Monday, February 16, 2009

Cloth Baby Diapers

Have you use Cloth diapers on your kiddos?

I am looking or some insight to cloth diapers..... I have been looking at the BumGenius diapers as its the only one I have heard much if anything about.

I kinda have a few things that I want in the diapers.

-They need to be NON LEAKY! :-D
-I would like to find a one size fits all. I don't want to get lots of sizes and spend all that money and they only use them for a month or so!
-Easy to use.
-Don't stain.
-Not extremely expensive. (I am all for buying them off eBay or some other place for a cheaper price but I think I want them to be brand new.)
-I would like them to feel not like old' school diapers, as in the plastic feel.

So, if ya have any input please do tell!

I plan on using cloth diapers for the most part but also plan on using disposable diapers for outings, and the first month or two while we get use to having a baby! Share

26 comments:

Unknown said...

I bought mine at Burlington. They are simple to use and one size fits all. I liked the 6ply by Gerber because they didn't shrink ( some others did). I had to by the rubber pants at Wal-mart and those are sized. Instead of using pins, I found these great fasteners that work like an ace bandage clip; I'll try to find the name. My hubby was leery of cloth diapers but soon was better at those than disposables!! Mine are 2yrs old and aren't stained, but I did find that if I left them too long in the diaper pail (like a week) the acid in the pee could make holes in them. I'm planning on using these same diapers for baby #2. I'd love to talk with you more if you want.

Mrs. Nichole J. said...

Hey,
So are they plastic feeling on the outside? Thats another thing I think I would like, them to feel like cloth on the outside. My mom used plain ol' white diapers with the plastic pants to hold them in place so no leaking. But I never did like the feel of those things.
Hoping for more of the nice soft cloth feel to the outside of the diaper.
N.

"Hello... It's Me Again..." said...

If you are interested in cloth diapers, man, I have a friend who totally recommends it! She's tried tons of different kinds and really liked them all! Babies 'r Us has a few plastic covers that work great and walmart.com has the all-in-one kushies that are great (for registering)...her all-time favorites are the g-diapers. She used pre-fold cloth in the cover when at home and the compostable/decomposable paper liner when out and about. If you are interested in the g-diaper, post a comment on my blog and I'll get the web info from her for you. I know she ordered from the internet and considering she is extremely frugal, they have to be affordable.

Jamie
www.oktxok.blogspot.com

rebekah perez said...

EWWWWWWWW!

thats gross. then you have to rinse them out and stuff... in your sink... EW!

use disposable.

David said...

The best way to clean cloth diapers is to pre-rinse them off in the toilet using a Bathroom Bidet Sprayer. So convenient and if you are trying to help the environment (and your pocket book) you can give it a double whammy by virtually eliminating toilet paper use at the same time by using it to clean your tush! Available at www.bathroomsprayers.com they come in an inexpensive kit and can be installed without a plumber. And after using one of these you won't know how you lasted all those years with wadded up handfuls of toilet paper. Now we're talking green and helping the environment without any pain.

Anonymous said...

I used a diaper service. Someone got me that as a baby shower gift. This was in the late 70s when my son was a baby..the cloth diapers were ok when he was very very little, but not when he started crawling, and we had to use rubber pants to keep his clothes dry.
I used the diapers more for cleaning the house with!!!
I recommend disposibles!

Kama said...

I bought cloth diapers for my son who is now 5 months old. He has been breast-fed and I tried to use the diapers when he was about 6 weeks old. They stained. I was using Bum Genius 3.0 (which my friends also use and love). I bought them from thanksmama.com with a 5% off coupon and free shipping. I contacted BG about this staining and they said to rinse the poop off while it is fresh (I have a laundry sink) and to lay them out in the sun. I also have an HE machine which I found out is good for the environment, but horrible for cloth diapers. I hear that it's better when they start on solids, so I'll try again next month. Just wanted to share!

Anonymous said...

you can find several websites where people will sell used diapers. I like bumgenius with prefolds (bought off etsy.com) and the flushables when out. You can find coupons on ebay which can be a help, check out manufacture websites for discounts too. hope you enjoy using clothe diapers. I got prepared for my second to use them, but am now saving them for my third. I cant wait to try it cause I loathe disposables that my first child uses.

~*Michelle*~ said...

As a cloth diaper advocate, lol.....I would be happy to help out in any way. Feel free to email me with any questions.

Here are some great resources.

If you are going to use prefolds, grab some Bummis covers/wraps. They work fantastic for keeping in leaks and staying dry (overnights)

I used Fuzzi Bunz along with some other great WAHM (work at home moms) diapers with the Bummis Covers or bought the AIO (all in ones) where you don't need a cover.

Here are a few suggestions (sorry about not having links handy, but very easy to find with Google)

Bum-ware
Lullaby Diapers
Bottom Bumpers
kindhearted woman
Lucy's Hope Chest
Happy Heinies

I hope that helps. :)
Peace
~*Michelle*~

na said...

I used the pre-fold diapers...really nice and cushy ones that I ordered online somewhere. Then I bought my covers at Babies r us...they velcro in the front. You fold the diaper along the foldlines and place it in the cover. Many people didn't even realize that my son had on a cloth diaper. In fact I still have the covers (in very good condition w/boy design)...if you are interested and would pay shipping I could ship them to you.

Don't listen to people saying yuck...cloth is so much better and they are not that difficult to clean. I soaked my diapers in a bucket with baking soda and water and then just dumped that into the washer every day. Very easy...no stains...no yucky hands.

Anonymous said...

I use Fuzzi Bunz with my daughter, and I find that they work really well. Just remember that you have to change them more frequently than you do disposable, otherwise they will leak. I got my Fuzzi Bunz through their seconds factory (just type in "fuzzi bunz seconds" into Google and it should be the first site that comes up) and bought Gerber prefolds at Target to stuff them. THey work wonderfully for us, but I've also heard really good things about the BumGenius, and I've heard you can find them at reasonable prices if you search around the internet a bit. Good luck! Going with cloth isn't for everyone, but I find it almost as easy as disposable, and it's saved us SO much money that the little bit of extra work doesn't even matter!

Anonymous said...

Whoa! I thought David was saying to use the diaper to clean your bottom! GAK! What a bunch of great commenters you have! I also had diaper service and LOVED it! Just at the beginning, though, when Paul went through 75+ a week. If you nurse, #2 is rough because it's so runny. I have a now-funny story about that and church.... You're gonna be SUCH good parents.... Love you, Sis!

Anonymous said...

I use BumGenius 3.0 on my 3 1/2 month old, and they are great! I actually find that my daughter has LESS leaks when she wears cloth than when she wears disposables (we use disposables when we travel). Also, I find that whenever she wears disposables a lot she gets diaper rash, but when I put her back in cloth it clears up on its own.

Make sure that you get the 3.0 not 2.0 They made several improvements to the new style. The BumGenius are one size fits all, which is great. My daughter was 6lb15oz, so at first we used disposable newborn size diapers. As soon as she was big enough to wear size 1 diapers (a few weeks?) we moved her into the cloth diapers. My friends have an 18 mo old who is still wearing the BumGenius and they fit great.

We have a Diaper Champ to put the soiled diapers in. Much better than a Diaper Genie bc you don't have to buy special bags and better than a plain pail bc it contains the smell! We rinse the diapers into the toilet with a diaper sprayer and put them in the Diaper Champ until I wash. This works great--no odor!

I have had some problems with staining--mostly on the inserts, not the outside of the diapers. However, I think this is bc I have very rusty well water! My friends who have city water don't have any trouble at all, and another friend who is on a well but has a good softener does not have staining either. Even the stains that I have are not so bad that it bothers me to put them on her. (I was worried about this) Since the stains are on the inserts you don't see them once you stuff the diapers, so it's not a big deal--I know that they are clean!

The BumGenius are very soft and do feel like cloth on the outside as well. I think you would be pleased with how they feel. They are very easy to use. I find them easier to put on than a disposable bc disposables have the little gatherings around the legs that are a pain to mess with.

As far as cost, pay attention to the shipping at the different stores bc that can make a big difference in your overall cost. I used "The Little Seedling" bc it had a very nice registry system. I registered on their website and received most of my diapers as gifts. Then we only had to buy a few on our own. I have been very pleased with this store. I had one diaper that had a problem with the elastic, so I called the store. They informed me that all BG have a 1 year warranty, so I sent the diaper back, and they sent me a new one in less than 1 week.

I have only tried BG, but a friend of mine sampled many different styles of cloth diapers and says that hands down BG is the best!

Sorry to write SO much, but I hope it helps!

Julie

ps I use disposable wipes bc I wanted to throw SOMETHING away :) We have a step-lid trash can by the changing table for the wipes. This works for me!

Sally said...

Over from WFMW at Rocks in my Dryer. We've been cloth diapering my 15 mo. old daughter since she was about 6 wks old. I actually made all of my diapers. We've been using one-size Poo-Pockets fitted diapers + Bummis Super-Whisper Wrap and Thirsties covers. I've loved this system for the most part. I've only got about $400 invested in my diapers, so far. However, she wets a lot at night and we've been using disposables for overnight.
I'm thinking of changing to BumGenius now that she's wetting so much. The fleece liner wicks away the wet really well and they're super absorbent. We have one and I've tested at nap time...will test at night this week. These are more expensive, but if you're not a person who sews and you'd like the easiest possible way to cloth diaper, I'd go with the BumGenius.

This is the cheapest I've found them...especially if you'll be buying in bulk.
http://www.clothdiapersuperstore.com/BumGenius_One_Size_3_0_p/bg-os12.htm

Also, check out http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp
for great reviews of all cloth diapering supplies and options.

Once you go cloth, you'll never go back. It's awesome! Good luck!

Berji's domain said...

I used (exclusively) G-Diapers on my daughter. Normally I just used a cloth insert, but when we were traveling or hiking used the flushable & biodegradable insert. I think they are really easy to use and actually they limit the area that human waste touches baby's skin, so limited area for a rash, should that develop!

Angela @ Nine More Months said...

I love cloth diapers. I am using fitted diapers and prefolds with covers, and I like that system the best. I have a few one-size diapers that I use for night diapers, since they hold more. I buy mine used, to save money. Most of the ones I've bought, you can't even tell they're used!

Anonymous said...

Good on you, cloth diapering is fun when you get the hang of it, especially if you are committed to making it work. All diapers leak at one time or another but on a small baby i found disposables would send poo from neck to ankles, cloth just a bit of a leak out the legs!!!!
I found plain old cloth flats my best option. You can fold them different ways so you can make them really absorbent in the front for boys or not so for girls... you can do different folds as baby grows... very bulky on newborns but you can invest in some smaller infant prefolds which are a great option (and one of the cheapest options too!!!) I used my flats with some good PUL covers so no plasticy feel, the waterproof stuff is a laminate on the inside of the fabric. I made mine but they are similar to bummis covers. because they are well fitting I never used pins or snappis, the cover was sufficient to hold them in place)
Oh and i have a couple of fitteds i use at night with an extra flat folded inside for extra absorbancy. With a PUL cover and a woolen soaker over top I have had maybe one or two night leaks ever (thats out of 2 children!!!)

Unknown said...

I used the prefolds w/ Bummis Whisper wrap covers. Super easy! And cheap! You will need several sizes of the covers. I've bought 2 sizes for my now-two-year old.

A friend gave me her Fuzzibunz - they're fabulous!! I love them.

PUL is not plastic-y like 1970's diaper covers - its soft & flexable, but expensive & you can't buy it at JoAnn's.

I have a tutorial on making your own cloth pull-ups, which is a variation on a cloth diaper. If you know someone who sews this is the least expensive route.

http://bumblebabymommy.blogspot.com/2009/01/potty-training-time.html

Good luck! You'll find lots of people against cloth -but they've likely never tried it. Its so easy and everytime I use one I tell myself I'm saving 19 cents!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your new baby!

My tips:

1. Use disposables when baby is first born until the meconium is out of their system. Meconium is the dark stuff that is in their intestines. It takes about a week to leave their system -- and it STAINS. So use disposables at first so you don't stain your nice cloth diapers.

2. Our son in 11 months old and we exclusively cloth diaper him. We do one load of laundry every single day. His diapers are not stained.

We use Kissaluvs fitted diapers with a diaper doubler (same fleece material) and also a diaper cover. We have NEVER had a blowout, not even one time. NO LEAKING.

We use a dry diaper pail, meaning that if it's just a WET diaper then we just put the diaper in the pail. (Since we do laundry every day the diaper is never dirty longer than 24 hours.) If it's a messy diaper then we rinse it in the toilet (give it a couple shakes and the stuff falls off, or leave the doubler in the toilet for about 20 seconds and it will come right off). Then rinse the small residue down the bathtub drain (since the bulk has gone down the toilet). Then it goes in the diaper pail.

Doesn't smell.
Our son has never had diaper rash.
We use cut-up old white t-shirts and just plain water as wipes. It's working fine for us.

Whatever you decide, good luck to you and congratulations!

Anonymous said...

Forgot to mention, we use Bummis Whisper wrap covers. Very easy.

Jennifer said...

I've used Bummis, Bumkins, and Bumgenius (a lot of bums!) and I have to say that I've been happiest with the Bumgenius. They "grow" with the baby by using the snaps to make different sizes. I also feel like the hold leaks better, feel softer inside, and keep the baby drier inside (wicking the moisture away).

I also agree that a sprayer for your toilet is a great help!

Also, if you let your diapers sit outside in the sun (inside up!), it will magically fade the stains out of them! Seriously :)

Jodi said...

I also used the FuzziBunz seconds and they work great! They are not cheap, but if you get the seconds, it's a little better. Plus, we have used the same 13 diapers for almost two years. (size 2--our dd is now potty training and still uses them.) I did have to wash every day with only 13, but now I only have to wash every 2 or 3 days. Also, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. We aren't 100% cloth; we still use disposibles at times, too.

Anonymous said...

The link behind my name is my article with all the details about my cloth diapering method. Dappi nylon pull-on covers are VERY leak-resistant, and while they don't feel like soft cottony cloth, they don't feel like sticky plastic either--the fabric is like an umbrella.

From what I read, it sounded like diapers with a separate cover were less leaky than the all-in-one kind. I can't compare since we never tried AIOs, but definitely our diapers with cover were less leaky than disposables!!

We used two sizes of diapers. The "one size fits all" did fit on a newborn, but they were really bulky, so we used infant size for 5 months and then one-size for >2 years. For the covers, I think we had 4 different sizes, but they're cheap and you don't need nearly so many covers as diapers.

If you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me ("This is not a blog" link in the top left of my page)--I love cloth diapers and giving advice! :-)

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Lenetta said...

I wrote an embarassingly long comment on the blog of a friend recently, you can find it here:

http://sarahs-musings.blogspot.com/2009/02/great-cloth-diaper-decision.html

Liz said...

Search coolababy on eBay. I use those and I Love them. Sounds like what you are looking for.

Jenni said...

I've have the best luck with non-staining when I use darker colors of microfleece or suedecloth...just a thought ;) White shows any little mark. If they do get stained, put them in bright sunshine and they whiten right back up though--it's pretty impressive. The UV rays also disinfect them, so that's an added bonus!! I LOVE cloth so much though!!! I'm sure you will too!

Technically selling used diapers on ebay is illegal (it's considered 'underwear') but www.diaperswappers.com has a HUGE selection and some great helpful forums for talking to other cloth diapering moms, so it's well worth the visit!
There are literally dozens of brands out there, and since each baby is a different shape, each brand will fit differently. I recommend www.diaperpin.com and read the reviews of various brands, as well as the comments. I thought the fuzzi bunz sounded good till I heard that they were short in the rise...sure enough, I tried one and on my long-waisted baby it always left him with somethin hanging out in back if you know what I mean! So I found something that worked better *for*us* (I ended up sewing my own--which is a great affordable option if you know even the basics of sewing.)
Personally, I feel that one-size diapers are way too bulky on the smaller babies--I use sized diapers for size S, and then adjustable ones for M-L.

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