Cloth Diaper Love - Our Journey & Helpful Information

Yep, we're a CD'ing family.

That's CLOTH DIAPERING. For all you soon-to-be crunchies out there. And there were the nay-sayers. The "we tried it but it smelled HORRIBLE after two days so we switched" (specific example...I think they're germophobes.) And the "oh you're a good one, just wait till you see how much work..."

Well, its been 9 months. Correction. 9 months and 1 day. And I'm SO OBSESSED with getting new fluff for my little one that the only thing that stops me is that, well, we're supposed to be SAVING money while doing it! Hahahaha, which we totally are, but how can I resist new fluff???

***feel free to skip the journey and head to the useful bits that begin after the last photo***

(pictured below - new sweetly pre-used fluff and delicious 9 month baby chunks)

So, what is the discerning mom to do???

Shop smart. Take top-notch care of the fluff you do have so that it retains value (YEP - for resale one day). We started with newborn diapers. Just 6 of them, which I loved (Rumparooz Lil Joeys). I figured hey, every claims babies grow so fast we'll need them for a week or two tops. Well around week 4 I bought 2 more new ones (probably getting these pre-owned for #2, unless a pattern catches my eye) because keeping up with when to wash was too much with our breastfeeding troubles. Those two diapers bought me a few more hours!!! AND we apparently make tiny babies, so my son technically never got to grow out of them! At 2 months old, we switched to our OS (one size) diapers because he was wetting completely through the Lil Joeys EVERY TIME HE PEED. His bladder outgrew the diapers before his body!

Well next we tried the pretty cool (and expensive new) G-Diapers. Let me first mention that there is a VERY cool consignment shop about 20 minutes from where we live that carries CLOTH DIAPERS. Gently loved and love the prices! So I picked up 3 G-diapers in size small and about 5 inserts to fit. These are some pretty cool concept diapers, and we loved them while our son was still a little too small for the OS (skinny little dude) and too heavy wetting for the newborn. The best part? Just lift out the wet insert and lay in another! (pictures to come later) Very very easy and convenient...until his bladder outgrew those too.

At this point some would size up, but I also figured out that my little guy was a VERY heavy wetter, so I wanted something bulletproof. Well, I thought the $8/each used G-diapers were my best purchase. Nope.

I found a BestBottom stash that blew my mind. It was a chunk of money, but not when you added up the goods: 6 covers, 15 small inserts, 11 medium inserts, and a large and a small wetbag. WHAT?! Score of the year!!! 

Needless to say, it's still LOVE for our BestBottoms. We just sized up to the medium inserts, and we use BumGenius pockets at night, with 2 inserts (no nighttime changes). If we ever need the large inserts, I'm sure eBay will do me one good! We also are looking into trying a Sustainablebabyish fitted diaper with the BestBottoms cover or maybe a Workhorse fitted. I'm intrigued. We have 1 Bumkins AIO we just got as well (pictured at top, reserving judgement, seems to have a rather short rise) and 1 Applecheeks size 1 which will only fit him for a couple more weeks but it's LOVE (pictured below).

So...I suppose I'll provide a summary of the relevant points:

Our Favorite Diapers...

Rumparooz Lil' Joeys (newborn)

G-diapers with G-cloth inserts

BumGenius 2.0 Pocket (with 2 inserts for bedtime)

BumGenius Freetime (no inserts needed, also good for bedtime)

BestBottoms covers & BestBottoms snap-in inserts

Applecheeks Pocket

Now here's the real good stuff - Helpful Information!

Cloth Diaper Glossary of Useful Terms & Abbreviations - i.e. the "Lingo"

• CD - cloth diaper(s)
• OS - one size (for 8-24+ lbs)
• AIO - all in one (1 piece - no stuffing or adding required - just put on and take off)
• AI2 - all in two (2 pieces - can have a snap or lay in insert but no "stuffing")
• Pocket - has an inner pocket to "stuff" an insert inside
• Prefold - old school cloth with pre-marked folding pattern in some way; requires a cover
• Flat - also an old school diaper but resembles a "flat" piece of cloth, no guidance there! Requires a cover.
• Fitted - a cloth diaper that is NOT liquid-proof and should have a cover or woolies work over it to prevent leakage
• Insert - the absorptive multi-layered fabric that can be used to "stuff" a pocket diaper, or increase absorbency for any type of diaper
• Soaker - Similar to an insert but with fewer layers, intended to be laid on the inside of a diaper and touching baby to increase absorbancy. More often used with fitteds than pockets.
• Liner - A single layer of fabric or disposable material laid inside a diaper usually to protect the diaper from potential poo stains
• Cover - liquid-proof "shell" that is needed for diapers that are not already liquid-proof
• PUL - Polyurethane laminate. Basically the fabric process that results in those adorable and liquid-proof diapers. You can see and feel the PUL on the inside of a cover or pocket diaper, but you cannot access the PUL in an AIO diaper - but believe me, it's there.
• Snappi - a really cool device that was thought up to hold together flats, prefolds, and snapless fitteds without safelty pins. Its basically hard plastic "teeth" attached to silicone that hold the diaper together.

Ways to Strip Your Cloth Diapers - i.e. remove the "stink" or fix leaking

1. The Rinsing Method - basically this means wash your diapers as usual, but with no detergent, over and over and over and...well repeat about 5 or 6 times.
2. Original Blue Dawn - if you decide to go this route, just remember a little goes a LONG way. 1 tablespoon for regular or 1 teaspoon for HE washers. Rinse at least 2-3 time and keep on going until there are NO MORE SUDS.
3. Bleach - my personal go-to for pre-loved diapers since it stips AND disinfects. 1/2 cup of bleach in the liquid bleach compartment, or in the washer once the water is full and BEFORE adding the diapers, not directly onto the diapers. Do a few rinses to be sure all is removed before putting back on baby.
4. RLR - while I haven't done this one yet, people swear by it. One packet into a hot wash with no detergent, rinse until there are no more suds.
5. Bac-Out - simply add during the wash cycle per their instructitons. Another I haven't used yet but have heard good things about.
6. Rockin' Green Funk Rock - besides cool packaging, it's the one I probably use the most. 4 tablespoons in a hot soak, preferably for a few hours, then wash.