You may remember my post about choosing to go with cloth diapers instead of using disposables. We've stuck with it since then and overall I'm very pleased. Noa seems to be happy about the process and our regular babysitter is on board too, so we've been pretty successful about sticking with it.
I thought I'd write a post about my experience so far, my thoughts on each brand of diaper, and my washing routine.
I purchased 4 different brands of pocket diapers in order to maximize the benefits of each brand. Here are my overall thoughts on the brands I purchased:
Bum Genius 4.0 Pocket Diaper
Overall, this is my favorite diaper. The Bum Genius 4.0 pocket diapers have great overall coverage and will grow with Ruby until the potty training stage. The only downside I've found with these are that they are the bulkiest, which I think looks adorable on her, but can make her clothing a little tight. Also, the color selection is just okay. I wish there were some primary options available (most are pastels).
Fuzzibuns Fitted Pockets
These are the slimest fitting diapers and are super soft, both on the diaper pocket and the inside liner. Fuzzibunz Fitted Diapers, however, seem to have the worst fit of all my diapers since Ruby has skinny little legs. I have trouble getting the diaper to get a close fit around her slim thighs. I'll also have to purchase more when she's bigger since these are sized based on weight.
Thirsties Duo Diapers
Thirsties Diapers are also sized, so eventually I'll have to stock up on more. I love the leg gussets and adorable patterns (I have one pictured and another one with owls) on these. But even more so, I love how these can be tossed right in the wash without removing the liner since there are pocket openings in the front and the back of the diaper. I find that the Thirsties can be difficult to size correctly since they fit very differently than the other diapers (I think of them as the lowrider diapers). Frankly, the biggest drawback with these are the doubled inserts. They absorb wonderfully, but they take forever to dry!
Oh Katy One Size Pocket Diapers
I only have two Oh Katy Diapers. I bought these later than the others since I was having leaking issues and heard that these are good for babies with skinny legs. These are super soft and do have a nice fit on Ruby. The pocket opening is in the front, which means that when I am stuffing the inserts back in, I usually end up unsnapping my settings. So, I have to re-snap them back, which just adds another step. Not a huge deal, but it's kinda annoying. Oh Katy Diapers have some great color choices and wash really well.
Other Observations
- Cloth diapers are super cute on babies. Enough said.
- These really bulk up the diaper bag. If I had known how much space they were going to take up, I might have put more thought into diaper bag options.
- I don't mind the extra laundry (more on that in a minute), but if you HATE laundry, cloth diapers are not for you. There's no getting around having to toss them in the wash.
- Starting cloth diapering was really intimidating since there are so many options. Regardless of the cloth diapers chosen, it's still a pretty easy diapering system.
- I read that babies who are cloth diapered don't get diaper rashes, but we have experienced some irritation. Thankfully it's never been that bad and I use Grovia's Magic Stick, which seems to clear it up by the next diaper change. I love how it's in a stick and I don't have to mess with a cream.
- Also, I remember reading that cloth diapered babies don't have blowouts. We definitely have had leaks, but I also attribute that to the fact that Ruby has really skinny legs. Trying to get some of the bulkier diapers to fit on her nice and snug can be a challenge at times. However, she also leaked when we've used disposables, so it's not like it's a major change from that.
Okay, so here is how I live the "cloth diaper lifestyle" (it's not that crazy...really!):
Dirty diapers go into a wet bag (a cloth bag with a waterproof liner and zipper) or my diaper pail. It's actually just a lidded bucket from Ikea with a liner in it.
I don't have to rinse the diapers, since Ruby is breastfed. Once she starts solids, I'll have to knock the solids into the toilet and will most likely invest in a diaper sprayer, but for now the diapers can get washed as is.
Every 2 - 3 days I throw in a load of diapers into the washing machine. I pull out the inserts and drop both the insert and the pocket diaper straight into the washing machine. The wet bag goes in as well.
I do have to use a special detergent, since most regular detergents will leave residues and oils on cloth diapers (this will cause them to not be as absorbent or could irritate baby). It's called Country Save and it's not super expensive and cleans the diapers well. Plus, since I have an HE machine, I really don't need to use a lot. Occasionally I'll toss in some OxyClean too.
The diapers go through a pre-rinse cycle and then a hot cycle with a second rinse.
Then I put all the inserts and wet bags in the dryer. The actual diapers get put on a drying rack. If there are any stains that didn't come out, I simply let them sit in the sun for a couple of hours and POW! - stains are gone. It's pretty sweet.
Oh, and I forgot to mention. I also use cloth wipes. My mother-in-law made them for me when she was visiting in January. She simply cut up some old receiving blankets and sewed the edges. Then I made a wipes solution from a recipe I found online. This system works great and the wipes can also be washed with the diapers.
After the diapers are dry, I stuff all the inserts into the diapers, fold the cloth wipes, and put everything away. I split the stash and put half in her bedroom and other other half in the living room. Here is the set-up in the nursery.
So that's it! And oh, I still use the occasional disposable, like when we traveled on an airplane. But so far, I keep it cloth about 95% of the time.
