Congratulations, Sonja B! You were selected as the winner via random.org.

Raise your hand if you’re ever satisfied with your nighttime cloth diaper routine?

Mine’s not raised.  Trust me I loved the Sustainablebabyish bamboo fitteds but one day I just up and decided to sell them all.  I’m strange like that.

It wasn’t until the night after I shipped them off that I realized I had put myself into a desperate situation.  I don’t know about you but I have to really trust a diaper before I’ll use it at night.  I mean, do I really want to change a diaper in the middle of the night or worse my sheets??

No.

So when I received the new Tiny Tush Trim 4.0 hemp fitted I was nervous.  There’s no sweat using it during the day.  The worst that happens is a change of clothes.  I put it to an extreme daytime test, however.

Hold that thought. Let me tell you a little bit about the Tiny Tush Trim 4.0 hemp fitted first.

• Extremely adjustable.  The Tiny Tush trim fitted is designed to be used from the newborn stage (without the snap in liner), to the crawler stage and on to toddler-hood.  The snap in liner can also be used inside a newborn cover as a diaper. No doubt that with Sterling this will be a true one-size. Plenty of room to grow and it fits in the waist. An annoyance that comes with one-sized diapers and tiny waists.
• Very soft organic cotton/hemp fabric.  100% hemp would be stiff and scratchy.  The addition of 20% organic cotton to the blend results in a squishy soft (not bamboo soft but cozy sweatshirt soft) and stretchy fabric.
• Super trim. The Tiny Tush trim fitted lives up to it’s name.  Even with the rise snapped down and the snap-in folded in the front, the diaper is t.r.i.m.  This is the beauty of hemp.You need less layers to get the job done.
• Absorbent. As expected with hemp, the absorbency is excellent.  Hemp is a naturally anti-bacterial, super absorbent fiber that is grown free of pesticides and fertilizers.  This site has some great information on hemp.
• Hidden snaps. Beautiful.
• Workhorse. Pretty cloth diapers are great but everyone needs a diaper that you could literally put through a ringer 100x and it still functions.  Hemp is the fabric for that.  Durability is a great thing for a one-sized diaper. I know a few one-sized brands that unfortunately break down well before the child outgrows them.
• AFFORDABLE!! I just noticed that my friend LeAnn of Gigglebritches is selling the Tiny Tush Trim 4.0 for an introductory price of $16.15!!!! (Half dozen for $93.90!) Guys, that is an amazing price for a one-sized cloth diaper.
• Made in the USA.

Back to my daytime use marathon.  I put the Tiny Tush trim fitted on Sterling late morning.  He took a nap, woke up during lunch preparation, after lunch we had to quickly leave the house while Daddy hosted a webinar, played at the park–oh, oops forgot to change his diaper– came home, griped at encouraged the kids to clean up their playroom and finally realized that I had not changed his diaper in a long time (long like this sentence).

I remember feeling his diaper periodically thinking that it didn’t “feel” wet.  Obviously, this is a tactic I learned from sposie days because this trick doesn’t work with a cloth diaper. Duh.

Anyways, I finally change his diaper and although very wet there was still room for more wetness.  The very back of the Tiny Tush Trim was dry.  Not bad. If it lasted all day then I trusted it for nighttime.

I have since used it every night that it is clean.  Which is about 2x/week.  Tiny Tush Trim 4.0 hemp cloth diapers will require a few washes to reach full absorption potential.  I began using mine after 1 wash and have seen a steady increase in it’s fluffiness.

These are fitted diapers so they do require a cover.  I have used So Simple, Thirsties and Flip over the Tiny Tush Trim 4.0.  Because of the uber-trimness any cover will most likely work.  You can even tuck in the “ruffles” if they happen to overhang the cover.

In celebration of the March 1st release of the new Tiny Tush Trim 4.0 hemp, Charlene (Tiny Tush creator) has offered to giveaway 1 to one of you!

Entry is simple…Just follow the rules…you can do it…SEPARATE COMMENTS.

1. What is your current nighttime diaper?
2. Hop on over to Twitter and follow Tiny Tush. www.twitter.com/tinytush
3. Become a fan of Tiny Tush on Facebook (and if you win post a picture when you receive it!)
4. Place my banner on your blog or link to me on your favorite forum (cloth diaper or other).

I will randomly select a winner on Monday March 15, 2010 and will post it at the bottom of my next blog post.  Winner will be contacted via email.  God bless!

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

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)!

Simple. That’s all we need.  Cloth diapering is complicated all too often.

In this video, Leigh shows us how to cloth diaper with prefolds, PUL covers and a snappi.  I love her video editing! Makes for an enjoyable 7 minutes of learning.  There are many great products Leigh spotlights and I have provided Amazon links for them below the video.

Product links:

Thirsties Duo Wrap

Snappi Cloth Diaper Fasteners (3 Snappis)

Thirsties Diaper Cover

bumGenius Natural Flannel Baby Wipes – Pack of 12

Mommy’s Touch Wet Bag

Prefolds: Green Mountain Diapers, Banana Peels Diapers, Cute Caboose, Diaper Diasy

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!

Winner chosen: Congratulations, Jennifer B!

Almost a month ago I received a very well dressed set of cloth diapers in the mail.  What do I mean by well-dressed?  The cloth diapers came wrapped in tissue paper and tied up with string and a nice note alongside.  It means so much when a wahm goes the extra step.

Little Bear Bums cloth diapers are prefolds repurposed into a snapless prefitted. They also contain a soaker similar to the bum genius organic in look.

If you aren’t familiar with the term prefitted, it is a prefold with elastic added at the legs to create more of a “fitted” fit.  Little Bear Bums can be fastened with a snappi or pins.  I wasn’t able to use the gorgeously dyed LBB cloth diapers for almost 2 weeks because I had donated my snappi!

Sterling 7months in Little Bear Bums

When I finally got a snappi in from Leslie (Cloth Diaper Superstore) I started using the Little Bear Bums diapers.  The first time to use them I was not able to get a snug fit for a few reasons: 1) Sterling is skinny 2) I never use prefolds or a snappi 3) I probably got the wrong size.

However, once I went to use the set for the second time I got a much better fit!  I folded down the back and the front then snappied to get a tight fit.

The absorbency was a bit more than just a prefold because of the added soaker.  But don’t expect to leave your baby in it for hours at a time.  Promptly changing your baby’s diaper after they pee will prevent any leaks.

The main benefit to me for using Little Bear Bums cloth diapers is the trimness.  I use an sbish wool soaker as a cover and with pants on it is like Sterling is wearing underwear.

Little Bear Bums cloth diapers are an EXCELLENT choice for your baby and your wallet.  They are affordable ($8 or $9), simple, cute, trim, and are almost one sized.  I have a size 2 and it could easily fit a baby 6months – potty training.

One of my favorite parts of running this blog is getting to know the moms behind the diapers.  I have spoken with Addie via email and she sent me this bio about Little Bear Bums diapers:

My sister-in-law, Amy, and I started using cloth diapers at about the same time.  And we both had started with Prefolds/Covers.  Over the first few months, I decided to try a few pocket diapers and fitteds, but wasn’t very happy.  I wanted a simple laundry routine where I didn’t have to treat some things differently than others, but I wanted an economical solution.

I liked that the prefolds were cotton but I had a VERY chunky-legged daughter and could never quite get the prefolds to fit right around her thighs and it wasn’t unusual (even with different folding techniques) to have poop leak out around her legs.

So, I started brainstorming about how I could turn my prefolds into an economical, durable, WORKING solution. I cut and sewed a few of my diapers, showed Amy, and she decided to make some changes to my design and make some herself.  Over time, and MANY changes the Little Bear Bum diaper evolved.  After using them ourselves for a while, we thought maybe other people would like to try them out too!

We also make cloth wipes and “Mama Cloth”.  We’ve recently had a lot of locals say that they wish we carried all the things they would need to cloth diaper (which we don’t yet) but we’ve recently joined up with a local soap/bath product maker and she’s created some wipe solution cubes and a cloth-diaper-safe diaper rash balm.

As for US, we’re sisters-in-law, married to 2 brothers.  I, Addie, have 1 daughter, Hailey who’s 17 months old.  Amy has 3 children, a 4 year old boy, a 2 year old girl and baby girl who’ll be 1 in a week.

Addie and Amy are living the cloth diaper journey.  They saw a “problem” and created a solution.  If you can get me to like prefolds you know you’ve done something right!

Little Bear Bums would love to bless one reader with a set of 3 diapers.  Submit one comment for each entry requirement.

• Become a fan of Little Bear Bums on Facebook
• Tell Addie and Amy what you’d like to see them carry
• Tell me the secret on how to get more sleep…hehehe

We just got back from our family camping trip to Garner State Park (TX), our first camping trip in our new camper.  Despite the many “speed bumps” (forgetting many necessary items, dog being sprayed by skunk, weenies rolling off into fire, evil gnats, winds that rocked camper, sleepless nights, rain) we all keep asking…

Can I please go back?! Please

When packing our clothes for the trip I didn’t think twice about grabbing the cloth diapers.  Of course, I should have thought twice about how many I needed.  I think I took enough to cloth diaper 4 children!

Along with cloth diapers, you’ll also need a rockin’ wet bag to hold in ALL odors and moisture and it must look good.  I received my Leslie’s Boutique wet bag just in time for the trip.  If you didn’t win one from the recent giveaway, I highly recommend you get one before you’re next trip!

You’ll see in the video the two cloth diaper brands I use almost exclusively: Sustainablebabysish bamboo fitted and Bum Genius AIO Organics.

Using cloth diapers on this trip was extremely easy.  The key is having a system that works  before you go.  If you’re having leak issues or stink problems already, they will only be multiplied when you travel.  Sleeping in a small space tends to show all our weak areas

Oh and sadly we did not have S’mores.  I just couldn’t bring myself to buy marshmallows and graham crackers!  But, we did eat chocolate

Okay, I’ve always been honest with y’all so I won’t hold back.  When I first started cloth diapering I strongly disliked all things made by Cotton Babies. I know, terrible, isn’t it?!

You want to know what’s worse? I had never even tried one of their products.  I completely made some crazy assumption that it was “big business” with no family behind it.  Um…I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Cotton Babies is family.  I shamefully must admit that I don’t know the whole story of how Jimmy and Jenn started out but I did learn a little from their latest press release.  Since most of you didn’t receive their release I am going to share it with you here.  I look forward to trying out one or both of these when they release!

Flip and Econobum Set to Change the Landscape of the Cloth Diaper Market – from the makers of bumGenius

Go cloth when you can – disposable when you must!

St. Louis, MO – September 13, 2009. Four years ago, Cotton Babies changed the landscape of the cloth diapering industry with the introduction of the bumGenius product line. This year, they are poised to rock the industry once more with the introduction of Flip and Econobum.

Flip is designed for the on-the-go consumer. This one-size cloth diapering system offers three different inserts, along with the comfy, butterfly closure system unique to diapers produced by Cotton Babies, Inc. The revolutionary side of the Flip system is the One-Size Disposable Insert. This insert eases the transition into using cloth diapers, makes vacations simple and helps families through times when life just demands something disposable. This system is fully supported with 100% reusable inserts as well. The One-Size Stay-Dry Insert is perfect for overnights or to keep little bums dry anytime. The One-Size Organic Insert is perfect for families who prefer the more natural things in life. The Flip diapering system is completely customizable for work, home and play.

Econobum meets the needs of any diapering budget. Considered the affordable choice, it is a prefold with a diaper cover-but not just your average prefold or diaper cover. The prefold and cover are both one-size-so they grow with your baby. Econobum is priced at only $9.95 making cloth diapering an easy choice for every home. Econobum has already been awarded the iParenting Media Award.

Flip and Econobum were created by Jimmy and Jenn Labit, owners of Cotton Babies.  The Labits started Cotton Babies with $100 and a milk crate on a shelf in their kitchen in 2002. In 2005, they launched the bumGenius product line. Since its launch, bumGenius, Cotton Babies and the Labits have been mentioned or featured in major publications such as Time Magazine, Consumer Reports and The Wall Street Journal. Today, bumGenius is recognized as the top-rated cloth diapering system on the market. Flip and Econobum are the Labit’s answer to a growing need for more flexible diapering systems.

Cotton Babies is committed to decreasing landfill waste and to providing cost saving, diapering alternatives to parents.  Each family who chooses cloth diapers will save nearly $2000 over the cost of using disposable diapers.  Those families, if they cloth diaper from birth through age two, will prevent as much as one ton of landfill waste. Cotton Babies is confident that many dollars will be saved and a very significant amount of landfill waste will be prevented in the next year with our products.

bumGenius, Flip and Econobum are available for purchase through Cotton Babies at www.cottonbabies.com and the Cotton Babies retail location in St. Louis, MO. They will also be sold internationally through Cotton Babies authorized retailers.

Do you know that I could buy everything I need to cloth diaper my baby all in this great state of Texas? That’s right, us Texans are mighty talented…well, it is a big state so there’s bound to be a few, right?

One of my favorite Texas cloth diaper products is Muttaqin Baby cloth diapers, aka Mutts.  Mutts are almost a perfect 10.  If you’ve tried one I’m sure you’ll agree.

Let’s start with the prints.  Michelle always carries the most sought after name brand knit prints.  If you’ve seen it on another diaper she probably has it.  All of the knits that I have used have held their color very well which is important because fading is one of those things that drives me crazy.

Besides adorable prints, Michelle’s prices are affordable.  They range anywhere from $15-25.  $22 for the Muttaqin 3sr (one-sized) is a super price for high quality materials on a cloth diaper your baby can wear birth to potty training!

When shopping for newborn diapers I ended up going with all Mutt’s for three reasons: 1) soft knits, 2) affordable price ($15), 3)widest fit range.

The fit range was important to me because I didn’t want to have to change my stash at 2 or 3 months.  I wanted a sized diaper that would last the longest.  Mutts were the only newborn sized cloth diaper I found to range up to 15lbs.  I always recommend new moms go with Muttaqin baby because I truly want you to get the most for your money.

The only negative to Mutts is they are not my most absorbent diaper.  But I don’t want that to completely deter you.  No it won’t be a nighttime diaper but it is an EXCELLENT day time cloth diaper.

Other qualities that make this an almost perfect 10:

• Mutts are so trim it’s hard to tell there’s a diaper on.
• Inner material is luscious. The elastic on the babyshapes is hands down fabuloso!
• It’s the stretchiest thing you’ve ever seen.  When you receive a Babyshapes Mutt in the mail you’ll think you were sent a newborn size.  But before you try and send it back put it on your 2 year old and you’ll be amazed.  I don’t know what she uses but I like it.
• They are all made 100% by the WAHM and her husband (I may be getting Michelle confused with another WAHM but I’m pretty sure her husband does the sewing!).

In our house I’m not the only one who uses Mutts.  “Johanna”, sometimes called “Rachel”, wears the same Mutt everyday.  My children use cloth diapers for their “babies” and are highly educated on the subject Today Haley and Haven disappeared with my camera for a bit.  When they were done they showed me their cloth diaper video that they worked so hard on.  I will post it for y’all to enjoy but there is a huge warning MAY CAUSE MOTION SICKNESS! The cameraman is only 5 and I do think this was his first gig.

I have received quite a few questions on the different prefold sizes available.  My previous posts on prefolds were done before all the changes that have occured in 2009 as a result of the testing required on all products for children.

Green Mountain Diapers is my go-to place to buy prefold cloth diapers.  Instead of attempting to write an adequate description of the different sizes, I’ll let the experts speak:

These are hard-to-find, top quality, heavyweight 100 % cotton twill diapers.  These are the real thing, and so very well made.  They are far superior to the store bought kind, and will stand up to repeated washings. Don’t overlook this very economical way to diaper!  It works very well.   Consider the infant size for young babies. It’s very easy to pin these diapers on babies who don’t yet roll over.

But you don’t have to pin them.  You can just fold the diaper in thirds and place it in a wrap style cover.  The infant size can be used a doubler later on.  Use the toddler size as a nice, soft, washable, vinyl-free changing pad for a young baby.

Our prefolds “quilt up” after washing. You will not be disappointed in these wonderful, versatile diapers. Prefolds of this high quality and weave are not made in the USA anymore, therefore must be imported. There are many brands of prefolds on the market, but we feel these are the very best, with the strongest edge stitching available.

Learn how to use prefolds. Step-by-step pictures.

What is “prefolded” about “prefolds”? They have a thick center panel. Non-prefolded diapers are huge one-layer old fashioned diapers, which need to be folded many times to get them into a cover or onto a baby. We carry those below, called Flat White Diapers. These prefolds are already folded to have many layers in the center.

New 2009 sizes! If you have 2008 Cloth-eez prefold diapers make note of this change. We now have all “Indian” cotton, and no longer have prefolds from China. These are somewhat different (superior cotton) to last year’s stock. All measurements are approximate, taken at rest and can be pulled wider. There is some variation. Prefold diapers shrink differently from batch to batch and diaper to diaper. Normal variation can be up to 15%. We provide shrunk measurements for selection purposes only. The measurements are helpful, but they cannot be exact due to the nature of this wonderful and beloved fabric. This is the normal nature of this product, for all brands, from all country sources. Most sites don’t even give any shrunk measurements at all! We try to give as much correct information as we can, but please understand these are not ever going to be exact due to the nature of the prefold fabric. All of our prefold diapers except preemie are 4-8-4 ply and are high quality cotton.

Cloth-eez® Preemie size (9″x13.5″ new, 8″ x 11″ when fully shrunk. (For preemies or as doublers) 2-6-2 ply. white edges.

Cloth-eez® Newborn orange edge 11.5″ x 12″ when fully shrunk in white. Unbleached is about 1/4 inch smaller. Fits newborn to about 6 weeks or 2 months, or fits about 5-10 pounds, 4-8-4 ply. Orange edges.

Infant size in Periwinkle and green edge discontinued.

Cloth-eez® Small Yellow edge 12.5″ wide x 13.5″ long when fully shrunk. Fits 10 pounds to about 6 months old or about 15 pounds or so but this varies a lot. Fits in most size small covers. 4-8-4 ply. Yellow edges, made in Pakistan.

Cloth-eez® Medium Light Brown edge sold out. Replaced with red edge.

Cloth-eez® Medium Red edge 13″ wide x 15″ long when fully shrunk. Measurements vary somewhat, quiltiness varies somewhat. Fits in most medium covers. From about 14 pounds or so, perhaps 5 months or so and older.

Cloth-eez® Large Brown edge 14.5or 15″ wide x 17″ long when fully shrunk. Measurements vary somewhat, quiltiness varies somewhat. Fits in most size large covers and also works well for the second half of the weight range in many medium size covers, usually for babies 20 pounds and up.

Cloth-eez® Toddler size green edge 17″x23″ when new, 15.25″ wide x 20.5″ long when fully shrunk. Serged on 2 edges. For over age 18 months, or for a night diaper for over age 9 months to potty learning age. Premium 4-8-4 ply. Full size toddlers.

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White Prefolds Our white prefold diapers are CHLORINE-FREE, peroxide bathed, NOT chlorine bleached. Peroxide basically the same thing as the main ingredient in OxiClean. It’s dioxin-free and acid-free, known as “natural bleaching process”. All cotton must be degummed in some manner before it can absorb. I’ll repeat, our white diapers are chlorine-free. But of course, we do recommend washing them several times before use to prepare them for use. Everything should be washed before use. They will shrink and get soft and quilty after washing.

Unbleached prefold diapers have not been de-gummed and must be washed many times in hot water to remove the natural cotton oils from them. They will not absorb until washed enough times to remove the natural cotton oils, which could be 6 cycles or more. Unbleached measurements will vary from listed measurements more than the white cotton diapers. The size and the shrinkage is more varied with the unbleached. All measurements are approximate. The white are more consistently sized, but also vary somewhat.