Cloth Diaper Update!

We’ve been using cloth diapers on Zachary for about a year and a half now. (If you missed it, you can read all about our cloth diaper journey in my Seven Days of Diapers series.) I thought I might post an update to let you know what we still love, what we love a little less now than we did then, and some important information that we (unfortunately) learned the hard way.

Some of our favorites:

·         Flips: these diapers are so easy to use – just slip a liner in the cover and done. We tend to use them at home only, because the liners slide a bit if they get too wet and need to be changed every 2 hours. But they are inexpensive and absorbent.
·         Pocket diapers, especially Bum Genius and Perfect Size Fuzzi Bunz: these diapers are absorbent and can be double-stuffed for longer wear. The snaps on these diapers have held up well and they’re not too bulky.

Some of our least favorites:

·         gDiapers: these always leak, and I do mean always. And I still hate that they fasten in the back – not user-friendly at all.
·         itti bitti: the snaps on these diapers are very weak. When one of the snaps broke, itti bitti’s customer service was prompt and friendly, but one of the snaps on our replacement diapers broke soon thereafter!
·         Flats: they’re just too bulky.
·     Gro-Via: I love that these diapers are super-absorbent and very cute, but the liners retain odors, despite all my efforts at keeping ammonia smells at bay. A good soak with Funk Rock (see below) can help, but I really hate it when Zachy's bum smells bad, even when his diaper is "clean"!

Best low-cost options:

·         Flips (see above) – two covers and 6 inserts cost less than $50!
·         Kawaii – these diapers are bulky when double-stuffed, and we have found that the snaps can be weak if they’re not opened carefully. But, each diaper costs around $11 and they’re very absorbent. (These were our go-to nighttime diapers before Zach became a heavy wetter and we had to switch to disposables.)

Important Information:

·         Wash your diapers every two days – NO EXCEPTIONS! Wait more than two days and I have one word for you: ODORS.
·         Experiment to find the right amount of detergent to use – more is not better. Too much detergent can cause residue, which leads to stronger odors and less absorbency. (The detergent we use suggests 2-3 tablespoons, but I’ve found 1.5 is the perfect amount.)
·         We love Funk Rock by Rockin’ Green. Putting 1 tablespoon into your cold water pre-wash really helps get rid of and prevent odors. (An overnight soak helps with really stubborn odors…)
·         bummis Bio-Soft liners – Zach’s poop (TMI – sorry!) is well-formed, so we rarely have to worry about “dunking” his #2 diapers. But if Zachy is having an upset tummy, these liners make messy poop clean up really easy. Simply place one of these liners over the insert of your diaper and remove after a messy diaper. Plus, most of these liners are either flushable or biodegradable.
·          I tend to prefer snap closure diapers over hook-and-loop (velcro) closure. The Velcro closures tend to open up in the wash and get stuck to other diapers or liners in the washer or dryer. While the snaps on some brands can be fragile (like itti bitti and Kawaii), I've found that opening the snaps carefully, rather than just yanking them, helps the snaps to stay in working condition longer. (And thankfully, most diaper manufacturers have very generous warranty policies, so broken snaps can be replaced.)

So that's the update on our cloth diaper journey. We're still loving our little man's tush in his cloth diapers, and we hope to continue this wonderful practice with Baby #3!

Seven Days of Diapers - Accessories

In addition to the diapers that I purchased, I also bought a few items to make my cloth diapering experience easier.

The first, and possibly most important, accessory I purchased was a pail liner for the dirty diapers. Rather than buy a new diaper pail, I decided to just use this one that we’d been using for Zach’s (and Abby’s) dirty disposable diapers. The Kissa’s Antibacterial Pail Liner by Kissaluvs works great with this pail. The elastic keeps the bag securely in the pail, it holds a generous amount of diapers and it washes well. I actually purchased a second liner, so I can immediately re-line the pail on laundry night. While the liner can be tumble dried, I usually line dry it, in the hopes of keeping it in good condition as long as possible.

I also purchased several Kushies on-the-go wet bags for Zach’s diaper bag.

Obviously, I need a way to bring a dirty cloth dipe home with me when we’re on an outing, so these waterproof bags allow you to bring the dirty diapers home, without making a mess in your diaper bag. I bought three bags, so I’d always have a clean one on hand. The large bags are generously sized – they can easily fit 2-3 diapers – and are very reasonably priced.

One of the first things that posed a problem when we started cloth diapering was what to do with diaper wipes from poop diaper changes. Before, we’d just bag up the dirty diaper and dirty wipes, and throw the entire stinky package out. Now, since we weren’t throwing out the diapers, it seemed a waste to use a big grocery bag to throw out one or two wipes, but I couldn’t just put them into the garbage, because Zach’s room began to smell. So, I decided to purchase a pack of cloth wipes. I keep the dry wipes stacked next to Zach’s changing table. When I know Zach has pooped, I grab a wipe and run it under warm water, and then use it to wipe that cute little bottom. The dirty diaper wipe and dirty diaper both go into the diaper pail. I bought a package of FuzziBunz Double-Sided (organic cotton and fleece) cloth wipes, and I really like them.

They are thick, wash very well, and are big enough that I only need one wipe per diaper change. The edges are curling slightly, but it doesn't affect the performance of the wipes, so I don't really mind. (The only reason I’m still using disposable wipes at all is that Babies R Us has a huge Black Friday sale where boxes of wipes (492 count total) are only $5. Needless to say, each year, Carey buys enough to stock us for the entire year. We still have a whole bunch of boxes left, so I use the disposable wipes for non-poop diaper changes, since they can be thrown in the trash without creating a stinky, smelly mess. We’ll probably still keep some wipes on hand for when we’re travelling, but next year I expect that we’ll drastically cut down on the number of boxes that we buy and purchase another pack or two of reusable wipes.)

One thing that I purchased but haven’t used yet is bummis BioSoft diaper liners. (I bought the Large sized liners. Both liners are 12 inches long, but the large liners are 7.5 inches wide, as opposed to the small liners, which are 5 inches wide.)

This is basically a roll of thin liners that are placed over the surface of the diapers. If your little one pees, the pee will pass right through the liner and into the diaper. However, if your little one goes poop, the tissue paper-like liner will catch the poop, so you can simply lift it off and flush it down the toilet. I thought these liners would be good for when we’re at other people’s homes. I haven’t really felt the need to use them so far simply because Zach’s bowel movements have become more formed since he began eating solids a few months ago, so diaper clean-up has been pretty easy so far.

Most diaper brands suggest line-drying diapers, outside if possible to bleach out stains. Thankfully, we haven’t dealt with any staining yet, but I do hope to dry our diapers on a clothesline once the weather is warmer. (Carey and I had talked about installing a clothesline last year, but never got around to it. Since I have to run the dryer on the low cycle at least twice to get the diapers dry, we’re both itching to get a clothesline installed!) In the meantime, since some of our diapers, especially covers, must be line-dried, I purchased a simple drying rack that we keep downstairs near the laundry room. I also line dry some of our liners/inserts that take a super long time in the dryer, since removing them helps everything else dry quicker.

It’s also very important to use a no-residue detergent on cloth diapers, otherwise your diapers won’t rinse clean and you risk decreasing the absorbency of your diapers or having diapers that begin to stink. I purchased two different types of detergent. Many people had recommended Allen’s Naturally to me, so I purchased a box of that from the manufacturer. (Allens Naturally is currently holding a Customer Appreciation Sale, and all products are 15% off!)

However, that was going to take a while to ship to me, so I also purchased Rockin’ Green Classic Rock Bare Baked Babies. Rockin’ Green makes detergent for hard, normal and soft water, and it comes scented or unscented. (The detergent is supposedly scented naturally, so it washes clean. However, I went with their unscented detergent.)

I’ve been happy with the Rockin’ Green detergent. Even doing laundry every other day for the past seven weeks, I still have a quarter of the package remaining. The price is reasonable, and I haven’t encountered any staining or funky smells.

One thing I cannot speak to is a diaper sprayer. This is a nifty little device that attaches to your toilet and allows you to rinse messy diapers off in your toilet without having to “dunk” them. Since we didn’t start cloth diapering Zach until he was almost six months old, his bowel movements had become much more formed than they were before he’d started solid foods. We just haven’t found it necessary to buy a sprayer since most of Zach’s poops just “plop” off into the toilet. I will admit that there have been a few times when I’ve had to dunk an especially messy diaper, but it still hasn’t made it worth it to us to purchase a diaper sprayer, which run around $45. (If you’re diapering your little one earlier, or your little one has especially messy poop, a diaper sprayer may be a good idea. It couldn’t hurt to budget for one, and then if you don’t need it, you can use that money to buy a few adorable diapers instead!)

Finally, I just wanted to mention a few of the websites I used to purchase my diapers.

• Kellyscloset.com: this website has a great selection of diapers, plus helpful advice and tips. Their prices are competitive, and they’re usually running a promotion for a free diaper or free cover with a purchase of a specific amount. (I received three free one-size diapers with my three orders from Kelly’s Closet!) Plus, this website offers a rewards program – you receive one point for each dollar you spend, and you can redeem points for gift certificates to be used at Kelly’s Closet. I’m saving up points in the hopes of buying Zach a swim diaper for the summer. Plus, I’ve never paid a dime in shipping. (One other thing I liked about Kelly’s Closet was when I purchased my second Flip day pack – two covers and six stay-dry inserts – I was able to pick the colors I wanted for my two covers. At Diapers.com, the Flip day pack comes pre-packaged, so you have a limited color choice. Plus, the price is the same at both places.) In the interest of full disclosure, the link above is my affiliate link. I love Kelly's Closet so much that I joined their affiliate program. However, I didn't join the program until after placing my orders and being extremely satisfied, so I would like to think that my opinions have not been influenced by my participation in the affiliate program.
• Diapers.com: their cloth selection isn’t great, depending on which brands you’re looking for. But, they have a good selection of accessories and shipping is fast and free with a minimum order. (I placed an order on Saturday night, around 10:30 pm and received the order on Monday.)
• Brand websites, including GroVia.com and Motherease.com: I had trouble finding these diapers at the websites that I mentioned above. (The Gro-Via diapers were always out of stock at Kelly's Closet - I must not be the only person who loves them!) I had good luck with purchasing direct from the manufacturer with these two websites, and I expect to purchase from the KaWaii website in the future.

Other stores, like Target and Babies R Us, also offer cloth diapers in their online stores, so you should shop around before placing your orders.

I really hope that you’ve enjoyed SEVEN DAYS OF DIAPERS here at All Things Ng. I have loved learning so much about cloth diapers, and we’re so happy that we’ve been able to share this experience with our little man.

Seven Days of Diapers - Nighttime Solutions

What to do at nighttime posed a whole new question for us once we began using cloth diapers. While Zach is not an exceptionally heavy wetter at night, he does cluster feed right before bed, so his nighttime diapers do need to be more absorbent than his daytime diapers. We tried a few diapers for nighttime use, but to be honest, this is still a work in progress, as we haven’t found a nighttime solution that we love.

The first thing that we did at night, and really the simplest, was double-stuffing a bumGenius diaper. We had no leaks with this option, but it became clear that Zach was wetting two inserts from front to back, and we weren’t sure how much longer a double-stuffed diaper would work…

The next option we tried was a Mother-ease Uno Overnight Diaper. I read about this diaper in Kelly Wels’ book, so I ordered directly from the company website.

Holy cow, this is the most absorbent diaper ever! Just the diaper was absorbent, and I purchased a microfiber terry booster for additional protection. Oftentimes, the microfiber insert is not even damp in the morning because the diaper itself is so super absorbent.

The diaper is bulky, but I can deal with bulky at nighttime if it means no leaks and comfort for Zach. However, I have a big problem with the elastic around the legs. Most of the diapers in our stash have a covering over the elastic/at the seams, either fleece or some other fabric. The Mother-ease diaper doesn’t really have anything to protect Zach’s legs and waist from the elastic. He usually wakes up with red marks where the elastic touches his skin, even though we’ve adjusted the sizing of the diaper and where it hits on his thighs. (These marks never seem to bother Zach, but they look so awful, and the last set took almost four days to go away. I just can't imagine that's comfortable!)

While I absolutely love the absorbency of the Mother-ease diaper, I just don’t like that there’s nothing to protect Zach’s legs from the elastic… After doing some research on the Mother-ease forums, I found that other people had this same problem and they suggested loosening the diaper. The inner gussets contain the leaks well enough that the outer elastic doesn't need to be so tight on the legs. So, we'll give it the old college try and see if a looser fit can be comfortable for Zach without leaving these heinous marks. Because I really, really want to like this diaper!

I also ordered a KaWaii Goodnight Heavy Wetter one-size cloth diaper. This diaper came with two very thick boosters.

This diaper was much gentler on Zach’s legs, as far as the elastic is concerned, than the Mother-ease Uno. I don’t think it was as absorbent, though, despite the thickness of the booster pads. However, I like the fit of the diaper and decided to use it with a hemp liner. (More on that below…) One of the best parts of the KaWaii diapers are the price: you can purchase a Goodnight Heavy Wetter diaper for less than $8 directly from the KaWaii website. (I ordered my KaWaii diaper as part of an order from another cloth diapering website, but when I looked at the cost of the diaper and shipping directly from KaWaii, it was about $12.)

I had read good things about hemp inserts, so I thought they might be a good option. I purchased a two pack of Thirsties hemp inserts, and I have to say that I love them. They are super, super absorbent and very thin. The inserts are very big, so it can be a bit tough to stuff them into diapers. However, I can usually fold over the front of the insert to give additional absorbency in the front. The KaWaii Goodnight diaper with one KaWaii booster and one hemp insert is our current favorite nighttime solution. It's never leaked, the elastic is gentle on Zachary's legs, and the pocket is generously sized, easily fitting one Kawaii booster and one hemp insert.

Please join us tomorrow on All Things Ng for a look at diapering accessories and a wrap-up of Seven Days of Diapers!

Seven Days of Diapers - Fitted Diapers

Another type of diaper that I wanted to try was fitted diapers. These diapers are elasticized along the waist and legs, and the entire diaper can absorb wetness, as opposed to just the liner/booster. However, fitted diapers are not waterproof, so they must be worn with a waterproof diaper cover to contain wetness. I had read good things about these diapers, so I purchased two different brands to try them out: Thirsties and Kissaluvs.

I bought a Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted cloth diaper with aplix (hook-and-loop) closure. (This was actually a diaper suggested for nighttime use, as well as daytime use. More on nighttime diapering solutions tomorrow…) I like that the diaper not only has a thick, absorbent liner, but you can also stuff additional boosters under the liner. The diaper is a bit bulky, and it doesn’t seem to fit well with any of the diaper covers that I own (bummis, econobum, Flip, Palm Tree). I don’t own any Thirsties diaper covers, so perhaps the Duo diaper would work better with a Thirsties cover. Using it with the covers that I own always seems to lead to a small leak somewhere – once it was along a leg, so the next wearing I was very careful around the legs, and I had a leak by Zach’s stomach. I just can’t seem to get a cover to contain every part of the diaper.

I also bought a Kissaluvs Fitted Cloth diaper, size 2 (20-40 pounds). Zach is on the lower end of this weight range, so perhaps the diaper is just too big for him, but it has leaked every single time he’s worn it.

It doesn’t seem to be too absorbent to begin with, and it cannot be stuffed with any additional boosters. (I suppose you could just lay something in the diaper…) The diaper is soft, inside and out, and the elastic is gentle on Zach’s skin. However, I have enough diapers that do not leak, so I’m not really interested in continuing to use this one, especially if I have to change Zach’s entire outfit every time he wears it…

Overall, I’m not a huge fan of fitted diapers. While the concept of a diaper that absorbs all over is nice, in practice, I wasn’t a fan of either brand I tried. I would prefer to have a super-absorbent booster (or two) in a diaper to absorb wetness, rather than having Zach wearing a diaper that could get wet at the waist or around the legs or on his back, or worst of all, wet everywhere… I expect that I’ll try these fitted diapers again once Zach gets a bit bigger, to see if a bigger baby leads to a better fit, but for now, they’re at the back of my diaper piles.

Please stop by All Things Ng tomorrow for a discussion of nighttime diapering solutions!

Seven Days of Diapers - All-in-Twos and Hybrid Diapers

I wanted the majority of my diaper stash to be diapers that were not simply one-use diapers. Pocket diapers, while very convenient, can only be used one time and then the entire diaper must be washed. Since I knew I would be doing laundry more often, I wanted the loads I was doing to be as small as possible. I liked the idea of a diaper made up of parts that could be used for more than one diaper change. So, most of the diapers I tried fall into this category: GroVia, Flip, itti bitti, best bottom and gDiapers.

GroVia are my favorite diapers at a splurge price. The introductory system (two reusable diaper covers and four stay-dry soaker pads, which are snapped into the liner) was over $60. However, I LOVE THESE DIAPERS! The fit is great, and I absolutely love that the soaker pads have two layers and gussets on the side to contain messes.

The stay-dry soaker pads have a waterproof layer on the bottom, five layers of a hemp-cotton blend, and a micro-fleece liner on top to keep your little one comfy and dry. These pads are EXTREMELY absorbent!  I have never had a leak, either pee or poop, with these diapers, even during long errands or longer naps. They’re not very bulky, and the prints are adorable.

I like that the diaper covers are one-size, so they’ll grow with Zach as he grows. GroVia also has highly rated biodegradable soaker pads, which offer a disposable option for travel. I have a package of the soaker pads in Zachary’s closet, which we’ll be using when my sister and I travel upstate in May.

Flip are my favorite diapers at a saver price.

The introductory system (two reusable diaper covers and six stay-dry inserts) was just under $50. I really like these diapers as well. The inserts are very easy to use – they simply lay in the cover, with the front being folded if you have the one-size diaper cover on a smaller size.

(The undersides of the pads are labeled small, medium, and large, so you know how long the pad should be and can fold it accordingly.) In the one or two instances when poop has escaped the pad, it was well contained in the diaper cover.

I also like the stay-dry pads – they are absorbent, wash and dry well, and the top layer of “smooth stay-dry suede cloth” feels dry to the touch, even when the pad is wet, so I know Zach’s little tush is comfortable. Flip also offers a disposable option, which I will try once we’ve tried the GroVia disposable liners that we’ve already purchased.

Another of my favorite diapers is by an Australian-based company called itti bitti. I purchased a sized diaper for Zach from their bitti d’lish line.

(While Zach was a few pounds smaller than the size Large diaper, I bought it anyway, knowing that Zach is growing quickly. He’s had no problem fitting into it. I guess he’s a “cuddly size” baby, as itti bitti refers to chunkier babies!) This diaper is referred to as a snap-in-one: it has customizable inserts that are snapped into the liner.

I love the outside of this diaper – it is so soft that it makes me want to rub my face on Zach’s behind. I also like that the amount of absorbency is customizable with one to three layers, so I never worry about Zach leaking through. It’s also a very trim fitting diaper, even with all three layers snapped in. The one aspect of this diaper that I’m not a huge fan of is the inside of the shell: it is a soft fleece. While I love the idea of something so soft being next to Zach’s behind, I also worry that any leaks that escape the soaker pads will soak into the fleece lining, thereby making the diaper single use, instead of reusable. I have not encountered this problem myself, but it’s always in the back of my mind.

I also ordered a best bottom diaper to try that system. I purchased a reusable cover and two boosters. The diaper is a bit bulky with both boosters, but I’ve found that during the day, the second booster is seldom even wet. I like that the boosters are snapped into the cover, so they stay put. The reusable cover has an extra elasticized gusset around the legs to help contain messes, which is great.

I also think that Zach looks pretty adorable with a cow print bottom! However, while the top liner does have some sort of stay-dry top layer, I don’t believe it feels quite as dry as some of the other liners we have. So, I do like the diaper and will continue to use it, but I probably will not purchase any more of this brand.

The final type of hybrid diaper I’d like to discuss is gDiapers. This system includes a reusable cloth gPant, a breathable waterproof liner, and either disposable or cloth inserts. To be completely honest, I wanted to try this brand of diapers because if I ever needed additional supplies, I could drive over to our local Babies R Us, rather than ordering online and waiting for a package to arrive. I purchased one pair of gPants and a set of 6 cloth inserts. I have to say these are one of my least favorite diapers and my least-favorite hybrid diaper.

I hate the fact that the tabs for these diapers fasten in the back. Don’t most people change their children while said children are lying down? Perhaps the gDiapers people put the tabs in the back to ensure that children don’t open their diaper. However, I’ve found that I often have difficulty opening the tabs on the gPants, so I would applaud the kid who can unfasten their own gDiaper. I also don’t feel that the cloth liners stay put – whenever I change Zach, the liner is bunched up between his legs, which tends to lead to leaks.

The gDiapers website states that their cloth diapers should be changed every 1-2 hours. Every hour?! I’m sorry, but if you would like me to buy your product, I need it to soak up urine for more than 60 minutes. I’d read that you could stuff the gPant with two liners, cotton/hemp sides facing each other, to increase absorbency. I did this, in hopes of increasing the amount of time I could go between changes. After just over 90 minutes, Zach was soaked right through and in danger of springing a leak. (And this was just a normal amount of urine – nothing crazy.) So, the cloth gLiners are at the back of my line-up as back-up boosters, but I’m really not a fan…

So, the All-in- Twos and Hybrid diapers are definitely my favorite diapers, in general. The GroVia diapers and Flip system are my favorites, but the bitti d’lish and best bottom diapers are also reliable diapers that are used on a regular basis.

Please join us tomorrow on All Things Ng for a discussion of Fitted Diapers.

Seven Days of Diapers - Pocket Diapers

The next type of diaper that I’d like to review is pocket diapers. These diapers are very similar to disposables, so we’ve found them a great option for the times when someone else is watching Zachary. Once the pockets are stuffed with the liner(s), they go on just like a disposable. While I didn’t want my entire stash of diapers to be pocket diapers, I did want a few in the rotation. I ordered several different types of pocket diapers and received two other types free with my purchases, so I had a good variety of pocket diapers to work with. Zachary has sported the following brands on his adorable little bum: FuzziBunz Perfect Size, FuzziBunz Elite One Size, Happy Heineys, bumGenius, and OhKaty pocket diapers.

I would have to say that my favorite pocket diapers are bumGenius 4.0 One Size Stay-Dry Cloth Diapers.

These diapers are one size, with snaps on the front to adjust the rise. The diaper comes with two cloth inserts, the larger of which has snaps to adjust it to small and medium sizes. I often use both inserts for overnight with no leakage issues. One feature that I like on the bumGenius is that there is a flap over the pocket opening.

Most other pocket diapers, including FuzziBunz and Happy Heineys in my stash, have an opening along the back of the diaper and the fleece layer of the pocket diaper just sits across the back opening. While this does make stuffing the diaper easy, the elastic along the back can come into contact with your baby if the fleece does not sit across it properly. The pocket cover in the bumGenius diaper removes this guesswork. I’ve also found that our bumGenius diapers are the easiest pocket diapers to stuff. Because the inside of the pocket diapers is waterproof to prevent leaks, it can sometimes be difficult to slide liners/boosters into the diaper. Our bumGenius diapers are incredibly easy to stuff and I find the liners/boosters slide into this diaper easily. Aside from this pocket opening, the bumGenius diapers fit Zachary well without being too bulky and we have had zero leaks, both through daytime and nighttime use. (Note: for daytime diapering, I use one insert, but for nighttime, I use both inserts.)

Two other brands of pocket diapers in my stash are FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diapers and Happy Heineys One Size Diapers. I ordered FuzziBunz Perfect Size, rather than one size – Zach is size Medium right now.

This size will fit Zachary through 30 pounds. FuzziBunz Perfect Size diapers come with one liner since the diapers are fitted. (One size diapers usually come with two inserts of varying sizes since the diapers are made to fit babies from newborn through toddler sizes.) The diapers are fairly easy to stuff, fit Zachary well, and are not overly bulky. I also like that the FuzziBunz Perfect Size diapers don’t have snaps that must be closed to adjust the rise.

Happy Heineys are the one type of pocket diaper that I purchased in both hook-and-loop and snap closure.

Similar to the FuzziBunz, the Happy Heineys diapers are easy to stuff and not overly bulky. However, these diapers came with two inserts, so I can double-stuff them. My one issue with Happy Heineys diapers, and I admit that it is a small one, is that their inserts are not labeled. Most other brands of pocket diapers labels their inserts, so it’s easy to match up and stuff the diapers when they come out of the wash. Happy Heineys are one of the only inserts that are not labeled, so it’s easy enough to match the inserts with the correct diaper. But, it’s a small thing that I just don’t understand leaving off the insert…

With the three brands of diapers that I ordered, I received several free one-size pocket diapers. I received two FuzziBunz One Size Elite Pocket Diapers and an OhKaty Pocket Diaper. Both diapers came with two inserts. However, I am not a huge fan of either one.

The FuzziBunz Elite is probably the trimmest fitting diaper in my stash, but there is elastic along the back and legs, with instructions for measuring your baby and adjusting the elastic to fit these measures. (Yes, you heard right. Instructions. Fairly detailed instructions, to be honest…) Since Zach is not real big into sitting still so I can measure his waist and legs, I had to guess and we had a leak the first time he wore it. (Given, I did not follow the instructions, so the leak was probably my fault.) I adjusted the elastic and we have had several leak-free wearings.

While the diaper is very trim, it also seems very small. I’m honestly not sure how this diaper would fit a 30+ pound child.

The other free diaper I received was an OhKaty Pocket Diaper. I have to say that I’m not a fan of this brand of diaper.

While a one size diaper, Zach is already wearing it at the largest rise setting, so I’m not sure how this will fit him until he’s 35 pounds… My other issue is the location of the pocket opening. While every other pocket diaper I’ve ever seen has the pocket in the back, the OhKaty diaper has the pocket in the front. I’m putting this diaper on my son. You know, a boy, with boy parts, which tend to wet a diaper much closer to the front than the middle… While reaching into a pocket diaper to pull out a wet liner is not the highlight of my day, I don’t usually mind since Zach very rarely, if ever, wets a liner all the way from front to back, so I’m usually grabbing a dry liner. With the OhKaty diaper, I’m sticking my hand right into the wettest part of Zach’s diaper and grabbing for the wettest part of the liner. Obviously not engineered with a boy in mind… So, the OhKaty diaper is another diaper that I keep towards the back of my stash, in the event that I’ve run out of everything else…

As I mentioned at the beginning of today’s post, I wanted a few pocket diapers in my stash. I always stuff the diapers after they’re dry, before I put them with Zach’s changing table. So, these diapers are just as easy to use as a disposable – great for those times when someone else is watching Zach. I also like to use them at naptimes, since the pocket keeps the liner firmly in place. They have a soft fleece layer that touches your baby’s bottom, and even those brands that must be line-dried dry fairly quickly. (I wash diapers after Zach goes to bed, and by the time I wake up the next morning, all the pocket diapers are dry.) They’re also a great back-up for overnight if all our nighttime diapers are dirty. I wouldn’t want every diaper in my stash to be pocket diapers because I do feel it’s a bit of a waste that they can only be used once, and then they must be washed. I’ve noticed on days when most of my diaper load consists of pocket diapers, I have to wash the load on a larger setting. But overall, pocket diapers are a good addition to our diaper system.

Please join us tomorrow on All Things Ng for a discussion of All-in-Two and Hybrid diapers!

Seven Days of Diapers - Prefolds

I thought I’d start out my reviews of diapers with the simplest diapers that I tried – prefolds. Prefold cloth diapers are a simple rectangular piece of fabric, but they are one step above a flat diaper in that prefolds have an absorbent layer already sewn into the middle. (With a flat diaper, you must manually fold the diaper to get extra absorbency where it’s needed.)
I purchased two different brands of prefolds: bummis BeautifulBASIC and econobum. Both systems include a diaper cover/wrap and three prefolds. I wanted to try prefolds because I liked the simplicity of a prefold diaper, as well as the fact that the covers could be re-used.

I tried the bummis prefolds first. The prefolds are made from organic cotton and are used with a bummis Super Whisper Wrap. The prefolds are thick organic cotton, and the wrap has adorable green polka dots. The wrap came with hook-and-loop closure (a fancy name for Velcro).

While I really wanted to like these diapers, they’re just not my favorites. They absorb well, but they are so incredibly bulky that I had a difficult time fitting clothing over them. I was concerned that I was doing something wrong, so I re-read the instructions and watched bummis’ how-to video on YouTube. I was doing everything according to the directions, and the baby on the video also had a pretty big hiney. Perhaps these diapers will be better once Zachary gets a bit bigger, but right now, they’re just too big. (I do, however, keep the cover on hand to use with other inserts in the event that I run out of diapers before laundry day.)

Do not be fooled. The camera is not adding ten pounds - Zach's hiney is just that big...

The other brand of prefolds that I purchased is econobum. I once again received one diaper cover and three cotton prefolds. The reason I wanted to purchase the econobum system is that it is advertised as an easy, affordable way to cloth diaper your baby. According to their branding, from birth to potty training for around $100!

The econobum prefolds are cotton and not quite as thick as the bummis prefolds. The cover also looks a bit “cheaper” and feels thinner, but it has snaps (a plus in my book) and it has performed just fine through our uses. Zach’s tush was still pretty bulky with these prefolds, but not as bulky as the bummis. Once again, these are my back-up diapers, but I do use the cover with other inserts if I’m in a pinch.

After my initial go-round with prefolds, I wanted to give them another shot using a Snappi. Snappis are these really neat stretchable plastic three-pronged devices that are used to fasten the prefold before putting on a diaper cover. The Snappi allows you to fold the diaper to look more like a fitted diaper, rather than the tri-fold method that I tried first. After watching a few videos on YouTube of other mamas using Snappis, I felt confident enough to try it on Zachary.

My very first Snappi diaper. Not too shabby, and I've gotten better since then!

I think I would have benefited from using slightly longer prefolds, but I was able to fold and Snappi a prefold on Zach. It was definitely less bulky than using the trifold method, but it wasn’t as absorbent, either. Perhaps the Snappi would work better with longer prefolds, but we have so many other diapers in our stash that I really like that I don’t feel like I wanted to spend more money on additional prefolds…

So, in my mind, a few of the pros of prefolds:

-          They’re simple to use. No stuffing pockets or snapping in liners. Just fold the cloth, lay it in the cover, and secure to your baby. Easy peasy!

-          The covers, so long as they don’t get soiled, are reusable. This allows for my loads of diaper laundry to be smaller than if I had to wash the entire diaper each time. (I wouldn’t recommend using the same cover for subsequent diaper changes, though. It’s a good idea to have at least two covers, that way you can allow your just-used cover to air out while you use a different cover.)

-          The prefolds that I purchased were thick and absorbent. I was also able to vary the way I folded the prefold to add extra absorbency during extended periods (e.g. naptime).

-          They’re very economical. As I mentioned, econobum claims that you can diaper your baby from birth to potty training for less than $100. Talk about savings money compared to disposables – that’s three or four boxes of disposable diapers!

A few of the cons of prefolds:

-          They are very bulky – by far the bulkiest of the cloth diapers that I have purchased.

-          While the prefolds are very absorbent, they don’t wick away the moisture like other diapers/inserts do. I wouldn’t use a prefold at night because Zach is a fairly heavy wetter, and I wouldn’t want to have that wetness against Zach’s skin for the entire night.

-          With the two brands of prefolds that I purchased, the prefold just sets in the cover. I prefer a little something to help hold in the inserts, like snaps or pockets.

So, overall, while I am not a huge fan of prefolds, I do like having the option available to us. They’re an economical option for people looking to cloth diaper, and the prefolds are absorbent. Plus, once we’re done using the prefolds as diapers, there are lots of uses for your prefolds around the house!

Please join us on All Things Ng tomorrow for a discussion of pocket diapers!

Seven Days of Diapers - Ditching the Disposables!

Now that we’ve been cloth diapering Zachary for about SEVEN weeks, and he’s SEVEN months old, I wanted to do a series of posts about our switch to cloth diapers. Hence, today is the first day of SEVEN DAYS OF DIAPERS here at All Things Ng!

One of the things that I’d thought a lot about before Zachary was born was cloth diapering. We had used disposables for Abby, mainly because I was still working at the time and daycare required disposable diapers. (In truth, I didn’t know much about cloth diapering either…) Knowing that I would be home with the kids after Zach was born, Carey and I discussed cloth diapering and decided that we’d like to try it.

I was super excited to get started, but I had no idea what to do first. The amount of information out there is overwhelming. Thankfully, I received good advice and was directed to a few helpful websites. Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering, written by Kelly Wels, is an excellent resource, from explaining the different types of cloth diapers to how to care for your diapers to listing the different accessories that will make your diapering experience easier.

Not knowing where to start, I ordered several different styles and brands of diapers. (Ask Carey – he’ll probably tell you that I went a bit overboard. I couldn’t help myself. There are so many different styles and so many cute dipes – I couldn’t resist!) At first, I wanted to try a bunch of different styles because I wanted to figure out what worked for Zach. I’d rather purchase a trial pack of a brand/style of diaper and then, if I don’t like it, I’m only out a small amount of money, rather than being out a large amount of money for purchasing an entire diapering system only to find that it leaks…

I purchased prefolds, all-in-two diapers, pocket diapers, hybrid diapers, and fitted diapers, in addition to a few diapers that I wanted to test specifically for nighttime use. Throughout this week, I’ll give my opinions on these diapers, including, and most importantly, how well they worked on Zachary, how they fit, how easy they are to use and care for, and any features that I liked or did not like. I’ll also share some information regarding accessories that I purchased and some of the places I purchase my diapers.

I do want to start out the week by saying that cloth diapering is really much easier than I thought it would be. I was prepared to do more laundry and knew I would have to deal with poopy diapers, but now that I have my system down, I can honestly say that using cloth diapers is not much more work than using disposables. The amount of time it takes to change a diaper on a squirmy 7-month old is not that different with a cloth diaper than it is with a disposable. And, in an unexpected but pleasant side effect, I’ve found that the water-proof covers mask the smell of poopy diapers. With disposables, we could smell Zach from across the room, and now, I often don’t know he pooped unless I see his “poopy face.”

Another helpful tip that I wanted to pass along is viewing diaper videos on YouTube. Because we had so many different brands of diapers that we planned to try, I wanted to be sure that I understood how to put each diaper on Zach, how to get a fit that wouldn’t leak, and how to properly fasten the diapers. Some brands, including itti bitti and bummis, have their own YouTube channels, so you can see the correct way to fit your diapers and ensure that you have the proper fit to prevent leaks. There are also hundreds (thousands? ten of thousands?) of videos with “real people” putting diapers on their kiddos. (When I ordered my Snappi, it was great to see it in use. The photo that I’m going to post tomorrow is my very first go at using a Snappi on Zach. I got better with each use, but I think my first go wasn’t too shabby, thanks to seeing other moms using it on their little ones!) So, I would definitely suggest checking out YouTube, either before you purchase new diapers or afterward, to see them in use.

I hope you’ll join us back on All Things Ng tomorrow for a post on prefolds!

Baby Butts

Beginning on Sunday, I'll be posting a weeklong series about cloth diapering. What we use. What we like. What we don't like. And more pictures of Zachary's adorable little tush than you can shake a stick at. Won't you join me for a week of all things cloth here at All Things Ng?