Last week I got together with some old friends I hadn't seen since High School. We all have small children now. At one point the other 2 moms were discussing techniques to get poop stains out of infant clothes. I told them that I never have had a problem with stains because my diapers don't leak- we use cloth. They were shocked! It was like I told them my baby was already potty trained. One mom called me a "wow super mom". I tried to explain that cloth diapering is really easy and inexpensive, and basically totally leak free. I don't think they bought it.
That conversation got me thinking, a few months ago a new-mom friend asked for a cloth diaper update, and I meant to update the blog then. Life got in the way- so finally here it is! 1- you CAN cloth diaper and it IS easy. 2- I hope this post helps to take some of the mystery out of it. And 3- please visit the happy baby company website for all FAQs, advice, and most importantly- to buy your diapers. Support a local family owned business for the same price as an Amazon retailer!
Diapers. I still think the best cloth diaper option is "old fashioned" prefolds with a cover. We have had the least leaks with these. And folding is not difficult- basically however you can fasten the fabric around the bottom is fine. Plus you have double leak protection- the fabric against his/her bottom, and then the cover. The pre-folds come in sizes. You can buy economy and just get one large size and fold it a million times for tiny bottoms. We got the small and the large sizes. She fits better in the larger size now, but I can still put her in the small size, and she's 18lbs and about 27inches tall.
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| a few days old in a Thirsties size XS |
Covers for prefolds- For newborns, I really like Thirstie's duo-wraps covers. They can grow with the baby up to a point so are more economical than buying size xs and s, and they have tons of snaps so you can customize if your baby has, for example- chubby legs and a skinny waist. Also, they have a dip in the front for the cord, which needs to stay uncovered til it falls off (which took 4 long weeks for Tilly). I would go with snaps over velcro- they hold up in the wash better and are more secure.
In the beginning we also really like the Bummis SuperLite covers in size S - they are only $10 and did a good job for us.
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| exactly 2 months old, wearing a Thirsties size XS |
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| 3 months old, home sick, Bummis Super Lite size S |
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| 3 months, Thirsties DuoWrap size 1 |
For older infants: Now that she is bigger and soaks her diapers a lot more, I find that the Thirsties are no longer doing the job. The leg and waist gussets get wet easier, and the PUL (the material they are made of) does not seem to be as waterproof after months of washing. We have transitioned in the last month to Bummis SuperBrite size M (though the size S still fits for daytime, she needs the M at night because of the extra stuffing we put in them to keep her dry over night). We used to be able to do BumGenius 4.0 at night, but now she sleeps on her tummy (and rolls around a lot), and the BumGenius weren't holding up as well and she was getting wet around the leg. The Bummis have inner leg gussets so they are more snug around the leg to prevent leaks there, and are thus a perfect nighttime diaper. Now at night she wears a prefold with either another prefold inside it, or a doubler because she pees a lot in the night and sleeps through the night (about 11-12 hours) so is changed less. The 2 pre-fold method seems to keep her drier than the prefold and doubler. I think soon we will have to add another pre-fold or an additional doubler- because they are always really soaked in the morning.
For daycare, we send her in BumGenius 4.0 one size diapers. She has been wearing these since she was 2 weeks old.
For daycare, we send her in BumGenius 4.0 one size diapers. She has been wearing these since she was 2 weeks old.
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| furry little bear, 2 weeks old, BumGenius 4.0 one size |
They are one size so have TONS of snaps and technically go from birth to potty. So far, this claim is true for us. I find that when they are saturated with urine (like during a nap) they leak at the sides, whereas a prefold and cover seriously never leak (see above). Im not kidding when I say I almost NEVER have to change her clothes because of leaks with a prefold and a cover. But daycare is better at putting on the BumGenius because its basically like a disposable- all one piece- no folding or fastening required so they like it, and they are good at changing her frequently so that minimizes the leaks. They leak because the absorbant fabric is attached to the cover, so if the fabric on the side gets wet, it just soaks up and if the kid's clothes touch the leg of the diaper (which obviously they do), the clothes get wet. But it hasn't been a problem at daycare. In fact, 4/7 kids in her class cloth diaper (so cool!) and use the BumGenius 4.0
I believe our current working "stash" consists of probably 30 prefolds; 12 BumGenius 4.0 (for daycare); 4 Bummis SuperBrite size M, 1 size S; 3 Bummis SuperLite size M, 2 Thirsties Covers size 2 (my least favorite), and a dozen nighttime doublers. We wash every 2-3 days and never run out with this number.
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| Stash in bins from the Container Store. View of her closet the week before she was born. Ahhh, those clothes are SO TINY!! |
We also use a combo of regular wipes and cloth. DO NOT buy cloth wipes made specifically for use as wipes- they are SO expensive! We buy the super super cheap target infant washcloths- they are the same size and are like 6 for $1 or something obscene. People will probably buy you tons of those washcloths- just use half as wipes. We homemake a wipe solution using these dissolvable soaps in a spray water bottle. They may seem expensive but we are only halfway thru the bag in 8 months, so it's a good deal. We only use the cloth wipes and solution for poop. Otherwise, I use 1 disposable wipe when she pees. So disposable wipe packages also last us a really long time.
In conclusion (finally!) in my very personal opinion, with what I know now, the "must buy" list for a cloth diapered newborn would be the following: two dozen prefolds, 3 thirsties duo-wraps, and maybe 1 thirsties xs in case the duo-wraps are a bit too big initially (due to the cord), 1 Bummis size S (superbright or superlite) (it wont fit right away but you'll have it on hand to try when it does), 2 BumGenius 4.0 one size (depending on size of your newborn, may not fit for the first few weeks. Tilly was 8lbs 10oz at birth and these fit week 2), some cloth washcloths and honeychunks with a water bottle sprayer, a diaper sprayer for the toilet, a wet/dry bag for the diaper bag, a basic garbage can to keep in the bathroom for the dirties, baking soda to cover the dirty diapers in the can till wash-day, and 2 snappis (to fasten the prefolds). This way you can see what you like best without making major commitments to any brand or spending a ton of money.
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| 7 months old, playing (pantsless of course) in the family room, wearing Bummis Super Lite size M |
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