Welcome to the wonderful world of cloth diapering!
Huge thanks to JanaMKE for compiling all of this info over on WC!!!
If you are cloth diapering your baby or interested in starting, you've got good company here!
Cloth diapering is a great way to help protect the environment from excess trash, save some money (or spend a lot of it in some cases), make your baby happy without paper and chemicals on it's bottom, and cover said bottom with some of the cutest stuff you've ever seen. It can be confusing to start, but some of us have gotten the hang of it... heck, even becoming nearly addicted to it... and we're here to help.
We've put together some resources to help you in starting out. The sheer volume of information on CD'ing out there can be overwhelming, so this is our attempt at condensing a lot of info into smaller, digestible portions. Once you've got the basics down, it becomes much easier to understand when someone wants to know if you stuff your HH's with a JB or a CPF.
So dive right in! If you have a question, please ask. Forgive us if we spend as much time showing off our new diapers as we do talking about what works best for nighttime diapering. CD'ing is more fun than any of us imagined it would be, and this thread may be the only place where other people actually understand that rather than thinking we're crazy!
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A brief introduction to cloth diapers...
Most cloth diapers consist of 2 parts: the diaper (also sometimes called a soaker) and a waterproof cover (also sometimes called a wrap).
Diapers
CPFs or Chinese Prefolds: the flat diaper that comes to mind when you think of cloth diapering. These diapers come in bleached, unbleached, hemp, and organic cotton. To use them, they can either be folded in thirds and laid in a well-fitting cover, or they can be pinned or Snappi'd (a closure device) around the baby. These run about $2 each.
Fitted Diapers serve the same purpose as CPF's, but you don't have to fold them around the baby. They close with either snaps or velcro, and have elastic around the legs to help keep in poops. You will still need a cover with these. Fitteds run anywhere from $6 on up to crazy amounts for the in-demand ones.
Examples:
Kissaluvs
Contoured Diapers are similar to fitteds, but are flat like CPFs. Some may still need to be secured with pins or a Snappi.
Last edited by deliciousjones; 06-26-2005 at 01:09 PM.
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numero uno: rachel 12.29.04
numero dos: eleanor 9.20.06
Covers or wraps go over the diaper to keep the clothes (and you) dry. Covers can be made out of several different materials, and range in price from $4.50 for Proraps seconds to very expensive custom wool covers.
PUL or Polyester Urethane Laminate is a fabric with a waterproofing laminate applied to it.
Examples:
Bummis
Bumkins
Prorap
Last edited by deliciousjones; 06-26-2005 at 12:27 PM.
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numero uno: rachel 12.29.04
numero dos: eleanor 9.20.06
Fleece has many uses in diapering. As a cover, it keeps moisture inside the soaker.
Example:
Sugarpeas
Wool can be used as a cover too. Wool covers usually come in one of 2 kinds: wool flannel or wool knit. Due to the special properties of wool, wool covers don't need to be washed as often as other covers. Wool also needs to be lanolinized in order to retain its waterproofness. Just to make things more confusing, wool covers are sometimes referred to as "soakers" as well.
Examples:
Stacinator
Aristocrats Wool Knit
A handkint Little Turtle Knits "soaker"
Last edited by deliciousjones; 06-26-2005 at 12:28 PM.
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numero uno: rachel 12.29.04
numero dos: eleanor 9.20.06
Pocket diapers are a unique kind of system. They consist of a cover connected to a soft liner, with a pocket between for stuffing with a soaker (either a CPF or other insert). They are open in the back for inserting and removing the soaker. They are popular for nighttime diapering because they can absorb a lot (depending on what they are stuffed with) and the liner keeps the baby feeling dry. These are about $14, and that doesn't include something to stuff it with.
Examples:
Fuzzi Bunz (and how it works)
Happy Heiny
Stuffers example:
Hemparoos Joey Bunz
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numero uno: rachel 12.29.04
numero dos: eleanor 9.20.06
Doublers are used to increase the absorbancy of a diaper. They are simply laid into the main part of the diaper. Assorted examples:
Liners can serve 2 purposes. They can be laid in a diaper to keep moisture away from the baby (these are usually made of microfleece), or they can be laid in the diaper to catch poop and help to easily remove it from the diaper.
Pins and Snappis are used to close contours and CPFs. Examples:
Dritz Pins
Snappi
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numero uno: rachel 12.29.04
numero dos: eleanor 9.20.06
CLOTH DIAPERING ABBREVIATIONS CD: Cloth Diaper, of course! AIO: All-in-one diaper, doesn't need a cover CPF: Chinese Pre-Fold UBCPF: Unbleached Chinese Pre-Fold DSQ: Diaper Service Quality (a term for a high-quality prefold) WAHM: Work at home mom, makers of cute homemade diapers FB: Fuzzi Bunz - a "pocket diaper" that needs to be stuffed JB: Joey Bunz MOE: Mother of Eden, the makers of FB HH: Happy Heinys - a pocket diaper SP: Sugarpeas SOS: Susie's One Size FMBG: Full Moon Baby Gear
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numero uno: rachel 12.29.04
numero dos: eleanor 9.20.06
The first thing you need to do is decide how often you want to wash diapers. Most people wash them every 3-4 days, or about twice a week. The next thing you have to decide is what types of diapers you want to use and what brands you want to use. Because different types and different brands work best for different babies, a good idea would be to buy a few samples of diapers and covers and try them. Once you decide which you like best, you can buy more of your favorites. You can sell the ones you don't like on eBay or trade with other CD'ing moms.
When you baby is small (birth-4 months), you'll be changing diapers about 8-12 times per day. Older babies need fewer changes.
2-4 dozen diapers - these can be CPF's, fitteds, contours, AIOs, whatever you like best for your baby. The number of diapers depends on how often you want to launder them. If you're going with CPFs, 4x8x4 infant size or a mix of preemie and infant sizes are recommended for newborns. By about 4 months you may need some premium size CPFs.
4-6 covers
Really, that's it! You can successfully cloth diaper your little one with just what's listed above. Here are some extras that make diapering easier:
Accessories
A few doublers (more for heavy wetters and older babies) - you'll see if you really need them when the baby gets here. Preemie or infant size CPFs make great doublers.
Pins and/or Snappis if you're using CPFs
Microfleece liners to keep baby feeling dry. You can buy these premade, or purchase some microfleece at your local fabric store and cut them out yourself.
Cloth wipes - again, you can buy these premade or make them yourself out of baby washcloths or cut up flannel receiving blankets.
Diaper pail - any pail really, from the Diaper Champ to a garbage pail with a lid.
Washable wet bag - to line the diaper pail with.
How do I know what works best?
"Fitteds or AIOs? Prefolds or fitteds? Wool or Fleece??" There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. What might be the holy grail of cloth diapers for one mom may not work for you. Choosing a diapering system depends heavily on your baby's needs & your own personal preference. Don't feel the need to buy the perfect system right off the bat - part of the fun of cloth diapering is sampling all of the many choices!
Buy an AIO, buy a pocket style diaper, buy a few fitteds, sample some wool covers, try some PUL wraps. Try making some of every kind if you have a sewing machine. Keep what you love & get more. Sell or trade what doesn't work for you. Some people exclusively use one system. Some of us like to have a wide variety. Dive in and find out what works for you.
Cost
The cheapest way to cloth diaper is to use CPFs and covers. Don't be afraid to try CPFs, many moms LOVE them. They dry quickly, rival the most absorbant fitted, they're very trim, and they're cheap too. AIO's are great for going out and babysitters, so you may want to get a couple of these just to have around.
A good cost calculator for cloth diapering can be found here:
Cloth Diapering Thread!
