Cloth Diaper Breakdown

About this time last year, I made the decision to cloth diaper. I was pregnant with my first child and felt that it was something I wanted to try. I looked through many websites trying to figure out the ins and outs of cloth diapering. I found many descriptions and few pictures of what the diapers actually looked like.

Cloth diapering expert I'm not, but over the past several months I have definitely learned a few things. So, if you too are considering using cloth diapers, or wondering how they work, and/or asking why in the name of heaven would you even choose them???, I'll tell you what impacted my decision, some things I've learned, and yes! give you some pictures to see how things work.

Pros of using cloth diapers:

• Cheaper in the long run (yes, even considering the cost of detergent and utilities)
• Kids potty train earlier (I've read from my research and seen with some of my nieces and nephews. My little guy isn't to that point yet.)
• Kinder on the environment
• Fewer instances of diaper rash (especially when using natural fiber diapers)
• No need to run out last minute to buy more diapers, you have a reusable stash - just go run another load.
• Many styles to choose from. (This link shows a wider variety of styles than what I show here.)

Cons

• Can be less convenient
• You have to wash them
• Bulkier (look at the picture above)
• For many varieties of diaper you have to purchase a new set of diapers each time they outgrow their last size of cloth diapers. (The Bum Genius style pictured above is an exception.)
• Higher up-front cost (in the $100s)
• Dumping/scraping solid-food poos into the toilet. (Breastmilk poo is water soluble, so no worries for the first several months. Formula poo has varying responses.) I use plastic utensils to scrape. Yes, it can be nasty. But poo-y diapers are less frequent.

My decision to cloth diaper was largely based on the lower long-run cost and being gentler on the environment (and the cuteness factor - cloth diapers look awesome!). Getting my husband on board with the decision led me to choose this particular variety made by Bum Genius. This style is very convenient and is height and width adjustable, so no need to buy more sizes. Bought my initial stash and I was set!

Other brands carry similar diapers, I just happened to hit a great deal at The Green Nursery.com and got them on sale. This style is not the cheapest way to go (or the most expensive) but it has been a good solution for us.

All that being said, this style is a "pocket-style" diaper. Note the pocket on the interior of the diaper cover. The liner (what absorbs the wetness) is the micro-fiber piece on the right. You can double-stuff for greater absorbency at night-time 

You just slip the liner inside the diaper . . . and you're set.

Now more universal cloth diapering info. Most have either a velcro or a snap closure. Here are pics of both:

The snap style is more durable, lasting pristinely through many a wash cycle. The velcro closured are less durable in that regard, but are still sturdy. Baby will spend less time on the changing table with the velcro-closure diapers, 'cause you can change 'em so fast.

Tip to making the velcro ones last longer . . . use the velcro "washing tabs" on the inside of the diaper. I put my tabs down before I put the diaper into the pail. Sometimes I forget and it's a bit annoying when the velrco gets stuck on the liners or to each other, but no real damage done. Pics of the "washing tabs."

Other things you'll need are a diaper pail to hold your cloth diapers and waterproof baggies to keep in your diaper bag for day-trip diaper changes. (Longer trips, we use disposables.)

Choose a larger size pail (mine is a Simple Human garbage can . . . 10 gallons-ish with a locking handle in case it ever tips over and with wheels for getting it to and from the laundry room). Remember cloth diapers are bulkier than disposables, especially the style I chose, thus the 10 gallon pail. :P It rarely gets all the way full. 

Be aware that pails intended for disposables often will hold only 5-6 cloth diapers with liners, at least according to several Amazon reviews. I also opted to get a washable, waterproof pail liner (made by Planet Wise), i.e. a washable garbage bag, as you see here: (actually I got two of them so I have one to put in the pail while the other is in the wash.)

For the waterproof baggies, Ziploc bags could work. However, I use reusable zippered baggies made by Planet Wise, mainly from fear of a Ziploc getting punctured or bursting open in my diaper bag. These are also handy for carrying dirty and wet clothes, bibs, or swimwear. These were purchased on Amazon. I just throw the pail liner and the baggies in with the diapers to wash. Again, I got two so I could use one while the other's in the wash.

I don't mean to be throwing around so many brand names and plugging for so many stores, but it can be difficult to find resources on cloth diapering from a "moderate" cloth-diaperer. I'm not as hard-core as those with the organic wools and cottons that have more complicated washing directions, or as hard core as those who know how to fold and use pins. I chose diapers that had the simplest wash directions and that otherwise seemed to be the most convenient.

Hopefully this has satisfied your curiosity and perhaps helped you as you research out cloth-diapering options.