Cloth Diapers: 1 Month Review

I decided to cloth diaper due to environmental concerns, not really monetary ones.  However, I'm not here to debate whether disposable diapers in landfills (taking 250-500 years to decompose) are better or worse than using water resources to wash cotton diapers.  It's a choice everyone makes for themselves and you're all grown-ups who can research and make your own decisions.  I AM going to tell you what I did and what I might do differently if I had a second chance.

I bought most stuff online and the prices in parentheses include shipping.  The links are just to show you what the stuff looks like in case you're scratching your head and saying, "Pocket diaper?  Huh?"

What I already had:

washer/dryer
2 garbage pails from our previous diaper service (get one with a foot pedal)
18 regular size Chinese prefolds bought on Ebay ($20)

Given to me:

From Cass: 3 newborn proraps, 1 small prorap, 2 small Bummi's whisper wraps.

Bought used:

4 small Happy Heiny pocket diapers ($40)

5 "practically new" Proraps size M ($20 on Ebay)

3 small DiaperAps covers ($17 on Ebay)

Bought new:

36 infant prefolds ($48 on Ebay)

1 newborn prorap, 1 newborn Bummi's wrap ($14 on Ebay)

bag for diaper pail ($15 on Ebay)

6 double layer microfleece liners ($12 on Ebay)

wet bag for my diaper bag (I forget exactly~around $20?)

When C was born, I had 36 infant prefolds, 5 covers, and 4 pocket diapers to work with.  Since she was just over 10 lbs, the delivery room nurse took out a newborn diaper, chuckled to herself, and moved on the size 1.  In the same way, I sold the 5 newborn covers on Ebay for $29 without even using them.  Normally, I would expect those to work until your baby was around 11 lbs.  If you're going to have a small to normal size baby, you'll get a couple months of use out of those.  If you birth babies who are ready to head off to college, skip the newborn size.

(I really should have bought a lot less infant prefolds and more regular size prefolds.  Does anyone want to buy 18 infant prefolds?  I haven't even used half of them.)

Anyway, since C was so big, the small covers covered her umbilical cord so I used disposables until that fell off.  I was initially very excited about the pocket diapers, but since I've found the twist fold, I'm all about prefolds and covers.  This fold creates a sort of poop pocket (can I trademark that?) and I have not had one leak.  I had multiple leaks with the disposables and occasional leaks with the pocket diapers, but the twist fold has made the prefolds impenetrable thus far.  I could have bought fewer covers.  If the poop never leaks out, I don't have to wash them as often.

There was a slight learning curve, maybe a day or so, with the prefolds.  It IS two pieces so you'll need opposable thumbs in order to make it work.

Speaking of which, I love the proraps.  They're the cheapest cover you can buy (around $7 or $8/each, cheaper on Ebay) and while they're boring white, they work great.  There's really no need, IMO, to buy the fancier kind unless you enjoy spending up to $14 for a diaper cover.

I am using the pocket diapers when out and about because it's easy to slip off the prefold/cover, stick it in my wet bag, and just velcro on a pocket diaper that's essentially a washable disposable.  Plus, the pocket diapers take up less room in the diaper bag.  Prefolds are sort of bulky.

The microfleece liners are for times when we might need to use diaper cream.  Apparently diaper cream can stain so you're supposed to put something between the cream and the diaper.  We haven't had to use it yet, although we used it multiple times after a few days of disposables.  I think I was lazy and changed them too infrequently.

If I was going to be using these pocket diapers through multiple kids, I would spring for the hemp diaper stuffers.  They're incredibly expensive, but they absorb way more.  Plus, it's less bulky than stuffing a diaper with a prefold.  I've used a prefold stuffed pocket diaper for C at night and it works (no leaks for 8 hours) but her thighs are a million miles apart and it looks sort of uncomfortable.

Washing: I'm washing every 3 days, but only because I run out of prefolds.  Like I said, I should have bought more regular size and less infant size.  My regular size ones are poop stained, but everything I read says that if I lay them outside on a sunny day, maybe squirt some lemon juice on them, the stains will disappear.  Does that really happen?  I guess I'm not that granola because I just wish I could throw some bleach on them and be done with it (don't do it!  Bleach does something to break down the fibers and/or make them less absorbant.  Or they explode.  Something bad happens).  Anyway, I found some recommended detergent that I can buy at my regular grocery store.  The lidded pail doesn't smell except when I open it to throw a diaper in (and trust me, I have a crazy-sensitive nose).  When I wash the diapers, I run them through a cold rinse (supposed to keep them from staining, but like I said, mine are stained) and then through a hot/cold cycle with detergent. 

I refuse to complain about running a load of laundry because really, what am I doing?  Carrying a bag downstairs, throwing the contents (and the bag~how convenient!) into the machine, and pushing some buttons.  I'm not standing knee deep in the river, beating it against a rock.  How hard is an extra load?

Oh, and since I've emailed with someone who was dubious, no, I'm not rinsing anything in the toilet.  The poop absorbs into the diaper and there's nothing to rinse off.  I just throw it in the bag and call it good.  I expect that when C starts eating solid food, I'll use a wipe to dump any formed poop in the toilet and then toss the wipe in the trash, but I've got a good 5 months to go before getting to that point.

Anyway, like any parenting venture, it's not an all-or-nothing gig.  I use disposables sometimes at night and I keep them in the diaper bag just in case.  If you want to cloth diaper but are hesitant, maybe you could buy medium size cloth diaper stuff and get through the first crazy months of being a new parent before you start cloth diapering.  Maybe you use cloth at home and disposables when you're out.  Maybe you buy X amount of cloth diaper stuff, use it, and then use disposables until you have time to run a load of laundry.  Options, people, it's all about options.

Comments

[Shalini]

We had to do cloth diapers in India because there was no "landfill" where to dump disposables... there are in the cities, but we were WAY OUT. It was great cause it cut down on the rashes. I think I may try the at home cloth diapering and then disposable only when out and about with any future kids. I like that you said options and it's not all out or you are bad. :)

[Summer]

I loved using prefolds, snappis and covers, too. So easy. And I must say, as someone who chose to cloth diaper for financial reasons first and environmental ones second, you got some GREAT prices on your stash. That's coming from someone who last shopped for diapers 5 years ago... I doubt the prices have dropped in that time, so really, good job.

I will make one suggestion that will become more helpful when C transitions to solid food -- make diaper liners out of microfleece. The poop doesn't stick to the fleece the way it does to the cotton, which makes it much easier to shake off into the toilet, and the fleece doesn't stain. The ones I made were just rectangles cut from fleece scraps (no hemming required, the stuff doesn't ravel), but if I had to do it again, I'd make some that were rectangles that widen out into a triangle shape, the triangle part for the poop pocket. They wash and dry with the rest of the diapers. It IS an extra step to have to lay the liner in when you do a diaper change, but I found it quite worthwhile.

I think the main problem with bleach is that it weakens the fibers, but I bleached the diapers every once in a while (maybe every 2 months?) with no ill effect.

[Sarah]

I'm glad the cloth diapering is working out for you.

Something else that cuts down on stains is washing more frequently (like every other day). Hanging in the sun, even without lemon juice, does help IME. Personally, though, I don't care about stains. No one sees it but me.

When they have more solid poop I just shake off (or peel off with toilet paper) the solid stuff and throw the rest of it in the pail.

Also, have you considered cloth wipes? I recommend the extra expense of hemp onse since they get such heavy use. Bella Bottoms has affordable wipes. I always cringe when I have to buy more disposable wipes since they are so expensive. The cloth wipes can be washed with the diapers. I keep a travel mug with water at the changing table to wet them down. It can get chilly in the winter,though, and a small thermos will keep water warm all day, but I just tell Anna to suck it up.

http://www.bellabottoms.com/catalog/index.php

[Jody]

I think the disposables/water issue gets more complicated in areas where water is scarce and landfill is extensive. While I would definitely go with cloth-diapers if I were having another baby now, I would also be worrying a LOT about the extra water usage now that we're in the severest drought rating possible.

I totally wish I had a chance to use your knowledge here....

[uccellina]

Lately I've been thinking a LOT about this subject, because we're planning to cloth diaper our twins when they get here. Thank you for this post!

[Dea]

We're going to cloth diaper when our baby comes in feb. AND I wanted to buy fitteds and prefolds, so if you're serious I'll buy your extra infant prefolds!!!

[Katie]

I have other comments but not enough time...
I asked a environmental science prof about the diaper wash/diaper landfill issue and she said it was way better to do the cloth diapers and washing.

J2 had very strong ammonia smell with his overnight diaper. It was even burning his skin. We went to disposable for just overnight and his has no more skin irritations.

[MicheleS]

I like your attitude about being flexible. I'm seriously considering the cotton trainers for the duration of our night time wetting. Especially given the fact I may have one wetting for a very long time to come. She's the one that gets the butt zits too and I'm thinking it might actually be yeast from being confined in the disposables. I'll be interested in hearing if you like the cotton trainers.

[maureen]

I'm glad you threw that in about having options because it makes it seem less difficult. I will probably give it a whirl on baby number 3 (which won't be for a while).

[Jen A]

It's not just that the diaper cream stains the diapers. Most brands contain fish oil, so in addition to the oily stain, they smell awful, no matter how much you wash them. There are some brands that don't contain fish oil and are safe for cloth diapers--Burt's Bees is my absolute favorite.

When C does start solids, I'd recommend getting a sprayer that connects to the water supply and hangs on the side of the toilet. (We have one called a Mini-Shower.) Makes dealing with poopy diapers 10 times easier, and we still use ours to rinse out the potty chair. There is a learning curve while you figure out how high to turn up the pressure, but it's smooth sailing after that.

I may have missed it, but are you using pins or Snappis? I never got the hang of prefolds, partly because I couldn't get the Snappi to work, and pins terrify me. (That's why I have fitteds and pockets.)

Oh, and ditto Sarah on the microfleece liners and cloth wipes! You can buy some luxuriously soft ones wipes online, but it's just as easy to cut up an old T-shirt or sheet. I have a homemade wipe solution recipe if you want it.

[Christine]

Only have a second (squalling baby)...

yes, hanging them out in the sun will take care of the stains. Also, love cloth wipes. You can buy them or make them and just wash them with the diapers. We had no problems with rashes when we used those, but regular wipes would often set Max off on a rash.

[Melani]

No comment on the cloth diaper thing since I'm past that now but I loved what you said about doing the wash. I used to whine about doing laundry and then I realized how incredibly easy I have it. I'm now thankful for my washing machine and my ability to just throw my laundry in and go on with my day. Much better than beating it on a rock, I'm quite sure.

[Beth]

I cloth diapered three children over the course of 15 years (had one in dipes two years agao) and never had diaper cream stain the diapers! I keep hearing this but just scratch my head.

I always rinsed poopy diapers in the toilet = no stains. Period.

$7-8 per diaper pant?? Eh? I always used prefolds + pins + Gerber pants which are currently going for (a quick google tells me) 12 pair for $17. Always worked just fine. Easy peasy.

I dunno, call me hopelessly hippy, but I look at all the complicated and crazy-expensive cloth diapering systems currently all the rage and just shake my head. I don't get it.

[Lisa]

I used mostly prowraps and chinese prefolds during the day, and disposables at night. I never could get the cloth to last the night. I did have success with these very expensive fleece pocket dipes that I loved and would have used all the time, but they were cost prohibitive with twins and I ony had six. So it was either those or disposables at night.

It was surprisingly easy to use cloth. I did about 1 to 2 gigantic loads of diapers each week. I am not an expert on this, but I can't see how the few gallons of water for an extra load or two a week can even compare to the landfill issue. Besides all the water it takes to manufacture and bleach the disposable material.

Anyway, now we are in just plain ole gerber cloth training pants. You know what I totally don't get? pull-ups. It is just a diaper with the sides closed. What is the point? My kids just think they are diapers and poop their merry way in them. I can see using them in special circumstances like if you were going to be traveling. But kids need to learn what a mess in cloth underpants feels like. And what nice clean underpants feel like. I bought a box a while ago and they did nothing for my kids. They don't go for them being "big boy underpants."

Anyway, good for you for going cloth. Smart mom you are!

[Courtney]

I've been using cloth for nearly a month now too - my son was born just a few days after C. He was a month early tho, so I had to buy more infant diapers - I was expecting an 8 pounder and got a 5 pound (fortunately very healthy!) shrimp. I wish I'd bought proraps. I love my bummi whisper wraps but hate the bummi originals, and don't get me started on the dappi pants. I have eight size small whisper wraps waiting for us once the boy hits 10 lbs or so.

And Beth, you sound just like my mom. :) Diapering has sort of become an addiction of mine. I justify it because I have not bought him one piece of clothing yet, and likely won't have to until the spring.

[AmyinMotown]

Thanks for this--and youir email. Am I the emailer in question? Although I would call myself more curious than dubious. I think I am about 80 percent convinced--now I have to work on my husband. Not to mention the eye-rolling from my family, but that's a post for my own blog.

[BeckyG]

I used cloth diapers too, a remarkably similar arrangement to what you're doing. It was no problem to do the wash, and we kept Emily in cloth diapers for almost two years. Then we switched to disposables out of laziness, I guess. (And she grew out of the regular size, and they started leaking, etc.)

Once C starts on solid foods, you can try rice paper liners (if you have a good sewer/septic system). These were great because you just put them on top of the prefold, and then you can dump the liner and poop into the toilet.