Cloth Diapers make a Comeback

I'm getting ready to welcome my fourth baby into the world sometime in the next few weeks, our new little girl will make a total of three girls and one little prince in our home.  One more for the pink team!

So even though this is my fourth time around, I am going to be trying something new..........I'm planning on using cloth diapers for the first time.  With my first two children, I had no idea that anyone really used cloth diapers anymore.  My mom tells me that she used cloth diapers with me, and I vaguely remember my little sister wearing them, but by the time I was expecting baby #1 in 2000 it seemed like everyone used disposables.  I never even considered anything else.  When I had my third baby, Emily, I used disposables again but boy was I getting fed up with them!  They didn't contain those explosive newborn messes well at all, and I found that most of my baby's clothing was getting stained.  As she got older, the heavy, smelly garbage bags of waste were such a pain to have to deal with.  Not to mention the cost!  Thousands of dollars hauled out the curb. 

But I still didn't know that cloth was really an option.  When Emily potty-trained, she was dry during the day but was still wetting occasionally at night.  I was buying disposable pull-ups for nights, but it just wasn't working out.  They were stiff and crunchy and way overpriced.  She wasn't wet every night, so I tried to re-use them sometimes but they would rip after a couple uses and I didn't want to have her wear something that wasn't really clean anymore anyway.  That's when the thought finally hit me, "I wish these were washable."

Isn't Google wonderful?  I mean, you have an idea, you "Google" around a bit and suddenly you've got loads of info.  I don't know how I would homeschool without Google.  This time in my search I used words like "plastic pants" and "cloth pull-ups".  To my amazement, a vast world of modern cloth diapering options unfolded before me.  People were doing it ............and not only that but they were passionate about it.  Their reasons for going to cloth were varied, and included things like saving money, wanting a natural alternative to "paper diapers", saving the environment and something called the "cute factor". 

By this time I was pregnant for baby #4 and excited about the diapering options I had never known existed before.  I decided to buy some things online for my nighttime-wetter and kind of use her as a guinea pig before I went and invested in a whole stash of newborn diapers for the new baby.  There is a surprising amount of variety in cloth diapers, not only in types of fabric available but in actual styles of diaper, cover, or combination of both.  It took me a while to decipher all of the terms, read reviews on the various kinds and then finally try a few.  The options seemed never ending:  Cotton, hemp, fleece, wool, snaps, velcro, pull-up, covers, liners, doublers, pail liners, wetbags, microfleece, suedecloth, inserts, sprayers, soakers, longies, pocket diapers, Snappis, prefolds, flats, nylon.  It was totally overwhelming and I was determined to sort it all out. 

After much research and some trial and error, I finally decided on some favorite choices.   I am a lover of all things simple and ended up settling on some pretty basic diapering solutions.  I have found that although the "fancy" cloth diapers are cute, the more old-fashioned types require less care, are more durable and cost a lot less.  Besides, in my book simple is beautiful, especially when it comes to babies!

Prefolds are rectangular pieces of cloth with extra layers of fabric sewn in to a center panel for absorbency.  You fold them onto the baby and secure either with a Snappi or pins and then cover with a waterproof cover.  You would typically need a few sizes of prefolds to go from birth to potty training.  They are quite economical and range from $14 to $36 per dozen depending on size.  They wash up easily and dry in a reasonable amount of time.  I buy mine from Green Mountain Diapers, which sells them in 100% cotton, white or unbleached.  Here is a helpful video on youtube on how to fasten a prefold.

Flat diapers are similar to prefolds but they are usually square and are always a single layer of fabric.  They need to be folded strategically before fastening onto the baby.  Here is a photo tutorial on how to do that.  They require a waterproof cover as well.  Flats are the most economical cloth diapering option at less than $13 per dozen.  They only come in one size and you fold them down smaller for a smaller baby, so you don't need to purchase more diapers in each size.  Flats are the easiest to wash and the fastest to dry.  I have a few in white and am waiting to try the unbleached flats when they are back in stock at Little Lion's Diapers.

With both prefolds and flats, you do have the option of simply folding the diaper into a pad shape and laying it into a snug fitting waterproof wrap that you then fasten onto the baby.  No need for pinning.  Here is a great tutorial on how to "tri-fold into a wrap".

I hope to write more on cloth diapering soon and share my favorite covers and accessories as well as my washing routine.  If you are interested in learning more about cloth diapering options, check out these links

Nicki's Diapers

Cotton Babies

Jillian's Drawers

Diaper Pin (reviews)

4:32 PM - Dec. 28, 2008 - post comment

Untitled Comment

i have been using them for 9 months now. they are great. I posted a while ago on blog.
You can get really cute durable covers. i like blueberry covers and star bunz. I use cloth wipes as well. We are saving a fortune. My favourite nappy is itti bitti d lish. you just pop inserts in and reuse cover until soiled, making a v stylish nappy economical.

fruitbuns - 2:49 PM - Dec. 30, 2008

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