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Cloth Diapering Options
Why would I use cloth diapers?
- Money. Cloth is cheaper. It's a bigger initial investment, but it's cheaper in the long run. For each additional child you diaper with those same diapers, the cost goes down even further.
- Convenience. Okay, I know some of you are laughing at the idea of cloth being convenient. But seriously, with the options available today, changing them isn't difficult. And, yes, you have to wash them, but you also don't just "run out" and have to go buy more at midnight.
- Comfort. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to wear paper underwear. I don't think I should make my little ones wear paper on their bottoms, either.
- Health. Some studies have linked the chemical gels in disposables to asthma and such. (There are one or two brands that sell gel-free disposables. Tushies are the best-known.)
Now What?
Okay, so you're convinced. You want to try cloth. But with all these new options, you're kind of confused. First of all, you most likely want to not buy anything you can find at your local store. If you can find diaper service quality prefolds, they're probably all right. And diaper pins shouldn't be a problem. Some people don't mind Dappi wraps, either, which I think you can buy at Target. Other than that, you probably want to steer clear of the department store stuff. Whatever you do, don't buy those awful prefolds with the supposedly absorbent polyester padding in the middle. They will leak terribly and you will wonder why you ever tried cloth. You can do better, and I'll tell you where you can find the good stuff.Here are the basic diaper options:
- flats
- These are the really thin, very large flat diapers. You can sometimes find these in the stores, and I think they're okay quality-wise. I personally wouldn't use these unless I was desperate, as they have to be folded about a zillion times and I just don't want to mess with it. Some of the ladies I talk to like them, though. (If you're interested in this, you'll have to find folding information somewhere else, as I don't have any at this time.) These need to be accompanied by covers of some kind.
- prefolds
- These are what we use, as they are pretty much the cheapest option (along with flats). These are the flat rectangular diapers that are somewhere around the size of a really big piece of paper. The best ones to get are generally the diaper service quality (DSQ) or Chinese prefolds, in the 4x8x4 thickness (or sometimes 4x6x4 for newborns). This means that they are 4 layers thick on the sides and 8 layers thick in the middle. These also require covers.
- shaped/fitted
- These diapers are shaped somewhat like a disposable, either flat or with elastic to help them fit better in the legs. Most fitted diapers come with fasteners of some sort (snaps or velcro/aplix/touchtape). Shaped or fitted diapers also require covers.
- All-in-Ones
- Also known as AIOs, these diapers are the easiest option but also the most expensive. These diapers are fitted, with elastic and fasteners, and have a water-resistant or waterproof layer so separate covers aren't needed. You just put these on baby like a disposable and wash them instead of throwing them away. Some of them are so thick that they don't dry very quickly, so that's something to look into before you buy a bunch of one kind.
- Fuzzi Bunz
- These need a category to themselves. Fuzzi Bunz are "pockets" of fleece and PUL (polyurethane laminate) which can be used over prefolds as covers or can be "stuffed" with prefolds and used as AIOs. There are now other Work-at-Home-Moms (WAHMs) making similar products.
Diaper Covers:
There are two basic options here: pull-on pants (like the plastic pants our moms had available to them) and wraps. I personally prefer wraps, as I think they're easier to change. If you're using velcro wraps, you can use prefolds with no pins - just fold the prefold into thirds the long way, and snug the wrap up tight. Prefolds or flats with snap wraps or pull-on covers will need pins. Diaper covers are generally available in waterproof fabrics (like PUL), polyester fleece (see note on fleece toward the bottom of this page), and wool (which absorbs more than its weight in liquid before feeling wet and has the advantage of being a natural fiber).
Fasteners:
- Pins
- These are pretty self-explanatory, I think.
- Snappi
- This is kind of a nifty little product. It's a stretchy plastic T-shaped device, which holds the diaper in place in basically the same way those little metal clips on Ace bandages work. They are about $2 each, and you really only need one. (We like to have two so one is always easily available.)
- Velcro/Aplix/Touchtape
- These are all basically the same thing. I assume most of you are familiar with Velcro. Aplix is generally accepted as being softer and longer-lasting, although I haven't compared them myself. I haven't heard much about touchtape.
- Snaps
- These are pretty self-explanatory, too, I think. Let me just reiterate that if you get snap covers and you aren't using fitted diapers that have their own fasteners, you'll need pins or a Snappi.
Diaper Accessories:
Doublers are smaller than diapers. They are added as an extra layer to provide additional absorbancy without a lot of extra bulk. (You can also use the newborn-sized diapers as doublers inside larger diapers.)
Liners can be either disposable or reusable. They're used to either protect the diapers from staining (especially with meconium - a newborn's first poops, which are tar-like) or to keep baby feeling drier. Fleece liners are good for the latter.
A note on fleece: Fleece refers to polyester fleece in the cloth diapering community - most often Malden Mills fleece. Fleece is not absorbent. This allows it to be used as a stay-dry liner (as the urine will go right through it to soak into whatever absorbent layers are on the other side), or as a breathable cover. I'm told, though, that snug pants don't work over a fleece cover, as the cover will wick some under those circumstances.
My favorite cloth diaper source is Jardine Diapers. She has a gift registry and the best prices I've found on the 'net (which is where you pretty much have to shop to buy decent diaper stuff). I think she sells everything I've mentioned.