Sometimes I have zero self control.  Zero.  I haven’t had the need to really purchase any cloth diapers over the past year.  But, there are times when a diaper looks so enticing I just have to try it.

One day I noticed that Banana Peels Diapers tweeted that they had just listed some Goodmama The One cloth diapers.  So I bought one- The Jungle One.

Is it squishy soft like Goodmama’s are famous for? Of course.

Is it worth the $28.00? No.

I can name a dozen or more cloth diapers that are just as cute, more absorbent, better fitting, trimmer and easier to put on.

I have yet to buy a Goodmama cloth diaper (fitted or AIO) that doesn’t have at least one snap that is broken or less than perfect.  That’s crazy.  Some people complain about crooked or uneven stitching but at least the diaper still functions!

I get so frustrated when I’m trying to hold Sterling down and I can’t get a snap to snap! Plus, I have to fold down the rise and it never stays even.

Once the diaper is finally on, Sterling usually gets to wear it about 45 minutes before the wicking gets me wet.  GRRRRRR.

Really?! $28 for a cloth diaper that leaves him and I wet?  Bum Genius Organics run about $24.95 and they don’t leak. I’ve left one of them on for 5 hours and only then did it leak.  Anne Marie Padorie AIOs cost $20 (CAD) and I’ve never had a leak.

Perhaps it has to do with the turned & top-stitched seams.  Most all-in-ones I’ve used that are T&T wick.

My advice, if you are on a budget don’t splurge on The One.  If you have money to throw away…donate it   I am fully aware that there are hundreds of cloth diapering families out there that LOVE Goodmamas.  That’s great, every child is different.  But, my goal is to prevent emotional purchases that you may regret.

As always, let me know your thoughts.

When I research cloth diapers reviews aren’t the only factor I consider.  As a matter of fact, the moms behind the diaper can lead me to buy without even reading a single review.

That will be the case with Envibum cloth diapers for many of you.  Sure, I’ll give you my review but first I want you to “meet” the Envibum wahms and hear their mission.

Rachel Sibel is the brilliant designer and seamstress who created Envibum. She took a minute to share with me how Envibum came to be.

I am a mother of three with our 4th on the way. I started cloth diapering 13 years ago with my first. I have been a streamstress for over 20 years making everything from custom wedding dresses to drapes. My daughter was my first to try my handcrafted diapers and I had a lot of years to perfect the design.

I am a practical parent with a focus on natural. So I have always used cotton for my baby’s bum. Easy wash and care was and is a must for my family. Early last year I was rocking our newborn son while praying for some of our friends as the Lord lead.

I felt God telling me to make and sell the diapers I had made for all my children. I said out loud, “Is that You Lord?” It was such a clear thought that I was either going crazy or I was being given a vision and an assignment. I said, “OK God lets talk about it.” So I as I sat rocking and praying I blurted out the name “envibum” and then laughed out loud at the realization that I was just given the name of our new company.

I told my sister first about all that I was feeling. I knew I had to run it by her as a litmus test before telling my husband how our life was going to change forever. She was so excited and as we talked I jokingly said, “ya, our tag line should be helping families grow healthy, wealthy, and dry.” She responded with, “yes, it should be!” I sat my husband down and told him the news that God was calling us to make diapers.(I laugh now at how little I knew about what God had in store for us.)

My husband was on board immediately and as we talked we got more and more excited! We got to work right away and everything fell into place. We have mostly grown from word of mouth. We have an awesome group of moms that have lended their babies and time for testing and perfecting.

We now ship our diapers all over the world. Our focus is babies health and helping families. We love the benefits of saving the Earth but feel investing in people’s lives is where God’s heart is. We use the highest quality of fabrics and my perfectionism in sewing comes out in our quality checks all along the way. We have wonderful seamstresses who put their love into each diaper as much as their talent.

We are blessed to have families cloth diaper with envibum. We are doubly blessed to be able to give to those in need at the same time! We are always prayerfully looking for new ways to give. Giving monetarily with each diaper purchased and giving a mom4mom cover to a mom and baby in need with each one purchased encourages us to get the word out about envibum. We truly are thankful for all our envibum parents and worldwide family. God bless.

The Envibum cloth diaper is a super luscious green minky outer with a waffle organic cotton inner.  It is a one-sized all-in-one with a pocket for adding extra absorbency.  I love that Envibum provides us with a one-sized diaper without all the snaps and adjustments.

Sterling is almost 1 , 19.5lbs, and 32″ long.

The fit is snug and absorbency has been great.  Most of all I love the color and feel!

Envibum also has the mom4mom cover, which I feel is a must-have in every stash. You can’t mess it up! I have had many issues with “rinse and reuse” covers not really being “rinse and reuse”.  Either the binding gets wet or the fabric part.  The mom4mom cover is completely encased and only PUL is exposed.  This allows for a true rinse and immediately reuse cover.  A meager $130 is all it would take for you to cloth diaper your baby for many, many months.  (2 covers + 12 t-shaped liners are listed at $129.99 www.envibum.com)

Check out what Rachel has to say about the mom4mom covers:

I am very excited about this cloth diaper.  Not just because it’s a great product but because they have a heart for giving back to those in need.  When you check out their site look for the red Envibum! They will donate $2 to the Salvation Army in assistance to Haitians for every red Envibum you purchase.

Thank you, Envibum, for donating your products for me to try out!

Can I have a two-way tie? I feel like it would be a sin to demote my beloved Bum Genius Organic AIO.

I just said something dealing with cloth diapers would be a sin…this coming from someone who just accepted that cloth diapers are just cloth diapers.  (Pink diaper incident)

Back to my new love.

Many, many months ago when I first joined Facebook while searching for cloth diaper groups, I came across Grasshopper diapers. On “paper” they looked fantastic. I remember stepping out of my comfort zone and asking the owner if she’d like me to review her diaper. No response. No big deal.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I received an email from Lisa, owner of Grasshopper diapers and you can imagine my excitement. Turns out Lisa’s not a FB junkie and never knew of a message from me. But, I am very glad she heard about me.

Lisa graciously sent me 3 Grasshopper All In Ones to put to the test. The first evaluation of a cloth diaper begins from the moment you open the package.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: clean lines, straight seams, even snap placement, high quality fabric, tight package- you’ve got me.  I may not be that great of a seamstress but I have a high standard when it comes to product quality.

Grasshopper diapers met all of those criteria upon initial inspection.  I was so impressed that I called in my husband to check them out…he might have been a little impressed

Grasshopper diaper features include:

Soft, unbleached, naturally absorbent Oeko-Tex certified bamboo/ organic cotton inner layer and snap-in soaker. Oeko-Tex certified fabric has been thoroughly tested and found to be free from all known harmful substances; it is suitable for use in products intended for babies and young children. Fabrics made with bamboo are softer, more absorbent, less bulky and quicker to dry than 100% cotton fabrics. Bamboo grows quickly without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and withstands both droughts and floods.

Snaps are “hidden” so that only soft fabric touches baby, never snaps. Elastics are gentle and move with baby. Separate rows of snaps ensure a comfortable, custom fit at both waist and thigh.

Snap-in tri-fold soaker design provides plenty of absorbency yet unfolds in the wash to ensure thorough cleaning and quick drying in the dryer or on the line.

Whether you’re away from home with nowhere to stash a soiled diaper or just looking for the most compact way to pack a diaper in your tote, our roll-up snap makes it easy to roll and go!

If a diaper doesn’t have hidden snaps I’m not likely to use it. And THANK YOU, Lisa, for adding a roll-up snap! This is something I’ve always wanted on a diaper.  I tend to roll up my cloth diapers and lay them by the door, in the car or by the washer.  I’m always changing a diaper on the fly and don’t take the time to toss it in the pail right away, having it securely rolled up is a nice perk.

As far as the absorbency and trimness (which is what we really care about!): I put one on Sterling today before we went to the park at about 12pm and didn’t change him until about 4pm. It was definitely wet but there was no wicking or leaking.  I did have a bamboo doubler in the diaper. Grasshopper diapers are trimmer than the Bum Genius organic aios because of their lack of front snaps (both waist and rise).

$22.95 is a bit high for a sized cloth diaper.  However, if your budget allows I would not hesitate to get a handful of these for your stash.

Lisa, is making it easier for you to get one of these amazing diapers by offering 20% off each item you purchase.  Until February 14th, Grasshopper Bamboo AIOs are only $19.16! (this is the price of a medium)

How is the sizing of Grasshopper diapers?  Sterling is 20lbs and really long and skinny.  I got him a Medium and he wears it on the tightest waist snap and 2nd tightest thigh snap.  He’ll probably wear this size through potty training.

I live in south Texas and shipping was surprisingly quick!

When reviewing cloth diapers it is a priviledge to get to know the WAHMs personally.  I asked Lisa a few questions so that you too could know her.

Children?

We were blessed with one daughter who is now 4 years old.  Getting pregnant with her was easy, and her natural delivery was quite smooth.  I assumed that we’d easily have another child, but that hasn’t been the case.  Over time we’ve realized just how lucky we are to have her and have come to accept that she may be our only child.

How many cloth diapers do you have in your stash?

Well, I still have all of my daughter’s diapers (you never know!) – they probably number around 100+, but it’s easy to end up with a lot when you’re sewing prototypes and testing them at home.

What is your wash routine?
We washed diapers alternate days and stored them with used cloth wipes in a dry pail.  We were diaper sprayer devotees.  We had rash problems with some detergents and ended up finally settling on Nellie’s All-Natural Laundry Soda: about 1/3 tbsp in a cold rinse cycle, 1/2 tbsp in a long, hot wash cycle followed by 2 cold rinses.  We have always had a HE washer.  I loved to hang diapers outside on the line to dry (this influenced my tri-fold soaker design and played a part in my love of bamboo fabrics since they’re softer off the line).  When the weather was too cold or damp for drying outside, the diapers went into the dryer.  I liked to start the diaper wash after our daughter’s bedtime and have them in the dryer before I went to bed (or on the line – I have no trouble hanging laundry in the dark!).  It’s nice to wake up to a clean pile of diapers.  There were other detergents that I wanted to try as well, but they just weren’t easy to find in Canada (things like Country Save, All Free & Clear, Allens and that mysterious “blue Dawn” for stripping)

Are you satisfied with your current diaper design or are there changes in the future?

I am very satisfied with my current diaper design and have no plans to change it.  I do plan, however, to add different types of diapers to my line.

Where can we purchase Grasshopper diapers?

Online at http://www.grasshopperdiapers.com/ or, if you happen to live in the Toronto area, at The Cuddly Bunny in Port Perry, Ontario (it’s a lovely town to visit for lunch and shopping, and there’s a nice new playground and splash pad in the park by the lake).

What is your favorite “mommy escape”? When you go to bed at night what do you look forward to most? Coffee lover?

I love coffee and magazines (lifestyle, parenting, renovation, cooking and home decorating).  My favourite quick escape is a hot cup of coffee and a new never-been-opened decorating magazine.  For a real treat, about twice a year I meet a girlfriend in the city to chat, browse in shops and go out for lunch (Indian or Thai, ideally!).  When I’m not sewing diapers I enjoy sewing stuffed animals for our daughter and like making quilts (with my sewing machine, I’d never have the patience for hand-quilting), though I haven’t worked on a quilt in quite a while.  I also enjoy photography, cooking and entertaining.

I am a huge fan of easy.  And I mean easy enough for my husband and 7yo daughter.  For this house that usually means an aplix all-in-one.

Bottombumpers cloth diapers are just the type of easy everyone needs in their stash.  Before Thanksgiving, Stacy sent me a red Aplix (at my request because I don’t do well with side-snap and remember I like easy) Bottombumpers for me to review.

I receive many different cloth diapers to review and the first thing I take notice of is the quality of materials used and quality of sewing.  I like a cloth diaper to have very clean seams, straight lines and high quality fabrics.  I feel that even businesses just starting out can acheive this especially when a good review can build their business.

Bottombumpers is arguably one of the best small-scale produced cloth diapers on the market today.  It is a combination of attention to detail and not cutting corners on fabrics that qualifies them for this status.

In regards to materials used, this is from the Bottombumpers website in the “Why Bottombumpers?” tab:

2mil Polyurethane Laminated (PUL) Knit Outer -

Bottombumpers outer layer is constructed of waterproof 2mil PUL knit outer.

Hidden Wing Snaps on Side Snapping Diaper-

Bottombumpers keep the wing snaps concealed inside the PUL and lining so they dont touch baby’s skin. This also helps prevent red marks.

Strong Aplix(R) Fasteners on Hook & Loop Diaper-

Bottombumpers uses industrial strength Aplix(R) brand Hook and Loop for a strong, quality closure that can be used over and over again.

Quality Polyresin Snaps-

Bottombumpers use high quality industrial strength polyresin snaps.  Our snaps are also backed with a layer of fabric inside for extra strength and durability

Certified Organic Cotton & Bamboo Materials-

Nothing says Eco-friendly like a certified 100% Organic Cotton Lining and snap-in soaker material.  Our soakers are also topped with a high quality Organic Bamboo Velour, the softest material we’ve ever worked with.

Quick Dry Snap In Soakers-

Our soakers are bi-fold and snap-in for quick drying.   All snaps are hidden on the soaker as well.

Absorbent-

Our Diapers have been tested and will withstand 16oz+ before leaking.  Testing was done a diaper with no added doubler that was well broken in by being used and washed for 4 months!

Made In the USA-

Bottombumpers are manufactured in the USA. Made by a small family and select few contracted seamstresses in smoke and pet free sewing studios.

I love the snug, trim fit the front closure Bottombumpers allows me to get on Sterling.  This would be the perfect diaper except for one small problem I am having–and it really is my fault.

When I received the Bottombumpers AIO we were set to go visit family for Thanksgiving the next day.  I didn’t want to leave it behind so I tossed it in the washer for a quick 1 wash prep.  The next day I put it on Sterling for the first leg of our trip.When we arrived at our first stop his pants were soaked.

I assumed 1 wash wasn’t enough to prep it.  No biggie.  I would take it to my mom’s, wash it and use it again. Unfortunately, I left it at my mother-in-laws house. I’m not certain but I think she most likely added fabric softener to it as she does with all her laundry.

For the next few uses I had terrible leaks.  I have sense stripped it and added a bit of bleach to the cloth diapers.  Yet, still I have wicking.  This makes me sad!  I don’t know if I messed it up (or my sweet mother in law) or if this is something that occurs with Bottombumpers.

The other high points of the Bottombumpers AIO leads me to highly recommend it.  Most retailers are selling them for $16.95 which is a good price for an organic aio.  I have never read a negative review of the Bottombumper, that in itself is amazing!

You can get yourself a Bottombumpers AIO from a number of excellent retailers.  I *highly* recommend you check out RG Natural Babies first though.  She has a great selection and I noticed that she offers free shipping (only aplix though)!  Another excellent option is an embroidered Bottombumpers.  Diaperco–which is near where I used to live!–has a some instock and the option for you to order a custom embroidery.

Please share your experiences with Bottombumpers cloth diapers in the comments.

Finding a nighttime solution that works for your baby can be extremely stressful.  No parent wants to change a diaper in the middle of the night and the last thing any parent wants to do is change sheets!

Whether your child is a light-wetter or super-soaker it doesn’t matter; 12 hours or more in one cloth diaper is a long time.

I’ve compiled a list of successful nighttime cloth diaper combinations for you.  You may have to experiment once or twice but most on this list will work great for any child.

1. Double stuffed Fuzzi Bunz pocket. Flip inserts are excellent.
2. Sbish Bamboo fitted (the Magic diaper) w/ Thirsties cover or Sbish wool (*our #1 system)
3. Flip w/ 2 inserts
4. Rumparooz w/ 6r insert + Goodmama goodfront doubler (I’ve used it w/ and w/o the doubler) This works great for baby’s sleeping in any position.
5. A Goodmama Goodnights diaper with fleece liner and a SMJAE hemp doubler inside and a Happy Heinys large insert on the outside of it. Then, I put it all in a bulletproof Disana wool soaker.  This recommendation came from a mom who’s daughter is an extreme wetter and does a lot of acrobatics in bed at night.
6. Happy Hempys for night time (fleece lined) stuffed with 1 or 2 Thirsties hemp inserts and a Thirsties cover
7. Under the nile fitted and a UTN doubler with a Thirsties cover or Motherease airflow cover
8. Clover Organic velour fitted with the insert that comes with it and a t bone doubler from them with a Lana wool soaker
9. Bububebe fitted with Aristocrat wool soaker (I’ve seen huge raves for this combo!)
10. Holden’s Landing Bedbug fitteds with a Stacinator So Simple cover (I’ve seen mixed reviews on these covers)
11. “I use VBBN from blue lake diapers and get the extra soakers but have them made quick dry style. I use a stacinator so simple cover over it and have never had a leak.”
12. Goodmama with two Zorb/bamboo doublers and a fleece soaker

Here are some sleeping position tips:

Tummy sleepers: pack the front, especially if you have a boy. All doublers should be folded and placed in the very front/top of the diaper. Don’t use pockets. They tend to leak more w/ tummy sleepers.  A nice tight fitted with a wool cover or Thirsties has always worked for us.  Paisley was a tummy sleeper and always the back was dry and front was soaked.  I love bamboo doubler because they can be folded up and not add a ton of bulk.

Side sleepers/marathon nursers : If I’ve had a leak it’s because I didn’t get a nice tight fit at the legs and most likely didn’t pay attention to the placement of his parts.  I like the security of longies and anything with gussets (Rumparooz, Thirsties) Over stuffing a pocket can create a problem as well.  The pee can come out faster than the fabric can absorb and leak right out the leg.

What about covers and breathability?

Wool breathes best.  Heat built up from the urine and tight fit can pass through the pores of the wool.  Motherease airflow covers also allow heat to flow out.  PUL covers allow air flow less than the natural wool fibers will.  Avoid plastic pants! The heat is trapped and in addition to being uncomfortable for your child can also cause rashes.

There is a nighttime solution for your child.

If you get frustrated don’t resort to disposables! From what I hear if your child pees through one of these combos you’re sure to have leaks in a disposable.  I’ve always been more afraid to use a sposie at night, I trust my cloth diapers more.

There’s no doubt that you have a hundred other nighttime solutions.  Be sure and let us all know your success combo in the comments!

Check out the links at the top right of my blog for shopping resources. Other suggestions include:

Kelly’s Closet

Banana Peels Diapers

The Stork Wearhouse

Cloth Diaper Superstore

Jillian’s Drawers

Hyena Cart

I don’t recommend disposable diapers or inserts be used on a regular or even occassional basis. If they are used it should be for those rare times when using cloth diapers would be unfeasible.

Having said that, in November on our final camping trip of the year I decided to try out the disposable inserts for Flip.  We were going to camp for 5 days and I didn’t have access to washing facilities.  To cut down on the amount of dirty cloth diapers I’d be coming home with, I used a few of the disposable inserts.

Before we all loaded up in the Suburban I put on a Flip with disposable insert on Sterling.  From where we live it only takes about 1hr 45min. to get to Garner State Park.  During that short trip Sterling peed heavily and squirmed around a lot. When we arrived it took about 45 minutes to get camp set up.  While Michael and the kids went looking for fire wood I changed Sterling.

Unfortunately, I had waited too long.  What I saw when I opened the cover was horrible.  The insert had busted and gel crystals were all over him.  You may recall that this is the very reason I began cloth diapering 4 years ago.

I took Sterling over to the water hose and cleaned him off and gently cleaned the cover.  I was able to not get the cover wet and immediately reused it.  After that incident all other experiences with the Flip disposable inserts were great.

We hiked in Lost Maples State Park, roasted S’mores (seriously not worth it. My memory of them far surpassed the reality of their taste.), navigated rough terrain avoiding all poison oak and most important of all enjoyed God’s creation in many forms.

Through all that Flip disposable inserts, stay dry inserts and bum genius organic aios performed as they should- no leaks, no hassle.

At night I doubled up the stay dry inserts and put on a pair of longies.

The part I like best about Flip disposable inserts is their biodegradability. You can actually put them in your compost (read this if you want to compost poopy ones) which is fantastic.  Flip disposable inserts contain ZERO plastic. Their contents:

• Non-woven bamboo viscose, 5g
• Filler
  • Wood pulp, 14-15g
  • SAP, 3g
• Starch-based glue, 1g

As far as how Flip fits when using a disposable insert, you may need to snap it on a shorter rise setting.  Sterling wears them on the smallest setting both on rise and waist.  When I have a stay dry insert in the shell he wears it on the middle setting with the 2 middle sets of snaps showing on the waist.  Sterling is 20lbs, 31″, 16″ rise, 9″ thighs and no clue on the waist but he’s skinny.

Flip disposable inserts are on sale right now.  Each pack contains 18 inserts and normally sell for $4.95, sale price is $3.96.  Check out Cottonbabies, Banana Peels Diapers, and Cute Caboose for these savings.

You can also find the Flip Day Packs at these stores and others.

My overall recommendation is to keep a pack of the disposable inserts on hand.  It’s better to have the best on hand instead of running out to pick up a pack of stinky, plasticky (not a real word), dioxin-laden disposables.

2009, has seen the release of many new cloth diaper designs.  But how many of them broke into the top 10 best sellers?

Topping my favorite stores of 2009 is Banana Peels Diapers, owned by Heather Lent.  Besides the great layout and super color scheme (which I am nerdy enough to care about), Heather carries an amazing amount of inventory.  Every time I do a post with product recommendations Banana Peels is where I look first.

Heather began cloth diapering 4.5 years ago with her daughter Liana.  Since then she has had a son cloth diapered from the get-go and is currently pregnant with #3. She revealed to me that she started her newborn stash before she was even pregnant…*gasp* I would never do that!   Anyone else wonder where the name Banana Peels came from? Banana is Liana’s nickname and she wanted a store name that was “different and original, so Banana Peels seemed to fit the bill.”

I asked Heather if she would send me a list of her top 10 sellers of 2009.  Sure I could tell you my favorites, but you’ve heard them a million times already!  It’s not a surprise though to see most of these on the list…and of course my favorites are there (I’ve added some comments in parenthesis)

My #1 seller is the prefold, good ole basic workhorse prefold.

#2 the ever popular bumGenius 3.0, the gateway diaper, the diaper that starts off many mama’s addiction to cloth diapers – and dads too.

#3 bumGenius Organic AIO – I was so excited when this diaper was released. I had been on the hunt for a snap AIO with natural fibers for quite a while and this diaper fit the bill perfectly. Trim and great fitting, one size – can’t ask for more! (I completely agree with Heather. That’s why it’s my favorite.)

#4 Gro Baby – My son potty learned earlier this year and this was the last diaper I got to “test” on him. The Gro Baby is the absolute only diaper I allowed in my stash with a velcro/aplix closure. Love it, easy to use and organic.

#5 Rumparooz – (I love this diaper! The “poop scoop” makes this diaper the most innovating in the industry, in my opinion.  I can’t wait to use the Lil’ Joey in the future.)

#6 Goodmama – My husband is not allowed to touch the goodmamas! He never seems to snap them right and no matter how many times I remind him – they need a cover! There have been many times a pair of “regular” pants have made their way over a coverless GM – hmmm wonder why the pants are wet sweetie?? (MINE TOO!)

#7 Fuzzi Bunz – tried and true favorite. I still have my original Fuzzi Bunz from 4.5 years ago.

#8 Sbish Magic Diaper – a nighttime diaper that truly lives up to it’s name! Absolutely perfect w/ sbish wool. (This is our nighttime diaper. Never a leak–even after 14 hours)

#9 SmartiPants Economical, no unstuffing, sturdy snaps.

#10 Flip – Last but not least, introduced late in the year. Sure to be at the top of the list next year. (My favorite right there next to the bum genius organic aio.)

Out of the top 10 sellers 4 of them were release in 2009!  And sorta technically you could say 5 of them because Sbish Magic Diaper was released to retailers Jan.6th (Erin had them available on her site prior to this).  That is awesome!

Congratulations to Gro Baby, Rumparooz G2, Sustainablebabyish, SmartiPants, and Flip (Cottonbabies)!

Recently I’ve received some very good cloth diaper questions, questions you may have as well.  This is just a sampling of what you will find in the comments of every post.  I answer every question asked in the comments, making them as helpful as the blog post!

Please tell me your thoughts about the disposable liner inserts? Will these work on newborn BF poop? Should I use one each time? Which ones do you recommend? Thanks!

I have never used disposable liners.  I have a package of Bumkins liners that I do plan to use when Sterling gets a little bigger.  I think the idea of a liner is great.  Bumkins are really soft and not to thin.  They appear that they will hold up well when transferring the poo to the potty.

I am not a fan of swishing in the toilet (who is?!) and I don’t have a diaper sprayer so liners would be the perfect solution for me.  I wouldn’t use liners with a newborn because (and this answers the next question) I just toss newborn poo diapers straight into the pail.

When your child reaches an age where their poo is solidifying a bit and you notice a semi-consistent time they go, then I would begin using liners.  Sterling is 8 months old and he is very non-consistent and because he is still 90% breastfed his poo isn’t really solid.

If any of you have a disposable liners brand that you’d like to recommend please let us know!

Can you please explain exactly what happens when you take the soiled diaper off of:

a newborn with bf poo or pee it goes straight into the dry pail or hanging wet bag

older child with semi solid poo dunk it in the toilet, swish if necessary and put in dry pail

toddler? dunk, swish, pail

Like do you take it off then rinse them out then put in pail or have a wet pail system? What do I do for daycare? Would you recommend this to me my whole stash: Flips, Soft Bums & Grobaby, if yes how many of each should I have on hand with a newborn & to do laundry like every 2-3 days? Thanks a million!!!!

Between Flips, Soft Bums and Grobaby the system that has worked best for me is Flips.  All of them are excellent though. Soft Bums has the best fit by far. Literally, fits like a glove.  Grobaby are absorbent and natural.  Flips are trim and simple.  What I didn’t like was: the fleece on the inside of the Soft Bums cover and Grobaby’s rise was too short and their tabs started rolling.

For daycare the Soft Bums may be your best choice because of the velcro tabs.  The consensus I have seen is that the less snaps they have the more likely a daycare is to use them.  But, you should go with what you like and find a daycare that is willing to learn in my opinion.

Any of these systems with a newborn will require more covers.  Their poo is going to get on the covers (but with Flips you could just rinse and let dry).  Here is my recommendation:

Flips: 10 covers and 36 inserts.~3 shells/day, when one gets poo on it rinse and let dry while using another.

Softbums and Grobaby: 15 covers and 36 inserts. Maybe Sterling was a messier pooper but he got the Soft Bums and Gro Baby shells dirty every time he pooped.  I am estimating 3 soiled covers a day + 2 interchanging covers/day.  Inserts are estimated by changing baby on average every 2 hours.

If you have a different experience please let me know in the comments! Every baby is different

Hello. I am very VERY new to the CD world. I do know that I’m partial to the AI0’s and AI2’s. In my quest I have noticed 2 things….my son gets a rash from the pee touching his skin and i noticed that he has had friction blisters in his inner thighs. Can anyone offer suggestions to prevent these things?

Thanks!

Lisa

Lisa, I am going to speculate on a few things since I don’t have all the details.  While it is possible that your son gets a rash from the pee touching him it is very possible that he is sensitive to the fabric touching his skin.  I make this assumption because of the “friction blisters” you described.

When Paisley was born I had these amazing Essential Saltes cloth diapers.  But every time I put them on her she would have a rash on her private area and “friction blisters” on her inner thighs.  After removing different diapers from her stash I realized she was extremely sensitive to suedecloth.  Bummer for me because I couldn’t use a lot of great diaper brands!

I battled the inner thigh thing for a long while.  Serged diapers irritated it so I tossed all those out but in the end I found it to be yeast related. Here is a post I wrote on battling the yeast rash.

My suggestion to you is to look at all your cloth diapers, divide them by inner material.  If they are not all the same try to notice if by not using one the rash clears up.

Here are some things to remember:

Microfleece, suedecloth and athletic wicking material will create a “stay dry” feel.  Your baby will not feel any wetness.

Bamboo, velour, organic cotton, flannel all work great but your baby will feel wet…sometimes very wet.

Detergents can build up in the cloth diapers and irritate baby’s skin, therefore causing strange rashes. Even if baby doesn’t react to clothing washed in the detergent he could still be sensitive to it when it’s used on the diapers.  Rockin Green is a great natural laundry detergent for clothes and cloth diapers.

Yeast causes rashes and will stay in the cloth diapers unless you treat them for it! Natural Disinfectants

I remember how overwhelming it was when I first began cloth diapering. There were so many choices (and SO many more now!) and I had no idea where to start.

The one thing I did know was disposable diapers are gross and I needed something else. I refused to compromise my child’s health any more (the gel crystals all over his private areas was the stick that broke the camel’s back!).

I want to help you get off to a smooth start. But, plan for bumps in the road. No one cloth diaper will work for all babies. No one laundry detergent will work for all households. However, as long as you stick to your convictions (why you began looking into cloth diapers) then you’ll ensure success in the long run.

You may have noticed that there are different kinds of cloth diapers. Some need a cover, others need inserts and then there are those that need nothing added to them. The following is a condensed explanation of the different cloth diaper systems. (Click => How to Make Cloth Diapers for links on how to make many different types of cloth diapers.)

ALL IN ONES/ALL IN TWOS (AIO/AI2)

An AIO is generally viewed as a diaper that needs nothing else and is very similar to a disposable. The soaker is either sewn internally or externally (referred to as a quick dry soaker) and can close with snaps or Velcro (Velcro is a trademark but there are two other similar products: aplix (softer, long life, doesn’t roll in like touchtape can) or touchtape (stronger stick and available in a variety of colors) ).

An AIO does not require a cover. An AIO with an internal soaker will have a longer drying time because the air cannot circulate around the hidden material.

An external soaker, referred to as a Quick Dry (QD) soaker, allows for air to circulate around the soaker when drying, therefore quicker dry time. The addition of a pocket to an AIO makes it a Stuffable AIO.

An AI2 has a snap in or lay in soaker . The name All in Two arose from the ability to get two uses out of each diaper. When your child pees, theoretically you can remove the soaker and replace it with another if the shell did not get wet. AI2s also have a much faster drying time because the soaker is external.

POCKETS

A pocket diaper usually does not require a cover. The exception would be a fitted that has a pocket. A pocket can be made with a PUL (polyurethane laminate) or fleece outer.

The outer can also be any material backed or lined in PUL. Minky is lusciously soft and many makers offer this fabric for their pocket diapers.

The inner material choices for a pocket include: microfleece, suedecloth, velour, athletic wicking material, minky, cotton or bamboo. Different materials will feel different on the baby when wet. Of the fabrics listed above, microfleece, suedecloth and athletic wicking material are considered “stay dry”. This means baby feels dry after a pee.

A pocket diaper is 2 layers of material sewn together on 3 sides leaving an opening for you to insert the amount of absorbent material you desire. The insert can range from a very trim microfiber towel to a bulkier infant prefold. Another popular insert material is hemp. Hemp is a natural fiber that is antimicrobial and extremely absorbent as well. Infant prefolds do double duty as an insert as well. Simply trifold the prefold and stuff the pocket. For added absorbency wrap the prefold around one of the above inserts.

FITTEDS

A fitted diaper is a diaper that contains no waterproof layer therefore requires a cover. Fitted diapers are the easiest to make on your own because they can be made from any material you have laying around your house.

Fitted diapers can be made from cotton, hemp, fleece, velour, bamboo, knits, various types of terry cloth, kitchen towels, old t-shirts, sweatshirts and many other scrap fabrics you may have laying around. Fitteds are kind of like quiche…toss in any leftovers and out comes a great product!

Without a cover the pee will soak through and get you or the furniture wet. If you are just hanging out at the house for the day a cover isn’t necessary. Just make sure to consistently change the diaper before a leak occurs.

You will undoubtedly stumble upon fitted cloth diapers and ask yourself the same question everyone asks at one time or another, “why are fitteds so expensive and cute when you just have to cover them up?” Many factors go into the answer but just think of it like a good wine or expensive pair of shoes…you often get what you pay for.

PREFOLDS

Prefolds are an absolute staple that every mother should have in her basket. They are amazingly durable and versatile. A prefold diaper is a rectangular piece of cloth divided into 3 sections. The outside layers contain 4 layers of fabric and the middle contains either 6 or 8 layers. The middle layer is the absorbent layer. You will see the prefolds described as 4×8x4 or 4×6x4. This describes the number of layers in the sections. It does not always mean the 4×8x4 are more absorbent. It is the weight of the fabric that indicates absorbency.

You will find some variations to the number of layers especially if you are purchasing specialized prefolds made with bamboo or velour. In some cases there may be 2 layers of bamboo with an extra layer of hemp in the middle.

Bamboo is a highly absorbent material, therefore needing fewer layers than cotton prefolds. This allows for a trimmer fit as well. It comes down to what you want to pay and how soft a fabric you desire.

Prefolds generally come in three sizes-

• Preemie (4-10pounds),
• Infant (newborn to 15 pounds) &
• Premium/Toddler (15-30 pounds).

There are different types of prefolds out there and many abbreviations for them.

• DSQ simply means that it is Diaper Service Quality versus the type of diaper you would find in your discount store. They are more absorbent than the Gerber brand and are the type that you would pay money for from a diaper service company.

• CPF stands for Chinese Prefold
• Another option for prefolds are Indian Prefolds. Indian prefolds are said to be softer than the CPF and are made of gauze rather than twill.

• There is also the choice of bleached or unbleached. Bleached prefolds are not whitened with bleach but rather with peroxide. Unbleached are in a natural cream colored state. Unbleached do require extra prep time to remove the natural oils in the fibers.

Prefolds can be pinned or snappied on your baby or you can fold it in 3 (trifold) and lay it in a cover. If you choose to use a different system prefolds can still be used as pocket stuffers or doublers. They are an investment worth making.

In upcoming posts I will explain different covers and how to wash your cloth diapers. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. When you read posts always read the comments. There is a wealth of information found in the comments!

This is not a paid endorsement. I was not given a Flip to review.

As you may recall, on September 14th I posted about Cottonbabies new products: Flip and Econobums.  I went ahead and pre-ordered a Flip Day Pack: Stay-Dry with 2 packs of disposable inserts.

I received my Flip pack about 2 weeks ago and I loved it right away.  I’m just going to list out the reasons that I think Flip is awesome!

1. You’ll remember the millions of times I have touted Bum Genius Organics AIO as my favorite cloth diaper.  The reason (besides being super absorbent) for my affection is the wonderful fit of the shell.The BG butterfly closure allows for a perfect fit on any baby.  Paisley wore them and she had fat thighs and quite the tummy.  Sterling has stick legs and a skinny waist.  On both, the BG fit was the way all cloth diapers should fit.

   I have never had problems with the snap down rise on the BG shell coming undone during application or by movement of the child.  All the things I love about the Bum Genius Organics AIO fit and ease of use are present in the Flip cover as it is the same!

2. Cover is PUL lined not fleece or other fabric.  This allows for many uses before a urine odor sticks and you can wipe out any messes that might get on the wipe-able area.
3. The stay-dry inserts are absorbent, easy to use, nighttime worthy (by doubling) and one-sized.  Cottonbabies even embroidered on the Flip inserts where to fold insert for which size: labeled Small, Medium and Large.  The insert slides under the flap in the back and there is one in the front as well.  I don’t tuck the insert in the front flap since I have a boy and I didn’t want moisture going on the cover.
4. As mentioned above, the system is nighttime worthy.  The first day I got them in the mail,  I quickly washed and dried them and used it at night.  I put two of the inserts together as recommended.  As my husband and I went to bed I told him that I was nervous about changing the routine I’ve had for 6 months.  He thought I was crazy for not going with a system I knew worked without fail.But, Sterling woke up the next morning not only with dry sheets but dry skin!  We typically use an sbish bamboo fitted which does not wick moisture away from the skin.  Although organic and natural is preferred, I liked the fact that Sterling’s skin was not visibly wet.

   

5. Trim and absorbent- what more could you ask for? Years ago I remember the big dilemma in the cloth diaper world was how to achieve trimness and absorbency in one diaper.  Fabrics like microfiber, bamboo and zorb have made this more common today.  Flip gives you both all combined with a proven closure system, great colors and …
6. AFFORDABLE!  In a Flip Day Pack you receive 2 covers and 6 inserts.  At $49.95 that comes to less than $8.50 a diaper!! Ladies, this leaves no excuse for moms wanting to cloth diaper but financially too strapped for the initial investment.For most children (newborns not included) I would recommend 2 day packs + 12 stay-dry inserts.  This comes to less than $150 for 4 covers and 24 stay-dry inserts.  For a limited time Cottonbabies is making the cover available by itself for $13.95.  I have used the cover over an sbish fitted easily.

A couple of problems I foresee: the colors available are not gender neutral, big poopies may not stay on the insert (not found a system like this that did contain messes just to the insert), no snap for the insert could result in bunching.

As I mentioned, I also purchased 2 packs of the disposable inserts.  I have used one for test purposes (the rest will be used when I travel for Thanksgiving) and was happy with the absorbency.  I does create an almost too trim cloth diaper.  I know, sounds weird.  But, since Sterling is so skinny it was barely enough substance for the cover to fit.  I just put it on the tightest settings and we were okay. I will update you in December how the disposables worked for us at Thanksgiving.

Jenn recently blogged about the contents of the disposable Flip insert.  Here is an excerpt detailing the contents of the liner:

Flip One-Size Disposable Inserts are easy to use, dye free, fragrance free and the only disposable insert that has achieved Oeko-Tex certification. Perfect for travel, daycare and those moments when practical life demands something disposable. Each package contains 18 inserts, perfect for a weekend away.

Each Flip disposable insert contains the following ingredients:

• Non-woven bamboo viscose, 5g
• Filler
  • Wood pulp, 14-15g
  • SAP, 3g
• Starch-based glue, 1g

Flip disposable inserts are very simple and very basic. No plastic, no latex, no adhesives, nothing extra. Just an absorbent pad that meets the ultra high standards demanded by Oeko-Tex. Flip disposable pads can be used in Flip, bumGenius (even in the pocket!) or Econobum.

http://clothdiapers.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-about-flip-disposable-inserts.html

Disposable diapers average 10-12g of Sodium Polyacrilate or SAP (super absorbent polyacrilate).