Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Could I really be considering cloth diapering?

I have to confess that I thought you cloth diapering moms were completely nuts a few months ago.  Could it be that I'm seriously considering cloth diapers for my 6th baby? 

I have a few questions, as it's really a bit overwhelming trying to figure out what's what in the world of cloth diapers. 

1.  What's the difference really between hybrid/inserts and cloth diapers?  I mean, the inserts are still washed, not trashed, right or wrong?

2.  What's the best overnight solution?

3.  What's the best cloth diaper for newborns?

4.  What's the best diaper cover?

I realize these are largely opinions, but I would love to benefit from your experience!  I appreciate any help!

3 comments:

  1. Britney wrote a HUGE post about cloth diapering last week... VERY useful information with her own personal comments & concerns about many different types. Hope it helps!!

    http://www.4littlemenandgirlytwins.com/2009/08/cloth-diapering-101.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Don't feel bad,lol, we just switched with our 21 mos old and are expecting our 5th in November. I like the hybrid dipes that have the rewashable inserts, really its kind of like a fitted and cover all in one easy system. If you have just a pee dipe then you can change just the insert and snap a new one in, easy peasy. You don't have to stuff the insert like you would a pocket diaper. I think they do make ones with disposable liners too though, but we've not tried those. We have used a fuzzibunz overnight with an extra doubler, as well as just laying a doubler in a prefold with an AI2 cover as well with success....I guess it depends on if you have a heavy wetter or not in regards to what works for different people. I don't know about the newborn situation yet, lol, as we've only been at CDing for about 3 months, but I am getting prefolds, fitteds, and a few AI2's for our new addition. I haven't bought just a cover yet, with the exception of a WAHM one I traded for on Etsy, I just use the covers I have for the AI2's and pakets and such I have. I am going to attempt to make a few if time permits this weekend though, lol. Hope that helps!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ok, I feel like I have a *little* experience here...being that I own Pampered Cheeks and all. ;) In fact, I started cd'ing when my 4th was 18 mos and number 5 was on the way. In order to save even MORE money, I decided to learn to sew my own at that time. That was 5.5 years and 3 babies ago!
    1) Hybrids? I'm not sure what those are at all. ((blush)) I do know the g-diapers have inserts that are flushed because they are biodegradable, just like toilet paper. Maybe those are hybrids? When I priced out g-diapers a couple years ago, they came out to cost the same amount as disposables. But I do know that some people use g-diapers with cloth inserts with great results. Since $$ is one of *my* main reasons for cd'ing, I passed on those.

    2) Lots of people say that my one-size fitteds rock for nighttime, especially with a wool cover. Me? I use disposables. I found that my babies were waking up when they got wet and subsequently cold. :( Also when my children passed the 1-year mark and weaned, their urine became much more concentrated. Look up urine on wikipedia. As the urea breaks down, ammonia is a byproduct. This ammonia causes a rash on my kids every time. It is NOT a build-up in their diapers. It is there after the diaper has been on for about 3 hours. So for those who can cd overnight, my hat is off to them--for me, one disposable diaper per day is not that expensive.

    3) For newborns, fitted diapers and covers rock. I call my newborn fitteds "Little Cheekies" but the style is widely available in lots of other brands too. My absorbency rocks and they don't take long to dry. I can't compare to other brands because I haven't used anything else (except kissaluvs...which is pretty much a glorified washcloth). ;)

    4) I make my own covers, too, and my AI2 shells can be used as covers. I like the one-layer PUL covers the best because they are trimmest. But I have consistently heard that Thirsties covers rock.

    For Tirzah we loved to use fitted diapers in the mornings, because that was when she seemed to need tons of absorbency. A fitted is always going to absorb more because it has more fabric. For the rest of the day we loved to use AI2's or Pockets. For Malachi I focused on one-size diapers, but for Tirzah I worked hard on developing my sized patterns so she got almost all sized diapers. Overall I like the sized diapers better, but there is certainly something to say for the savings in one-size diapers. I tried some prefolds with Tirzah as a newborn but hated them. Bummer because I made them and they were super duper yummy bamboo. The laundry is a little easier to do when it comes to AI2's vs. pockets, but otherwise I like both. Now that I've weaned Tirzah, her urine output is down and we use the AI2's most of the time. Ok, now that I've written a full blog post on your blog, I'd better scoot. :) Feel free to email me any time...stephtheis at gmail is better than my pamperedcheeks email (I'm having email woes).

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails
My photo
I'm an on-the-run mom to 6 kids who studied and taught exercise science in a previous life. I love all things running, nutrition, and health-related. I usually run at zero dark thirty in the morning and am often quite hungry before, during, and after my run, but I live a rich, full, blessed life with my children, family, and friends. My faith in God is my anchor, and looking to Him and His promises allows me to live fully even when life circumstances are difficult. While running gives me an appetite, my desire is to hunger and thirst for righteousness more than for physical food.