Switching to Cloth Diapers - Westmont,IL

Looks like you have lots of info so I was just going to add - It is super easy. It's one more load of laundry. You can do it! I am only using them with one and it saves $$.

I don't want to deter you, but if you are thinking that this is going to save you money, it probably won't if you're only going to use them for one kid for a few months. If you're planning on having more kids and reusing them, though, go for it!

Check out this website: http://www.fullcirclebaby.com/ Particularly under the Information tab, it will have lots of basic information.

There are a zillion cloth diapers out there, but the differences are largely a matter of personal preference. They all work really well.

"Pocket" diapers like fuzzi bunz or bum genius are excellent. You stuff the inside with more or less padding depending on how much absorbancy you need, and then you can take the inserts out to speed washing and drying times.

If you want to go simple - and to be honest, in the end this was what I used the most - go with prefolds and diaper covers. They are cheaper.

Many companies will offer an introductory package that has a variety of diapers you can try out to see what you like best. They also will have packages of particular diapers, like fuzzibunz or prefolds and covers. There are a zillion websites out there - but now that my son is potty trained, I deleted all my bookmarks.

You don't need to put used diapers in a wet bucket. You can just put them in a bucket or bin with a lid, but do wash them every two or three days, and while you're washing them, leave the lid of the bin up so it can air out. Those websites also give information on washign diapers. You can totally do it yourself, and it's not a big deal.

You can definitely use diapers for overnight. Sometimes I did, but I found they just were overwhelmingly stinky in the morning so I switched back to disposable for night. But not everyone has that problem. Try it and see what you think.

Good luck! I loved using cloth diapers, and I hope you will too.

I tried all in ones, fitted with cover, and prefolds with covers. I ended up sticking with the prefolds inside a Thirsties brand diaper cover. They were very easy to use and never leaked. Prefolds are cheaper and dry alot faster. I have 2 covered buckets. I put the used diapers in one when i change my son and the other i soak the stained diapers in for a day or 2 in oxyclean, and switch them as i do laundry. I Never use bleach. diaper creams can be used but they can't containe zinc.

I have 5 covers and 24 prefolds. I do laundry everyother day. I use a enviromentally friendly disposable at night. When away from home i have a bag in my diaper bag to put the used ones in. If you don't want to spend alot you can buy used on e-bay. Alot of people spend the money and don't get into cloth diapering so you can get a deal on some barely used items.

I started CDing my daughter at 9mo. The beat this for you would be to do
a diaper trial. You can do these through websites or local CD stores.
Wesite: www.jilliansdrawers.com
Local store in Orland Park: www.cutiepoopsandbottoms.com

They give you one of every popular brand to try. You use them for three weeks and return them. You pay upfront a fee, and get all but $10 back. The rest of the money you recieve back is in the form of a store credit.

This is a great way to find a diaper you love without the frustration of buying many and not loving them (like I did).

As for messy BM, you will want to get a diaper sprayer. It attaches to your toilet. You toss the loose poop into the toilet and spray off anything that sticks. It also helps the diapers keep from staining.

Another awesome product are Bummis Bio-liners. They are thin cotton disposable and biodegradable liners that go over the top of the CD next to the childs bottom. They catch the BM so it doesn't stick to the diaper. It also helps keep the CD from getting stained.

I use these on my daughter once a day, because she has a BM at this particular time every day. If your son is the same, you won't have to
waste as many- but they are pretty inexpensive anyway.

I know there are a few CDing stores in the Chicagoland area. The one I mentioned above in Orland as well as one in Naperville (although I've never been there). I would suggest checking one if these stores out. You can go in and get a demo of how the CD work. It is great to actually hold them and see how they work.

Good luck! I hope you love Cloth Diapering, like I do!

Okay here is what i did.

Bum genius is the brand i used with the pocket. bought extra inserts because my dd is a heavey wetter. they also have flushable clothes that go on top of diaper for making poop clean up even eaiser. the is 100 to a roll. also they say not to use "butt cream" i used it it will stain the cloth but at night for the long sleep i wanted her bum to be okay. it did not affect the absorbtion at all. just don't go crazy with putting a ton on .lol

wet diapers I hung the inserts over the clothes baske tto dry out and put the diapers in the basket.

soiled I rinsed out really well solid poops in toilet, and if it was "messy" I would scrape off as much as possible then rinsed in tub with hot water. then hung them like the wet ones.

Laundry was done every night-
Longest cycle on hot wash cold rinse with unsented det (liquid) and bleach.
2nd wash cold/cold shorter cycle nothing added. (this is just a really good rinse) you really don't want anything "left" on clothes to irrate the skin.

dry in dryer or if it is rally nice out hang them out to dry. really brightens them up. gl its worth it

I have a trash can (13 gal, I think) which I line with a cloth diaper pail liner and keep next to the changing table. We've never had any issues with smells in the room. FYI, we did try the diaper genie first but found the cloth diapers to be too bulky for them.

When there's a BM in the diaper, if it's nice and solid it will just roll right in to the toilet. If it's not so solid, we use a piece of disposable silverware to scrape the poop off in to the toilet, then toss the silverware in the garbage (we always get given them when we get take out, but use our real silverware once we get the food home). I know it might seem like a waste to do this, but it's not very often and you gotta use something. No need to rinse at this stage, you do them all together before you wash them.

I use Purex Free & Clear to wash my diapers (only 1 tbsp per load). I rinse them on a cold rinse first, then put them through a hot wash. Absolutely no fabric softener as this compromises their absorbency. Also, fabric softener builds up in your dryer if you use sheets, because of the animal fat in them, so you'll need to give up using those if you do currently. FYI, I don't miss them or the expense :O)

For overnights, we use some hemp inserts in addition to the microfiber one (we use pocket diapers).

I personally hate disposable diapers so much that I do use cloth when we travel. I just take a small travel bottle with some detergent in it with us. Depending on how long we're gone, I sometimes take the diaper pail (trash can) & liner too. For quick trips around town, or if we're just going to be gone for 1/2 day or so, we have a small washable dirty diaper bag with a zipper that goes in our diaper bag.

Our babysitters have never had a problem using them, though you'll probably want to walk them through your routine once just in case they have questions. The ones we use have velcro closures, so they're a lot like disposables in terms of ease of use.

At your son's age I'm guessing he sleeps through the night, so if you buy 24 diapers you can expect to be doing diaper laundry every 3 days. I wouldn't suggest getting any more than that, as you this really is the longest you're going to want to go between washes. As far as sizing, we use one-size diapers which adjust with the growth of your child, so I'm not certain what size a 23lb baby would need. If you plan on having more children, or your son is not yet at the largest size, I would highly recommend one-size diapers as it will save you a lot of money.

We spent around $500 on 24 diapers, 1 diaper pail liner and 2 small dirty diaper bags, but that was 2 years ago, so prices might be a little higher now. I'm guessing we've saved ourselves about $1500 over the past couple of years as my daughter is 2 1/2 and still wearing them. Which leads nicely to your next question.

Obviously, no potty training star in our household, but she is a little behind developmentally in a few areas, so I really think it depends on the child.
Finally, we use BumGenius 2.0 one-size pocket diapers. They have newer ones now (3.0s) and we plan on buying those for our baby which is due at the beginning of July (unfortunately, her big sister will still be using hers then).

We bought ours from a wonderful lady, Sarah. Her website is: www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com
She is a fantastic source of information and help in addition to being competitively priced. Also, Mothering Magazine, Pregnancy Magazine, or Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine have BumGenius coupons valid until May 31, 2010. One is for 10% off the purchase of 24 BumGenius 3.0 One-Size Pocket diapers. So if you can get your hands on one of those, even better!

Good luck and welcome to cloth diapering :O)

HI K..
cutecaboose.com is great. When I thought I was going to switch to cloth, she allowed me to put together a trial pack. I was able to try about 10different brands and kinds for 112. We ended up not going with cloth, so I returned everything and was refunded 100, the 12 was for shipping. The owner is really nice and extremely helpful.
My sister used cloth for both her kids and loved it! You may want to try a sample because there are sooooo many options. Good luck and way to be green!

I'll let someone else answer you about brands and prices, but I can speak about cloth because my kids were born just as disposables were coming out. They were only used for being away from home so you didn't have to carry dirty ones home. I did start out with a diaper service, so that's the diaper I used. They weren't the gauzy ones you have to fold, they were "pre-folded". This means they are a small rectangle with the middle third being thicker, like laying a maxipad in. They fit from birth to potty training.They are especially good for boys because you fold the front edges in and down to pin them, and that gives him extra padding right where he needs it most. You need lots of diaper pins and rubber pants. As for soiled ones, dump the lumps in the toilet, and swirl the gooey ones in the water, then flush, holding onto the diaper. Yeah, your diaper pail is gonna stink, but, oh, well. 3 dozen should get you through a week. At the price of diapers, you'll certainly save money, not to mention the landfills. PS. Don't throw them out when you're done with diapers. We still have some after 40 years ---they're great for all kinds of things.

I've used cloth with all mine at some point. Right now I'm using Bum Genius and I really like them a lot.

Hi K.,

Avoid using bleach to sterilize them. Chlorine bleach leaches through the skin and is absorbed into the bloodstream. It can not only cause respiratory distress but neurological issues as well. Rinsing with water does not get rid of the residue. Find a natural enzyme to sterilize with. I use a product that I order online.

M.

I used cloth diapers with both my kiddos.

My dd was totally potty trained at 14 months, she used the old fashioned kinds of diapers (which hold nothing in) and so if I saw a face that meant that she was pushing, I immediately sat her on the toilet. My intention was not to potty train, but it happened. I just didn't want to clean the mess. :)

With my second, we used Fuzzy Bunz. I can't reccommend these enough. He was a little older when he trained, but he is a different child, too.

You can get inserts that make it easy to sleep through the night without a change. They snap on, super easy to use. It's basically a shell that you put a pad inside to absorb. They have fleece lining which wicks away urine. Installing a toilet shower attachment makes clean up from a BM easier. We bought a set of 12 and just threw them in the wash with hot water and a mild detergent at the end of the day. We did an extra rinse cycle just to be sure.

I didn't think cloth was at all difficult. My kids are both out of diapers now (whew!) but I'd definately go the Fuzzi Bunz route with extra hemp inserts.

Good luck.

I have lots of info for you! I've had my sons in cloth diapers and it's well worth it. There is a website called shoppapoose.com with lots of good brands and products to use. If you do make the choice to switch, I'd be happy to tell you how to care for the diapers and which soaps to use. I know the diaper company you choose will give instructions, but there are better ways. I use bumgenius all in ones. If you choose a diaper that is "all in one" then you don't need to worry about taking out the stuffing after it's soiled. The all in ones are more expensive, but easier to use. You also want a diaper with snaps, not velcro. After time, the velcro will fray and peel off. After the diapers are soiled, disguard solid stools into the toilet. Place in washing machine and rinse once in hot water/cold rinse. Add one scoop of Charlie's Soap and wash again hot/cold. Rinse the diapers in hot/cold 2 more times. The more you rinse, the better. The key is to get that urine out, because the diaper won't absorb as much the next time you use them. Always dry at low heat. Purchase at least 12 diapers, papoose will give you a discount if you buy 12 at once. They also carry Charlie's soap. You can also use the soap on your clothes as well. When you're ready to use Charlie's, use one towel and 2 scoops of charlie's for a load. There is lots of soap residue from whatever detergent you used before. it's important to clean the diapers in a clean washing machine. Good luck :)

We have a shop in Central, IL but you have several cloth diaper shops that have popped up in the Chicago burbs. The best first step is to visit your local shop and touch and feel all the great modern diapers. It would be impossible not to save money with cloth. Even if only used for a couple of months before potty training the resale value will be high. If you are considering potty training soon be sure to check out the Antsy Pants brand. Enjoy the journey, it is fun.

After having 4 children, the oldest being allergic to the disposibles, am wondering your motives. It is more economical and better for the environment, however, disposibles far exceeded my personal needs over cloth. You must rinse soiled diapers, solid or loose in the toilet prior to soaking. You must have a consistent laundry plan to contain the smell and lessen sanitary risks. It would be one heck of a daycare provider to take on your needs as I would have refused during my eight years of home daycare. It is not feasable when traveling unless your stay is prolonged and your accommodations include onsite laundry facilities. We incorporated diapers into our budget realizing it to be temporarily costly. When children get older, they begin to squirm, making it difficult to secure cloth diapers. Do they make them with velcro these days?? I continue to applaud the inventor of disposibles, which freed me to focus on more time for myself and my children.

I would highly recommend trying several different brands/styles. My SIL put all her eggs in one basket (so to speak) and used the Fuzzibunz. She liked them ok, until she tried Bumgenius. She did a lot of research, but you just never know until you get them on your child. Each kid is different in their body type and what fits best.
Another thing that will be helpful is a utility sink to wash/spray/soak diapers. At 11 months, I'm assuming most of the bm's are more solid, so that helps.

Good luck to you! There are many websites (I don't know them off the top of my head right now) that are devoted to cloth diapering, too.

I had to switch to cloth diapers with my son as he is allergic to something in the disposibles. I have organic bum genius one size aio, starbunz ai2, thirsties pocket, and prefolds with a thirsties cover. They each have their own pros and cons. The BumGenius are just as easy as a disposible to use. My mom and other babysitters have no problems using them. They don't absorb as much so need to be changed more often. An extra layer is needed for night time. But they are slender enough to wear comfortably under clothes. The Star Bunz are also pretty convenient and are really cute. They absorb a lot and work as nighttime diapers. The problem with them is that they are really thick and don't fit easily under pants. Their designs work well with a tshirt in the summer months. I love the Thirsties. The are thin, absorb well, and just as easy as disposibles. I need to add some absorbency for overnights. The only negatives of these are that you need to buy a bigger size as your child grows so it costs a bit more. The prefolds with a cover work well when I am the only one changing my son. It can be a little messier. They take a little longer to put on. They are bulkier and don't fit quite as well under clothes. When I use prefolds I use a Snappi because I don't want to mess with pins.

As far as dirty diapers...I dump solids in the toilet. Then, I store in a dry bucket with a lid(after lots of research I feel it is the better choice) and wash within 3 days. I start with a cold rinse, wash on hot with 1/4 amount of additive free detergent, and then finish with an extra rinse. Occassionally, when the diapers get stinky, I will wash with a tablespoon Dawn dishsoap and rinse and rinse until they are rinsed clean with NO bubbles. I always dry on high in the dryer or out in the sun in the summer.

As far as how many to buy,well, that depends on how often you plan to wash them. I have 6 Thirsties and 6 Bum Genius. Most of the time I wash every other day, and I always, just barely, have enough of them (they are definitely the easiest kinds). I also have 6 Star Bunz and 12 prefolds. If you are going to go the easiest route, you will want all in ones with velcro. They work just like a disposible. You can get 12-15 of Bum Genius or Thirsties for $160-220 depending on the kind you chose. If you buy the individual sizes I would buy size L in Bum Genius AIO and size 2 in Thirsties. The One Size diapers tend to be a bit pricier but if you are going to have another child they may be the way to go so that you won't have to buy more.

My son is 22 months old and started showing signs of not wanting to be wet about 3 months ago. He tells me when he goes and that he needs to be changed. I feel the cloth definitely helps him recognize the feeling of wetness. He's scared of the potty so he doesn't like to use it. I think that if he didn't have the fear of the toilet that he would probably be potty trained by now.

I used a diaper service for all three of my kids. Honestly I think it was probably cheaper in the long run than washing them myself. I never had any problems with leaks, and yes they wore them overnight. A hard stool I dropped in the toilet, soft stool just went in the special bucket they provided. Once a week I put the whole pail on the front porch, they came and took the whole pail, left a fresh pail with clean diapers it in, bill came in the mail like any other....was very reasonablely priced, a fraction of disposables. The diapers were excellent quality, not prefolded, absolutely spotless and free of any chemical smells...........I was a SAHM, when it came time for potty training I just took the diaper off most of the day while we were home....good luck and yes if you're wondering I DID stick my oldest with a diaper pin once, not a banner mommy-moment, tehehe!

Oo I'm currently switching too so I'd love to read other people's posts. I am currently waiting for my diapers to get here. Thirsties duo are the ones that I'm trying.

My husband and I have no problem using cloth diapers! Our daycare provider also uses them with ease. I would recommend it to all.

To help with the messy poops, get a diaper sprayer hooked up to your toilet so you can just spray everything off into the toilet. Easy to install! Most cloth diapers places carry them in store or online. http://diapersprayer.com/

We use FuzziBunz, do a cold soak with BioKleen and hot wash with Charlie's Soap with an additional cold rinse. Air dry the diapers with a laundry hanger like this: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/laundry-hanger-....

For nighttime, we've had good luck using an additional hemp insert. It also helps we have a potty for our little guy to sit on and help get out any liquids before bedtime! He turned 2 in March and he already knows to let us know when he has to go pee or poop, so we can normally catch it before it gets to the cloth diapers. I've heard it is easier to potty train them with cloth diapers since they do feel the "uncomfortableness" quicker.

We purchased 12 diapers in each size (S,M,L) and do a load of laundry every other day typically. Since your son is 23 lbs you may only have to buy large diapers if you do the pockets. Good luck!

Air Biscuit through My Mamma's Milk (http://www.mymammasmilk.com/AirBiscuitAIO.html)

Hi K.,
Good for you for switching. Did you see this recent article- http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-diapers-cause-chemical-bu.... Scary stuff. I am about to start cloth diapering my 2nd. My first son pottytrained VERY quickly, and yes, I think it had a lot to do with the fact that he was cloth diapered and could FEEL when he was wet and it made him uncomfortable. I am selling some diapers on Craig's List. If you search on the Chicago Craig's List, mine are the All-in-One's for sale in Westchester. You might consider trying some gently used ones until you figure out what kind you like. Each one is sized differently, so you have to read the weight ranges for each brand. I like All-In-Ones and pocket diapers. The one size diapers are nice because you can just adjust them as your child grows.
Since you're not too far from me, if you ever want to get together and "talk diapers", just message me. :) I know this sounds silly, but I love helping moms make the switch from disposable to cloth!

T.

My daughter recognized "wetness" around 13 months, and by 15 months, she was taking off her diaper after every pee and poop. So, yes, it does help them recognize wetness sooner. The bad news is that this means you will have to work hard to help them learn the rest of the concepts to potty train. My daughter was in trainers at 18months, achieved night dryness by 23 months, but at 26months still gets distracted and has accidents. I know she trained early because of cloth, but it was a lot of work.

I use Bum Genius.