Cloth Diapers
I swore I would never use cloth diapers. I just can't get the picture out of my head of icky diapers and messy clean ups, but my husband (yes, my husband) has convinced me to give them a try. I know they're not as convenient as disposables, however, there seems to be a lot of positives for using cloth. Besides, they're darn cute! We've narrowed our choices between the gdiapers and grobaby. Would you recommend other brands? We've (mainly my husband) done some research, but I personally would like some input from practicing moms. Was it hard to make the switch? Any advice or tips would be helpful. Thanks.
I figured I should support my husband on this one, since he did exclusively change Jackson's diapers the first month while I was recovering from my C-section.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Maggie Pearlman on -
We use gdiaper cloths & love them. We still use disposables for night time & longer trips. They are very easy to use & clean. We have about 12 covers and 20 cloth inserts, I also suggest buying extra plastic liners as well, I think we have 6 extra. I bought a wet laundry bag & hung it in our laundry room, this is where I keep the dirty diapers, then I just throw the bag & all in the washer. We also have a small hose hooked up to our toilet to spray the solids off the diaper & into the toilet.
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Permalink Reply by Nikki on -
i dont know grobaby - i'd love to know what you think of them, we havent had a lot of success with the gdiapers - i was so excited about them but they dont seem to last or keep "the mess" contained. We use a cloth diaper service in LA called Dydee Diapers. Once a week they deliver 80ish clean diapers and take away all the dirty ones - all gone! just like that :) it works out that the cost is about the same as disposables, and we also use the disposables on outings and trips, which in the end probably costs slightly more, but i cant stand the idea of all those diapers in landfills, so the extra cost is worth it to me. Ive tried a variety of covers - i love a website called greenmountaindiapers.com, they have a huge selection and TONS of information about cloth diapering, but the best cover for my daughters body shape has been the bumpkins that they sell on diapers.com. No one around here seems to find them harder to use than the disposables, maybe we are all just used to them :) on the up side, they say kids in cloth are usually potty trained by 2 or so, because there is no chemical barrier keeping them from feeling the icky wetness. Good Luck!
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Permalink Reply by jodi roth on -
I own an eco-freindly baby boutique (www.greentots.net) - haven't had my baby yet (he is due in august) but i plan on cloth diapering him. Also my sister-in-law (and business partner) has used hybrid diapers with both her girls. She used gDiapers and was content with them until she was introduced to GroBaby (which is now called GroVia) she now swears by GroVia and does not recommend gDiapers. For my baby i have bought mostly Rump-a-Rooz cloth diapers with a few Bum Genius and some GroVia Hybrids. I plan on using mostly the cloth diapers but also purchased the hybrid options because we travel la lot and i think the hybrids will travel better (don't have to worry about washing the cloth diapers or storing soiled diapers for days).
Here is some information and customer feedback i have gathered about cloth diaper brands over the years:
- For hybrids the two most popular options are gDiapers and GroVia
- Both gDiapers and GroVia can be used as both hybrids and cloth diapers so you don't have to buy different brands, however for cloth diapers there are better options than these two
- GroVia Hybrid seem to leak less than gDiapers Hybrids
- GroVia are one size fits all (skinny babies/babies with thin legs sometimes have issues with one size fits all diapers)
- gDiapers come in Small, Medium, & Large so you need to buy a new size every few months and sometimes moms find that their babies are between sizes (so larger size leaks more and smaller size leaves marks on baby's legs)
- GroVia cloth liners have to be washed 8-10 times to get good absorbency out of them
- Environmentally GroVia BioSoakers (their hybrid liner) seem to be a little better than gDiapers (biodegrade quicker, easier to flush if you want to flush them - some things i have read state that gDiapers really aren't flushable)
- The three most popular cloth diapers are Rump-a-Rooz, Bum Genius, and Fuzzi Bunz
- Most people like one size fits all cloth diapers
- Fuzzi Bunz one size fits all have adjustable elastic tabs which some moms get annoyed with
- Rump-a-Rooz have a double elastic barrier at the legs which is really good at preventing leaks
- Bum Genius Organic is one of the most poplular for night time (many people claim it has the best absorbency)
- Many moms (including myself) have a diaper stash with many different types of diapers because you will find that some are better for night time (more absorbent), some are better for day (more trim and fit better under clothes), some are better for girls and some are better for boys, etc....
In general:
- Hybrid diapers are more convenient than cloth and are a great option for people on the fence about cloth or who don't want the extra laundry.
- Economically: if you go with hybrid you need to purchase only 6-8 shells per size, but the cost of liners can be equal to the cost of diapers. For cloth you need to purchase about 15-25 diapers but if you purchase one size fits all and a good quality brand that is all you will need for your child (and other children you might have) till they are potty trained. Cloth diapering does require extra laundry which can increase water and electric bills.
-Environmentally: Hybrid diapers are better than disposable because the inserts are biodegradeable/compostable and the liners are chemical free which is better for the environment and the baby.
- If you plan on washing daily you will need about 12-15 diapers and if you plan on washing every other day you will need about 20-24 diapers.
Sorry so long, but hope it helps - if you have any other questions feel free to send me a message - also if you want to try any of the diapers that i carry on my website - i can help you put together a good stash and/or if you wand you can pick them up to save on shipping.
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Permalink Reply by Reba on -
I've been using gDiapers since Audrey was about five months old. She was a medium then, and at 15 months, she still is - obviously that depends on your child's size, but I would dispute the idea that you're necessarily buying new diapers every couple of months. Audrey probably has at least a few more months before I'll have to graduate to the large size. She's been in the 50% growth percentile for most of her life. I didn't hear about GroVia until after I started and had bought all the supplies, so I can't say we decided against them, and the idea of one size fits all is definitely appealing, but I have been perfectly happy with gDiapers.
As far as supplies, I have 14 little gPants, 20 plastic liners, and I think 24 inserts. I do laundry every other day. I use the disposable inserts when we go out or overnight. I think my total investment was $200-$300, and that's for 10 months of diapering! (Diapers.com has been running gDiapers on sale where you can score them for a significant discount off the gdiapers website... also, babysteals has them on occasion also deeply discounted) She was formula fed when she was younger and is now on solids, so without being overly graphic, her diapers were never really messy.. more on the solid side. I don't have a sprayer - just kind of fold the insert like a taco and then open it up over the toilet. I agree with the other person who said to buy extra plastic liners - they last about 6 months or so before they're too stretched to use... faster if you accidentally throw them in the dryer :) I also have a wet bag, mine is from Planet Wise and it's great... I keep it in my diaper bag so if she's wearing a cloth insert that needs to be changed when we're out, we're good. It's also great for wet bathing suits. In the house, I use a lidded kitchen-sized trash can from target with a washable bag liner (also from Planet Wise). I toss the liner in with the diapers in the laundry. I keep an extra liner for when the diapers are in the wash.
One thing I will say about the gDiapers is that the velcro on the straps does wear out. When I called the company, they sent me replacement velcro strips free, but that does involve a sewing machine to restitch the new velcro. I think GroVia has snaps, which would be nice from a durability standpoint.
They are harder than disposables, but honestly, not hard enough that I would ever consider going back... especially with all the bad press about Pampers new dri-fit recently (chemical burns if you hadn't seen the news). My husband was super skeptical when we started, but he has complied without any complaints, so I can tell you, it's REALLY not a big deal. We had been using disposables at night, but recently we switched to the gDiapers disposable inserts without any issue. We double-up for nighttime, and Audrey wakes up dryer than when we used the disposables.
And... like you said, they are SOOO cute. I've actually had to restrain myself from buying more gPants, because I could really go nuts!
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie on -
Granola Babies in Costa Mesa is doing a cloth diapering workshop in August
Check it out
http://www.granolababies.com/events/info_89.html
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Permalink Reply by Giselle Baturay on -
I'd love to have you come to the workshop or stop by before then starting August 11th. I'm impressed with your husband, as it's usually the other way around with the mom trying to convince the dad, so that's pretty cool!
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Permalink Reply by Michelle on
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In case you are still looking... We have used Kushies (Ultimate?... plastic liner is "built in") for about 1 year now. We got the small (?) size when my son was under 10 lbs and they have grown with him all this time... he now weighs 21 lbs...and we are good to go for a couple more months on this size. I just bought one 5-pack; I use 3-5 a day while he is awake and use disposibles if we are out of the house, during naps or at night (tried to do cloth while sleeping, but he would wake up when wet... not worth the sleep loss for either of us!). Once I figured out tricks for washing and drying, it became even easier! Whenever he has a red bottom, I switch over to cloth and he heals much faster.
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