Reusable Diapers???

I bought a couple of used/ like new of each style when I was expecting my first. Then before my 2nd was born I took a class on sewing my own covers and tri-folds. And when my 3rd was born I had my preferences worked out.
Bumkins AIO quick easy great fit, no leaks and I was able to get used for $5 and I got 7 new $10 in last years pattern+ 2 free wet bags and a matching bib. AIO diaper with water proof cover. Wash the whole thing each time.

Making my own covers and AIO very affordable and fun since you get to pick out all the details and customize the fit.
Covers and trifolds: Once cover can normally be used several times before it is soiled and needs to be washed. Trifolds is the insert that folded in thirds that fit inside. Easy to wash since the open up and poop is swished off, they dry quickly.

I typically wash diapers every other night.
For the smaller kids I planned on 6 diapers a day and they get older 5 diapers.

My washing routine- I use dry baby wipes (the ones my older daughter has used for her dolls- or got left open) as liners, dump and flush solids- no liner swish in toilet. In the washer do a pre rinse and then start the wash cycle with an extra rinse. I use 7th generation or Arm and Hammer. I normally will use either Baking soda or Vinagar in the load. Toss in the dryer with drier balls.

My 3 year old has been potty trained for over a year but still uses a diaper at night. My youngest is 20 months and potty training. They say kids in cloth train faster and ealier.

Sweet Beginings in Littleton has cloth diaper 101 class that is free. They show you all the different kinds of systems out there and have a selection to choose from. I would start there. It's all in the preference. www.oursweetbeginnings.com. Michelle is great and if you have not been to the store it is so quaint and not intimadating like others. Good luck!

I used Fuzzi Buns and loved them. It was a little bit of trial and error initially (and can be diff't w/ each child depending on boy/girl and how much they pee at a time). I used hemp inserts which I found to be very absorbent. You cannot use dryer sheets or fabric softener when washing these (somehow affects the absorbency - my sister-in-law learned that the hard way)...I use those dryer balls (love em!) b/c they get rid of static and don't affect the absorbency factor of the diaper inserts in addition to being safer for the environment.

Go by weight recommendations for sizing (much like when you buy disposable diapers). The good news w/ Fuzzi Buns and many other brands is that they are adjustable in many ways. If your child has a larger legs and small waist, you can adjust for that. Once you learn the right "setting" and how many inserts, you're good to go! The one lesson I learned quickly was that if ANY of the insert was exposed in the back of the diaper (the diaper cover didn't completely cover the insert), then I'd have a huge wet mess. My two daughters who used them the most are VERY different shapes, and I worked out the diff't settings but they used the same diaper covers. And one needed an extra insert (pee would blast out of her) where the other one just needed changed more frequently. I do recommend changing the diaper as soon as it gets wet.

As for the poop, I pulled the inserts out and placed those in the laundry, then cleaned the cover by holding on to it while flushing the commode. My sister-in-law kept a spatula in her bathroom to push the poop into the commode. A friend of mine had some device that hooked onto the side of the toilet bowl that you could attach the diaper to so you didn't have to hold it. Poops were definitely less pleasant than pees, but you'll get over it (and so will your husband).

I always washed the diapers separately from the rest of the laundry, to.

I used them predominantly w/ my girls, both of whom were potty trained even through the night between just after turning 2.

You can often find them on eBay. It's a matter of how comfortable you feel buying previously worn diapers. I bought them new and they paid for themselves in no time over what diapers would have cost (I was actually living in the Caribbean at the time and diapers are 3x as expensive). I then donated them to Haiti now that all my kids are potty trained.

I'm sure you'll do fine...good for you for even considering the move! I'm so glad I did! Oh, and I still used disposables on vacations and things and long outings, when it was really impractical to use cloth.

We use BumGenius 3.0 One Size. We got them at cottonbabies.com and they were on sale at the time. We ended up getting 28, and I wash them about every 3 days. They are super absorbant, I'd say on average we go through about 6 each day. I've never had a problem with leaks unless my son happens to sleep later than usual and the insert gets too saturated, but that would happen with a disposable as well. As he gets older and his bladder gets bigger, I plan to stuff with 2 inserts at night to prevent leaks from saturation. My son is 5 months old and he's wearing them at the medium size. They're wonderful and so easy to use! Even though it's an investment up front, think about how much money you'll save in the long run... plus if you have a third child you can use them again with her/him! Also, they are super cute and come in lots of colors. They look and work just like a disposable. The only icky thing is getting the poop off, but you get used to it fast, and they do also have liners that you can put to catch the solids to make clean up faster. I find the liners useless with BF baby poop, but I plan to use them when DS is eating solid foods. Hope this helps, and congratulations on your decision to cloth diaper!

My favorite was motherease diapers, they go from 5-35 pounds, they have snaps, are made of terry cloth, have inserts built in, (removable) snap-up and have a breathable cover with cute prints on them. They snap up just like a regular diaper and when using for a newborn even flip down to protect umbilical stump. Awesome diapers. I used them with all my guys. They hold well, absorb well, are soft, and best of all, got rid of the rash problem that we kept getting with disposables. They also make training pants that are so cute and work great, your child can feel wet with out having to change the whole outfit. Better than a pull up because they are actually wet instead of just a cold sensation. None of my kids liked the wet feeling so they got the idea really fast. I potty trained all my boys with these in les than a week. Oh ya... I forgot to mention.. I bought around 15 to start for one baby, but with 2 using them I might buy more then you won't have to wash every day. You can buy less covers though. I think I only bought 5 covers.

I understand your confusion and frustration!!! My oldest daughter was expecting our first grandchild in Dec of 2007 and wanted to use cloth diapers. I told her that I would get the diapers for her at the Commissary, on a military base because it would be so much cheaper. Her response was"I need to be with you Mom to make sure we get the right kind", my thought was...."right kind?? how many can there be?? Folded and unfolded is all I know about". WOW Was I behind times!!! I know that my daughter basically used fuzzi buns and I also know that she purchased most of them as "gently used" diapers from a diaper exchange online. I am not sure exactly what diaper exchange she used but if you want to message me I will be happy to talk to her and get the website.
I also know that she used a diaper liner when she put the diaper on and expected a messy diaper and not just a wet one. (Her son was fairly predictable as to when he would have a BM). I Also know that she basically changes the entire diaper when she changes it, the "pad" is placed down inside a pouch on the cover itself, so the whole diaper is soiled. I don't know if you could place the pad next to the baby and not into the pouch...and then be able to reuse the cover when the cover is still clean and dry. I would be happy to put you in touch with my daughter ( she has a great information blog online) and she could answer any questions you might have.

we have cloth diapered our daughter since she was 3days old. it's great, for us!! i wash ours about every 2-3 days. you need to decide what kind you want to use, all-in-one, prefolds, etc. here's a few sites i used when i first started out (btw: we use prefolds and a cover, i have about 36prefolds and 10covers, im now working on sewing all my own to save even more)

http://diaperpages.com/
http://clothdiapers.thefunnyemu.com/index.html
http://www.zany-zebra.com/

feel free to message me with any other questions if you dont find what your looking for.

I use Fuzzibunz and love them, never had a leak. We change the cover and insert with each diaper change. We have between 15-20 of them and wash them every day (one load) with oxyclean and vaska detergent. Couldn't be easier.

I recommend you check out The Giggling Green Bean store. The woman who owns it knows A LOT about cloth diapering - carries many brands and detergents, and can get you started.

You can also buy all in one training pants for the potty trianing.

I am curious why you would decide to do this after so long!! But I think you will be much happier. My experience is that the cloth diapers smell LESS and are much easier than disposibles. (less trash)
Good luck!

I use fuzzi bunz who now has a one size diaper that grows with your baby. I think the bare minimum is 14 diapers if you want to wash every day. With two kiddos in diapers, I would suggest 18-24 diapers total. I have a 1 year old heavy wetter, and I use two hemp inserts per diaper. You do change the whole thing when it gets wet/dirty. If you use prefolds and a cover, you only change the cover when it gets messy or super wet. I would recommend the diaper 101 class. I think if you are up north, there is a store called the giggling green bean that offers cloth diaper classes as well. Good luck!

There have been a couple of questions lately about cloth with some really great answers. Try to look those up also!

If I had to start cloth again I would def go the One-size pocket or all in one route. Get more miles for your $$. Thirsties now makes a semi-one size diaper called Thirsties Duo. I like Thirsties because it will carry you to 40lbs while most only go to around 35lbs. I used thirsties while my 3-4-then almost 5 year old was trying to stay dry at night and they fit him very well even though he was bigger.

I also like BumGenius but their sizing isn't as big. I have some Fuzibunz mediums and they still do no fit my 25lb daughter because she has a short rise so a one-size with an adjustable rise works really well for us.

Invest in biodegradable liners for your older child and once the baby starts solids. makes clean up so much easier.

You will change your kids more often than with disposables (about every 2 hours or so during the day) so you will want enough for 2 days. I like to wash every other day. If you get the one-size that will fit both of them you can get away with buying less.

I would buy one of a couple different types to see what you like before investing a lot in one style/type. That way you can ease into cloth and not be disappointed with what you've got and you've spent your diaper budget!

Take a look at the diapers at sites like pinstripesandpolkadots.com If you see something you like check out the reviews at diaperpin.com That way you can see from other moms if it will fit your tall, skinny, chubby, short baby, etc.

One of my favorite subjects!! If you have any further questions after all these answers, don't hesitate to send me a PM.

I use Bum Genius one-size, not the all in one. I love these because they are so like disposable that my husband and even my daycare have no problem using them. They are pocket diapers, which means that there is an insert (the pad like thing), and they adjust in size. My son started using them at 2 weeks and is still using them at 2 years. The benefit of the pocket diaper is that you can add more inserts if the kid is a heavy wetter. There is a learning curve to learn how tight to make them, but once you figure it out, there are only those extreme cases with a mess (soooo much less than I had in the first 2 weeks with disposables.

There are also the all in one diapers that don't have the inserts. Those that have inserts, but reuse the covers, etc. Check out cottonbabies.com.

As far as the amount, it really depends on the kid and how often you want to wash. We have 36, but that is mainly because of daycare. We wash every 2-3 days.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

try potty training your 6 month old now!! i'm not kidding. its super easy and she might be done with diapers before your 2 year old. if you are interested in tips feel free to message me.

Hi J. -
When I first began to explore cloth diapers I went to a "cloth 101" session with a local vendor. They have them here (in Virginia) on a regular basis. Really it all depends on your lifestyle and the shape of your kids. I like simple and easy so we use all-in-ones (AIO's) and fitteds with covers. They are easy to wash and dry, easy to fit, and look nice and trim under clothes. I hated pocket diapers becasue i didn't like stuffing and unstuffing them. I would probably get a variety to try before you decide - then you will know better what works for you. Here's a place in CO for you - http://www.pamperedbuns.com/
Also diaperpin.com has great reviews and instructions.
Good luck!
L.

If you feel like a trek up to Boulder, there is a place here called Bundles that specializes in teaching you all about it! http://www.bundlebabyshop.com/ Hang in there--you'll get it!