We are currently building our cloth diaper “stash” so we will be ready when our little girl arrives! We have chosen to use cloth diapers primarily because of the tremendous amount of money that they save, but it also feels good to know that cloth diapers are better for our baby and better for the environment than disposables. For a bunch of cloth diaper q&a’s, click here.
Just a side note: when we first bring our baby girl home, we’ll probably start off with disposables, simply because of all the adjustments being made! Once she grows a little (and we get into a little more of a routine), we’ll transition to our cloth diapers.
To figure out how much money cloth diapers can save your family, click here. According to my rough estimates at the moment, it looks like (compared to disposables):
We will break even in 14.2 weeks or 3.27 months.
We will save $284.93 in 6 months.
We will save $702.01 in 10 months.
We will save $910.55 in 1 year.
We will save $1536.18 in 1 1/2 years.
(And that is just if we use them for ONE baby! Using them for a second child more than doubles your savings!)
Here is a list of the diapers that we have been stocking up on (based on what friends have used and recommended).
– bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper
We currently have 9 of these. They are (from what we’ve heard) as easy to use as disposables. They snap to re-size to your baby as she grows.
– Indian Prefolds
These are the old-school, typical cloth diapers that used to be paired with little plastic pants and metal pins. Now, they are paired with cute covers and a “snappi.” We have 10 infant sized prefolds and 5 regular sized, as well as one snappi.
Still to purchase:
– some diaper covers (to use with the prefolds), such as Flip One Size Diaper Covers or Thirsties Duo Wrap Diaper Covers.
– more bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diapers
Since these are so easy to use, I would really love to have a bunch on hand.
– a diaper sprayer
Not essential, but would be nice to have! Attaches to your toilet and aids in cleaning solids off of diapers.
Ideally, we’d like to have enough cloth diapers to last two days before needing to do laundry.
I would love to hear from you. What has your experience with cloth diapering been like? Feel free to comment with suggestions and advice, or link up to posts you’ve previously made about cloth diapering! Thanks!
I’d encourage you to try more than just the BG pockets. Try something with snaps. I got incredibly frustrated with the velcro on the BG 2.0, though I’ve heard they improved it for the 3.0. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, so to say 🙂
Cloth diapering can be a lot of fun, and it’s hard to stop wanting to try new things. My favorites are the Easy Fit from Bummis, and the Rainshine Designs AI2. Both awesome diapers that come in a One Size option. The Easy Fit has velcro, but that stuff is amazing. Way nicer than any other velcro I’ve seen!
So glad to hear you are using cloth! We started using cloth when our baby was 3 months old (we also wanted to wait until we had a bit of time to adjust to being parents before tackling cloth diapers) and I am now what you might call a cloth diaper addict!
I would definitely recommend the BG pockets for ease of use and excellent leak protection. It I were you, I would also try something with snaps such as the FuzziBunz one size diaper. These are a little bulkier than the BG’s, but the snaps are excellent and don’t look worn like velcro and they will replace the elastic in the legs and waist free of charge when it wears out! I also really like the Flip diapering system with stay-dry inserts. These are definitely an economical option since you can get 12 diaper changes for $100.
My favorites so far (and I’ve tried quite a few things) are the BG pockets, FuzziBunz One size, and the Flip system. I also have prefolds (with snappis) and fitteds (which are new – for our new baby) and Thirsties Duo wraps. I recommend the Thirsties Duo wrap as a great cover! The leg gussets offer great leak protection. If I were you, I wouldn’t use the Flip cover as a cover for prefolds because the leg holes are big for a small baby and the cover is designed primarily for the inserts Flip makes so there are parts inside that would quickly get soaked with with pee if you were using a prefold. The Thirsties on the other hand can be easily wiped out and re-used and only would need changing after a bad poo. I’m also planning to try the Kissaluvs one size cover with our new baby because it has similar leg gussets to the Thirsties. I will let you know what I think!
My advice would be:
~Try some different kinds of diapers before you buy too many of one kind. Everyone finds a different diaper that suits them best. And any diaper you buy won’t go to waste because you can keep using it, even if you only have one or two.
~ Find out if you have hard water or not. It’s very important that you use cloth diaper-friendly detergent on your diapers and there are certain cd-friendly detergents out there (like Rockin’ Green) that work best in hard water. Other wise you can run into problems with repelling and sink that won’t go away. And dry your dipes in the sun as much as possible!
~ If you haven’t already, check out The Cloth Diaper Whisperer blog. They have great info on cloth and giveaways for free diapers every week!
Email me if you’re curious about what I’ve tried and what I thought about different diapers. Good luck!
Oh, and I can’t say enough about how great it is to have a diaper sprayer! We didn’t invest in one until recently, and I wish we had at the beginning! It makes the poo part of cloth diapering SOOO much easier and less intimidating! An essential in my book…
You know i love my BG 🙂 and I think tad will 2. Travis is a fan of anything that involves no pins or buttons or work and the BG require very little attention. Just like a disposable. I saw use the prefolds and covers as much as you can so the life of your BG will be as long as possible, you know? Prefolds are great for at home use!! and covers can be reused over and over throughout a day, so that helps cut down laundry.
I may have a few more BG for you 2 🙂 once my shipment gets in with the diapers to photograph, yayyy
I love hearing about people using cloth diapers! I’m really considering using them when we have kids and love hearing more about them! Thanks for sharing! And you’ll have to let us know when you’ve tried them out! Let us know which are your favorite! 🙂 Good luck!!
I cloth diapered my little girl almost all through. She is now almost 14 months old. I used plain cotton cloth squares. These are soft and breathable. You have to fold them and use two pins on either side. It is time consuming, but in the Indian way of doing things, s woman goes back to her parents home to have the baby. After birth she is pampered with hot oil massages and medicated baths for 40 days (I got fed up at 2 weeks and so stopped there). Usually an Aayah (nanny) is hired to take care of washing, drying in the sun and folding the cloth diapers. I didn’t have an Aayah but my mom was a great help.
Most Indian new moms only return to their husband’s homes after 3 months. I couldn’t handle the separation from my husband for more than 2 months. He would travel 9 hours overnight evry weekend to visit us!!
I’ve used cloth off and on for years! There are times where cloth is ‘easy’ and times when it is too hard to get them washed, in my experience. (think all-day morning sickness. bleh.)
I’m thrilled you are starting off with cloth! I hope you have a good experience with it.
Just a word of caution: diapers that are not made of all-cotton tend to harbor ‘stink’ in time. I have a mix of BGs and cotton prefolds and covers, both of which I love for different reasons. I saw you wanted enough dipes to last for two days. If they sit in the diaper pail much longer than that, the stink is harder to get rid of.
Best wishes to you and the arrival of your little one! They are so much fun and precious little blessings!
-Lauren