I know that many think yuck and safety pins when it comes to cloth diapering but let me assure you that's not the case. When I was pregnant with my youngest baby, Hope, it had been nearly 7 years since I had a baby so I began researching baby items. I was making lists of things I would need and while scrolling I came across an advertisement for cloth diapers and was intrigued. I knew that I desperately wanted to breastfeed this baby or exclusively pump, but that ad stirred interest in me. Not only were we starting over from basically scratch when it came to baby items but we are a one income family and I have this lingering desire to be very frugal with what we have, so the thought of possibly saving money with diapers and no formula really urged me to continue researching the different styles of cloth.
Wow, there is a whole world of cloth diapering moms out there ready and willing to offer advice and share their favorite brands. I would google "cloth diapers" and a plethora of sites would pop up! It can become overwhelming because there really is a lot of sites and information out there.
So this is my attempt at directing you to an easy approach that I took to simplify getting started. It really doesn't have to be hard you just need to ask yourself a few things like budget, style and quantity.
For me I had a budget, I knew this was something I was doing to save money not go in debt on purchasing the super cute diaper covers out there. I needed a bang for my buck so my go to was Amazon. Now before I share what I purchased to get started I want to do a quick overview of the different styles of cloth diapers.
There's all in ones, fitted, pockets, prefolds...to start.
All in Ones
So basically all in ones are just as described it's like a throw away diaper but the absorbent material is slightly bulky and when changing the diaper you change the entire thing. There's also an All in Two in which the outer cover has snaps inside that snap to the absorbent material.
Fitted
This is basically an inner absorbent diaper with an outer waterproof cover.
Pockets
The outer diaper or cover has open slots in which you stuff or slide the absorbent strip into to catch the pee and poop.
Prefolds
These are similar to the fitted but these require a fastener to hold them in place on the child.
Now that was a completely generalized rough breakdown of types of diapers but I won't pretend to be an expert so I really want to emphasize what I have done and the styles I use that work so well for me.
I started using cloth when Hope turned 3 weeks old. At that point in time we had run out of the newborn size diapers that were provided by the hospital and her umbilical cord had fallen off so I just dived in. While I was pregnant I found this brand OsoCozy fitted diapers on Amazon that came in a set of 6 for $43 bucks!! So I purchased 3 packs to start with. These fit babies from 7 lbs to 18 lbs with the adjustable snaps. See link below.
Now with these OsoCozy diapers they required a waterproof cover. I discovered the Babygoal covers that also come in a 6 pack with multiple covers and fits babies from newborn to two years old. Yep! These can be used until your baby is 2! Hope is now 6 months and I am still using both sets of diapers.
When Hope and I first started this journey we were wearing the OsoCozy and Babygoal combo around the clock changing her about every 2 hours unless she pooped but the more I used them I realized at night she could really go longer in these diapers. These are highly absorbent diapers and once I really learned how to snap them to fit her around her waist and legs then stuff any diaper showing around her legs into the cover completely, we weren't leaking. I also started using strips of fleece liners to help her feel dryer for longer periods of time that are also reusable.
I not only researched on my own but I also read through tons of posts in a cloth diapering Facebook group that helped me discover the layering technique with the fleece liners and also using disposable bamboo liners. These disposable liners are great at catching the poop and being able to toss that in the trash but also great for babies skin. These liners are made without any fragrances and harsh chemicals, a really great add on to cloth diapers. These liners also help cut down on stains to your diapers from the poop!
Another trick I discovered was using the fleece lined pocket covers without stuffing them but by laying the absorbent strips on top. What I mean by that is placing the cover down then laying an insert with the fleece liner and disposable liner on top. This really sounded great but I again was on a budget and did not want to spend tons of money on diaper covers and liners. Those can quickly become expensive because this style comes with so many different print options from ballerinas to monkeys, stripes to polka dots...you think of it and there's a print out there for your babies butt.
Lucky for me I scored some used cloth diapers from someone who was no longer using them because their daughter was now potty trained and there was just about every style diaper in that garbage bag. We now have tons of pocket diapers with super cute prints and all the liners to go with them plus some all in ones totaling enough for Hope to make it to potty training age. So yes, you can purchase second hand cloth diapers or you can start by ordering brand new and testing all kinds of styles out. It's really what your budget allows or what you are brave enough to try.
Another must when it comes to cloth is having a wet bag or "diaper" bag for tossing the soiled diapers in until wash day but also for traveling with them. I have two large wet bags that zip along with two medium sizes and a smaller one that fits nicely in my actual diaper bag. These bags usually come with a purchase of new cloth diapers from Amazon or a website of choice and can be washed just like your diapers. They keep the smell down and are waterproof.
Now back to the OsoCozy and Babygoal combination. I have now been putting Hope in this set up for months with no issues at night as far as leaks, no problems with her skin and she isn't bothered with a diaper change all during the night. I swear by adding the fleece liner and the disposable liner to the OsoCozy it keeps her comfortable for at least 12 hours....we haven't had any issues. Pretty soon I will need to order the size 2 in the fitted diapers because Hope is reaching 18 lbs now. During the day we use the cute covers with the used inserts but I also ordered some thicker inserts. The new inserts are 4 layers and have more absorbency and have gussets to help with the fit. These also come in a 12 pack for a decent price.
Now this is the routine that works for us with very very few leaks and no massive blowouts except that one time at 4 weeks old when we pulled into the church parking lot for her first Sunday. There are moms who have cloth diapered many kids, those that cloth multiples at the same time, those that swear by one brand and one style...it's a lot out there but to simplify things for me I went with a site that was familiar to me, stuck to a budget and just started. Sometimes starting is the hardest part.
Getting started felt really freeing and exciting for me. I settled into a routine with a designated area for changing Hope's diapers with her wet bag near by and the stacks of covers, inserts and liners that made things easier. I memorized the snaps that worked for Hope to make changing quicker and learned I can reuse the same covers for multiple changes and just change the inserts. This saves on not having to have the same amount of covers as inserts.
Washing
If you choose to cloth diaper you must establish a good wash routine. It is suggested to test the hardness or softness of your water to determine your best options but I never went that route. My water where I live just kinda sucks and I knew we would be traveling and using laundry facilities so I needed something that would work all around. I researched the best detergents for cloth and found the Arm & Hammer plus Oxi Clean was a great option. This was not only found in most local Dollar Stores but was priced right.
When you find your detergent of choice that is good for cloth and you receive your new diapers or even used ones you must do a series of cycles to begin. Brand new diapers need at several cycles with hot water, more cycles increase absorbency. My OsoCozy diapers suggested 6 cycles at first, sounds kinda extreme but I did it and I think it helped.
Now my wash routine has been something I am religious about because my diapers haven't had any problems so far. I wash mine for 2 cycles on the hottest water setting with a less is more approach for the amount of detergent I use in both cycles. When I am washing at home I place my first cycle on the extra rinse setting along with the heavy duty setting then just hot water normal cycle for my second round. Then to the dryer in which I set it to the hottest and longest cycle to ensure they dry, at home I use the sanitize setting. It's so important to establish a good wash routine and stick to it! I don't go longer than 3 days between washing our diapers.
It was a few weeks into our journey before I learned that breastfed babies poop is water soluble which means it easily rinses away during that first wash cycle! So you just toss those poopies right on in the washer and it all just disappears. At first I was rinsing the mustard poop out of the fitted diapers and once I realized I didn't have to do that it was one less step I had to do. And then you add in those disposable liners and the stains are almost nonexistent! But again I don't go longer than 3 days before washing the load.
Travel
It is completely possible to travel while cloth diapering whether it's a long car ride or vacation or in some cases like ours, months away.
When we are going to be in the car I still try to stick to the changing every two hours or I may use our nighttime diaper setup. I always keep extra diaper covers, a role of liners and several inserts in our diaper bag. And when we travel on our long trips for work I bring our entire stash in one large wet bag and all of the other wet bags for dirties. So far all the campgrounds we have stayed at the laundry facilities worked fine and our Airbnbs. It really doesn't have to be stressful and if need be just use disposable diapers.
Diaper Rash
We have only had a little bit of redness to Hope's bottom and it was usually caused from poop irritation. With cloth some will say you can only use certain diaper rash cream but I stuck with good ol' Bouxdreauxs Butt Paste which doesn't cause buildup on the cloth because we use the liners. Also a good wash routine is key to keeping skin irritation away!
I hope this gave you some insight and narrowed down any questions or doubts you were having about getting started. It's been so fun and rewarding for me and I think it could be something more moms could get onboard with. I have found amazing support inside the cloth diapering Facebook group with women who are incredibly knowledgeable. Now I'm looking forward to summertime with Hope to watch her walk around in her cute diaper covers and nothing else!
Love
Megan
