Diapers I Recommend

These are the diapers I would recommend trying. I would recommend getting a total of 12 diapers and 4-6 covers in any combination and see what you like the best and then buy more of that.

If you want to try prefolds
Chinese or Indian prefolds with Bummis Super Whisper Wraps or Flip one-size covers.

If you want to try fitteds
Mother Ease Sandy's bamboo (or cotton if you are more concerned about money than bulk) with Mother Ease Air Flow snap covers or Bummis Whisper Pants.

If you want to try hybrids
The Flip system and/or the Best Bottom system

If you want to try pockets
bumGenius or Fuzzi Bunz

If you want to try an all-in-one
I guess bumGenius, but I haven't actually tried any others

Diapers I've Tried

You can save a lot of money by using cloth diapers. However, if it becomes a hobby to try different kinds and make your own like it did for me you won't save quite as much. You will still save though and you will probably be able to sell a lot of your used diapers which you can't do with disposables. I have already sold some stuff that I didn't like.

And now, Nicki's Diapers http://www.nickisdiapers.com/ has a 15 day wash and return policy where you can try anything and if you don't like it, wash it and return it within 15 days for store credit. I would have saved tons of money if they had this when I started using cloth. Nicki's is a great place to shop because they have tons of selection in diapers as well as all kinds of other mom and baby stuff.

Here is a list of the diapers I've tried. I have found that I like different styles of diapers for different stages. I put the ones that I used most in bold and indicated which stage I used them in. I am just starting to diaper my second baby and so far I am following a similar trend, but will probably make a few changes.

Prefolds
Chinese - size nb and infant secured with a snappy for first baby, trifolded for second baby
Indian - size nb and infant secured with a snappy for first baby, trifolded for second baby
Econobum by bumGenius
Blue Penguin snap on hemp

Contours
Kissaluvs

Fitteds
Little Lions
Under the Nile
Ecobaby Absorb-it-all - size medium and large
Sckoon
Ecobaby Grow-with-me
Mother Ease Sandy's Bamboo - size large
Mother Ease Sandy's Cotton - size large
Mother Ease one-size bamboo - started using at the same time as Sandy's but did not fit as long
Organic cotton Dream-Eze
Kissaluvs
Happy Heiny Heiny Hugger
Crickett's
bumGenius bamboo

Covers
Bummis Super Whisper Wrap - w/prefolds
Bummis Super Snap
Bummis Whisper Pant - w/fitteds
Litewrap
Prowrap
Thirsties - w/prefolds
Mother Ease Air Flow snap - w/Mother Ease diapers
Sun Seedlings side-snap PUL
Stacinator So Simple - w/Mother Ease diapers

Hybrid
g Diapers
Flip one-size cover w/ stay-dry insert - the covers are good for all sizes, but I only like the inserts on the largest size. otherwise they are too bulky
Flip one-size cover w/ organic cotton insert
Best Bottom snap shell - These are new so I've only used them with my second child. This is a one-size cover and so far they are too bulky with the Best Bottom insert but work well with a tri-folded newborn prefold.
Best Bottom stay-dry insert - These are new so I've only used them with my second child. They are too bulky in the Best Bottom shell but work well in the Flip cover. I am not a big fan of microfiber so I am looking forward to trying the hemp inserts, but so far they have not been able to keep them in stock.

Pocket
bumGenius one-size - I used these for quite a while as overnight diapers and for a period when my son had outgrown infant prefolds but I hadn't discovered Mother Ease fitted diapers. They fit well, but they can be harder to wash because of odors and repelling and they wear out much faster than cotton or bamboo diapers. If you are going to diaper full-time with these you will need at least 24 and I'm still not sure how many children you could diaper with them. That being said, you would still save a lot of money even if you bought 24bG diapers for each of your children instead of buying disposables.
Fuzzi Bunz - I only had these in small
Dry Bees fleece nighttime
Bum Wear one-size

All-In-One
bumGenius

Washing Diapers

The thing with washing diapers is that you want to get them clean but if you use too much detergent or the wrong kind you'll get buildup on your diapers that cause them either to stink when they get wet or quit working. Diapers made with natural fibers are easiest to take care of. Diapers with synthetic fibers are the ones that tend to have more problems with washing.

Here's how I wash all my diapers (natural and synthetic):
Cold rinse
If there are especially dirty diapers in the load I will shake the bottle of liquid detergent upside down quickly and then rinse out any detergent that sticks in the cap into the rinse water.
Hot wash
Sometimes I do an extended soak and sometimes I just set the soil level to heavy.
Cold rinse
Sometimes I do an extra rinse if I think the detergent isn't going to wash out with one rinse.

Detergent
You should put the detergent in for the hot wash (after your first cold rinse).

You want to avoid fragrance, brighteners, fabric softeners and other additives. These leave buildup on your diapers. Cheap free and clear detergents have worked well for me, but they sometimes have an added ingredient to block allergens that causes some people problems.

I think the key is not to use too much. A diaper store in town recommended that I use about a tablespoon of a free and clear detergent and a half cup to a cup of baking soda.

Sometimes I add a few drops of tea tree oil to the hot wash as an antiseptic.

Problems
It's best to start with a simple wash routine and only adjust if you have problems. If your diapers aren't smelling clean out of the wash you need more detergent. If they repel instead of absorb or stink when they get wet you need to use less detergent and/or do an extra rinse. If you have hard water you may need a few other adjustments.

Here are some good websites with info about washing and detergents. The diaper pin forums are a good place to go if you are having problems and want to find out how other people solve similar problems.

Sunshine Diapers - Washing Info

Sunshine Diapers - Detergent Info

Pinstripes and Polka Dots - Detergent Info

Diaper Pin Forums

Another Cover

I made this wool cover too tall. I think I will need to complete another one before I will want to rip this one apart and make it shorter.

Cloth Inro 4: What to Buy

HOW MANY
If you are interested in using cloth diapers full time then most people recommend 24-36 diapers although I have gotten by with only 12 during some stages. Actually, I think 36 is too many. 12-24 is plenty. If you are using prefolds or fitted diapers then you will also need 4-6 covers. If you'll be using cloth wipes you'll probably also want 24-36 of those.

WHAT KIND
What kind of diapers you use depends on your personal preference. I recommend trying some of each to see what you like the best before you invest in a whole stash. A good way to start is to buy 24 prefolds, 4-6 covers, and a couple fitteds and/or pockets and/or all-in-ones. Then after you figure out what you like you can buy more.

A great resource for cloth diapering is www.diaperpin.com. You can read reviews of different diapers and diaper products and there is also a lot of info about cloth diapering and forums for asking questions.

MY OPINION
My personal favorite for cloth diapering is fitted diapers with PUL covers when baby is awake and wool covers when he's sleeping. My husband and I both feel like fitted diapers are the easiest to use, and I prefer natural fibers to synthetic.

Fitted Diapers
To be even more specific I like fitted diapers that have two rows of snaps. I prefer snaps over velcro because velcro can get ratty looking and you have to remember to fold the velcro closed before you wash it or it will snag other diapers in the wash. Also, I've heard that kids can undo velcro and take their diapers off, but snaps are harder for them to undo. I prefer two rows of snaps because I think you get a better fit. The top row is to adjust the fit at the waist and the bottom row is to adjust the fit around the legs. I have tried one-size fitted diapers (they adjust so you don't have to buy differnt sizes as the baby grows), but I don't recommend them. They don't seem to adjust enough to really be a one-size diaper and they don't fit as well as sized diapers.

I have two favorite fitted diapers. One is made of bamboo and one is organic cotton sherpa. The bamboo is trim yet absorbent and stays soft and flexible wash after wash. The organic cotton sherpa is also very absorbent and soft and durable. Sherpa refers to the finish of the fabric. I like sherpa better than fleece cotton because it looks nicer and seems to be more absorbent, but the absorbency could relate more to the brand of diaper. I don't know for sure.

I also use prefolds and pocket diapers when the fitteds are being washed or when I feel like a little variety.

Prefolds
You can get Chinese, Indian, bamboo, and hemp prefolds among others. Chinese and Indian prefolds are both cotton. I've tried both and at first I thought the Indian prefolds were softer, but after months of use and washing I can't tell much difference. Chinese and Indian prefolds come in bleached or unbleached. I prefer unbleached because it's more natural. I've also tried hemp prefolds and as far as I'm concerned if you're going to spend that much money for hemp or bamboo you should just get a more convenient diaper (i.e. a fitted). The real advantage of prefolds is their economy so if you start spending a lot on special fabrics they loose their advantage.

Pocket Diapers
I've tried pockets with snaps and velcro and I've tried one-size diapers and sized. Although the velcro tends to get ratty and you have the laundry hassle I think you get a better fit and the diaper stays on better with velcro than with snaps. The one-size pocket diapers I've tried fit well at different sizes so I think they are better than the ones where you have to buy different sizes because you have to buy fewer.

Covers
Although I prefer snaps on a diaper, I think I prefer a PUL cover with velcro. It fits a little better than snaps. Since I've made all of my wool and fleece covers I can't say much about what I like best except that ones that wrap around are a little easier to use than ones that pull up.

Cloth Intro 3: Diapering Accessories

You may want to consider some of these accessories if you are going to use cloth diapers.

DIAPER PAIL
You should store wet and dirty diapers in a dry diaper pail. Any pail or trash can with a lid will work. Before baby is on solid food the poop is so runny that it will wash right out in the wash. After baby starts solid food, shake the solid poop in the toilet and put the diaper in the pail.

PAIL LINER
It's a good idea to have some kind of pail liner in your diaper pail. Then you can just shake the diapers in the wash and throw the liner in with them. You can buy PUL pail liners, but I have found that making my own out of a used sheet works just as well.

WIPES
If you are using cloth diapers you may as well use cloth wipes as well. In my experience the cloth wipes work a lot better than disposable wipes anyway. You can buy cloth wipes or make them or use cheap washcloths. Terry materials work the best. Flannel doesn't work well because it just smears the mess around instead of wiping it off (much like disposable wipes). You can throw your wipes in the wash with your diapers.

WIPE SOLUTION
You can use plain water to wet your wipes or you can use a diaper wipe solution. You can buy concentrated solution that you mix with water. I have an 8 oz bottle that has lasted me more than a year.


USING CLOTH WIPES
There are several ways to store and use your wipes and solution. You can store wipes in an old disposable wipe container and pour the wipe solution or water over them. You can spray baby's bottom directly with solution or water and wipe with a dry cloth. Or you can store the wipes dry and then wet them with a squirt bottle as you use them. The last method is what I do.

FLUSHABLE LINERS
After baby starts eating solid food flushable liners can help make cleaning easier. The liners are sort of like rice paper that you lay in the diaper and then when the baby poops you just lift the liner out and flush it down the toilet. If the baby doesn't poop on the liner you can let it dry and use it again or wash it with your diapers and use it again.

STAY-DRY LINERS
You may want a stay-dry liner in the diaper to wick moisture away from the baby's skin. You can buy them or you can make them by cutting up fleece from the fabric store (you don't have to sew the edges of the fleece). They can be thrown in the wash with the diapers. I used these for the first several months because I thought that it would be better for my son's skin and I thought he might be more comfortable, but as it turns out I don't think it matters. I quit using them about 10 months ago and he doesn't seem to care and it hasn't affected his skin.

DOUBLERS
If your baby is an especially heavy wetter you may need extra absorbency in your diaper. You can buy doublers that you lay in the diaper to add absorbency. When you are shopping for doublers be sure that you buy doublers and not inserts. Inserts are for going inside a pocket diaper. Sometimes doublers and inserts can be used interchangeably but in the case of something like microfiber you definitely don't want that touching your baby's skin as a doubler does.

WET BAGS
You may want some kind of bag for storing wet diapers when you are out. You can buy wet bags made of PUL or wool or make your own. I use a wool one that I made from an old sweater. Zip lock bags work too.

Cloth Intro 2: Diaper Covers

All prefold and fitted diapers need a waterproof cover of some kind. There are three basic kinds.

PUL
Polyurethane Laminate covers are kind of like Gortex. They are waterproof but fairly breathable. The most common PUL covers are wraps. They wrap around the diaper and velcro or snap closed. You can also get pull-up PUL covers. PUL covers come in all kinds of fun prints and colors depending on the brand you use. They are a very economical cover. You can wash them with your diapers if you need to, but they will last longer if you wash them in cooler water.

WOOL
Wool covers are great b/c they are natural fibers so they are completely breathable and naturally antibacterial and odor resistant. Wool is just amazing stuff. One of the drawbacks of wool covers is that they are usually pretty expensive to buy. However, you can sew your own out of old sweaters or knit or crochet your own for a much lower cost. Another possible drawback is that they do take a little bit of special care. They need to be washed by hand and lanolized (lanolin is what makes them waterproof). However, you only have to do this once a month at most (I do it much less often). You do have to make sure that you have an absorbant diaper under the wool because if your diaper isn't absorbant enough and you are carrying your baby on your hip when he pees you could get wet because of the compression of the wool against your hip. If your baby is just haning out and the wool isn't compressed it won't leak. You can get wool covers that are soakers (pull-on style) or wraps.

Here's a good site with info about wool: http://reviews.ebay.com/Wool-Cloth-Diaper-Covers-The-Comprehensive-Guide_W0QQugidZ10000000000884763

Other posts in my blog have links to sites for making your own wool covers.

FLEECE
Fleece covers are also very breathable, and they are easy to care for because you can wash them with your diapers. They are usually a little more expensive than PUL but less expensive than wool. You can have the same problem with compression causing leaking that wool covers have. If they seem to loose their waterproofness you can dry them in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet to restore their waterproofness. You can also get fleece covers as soakers or wraps.

A benefit of both wool and fleece covers is that you can get them or make them as shorts or pants (longies) so they can work as both a diaper cover and as pants and you don't need to put pants over them.

Cloth Intro 1: Diaper Overview

I hope that the following information will be helpful for people looking into using cloth diapers. There are several different types of cloth diapers. Here is an overview of each kind and my opinion of the pros and cons. I've also given approximate costs. The cost depends a lot on the fabric and where you buy them; I just wanted to give rough ideas.

PREFOLD DIAPERS
Prefold diapers and rubber pants were the standard when I was a baby. Today prefold diapers are still a popular option, but waterproof covers that are more breathable than rubber pants have made them a little nicer. A prefold diaper is essentially a rectangle of absorbant material that you fold or wrap around the baby and cover with a waterproof cover. When shopping for prefold diapers you'll notice they are labled with numbers like this: 4x8x4. Those numbers refer to the number of layers in the diaper - four layers of fabric on each side and eight in the middle. Many people get by with two sizes from birth to potty-learning - infant and premium, but there are other sizes if you want a more customized fit. You can fasten the diaper on with pins or with a snappi (see picture below), or you can just lay the folded diaper in the cover and let the cover hold the diaper on. The last option works better with older babies who have solid poop.



Pros:
Least expensive.
Easy to wash and care for.
Moderate dry-time after washing.
Natural fibers (breathable).
Can be used as burp cloths or rags later on.

Cons:
Can be tricky to learn how to put them on at first, so not good for babysitters.
Can be a little bit more bulky than other diapers depending on what end of the size-range baby is on.

Approximate Cost:
Cotton - $1-$3 each
Organic Cotton - $6-$10 each
Hemp - $6-$10 each
Bamboo - $8-$12 each

FITTED DIAPERS
Fitted diapers are contoured to fit baby more like a disposable diaper, and they have snaps or velcro closures to hold them on. They have lots of layers sewn in the middle to make them absorbant. They require a waterproof diaper cover. These are my personal favorites and my husband's too.

Pros:
Very easy to use, so good for babysitters.
Natural fibers (breathable).
Fairly trim.

Cons:
Long dry-time after washing.
More expensive than prefolds.

Approximate Cost:
$10-$20
My favorite fitted diaper is about $15.

POCKET DIAPERS
Pocket diapers do not require a seperate waterproof cover. They are waterproof on the outside and usually fleece or another synthetic fiber on the inside. Then you have to stuff the pocket inbetween with an absorbant insert. They are held on by velcro or snaps. Many pocket diapers come with a microfiber insert. Microfiber is very absorbant but not very bulky. Some people use a prefold diaper as an insert. The fleece lining on the inside wicks moisture away from the baby's skin into the absorbant inside.


Pros:
Keeps baby's skin dry.
Easy to use once they are stuffed, so good for babysitters.
Fairly trim.
Fast-drying (if you have microfiber inserts)

Cons:
Most of them are synthetic fibers which are less breathable than natrual fibers and more prone to buildup of detergents which compromises their effictiveness.
Don't last as long as diapers with a seperate cover.
Some people don't like stuffing them with the insert.
Expensive.

Approximate Cost:
$17-$30

ALL-IN-ONE DIAPERS
AIO diapers look similar to a pocket diaper, but the absorbant layer is sewn in so there is no stuffing involved. It's a one-step cloth diaper fastened on with velcro or snaps.

Pros:
Very easy for anyone to use.

Cons:
Long dry-time
Don't last as long as diapers with a seperate cover.
If they are synthetic material same problem as with pockets.
Expensive.

Approximate Cost:
$17-$30

My Latest Wool Soaker

Well I haven't been making any diapers or covers lately. I haven't had a lot of time and I've been experimenting with buying different fitted diapers. I'm not sure when I'll make more of my own. I prefer diapers that snap and I don't have a snap press and I was tired of poor quality fabric, so I've taken a break. But I found some Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool at the store that still has lanolin in it so I made a new soaker. I used the pattern on this site: http://withatangledskein.blogspot.com/2008/02/little-fire-crochet-soaker-pattern.html
I changed the pattern a little though b/c the front came up too high. I'm pleased with the results and I still have quite a bit of yarn left, so I think I'll experiment with another soaker.

Laundry Tabs

I mentioned laundry tabs in my last post, but I forgot that I never posted about my first diaper with laundry tabs. Here is a picture. Basically a laundry tab is a piece of the loop side of the velcro next to the hook so that you can fold the hook part over on the soft loop side so that the hooks don't snag everything else in your laundry.

Back in the Saddle

Well, I took a break from making diapers for a while, but after receiving some used t-shirts and some really old prefold diapers I decided to make another diaper. I used t-shirts for the body and a prefold for the soaker. I really like this pattern that I've landed on and I like using velcro with laundry tabs instead of a snappi. This diaper turned out to be too big right now, but he'll grow into it. And although I've called this post "Back in the Saddle," I don't think I'll be making as many diapers as before. I want to be a little more picky about the fabric I use so that I'll be happy with the diapers I make instead of making a bunch that I'm not that excited about.

Frustrations

I'm frustrated with my diaper endeavors. Many of my diapers' soakers are getting bunchy. I'm tired of experimenting. I want to find something that works and then make a bunch of those. I think I need better fabric, but I can't afford to buy nice diaper fabric. I'm also tired of using a snappi b/c it doesn't catch the fabric on my diapers easily and my son is getting impatient at diaper changes so the faster, the better. I'd like to get a snap press and try snaps b/c velcro is expensive and I'm not sure I like how it makes the diapers stiffer. I'll have to save up money for a while and try some nice fabric and snaps.

The good news is I found a blog with some great free wool patterns, crochet and knit. I need to learn to knit first before I can try those though. :-) This is the crochet soaker pattern I'm trying now: http://withatangledskein.blogspot.com/2008/02/little-fire-crochet-soaker-pattern.html

How long does it take to make a diaper?

I originally started this blog because my husband said someone might find some of this information helpful, and I like sharing information. I'm so excited because there have been a couple comments posted that lead me to believe that someone may have found something on my blog useful in their own quest for making cloth diapers.

One person asked how long it takes to make a diaper. I have to admit that I'm not sure I've ever gotten to sit down and make one from start to finish without interruptions, but it doesn't take very long. I'd say maybe a half an hour per diaper. Actually, I usually cut fabric for several diapers at once and then I may sew together the soaker layers for several soakers, so I'm not usually working on just one diaper at a time, but it goes pretty quickly especially once you've done a couple.

Another thing the blog has done is to provide a way for people to provide me with helpful information. Someone posted a comment saying that windpro is a brand name and the fleece I should look for in the store is alpine fleece or anti pill fleece. Thanks! Very helpful.

Fleece Soaker

I purchased the Sweet Baby Soakers and Skirties pattern from wired up designs (http://hyenacart.com/wiredupdesigns/index.php?viewall=1).
Today I made my first soaker from the pattern. The fleece I used is not a great quality so I don't know how well it will work, but it was pretty easy to make so I'd like to make some more with better fleece and try wool too.


I wish that there were directions on the pattern about what kind of fleece to use. There are so many kinds at the store. Maybe I should know that already. The fleece they sell for making diapers is windpro, so maybe that's what I need to use, but I don't know if that is a brand or a type or if you can buy that kind at the fabric store or if you have to order online. Maybe I will try to contact the person who made the pattern and see if she can tell me.

I ordered the pattern a long time ago and just after I did, I made my first wool soaker where you just cut a sweater in a triangle and it made the cute shorties and longies posted earlier. So then I was wondering if it was worth it to buy this pattern, but now that I've made it I think it is a better fit than the triangle soaker and I'm glad I have it.

I'm often excited to get things made and make careless mistakes. So when I was making this soaker I cut the medium sized body and waist and the XL leg bands and didn't realize it until I had sewn one on, but fortunately it was easy to fix. :-)

New Pattern

I decided to adjust my diaper pattern again. Even though previously I said I had tried several and gone back to my original, I think I found the perfect pattern now. :-) The first one was good, but this one has a little bit narrower wings so there is less bulk around the legs. I also made it larger as my son is starting to outgrow some of the first diapers. Here's a comparison of the diapers and the patterns.

Update on Stay-Dry Diaper

So after using the "stay-dry" diaper a few times I think it's starting to work. The last time he wore it the diaper was wet, but it hadn't leaked. I think the fleece just needed to be washed a few times before it would wick properly.

Not About Diapers

When I was pregnant I made curtains for the baby's room. I made them orange and green b/c we didn't know if he was a boy or a girl and I made them with bold colors instead of pastels b/c I know I won't make new curtains again for a long time and I didn't want it to look like a baby's room when he's older. After he was born, I made a quilt to match the curtains and I put some blue in it since he's a boy. And actually there were a few blue things here and there before b/c I just like blue. Anyway, this isn't about diapers, but it's about something I made, and I'm happy with the way the quilt turned out so I wanted to post it.

Stay-dry Diaper a Bust

So, I buy fleece at the fabric store and cut it to make liners for my diapers that wick moisture away from my baby's skin so it doesn't get irritated. So in my last post there is a picture of a diaper I made with the whole body of the inside of the diaper made of fleece. My attempt at a stay-dry diaper. Well, it doesn't work. The fleece I used just doesn't wick the moisture through to the absorbent fabric fast enough and the diaper leaks. Oh well, live and learn.

Trying More New Things

I've been doing more experimenting. I can't help myself. I'm addicted to trying new things.

With the first diaper I tried the birdseye fabric on the outside b/c I thought it might be soft and the snappi hooks to it easily. The inside is t-shirts. I used an old towel for the soaker. In another diaper where I used an old towel it worked well, but in this one it seemed to bunch a little. Hmm.

This second diaper is t-shirt and clearance cotton. I didn't sew in a soaker b/c for some reason I thought maybe I could make them faster if I made the body and the soakers separate and just laid the soaker in the diaper. It won't be faster, but I guess it's a nice experiment. I always use a fleece liner in my diapers to wick moisture away so I made one side of the soaker of fleece so it doubles as a liner.

This third diaper is t-shirt and clearance cotton with microfiber for the soaker. Microfiber really works the best b/c it's the least bunchy and most absorbent.

The last diaper also has a microfiber soaker. The body is three layers of t-shirt and the inner layer is fleece. I thought I'd try it to make it a "stay-dry" diaper.

I haven't tried the last three diapers yet so I don't know how they will work, but I'm curious to see how the sewn in fleece works.

Felted Wrap

I made another wool wrap with the tickle turdle pattern, but this time I made the large size and then I felted it (shrunk it on purpose). I wanted to try a felted wrap b/c it will be more waterproof since the fibers become matted together and it's softer. I was a little nervous b/c I was afraid I wouldn't like it, but I really do. So here's a picture of it before it was felted and after and a close-up of after. Here's the pattern link again:
(http://www.tickleturdle.com/wrappattern.html)