Current State - Favorite Diaper

I think my current favorite diaper is the FuzziBunz.  I am lucky to have two now, and I like the adjustment at the legs.  I am not always a fan of having to snap 6 snaps to put them on my wiggly little one, but they are the only ones that don't have a little gap around the legs once he is on the move.  He is 11 months old, and has been walking for over a month (10 months 1 day is when he started).  I have to make the other diapers too short in the rise to get a good seal in the legs.  As a result, once he moves a bunch, either there is an issue at the top or they are sliding down a little.  Luckily he isn't a heavy wetter, so the only time we get leaks is over night (if he nurses a ton).  But, I don't have any of those problems with the FuzziBunz. 

But, they aren't the easiest to stuff.  They are the narrowest, so it is often hard to stuff two inserts through the middle.  I get it done, but it isn't fun.  But, the thinness is better for my little guy - his hips aren't pushed out as much.

Oh, the compromises when it comes to diapers!  I wish I was a better sewer so I could make my own!  Leg elastic like FuzziBunz, open at the front like TweedleBugs (and Thirsties Duo which I haven't tried yet), and options for velcro, two snaps, and three snaps!

Another Review - Mother-ease One-Sized Fitted Diapers

I bought four of these to use at trainers for my daughter since early on she had accidents regularly when we weren't in the house.  They worked great - holding in a complete accident on more than one occasion.  Since then, we haven't used them too much.  She no longer has accidents outside of the bathroom except at night.  I have tried using them as night-time diapers with one of our Econobum covers, but they are very hard to "stuff" inside the cover because the leg openings are lower than the cover.  But, she is getting close to the point where we will use them for night-time, as many morning she wakes up dry.

I have tried them on my son, and they aren't the best.  They way you chane is to fold down the front.  Since he is VERY mobile, that folding eventually just "shakes" loose.  But, they have worked in a pinch while the covers dried or to let him air out some.  Also, on the inside, there are only four snaps.  Each tab has two snaps, so there isn't much adjustment available.  When I tried to just snap one snap, I found they unfolded even faster.

For the price, these aren't terrible.  I don't think I will buy them again, but they are serving their purpose.  Since I only spent $50 on all four, I am not upset at my purchase.  But, they definitely aren't for every baby!

It is not fair!

"It is not fair!  My sister gets our one and only BG 4.0 diaper and I am stuck with the Econobum.  I want color!"

This is a picture of my son in an Econobum.  He now fits in them at the smallest rise setting - 9 MO and about 16lbs.  He probably "fit" into them before, but since his sister was in diapers full time until a few weeks ago, he was stuck with our other option for prefolds and covers.  He would really like some color, and CottonBabies - the makers of BumGenius and Econobum (and Flips too which we haven't tried) is having a give away for some BG 4.0s.  We like the one we have, so of course we would love more!

Posts on TCDW

So far, I have written two posts for the blog The Cloth Diaper Whisperer.  The organizers of the blog are the ladies at Kelly's Closet and FuzziBunz.  Here are the links:

An Adventure in Potty Training
Ready for Anything (about traveling with cloth diapers)

Laundry

I started out washing with just the detergent we had - Kirkland liquid with no scents and dyes.  I noticed the diapers smelled bad when "wet," so I decided to see if I could find another inexpensive option.  I looked up the detergents on Pinstripes and Polka Dots, and took a list with me the next time I went to the grocery stores.  Unfortunately I couldn't find any of the BEST ones at our stores.  So, I made a second list.  On my second list, I had Purex Hypoallergnic, and since I found that one I bought it.  It only had one "issue" - brighteners, so it was worth a try.  It worked fairly well, but I wanted something that would travel well.  So, I looked again.  I read that Planet should be available at grocery stores, so I emailed them and asked for a list of stores in my area.  Then I went looking, and didn't find it.  They had said to call, so right before our trip, I called a store I hadn't tried.  They had it, so I got a bottle.  It was hard to find since the store only had the small bottles of liquid, but it had no "negatives" when it comes to cloth diapers, so I gave it a try.  While using it, I thought to compare prices.  It costs about the same as detergents I can buy online, so I kept that in mind when I made my next diaper purchase.  In the meantime, it worked well, and I didn't have a huge stinky pile of diapers the morning before I washed.

Then I wanted to buy a few pockets with my birthday money, so I added a bag of Rockin' Green to my cart as well.  Well, as luck would have it, the bag I received was most likely recalled.  So, I got a second bag free.  I am using the first bag for rinsing covers in the sink and for cleaning other non-diaper things.  There was some rash issues with that batch due to concentration error, so I don't want to use it for normal washings.  At first I didn't see any big improvement over Purex.  I think the smell is slightly less, but it isn't a huge deal.  But, I like that it is a powder, which is better for traveling.  Also, because of the research, I changed by washing routine some.

Here is how I wash my diapers in my LG front loader:
1. Normal quick cycle on cold with 1/2 tbsp of RnG.
2. Full normal cycle on warm with 1 tbsp of RnG - with the soil level on high.
3. Normal quick cycle on cold with no detergent.

I line dry most of the time to save the dryer, and because it is almost as fast.  My plan is to stick with RnG most likely for the diapers and use Purex for all other laundry (once I am about of the Kirkland). 

And, if you don't use cloth diapers yet - here is what to watch out for:
1. Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets in your machines.  These will lead to build-up on your diapers, which equals repelling.
2. Avoid scents and dyes as much as possible since these can be irrating and can leave a little build-up as well.
3. Enzymes in general are not recommend.  Some brands of cloth diapers say they are fine, but most say do not use them.
4. Brighteners hide the stains and can leave a build-up, so again avoid them if possible.
5. Make sure no soap is left in the diapers.  The soap is what causes the stink issues!  That is why I do an extra quick cycle with no detergent.  If you have a front loader, watch the drain water just before the spin cycle for bubbles (i.e. soap).  If they are there, do another rinse.
6. Covers normally should not be dried in the dryer because the heat will wear out the elastic and PUL.  Occasional drying is fine (once every 1-2 months is recommended to seal the PUL).
7. Inserts (and prefolds, etc) can be bleached periodically to sanitize.  I do it about every other month after the normal full cycle.  I just remove all covers first.  Then I run another full cycle with hot water and bleach.

Pocket Diapers

I now have four pocket diapers. The first one I got was a FuzziBunz with my order of Econobum and swim diapers from Kelly's Closet. Then, I decided to order a hook-and-loop pocket in hopes of getting my husband to put it on our daughter the one night a week he watches her (while I take our son with me to church). I decided to go with BumGenius 4.0 based on price and reviews. I then also added a TweetleBug snapped pocket to my order to get to $50 for free shipping. Since I spent over $25, I used the coupon for a free one-sized diaper as well, and I got a Kawaii hook-and-loop. I am using the pockets for bed time, and they are working well. I had to add a Thirsties Hemp insert in my son's because he has become a heavy wetter at night, but my daughter just needs the standard double-stuffed pocket.

I don't see to many important differences in the four pockets. They each have their own unique aspects, but they all work about the same for us. They are all about the same size completely open, and that is what is most important in my book. Here are the smaller differences:

• FuzziBunz uses adjustable elastic to change the rise/fit, and the other three use the snap-down system that most one-sized diapers use.
• TweddleBug is actually a sleeve diaper - with an opening in the front and back of the pocket. This means you don't have to unstuff before washing (which is nice). The others are all standard pockets with just an opening the back.
• As for the back opening, the FuzziBunz and TweedleBug are just a simple opening. The Kawaii has elastic on the liner as well as the cover, and the BumGenius has a flap to hold the inserts in.
• The Kawaii laundry tabs (for the hook-and-loop) aren't placed as well as the BumGenius. One is way too close to fully function. This is the one thing I don't like about this diaper.
• TweedleBug has two snaps, and the FuzziBunz has three for waist closure. The BumGenius snap option also has only two snaps. The third snap does give me a better leg fit on my skinnier son, but it is a little harder to get it on him (since he wants to go, go, go).
• The TweedleBug inserts and BumGenius inserts are almost identical, with a snap to change sizes and a thin newborn insert. The FuzziBunz has two inserts of different length but equal thickness, and the Kawaii has two inserts about the same length and thickness. The snap on the insert is necessary for the TweedleBug since it is a sleeve (I bet the insert woudl peek out otherwise), but other than that they are interchangeable.

I lvoe the pocket concept, and I would love to have more of them. But, they are more expensive than preoflds and covers. The Kawaii's run almost $10, the TweedleBugs almost $13, and the BumGenius and FuzziBunz almost $18. Since you have to launder the whole diaper after each wear, I would need about 25 in my stash if that is all I had. But, I was able to buy 24 prefolds and 6 covers for about $125. That is about half the price! So, I might slowly add one or two pockets into my stash, but I don't think I would go completely with them at this point.

Reusable Swim Diapers

I bought two swim diapers from Kelly's Closet - a Kushies for my daughter and a Bummis for my son. One of the main reasons I bought these wasy because I was tired of wasting about $10 for 11 disposables. I definitely need to put a swim diaper on my son whenever we are playing in any type of pool (I would chance it with my daughter since she is predictable), and I hate throwing away a diaper if it was only used for a few minutes.

Kushies - My daughter has dirtied hers three times. The terry insert looks nasty when I change her, but with a little washing (hand wash then machine), it comes out perfect. This diaper won't hold any liquid, which we discovered once when we were still getting ready to leave the hotel room for the pool. The only other draw back is the lack of laundry tabs. You have to attach the hook and loop pieces and invert the diaper to prevent damage to anything else you are washing with the diaper (including the diaper itself). But, I do like the tie in front - it is useful to help keep the diaper closed, especially over a swim suit.

Bummis - My son has yet to dirty his. It is a miracle or something because he is so unpredicatable. But, I think they would do well with that as well. These do hold water/liquid because the cover is PUL (or so I assume). So, when you get out of the pool, make sure to squeeze out any extra water before drying off (to prevent soaking a towel VERY quickly). I learned this the hard way today. I think ours holds more water than average ebcause it is a little big on him still (he is at the bottom of the size limit for a medium). Again, these don't have laundry tabs either, but that is the only thing I really don't like. Oh, and the pizzazz print has some pink in it. If I had it to do over, I would pick a different pattern.

Even if you aren't going to cd for real, I would recommend the resusable swim diapers. They are definitely cheaper, and work just as well (if not better) than disposables. And, since they aren't meant to absorb liquid, you don't have to be as careful about detergent.

Dealing with Poop - Liners

So, I read a lot about how to deal with poop. And then I tried a few things.

First, I used washed disposable wipes to line the diapers. These actually work very well. And, since my daughter loves to have a wipe with each dirty diaper to just play with, I had some hanging around. I also had a few packages of wipes with only a few wipes left in them that were almost dry, so I just washed these (I use Kirkland wipes from Costco). I put dirty "liners" in the trash* and wet ones went with the diaper into the laundry. I learned to line dry the wipes instead of machine drying to make them last a while. Now I just use them when we aren't home, but I found a more reusable option for day-to-day diapering!

Fleece. I bought a small fleece baby blanket on clearance for $2. I was able to get 19 liners out of it - 13 the length of a prefold and 6 the width. I could probably have cut them shorter, but they work the way they are. Now the my son's poop is more solid, I can just dump the poop off of the fleece into the toilet. It just rolls right off, with barely a trace left. The fleece also works to keep their skin dry, so it serves double duty.

If you have ideas for liners - let me know! I am willing ot try other things out as well.

Second Purchase

My second purchase was Econobum diapers from Kelly's Closet. I chose to buy from there because she had a great coupon (one free diaper) and I had read her blog. I also ordered two swim diapers that I will talk about in a future post.

Econobum diapers are a prefold and cover system that is marketed as an economical choice. I got three covers and twelve prefolds for $50, which is cheaper than any other method I could find for expanding my stash. I tried the diapers on both kids, and I found they worked best for my daughter. Since the GroBaby already worked well on my son and these were a little baggy, it made sorting the diapers a lot easier.

I still have occasionally leaks with my daughter, but this prefold.cover package is better at absorbing all possible volumes before leaking. So, I can go a little longer before changes. I started using the middle rise setting on my duaghter with the prefold folded wider. It worked well, but then I think she grew a little bit. So, I folded the prefold the other way and now use the cover at the largest rise setting. I still have a lot of room in them, so I think this will be what we use until she is completely potty trained day and night.

As for the service from Kelly's Closet - it was good. I ordered on Friday, and they shipped on Monday evening. They had just completed some warehouse changes, so I think that is a good turnaround! I got them one week after I ordered them, which is what I would expect since I live in the southwest. I will most likely order any other diapers from Kelly's Closet in the future.

Now if only I could win one of the giveaways on her blog! Every Friday there is a great giveaway called Fluff Friday. You may notice the link on the right for it. She gives away a lot of great one sized diapers, and I so hope to win!

First Purchase

My first purchase of cloth diapers was a GroBaby hybrid package from BabySteals.com. The package came with three covers and 150 biosoakers (disposable inserts). As soon as I got my package, I also bought some prefolds to use as soakers until I could get a good deal on some snap-in soaker pads. For about three weeks, I used those three covers and a dozen prefolds to cloth diaper both my kids during the day. And it worked. I had some leaking from my 2.5 year old daughter, but I wasn't too surprised. She is a heavy wetter, and I didn't always remember to change her every 1.5 to 2 hours.

With my six month old son, I only had two leaks. One was after about 4.5 hours in a diaper because he took a long nap. The other was a blow out the escaped slightly from the leg opening. With a disposable, that blow out probably would have been a lot worse.

I found the fit of the GroBaby covers to be good with my son. I had to use the smallest rise on him because he is so skinny (less than 15 pounds), but when I did that the legs were perfect. On my daughter, the covers works well with thin inserts. With thicker inserts, there isn't quite enough rise for me to be perfectly happy with the cover. Luckily, the new version of the cover (Gro-Via) has a 1/2 in ch longer rise. These would probably solve our problem with her.

I am hoping to check out the biosoakers on a trip in the next month. I am saving them for that trip because they take up a lot less room than disposables!