Back in Harness

After several months' hiatus from sewing, I'm back in harness. Granted, I'm not used to frequent interruptions for feedings, naps, and playtime -- but such interruptions are quite delightful! I feel like I must be making up for lost time, because I've been up to my ears in skirts, cloth diapers, soft books, plans for a play mat, valances, and such. And this little number, which was a simple hour's work of alteration and creative addition.

Before

I found this American Eagle corduroy jacket at a yard sale recently, and since it was "all-you-can-put-in-a-bag-for-$1," I picked it up. Even though I already have a corduroy jacket...

Well, not even I can justify having two almost-identical garments. It just so happened that on the same day I bought the corduroy jacket, my mother-in-law passed along a denim jacket with 3/4 length sleeves. I fell in love with it immediately, since I realized it was something I could wear during the summer (a little warm, but manageable). And since my favorite nursing-friendly attire is a camisole or short sleeve shirt under a jacket or sweater, it works perfectly.

*cue light bulb*

While I realize that dark khaki corduroy isn't really summery, my wardrobe is so limited right now that I'm all for it! So after chopping the sleeves off my new jacket (I love knowing that if I totally mess up, I spent less than $1 on the garment in the first place), I have a new 3/4 sleeve jacket!

After

But then I had those lovely jacket cuffs sitting in front of me, and being the horrible fabric hoarder that I am, I couldn't bear to see them just thrown away. So a few fabric flower tutorials and some personal preferences later, this tidbit was attached to the lapel:



Perfect excuse for me to use one of my favorite thrifted buttons, which I believe was made out of the end of a spoon (or made to look like it, anyway!). It's been in my button box for years, waiting for the right project.

Not exactly spring sewing, I know -- but function is definitely trumping seasonal loyalty during this stage of my life!

The Infant's Guide to Parental Development

Congratulations, and Welcome to the World! As the proud owner of a bran-new set of parents, you probably have a lot of questions. One of the most pressing questions you have probably centers on the topic of parental development -- and well it should. After all, you carry a lot of responsibility on your tiny shoulders. Without you, the two adults you have wrapped around your itty bitty finger just won't mature into functional, well-balanced parents.

The AAP (American Academy of Parentology) makes it clear that parents develop at different rates, so don't worry if your parents seem a little behind compared to your friends' parents. Here is a list of basic developments that you can expect to see take place within the first few months of your life, and how you can help your parents achieve these goals.

1. Dark Circles Under the Eyes
1-2 weeks

These dark circles are one of the first important developments for parents. A sure sign of sleepless nights, dark circles guarantee that your parents on the right track. You can expect to see them within a week of your birth, though some parents might develop them a little sooner if your entrance into the world was particularly difficult or prolonged. If you haven't noticed any discoloration in the eye area (or bags under the eyes at the very least) by four or five weeks, you are probably not crying enough in the middle of the night. You can try setting your internal alarm to one-hour intervals through the night for several days, and see if your parents' condition improves.


2. Rocking and Bouncing
2-5 weeks

Every experienced parent (especially the female variety) will be quite familiar with the "Rocking and Bouncing" technique within several weeks. This is a valuable skill for them to learn, especially since you will find it quite soothing when you're fussy. Some parents catch on to this skill very quickly, and will even sway gently when someone else is holding you. If you see this, congratulate yourself -- your parents are developing nicely!

3. Weight Loss
2-4 weeks

New parents are notorious for putting on or just keeping baby weight (both moms and dads), so you can help out in this vital health-related area. Make sure you keep your parents' food intake down by frequently interrupting their meals. In order to do this, note when they sit down to eat and start screaming vigorously as soon as the first forkful makes its way into their mouths. In fact, you may need to cry during meal prep, too, just to make sure that they don't try to put you down for a nap in another room (in which case it's harder -- but not impossible -- to tell when they've started eating). A constant diet of cold food will likely curb your parents' appetites, thereby helping their BMI considerably.


4. Muscle Development
2 weeks-indefinite

For your parents to experience optimal health, they need to work out. However, most parents with a new baby in the house don't have time to hit the gym. Good news -- you can help! Two important muscular areas that need to develop are legs and arms. To work out the legs, wait until your parents have just seated themselves before making distinct hunger signs. They will stand up again and come over to you, at which point you can cease your hunger signals. As soon as they sit down, repeat the procedure. You should do at least ten reps every few hours. The repetitive rising and sitting will be great for their thighs. As for arms, when they've just put you down somewhere you should start crying inconsolably. As soon as they pick you up, cry for a few moments before calming down. When they set you back down (this works best when they have something they really need to do), wait a few seconds and start crying again. Again, ten reps every few hours should do the trick for those biceps. Careful attention to your parents' muscular condition will pay off as you gain weight.

5. Rapid Reflexes
3-5 weeks

This skill is critical in any parent. By the third week of your life, your parents should be able to catch you (and potentially another falling object...or two) within milliseconds. Some parents are slow to catch on with this one, but you can quickly bring them up to par by throwing yourself backwards while they're holding you. Before trying this training method, though, you should take your parents' cardiac condition into account -- many parents' hearts will race if you throw yourself backwards, so doing it too often may end up in a visit to the emergency room.


6. Singing Off-Key
3-6 weeks

Parents will often take up singing in order to calm you down when you're stressed. While this singing is usually out of tune, squeaky, and totally pointless (as far as you're concerned), it is very important that parents learn this for their own benefit. Not only does it teach them to self-calm when you're screaming, but it also gives them a sense of achievement when you stop crying (not because you like the singing, of course, but because you're just done). If your parents don't pick up this skill naturally, see if you can get a friend or relative to sing to you -- if you stop crying, act enthralled, and smile, your parents will be more likely give it a try themselves.

7. Oblivion to Odor
4-6 weeks

This is a tough one for parents, and some parents may never develop in this area. You can gauge your parents' progress in this area by evaluating their behavior during diaper changes. Gagging, comments on smell, and facial distortions are signs that they have not yet learned to deal with odors. You can try to build their tolerance by upping the number of dirty diapers you produce, but don't be too concerned if progress is slow.


8. Functioning With Very Little Sleep
1-2 months

All parents must learn how to function on about half the sleep that a normal adult enjoys. This is one area of parental development that you must be vigilant about! If your parents are still acting groggy by the third or fourth week, it's time for you to step in and take some serious action. One of the best ways to do this is to wait until they've just gotten into bed and turned out the light. As soon as you sense that this has occurred, work up a scream that demands attention in no uncertain terms. This will bring them running, and the ensuing hour(s) they spend trying to calm you down will help them get used to their new (and permanent) sleep-deprived state.

9. Facial Mobility
2-3 months

Let's discuss another important developmental area: facial mobility. Once your parents see even the hint of a smile, they will respond! They will distort their faces into all kinds of unlikely expressions in order to coax a smile out of you. But don't make it too easy on them -- if you smile at their slightest expression, you risk stunting their growth. Their facial muscles need a full workout, so hold out on big smiles and laughter until they've really run the gamut of expression. This will also be quite amusing for you as you watch their ridiculous attempts -- but again, remember to hold back signs of amusement for a little while.


10. Babbling and cooing
2-3 months

It is essential that you help your parents develop their babbling and cooing skills as soon as possible, usually around 2-3 months. This is not a difficult task, since parents will readily imitate your behavior. If you show them by example how to make sounds like "goop," "erkuh," and "squee," there is a 99% chance that they will pick up this skill without any further difficulty. You can gauge their progress by the sounds they repeat back to you. If your parents are a bit slow in this regard, try upping the amount of sounds you make, and stick to basic sounds until they've got the hang of it.

With these simple steps, you can ensure that your parents reach their optimum potential! The investment you make now will pay off in the future. While each parent develops differently, this list will provide you with some basic skills to look for in those early weeks.

Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Pt 4 -- What We've Tried (and Ditched)

In order to make the "What We Use" post in this series a bit more concise, I've decided to add a post to the series that reviews some of the various diapering methods and supplies that I've tried in the past.


~ Diapers ~

My initial diapers were homemade flannel fitted diapers, using the very popular (and free!) Rita's Rump Pocket pattern, or "RRP." Using sale-priced flannel, they cost under $2 a piece (much cheaper than the average $10 and up you'll pay for ready-made fitteds). I already had a bit of flannel on hand, so 20 diapers ended up costing about $18. You can get 1 diaper (two sides) out of every 2/3-3/4 yd. of 44" flannel.

These diapers require inserts to absorb moisture (two layers of flannel won't hold much).

I used clear elastic for the legs, but I think cotton swimwear elastic would have been a better choice -- the clear elastic is very stiff and isn't quite as stretchy as I would have liked.

After about 18 months these diapers really started showing wear, with holes developing at the ends of the elastic. That's probably due to the quality of flannel I used.

My biggest beef was that the flannel was so wet against my baby's skin that it caused redness and "waterlogged" skin, which also leads to rashes. I ended up making lined inserts (see below) to solve this problem. I also made several half-flannel/half-alova-suede diapers in this pattern, which allowed the wetness to wick through and stay away from baby's skin.

PROS: Inexpensive, user-friendly
CONS: Need to be stuffed with an insert (or two, or three), wet against baby's skin, require time to make.
COST: about $2 for all-flannel diapers (if you can find it on sale); about $3 for half-flannel/half-alova suede (again, sale prices);


~ Inserts ~

After far too many hours of research, I decided to go with microfiber auto towels from Walmart to use as the absorbent inserts in my cloth diapers. It's $5 for a pack of 8, and they're just the right size to tri-fold and stuff in the RRP diaper. I only needed one insert for an infant (not a heavy wetter), but that went up to two in the for a toddler.

From left to right: an unfolded microfiber towel, a folded towel, and a
suede cloth covered towel (you can see the back-and-forth lines I
stitched to keep the towel folded properly)

Microfiber can't be used right against baby's bum, since it can actually dry out the skin and cause rashes. I initially stuffed the tri-folded microfiber towels into my flannel diapers, but flannel is cold and moist when wet, which can cause diaper rash  (and can't be very comfortable!).

Fleece and suede cloth, on the other hand, are "stay dry" fabrics that wick moisture through without feeling wet to the touch. So I tri-folded some of my microfiber inserts and covered them with suedecloth. I could simply lay the insert in the flannel diaper with no stuffing required (at least, until we started needing two inserts per diaper!).

PROS: Cheap (and easy to find), very absorbent
CONS: Can develop odor and detergent build-up over time; require "stuffing" into a diaper
COST: $5 for a pack of 8 ($0.62 each)


~ Covers ~

1. The Prorap Classic Diaper Cover  Not Recommended

Personally, I'm very surprised this cover has good reviews -- It's stiff, ugly, oddly shaped, the fabric snags easily, and it has a horrible plastic smell. Do you want to know what I really think about it? *wink* It leaked every time I used it because the leg openings have a very strange shape. It might work better with a tri-folded prefold, but I never tried that. I'm so glad I only bought one, and I'll certainly never buy another!

PROS: Nothing that I can think of!
CONS: Odd shape, stiff, and costly overall (comes in 5 different sizes)
COST: $7.99


2. Fishnoodles Snapper Cover   Not Recommended

I only bought a Fishnoodles cover (formerly Hyenacart, now Peachy Green -- why do they keep changing names?) because they had some "seconds" at a reduced price. I purchased a size small -- and boy, is it ever small! It's supposed to fit up to 16 pounds, but I don't see how that's possible. There's no way it would ever fit over the fitted diapers I made. It is certainly trim, and is very well made, but I just can't get it to work. I think even a prefold would be too big! I think I'll keep it for future babies as a newborn cover. The style is the same as this newborn diaper from Peachy Green.

PROS: Well-made, trim
CONS: Super small (and sized incorrectly, in my opinion)
COST: $8.40 (for a second quality)


3. Dappi Diaper Covers  Not Recommended Overall

I bought four of the size small covers, and I think they'd work better for pudgy apple-shaped babies, since the velcro closures practically overlapped on my long and lean little guy -- even though at 12 lbs. he was right in the "up to 14 lb" range for the size small. You'd certainly need a separate newborn cover if you wanted to cloth diaper a small baby. Overall they're decent covers, but I definitely didn't reach for them first and may only use them as back-up covers with future babies.

Also, I think the knit elastic used on the edges of the diaper (which was wonderfully soft) would wick moisture onto clothing, since I seemed to have frequent little "leaks" when using these covers. Maybe I just needed to change more frequently, but I didn't have this problem with other covers.

As a note, these covers have a mesh layer inside the diaper which you won't see in my picture because I trimmed it out. I didn't like that it would get wet during use, and unlike vinyl or PUL, you can't just wipe it clean. So removing the mesh may have made them less effective (though I tried them both ways, and didn't notice a difference).


PROS: Super cheap, easy to put on, soft jersey outer fabric, gentle elastic
CONS: Wicks moisture onto clothing; made of vinyl instead of breathable PUL (polyurethane laminate); velcro could be stronger; four different sizes brings the total diapering cost up; run quite large (which makes it hard to get the fit right).
COST: $2.99


4. Econobum One-Size Cloth Diaper Cover ($5, normally $8.95 individually or $9.95 with the prefold)   Recommended with reservations

I was skeptical about the Econobum cover, mostly because it doesn't have leg gussets. As it turns out, I liked this cover enough to buy more, and used them exclusively for several months!

I have 5 of these covers, since I took advantage of a BOGO sale to boost my stock. The cover may be one-size, but the Indian prefolds I received as part of the sale are certainly not (I have yet to see a "one-size prefold" for sale!). They're way too big for an infant, regardless of how you fold them, but are too small for a toddler unless you tri-fold them and lay them in the cover. They are quite absorbent, though!

The Indian prefolds you see under the cover hadn't been washed yet; they
become quite fluffy after several washes!

HOWEVER, my biggest problem with these diaper covers is that they certainly are "econo," and that includes the quality. The laminate on the fabric is very thin compared to other diaper covers. About six months after I purchased them, they started to leak a little bit around the waist area because the PUL had developed little "slits" that allowed moisture to wick through. I still use them as backups when I'm out of my preferred covers. I contacted Cotton Babies, and they claimed that I had voided my warranty by using homemade laundry detergent, because you should not use pure soap. So please DO NOT use homemade laundry detergent on these diaper covers! I'm a bit peeved with Cotton Babies, because the laundering instructions that came with the diapers are very vague, and the only page on their website that mentions that you shouldn't use pure soap is difficult to find. Their customer service was not very helpful, and rather brusque.

PROS: Super trim (despite being one-size); very adjustable; great snap system; hold in the moisture really well; simple to use; dry very quickly; decent price
CONS: No leg gussets (though that hasn't been a big problem); lower quality; bad customer service
COST: $8.95 (although I purchased mine for $5 each)




~ Pocket Diapers ~

Kawaii One-Size Pocket Diaper   Not Recommended Overall 

Just one insert in the diaper in this picture, and it's already
pretty bulky!

I received this diaper as a free promotion when purchasing some other cloth diapers (kellyscloset.com frequently offers coupon codes for free diapers with a certain purchase amount). This was my first experience with a pocket diaper, since I'm not much of a fan of pockets and AIOs.

Overall, the diaper is fine. The fleece inside is soft, the laminate outer seems sturdy, and the snap design is fine. But the diaper really needs both of the microfiber inserts it came with for sufficient toddler absorbency, and that makes it huge! The inserts are almost laughably huge. Also, this diaper has no leg gussets (my personal preference), and the fleece stains pretty easily. Since laminate doesn't do well in the wash, I hang this diaper to dry, but the fleece lining increases the dry time.

PROS: "Stuff and go;" good quality; good snap design; decent price for a pocket diaper
CONS: Very bulky(!); not the best at holding in mess; more difficult to launder
COST: Free to me, but usually $10.95



~ Accesories ~


Flannel Wipes:

I made a stash of simple flannel squares, serged all the way around. However, I gave up on using them as diaper wipes, because the flannel repelled water (I don't soak my wipes in solution, so I had to spray or pour water on the wipes at each change) and they seemed to just smear things around.

They have come in handy for all sorts of household purposes, though, and I still send all of my scrap flannel to the serger! I much prefer the terry cloth wipes that we are currently using.

PROS: Lots of pros, just not for cloth diapering...
CONS: Repel water, not good for messy diapers
COST: Free! They were all made from scrap or leftover flannel


Diaper Duck:

I discovered this handy tool when I purchased my Dappi covers! The Diaper Duck is a plastic hook that hooks onto your toilet seat so you can rinse and soak messy diapers easily. It's really intended for prefolds or flat fold diapers, but I used it successfully with my fitteds and inserts (though I couldn't utilize the "wringing" aspect.

However, when it broke after a year (I think I was a bit rough with it when "swirling" diapers), I decided to upgrade to a handheld diaper sprayer -- now that I'm using flat fold diapers, I wish I could try it again, but the sprayer is easy and doesn't require soaking the diaper.

PROS: Cheap; Extremely helpful if you don't have a sprayer
CONS: Mine broke after a year of use; requires soaking the diaper in the toilet (thereby rendering the toilet useless until the diaper is removed)
COST: $7.99


~ Detergents ~

I initially used my homemade laundry detergent and an occasional splash of vinegar in the rinse cycle, but after my Econobum experience, I would no longer recommend pure soap, borax, or vinegar for PUL(polyurethane laminate) diaper covers.

I switched to Thirsties Pre-Wash every couple of cold cycles and Thirsties Super Wash for every hot cycle. However, I still had to strip my diapers, and wasn't so impressed with them that I'm willing to pay the (in my opinion) high price -- almost $0.25 a load for just the Super Wash.

*********************

Well, that's an exhaustive (or exhausting...) look at what we've tried in cloth diapering so far!

For the other posts in this series, go here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Pt 3 -- How We Use It

Last Updated: 9/28/2012

In this post, I plan to discuss what cloth diapering looks like on a daily basis for us, and the ins and outs of our system to date. For the other posts in the series, go here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 4


~ Getting Started ~

I was planning on using disposables for about a week before switching to cloth -- this would get us past the meconium stage (I'd heard meconium stains terribly) and supposedly give us time to get settled. Well, some early difficulties and adjustments led me to postpone starting cloth, since the last thing I needed at the time was more complication in my life! So Little Man was about one month old before we started. On the day I started, I tried one cloth diaper just to see how it went. A few changes later I tried another cloth diaper. I continued like this for a day or two, until I realized that the diapers would have to be washed in 2-3 days anyway, so I might as well go the rest of the way! Really, it was a very easy transition.


~ Changing ~

At every change, I put the dirty diaper in a wet bag that hangs in my laundry closet (I change Little Man on the washing machine, which I cover with a folded towel). The used diaper cover is hand washed or wiped, and hung from our wire laundry shelf with a clothespin. I use a dry cover for the new diaper, and interchange covers with every diaper change. If there's a messy diaper, chances are the cover has gotten messy, too -- so both the cover and diaper are sprayed with the diaper sprayer (in our nearby master bathroom), and then deposited in the wet bag.

I started out soaking messy diapers in the toilet (although that step is not considered necessary for exclusively breast-fed babies), but 'round about a year after starting cloth diapering, my Diaper Duck died. So I purchased a diaper sprayer that attaches to the toilet. With an average of one messy diaper every few days in the early months, the sprayer wouldn't have been a huge advantage. But now that I have to deal with messies much more frequently, the diaper sprayer is quite a blessing.

For the new diaper, I grab one or two flat diapers from the shelf (one if I know I'll be changing Little Man soon; two for naps, overnight, or outings). My flats are folded into quarters when they come out of the dryer, so all I need to do is tri-fold them and put them in the cover, or do the origami fold and "Snappi" them before putting the cover on. You can find instructions for the origami fold (and several others) here.

Here's a flat diaper folded into the origami fold. This takes about four seconds
once you get the hang of it!

~ Washing ~

Thoughts:

The biggest "disadvantage" to cloth diapering is, of course, that dirty diapers must be washed! Let me say right off that I don't think I'd have to courage to cloth diaper if I didn't have my washer inside the house. Because cloth diapering involves a lot of laundry, such an inconvenience would soon become overwhelming to me! Also, I would not suggest cloth diapering for people who just hate laundry. I personally enjoy laundry, so it works for me. And really, this kind of "laundry" is not very demanding. The washing machine does all the real work, and it's not as if you have to iron your diapers (unless you really, really want to).

Detergent:

I currently use ECOS Free and Clear, and I'm very satisfied with it. I occasionally add a scoop of Biokleen Oxygen Bleach.

What detergent you use is a big deal -- most store detergents are unsuitable for cloth diapers, causing build-up and making them much less effective (besides being bad for baby's skin). Here's a Cloth Diapering Detergent Chart from Diaper Jungle that is extremely helpful! And as a note, most baby detergents are horrible for diapers, even though it might seem they'd be mild enough to use. Just because a detergent says "free and clear" doesn't guarantee that it's safe for your diapers (especially if your diaper came with a warranty -- always check the manufacturer's washing instructions).

Washing: 

After dumping the contents of my wet bag into the washer (including the bag itself), I run a short cold cycle with no detergent. I then add detergent to the washer (mine's a top loader, but I use the HE amount of detergent -- too much detergent is not a good thing), and wash the diapers on "hot" for my longest cycle, with an extra rinse.


~ Stripping ~

Stripping your diapers puts them through a tougher-than-usual wash cycle that should remove soap/detergent build up. You can also do this if you think your diapers are repelling moisture, rather than absorbing it (hello, leaks), which is most common with fleece or other synthetic fabrics.

Here's how I do it (based largely on Thirsties's instructions:

1. I run my usual cold short cycle with all of my diapers and covers (Little Man wears disposable for a day while I do this), followed by my regular hot long cycle with my usual detergent and an extra rinse.

2. When my regular wash cycles are done, I remove my PUL covers and hang them up to dry -- they don't smell bad, and I don't want to wear them out with a heavy duty wash routine. Another advantage to having separate diapers and covers...

3. I go turn my water heater up from its usual energy-saving setting to a very hot setting. BE CAREFUL during the day when you use your faucets, especially if you have kids -- I've often wondered why my hands are burning as I wash dishes, only to remember that I turned up the water heater!

4. I start my hot load (using the largest load setting on my washer and the longest cycle, with an extra rinse) and add 1-2 TBSP of original Dawn dish detergent to the water. If you use the concentrated version, you'll end up with lots of suds! The original version comes in a 70's looking bottle, and is about $1.30 at my local Walmart. Those with front-loading HE washers, I would not suggest using Dawn, as I can't guarantee it won't cause problems.  Time to add all of the cloth diapers!

5. After my first really hot cycle is done, I run another hot cycle with no detergent and some vinegar in a Downy fabric softener ball (a great tool, even for those of us who never use chemical fabric softener -- just fill it part-way with vinegar!). By the way, I feel comfortable using vinegar because I made all of my cloth diapers very inexpensively, and I really don't care if the vinegar is a bit harsh on them. I can just make more when they wear out!

6. Okay, one more really hot cycle with no detergent! You probably don't need this many cycles, but it's not really extra work and I want to make sure that Dawn is totally rinsed out.

7. Time to turn the water heater back down -- but your faucets will be running hotter for several hours, so still be careful.

8. As a last step, I throw the diapers into the dryer on high heat (or you can line dry -- sunning diapers is a great way to get rid of odor and stains). And that's it! It's really not hard, and it works super well for me.

Note: I had to strip frequently with my previous diapering method(s), but now that I'm using flats -- which don't usually have build-up problems -- I haven't had to strip. 


~ Drying ~

Theoretically, I like to line dry as much as possible. This cuts down on energy costs, is better for the diapers, and helps me get some sunshine! However, all my good intentions were thwarted this summer due to several months (literally) of afternoon thunderstorms.

If I'm using the dryer, the diaper covers are hung from my wire laundry shelf with clothespins to air dry. Heat is very, very bad for PUL, and they dry extremely quickly (even indoors).

The cloth diapers and wipes are put into the dryer on high heat. After they're dry (which doesn't take long for flat diapers!), I fold my flat diapers into quarters and put them on my laundry shelf.

My homemade fitteds drying on the line (before
they were retired)

~ Out and About ~

Cloth diapering while out and about took a bit of courage the first several times! Fortunately, most of our outings are short enough that I don't need to change Little Man until we get home. A heavy wetter, though, might not be able to do that!

We have a small waterproof zippered wet bag, which we use for the dirty diapers. It's also handy for anything wet, though (like the time I spilled a whole cup of water last week...). Though quite honestly, I almost prefer a gallon plastic ziploc bag -- yes, I know that's very un-earth-friendly of me, but I can go through a box of twenty-something for only $2, and I rarely need one, anyway. Plus, being able to toss it after it's used is really kind of nice. So if you're uncertain about buying or making a wet bag and you don't have a lot of away-from-home diaper changes, just use a Ziploc bag! It's extremely compact, too.

I've heard of many people using cloth at home and disposable diapers when out, and this seems like a good option if you want to avoid some extra hassle (for me the hardest part is remembering to empty the wet bag when we get home!). I also use disposables when we leave Little Man with friends or family while Pablo and I go out. My family is perfectly willing to do cloth, but it just seems easier for everyone (me included) to use a few disposables.

Oh, and if you're cloth diapering when out and about -- bring several changes of clothes, especially for a young infant! We learned that the hard way. *wink* While leaks are almost non-existent now, the first few months were quite a different story (and those newborn blowouts are inevitable whether you're using prefolds or Huggies).

Actually, speaking of leaks -- I used disposables for about nine days on a trip we took when Little Man was about a year old, since I didn't want the hassle of transporting and washing cloth diapers. I brought Huggies and Publix brand diapers, and both of them leaked like crazy. I was afraid I'd be spoiled by the "ease" of disposables, but honestly I was relieved when we got home and went back to cloth!

I do keep a few disposable diapers in our diaper bag at all times, along with a travel container of disposable wipes. This is especially handy at the doctor's office (where he may be changed several times during an appointment), or if we run out of cloth diapers -- or just forgot to pack some!


~ General Observations ~

Cloth diapering doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. After all, it was the only option until about fifty years ago!

As a note, it is a bit harder to keep track of baby's growth when using cloth diapers -- it's much easier to gauge fullness and color with a disposable. This just means paying a bit more attention, which is not a big deal.

Also, most cloth diapers are considerably bigger than disposables! I have to keep that in mind when purchasing and making baby clothes. Generally I have to buy a size up in pants, and since he wore polo/turtleneck/regular ol' onesies exclusively for the first year, I had to buy his tops a size up, too.

Overall, it's been a great experience so far -- over18 months into it, as of this September 2012 update. It's very satisfying to know that we're saving so much and avoiding so many chemicals. Plus, it allows for much more creativity!

So am I sold on this? Definitely!

Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Pt. 2 -- What We Use

Last Updated: 9/28/2012


In my first cloth diapering post, I discussed what we took into consideration starting out. In this post, I plan to detail what we decided to use! And when I say detail, I mean detail. This post turned out to be much longer than I anticipated...

We chose to use cloth diapers and diaper covers. It's a two part system that consists of a cloth diaper (not at all waterproof) to absorb moisture, and a separate cover (waterproof) to keep the moisture in. Depending on what you use, this can be the most economical option, since you need 18-36 cloth diapers (which cost anywhere from $1 to $20 each, depending on what you use) and 4-6 covers (roughly $3-$40 each). This is assuming 2-3 days between washings.

Personally, I prefer the versatility of separate diapers and covers, for the same reason I prefer tops and skirt to dresses! Not only does it allow me to experiment more with what I have (maybe the cover is fine, but I don't like my liner or cloth diaper), but I can also replace just one part of the diaper system when it wears out, rather than the whole thing. With an AIO, the whole diaper is useless if one part malfunctions. After over 18 months of diapering (as of September, 2012), I can definitely testify that being able to tweak your system is a huge bonus.

After lots of trial and error, I've simplified our diapering system, and found what I believe is the most economical way to cloth diaper (without sewing, buying second-hand, etc.)

So, here's the whole shebang:

Let's get started!

~ Diapers ~


Mainstays Flour Sack Kitchen Towels

I know, I can't believe it, either! Walmart towels as diapers? However, after reading a number of reviews (including reviews for the towels themselves!), I found this to be the cheapest option for flat diapers. They're 28x29 inches unfolded (big enough to diaper toddlers), and are ridiculously cheap. Plus, every Walmart I've been to seems to have oodles of them in stock. Of the five packs I purchased, some packages were softer and slightly thinner; I haven't noticed a difference in absorption. We currently have 25 of these for our toddler, which seems like the perfect number for us. We don't run out between washes, but don't (usually) have a ton left over. Even better, when the new baby arrives, we can simply add to our stash -- because the diaper is folded by the user, it can be customized for any size baby (larger toddlers might need two layers, or an added doubler/soaker), so we don't need separate sized diapers for separate children. To me, this is one of the big advantages of a flat diaper over a prefold. Not having to keep track of multiple sizes (or store sizes not currently in use) makes everything easier.

Flat diapers do require folding, but I've found that it's easier than it sounds. I spend five minutes folding them into quarters when they come out of the dryer. Then they're ready to fold into thirds or origami fold, depending on my mood. *wink*

I'm totally in love with flat diapers! Not only are they inexpensive, they're also extremely easy to launder -- since you're only washing one layer of cotton fabric, detergent residue and odor build-up are not as likely to be a problem. They dry in a flash, not even requiring a full cycle in the dryer (my old diapers would sometimes still be damp after a full cycle). I haven't had the chance to line dry them yet, but I don't think it would take long at all.

Also, after over a year of using bulky fitteds and inserts, I was shocked by how trim flat diapers are. Granted, my toddler needs two for overnight and long outings -- but two flat diapers have about the same bulk as my previous fitted diapers with inserts! One flat with a cover is hardly bulkier than a disposable.

There are a few drawbacks, as with anything. With my little guy, the front of the diaper will be soaked while the back is totally dry -- in other words, the cotton doesn't "spread" the moisture very effectively. We had a few major leaks as I was figuring out how many towels to use and how long a single towel would hold, but we seem to have that well under control now. Also, there is a little bit more work involved when you have to fold the diapers (although I'm not convinced that it's any more work than stuffing inserts into fitted or pocket diapers!). The last "drawback" is that wet cotton can cause diaper rash or waterlogged skin. However, we've actually had fewer rashes with these flats than with our previous cloth diapers, so that hasn't been a problem -- plus, the single layer means that diaper creams and barrier ointments wash out (which can be a problem for prefolds and fitteds -- especially if they're synthetic). And, of course, a thin microfleece liner could always be used to wick moisture away from the skin.

I've only been using flats for a few months as of September, 2012, but something would have to go seriously wrong for me to lower my current enthusiasm for them! I could have made flat diapers myself, but I actually can't buy diaper-appropriate fabric as cheaply as I can purchase the Mainstays towels.

I'm still interested in trying some "real" flat diapers, and have my eye on these OsoCozy flats. They're only $1.67 each, so not *too* much more than the flour sack towels. I think I'll get some when the new baby comes and see how they compare...

PROS: Inexpensive (!); absorbent; fit from birth through potty training; natural fiber
CONS: Require folding; don't wick moisture efficiently
COST: $5 for a pack of five


~ Diaper Covers ~


1. Little Flower One Size Diaper Cover   Highly Recommended!

I'm really excited about these diaper covers, which I found a few months ago! Actually, I'm excited about this website (AssuntaStore.com -- Disclosure: this is a referral link, so any purchases made add points to my account; all other links in this post are not referral links) in general.

I'm comparing these covers to the Thirsties Duo Wraps (see my review of those below), because they seem to me to be almost identical in terms of size and general construction.

So what do I love? Just about everything! The cost is absurdly low, and the quality is amazing -- even better than the Thirsties in my opinion. The snap system is great (it even has the extra snap on the right tab, which allows the tabs to overlap if needed). Also, the leg gussets are edge in the same fold-over elastic as the rest of the diaper. One of my biggest peeves about the Thristies Duo Wraps is that the leg gussets are bound in a narrow knit elastic that stains terribly and looks worn out very quickly.

These covers really hold in the mess, and the fit is great. Really, the fit is identical to my Thirsties Duo Wrap covers in Size 2.

The covers I purchased (the solid color covers) are not "wipe clean" covers, since they are constructed with sandwich PUL -- basically, the material is waterproof, but doesn't look or feel slick on the inside like most PUL diaper covers. However, I just handwash them in my bathroom sink with a splash of Dr. Bronner's soap and wring them out (assuming it was a wet diaper; messy diapers always go in the wet bag after a quick spray in the toilet). Assunta also offers these covers in minkee fabric for an extra 50 cents per cover, and those covers are wipe clean. However, I haven't tried them yet, so I can't comment on their quality or durability. Presumably the fit is the same!

Basically, I prefer them to my Thirsties covers, and they're considerably less expensive. Not only that, the website offers free shipping for orders over $25 on most of their products, and the coupon code LITTLEFLOWER takes 10% off your order! Their products are made in and ship from China, but the company is run by a missionary couple and all proceeds go to a ministry that helps abandoned and special needs children in China -- so while I usually prefer "Made in America," I can't really complain in this case! *wink*

This cover also comes in a Tiny Diaper Cover size, which seems to be the same size as the handful of Thirsties Duo Wraps Size 1's that I've purchased for the new baby. I haven't tried the tiny covers I purchased yet, as baby hasn't arrived yet!

PROS: Extremely economical; great quality; great fit; multi-sized; very effective
CONS: I really have no complaints!
COST: $5 per cover; two sizes for birth through potty training



2. Thirsties Duo-Wrap Diaper Covers  Recommended

After my Econobums failed, I went ahead and bought five of the Thirsties Duo-Wrap Covers. These were the diaper covers I was most interested in before I started, and I wish I had just bought them in the first place! I've only used the larger size, as Little Man was already in the higher weight category by the time I made the switch.

They do come in two sizes, but two sizes means less wear and tear per cover if you're going to be using them for multiple children -- and if you have babies close together, you'd need to buy extra covers if you're using a one-size cover, anyway. Also consider that one-size covers rarely fit babies from birth, even if they claim to!

I purchased the Aplix version because you can customize the waist fit better and it's supposedly easier, but in less than a year the velcro was in horrible shape. And that was with careful washing (always using the laundry tabs) and indoor line drying! Plus, lint would get snagged in the velcro, requiring me to periodically clean it out with a toothpick. Rather than fool with the warranty, I removed the velcro myself and installed snaps (using a diaper snap press and snaps from JoAnn's, purchased with coupons). This totally voided my warranty, of course, but it was less hassle and provided a quick fix. Plus, I'm glad I have the snap press! Now that the covers snap, I'm much happier with them.

I definitely recommend these covers, though after having found our current Little Flower covers, I don't plan to purchase more Thirsties in the future. I still think they're an economical way to get a high quality multi-size cover, just not the most economical way.

PROS: Trim, but fit nicely over either prefolds or fitted diapers; well made; leg gussets help keep "stuff" inside the diaper *wink*; the two sizes cover a huge weight range, eliminating the need for special newborn covers (unless your baby is really tiny); they come in a ton of cute colors and prints, which is totally unimportant but undeniably fun!
CONS: The Aplix/velcro is horrible (so stick with the snap version); a tad bulkier than the Econobums; the knit elastic on the leg gussets stains badly
COST: $12.75 per cover; two sizes for birth through potty training


~ Accessories ~

Rumparooz/Kanga Care Wet Bag

I'm please with the quality of materials for this wet bag, and it's worked well for storing my soiled diapers. However, twice I had to go through a rather lengthy and annoying warranty claim process, since the poorly designed zipper installation allows the zipper pull to come completely off the tracks. The first time the company sent me a new bag within a few days. The second time they repaired the bag and reinforced the zipper (which was fine), but it took over a month to get the bag back!  

In terms of size, the bag barely holds two days of cloth diapers, and probably would not work for AIOs. When the new baby comes, I'll have to find something larger.

PROS: Well made (except the zipper); convenient shape/size for hanging

CONS: On the small side; zipper requires reinforcing

COST: $18.95

Cloth Wipes:

I initially tried homemade flannel wipes, but quickly gave up on those and reverted to disposable wipes. Purchasing cloth wipes was out of the question, considering how ridiculously expensive they are (though I dare say I spent far more on disposable wipes over the course of 18 months than I would have on cloth wipes). When I switched to flat diapers a few months ago, I decided to give cloth wipes one more try. I purchased an 18-pack of Mainstays washcloths, cut them in half, and serged the edges. This left me with 36 terry wipes in a convenient size. And wow, what a difference between these wipes and my flannel wipes! I like them even more than disposable wipes. I keep an 8oz. peri bottle filled with filtered water by the changing table, and just squirt some onto each wipe before use. I've even started using these for messy diapers, which were my main reason for using disposable wipes before. I wipe away what I can with the diaper itself (since it will be sprayed, anyway), and clean up the rest with the terry wipes. 36 wipes are really more than I need, so I don't think I'll need to buy extra when the baby comes.

These wipes will never win an award for softness, but they seem to do the job! The plastic under the wipe in the picture is actually the lid to an oatmeal container; I use it as a tray to keep water off my dryer while I'm wetting the wipes. The corresponding oatmeal container is in the background, covered with craft paper -- I use it to store my wipes! It just fits all 36.

PROS: Absorbent; inexpensive; extremely effective
CONS: One more thing to wash/dry/fold
COST: $4 for a pack of 18 washcloths (makes 36 wipes if you have a serger)

BabyKicks Hemparoo Joey-Bunz Premium Insert:

I purchased one of these inserts because it brought my order total high enough for free shipping (which would have cost as much as the insert!). You can see it sitting under the diaper cover in the first picture -- well, half of it, really. The insert is made up of two parts, tacked together at the top. Since I use it as a liner more than an absorbent insert, I un-picked the stitching so I had two separate pieces (which are identical). I was curious to try a hemp product, and so far I'm pleased with it. However, the cost is too high for me to consider purchasing more.

PROS: Absorbent; works well as a barrier/liner
CONS: Very expensive
COST: $6.27




Knickernappies Diaper Sprayer:

I bought this to replace my Diaper Duck after it broke. I chose the Knickernappies Diaper Sprayer, which installed pretty easily (thank you, Pablo!). This thing is amazing! I no longer have to worry about diapers soaking in the toilet when we have guests over, and it really does the job, if you know what I mean... it can be a bit messy, but I don't mind wiping a little water off the toilet rim -- and sometimes the floor, if I'm not careful. *wink*. It's not really necessary for breast-fed infants, but for older babies and toddlers it's a huge blessing! The new Blueberry FLO sprayer has the water control valve right on the sprayer handle, which looks convenient -- but I've never tried it, as it only come out after I purchased my sprayer in August 2011.

Almost a year after purchasing my sprayer, water started leaking out of the spray head. While the leak was not continuous, it would leave a puddle on our tile after every use. I contacted Knickernappies, and they immediately e-mailed me a shipping label and instructions to include the sprayer head. They sent me a new sprayer head within a few days. Great customer service! Apparently this is a common problem (and I don't know if my new spray head will eventually break, too), so you may want to take that into account if you're comparing sprayers.

PROS: Makes clean up a breeze; adjustable spray power;
CONS: Can be a bit messy; sprayer head developed a leak (though customer service was great)
COST: $43.99


Snappi:

The Snappi is a T-shaped elastic band with little plastic teeth on the ends that "bite" into cloth diaper fabric, eliminating the need for diaper pins. It was difficult to use with my original flannel fitted diapers, as it really needs a more open weave fabric. It's fantastic for the flat diapers that I currently use, and also works well for prefolds. Either a Snappi or pins are necessary if you want to do a fancy diaper fold.

PROS: No sharp pins; keeps diaper secure
CONS: None that I can think of!
COST: About $3-$5 for one, cheaper in multi-packs


Flushable Diaper Liners

These flushable liners are such a help when cloth diapering on the go! They make it easy to get the mess into the toilet, and are supposedly septic safe (we've not had an issue with our septic). And, if the diaper is only wet, they can be washed once or twice and re-used. Assunta Store has the best price I've seen, and the quality is great (they're quite soft). I don't use these for every diaper, as that would get quite expensive and the diaper sprayer makes them somewhat unnecessary at home. But I love to have them on hand for outings, or when I'm feeling lazy and suspect there's a messy diaper in my future. *wink*

PROS: Very helpful for messy diapers (especially for outings); relatively inexpensive & can often be reused
CONS: Technically unnecessary
COST: $4.99 for 100 ($0.05 each)

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COST ANALYSIS:

Here's where the rubber meets the road for the frugal diaperer. After all, as committed as I am to keeping chemicals off my babies' bums as much as possible, finances are also a consideration. So here's a breakdown of what our current system costs. I've included a few luxuries (the sprayer and the flushable liners), and based my costs on the Little Flower covers. We've (unfortunately) spent a little more than this total, since we've tried a few things that haven't worked (see Part 4 for more on that), but hopefully we're done with experimentation, and our current stash will hold up well.


Cloth Diapering for One

ITEM                                                             COST                  # NEEDED           TOTAL COST

Flour sack towels from Walmart                   $1 each                        25                       $25

One-size diaper covers                                   $5 each                        7                         $35

Tiny diaper covers                                          $5 each                        6                         $30

Flushable diaper liners                                     $5/100                         1                         $5

Diaper sprayer                                                $40                              1                         $40

Snappi                                                            $4                                2                         $8

Wet Bag                                                         $25                              1                         $25

                                                                                                                                            

                                                                        GRAND TOTAL:                              $168

Cloth Diapering for Two

ITEM                                                             COST                  # NEEDED           TOTAL COST

Flour sack towels from Walmart                    $1 each                        45                       $45

One-size diaper covers                                    $5 each                        13                       $65

Tiny diaper covers                                           $5 each                         6                        $30

Flushable diaper liners                                      $5/100                         2                         $10

Diaper sprayer                                                 $40                              1                         $40

Snappi                                                             $3.33                           3                         $10

Wet Bag                                                          $25                              1                         $25

                                                                                                                                              

                                                                        GRAND TOTAL:                                $225

As a note, I've included 13 of the larger diaper covers in the Cloth Diapering for Two -- this is because I'm anticipating needing to move the new baby to a larger size of diaper cover before Little Man is potty trained. If the older child potty trains before the baby is too large for the tiny covers, the cost of diapering for two goes down to $195. 

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Yes, that's probably much more than you need to know about our diaper choices! But hopefully it will be of some help to those of you who are in the decision making process, or are looking for alternative to what you already have!


For the other posts in this series, go here: Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4.

Adventures in Cloth Diapering, Pt 1 -- Initial Considerations & Counting the Cost

Last Updated: 9/28/2012

Cloth diapering is something I'd planned on doing with my children even before I was married. I suppose the biggest factors for me are health (no nasty chlorine or other chemicals on baby's skin) and cost (*so* much cheaper than disposables). I can't claim to be super motivated by the ecological aspect -- but hey, I'm happy to not be throwing hundreds of disposable diapers in the landfill!

I spent countless hours during pregnancy researching the options, familiarizing myself with the various kinds of cloth diapers, and calculating the cost. I thought I'd compile my findings here, with the hope that it will be helpful to those of you who are as overwhelmed as I was when I started!


As soon as I plunged into the world of cloth diapers, I found that the various manufacturers have come up with very *interesting* names. Every time my husband came in while I was researching, he would leave chuckling -- and no wonder! Here are a few of the more amusing ones:

~ Baby BeeHinds
~ bumGenius
~ Bummis
~ Bumkins
~ Rumparooz
~ Econobum
~ Envibum
~ Happy Heiny's
~ Kushies
~ Smartipants
~ And my all time favorite: FuzziBunz




To start with, here are a few websites that helped me tremendously:

The Diaper Jungle -- Cloth Diaper Guide -- This site includes numerous articles on terminology/types ("What's an AIO?"), washing, detergents, and more!

The Diaper Pin -- Cloth Diaper Cost Calculator -- this is an interactive tool that allows you to be very precise in determining your costs.

Diaper Decisions -- Cost of Cloth Diapers -- A very helpful page that compares various cloth systems with disposables, including energy costs (which I particularly like). It's very detailed, which is helpful -- but it doesn't account for making anything yourself or using one-size diapers, so some of the costs are higher than they would actually have to be. The same goes for the disposables, which can be purchased for less when using sales/Amazon/etc. Still, this page is valuable as a cost comparison, or even as a reminder of costs to include when making your own calculations.




Here's a basic overview of the different kinds of cloth diapers available, and the cost considerations (because let's face it, that's what I'm most concerned about!):

All-in-One (AIO) are the most user-friendly, since they look like a typical diaper, and can be "applied" to the baby without any prep. Easy! Once the diaper is soiled, the entire diaper goes in the laundry. But they are generally $16 and up, and you need 18-36 of them (assuming 2-3 days between washings). That means an initial investment will be at least $300, and that's not counting extra inserts (almost certainly necessary for overnight/heavy wetters), which can easily cost $4 each. Also, these diapers tend to be more finicky when it comes to laundering.

Pocket diapers are similar to AIOs, but require one or more absorbent inserts to be stuffed into the diaper before use. They consist of a waterproof outer layer sewn to a lining layer (often made of fleece, suedecloth, etc.), with an opening in the back to stuff the inserts into. Like AIOs, the entire diaper goes in the wash after each use. They dry faster than AIOs, are a bit cheaper ($10 and up), but require a little more prep.

Using cloth diapers (not waterproof) with separate waterproof diaper covers tends to be the cheapest option, since you can find diapers for as little as $1 each (though some options can be extremely pricey), and diaper covers for as little as $3 each. The fabric diaper will be soiled at every change, but since covers can usually be wiped clean if the diaper was just wet, you only need 5-6 covers -- once again assuming 2-3 days between washings. There is more work involved with this system, since you will be folding or stuffing the diapers, placing them on your baby, and then putting on the waterproof cover. However, the difficulty varies depending on what you buy, so it's easy to customize your system.

There are several kinds of cloth diapers. The most basic cloth diapers are the flat diaper and the prefold diaper, both of which require folding. They are, however, the cheapest diapers available. A fancier version is the fitted diaper, which looks like a disposable diaper (but still requires a waterproof cover). Fitteds usually cost a minimum of $10, but sometimes cost as much as $20! So they're not necessarily the most economical choice. However, fitted diapers can be made at home for next to nothing, so they're not out of the question for the cost-conscious if you're willing to put in some elbow grease.

Waterproof diaper covers are typically made using PUL (polyurethane laminate), a polyester fabric that has been coated with a waterproofing layer. Other options include vinyl (which is rare now), certain types of fleece, and wool treated with lanolin.


So what determines cost?

There are several factors that play into the overall cost of cloth diapers. The most important is the diaper material. Fancier materials like hemp, bamboo, and wool can be very pricey, and the same goes for the weave of the fabric (velour and sherpa usually cost more than terry). Cotton is usually the cheapest material.

However, sizing also plays a factor in the cost analysis -- some diapers, covers, and AIOs only fit a certain weight range per size, which means you could end up having to buy up to 5 separate sizes to go from birth to potty training. Others are "One-Size," which means you can customize the size to fit your baby (usually by adjusting with snaps). However, consider that very few diapers can actually fit both a newborn and a large toddler, no matter how many snaps they have!





This post barely touches the surface of modern cloth diapering, but it's a condensed version of the factors I took into consideration when making my selections. In some ways, having so much selection is great -- you can micromanage what you put on your baby's tender skin, where it's manufactured, how it gets washed, and what it looks like. At the same time, all of those options makes it difficult to commit to find the perfect system! In my next posts, I'll explore what has (and hasn't) worked for us, and just what it involves.

For the other posts in this series, go here: Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4