Showing posts with label cloth diapers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cloth diapers. Show all posts

June 17, 2015

The Ultimate Cloth Diaper Resource List
From First Fluff to Final Sale

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

 Ever since starting cloth diapering, even when I was just thinking about it, I have used the internet to get all of my information and answers. Not one person I know uses cloth or has in 30 years. So any advice or information I need is found online. The problem is it's all scattered about the interwebs! Rather than write my own posts about all these things I've compiled a list of the best resources I've found for everything cloth diaper related. This is how I learned everything I know! Stay tuned for updates as I find new information!

Start Here!  

 

Making the Decision to Use Cloth

 
 

What Does it All Mean? 

 

Breakdowns of Styles and Types

Diaper Junction
Jillian's Drawers
Nickis Diapers
Amazon 
Cotton Babies 
Find Cloth Diapers Local - Dirty Diaper Laundry 
eBay
Check your local Craigslist
Buy direct from the brand website
Check Facebook for General or Brand Specific Buy/Sell/Trade groups

Renting Cloth Diapers/Trial Packages 

Kissed By The Moon
Jillian's Drawers
Sweet Bottoms Baby
Diaper Junction
 


Ok, Let's Do This!

 

How To Use Cloth Diapers  

How To Use Cloth Diapers - Want What You Have
Everything You Need To Know About Prefold Cloth Diapers - Family Life in LV
Prefold Picture Tutorial - The Eco Friendly Family 
Types of Cloth Diapers and How to Use Them - Plus1Please on YouTube
Cloth Diapering Full Time With Daycare - Cloth Diaper Revival
How To Make Homemade Cloth Diaper Safe Diaper Cream - All Things Mamma
DIY Prefold with Snaps Conversion - Diaper Junction

Newborn Diaper Info 

Reviews of 38 Newborn Cloth Diapers - Zephyr Hill
Cloth Diapering a Newborn - The Eco Friendly Family
Newborn Cloth Diapering - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Cloth Diapering a Newborn - Keeper of the Home
Cloth Diapering a Newborn - Fluff Love University
Cloth Diapering a Newborn Without Breaking The Bank - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Cloth Diapering a Newborn - Nurse Loves Farmer

Prepping Cloth Diapers 

How Do You Prep Cloth Diapers? - Viva Veltoro
How To Prep and Wash Your Cloth Diapers - Kelly's Closet
Prepping New Cloth Diapers and the Dreaded HE Machines - Alpha Mom
Prepping Cloth Diapers - So Easy Being Green
 

Night Time CDing  

5 Tips to Successfully Cloth Diaper At Night - The Eco Chic
Cloth Diapering At Night - Baby Blythe Blog
Night Time Cloth Diapering Solutions - Teressa Jane
Cloth Diapers at Night Part 3: Budget Edition - All About Cloth Diapers

 

Clean Diaper Storage

How Do You Store Your Diapers? - The Eco Friendly Family
Pinteresting Cloth Diaper Storage Ideas - The Anti June Cleaver
Stash Storage - The Beehive Buzz
Cloth Diaper Storage - Fluff Love University 
Cloth Diaper Storage Solutions - Making My Stead 
Everything Has Its Place - The Cloth Diaper Whisperer 

There's Poop in My Pretty Cloth Diaper! Now What? 

 


Dirty Diaper Storage 

Diaper Pails Vs. Hanging Wet Bags - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Storing Dirty Cloth Diapers - Cloth Diaper Addicts
Storing Dirty Cloth Diapers Until Wash Day - Kelly Wels
How To Store Cloth Diapers Until Wash Day - Thinking About Cloth Diapers
The top 3 Best Cloth Diaper Pails - Best Cloth Diapers

Take Care and Make 'Em Last!

 


Troubleshoot 

Junior Year - Troubleshooting - Fluff Love University
10 Reasons Your Cloth Diapers Might Be Leaking or Smelling and How To Fix Them - Cloth Diaper Geek
Cloth Diaper Problems and Troubleshooting - Alpha Mom
Troubleshooting Leaking Cloth Diapers - Everything Cloth
Troubleshooting Index - Cloth Diaper Whisperer
Help! My Cloth Diapers Stink - Padded Tush Stats
Time To Strip Your Diapers? - Cloth Diaper Addicts

Maintain 

How Should You Dry Your Cloth Diapers? - All About Cloth Diapers
How To Tighten BumGenius 4.0 Elastics - Britney Aube on YouTube
10 Things You Should Never Do to Cloth Diapers - The Eco Chic
10 Ways To Ruin Cloth Diapers - The Healthy Honeys
Upgrade Your Absorbency - Thinking About Cloth Diapers
Forego Microfiber - Natural Fibers for the Cloth Diapering Win! - Lo-Wren

Selling Your Cloth Diapers 

DiaperSwappers

Ok, But How Do I Do it With TWO?

CDing with Twins 

Diapers for Twins - About.com
I debated adding this section because I hate that I have to but, well, if you're like most of the CD population you will have to justify or explain your decision to someone. Husbands, doctors, parents and grandparents, even friends and prefect strangers - you never know who will think you're crazy or weird or gross so here's some stats and info to throw their way:



"Your child will have rashes (or yeast, bowlegs, won't learn to walk right or will be hard to potty train)."

Rashes Happen! - The Cloth Diaper Whisperer
Diapers and Development - Alpha Mom
Do Cloth Diapers Delay Walking In Infants? - Dirty Diaper Laundry
Cloth Diapers Are a Plus in Potty Training - Kelly Wels

"You will never stick to it."

The only advice I have for this one is to ignore the haters, do your best and sit back and say, "Oh no? Well, just watch me!"
...
So there you have it! I hope you enjoy your CD journey and let me know how it goes!

Have a great cloth diaper resource I missed? E-mail it to me and I'll add it!

 Xo,
Maigen
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May 19, 2015

FIAO 2.5 - Diapering The Twins - Cutting Through The Crap: How To Really Clean Cloth Diapers


So it's been just about 8 months since we started using cloth diapers. We are still going strong and I love it despite a hefty learning curve, lots of nay-saying from friends and family and a complete stash overhaul early on. We have made it through the traumatic experiences of transitioning from EBF poo to solids poo and one stupid mistake of ours that cost me $75 worth of diapers. By far one of the biggest challenges has been learning how to properly clean my diapers. It's not because it's hard, but because absolutely no one seems to agree on the best way to do it!

Modern cloth diapering itself isn't too difficult, especially with all the improvements to the diapers themselves, the invention of disposable liners and diaper sprayers and, of course, the availability of washing machines. Gone are the days when women used pins and rubber pants to contain messes that were stored in wet pails in their bathtubs and then handwashed after everyone else was long asleep, like my grandmother did with all seven of her children. Even my own mother can't get over how cute and easy to use and launder my diapers are after her days of using prefolds and a diaper service with us. Aside from figuring out how to actually save money because you want to buy ALL the diapers, one of the most important things to do is get a good wash routine down to ensure that you are putting clean cloth on your baby at all times.

One of the biggest obstacles to this is that the internet is chock full of misinformation. Well-meaning friends and family, every forum online, even diaper companies themselves all create problems when they diapers like some alien form of fabric never to be carelessly handled rather than what it is - dirty (ok, really dirty) cloth, just like our clothes. Their recommendations, which often include multiple rinses, too little detergent and use of special "cloth diaper safe" detergents, actually lead to issues with staining, stink, leaking and rashes. This can cause some to give up on cloth prematurely because they think they're doing everything right so the issue must be with the diapers themselves. I am very lucky that I started using cloth right around the time that the glorious resource Fluff Love and CD Science Facebook group was created.

This talented, intelligent group of moms banded together to fight "the misinformation, misconceptions, and dangerous cleaning methods they’ve seen promoted throughout the cloth diaper industry." In short, they did the dirty work (haha) so we don't have to. I learned everything I know about laundering my cloth from this group and their website Fluff Love University and since tweaking my routine I have had no issue with stains, stink, leaking or rashes. The very first thing I say to any mom who asks me about using cloth is that she has to join this group. The information and support is invaluable.

Even one of the biggest names in the Cloth Diaper industry, Jennifer Labit, has come around. Jenn is the founder of Cotton Babies, makers of the oh-so-popular (and, yes, a little pricey) BumGenius and Flip diapering systems as well as the more economical EconoBum brand. This past March after studying and surveying their loyal fan base she announced Cotton Babies was changing their wash routine recommendations.  I love BumGenius because they're really cute, super easy to use and fit well. I have 17 now, including 4 "Limited Edition" diapers. That said, I never even read the tag or washing instructions - I headed straight to FL&CDS to learn how to wash them. Now if only everyone else could come around we'd all be better off. Here's another great post Jenn wrote on the history of washing cloth and why people are ending up with dirty and sometimes dangerous diapers. It's not anyone's fault really but it's time to spread the word and change the way things are done. Say it loud and proud and advocate for clean cloth on all babies' bums!

Our Wash Routine:

(Adapted from FL&CDS. This is pretty much the same thing Cotton Babies recommends now. It is not bullet proof and may not work for everyone but it's a good place to start!)

 

Step 1:

 

Load up washing machine with diapers. I put about 20 in (2 days worth) that includes the pockets, inserts, doublers, liners and AIOs, plus cloth wipes and 2 wet bags in a large, old school, top loader machine until it's about 3/4 of the way full. Add the water (see step 2 for settings). Once it's full you want it to look like diaper stew. Too much or too little water and your diapers will not get clean.

 

 

 Step 2:

 


I set my machine to large, cold wash and rinse, add Line 1 (I will add a little more if there were a lot of poop diapers) of the scoop of Tide Ultra Powder and a 1/4 cup of borax. The borax is to combat my hard water although the Tide powder does a pretty good job too. I spend about $17 a month on Tide (which I use for all of our laundry) and an extra $5 on Borax every two months. Tide is my go-to detergent right now although I have tried Gain. This rinse is to get off all the yuck so you're not washing your diapers in dirty water.

 

Step 3:


I mix up the diapers a little bit after the first wash then add 1 full scoop (not just to the top line, use the full scoop or cup) of Tide and another 1/4-1/2 cup of borax. I set it to large, extra heavy, hot wash with a cold rinse. Your diapers  should come out clean looking AND smelling. Some staining is ok as long as it's not actual mess still left on the diapers.

**Step 4:

 I don't do this but Cotton Babies recommends an extra rinse. I started off doing that but found my diapers didn't need it. You only need to if they're coming out of the wash feeling slimy or with soap visibly still on the diapers. According to FL&CDS extra rinses can actually cause issues, especially if you have hard water.

Step 5:

 

I hang dry all of my pockets and All-in-Ones using a $15 drying rack I picked up at Wal-Mart. Inserts and wet bags go in the dryer on high for about 45 minutes. When it's hot or humid out I will put an oscillating fan in front of the diapers to help dry them but usually it takes about 6-8 hours for them to all be dry, usually overnight. Sometimes the AIOs are a little stiff after hanging so I'll pop them in the dryer for 15 minutes if I need them right away but usually they soften up by the time we get to wearing them.

Step 6: 




 Stuff and fold your diapers and admire your beautiful stash!

That's it! It's really that easy.

Lessons Learned


Of course after 8 months I've learned some things other than just a proper wash routine. Some I learned the hard way:

Cleaning Poo 

Oh how I miss the days of EBF poo that I could just toss in the machine with pee diapers. Things have gotten crazy with the start of solids and although liners (see below) are great if you don't have a sprayer you will have to get that poo off somehow. It took a bit of time to get it down but here's I do it with little mess:
The mason jar is to add some warm water to my low-water-level toilet.
I wear rubber gloves, dunk the diaper and swish it around. Give it a flush or two to pull off what you can holding carefully to the diaper so it doesn't go down the toilet.
Then I use an old spatula (that NEVER leaves the bathroom) to scrape off what's left.
Wring it out, toss it in the wetbag and zip it up!
I keep a spray bottle of dish soap and one of bleach to clean the toilet, spatula and gloves after.
It's really not that hard or gross, I promise!

Liners

A lot of people say you don't need them but most of those people have a diaper sprayer. My house is over 200 years old and the plumbing is about 100 years old. Our toilet does not accomodate for a sprayer and my shower head doesn't reach to the toilet so I use the good old dunk and swish method to clean poo. Now there are times when it will take me five minutes to really clean just one diaper. So I invested in some disposable liners and although they don't catch all the poo they've been life changing. Some of them claim to be flushable - don't flush them. Just ball them up and throw them in the garbage and rinse the rest away. I'll soon be going the reusable route when I get around to picking up some microfleece fabric that I will cut into rectangles and use as liners. Apparently the poo just slides right off with some soaking.

Wet bags

Always, always, always bring a wet bag with you when out and about. I forgot to pack one on Easter and put my two most favorite diapers (BumGenius Limited Edition Martin Freetimes) plus a few of my cheaper pockets in a plastic bag. We were out all day and ran out of cloth so I ended up using disposables later in the day. I specifically put them in separate plastic bags so I could toss one and put the other in the wetbag later. Well I asked CJ to toss the diapers for me when we got home and forgot to tell him that one was cloth. He threw them all away. I didn't even realize it until I went to empty the diaper bag the next morning. Twenty minutes after the garbage men came. And that's how I ended up throwing over $75 in the garbage. I cried, he laughed at me, and then let me to buy two more Martins with his credit card. Always bring a wetbag!!!

Aplix

Cloth diapers come with two kinds of closures - snaps and velcro/aplix. I originally bought only snaps but CJ was really struggling with using them - he kept making them too loose or missing a row altogether. I picked up about 10 aplix for him to use and I am so glad I did now that Vivienne acts like you're mortally injuring her during diaper changes. Have you ever tried to snap a diaper on a child who will not lay still for more than 4 seconds? Impossible. She's in aplix almost full time now because at least those I can put on when she's upside down and backwards. They aren't the best as the velcro can stick to other items in the wash and they're already pilling quite a bit but they're serving their function and that's all I care about.

So, it's been quite the journey but we finally have everything down, a complete (and CLEAN) stash and not one single regret, despite everyone saying I would never stick with it. As if the cuteness factor wasn't enough we have also saved over $800 on diapers! Although some of that savings goes out the window when BumGenius releases a new print since I have to have two of each... But come on, they're gorgeous!

Xo,
Maigen
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January 5, 2015

FIAO 2.4 - Diapering the Twins - Adventures in Cloth

We've been using cloth diapers for almost five months now and it's been quite the adventure. I've built a great stash by experimenting with all different kinds and have a great system going for washing and storing. In terms of usage it was spotty in the beginning with the girls not fitting even newborns until they were a few weeks old. As I wrote before, we received a lot of disposable newborn and size 1 diapers and I'm not gonna lie we used those pretty much all the time in the beginning. It is unreal how often two tiny humans need to be changed. They were going upwards of 15 times a day each for a few weeks. Then when you consider how many diapers were peed on before they were even fastened on the bum we were burning through 35+ diapers a day! My newborn stash was pretty small and although every one was used at least once I did not get into the swing of using cloth daily until the girls were about 2 months old and around 8 lbs. This is when I broke out my stash of prefolds and covers.

When I knew it was time I basically forced myself to do it by hiding all the disposables under the crib and laying some prefolds in a big pile on the changing table to guilt myself into choosing them. It wasn't that I didn't want to, I was just afraid of what would happen. What if they leaked? What if I can't fold it fast enough and they just pee on it? And of course, once they're dirty they will have to be washed... was I ready for that?

I will never forget what happened next. After 10 minutes of trying I finally got the perfect basic fold, snappis in place and covers on in just the right position. They looked adorable! We even started with the cutest prints (Thirsties Duo Wraps size 1). I put them both on their playmat and ran to get my camera to take a picture and then I heard it. The rumbling. The knees bent and then the loudest toot I had heard. And then the smell. Oh yeah, that's my girls (actually, it's every baby) taking the most epic poo ever, mere minutes after I put their cutest little cloth diapers on. And so it began.

The good news is I got a chance to test out my brand new wetbag and my wash routine with just one day of cloth diapering under my belt (give or take a few random ones from the first few days). It took some experimenting but I've finally perfected my wash routine and as crazy as it sounds I look forward to doing diaper laundry. I'll post more info about that soon but I want to talk about how it's going now.
Look at my "rainbow"!!! Plus my stellar small nursery organization!

The Ever Growing Stash - 


First off, my stash has transformed quite a bit. Aside from about 10 newborn size AIOs, I started out with 2 snappis, 30 prefolds/flats and 10 covers - the old school/cheapest way. I never used the flats or flour sack towels I had, just haven't mastered the fold well enough. The prefolds worked really well at first but my two issues were husband and family reluctance to use them and they were SUPER bulky on my girls until very recently. Don't be scared, bulk isn't actually a problem, especially if baby doesn't need to wear pants or has a nice stretchy pant wardrobe. I just didn't love the bulk and felt it was weighing them down. It's better now that they're bigger but I still go for my trimmer options first.  Over time I started buying more pockets (BumGenius 4.0) and then some AIOs (Thirsties and Blueberry Simplex). Then the girls' great grandma gave them a ton of CD-only-cash for Christmas and I went a little crazy but I've finally completed my stash. Trying to get a picture today I realized I actually made a rainbow. I am officially that mom! That was never my intention but it's freakin' adorable either way. It will never look like this again as this is every diaper I own, many of which are just not in rotation anymore.

It's been a lot of trial and error and I have learned a ton about modern cloth diapering over these last few months. First off, even though they're trim and by far the easiest I just don't love AIOs. I do love my Blueberry Simplex prints and my Thirsties are actually pretty great but I don't completely trust them yet as I've had one or two leaks with the blueberrys and they take a long time to dry. It turns out the style I originally thought I thought I wouldn't like, pockets, ended up being my favorite and my go to almost all the time! I was afraid that stuffing would be time consuming, especially with twins, but really I don't mind it at all and I love that I can customize absorbancy. They can wear a pocket stuffed with a microfiber insert wrapped in a bamboo prefold (or something) and not leak or be wet all night. Washing isn't bad as you just remove the insert, rinse if necessary (although I'm not there yet as we are EBF) and let the covers hang dry while the inserts only take half an hour in the dryer.  I think they are the cheapest way to the cutest and most functional fluff you can find. I've seen adorable pockets ranging in price from $5 to $30 (sometimes more, see below).

The Cloth Diaper Counter Culture - 


I've also learned that there are a few types of cloth diapering mamas. I, like always, have dabbled in each of these:

The Cult of the HTF - 

stalkers of limited edition releases, buy/sell/trade sites, and usually Cotton Babies for limited edition prints and diapers. Their paypal accounts are always at the ready for the newest release and they always have a few less desirable diapers ready to sell or trade for more funds. Some have been seen paying a hundred dollars or more for one single, albeit cute, diaper (looking at you BumGenius Jules going for $125 on ebay!). I will admit that I have a "unicorn" that is HTF (hard to find and often the one diaper you really want). It's the BumGenius Martin - just because my girls are Leos and it's beautiful. I am currently pissed off at a shop called Green Earth Baby Works as I ordered two of these diapers 3.5 weeks ago and they still haven't shipped. Even though they have my money. It's making me crazy that I may not get them after all but I'll just keep my eyes out for one like a true member of the mob (look up the cotton babies flash diaper mob if you don't know what I'm referring to. be warned, they're tough).

The Collectors - 

These moms seem to have one of every single diaper (specifically prints) and others have every color and print of certain brands, like BumGenius as well as seemingly endless paypal funds and/or really rich husbands. I have seen stashes as large as 200 diapers for one child. They are usually organized by color creating a beautiful rainbow of poop catchers but can sometimes be stacked dozens high in any way. Collectors sometimes fall into the HTF cult as well but some are just aiming to gather every single diaper that they can. I always wonder how they even ever get all those diapers on to baby! I guess I can say that I am officially a collector as I have an entire rainbow of colors and adorable prints but I also think I'm good to go for quite a while and won't be purchasing any more... until I come across something really cute and I have to have it.

The Money Savers -

If you fall into either of the previous categories cloth diapering might not save you much money in the long run. Thankfully those among us looking to get more bang for our buck have options. These families know the cheapest way to use cloth is how I started by using prefolds/flats/flour sack towels and a cover (which can be anywhere from $5 to $20) and they stick to it. It's not always the cutest and it can be more difficult but you can get a full stash for $200 max, sometimes less than $100 if you buy used.

The I Don't Care As Long As My Baby's Bum Is Covered -

This is ultimately what I think most people fall into and where I have found myself. Yes, I have my favorites and yes I do have a lot but it's a mix of all kinds and I will use just about any of them at any time. Many of mine were bought second hand from buy/sell/trade sites and craigslist or they were purchased with money given to us specifically for that purpose. Otherwise we would be bare bones with just a few covers and used prefolds. And while we haven't yet gotten to the point of needing to use an old t-shirt and safety pins, I will do that if I have to.

In Conclusion-


We really are saving SO much money. When considering our out of pocket start up cost (around $200), and the fact that we use disposables at night sometimes, we have still saved well over $300, if not more. You can do the math like this awesome twin Dad did or just take my word for it. Our water bill and electric bills have not gone up and I am spending maybe $10 more a month on Tide detergent and borax. My investment will never be a total loss as I will sell or re-use everything. I'm selling some prefolds and covers tomorrow in fact, getting back half of what I put in since I bought used. We are also helping the environment by not contributing to the problem of what can only be describe as a massive amount of crap going into the landfills every day. Oh and the best thing - I actually really enjoy it! My girls look adorable even without pants on and now I can review all the colors of the rainbow with them while I stuff pockets!

My advice is this:

  • Only trial and error can tell you which diapers are right for you so I'm glad I started small and worked my way up to what I have. You can't know what will fit or work until baby is here no matter what you read.
  • But - Enjoy the research process. Have fun with it! As you learn about a diaper (read reviews, find blogs like this one) pick one from a website or find it locally and buy it if you have the budget for it. Try to get one of each kind in either newborn or one-size (although remember these will be harder to fit on babies less than 8 lbs).
  • Don't freak out about anything until you know what your dealing with. They're expensive but in the end they're just cloth you paid for. Much like your clothes. Learning how to treat them helps with the not freaking out.
  • So - You have to perfect your wash routine and you (hopefully) won't have issues. If you have issues with stain, stink, delamination, elastics, whatever, visit the Fluff Love University and follow their advice. I have had issues and I don't know yet if they're all completely resolved forever but will hopefully let you know soon.
Having followed the CD journeys of almost every momblogger out there I know these are the basics of what we've all learned. I hope I still feel this way in a year!

What is your favorite type of cloth diaper? Any tips for someone just starting out?

Xo,
M
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July 14, 2014

FIAO 2.3 Diapering The Twins - What have I gotten myself into!?

Updated Stash Shot! This gives me so many feels (wow, did I really just write that?) Especially when I consider how little it has cost me to start! This is $400 worth of diapers that I've paid just over $180 myself for, thanks to help from family and friends!


I have this tendency to jump head first into things. I make decisions on impulse and almost all the time end up realizing, after the fact, that I've either forgotten about something I needed to consider or gotten in over my head. I tend to commit to things before fully understanding what it is I'm getting into. Sometimes this makes me regret a decision - like the times I waffle over buying something only to end up buying the wrong size or color or something, making the purchase worthless in the end, as it most often would have been anyway. I really don't feel that way about cloth diapering. Yet. But I am wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into...

It's kind of funny too because I've changed about a million diapers in my life. I know diapers. Disposable diapers (aka "sposies" in the CD community), that is. I know which brands work and what the faults are of most brands. I cringe at the sight of characters, unless it's Sesame Street. Minnie and Mickey are ok sometimes and same thing with the purple monkey, but it usually depends on the size and diet of the kid. I can out a dollar store diaper in a second. Despite these differences, you know what to do with a disposable, no matter what. And at the end of the day, they all have one purpose, way of prep, use and disposal.

 But I am a little overwhelmed and worried about whether or not this is really possible to do with twins. I know there are super mama's out there (tons of them!) who swear it's doable and so worth it and they give me hope that I can do it too. But the girls aren't even here yet and I'm already worried about a few things:

  1. My first concern is that there are so many types of diapers that come with all these rules to follow and tales of caution and... omg what if I cannot figure this out and I ruin everything?!! Seriously. I've got ~$150 of my own invested in this and just prepping them I'm totally freaked that I'm going to screw it all up before the girls are even here! I can honestly say that learning how to cloth diaper, possibly because of my knowledge of disposables, is like trying to teach yourself Chinese. My brain has no road map for this yet and it's taking me a bit to fully get it.  This is especially true when it comes to prepping, my next concern...
  2. Figuring out the "right" way to prep is nearly impossible thanks to the vast experiences shared on the internet. In the last two weeks I must have googled how to prep prefolds at least a dozen times. Despite reading not to on a few sites, I ended up just putting them all together in the machine, throwing in a little detergent and washing them on hot, twice, then in the dryer on hot. I did this a few times with my cotton prefolds and am going to do my bamboo ones tomorrow. I have no idea if the hemp ones were already prepped as they were free from a consignment sale. So far, everything is absorbing the water from my sink so yay?  Or maybe I just destroyed $50 worth of prefolds and inserts? And I just threw all my pockets, AIOs and covers in together and did a load on hot with a good amount of detergent and then laid them all out to air dry. Nothing seems ruined but again I won't know until I start using them! I'm hoping that in the end they will just hold some pee. Which leads us to...
  3. My main worry! What if they don't work or I can't figure them all out and it's all a waste!? I'm looking at my AIOs and they just don't seem like they won't leak on me. I have some AI2s (Tidy Tots) and I am positive the insert will not contain pee.  Don't even get me started on the prefolds. I've been practicing folds on a bear and they're just so big and bulky and don't seem like they'll ever actually fit my kids. At least not for the first year. I seriously wonder how so many people have such success! I guess that was why I bought I have every type you can have and yet I'm so afraid I won't be able to make any of it work.
So tonight, in an effort to make myself feel better, I organized everything to teach myself how to put them together and to get a feel for their sizes, ability and whatever. First things first, even without folding the prefolds and putting them in the covers it took me over an hour to get them all ready. Granted, I have 36 of them and I snapped every diaper to the smallest rise and closure. I won't do every time I just wanted a cute picture. I was still surprised at how long it took. I realized just how hard snaps are to do when you're not sure what goes where, especially with my poor GD pricked fingers! I can so see hubs or my mom just guessing and ending up with leaks.  Taking the time to prep, fluff, stuff and snap (and then organize into a rainbow of course) has taught me a few things though:
  • Pockets: I know they're wildly popular but I already hate stuffing them. It's a learning curve, I'm sure, but it's gonna drive me nuts unless I get a huuuuge supply of them to the point where I'm not doing laundry and stuffing them every single night. I also don't love the microfiber inserts (it feels weird on my fingers!) but I learned you can use a prefold to stuff the pocket, it's just a little bulkier. We will see.
  • AIOs: They really are the easiest but they also take the longest to dry and they kind of need to go in the dryer or they end up super stiff. The only AIOs I have though are newborn to get us eased in and a few One Sizes which I will be use for when other caregivers need to deal with it. This way they just take it off, put it in the bag and put a new one on.
  • AI2s: They seemed like the best choice to me but now I'm not so sure. It takes a bit to snap in the insert and the ones I have are aplix (velcro) which I'm not a huge fan of as I don't have much faith in it lasting very long. I also wonder if I will really be able to just snap out the insert and use another one. I will probably end up having two in rotation a day per baby, just like with the covers and prefolds.
  • Covers & Prefolds: My original go-to choice and they still are, although the prefolds and covers were a NIGHTMARE to prep!!! There are so many rules and ways to do the prep that I was terrified I'd ruin them somehow. They seem to have survived the prep though and now I am getting a hang of the folding and stuffing them. Just keeping my fingers crossed that they work!
  • Fitteds: I have four hemp fitteds that  I plan on using for overnight when the girls are a little older. They're a little bulkier than I thought they would be and the crotch area seems really wide but supposedly they're super soakers and will be worth it! They are getting bleached tomorrow and washed with some clothes after.
So there you have it. My worries so far and what I've managed to learn. Once again, we shall see where this journey takes us. Who knows, we may end up with family buying stock in pampers by the time we're done, because lord knows it's going to cost us a fortune (on our measly budget) to diaper two! I'm committed to making this work though so send me some good vibes and any advice!

Xo,
M
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June 30, 2014

FIAO 2.2 - Diapering The Twins - Making Decisions and Learning Lessons

I have finally started acquiring/purchasing cloth diapers! It's fun.. kind of. I am enjoying most of it but I'm finding it's still confusing and a little scary, considering it's an investment that might not pay off. Despite all the research I've done I still second guess every CD purchase I could make, sometimes missing out on great deals over my inability to commit.  I had finally decided that I definitely want to do prefolds with covers and AI2s. I hate the idea of stuffing pockets and the few I have are not changing my mind so I don't want many of those. I also think AIOs are very expensive you need a ton of them since you can't reuse any of it. With prefolds and covers or snap-in AI2s you can sometimes get up to a whole day out of a cover just switching out the soaker part when needed (although most people recommend changing the cover after 2 uses).  So far, I had picked up some NB OsoCozy and WAHM AIOs  and an Alva pocket at a consignment sale and then I was given 6 unused small Tidy Tots covers and snap-in inserts (AI2s) for FREE (a $120 value!) by a woman working the sale. Now it was time to seek out the rest of my stash without breaking the bank!

I joined several Buy, Sell and Trade groups on Facebook and Babycenter and I also check Craigslist every day, but usually there's nothing new or desirable. In fact, my first CL purchase resulted in my very first lesson learned the hard way: LOOK AND INSPECT BEFORE YOU BUY USED. Don't just assume that everyone will have the same idea of "very good condition" as you do. A few weeks ago I wasted $40 on used flip and bummis covers that have elastics stretched to the max, stains and velcro that has clearly been through a thousand dryer cycles. It is what it is, but I doubt I will use them. Even if I do they will be the back-up-back-up diapers. The whole thing wasn't a total wash though, for $10 more I got 15 decent cloth wipes, 2 snappis and a brand new blueberry cover. Also, the seller has identical twin girls, so I'm glad we connected regardless of the condition of the diapers. However, I was now seriously apprehensive about buying used! I needed to get some new ones, but after picking up two BumGenius 4.0s at Babies R Us, spending one entire $25 gift card, I was having sticker shock. I started to worry that we would be able to have a decent stash before it was time to use them. And I just think it isn't worth it if you're buying disposables while using cloth!

Luckily my amazing Aunts gifted me $100 and $50 gift cards towards my cloth diaper registry so I was able to get started with new diapers and no risk to me! I created this registry mostly for myself after reading that no one would really buy off your CD registry (and trust me, they won't) but I was doing research and created one anyway. I added a bunch of different types of diapers, prefolds, snappis, a wetbag, the sprayer and detergent. Then when we added it to my registry card I just added a bunch of gift cards in different amounts. I didn't know if I'd get them but I'm so glad I did. My mom got me the wetbag and with the gift cards I purchased 8 covers from four different brands (Thirsties, Rumparooz, Imagine and Buttons), 24 Diaper Rite Small and Medium indian cotton prefolds, 3 Bamboo Infant size prefolds, 2 Kawaii night time AIOs and a roll of 100 disposable liners. I paid a little less than $30 for all of this myself and when it arrived today I was so excited!! I'm practicing folding with the prefolds on my stuffed animals and researching my prep and wash routines now.

I also just received my first successful used lot that I even purchased sight unseen! Thanks to the amazing Tami in Texas via a Facebook B/S/T group I received 3 pockets and 2 AIOs that are in near perfect condition, plus extra inserts all for $16.50!

So far I think I have a fairly decent stash. I am inventorying it and keeping track of all that I spend as well. I myself have spent around $150.
  • 31 EUC or NEW diapers - a decent combo of small and onesized AIOs, AI2s, pockets and covers
  • 6 very used/backup diapers, 
  • 43 prefolds/inserts/snap-ins
  • 100 disposable inserts
  • 15 used but decent cloth wipes
  • 2 snappis
I think that's a pretty good start!
Lessons Learned So Far:

1) Seriously, it's so obvious but when buying used always LOOK at what you're buying! Don't pay more for stains, relaxed elastic, pilling and messed up velcro than you do for like new diapers like I did.  At least in my experience they cancelled each other out. I should have paid $50 for the great lot I got off facebook rather than $15!

2) Do as much research as you can but don't settle for one kind. I read this over and over and I think I did a good job at having a variety. As we get going we will adjust things but fingers crossed we don't end up hating prefolds/flats and covers since I really think that's the most budget friendly way to do CD.

3) You do not ever HAVE to buy at retail price!! There are TONS of website sales, B/S/T groups, craigslist and discount sites that you can rely on. Of course if you're obsessed with the newest and cutest diaper you will spend more money but that's not a priority for me. I even just spent $10 on about 20 pairs of baby pants because I don't like the diaper only look.

4) Start researching storage options WAY before you buy them. I've finally settled on those hanging sweater shelves in the closet but my stash has been sitting in a paper bag for weeks as I just don't have anywhere else for them.  Right now they're stuffed in bins waiting to be prepped/washed and the closet is still filled with baby gear!

What are your cloth diapering lessons learned? Did you learn the hard way to check before you pay!?

Xo,
M.
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April 15, 2014

FIAO 2.1 - Diapering the Twins

Even BTT I knew I wanted to cloth diaper. In the last few years we have made a lot of changes in our lives including our diet and environmental impact. We strive to eat as clean and healthily as possible by meal planning, examining ingredients and buying organic when we can. We also abide by the 80/20 rule and don't deny ourselves what we want or need as long as we have made good, healthy choices for the most part. C loves his steak and beer and I love my cheez-its and wine (when I'm not pregnant of course)! We have changed the way we use all of the "things" we have and how we consume products. We use all-natural and, when we can, homemade cleaning supplies and toiletries. In short we have worked to become more aware of how what we eat, do, wear and buy affects our lives, our budget and the world at large. We feel better and we believe we are better for it.

As convenient as many baby products may be, they can be incredibly wasteful and expensive.  It's so amazing how these staples of childhood can draw dramatic lines in the parenting community. It starts with breast vs. formula feeding, then making your own vs. buying baby food and of course cloth diapering vs. disposables.  I can honestly say five years ago I was definitely in the convenience camp. The thought of breast feeding made me anxious, making my own baby food sounded exhausting and don't even get me started on how I felt about cloth diapers? ICK!!!  Then, when we began this journey to living better and I started to hear about how cloth diapering was easy, budget friendly and, dare I say it, fun! I learned about "fluff" and how many mamas love to collect these adorable accessories for their babies' bums.  Upon seeing the year by year breakdown offered by FuzziBunz I was completely convinced. Not to mention I have been a professional diaper changer (child care provider) for 13 years, I have seen (and smelled) it all! An extra minute or two rinsing a diaper before tossing it in the wash did not seem worth the cost to me.  This rang even more true when we found out about the twins.  C was a little harder to convince until he realized that the idea of spending nearly $5000 a year on GARBAGE that just further pollutes the planet is insane and directly violates our new, greener, way of life. So our decision to cloth diaper was made.

THEN came the hard part! Which cloth diapers do we choose!?! These aren't the days of your mama's white cloth, safety pins and rubber pants. People always seem surprised when I tell them that nowadays there are nearly half a dozen types, all made by many different brands with loads of style options. I really had no idea what I was getting into. But after doing hours of research I think I finally have a good handle on how it all works and I'm ready to start choosing what we use for our girls. I will create my own cloth diaper 101 post soon but for now there are so many amazing posts out there that I recommend everyone check those out for more info. Like all our other decisions I came up with a list of my personal considerations and learned as much as I could about the different products.  I made the decision and will update in the future with the results!

Cloth Diaper Considerations:

Ease of use - Since I can change a disposable diaper in less than 1 minute and I will be staying home with the girls I am pretty flexible about how long it takes to change a diaper and I'm not worried about the wet-storage/laundry factor. This was mainly a factor for us because we will be doing twice the work and need twice as many diapers. I think All-in-Ones are fantastically convenient but I'm pretty confident I can master pre-folds and pockets with all those adorable covers, even with twins.

Initial cost - I want to start stocking up before the babies are here but when I started doing research I saw that one All-In-One (AIO) can cost at least $20. While I understand this is a one-time cost that could last 3 years, I also want to make sure we DON'T receive disposables at the shower and I could not see family or friends (some of whom are already questioning our choice) dropping that on a single diaper.  I feel like despite being less convenient I would rather ask people to give us a bunch of pre-folds and some covers and then purchase whatever else we want ourselves as we go along. This also won't force our family and friends to delve into the confusing world of cloth!

Real-Mom opinions - This was the most time-consuming aspect of my research. Due to the fact that there are so many choices I was having a hard time getting actual user recommendations on the websites where they would be purchased. I found that the best sources of knowledge were my local cloth-diaper swap group on facebook and the wealth of natural-mama blogs and YouTube videos that are out there (see links above). I no longer trust store websites when it comes to things like this. I want details!

The Unknown Factor A.K.A. every baby is different! - At the end of the day there is absolutely no way of knowing what will actually work for your family until your babies are here. Because of this I have added at least three different brands of pre-folds, covers, pockets and AIOs to my registries in sizes NB to 6 months. I made sure to register for them at every store as well since I have not heard great things about online-only cloth diaper registries. The plan is to test them out as we go and then stock up on the ones that work best and sell or swap the ones that we don't like. One thing I like about pre-folds is that if they don't work great as diapers they make excellent burp cloths and rags so it's not a total loss if I don't like using them.

Side note: Since our girls will be born at 35 weeks I am aware that I will probably need to use disposable preemie diapers. I have yet to find a cloth diaper that gets good reviews and is budget-friendly enough for the short period of time the girls will be wearing them. I just say that this goes along with our 80/20 lifestyle!

I will update after the shower with the results of my registry items and again after the girls are here!

20 Weeks tomorrow! Although I haven't grown too much I think I am ready start taking weekly bump update pics!

xoxo,
M
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