Cloth Diapering 101: Types
I have lots of pregnant mamas who have been asking me recently about cloth diapering. I will be the first to admit that I do not even know HALF of what there is to know about diapering!! There is SO much information out there and so many different brands and types... that i can't even begin to scratch the surface. I will, however, be more than happy to share with you what I do know... and tell you about what we use and how it works for us!
Basic Types of Diapers (again, I may be missing some... but this is the gist)
(1) All-In-Ones
These are the easiest type of diaper to use (though in actuality - all cloth diapers are easy!). They are one-piece diapers. They work basically like a disposable.. on and off. There are no parts to them. You just put it on, take it off. You can find them in hook and loop (velcro) closures or snaps.
We have only a few of these and I use them for the diaper bag. They were all gifted to me. I have two Bum Genius...something or another in size small. It's an older style, so I don't think they are available anymore. I also have a Bum Genius One-Size Freetime diaper. This one is nice in that it grows with the baby. Super absorbent... but pricey (I bought it with a giftcard that I won on Facebook!).
(PS - Bum Genius anything is a great product!)
Unfortunately this is all I've used in the way of All-in-ones, so I cant offer much more on reviews!
You can find more great all in ones HERE
These are similar to the AIOs (All-in-ones) in that they are easy on, easy off. These diapers have a little pocket in the back where an insert can be slid in. AND from what I understand these are great for sensitive babies. These again are a one-time use diaper, meaning if baby pees, you have to get a whole new situation. We don't own any of these, so I cant make recommendations. I do, however, have a few friends who are in love with the Bum Genius 4.0.
Other great quality pocket diapers can be seen HERE.
This type of diaper is what most of us know as a "burp cloth." It's a rectangular cotton diaper that's thick in the middle. In fact, most of our mamas used these back in the day with old fashioned diaper pins. I do not use prefolds, but have friends that do and LOVE them. We actually use flats, but prefolds would be a close second for me. I'll discuss pros and cons a little later.
THESE are great prefolds! Osocozy is a great brand too!
(4) Flats
This is what I use with Annie. These are the good old fashioned diapers that our grandmas used on our parents. They are thin and when stretched out are about 27"x27". I love these because they are cheap (about $19 per dozen), they are not bulky, and they are absorbent (if you buy the right brand). I use THESE flats from cottonbabies.com and also THESE flats.
(5) Covers
These are "shells" that can be used with prefolds, flats, and other types of inserts. You no longer have to use old fashioned pins... instead, you can use covers! They are so easy and are waterproof, so leaking simply doesn't happen. You put a flat, prefold, or other type of insert into the cover, put it on baby.. and tah dah! Diaper. Again, this is what we use. I have had people - even my husband - say "Oh wow. That's easy!" after they have seen us diaper Annie.
My favorite covers are FLIP one-size covers. Annie is 3 months old and i have never ever had a leak or a blowout (and she is breastfed!) with these. I love the way they fit her too!
What we do:
We have the flats mentioned above and some FLIP and thirsties (also good) covers. I fold the flat in half, half again, and then in thirds, put it in the cover, and put it on my baby. All of my FLIP covers are one-size, meaning they can fit a little 7lb baby or a big 30lb baby! They make them in hook and loop (velcro) closure or snap closure. We purchased snaps because (1) I hear they are more durable (2) as Annie grows she wont be able to take the thing off as easily! I do have some FLIP stay dry inserts that I use at night time with her.
If she pees, I just change the insert and I can reuse the cover again and again. This means you don't need nearly as many! Flip covers are $13.95 each, but NOTE: I have always bought them on sale through cottonbabies.com. If you watch, you can find them buy one get one free... which is what I do! I never pay full price for them. EVER.
If she poops, most of the time (since breastfed babies are pretty explosive) I have to change the cover and all.
Why I love our system:
Ok.. so that's enough for now! Stay tuned for more info!
Next Post: Cloth Diapering 101: What You'll Need
Recommended Resources:
(1) Diaper Parties by Deidre
I went to college with Deidre Davis and she is a great friend and a goldmine when it comes to cloth diapering. She has cloth diapered both of her children (a boy and a girl), so she has some major hands on experience. She has also tried a lot of different brands and can recommend diapers based on her experience. In addition, she is a consultant with diaperparties.com and can hook you up with all of your cloth diapering needs and help you troubleshoot things!
(2) Cotton Babies - www.cottonbabies.com
This is where I have purchased 99% of everything we own. They have top of the line products and lots of how-to's!!
Basic Types of Diapers (again, I may be missing some... but this is the gist)
(1) All-In-Ones
These are the easiest type of diaper to use (though in actuality - all cloth diapers are easy!). They are one-piece diapers. They work basically like a disposable.. on and off. There are no parts to them. You just put it on, take it off. You can find them in hook and loop (velcro) closures or snaps.
We have only a few of these and I use them for the diaper bag. They were all gifted to me. I have two Bum Genius...something or another in size small. It's an older style, so I don't think they are available anymore. I also have a Bum Genius One-Size Freetime diaper. This one is nice in that it grows with the baby. Super absorbent... but pricey (I bought it with a giftcard that I won on Facebook!).
(PS - Bum Genius anything is a great product!)
Unfortunately this is all I've used in the way of All-in-ones, so I cant offer much more on reviews!
You can find more great all in ones HERE
- Pros: They're easy. Even your church nursery workers or your 11 year old babysitter can use them!
- Cons:
- They're expensive and you need a lot of them.
- They are multi -layered so they can be harder during the laundry process. May take more to get the stinky out and they take forever to dry
These are similar to the AIOs (All-in-ones) in that they are easy on, easy off. These diapers have a little pocket in the back where an insert can be slid in. AND from what I understand these are great for sensitive babies. These again are a one-time use diaper, meaning if baby pees, you have to get a whole new situation. We don't own any of these, so I cant make recommendations. I do, however, have a few friends who are in love with the Bum Genius 4.0.
Other great quality pocket diapers can be seen HERE.
- Pros:
- Easy to use, just like an all-in-one.
- The insert can be removed, thus making it easier to wash out the stinky and makes dry time faster!
- Cons:
- You have to "stuff" them after laundering (put the insert back in). With most diapers folding is required, so this is no big deal
- They're still expensive and you need quite a few of them.
This type of diaper is what most of us know as a "burp cloth." It's a rectangular cotton diaper that's thick in the middle. In fact, most of our mamas used these back in the day with old fashioned diaper pins. I do not use prefolds, but have friends that do and LOVE them. We actually use flats, but prefolds would be a close second for me. I'll discuss pros and cons a little later.
THESE are great prefolds! Osocozy is a great brand too!
(4) Flats
This is what I use with Annie. These are the good old fashioned diapers that our grandmas used on our parents. They are thin and when stretched out are about 27"x27". I love these because they are cheap (about $19 per dozen), they are not bulky, and they are absorbent (if you buy the right brand). I use THESE flats from cottonbabies.com and also THESE flats.
(5) Covers
These are "shells" that can be used with prefolds, flats, and other types of inserts. You no longer have to use old fashioned pins... instead, you can use covers! They are so easy and are waterproof, so leaking simply doesn't happen. You put a flat, prefold, or other type of insert into the cover, put it on baby.. and tah dah! Diaper. Again, this is what we use. I have had people - even my husband - say "Oh wow. That's easy!" after they have seen us diaper Annie.
My favorite covers are FLIP one-size covers. Annie is 3 months old and i have never ever had a leak or a blowout (and she is breastfed!) with these. I love the way they fit her too!
What we do:
We have the flats mentioned above and some FLIP and thirsties (also good) covers. I fold the flat in half, half again, and then in thirds, put it in the cover, and put it on my baby. All of my FLIP covers are one-size, meaning they can fit a little 7lb baby or a big 30lb baby! They make them in hook and loop (velcro) closure or snap closure. We purchased snaps because (1) I hear they are more durable (2) as Annie grows she wont be able to take the thing off as easily! I do have some FLIP stay dry inserts that I use at night time with her.
If she pees, I just change the insert and I can reuse the cover again and again. This means you don't need nearly as many! Flip covers are $13.95 each, but NOTE: I have always bought them on sale through cottonbabies.com. If you watch, you can find them buy one get one free... which is what I do! I never pay full price for them. EVER.
If she poops, most of the time (since breastfed babies are pretty explosive) I have to change the cover and all.
Why I love our system:
- It's cheap! This is the number one reason we decided to cloth diaper. The all-in-ones and pockets can get pricey... and if we're spending a ton of money on diapers, it's pointless to do it to me. We go through about 2 dozen inserts and 7 or so covers every 2-3 days. If you paid full price for everything, that's about $135 for diapers. GASP! That's a lot! Not when you consider this is all of the diapers I will need for her until she is potty trained. AND I can reuse them with the next baby and the next baby.
- It's easy! There is a little work required (folding the diapers after laundering, putting them in the cover)... but its cake. Even my husband, our parents, and our friends can do this with ease!
- Washing is easy! Flat diapers are thin... so when they are washed, all of the stink comes out. They wash well, and dry quick!
- No leaks! We travelled out of state with Annie when she was 7 weeks old and for convenience used disposable diapers. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME she pooped, she blew her diaper out. I have never ever ever had a blow out using cloth. She can load her diaper to its maximum capacity and still nothing comes out.
- Sensitive skin - Annie has a sensitive hiney and she got a rash when we put her in disposables (this was partly b/c she was getting sick and her stinkies irritated her tushy). We have to use powder on her with cloth... but she stays nice and clear all the time (unless she has a nasty stinky).
Ok.. so that's enough for now! Stay tuned for more info!
Next Post: Cloth Diapering 101: What You'll Need
Recommended Resources:
(1) Diaper Parties by Deidre
I went to college with Deidre Davis and she is a great friend and a goldmine when it comes to cloth diapering. She has cloth diapered both of her children (a boy and a girl), so she has some major hands on experience. She has also tried a lot of different brands and can recommend diapers based on her experience. In addition, she is a consultant with diaperparties.com and can hook you up with all of your cloth diapering needs and help you troubleshoot things!
(2) Cotton Babies - www.cottonbabies.com
This is where I have purchased 99% of everything we own. They have top of the line products and lots of how-to's!!
Comments
Post a Comment