Is it really possible to buy a stash of one-sized cloth diapers and not buy another one throughout the life of the child?  Is there a cloth diaper that will withstand years of use with multiple children?

Certainly the answer can be yes to both of these questions but there are limitations.

When many families discover cloth diapers saving money is usually on the top of the list.  Who can argue with the stats.  In the first 2 years of a child’s life they will go through about 5,840* disposable diapers.  Multiply that times $0.25 (I looked at a few brands/sizes and took this as an average) and your spending $1460.

Pick any one-sized diaper and you’d hardly come close to a third of that!

Some examples from Banana Peels Diapers (free shipping over $50):

Bum Genius Organic AIO- 18 pack $397.44

Rumparooz- 18 for $405 (each diaper comes with 6r soaker)

Flip- 4 Stay Dry Day Packs $199.80 (8 covers and 24 inserts)

Bum Genius 3.0 One Size- 18 pack $305.10

Katydid- 18 pockets $323.10 (comes with 2 inserts)

Fuzzi Bunz One Size- 18 pack $323.10 (comes with 2 inserts and replacement elastic)

Blueberry Minky One Size- 18 for $593.10 ($32.95 is expensive!! but you’re still saving over disposables and they include an awesome hemp/microfiber one-size insert)

Softbums Complete Package (from www.softbums.com)- $362.95 You can easily use Softbums right from birth.  This package includes 10 covers, 36 inserts, 10 doublers.

So what about the durability of one-sized diapers? Will they break down after 2 years of use?

In my experience, natural fibers like cotton and bamboo do break down much quicker than most would like.  After using my Bum Genius Organic AIOs in heavy rotation for 1-2 years some are starting to show significant wear.  I also had this occur with my Sustainablebabyish bamboo fitteds.  Wear includes holes near the edges and seams.  Are these diapers unusable? Certainly not.  I use the holey pink BG Organic that was originally Paisley’s on Sterling often.

If the one-size diapers you choose contain a microfiber insert, plan on replacing those once a year.  Microfiber tends to lose its absorbency not to mention stink like crazy.  However, with the new detergents on the market like Clean B and Hard Rock an overnight soak has proven to give new life to dead inserts.

Where one-size diapers really hold their value is when you are cloth diapering 2 children.  This can be a huge money, time and resource saver!  We always have an overlap between children where I am cloth diapering 2.  Inevitably, this drives me crazy.  However, having a diaper that I can use for either child reduces my stress a lot.

Are one-size cloth diapers worth it? Yes! Are there good choices and excellent choices? Yes.  But, remember, don’t buy 18 of any diaper without first trying 1!! You really don’t want to deal with the hassle of reselling them all.

*The number 5,840 was based on an average of 8 diaper changes per day. 8x365x2=5840.

***Congratulations, Serena!! You were chosen as the winner of the Cutiepoops Cool Seat! ***

For many the thought of cloth diapering one child is overwhelming enough, but what about families that cloth diaper 2 or more children?!

When Paisley was born, Haven was still in cloth diapers.  The nice part about my children being 2 years apart is by the time the newborn arrives the toddler isn’t going through that many diaper changes.  Unfortunately, when your child is 2 (and 3 ) and still in diapers you may develop a bit of resentment.

One Stash or Two?

At that time, I cloth diapered the children with completely different stashes.  This can actually make the task even more difficult and time consuming.

My suggestion for cloth diapering 2 or more children at the same time is to either use one-sized diapers or prefolds.  If you choose prefolds you can use the infant prefolds as doublers for the older child.

I prefer the one-sized diaper route.  Every diaper system has a one-size version: All-in-ones, Pockets, and Fitteds.  You may opt to have gender neutral colors for a boy and a girl or choose to have one color for each child.  Either option makes it easier for dad, grandparent, or babysitter to help out with diaper changes…does this actually occur??

But What About All The Cute Prints and PINK??

My son in pink

Perhaps youare concerned about losing all the super cute prints available in one-sized fitteds.  I suggest you buy whatever prints you want and remind yourself that they will be covered up, no need to worry about your chunky boy wearing pink ballerinas!  lol, my husband would not agree with that statement.

I have purchased many one-sized fitteds for the new baby but have opted for more gender neutral prints.  However, I do have a couple of cute pink ones I couldn’t resist and will use if necessary on a boy.

Covering fitted diapers gives you many options for personalizing the children’s stashes.  Whether you go with knit wool, interlock wool or PUL covers each child can have a variety of colors and styles.

By choosing to purchase a combined cloth diaper stash, you also eliminate laundry stress.  Other sites I have read suggest having 2 diaper pails, this to me adds more work.  I toss them all in the same pail and do laundry every other day.

How many diapers should you have for 2 children?

For a newborn atleast 12 and a toddler atleast 6.  This might mean doing laundry daily, but by bumping the total up to 24 diapers you can stretch it to every day and a half to two days.   Washing and folding the diapers is much easier if they are all the same type.  If you are using pockets have one type of insert that will go in all the diapers.  My favorite are the one-size hemp/microfiber from Blueberry diapers.

Another consideration is a diapering system like the brand new Softbums one-size diaper.  With this system you have one cover and multiple inserts.  Hiney Lineys and gDiapers are similar in that you can reuse one cover a few times before needing to change it.  Softbums makes cloth diapering more than one child a breeze!  (Next week I’ll be introducing you to Sarah of Softbums and her brand new design!!  It’s a real keeper!)

Cloth diapering 2 children doesn’t have to be any more difficult than feeding or clothing 2 children.  As with any new adjustment to the routine time (and patience) is the key to success.