now, while i know this topic is only relevant to some of you, i felt a personal need to bring my cloth diapering posts full circle to a semi-conclusion.
if you look at my labels list over on the right, you will find a category on
diapers. if you are planning to cloth diaper, it is worth a skim of all of the posts, truly. my journey through cloth diapering has been an interesting one. i have traveled through the research stage, pre-baby, through cloth diapering a boy and a girl, 2 different body shapes, through free diapers and covers of all kinds (seriously, i think i have tried most of the basic velcro wraps and a handful of the pockets.), and through persistent rashes.
here was my
last review, #2, when babe #2 was 4 months old. he is now 21 months old.
on to review #3. this is text from the previous reviews, updated once again:
DIAPERS:
we generally use a combination of Chinese diaper service quality (DSQ) prefolds (those flat diapers that are called prefolds because they are layered with more thickness in the middle) during the day. i twist and snappi these in place. we also have a handful of Motherease one size fits all snap-on cloth diapers, and i use these mostly when i am letting finn roam around the house with no cover. i love the prefolds. even with pocket diapers i use our prefolds, not the inserts that come with them. prefolds are incredibly versatile.
at night, we have battled with leak and rash problems with both kids, but with finn especially. it had forced us into paper diapers (to prevent rash) covered in cloth and a cover (because the paper wasn't enough to stop the leaking). we have now jumped for joy at the following night time set-up for him: a punkin doodle dual stage diaper with night time doubler, fleece liner, and a wool or fleece cover. we also tried a raw silk liner, which didn't work for us. we discovered through trial and error that the fleece liners we were previously using simply needed to be replaced. i just couldn't strip them well enough. i sometimes alternate with a paper diaper for him at night. i comment briefly on paper diapers, below.
our 5 year old is ~44 lb girl still wears cloth at night. she comfortably still fits the extra-large fuzzi bunz stuffed with a toddler prefold and an infant prefold. she has few leaks and no rash problems. this same set-up did not work for finn.
COVERS: i have tried A LOT of them. we have a handful of fuzzi bunz (pockets) that we used exclusively for lala in child care and now use for out-and-about times with finn. (all the other pockets we have tried, leaked, including bumGenius and blueberry minkys.) my hands down favorite covers, consistent through all the sizes, are Proraps. they don't wear out, they don't leak, they fit a variety of sizes and shapes, and they are cheap.
in our quest to get finn out of paper at night, i have made a handful of fleece and wool covers. i resisted dealing with wool for a lonnnnngggg time, but i admit, the wool in combination with the absorbant night time diaper have made a huge difference for finn. i read the articles on washing and lanolizing wool at diaperpin.com and it is so easy! i use our kids' gentle shampoo to wash the wool, rather than eucalan. we use expensive J/A/S/O/N/ shampoo, so it isn't that much cheaper than eucalan, but it is a little bit cheaper, eco friendly, and safe on finn's rash-sensitive butt.
BARRIERS: i have learned the olive oil is the best healing "grease" for my son and cornstarch powder is fabulous at keeping dry. both are diaper safe and will not increase the need for stripping. (google 'diaper stripping' for information on removing build-up on your diapers and increasing their functionality.)
QUANTITY: we try to change hourly when in cloth during the day when in regular diapers. we generally don't change babes at night after they consistently stop pooping in the night (around 3 months for our kids). i think having a stash of 30 or more prefolds and 8 or more covers is ideal.
SOILED: we use Bummi’s coated nylon sacks for transporting dirty diapers, covers, and wipes and for lining the dirty diaper pail (a Diaper Champ).
WASH: we wash every day or every other day. cold rinse. hot wash (with second cold rinse selected) with Country Save laundry soap. (i tried a huge number of detergents in my quest to get finn free of rashes.) i often put vinegar in the rinse cycle. i dryer dry the diapers. i hang dry the covers and Bummi bags. any stained diapers or covers are hung in the sun. i use the dryer for the diapers, because otherwise, they become very stiff.
TIP: imse vimse liners are great for dealing with poop and reducing the need to dunk. Tushies disintegrate, often while still on the baby, and gerber EZ liners, my first favorite, are no longer made. both the imse vimse and gerber liners can be washed and reused if not soiled.
OTHER RESOURCES: diaperpin.com is awesome for reviews. you can buy and sell used diapering supplies there too. you can buy/sell at diaperswappers.com, too. you are no longer allowed to sell used diapering items on eBay. (lame!) i have bought most of our new diapering items at PunkinButt.com. great service! (if you buy there, use my name. you get a discount, i get credit.)
additionally, you can make your own. most of my wool and fleece covers are homemade. the wool covers are made from old sweaters. simply follow the link i gave in the first paragraph to see all my posts on diapers.
PAPER DIAPERS: i have tried a huge number of paper diapers while dealing with finn's rashes (one bad rash lead to a staph infection) and when traveling with both kids. my goal has been to find something economical and preferably eco-friendly, that also absorbs. i have tried most of the major store and name brands. my current favorites are target store brand for economy and whole foods store brand for ecology.
