Newbie Help!

roosesgirl

I have a 7 week old son and we have been using disposable diapers. In order to save money we have decided to start cloth instead. I have looked at lots of different brands and styles and just feel so lost! I must have Made in USA, I want all snaps, I have a front load washer, not sure if that matters, I want something that is as easy as possible but the most important factor is effectiveness! I do not want leaks, whether it is night or day, tummy or back sleeping, sitting, walking, playing, I want to get something that will work, and last him until he is potty trained. Many of the features advertised look great but leave me wondering what is necessary and what is not. So I would love any advice on what features to look for, what brands/styles are the best and what all I need to order as there are things I don't even understand what they are for or what goes with what diaper. Who knew there would be so many options! Any help I could get would be much appreciated!

packgal · Whitney Mom to adorable son born 10/20/12

Unfortunately I don't think there is just one answer to the questions you have. My son is about 10 weeks old (my first baby), so I'm fairly new to cloth diapering, but the short answer is, to find what you like best will likely take some experimentation. Every baby is shaped differently, and I think a few leaks are probably inevitable. I loved a certain one size pocket diaper when my baby was quite young, then it started leaking out the back, and now 4-6 weeks later I've come back to them and by changing up what inserts I'm using they seem to be working for me again with no leaks.
I did find Autumn's Ultimate Guide to be a very good starting place to answer some of your questions.
I haven't tried a lot of different diapers. Prefolds and covers have worked well up to this point, but once my baby grows out of the small Green Mountain Diapers prefolds I think I am going to try and switch over to using all pocket diapers and fitteds with covers.
Covers: I like Thirsties Duo wraps, but I like Flip covers better because of the stretchy tabs (even though they don't have leg gussets like the Thirsties, I find that they still contain messy diapers fine). I bought Mommy's Touch covers for the newborn period. They were ok but I think I should have gone with Proraps or something different. The Mommy's Touch were fine but I don't find that covered PUL is that important to me. If you want to read about covered vs. exposed PUL go to www.greenmountaindiapers.com/covers.htm#mommystouch and scroll down a little.
Pocket diapers: I like BumGenius better than Rumparooz right now, due to the stretchy tabs, the waterproof insert stopper in the front, and the slot cover in the back. Rumparooz has double gussets, but again, this isn't a feature that I personally find super important for my baby.
The only fitteds I have tried so far are sustainablebabyish snapless multis, and I use them overnight with wool. I do change my baby still once overnight but they have worked well. I was going to get some pooters hemp fitted diapers as well, but now the new review of Orange Diaper Co. fitteds has me interested in those as well.
I love wool covers and recommend them highly, especially for overnight. If you don't want leaks, I think they are your best bet. Not cheap though.

TaraB

Peachy Green would be a great diaper for you! They have an all in one, but the soaker does snap out if you'd like to unsnap while washing/drying. It's made in the U.S. with organic material. They are fabulous! They are great for daytime, but I've never used them at night. Fitteds would be a great nighttime option. There lots of WAHM made fitteds on hyena cart and etsy. Get just a few of those for nighttimes (you'll need some kind of cover). Peachy Green also has covers, and All in 2 options. You definitely might want to look into them. THey are great diapers.

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