Cloth Diapers

**ironmaiden** · 03-01-2006, 10:16 AM

Since I we mailed out the boxes of cloth diapers, today, it made me think about writing a post to educate about the topic.

Look up the terms/brands on the web. This will give you a good idea of pricing.

There are no pins in today's cloth diaperland.

The most economical of cloth diapers is a plastic cover and prefolds. Covers have either velcro or plastic snaps. Both are extremely easy to use.

Prefolds - cheapest way to go. They are thick cotton layers of fabric serged together which you fold very simply and you use a cover over them. The cover holds them on as well as provide a barrier between a wet diaper and clothes. Prefolds last about 2 hours and you must change soppy wet diaper. I used them when we were staying home.

Prowraps - the cheapest of covers. I liked them a great deal. They do come in colors and are very easy to use, work great and last. I did velcro.

Fuzzibunz. These are the high-end models. This is the most expensive way to go. They have really thin inserts made of hemp I think. Two of these thin hemp inserts is what you want to use when you are leaving the house. You truly can go 4 to 6 hours using them. They are easy to use. When leaving the house all you need is another fuzzibunz prestuffed and your raring to go. Oh, and since there are many sizes of these inserts, put a shorter one on top of a longer one. This gives you an even trimmer fit and you can use the shorter ones from when your baby was smaller.

The hard part is that disposable diapers got so thin, (they use the same chemicles banned from tampons due to toxic shock syndrome) that sometimes it is hard to get clothes over the thicker cloth diapers. Less of a problem with fuzzibunz.

We did do disposables at night.

For "wipes", I bought a bunch of washcloths from walmart. You could also sew flannel washcloths. And made a squirt bottle of "solution" - I think it was water, tablespoon of baby oil, tablespoon of babywash and a few drops of tea tree oil. I think tea tree oil is an antibacterial. You can easily find these recipes on the web.

We bought a flip top metal trash can to "hold" the dirty diapers and wipes until we washed. It had a nice plastic pail inside with handle - so I could drag that to the washing machine. You'll have to wash every 3 days or they will really stink. Pull the inserts out of the diapers when washing or drying.

I made the diapers pocket diapers cause having the inserts sewn inside, I tried sewing them shut inside, then I tried washing and drying - luckily way before our daughter (whom we adopted and met at 5 months old) came home. After two hours in the dryer, they still weren't dry. Nevermind wasteful of energy, it wasn't even practical.

Hang the covers to dry - to make them last. I just strung a rope in the house. I actually put it in the hallway where the laundry is. Two eye hooks strung this rope between the door jamb and the wall entering the hall and the other door jamb at the other end of the hall. And since diapers are short, I would easily hang two or three rows. And it was above the heat baseboards, so I could even dry the prefolds there overnight if I wished.

And there are patterns on the web to sew your own. I can't sew clothes to save my life, but I could sew diapers. I did honeyboys and poopockets. I would sew fuzzibunz if I was to do it now - the pattern wasn't available when I did cloth. I lived near Malden Mills and bought microfleece from them. You can easily make your own inserts for pocket diapers. I did a bunch out of hemp-linen bought at a fabric store.

And if you have a baby shower coming up, you can hint that you want cloth diapers. I'd enclose the web address or have someone take up a collection and take care of it for the group.

And when you get "burned out" washing diapers. Take a few days vacation using disposables. But make sure you get back on the wagon.

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 03-01-2006, 02:55 PM

This is great! I am cloth diapering my 3rd child of 4. I have a ton of different types of diapers, but dh and I both agree that for the most part we love the prefolds the best. They are very absorbant and easy to use. The fuzzi buns are wonderful for naps or when out. I am so glad I have a few of these! We also use disposables at night and have with 2 of the 3. This has been such a money saver for us, since many of these diapers are on there 3rd kid. And the savings to the environment is wonderful as well. I would recommend cloth diapers to everyone!

Jennifer

**rhairston** · 03-01-2006, 04:20 PM

WOW! My boys are 12 and 14, and I cloth diapered them--with pins!!

Everyone thought I was CRAZY, until they discovered that they rarely had diaper rash--my oldest son once, and my youngest never.

Cloth diapers is not what it is stereo-typed to be. It is a viable option to disposables.

Rejena

**MACMOM6** · 03-01-2006, 07:15 PM

I actually looked into cloth diapering a lot while i was pregnant with Max. I still think about it now and then. Do you think it is too late to start, he is 7 months? I just thought it seems kind of confusing and expensive, but I am sure I am wrong...

Thanks for the information!!

**my4littlebuffaloes** · 03-02-2006, 02:39 PM

I started when dd (my 2nd child) was 8 months old. It took that long for my dh to convince me. He had wanted to all along.

jennfer

**ironmaiden** · 03-02-2006, 04:02 PM

It's not too late. Cause they actually come in sizes, you just start out at the size your kid is at now. Cheapest method is prowraps and prefolds. Buy like 8 prefolds and 2 wraps and try it. You'll have to very often, but you'll quickly figure out whether you want to really do this or not. And then you can buy more.

Then as you realize that this does work for you, add a few of the fuzzibunz for the times when you are away from the house for hours. And there are many ebay and pre-worn options for even cheaper out there.

guest7 · 03-02-2006, 06:03 PM

Times have changed! I used cloth diapers and pins! for my twins 19 years ago. Out of necessity. I couldn't afford disposables. I got alot of cloth diapers at my baby-baby shower-shower. Thank God for that! I couldn't afford to pay $10 dozen for prefolds back then- let alone disposables. At age 20- I couldn't even afford the formula either- Thank God for that too! I had a wonderful year of breastfeeding! Funny how things work out.

I agree that there are less diaper rashes with breathable cloth diapers.

And the investment lasted through my third child. I think I might still have some hanging around as dust rags.