Diapers ...

... Cloth Diapers that is!

So almost 3 years ago (when I found out I was pregnant with my sweet Carissa) if you had said "Cloth Diapers" to me, I would have immediately thought about the cloth diapers my mom used on my brother when we were little. Not what I wanted to attempt. So I never gave cloth diapers a second thought.

Here I am - 6 months after having my second child and was introduced to the new world of cloth diapers.

I am apart of an online community for moms who all were due in June 2010. We all talk on a daily basis via facebook. Many of these moms use cloth diapers and talk about how much they love them. I started researching cloth diapers and was amazed at how much they have changed since I was little.

One of my mommy friends went back to work full time, which left her cloth diapering only part time. She decided to bless me and my family by sending us enough cloth diapers to get us started that she no longer was using! What a blessing!

Tomorrow will conclude our entire first week of exclusive cloth diapering. I could not imagine using disposables again. I am still learning things, and I am developing my own preferences. We plan to use the money we save each month on diapers and wet wipes (Yes! I am using cloth wipes as well!!) to buy more cloth diapers and wipes until we have a nice collection of the ones we like.

So here are some things I am learning.

Everyone has their own preferences.

Some moms swear by certain brands or styles, while others have nothing good to say about those same brands. If I poll a group of cloth diapering moms, I will get 20 different answers for what is recommended or their favorites. And I am already seeing how my own preferences are differing from those.

My preferences:

Velcro is the way to go! 

My child does not stay laying on her back for longer than 2 seconds ever. Definitely makes changing diapers challenging. Some of the diapers I have are snap-closed. They have many different snaps to adjust for a better fit. But when you have a child who is flipping over as quickly as you lay her down, it is a pain to try and find the right snap. And each flap has 2-3 snaps ... that is 4-6 snaps to close while trying to hold a child down! Oh, and sometimes I get them all snapped and realize it is too tight or too loose, and I have to take them apart and start all over. And getting Daddy to get them on - well, bless his heart!

Having diapers that have Velcro make it quicker, easier, and the exact fit the first try (okay, so sometimes the second try depending on how much she is moving).

One Size!

I love being able to use the same diaper for Kathryn and Carissa! I don't have to keep buying new diapers as they get bigger. And if I combine the Velcro and the one size, I am able to get a customized fit specially for each girly without a whole lot of hassle. 

Pockets

For those who are unfamiliar with cloth diapers, ones with pockets have the waterproof outside and a pocket on the inside.You stuff the pocket with a liner for absorbency. 

When it comes to washing, you pull the liner out and wash. The outer layer hangs to dry to protect the waterproof layer, but the liners can be dried in the dryer. 

They have ones with the built in liners, but those take much longer to dry.

And then there are covers that you can put over pre-folds or liners etc. It's nice because the covers can  be wiped off and used again with a new liner/pre-fold ... but when you have a squirmy little one, it becomes quite a challenge to get the liners lined up right and fasten the cover for optimal absorbency. 

BumGenius

My friend sent me quite a variety of different kinds to try.

Rump-a-Rooz - This one has the pocket that I like but it has snaps.

Dream-Eze - These have a sewn in liner, have snaps, and are a size small.

Jamtots - I have a small and a medium. They have liners that can be snapped in, and they snap close.

Fuzzi-Buns - This one has the pocket that I like. It is one size with adjustable elastic in the legs and waist. And it snaps closed. 

GroBaby - Has liners that snap in. They do Velcro close, but they don't fit all the way up to Carissa. And I have had nighttime leakage from these.

Thirsties - I have one small fitted and three covers. I like the fitted one, but then you also have to have the cover to put over it and of course you have to buy a new size when she outgrows it (but it is velcro). The covers work over any of the liners or prefolds (and the fitted), but goes back to the struggle of getting them on her right with her flipping over. But for travel purposes, it is easier to bring multiple liners and one cover than multiple all-in-one diapers.

BumGenius - These have the pockets. They have two different size liners for me to choose depending on which child I am using it on - or if I want to double up for nighttime protection. They are the only ones I have that fit both Kathryn and Carissa. They Velcro closed. And they are the only ones I have tried that have not leaked at night. When Daddy does the diapering, I try to be sure he has one of these. It is the same technique to put on as putting on a disposable - only much softer and prettier.

I feel like these are the diapers that work best for our needs, so I think we will stick to stocking up on BumGenius diapers. (Special hint to family looking for Christmas ideas (or friends looking to get your own stock) .... BumGenius is running a special Buy 5, get 1 Free! *wink wink*)

And of course, if any of my cloth diapering mamas have a brand that you feel has all my preferences and you think I should try those too ... let me know!

Extra work ... but super easy!

 Definitely going with cloth diapers takes a few extra steps, but so worth it and not hard.

After about a week now, I feel like I have settled into a nice routine that works for me.

I have enough that I could probably get away with washing every other day, but I think if I did that I would be cutting it really close. I know my days can be unpredictable, so to be on the safe side I am washing everyday for now - at least until I have increased my supply with more of the ones we like best.

Here is my routine:

After the girls wake, I change them both out of their night time diapers. (Kathryn gets a fresh cloth diaper, while Carissa gets panties.)

All diapers and wipes are stored in the trash can we use in Kathryn's room. (It is a small can with a lid that has a foot pedal. Right now I just have the plastic bags I've always used for this can, and will just change the bag every week.)

I take the can (which generally is loosely full by this point) to the laundry room.

I disassemble the diapers as I add them to the washer, securing the Velcro tabs on the special laundry tabs.

First cycle is just a cold, gentle wash/rinse cycle with no detergent - to get all the loose stuff off.

Next cycle I do a Hot regular wash, with cold rinse (my washer only does cold rinses) with a small amount of Arm & Hammer Essentials detergent.

Last cycle is just another gentle rinse to make sure all the detergent is fully rinsed.

I then hang the outer diapers on my makeshift indoor close line.

All the liners and cloth wipes go into the dryer on low heat until they are dry (usually takes about an hour for them to be completely dry.

After the girls go to bed at night, I gather up the liners from the dryer and my line-dried diapers and sit on the couch (usually watching TV or talking to David etc). I put the liners in the pockets and prep all the diapers for the next day.

And lastly, I prep my cloth wipes for the next day.

Oddly enough, having this task to do daily helps me form routines to my day. I actually enjoy this process.

Special Cleaning

Okay, so I don't have much experience in this department yet.

Main thing separate from my above cleaning is the poopy ... and all I do for that is shake it off into the toilet and give it a little rinse before sticking it in the "diaper pail."

The only other "special cleaning" I found and have used is in cases of diaper rash. Kathryn had a little bit of a rash due to teething recently. I researched options and here is what I settled on:

I put a cotton liner in the diaper directly against her bum, so that I could use the diaper cream but it only got on the liner.

When I changed that diaper, the liner and the wipe went into the sink until I had a chance to take care of it.

I would then use a little Dawn dish soap (the blue kind) to clean the diaper cream off the liner. I would rinse it all off and if there was still cream, I would repeat until it was all gone. Once I made sure there was no more signs of cream on the liner, I washed it like normal.

Worked wonderfully!

Cloth Wipes

One of my favorite things!!

My friend sent me some wipes with the diapers and I just love these! (I need to find out where she got these so I can get more like them.)

I researched wipe solutions and finally decided what I wanted to do.

My wipe solution:

1/4 cup Baby Oil (with Aloe and Vitamin E)

1/4 cup Baby Wash (just the regular yellow bottle)

4 cups water

(When mixing, add the water first to prevent bubbles.)

I made my solution in a storage container from my kitchen. I put my wipes in a regular wipe container and poured some solution over them (just enough to moisten the wipes). As I use them, I pull one out, wring it out, and am able to use one wipe per change (unless there is a massive mess - but generally I am able to utilize all sides of the wipe etc). Each night when I prep them, I put the wipes in the containers (one for the living room and one for the changing table), and add solution as needed.

These wipes work great for more than just diaper use! They work wonderfully for cleaning faces, hands, or giving a quick wipe down of whole body. The solution is safe, smells wonderfully, and leaves them fresh and soft.

So in all, I am extremely satisfied with my cloth diapers and most of all, my girls seem to really like them as well. This will save me about $60+ a month in diapers, pull ups, and wet wipes. And next time we have a kid, he/she will be cloth diapered from the start! I am ever so grateful to my friend for passing along blessings!

Anyone on the fence about cloth diapering ... my suggestion would be to give it a shot! :)