Cloth Diapering - Hastings,MI

We signed up with a diaper service and used their simplest diaper covers. It's been super easy. We use regular wipes. Good luck!

Hi J.! I've been cloth diapering my daughter since she was about 4 months old, she's now 25 months. My favorite diapers are FuzziBunz perfect fit pockets, especially now that she's older because I can adjusted the stuffing for absorbancy and they're trim fitting. I also like the BumGenius Flip diapers if you're looking more for a cover/prefold type system (ie...cheaper!).

I would suggest trying a few different brands/types of diaper to find what works best for you and your baby before making a huge investment into one type. A lot of times you can find "gently used" diapers from online diaper shops (my favorite is nickisdiapers.com) or Craig's List.

I did a lot of research before investing because the upfront cost can add up quickly. My favorite resources are www.diaperpin.com, www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com and kellyscloset.com.

I do use cloth wipes, too, except for when we're out and about then I use disposables. I really like the BumGenius Bamboo wipes which are discontinued, I believe. I recently bought some new ones, which I also like that are terry cloth (and much cheaper) and made by GroVia. I'd suggest having about 3 dozen if you're planning to wash every other day. I make a solution out of warm water and a VERY small splash of Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Oil soap. I fill up a travel mug every morning and keep it on the changing table, wet each wipe as I need it. Some people store them in wipes warmers or plastic containers so to each his own.

One thing I want to stress to you from trial and error experience is your washing routine is KEY to cloth diaper function. Any detergent residue will cause leaky diapers and rashy baby. We have hard water so it takes that much more effort to get diapers clean. Also, you can't use most diaper creams with cloth, it can also buildup and cause leaky diapers. The BumGenius diaper sprayer makes life a lot easier, it hooks to your toilet and makes poopy diaper cleanup much faster. I'm lost without it when we're out and I find myself with a poopy situation.

Once you have a system in place, you get in a routine and cloth diapering is very easy. Do your research and you'll be very glad in the end! Good luck!!

I love my cloth diapers! :) There are several different types. If you want something that's very similar to the disposables, look at pockets or hybrids. There are so many different brands, so it's really hard to recommend just one! Some of the more popular ones are BumGenius and FuzziBunz. I absolutely adore my Bumboo Pockets by Baby Kicks USA. The have a hemp insert that could soak up a lake :)

I hate to just give broad recommendations. Do you have a list of specific questions? I would be more than happy to help you! I use just about every type of diaper there is. We started in prefolds and covers, then added a few fitteds and now are using a combination of pocket and sleeve diapers. I have a ton of different brands as well. Please feel free to message me with any of your questions! I've been cloth diapering for almost two years total.

In the mean time, check out The Cloth Diaper Whisperer. It's a cloth diapering blog and they have a ton of information on there!

www.diaperswappers.com - this is a great place for info regarding cloth, questions to other Mamas about cloth, and to purchase gently used cloth (great for trying things out to find the right "fit" for your family!), and also to sell off what you don't want or need. You'll have to sign up for an account.

www.cottonbabies.com - website to purchase new (sometimes used, but they go fast) CDs, and general info about washing, storing, going out, etc.

Craigslist is a great place to start out looking for cloth diapers - I've sold and bought from there.

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We love cloth diapering! We use a combination of Bum Genius 3.0 One Size, and prefolds with covers - for two in cloth (2.5 year old and 1 year old). I am also due in March with #4, and will be cloth diapering a newborn, which will be a first for me!

I use cloth wipes, and an old squirt bottle filled with water to wet. If it's a really messy diaper, I'll use disposable wipes.

I use a cheap mesh laundry bag with a flip top kitchen garbage can for a pail, and wash every 2-3 days. I dump and rinse the solids in the toilet, and everything goes into the pail. We use a small amount of Tide Free & Clear detergent, but have tried (and mostly liked) a few others as well.

We cold rinse, hot wash with a little detergent, extra rinse, dry inserts and prefolds in the dryer or on the line, and hang all covers to dry.

Sometimes we use cloth while out, sometimes we use disposables. If CD, then we have 2 wetbags I rotate through, but you could also use a ziplock bag or grocery bag.

My best advice for CDing: figure out your movitvation to cloth diaper (cost, environment, cuteness factor, what's your budget? etc) and keep it simple. Do what works for you. And don't get overwhelmed by all the (very conflicting) information out there!

If you have any specific questions, I'm happy to let you know what works for us - feel free to contact me.

Good luck and have fun!

Way back in the last century, I used cloth diapers with my kids.
I used to buy something called diaper "liners"
which were a very thin fabric/paper rectangle . . . . .
kinda like the outer coating of sanitary pads.
You put a liner inside the diaper and,
when there's a poop, you can gather up the liner
with the poop and throw it directly into the toilet.
So washing the diapers isn't as complicated as it might be otherwise.
As for brands or types, I am unable to advise you.
I'm sure everything has changed since I used them.
One more suggestion . . .
when you wash the diapers, and other items that touch baby's skin,
run them through 2-3 extra rinse cycles.

:D I have TONS of info for you!! I have become somewhat of a CDing addict;P I'll tell you first that sometimes what works for one, may not work for another. So I can tell you what brands I like and fit my baby, but you may not like them, or they may not fit your LO the same as mine. So I strongly suggest trying a few different kinds. www.jilliansdrawers.com has a trial program, where you can try out a bunch of diapers, and return what you don't like, and keep what you do. Check the site for more details (I didn't do this, I just bought 1-2 of different kinds and sold what I didn't like and kept what I did).

http://www.momsmilkboutique.com/Cloth_Diapers_189_subcat.... Another great site!! They also have a trial program you can check out.

http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/newmom.htm This site also has a lot of great info.

http://diaperpin.com/diapers/diaperpages.asp has reviews of all CD's!

Here's a brief description of different types of diapers:

AIO's (all in ones) - the closest to a disposable, the insert is sewn into the waterproof shell. Snap or velcro closure. Pros: easy to use, one piece, good for daycares, daddy's and grandma's. Cons: takes longer to dry, more expensive. BumGenius AIO's, Grovia AIO's, just to name a couple.

Pockets: Similar to AIO's, but the waterproof shell has a pocket you stuff with an insert. Snap or velcro closure. Pro's: easy to use, quick dry, you can add extra inserts for heavy wetters or overnight. Cons: you have to stuff the pockets (but it only takes me less than 10 minutes to do all mine). BumGenius (our night diaper), Smartipants (my favorite), Fuzzibuns, Happy Heiny's...just to name a few popular brands, but there are many many more.

Prefolds and Covers: These are what most think of when thinking of CD's. You have a prefold that you fit on baby, and close it with either a diaper pin or snappi (new alternative to pins-awesome!). They require a cover to be waterproof. You can use the cover for multiple changes, but get a clean one if it's poopy. Pro's: the cheapest CD option there is! (there are other pro's, I know, but I dont' use them, so I don't have personal experience). Cons: Wiggly baby;P My LO doesn't like them b/c he feels wet after a little pee. An easy fix: lay in a fleece or flushable liner to help baby feel dry.

Hybrids: These have a waterproof shell/cover that you can use for multiple changes, and comes with an insert that you either lay or snap in. Like prefolds, you just change out the insert and reuse the shell (unless poopy). They also have a disposable/flushable/compostable insert option to lay in the shell/cover. Snap or velcro closure. Flips (we use these), Grovia, and gDiapers are examples.

I do use cloth wipes. At first I was nervous to, not sure why. But disposable wipes + cloth diapers became a pain. I use Target baby washcloths and water. I tried homemade solutions and prefer plain water. So much easier than disposable wipes!!!!!

Also, I use Tide original powder (in my older top loader). I do a cold rinse; long hot wash + 1/2 amount of recommended detergent; cold rinse. All inserts and some covers/shells go in dryer on low heat, other covers are line dried (depending on the specific diaper). What detergent you use may depend on your water and also your washer. Many people use CD detergents, others use store bought.

I have a mix of natural and synthetic materials. What you get just depends on your preference.

And my favorite question: "What about the poop? It's gross, isn't it? I could never do that." First off, we're parents. We have to deal with poop. I dealt with more poop when my kids were in disposables (major poop blowouts that went everywhere). Now, it's contained in the diaper. Now I just dump it in the toilet, no other messes to clean up. Here's a fact: even with disposables you should flush the poo. Human waste is not supposed to go in landfills. Something I never knew until I started CDing.

Many diapers are OS (one size), which fit most babies approx. 10-35 lbs. I personally love OS dipes b/c they "grow" with baby, so I don't have to buy new dipes every time my LO grows. Plus, when I started CDing I had 2 in diapers and they could wear the same diapers, but on different size settings. Some mama's prefer sized diapers b/c they are trimmer and fit their baby better. Again, it depends on what you want.

I like to have a variety of diapers, but some mama's prefer to use only one type or brand. That's also up to you:-)

You can sell off what you don't like or is too small. Or after potty training, if you aren't having more babies, sell off your stash to recoup some of your money, making CD's even cheaper! Can't do that with disposables, lol!

Message me if you have any other questions. I would love to help you find the cloth love! Cloth diapers have come so far from the gerber prefolds and plastic pants. There are so many options out there now to fit each family and each baby.

Just to list a few great benefits to cloth:
~Better for baby. Fewer, if any, diaper rashes. Rare, or NO more poop blowouts!!!
~Better on the wallet. The avg cost of disposables for one baby, birth to potty training is $2000-$3000 (depending on brand and age of potty training, could be more in some cases). You can CD for $100 birth to potty training (prefolds and covers). But I think the avg cost of CD's birth to potty training is about $300-$600 (depending on which diapers you choose to go with and how many you get).
~Better on the environment. 1 disposable will sit in a landfill up to 500 years. Cloth diapers can be used over and over, even for multiple kids (meaning more money saving for you!), so that's less waste we're leaving behind. The amount of water it takes to wash is miniscule compared to the damage of leaving dipsosables in landfills.

(ETA: My oldest was in disposables until 2.5, and even then only in cloth part time til potty trained at age 3. We switched when my youngest was 2 months old, and he's been full time in cloth since then - he's now 11 months old. I've used both disposables and cloth, and I will never use disposables again! I had nothing but trouble with them, but absolutely LOVE cloth diapers!)

I got my start with cding at jilliansdrawers.com try it for $10. Its great!

We've changed what we use as time as passed (2 children...and about 2 years of cding). We started out with almost all pockets (mainly bumgenius 3.0) and have added bamboo fitteds for nighttime use and our latest addition is prefolds and covers for around home.

Good luck!