I am looking for some new "high-tech" cloth diapers for my 6-month-old son. I have been using 7th Generation, 365, and Huggies Naturals, but I would like to become a part-time cloth diaperer. I initially dismissed cloth diapers as too inconvenient for my busy schedule (I didn't want to bother with the traditional diapers, and my sister-in-law had very negative things to say about G-diapers), but I have lately heard good things about the Bum Genius and Fuzzi Bunz. Does anyone have any experience with these, or other cloth diapers they would recommend?
I wish i could be more help. I used disposable diapers, seems more sanitary and less messy. Anyways, I am curious to know what an adjusted vaccination schedule is...
Hi Amanda,
I use a BumGenius 3.0. They're totally adjustable so you can use them from 6-35 lbs. It's really not that hard to keep them clean. I throw them in a bucket I bought specifically for diapers with a little baking soda. The poopy ones I rinse in the toilet first, and take the bucket in the bathroom with me so i can transfer directly from the toilet to the bucket. I don't remove the inserts, they come out on there own in the wash cycle. I usually just throw them in the wash every other day. I wash them once and then run the washer again but stop it so they can soak overnight, then finish the cycle in the morning (so a total of 2 wash cycles). I think hang them to dry. I find this is the best way to keep them smelling fresh (and my laundry room too!)I do use disposables too (I didn't at first)which is nice because then I don't feel the pressure of having to always make sure the cloth diapers are clean and dry!
Good luck
Sam
I use Fuzzi Bunz and love them. They fit like a disposal diaper, so it is an easy transition to the cloth diapers. One of my girls was chubby with chubby (and I mean chubby!) thighs. And my other daughter is very skinny, with very skinny legs. They have worked well with both of them. I like fuzzi buns because you buy small, medium, large, etc to fit for the weight and size of your baby. But I've heard others that love the Bum Genius and I believe they are a 1 size fits all. I'm not exactly sure how that works. Also, you can buy the Bum Genius at Target to give it a try before buying more. You can find the cloth diapers much cheaper online than in a store, but it is nice to try out a few different ones to know which one will work best for you.
Amanda--
we have used fuzzi bunz and LOVE them. they are worth the money. i babysat a girl who wore bum genious and they just didn't hold much liquid... i didn't like it.
also really love DSQ prefolds with prorap diaper covers. they are a lot more economical... more for your money... and you don't have to stuff them...
michelle
There is a HUGE world of cloth diapers out there just waiting for you discover them!! My suggestion would be to go to www.diaperswappers.com. It is an on-line forum of CDing mamas that will be able to answer all your questions. There is also a place to purchase new and used cloth diapers from other mamas so that you can try many different kinds until you find the ones that you like the best. You can also check out http://www.diaperpin.com/home.asp for TONS of reviews on all the different kids of diapers out there. I have been CDing since my DD was 1 and will be CDing my new little bundle when he or she gets here in November and I LOVE it. I would never go back to regular diapers!
We use cloth with my 2 1/2 year old and will with our new baby. I love them! I love that I'm saving tons of money, the environment and keeping all those nasty chemicals from touching her little bum! :) I use prefolds with Bummis covers during the day and Haute Pockets with two microterry inserts at night. For outings we we use SmaartiPants.
The very first place you should go is
http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com/ Browse through their blog. They have TONS and TONS of information. They break down each type of diaper, how to store them, and how to wash them. They have great product focus posts once a week and a weekly giveaway.
These are the sights I most often shop from. Again, they're great!
https://www.kellyscloset.com/
http://clothdiaperclearance.com/
https://www.smartipants.com/
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I'm always happy to answer questions to the best of my ability!
Hi Amanda,
I see that you are in Florence so I know that you are close enough to Cincinnati to go to P+V.
http://www.parkandvine.com/?page_id=2
They have a wonderful selection of diapers there to look at, they also have cloth diapering classes as well as kit of diapers you can check out to try.
Both of the girls that do the classes are friends of mine and they are great women. I encourage you to give them a try and make a trip up there, maybe call first to make sure someone is there who knows their diaper stuff : ) One of my friends works there on Saturdays and Sundays and she is very knowledgeable on the subject. I do prefolds, flats and covers myself, with pins so I wouldn't know much of the kind you are looking into. Anyways these gals can help you!
Good Luck!
Caroline
I use mostly Happy Heiny one size on my 5 month old. Also, I have some older Wonderoos that I've had to replace the elastic on, but they still work. I went with the snaps even though the velcro was easier b/c I was afraid the velcro wouldn't last through another baby. I splurged on some hemp inserts and love having those to make the diapers last longer. My big surprises was how much less work cloth was than I thought it would be and how much I liked prefold and covers (something I thought I'd despise). Good luck - it's easier than you think!
Hi Amanda, good for you! you might look at mom4life.com under "go green" for a couple of diaper options. I wasn't that "brave" with the diapers when I was in that stage but also have alternative (don't we all) views on parenting issues. I like to think of it as mindful parenting. If you want any resources on any of those topics let me know. If you have a chance to get out for a movie...you would enjoy Food, Inc. which is playing at the Esquire through today or catch it when it comes to DVD.
Go for it! It is so much easier than you would think. I made the big switch when my son was 4 months (I had been too scared of the work, mess, etc, until then) and I haven't looked back. It is SO MUCH EASIER than I thought it would be, and I even mostly use prefolds and covers. The poopy mess I worried about hasn't been too bad, I just shake off what I can in the toilet, or if it's smushed in I scrape it off with a plastic spoon (which I keep behind the toilet, and clean after each use), and toss it in the wet bag. I don't swish in the toilet or use a diaper sprayer. Whatever is left comes off fine in the wash. OR with your busy schedule you may want the flushable liners, so you can just toss the whole poopy mess in the toilet. Anyways, you can find lots of info like this out there, just don't let yourself get overwhelmed by it all! :)
You'll hear a lot of velcro vs snaps. My son is 11 months now and doesn't like to lie still for diaper changes, so we've decided we like snaps better because you can snap one leg up and slide it on, and then as he's crawling away from you it's still easy to snap up the other side. Velcro is harder to do this with because there are no set positions.
The two types you mentioned are very popular, but there are lots of others out there that are similar. Lots of them are made by work at home moms (WAHM) and are very similar, but generally cost a bit less. And, you're supporting a fellow mom! I have some of the diapers sold by http://www.komfykidz.com . I really like them. Like someone else said, diaperpin.com is a great place to read reviews on all the different diapers out there.
I've cloth diapered (while at home, we use disposables when we are out) for the past 2 kids. What works best for us is 24 prefolds (I use toddler size now that he's over 1) and diaper covers. My preference is Motherease - they are PUL with adjustible snaps at the waist and leg. I use snappi's for diaper closure and the paper flushable diaper liners for messes. I prefer snaps over velcro because it doesn't matter how careful I am the velcro becomes a mess. I like the prefolds because they are the most efficient (adjustable, wash and dry quick & are cheaper than any fitted)
I've bought a couple cute covers through ebay with bluberrybunz (or something like that) she has adorable fabrics and they are mommy made. I can search for specific info if you'd like. I think they were about $11-12/cover. I had some covers with gussetts when our youngest was little, and they do a good job at keeping clothes dry at the leg - but we've gotten into the habit of keeping 2 covers in rotation for a couple days or so, letting one dry if it gets a little damp until the next change then switch.
At our old house we had a sprayer attached to the shower - I'm hoping to get one attached to the toilet here that will have a little more pressure :-). I miss the totally breastfed days because I never had to 'dunk or scrape' - just threw it all in the wash and it all just dissolved and washed away.
I keep a dry bucket and when it fills or stinks...which ever comes first - I throw them all in the washer with hot water, homemade laundry detergent & a spalsh of bleach to make me feel better. When the load is done, I add a couple towels and do the load again...So diapers get washed twice. Sometimes if we deal with some odor, I'll add vinegar to the rinse. I try to line dry as much as possible. Honestly, I'm not as 'green' as I am 'cheap'.
I had a makeshift clothes line set up in our dining room in front of a big window - I saw a neighbor one day and she asked me "What are all those flags you have up all the time?" She was shocked when I explained they were diapers, "People still do that?" :-). Yip, some crazy people still do.
Have fun!
My son is 6 weeks old and we've been using BumGenius 3.0 for a few weeks now and LOVE them! My washing routine took a few tries to get right, but I've got it down now and it's no problem at all.
The main problem was I was using too much detergent and not enough water due to having a front loader HE washer. This meant that the detergent wasn't getting washed out so the diapers got an odor to them. Solved that by soaking the inserts before putting them in to get them super saturated and then including an extra rinse on each cycle and not spinning all the water out until the very end. And of course, using less detergent. I use Shaklee's Get Clean fragrance-free laundry detergent... it only takes an 1/8 of an ounce!
Other than that, I've had no issues. Any time I've thrown on a disposable because I'm not home and didn't bring enough cloth diapers or they are drying, I end up having blowouts up the back and leaks.
I haven't used any other kinds of cloth diapers so I can't speak to other brands, but I chose BumGenius because after all the research I did, they seemed to get the highest praises... and like I said, I love them now, too!
-Carrie
(If you are interested in the Shaklee detergent, check it: http://www.shaklee.net/carriebarta/product/00300)
Hi Amanda. You've got some great responses on here. I just wanted to add that I have a lot of experience cloth diapering - my husband and I own Good Natured Baby diaper service, the only one in the Cincinnati area. I'd be happy to answer any questions for you. I've used both kinds of diapers you mention, as well as many others - and I have samples you're more than welcome to check out.
We should have an online store set up soon (www.goodnaturedbaby.com), but right now we have Thirsties and Dream Eze in stock, not BG or FB.
Anyway, good luck and let me know if I can help!
Amy
I've been cding for about a year now, and it's the best decision I've made. I second the poster that said to check out www.diaperswappers.com there is so much information there, it's awesome. I would say to start you are probably going to want to try a couple things out until you find what works for you. I wouldn't invest a ton of money in one system until you find what you like. GL!
Have you tried BumbleBeeBottomsBoutique? They are lcoated in SW, OH.
ALL styles of cloth diapers available and there are easy wash/quick dry styles that wash clean even in HE washers! They're great!
It's run by a single WAHM, raising 4 special needs kids alone, with out assistance- so not only do you get awesome diapers with a full guarantee BUT your purchase helps a single mom support her family vs some giant, out-sourcing company. Check them out!
Thank you to everyone for your advice! I hit the Park + Vine last weekend and picked up some unbleached pre-folds with snappies, some Tinkle Traps (a brand made by a local SAHM), Bummis, and a couple Fuzzi Bunz, and am experimenting to see what I like best. So far, I have been really surprised by how easy this is! I’ve only had one leak (first time I put the prefolds on - bound to happen since I didn’t quite know what I was doing). Since we have water-saving toilets, I bought a recycled-plastic bucket from Lowe’s to dunk poopy diapers, and have been washing with Mountain Green Baby Detergent without any problems! Thanks again to everyone - I feel so much better about my diapering choices now! 