terry-cloth with plastic snaps. The snaps are set so that they grow with the baby -- we used them as soon as the muconium was out of his system, a week after he got home, until he was old enough not to need them, and they always fit! The have a snap-in liner for extra-absorbency during nights.

http://www.mother-ease.com/infoE.html

Good luck!

I am using them for the first time with my 3rd child who is now 12 months old and would 100 percent recommend giving them a try. I didn't know anyone using them when I decided to try them, so I read for months about them while I was pregnant and ended up trying many different ones. My other 2 had diaper rashes so badly so I wanted to try cloth. This child has only had a few minor ones usually when I have left him in it too long.
My favorite are the fuzzi bunz because they seem to have worked the best for my son and they look better than a lot of other ones I tried after many washes. I did like the kissaluvs when he was a newborn (size 0) , but hated them in the size 1. I ended up using them only for night because they were so bulky to get them where they wouldn't leak. I also have a couple of bum genius one size and Happy Heinys one size which both velcro and I like the Happy Heinys over the bum genius because the velcro has held up better. It's nice to have a few of the velcro on hand for babysitters, friends, family, etc. who may be intimidated by the snaps of the fuzzibunz. The HH diaper is pretty much just like the FB just with velcro. The snaps really just have held up better over time and look almost new. I do use the BG inserts in both the FB and the HH though because it snaps over in the front where boys pee more. He was leaking before I started this. You can also just fold the inserts that come with them over in the front to make a small pocket like double layer.
I use the Mother of Eden hanging pail and have 2 of them. I wouldn't recommend a wet soaking pail because it will leave lots of smell. Up until recently the smell has never been a problem (of course you have to rinse the poop out before throwing them in the bag after you start the solids). Every now and then here recently he has had a diaper that has been really concentrated so I'll stick the bag outside until I'm ready to wash. I am going this week to try something called bac out I've heard is good for this so we'll see. When he was just breast feeding though I pretty much just stuck them in the bag poop and all and then straight to the washer because it will all dissolve down the drain. Sounds gross but not any grosser than when they puke and you wash the sheets. I always run one rinse cycle on cold then put the detergent in and wash on hot. I wash every other day and use the Allen's naturally detergent.
I would recommend the sprayer for sure when they get bigger. It's not a big deal at first if you are breast feeding before solids. After they start on solids, it's a whole other story.
It is a big investment up front, but we have already gotten our moneys worth and he probably will be in diapers another year to 2 years.
Good luck!

http://www.parents.com/baby/care/diapers/one-dad-gives-up...

Check out this link... I just read this article the other day and it came to mind when you asked your question. This guy tested a bunch of different things. If the link doesn't work, try going to Parents Magazine on-line and search for the article entitled "Man of the Cloth". Good luck and congrats on the second child!

Hi there - I would whole heartedly encourage you to go cloth! I have used cloth with both my kids. Both times, I started out with a diaper service, then transitioned to washing my own when I was out of the newborn phase. I rinse the poopy diapers in the toilet, then rinse all of them in the washer with some vinegar to kill the ammonia, then wash them in hot water. I have to do this about twice a week. Every so often I beach the diapers, too. I also use disposables when I need to, but I probably only buy a package every two months or so. I love not contributing to landfills!
I have a bunch of different kinds of diapers and wraps - prefolds, kiss-a-luvs, bummis, etc. They all have their strenghts and weeknesses. Try to find a used lot on ebay or from friends or family if you can't buy new.

wow! That's a big job! But I did it with my first daughter. Here's how I did this.

Have a large pail WITH LID, keep bleach water in there. I always rinsed the diaper in the toilet first. They used to sell, and maybe they still do, a liner for diapers. You can use a thin liner, that way when there is poop in there, you can pick up the majority on the liner and toss. Then you rinse the daiper. Put in the pail filled with bleach water. When you have a load, dump the ENTIRE contents in the washer. Run through spin cycle. Then run thru rinse/spin cycle. Then wash with DREFT or IVORY and BLEACH for a full cycle. You could also do an extra rinse. Then dry as usual. They aren't really THAT much work, however, you will be changing the diaper a lot more than with disposable, since as soon as they get wet, they need changed. Oh, and don't forget rubber panties! Good luck!

we use dy-dee diaper service. they are great. they will delivery the diapers to your house once a week and pick up the dirty ones. you don't have to do anything except to remember to put the dirty ones outside. you will need to purchase wraps for the diapers. you can buy them from dy-dee diapers and they will deliver them with your diapers. you will need to wash the wraps so i suggest getting at least 10 so that you don't need to wash them every day.

Hi D.!

My friend turned me on to Fuzzi Bunz all-in-one pocket cloth diapers and I love them! They are so easy to use and I bought the ones on clearance at www.fuzzibunzworld.com. I only bought seven diapers in medium and petite and I have not had to buy anymore. I did buy a few extra inserts for night-time use. They have snaps allover so you can make them all different sizes and no velcro! I don't like velcro cuz it gets stuck to everything in the washer and dryer. I put them in the washer and dryer and they have lasted so long. Don't go crazy and buy too many, just buy a few to try them out. You can also buy them used but I wanted new ones.

Good luck!

My friend owns a diaper service company in San Diego and she has a website you can look at which has some info on cloth vs disposable. The website is www.sddiaperservice.com. Good luck!

I ordered online from diaperaps.com for my son, now 19 mons. We still use them. (We also use Kushies all-in-one which offer great liners too.) They are a little bulkier, but that did not inhibit my son's movement or walking and in fact gave him a soft landing when falling on his backside.

I wash them myself, though during the first month or two it was hard. You may consider disposable, a service, or a friend/relative who is willing to do it. Don't use bleach! I made that mistake...it degrades the fabric more quickly. Use vinegar instead, both at the bottom of the pail (mixed w/water) and in the washing machine.

Also, don't know if it has anything to do with cloth diapers (my mom insists it does) my son showed interest in potty learning early and is already BM trained. You do have to change diapers more often, but that is good for the baby anyway. And what a fabulous money saver (if you wash them yourself). Good luck!

D.,
I used clothed diapers and it was great. If you could hang them up outside, they bleach naturally in the sun. I had one child that had some allergies, and it really helped them not to get a diaper rash. My children were 3 years apart, and it worked out well. I would encourage you to go feel the different cloth diapers that are available. If it feels good to you, it will feel good on your child. They really do feel different. The name isn't as important as the texture. You can check out Consumer Reports on Baby products. (durability, texture, price,etc.) Hope this helps a bit.

E.:)

Try Dy-Dee Diaper Service. They have a website.

I loved using cloth diapers on my two boys. They really weren't that much more of a hassle than disposable. I started out after each birth with a diaper service, a gift from my Mom and Step Mom. It makes the first few months easier. I finally bought my own cloth diapers. I don't remember brands, but I bought the ones with the triple thickness in the middle.

I used cloth diapers with my first baby 10 years ago but decided against them with my second. Some things you should know: I've used all brands and they all eventually shrink because you will be washing them in very hot water. Then you will need to purchase more. Cloth diapers feel very wet so the baby will wake up a lot more at night. Overall, using cloth diapers will entail more work on your part. Especially since you have a toddler, you might want to use cloth during the day and disposables at night. Good luck!

Pls be sure you are using the safest detergent possible and avoid softeners as most contain very harmful ingredients that remain in the cloth. J. K

I use Dy-Dee Diaper Service. My baby is 3 1/2 months old. Cloth diapers are awesome! And so easy to use! Dy-dee is great, and no stress about having enough diapers, having to worry about cleaning them, or the stink. They also provide an explanation about their cleaning process, and it shows that they use far less water than we would use washing at home! I think the price is extremely reasonable (about $80/month). Whenever I need to change or add something, I just call, and it's done on my next weekly delivery. I love it! And my baby loves it! She's also had NO diaper rash at all! Good luck!

unless you like laundry, I would get a service forsure. I think every mom like a diffrent type of clothe, but the advaces they have now are fantastic! No more rubber pants. I know forsure use the microfiber cloths for the inside, they are very absorbent. I have many friends who use cloth, but with 4 kids, I can barely keep up with the laundry I have now!

i use the kushie all-in-one diapers and i LOVE them. they're velcro, so it's just as easy as putting on a disposable. they're easy to wash and machine dryable.

Cloth diapers are great! The diaper service you should use will let you know what diapers, covers, etc to use as well as inform you on how to increase/decrease diapers delivered, sizes, how to handle diapers with daycare and travel, and the like. You will always have clean diapers at the ready, for the baby, as a burp cloth, and for spills around the home. My daughter used a diaper as a sleep aid... she slept with one at all times for about 2 years. Imagine always having a clean sleep aid ready--she NEVER had sleep issues!!! :)

Enjoy, my daughter did and I did too!

I used cloth diapers with both my kid's, (now 12 and 9,) and loved it. I used a diaper service and found it to be easy and inexpensive. When my kid's were over a year, I did use disposable diapers when we went out for long outings, just for the convenience, but had to be dilligent about changing them because they were more prone to diaper rashes.

I think cloth diapers are great. I've been using them with my son for over two years now. We use the disposable for bedtime and when we got out. I use Seventh Generation or another one without the chemicals. I feel the cloth is a good thing to do as well. We use Dydee Diapers and have been happy with their service.

Sure hope this helps.

R.

Hi D.! i think that cloth diapers are great if you have the time and energy or money to have a service. With an active 2 year old I can relate to time constraints. If not cloth maybe you could try the 100% biodegradable ones.

I really wanted to use cloth diapers with my daughter, so I ordered one each of every brand and type I found online. After trying out all of them over the span of one month, I decided to go with the disposables. I think it is an even exchange as far as the environment is concerned. I realize that our landfills are filling up quickly, however, our water supply is not in a great place either. Especially with the cost of water and energy that it takes to wash the diapers, and the fuel that it takes to use a diaper service to pick up and deliver.

I also found that cloth diapers are very bulky, and inhibit my daughter from movement. You also have to buy clothes that are considerably bigger to fit over and cover up the bulkiness. Whether you use the all-in-one diapers or thinner diapers with a cover, I found that they still retain the wetness and get really heavy when wet.

After my trials with cloth and disposables, I really love Pampers Swaddlers. I have never had a blow-out or leak with this particular brand, and they are thin and much softer than the eco-friendly disposables (which feel like a stiff brown paper bag). This is all from my direct experience; I have a couple of friends that really like the cloth and don't care as much about the bulkiness and how the clothes fit. My daughter is also smaller than their kids, and struggled with movement based on the size and weight of cloth diapers.

Alot to consider. Good luck.

g diapers are better for the environment and easy to use!! CHeck them out.

I love my cloth diapers and wash my own, it is very easy! for more info email me ____@____.com

I use Fuzzi Bunz with both of my girls aged 21 months and 8 months.

Rachel

I used cloth diapers on my son for three years. If you live in Southern California, I recommend contacting Dy-Dee Diaper service. They deliver and pick up dirty diapers once a week. They are very prompt and have many different sized diapers to offer, so you don't have to purchase and wash multiple sizes of cloth diapers yourself. My mother washed cloth diapers when I was a child and she said it made the entire house smell for days.
I did not find that the cloth diapers were significanltly more inconvienent than disposables. If you take some time to pre-fold the diapers and have them set up and ready to go, changing a diaper takes the same amount of time. The only real difference is you have to carry plastic bags with you when you go out, to carry the wet ones home.
Many baby clothes are not sized to go around the chunkier cloth diapers today. If you have a skinny kid like I did, this is not a real problem. If you have a rounder kid, you may have to buy pants in a size larger than your kid would wear in a disposable.
My kid liked the cloth diapers. They did not irritate his skin or cause any other problems for him. I would recommend the use of cloth diapers to any mother who is willing to try them. I also recommend the diaper service. They were a life saver.
Good luck with your decision.

I have 3 girls. I decided to use cloth dipers on my last. I made my own. There are instructions online and if you can sew it's pretty easy. I don't sew very well or I could have made them with velcro and all the bells and whistles. If you can get past the yuckyness of the cleaning the poop then great. I also love that I helped with the enviroment but I did it mostly to save money.

Hi D.,

Fuzzi Bunz are the best thing that I have found out there. You may have to double up the liners as baby gets older, but my son is 8 months old and has never had a rash. They are easily washed in the washer, and really easy to use. Try ebay before paying full price!

Hi D.,

I work in an adoption agency and one of my adoptive mother clients swears by G diapers. They are these biodegradable diapers that you can flush - so they are good for the environment and very easy to use. This way you don't have to deal with the messiness of cloth diapers. Here is the website link if you want to check it out http://www.gdiapers.com/. Hope this helps!

I use cloth with my 7 month old and I love it. I use the Dye-Dee Diaper service and get my new clean diapers once a week. It's under $20 dollars a week for the service so it's at least the same if not a little cheaper than buying disposables. The one thing I did find though is that it was hard to keep the cloth diapers off the umbilical chord when it was healing, so I ended up using disposables for the first couple of weeks until it fell off. I also use the bum genius diapers when we are out and about of if he is with a sitter because they are put on like disposables and it's a little easier for a novice to deal with.

Aloha D.,

It's been a while since we've needed diapers.....my youngest is going to be 7 in a couple of days!! Anyways, the best cloth diapers we used were all-on-ones meaning that the cloth diaper part is sewed in to a plastic like cover. You can soak and and wash them in the washing machine and then put the whole thing in the dryer. It was the simplest for us :O)

Marie-anne

On a friend's recommendation, I decided to get Fuzzi Bunz when my two boys were 21 months and 5 months. They are not cheap, but they paid for themselves in about 5 months since I no longer had to buy disposables. I think they are great and I love that my boys have such a soft, comfortable diaper on their bottoms. It just means an extra load of laundry every few days. Sometimes dealing with the soiled diapers is a pain, but the material of the diaper is amazing - most things come off very easily. I did have trouble with overnight leaks. I had to go back to disposables at night. Both of my boys are super soakers and I couldn't get the Fuzzi Bunz to work overnight. But other than that, I highly recommend them.

Frankly,my experience was (stinky) I got tired of having to (dip diapers in the toilet) Which is the only way you can get rid of the babies poop,before washing them.I also had to change detergents a few times, as the baby was allergic to the first few I used. I had more problems with rashes.Plastic pants,which you inevitably wind up having to use,keeps in the dampness. I wish I could say,cloth diapers was a good experience,but it wasn't.I found out,that not so much for the easy,or conveinant way,but for the clean,and dry way,I prefered the disposables. best of luck to you.

My baby started out with cloth diapers purchased from Babies-R-Us (Gerber brands). They worked out great. Baby's never had a diaper rash, and the washing wasn't a bother for me. When I went back to work, I switched to a cloth diaper service (Dy-Dee Diaper Service, based in Pasadena but will deliver practically anywhere in LA) and that's been working out fine. You determine how many you'll need in a week, they'll deliver them to your doorstep. They provide you with a pail to deposit the dirty diapers and they pick them up as they drop off the new ones. As your baby grows, you can adjust the sizes of the diapers.

I used cloth on my twins and loved it. I used a service of course or would have been washing all day. Check out the services in the area and inquire how they are washed. Keep an eye out for sensitive skin.