A few months ago, I began sewing and using cloth diapers.  So far, I think I've spent under $400 for supplies, but keep in mind I have all the things necessary to make the diapers for my one year old and my bun in the oven, and to make the boys pullups.  I don't think $350 for diapers for 2 kids until potty trained is unreasonable. I could have spent much less money, but I wanted to try some exotic fabrics, like hemp, bamboo, and Merino wool.  I am settling down into what I think will remain my mainstay of cloth diapers - prefolds and PUL covers, maybe wool covers as well.

It is estimated that disposable diapers cost about .17 cents each (depending onthe brand and how many in a package).  So, if my dd goes through 8 diapers a day (may seem like alot, but I can't stand a wet kiddo), that comes to $40 a month. The Good Nights are expensive too.  How does $14.99 for about 26 of them sound?  Multiply that x2 since we have 2 boys in them, and that's over $30 a month.  So, I'm saving us about $70 a month by using cloth diapers and pullups.  I don't see the boys being dry at night anytime soon, and with my dd not even being 1 1/2, it'll probably be another year before she potty trains.  AND, with another baby coming in August, You can up the price we're puttin out on diapers to at least another $40 a month (more b/c newborns need changed more often).  That brings the cost of disposables for my soon to be four kids up to $120 A MONTH.  Can you imagine?

My boys are both bedwetter (nocturnal enuresis to be specific and technical).  They always have been.  We've gone through the whole 'wake them every 2 hours to train them to awaken to pee' thing, and that hasn't worked.  At age 8, the oldest has had ONE dry night, and that was when he was sick and a little dehydrated.  My near 6 year old has a few dry nights here and there.  We were using Good Nights underpants, but even in them they would soak through. 

Either way, I am now making 'underpants'/pullups for my boys.  SO far, they like them.  I have some really cool PUL fabric, with camoflauge prints.  That is awesome, in their mind.  I had bought a pattern, but had to alter it so much it really wasn't very useful to me.  For the boys, I'm actually using Microfiber towels from Sams club and hemp or bamboo.  I am goign to try some new terry cloth towels though.  My concern is that they pee so much at night, I really need something super absorbant. 

I joined (way too many) yahoo diaper groups, and these groups have co-ops on diaper supplies.  It saves alot of money.  If you pruchase PUL (polyurethane laminate) from a webstore (you can't find it locally) it will cost up to $9 a yard.  The coops usually have it for $6ish.  For Prefold diapers, webstores range from $2-$3 each.  Coops wil run you under $2 usually.  Wool can be found at thrift stores for next to nothing, or the Merino I purchased was $16/yd through a co-op while you can find it for nearly $28 at a webstore!  So, it does save to belong to coops.  There are free patterns all over the net, or you can trace your own diapers and use them.  You do need to add shippin gand handling to the cost, but that usually isn't too much.  I bought hemp from a coop momma for $6.50 a yard, and I've seen it for $9 a yard at webstores.

Your momma's of cloth diapering are over.  I rarely ever have leaks, even at night.  Momma used to use vinyl pants over prefold diapers that were pretty thin and I've been told the kids needed changed every 1-2 hours!!!  My darling daughter can go up to 4 hours in a diaper - especially the hemp ones.  this is not my goal, but it is convenient for town trips and outings. 

Hope