Anyone cloth diapering?

[binksmommy]

I have invested in some cloth diapers.. I think they are really awesome.. Hope I can hang with it!

 

[Barbi]

I plan to use reusable nappies also. Which brand did you go with? I was looking at Bambooties to start with, but now decided to go with Pea Pods instead which are a little less costly. Bambooties you can get a three day pack consisting of 24 nappies in whatever colour or design you want (they have many different colours and designs), for $450.00 Australian dollars, whereas Pea Pods are very similar but have packs at 10 nappies and Bamboo liners included at a cost of $199.00 per 10 pack.

The other difference I noted, which is my main reason for going with Pea Pods is that Pea Pods has a one size fits all babies all the way to toilet training time, so all you have to do is adjust the clip hidden inside the nappy to the newborn size for proper sealing around the legs until baby grows and then you just let out the clip to suit baby's growth. With Bambooties, you buy different sized nappies as baby grows, at a higher cost.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[Kaites]

We are- I saved all our cloth diapers from my first so I'm excited that they will really start to pay for themselves with our second kiddo

 

[J22]

I definitely want to go cloth. I'm scared to buy all my stock (are around 24 - 30 enough??) in case it doesn't work out. But is there really any reason it wouldn't work out??
I thought maybe I'd need to use disposables for newborn and buy one size cloth for when bubs is a few weeks old.....would this be what you'd suggest I do? Does one size fit fine from say around a month old to when they're out of nappies, and do they last ok all that time?

I'm still a little confused on how to go about this as you can see x
Thanks ladies!

 

[chicka.chicka]

This will be my third cloth-diapered baby. I didn't start with them until #8. I love them! Over the last 3 years I have tried some of everything, but always end up coming back to the basics - flat diapers and waterproof covers. I have used disposables from time to time for different reasons, but have used cloth a good 85% to 90% of the time since I started. I love cloth!

 

[chicka.chicka]

You can definitely cloth diaper from birth; no need to use disposables for the first month, although some prefer to use them until the meconium as passed and/or the cord has fallen off. I used cloth on #8 and #9 from the beginning, and intend to do the same for this one. Most one-size diapers start to fit well at about 8 pounds, but there are newborn size diapers that work well until the one-size start to fit. Most of my stash is flats and one-size covers since I already have 2 in diapers, but I will have some newborn size covers to get this next one by until they can fit the one-size covers.

 

[Shanoa]

I'm curious, what is the benefit of cloth? There's the obvious environmental argument, I guess. But what do you ladies prefer about it?

 

[J22]

The 2 reasons I want to use cloth are environmental and cost (I believe it's about half the cost for the first year alone and you can continue to use the same nappies after that). The environmental issue is a big thing for me too.

Does anyone have any more accurate info on cost saving?

 

[chicka.chicka]

Cost is the biggest factor for me, too. Especially with having more than one in diapers, the cost of disposables really adds up, and it bugs me to feel like I'm literally throwing all that money in the trash.

The savings difference is very subjective. It really depends on what kinds of cloth diapers you use, how many you have, whether you tend to buy all the latest, greatest things or whether you go the inexpensive prefold/flat route and stick with it all the way through. Many cloth moms I know will freely admit that they have easily spent far more on cloth than they would have on disposables, but for them it was as much a fun hobby as anything. So it really just depends. For me, I can't really quantify how much I've saved over using disposables all this time, but I know I have saved quite a bit since even with all the experimenting I have done I bought used, re-sold what I didn't want to use, and have mostly stuck with an inexpensive system.

I will say that the increased laundry/energy costs associated with washing cloth diapers has been very negligible for me. It has barely made a difference in our overall utility costs, but then we are a large family already so an extra 3 loads of laundry a week is a pretty small drop in the bucket anyway.

 

[Kaites]

I also preferred that the cloth seemed to hold in nasty poop blowouts better than disposables. I also find that disposables smell more than cloth- something about the chemicals in them mixing with the urine makes for a worse smell, imo

 

[chicka.chicka]

I also preferred that the cloth seemed to hold in nasty poop blowouts better than disposables. I also find that disposables smell more than cloth- something about the chemicals in them mixing with the urine makes for a worse smell, imo

This totally! All of it.

 

[Shanoa]

Thanks ladies. I had started to wonder about the benefits of cloth but hadn't really looked in to it yet so thanks for all the info. I prefer the idea of natural fabrics. The problem is I wouldn't have a clue about how to make up or fold a cloth nappy. Do you know of any sites that can help a cloth newbie?

 

[Barbi]

The reusable nappies I will be using (and I'm a first time mum yet to be) do not require folding, they are just the same as throw away nappies, the only thing you fold is the bamboo liner which inserts into a pocket within the nappy and away you go. Also the ones I am buying will only cost about $200.00 Australian dollars per 10 nappies which all come with the bamboo liners, plus you can buy extra liners that are flushable, also made of bamboo eco friendly which are soft and draw away all moisture so nappy rash is a rare occurrence.

I don't know how to put a link of a website on here, but the website I looked on is www.peapods.com.au which also has a short video on it to show how the nappies work and how you put them together. Take a look, it really helped me figure out how all of it worked.

As for some of your questions about the cost factor, the above site estimated the savings around $1,000.00 per year and the one size fits from newborn to toilet training, all the way, I will be buying around 15 to 20 of them. It looks really easy and I have spoken with other mums who have used cloth nappies in the past, most have told me about the pros and cons of them, the main con being the leakage factor around the legs due to nappy not being adjustable for a snug fit. Pea Pods have pretty much solved that by having an adjustable clip on the inside of the nappy (hidden away) to adjust to XS for newborns and and upwards from there for when the baby grows. Good luck ladies.

 

[chicka.chicka]

Thanks ladies. I had started to wonder about the benefits of cloth but hadn't really looked in to it yet so thanks for all the info. I prefer the idea of natural fabrics. The problem is I wouldn't have a clue about how to make up or fold a cloth nappy. Do you know of any sites that can help a cloth newbie?

https://thenappylady.co.uk is a great site out of the UK. The Info & Tips tab has lots of good information and videos for beginners. Like the PP said, there are several different styles of diapers ranging from flats that need to be folded; prefolds that are, by definition pre-folded; pockets that just have to be stuffed with an insert and then go on just like a disposable; and all-in-ones that have everything all contained and also work just like a disposable. The flats and prefolds can be pad-folded and just laid in a cover or they can be pinned on and then a cover is placed over them. Pros and cons of the different systems really just depend on what you're after.

The pockets and AIOs are often considered more convenient, but also can lead to more washing issues as they are more difficult to get clean without a lot of extra rinse cycles. Flats or prefolds are the most economical and the easiest as far as laundering go, but do require an extra step or two when putting them on.

If you prefer natural fibers, you're going to have an easier time finding them in the flats and prefolds. Most of the pockets and AIOs have some kind of synthetic fabrics in them with the stay-dry liner of microfleece or suede cloth, as well as the absorbent layers that are often microfiber or some other kind of fabric like that. There are some that are made with natural fibers (Swaddlebees Simplex I think is one of them), but not very many.

Like I said, I've tried a little bit of everything over the last 3 years, but I always keep coming back to the basics of flats and prefolds. There is a little bit more of a learning curve with them, but they're easy to get the knack of and, at least in my opinion, offer a greater bit of flexibility in fit (flats are the ultimate one-size-fits-all diapers!), custom-ability, and ease in laundry care.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions and for sure check out the Nappy Lady's site.

 

[vermeil]

Good topic!

We cloth diapered out first and I intend to do the same with number 2. I know some people go nuts and buy tons (and I admit it`s hard to resist they`re soooo cute!) I only had 17 and it was enough. At 25$ each (for the fancy pocket kind) that`s 425$ (before taxes). Consider disposables are about 25$ for 80 ish diapers. That`s 31 cents each. Let`s say you use 8 a day, that`s 2.50$ a day. Within half a year you`ve paid for your cloth diapers, and they`re still good until they`re potty trained. If you had used disposables (let`s say your kid is diaper free at 3) that`s 2.5 years more of having to buy disposables - so another 2125$ !!

And can get reused for future kids. And usually have a good resale value.

My advice is to get the snap ones, NOT the velcro! I bought half and half. It`s true the velcro is easier to get on but my son is now almost 3 and the dang things don`t stick any more. I`ve had to replace all of the velcros, about 10$ a diaper. blah.

 

[J22]

Thank you for all the info and tips ladies: that'll come in very useful ! xx

 

[Shanoa]

Wow this is fantastic info! Thanks so much, Barbi, Chicka & Vermeil. I didn't realise there were so many different varieties out there and the cost savings sound immense - especially as we are hoping to have another LO (god willing).

I'm going to read those sites you've given me over the weekend. You've really inspired me. Thanks again!

 

[BeachgalNY]

I'm totally planning on it. Saving the info in this thread for later! I'm so glad there are so many alternatives to plastic diapers out there now. I don't know if anyone else has mentioned it, but if you live in a larger city, you may have access to a service which will do the laundry for you, making this even easier.

 

[TicToc]

I really needed all that information. Thanks ladies!

 

[Anthrogirl]

I began using cloth with #1 when she was about 6 weeks old due to terrible skin issues and I've never looked back and we'll be using cloth for #3! It's so much better for their skin to be in cloth, especially natural fibers like cotton and bamboo (which I LOVE)!