Cloth Diapers

Since many people have asked me about why we have decided to use cloth diapers, I decided to put together a little something about what I have learned. Today's cloth diapers (or cloth "nappies" as they call them over here) are rather advanced and I have done a fair bit research to figure out which types to buy.

Why use cloth???
There are lots of reasons for why we chose to use cloth:

• CHEAPER!! This is by far the main reason why we initially decided to go the cloth diapering route (of course the cheapness factor varies depending on what type of diaper you decide to use - but in general, you will save money)
• Less diaper rash (this is a known fact amongst cloth diaper users)
  
• They work better (modern cloth diapers are known to have little to no leaks or blowouts compared to disposables)
• Better for baby (no harsh chemicals on the tender bum)
• Better for the environment (yes, you have to use water to wash but cloth still wins the “eco” factor as sposies take water to manufacture - not to mention all the materials and waste generated)

Types of cloth diapers:

• Prefolds: These are like the diapers your mom or grandmother used (or they might have used flats which are even more basic). They are just a square that is more absorbant down the middle (flats are a gigantic piece of cloth that needs to be folded in creative ways... very bulky!). Prefolds need a cover and come in several sizes. You can use old fashioned pins if you are brave, but the plastic snappi makes things much easier. (picture shows the prefold with snappi on a baby from greenmountaindiapers.com)
  
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  Fitteds: Fitted diapers are the same shape as a disposible diaper and made of thick fabric (like hemp, bamboo, or cotton). They usually close with snaps or velcro, do not require any folding, and usually contain elastic in the waist and around the legs. Some fitteds are sized; others are designed to fit babies from newborn to toddler. Fitteds need a cover.
  
  
  
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  Pockets: Pocket diapers have a waterproof outer layer and an inner pocket made of moisture-wicking fabric that can be stuffed to the desired absorbency. Lots of people like pockets as they “work” more like disposables. Pockets can fasten with snaps or velcro and do not require a cover. Some pockets are sized; others are designed to fit babies from newborn to toddler (there is a snapping system on the front to make it larger or smaller).
  
  
  
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  All-in-Ones: AIOs are the most “sposie-like” of all cloth diapers. They fasten with snaps or velcro, have a waterproof outer layer, typically a stay dry inner layer, and require no stuffing. Basically the same as a pocket diaper, but they don't come apart, you cannot adjust absorbancy, and thus take much longer to dry. Again, just like fitteds and pockets, some come in sizes, others are designed to be "one-size."
  
  
  
  
• Covers: Prefolds and fitteds require a diaper cover. These are just a thin shell to go over the diaper in case it soaks through the cloth. They can be made of all sorts of materials such as PUL (in picture) or wool. Since the covers don't always get wet or dirty, you don't have to buy as many.
  
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  Wet Bag: Not a diaper, but a must have accessory - a wet bag is a waterproof bag used for storing dirty diapers. There are small ones for the diaper bag and larger ones to use as diaper pail liners.
  
  
  

But aren't they messy or hard to wash???
Caring for cloth diapers is just as easy as caring for your other clothes. Gone are the days of soaking the diapers in buckets of water between washes! Here is what you do:

1. Put dirty diaper in diaper pail (usually a small trash can with some sort of cloth liner). Poop of exclusively breastfed babies is water-soluble, and thus dirty diapers can be put straight into the washing machine. After they start solids, you can get flushable diaper liners (very cheap for a roll of 100) or, you are welcome to scrape the poop off into the toilet. I think I'm going to stick with the liners!!
2. After 1-3 days (depending on how many diapers you have), dump everything into the washing machine (cloth bag as well). Wash with gentle detergent and either tumble dry or line dry! The only semi-annoying part is that each load has to be washed twice-- first without detergent on cold and then again on hot with detergent (no need to dry in between though!). Some people even do a final cold wash.
   

What we have decided to use:
Even the one-size diapers are not suitable for newborns (not quite small enough), so here is what we decided to start out with until we learn what works best for us: (It is suggested to have at least 24 diapers for a newborn)

Newborn

• 17 x prefolds (from Green Mountain Diapers in the US... these are apparently the best)
• 8 x fitteds (Kissaluvs size 0 are supposed to be the best for a newborn)
• 5 x covers (Thirsties size XS are supposed to be the best, but we got 3 Thirsties and 2 of other brands)
• 2 x pockets size XS (1 Fuzzibunz and 1 Happy Heinys)
• 1 x all-in-one (Bumgenius size small)

After the newborn stage

• We will probably use mostly pockets (probably the bumgenius one-size pocket diaper), but with some prefolds, fitteds, and all-in-ones.
  

Possible roadblocks:

• Prefolds and fitteds are fine for the newborn stage, because you have to change the diaper so often, but I foresee these not really being that great for an older baby, and especially not great for overnight because there is no layer that wicks the moisture away like in the pocket diapers and all-in-ones.
• The lifespan of velcro-closures may be much shorter than snap-closures, and thus will probably need to be replaced, especially if re-using for our next child. Good thing Mark's mum has a sewing machine.
• It's obviously cheaper to use one-size diapers because you only need one diaper until they are potty trained (well, plus whatever you use for the newborn stage) however, they tend to be a bit bulkier than the sized diapers. If you use sized, you will usually need to go through 3 sizes before they are potty trained (newborn, small, and medium), but they are much trimmer. We will just have to see what works best for us!! Stay tuned!
  

The best part is that they are so cute!!