I want to use cloth diapers but I'm unsure of what to buy?

Question

Hi there. I have a 5 month old son who has chubby thighs and I am wanting to switch to cloth diapers. Even huggies make his thighs red and sore looking and hes scooting on the floor now so those legs are about to get more active lol I also feel bad changing his diaper so many times a day and I know thats so bad for our environement! I am wanting to get advice from moms who already use cloth diapers. Can you point me to a good website? is there anywhere to buy like a starter kit? when I looked them up it was all so confusing. THe places around me that have diaper services are so expensive. WHats the going rate per week or month? I would really like help with this please Im so confused. my mom used cloth diapers with my sister and I until we were walking BUT she used a dipaer service so she said shes not sure exactly what I need now. thanks so much moms!

Answer 1

Cottonbabies.com is the largest cloth diaper retailer (that I know of online) & they sell a lot of other cloth diapering & toiletry products for infants and toddlers.

It's great that you are thinking responsibly & want to help accomodate your childs miscomfort with plastic diapers, and, help the environment at the same time. Not only will you be doing those 2 things, but saving A LOT of money as well.

Diapering services are available, but just as expensive as regular diapers (w/ pick up costs & washing fees, etc). Every generation of woman in my family has decided to use cloth diapers w/ her child (so basically, my family has refused disposable diapers since their invention).

The best way to clean cloth diapers at home, have your washer machine ready. Hot water & bleach. You should also set up 2 soaking tubs (2 because one for urine & one for f***s) w/ (initially) hot water & bleach, in containers in the laundry area easily covered and put up out of reach (Of animals, other kids, etc). Soaking bins help, b/c it gets rid of the smell, & gets rid of the stains pre-wash, making it easier on your machine to get things as clean as possible.

When you buy cloth diapers you want to make sure that you are buying enough for one week of use w/o washing (also add in extras, for diarreah days, etc) - just to save you the headaches of doing 2 wash loads of diapers a day - instead if you have plenty of cloths on hand, you have the option of waiting a day or two to wash everything from the soaking bins, but still having diapers to use.

In the end, apart from the hassle, cloth diapers are cheaper, more eco-friendly, and better for your little ones if they have sensitive skin allergic or irritated by disposable diapers.  

Answer 2

My babies were all chubby too.  Cloth was always so much nicer to their fat thighs than sposies.  I've never used a diaper service so I don't know how much they cost.   There are a lot of good websites that can help you get started.  Do you know what kind of diaper you want?  Prefolds, fitteds, all in ones, pockets?  You can read reviews of different diaper brands.  http://www.diaperpin.com/diapers/diaperp...

You can go to the FSOT at http://www.diaperswappers.com and http://www.diaeprtraders.com to buy used diapers.  They're a lot cheaper than buying them new.  You can buy one of each kind you're interested in so you can compare them before you invest a lot of money in them.  The forums are also a great place to ask questions.  You can ask the moms of other chubby babies which diapers they prefer.  (I like Kissaluvs because they're soft and have stretchy elastic.)

Answer 3

Just look up the new types around. Weigh the good and bad about each type and make a decision on which type you want. I have seen mothers on here say you need about 2 - 3 dozen to get through the days. I think it was 2 dozen if you were washing like a load a day, or 3 dozen if you only washed every couple of days. I don't know about any starter kits. If I get into cloth diapers I want to use peapods - they are Australian. They look really good and aren't overly expensive I don't think. The problem is just finding the money to stock up on them.

Good Luck with it.  

Answer 4

That just sounds like a lot of work.......and a lot more money and hassle. I stick with Huggies.....my son is only two months and huggies are my favorite.

Answer 5

hello, we use bum genius 3.0 and so far there great! the website we got them from was www.lilbunz.com. they are one size fits all( they have snaps which grow with your child and they are all-in-ones so all you have to do is stuff the insert (included with the purchase of the diaper) into the diaper and go. they are a little pricey (18 bucks a piece) but they last a long time and you can use them with your next child. we have 26 of them which is a little much but we wont run out in case of diarrhea. when they are dirty, rinse the p**p off in the toilet ( if your shower is close to the toilet you can spray the p**p into your toilet with the shower head, it comes off so clean you could almost dry it and put it back on the baby LOL. if your shower isn't close to the toilet you could buy a spray attachment for your toilet at the website i provided you with) after rinsing the p**p throw the insert and diaper into a pail, if its a wet diaper just throw it in the pail. wash the contents of the pail every other day. put it on a normal cycle and then when its done put it on rinse cycle again so there is no detergent build up. look up more about cleaning and caring for them because the warranty is void if not taken care of exactly how they instruct. well i hope this helps! good luck

Answer 6

I have the BumGenious 3.0 and they are really great. You can get the starter kit for ($80?) I think. I bought them at squishytushy.com It comes with 5 colors and they grow with your baby so you never have to buy new ones. And you can get another set if you find 5 is not enough.

Answer 7

I was going to use a nappy service, but instead went with a variety of fitted nappies that go from newborn through to when they are toilet trained. My decision was not only based on cost (nappy services get pretty expensive), but comfort for my baby.

The traditional cloth nappies are not bad, but my daughter is quite sensitive to wetness and refuses to do a poo in her nappies (she screams until you unfasten her nappy before she goes!) so they are not absorbent enough for her. I found the best were bamboo or hemp based nappies for absorbing moisture, and also the softest.

If you are after brand recommendations, I really liked a range called Baby Behinds which are Australian made. They cost me around $300 for 13 but if you think about how much you will save that's pretty good. They have cotton ones as well as the hemp and bamboo ones I use.I also have a few Mother-ease ones which are similar to BB, but it's just personal preference. The Bum Genius are great also and I have a few, especially for wetness and I've heard they are good for boys.

With the Baby Behind type I use the most of, you need pilchers although you can get 'all in ones'. My pilchers are from the Mother-ease range, which I think are the best  as I've never had one leak with them. Unlike disposables and other pilchers I've used.

I always use a flushable nappy liner as well, to draw away the wetness a bit more. I find I only have to change her as much as with disposables. This also helps when it comes to washing as I never have to soak them, only give them a very hot wash as they never are dirty, only wet. Most manufacturers recommend dry pailing now instead of soaking to extend the life. Also you use less chemicals which is better for babies bottom.

I think you could get by with around two dozen nappies if you only want to wash every couple of days. I have around 20 and when I run out because I've been slack with washing I use some flannel ones I have to fold, or the odd disposable. I still use some disposables for night and if I'm going to be away from the home for a long time. When I do I find my daughters bottom gets quite red and irritated so try not to. On average it's one or two a day. I figure I'm trying my best for the environment.

I hope I've made some sense. I think you can go to my profile and email me if you need any more help!

Are you in Australia? I found the site darlingsdownunder.com.au really great. They have starter kits and trial kits. Have a look anyway as it's got some good info even if you are overseas.