[–] by2inthemorning 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago (edited ago)
Congratulations on the baby!!!!!! Just jump into it. They save so much money and since this is your first kid you'll have plenty of time to learn. I used lbb( cheap) ones as a daytime , charlie banana at night. Save your homemades which are probably better as a nighttime. ( if you choose to overnight cloth diapers) . Sometimes I cheated and used disposable overnight.
They have ones that allow the children to grow into them now so you dont have to keep buying the next size up. They lasted me 2 years now but he's now outgrown them.
The cons are of course going out ..., ugh its a pain in the butt but there are wet bags to hold the dirty diaper in until you get home. If I had any and we were going somewhere I just used disposable,why make life harder than it has to be?
Oh and dont be an idiot like I was omg they make reusable swimmers!!!!!! I didnt know until I had been through like 3 packs of swimmers (right at the end of summer...of course) and then it hit me like a ton of bricks how much of an idiot I was that if they make reusable diapers there must be swimmers too.
Wait had to add an edit if the baby is a boy make sure the pee pee is pointed down. No one told me that .I read the comment from somewhere on voat a while ago and it worked .
Adding more I hand washed them most of the time because it seemed to get the pee smell out more and the best soap I found for that (imo) is the white zote bar.
[–] radwife 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
We do it and love it. We started with disposables because we didn't want to deal with poop. Didn't realize you will be dealing with poop either way lol.
There are lots of types, so figure out what you want and works best for you and your family. They are all essentially an absorbent part (like layers of cotton) and a part to keep the baby dry (like a TPU or PUL cover). You can get all in ones, fitted diapers with covers, flats or prefolds with covers, etc. Flats and prefolds tend to be cheapest but you will almost definitely save money with cloth regardless.
Make sure you have a good wash routine. If your diapers start coming out anything less than totally clean, get that figured ASAP before it causes major issues or ammonia burns.
Once you do some basic research let us know if you have specific questions. I really don't think it's bad, especially if your kids aren't in daycare. I wash every other day. Good luck!
[–] beefartist 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago (edited ago)
Anyone who doesn't use cloth diapers to some extent is a sucker, or very rich. Disposables are pretty good for early on poops (meconium and stuff can stain) and over nights, travel while cheap, cloth diapers aren't much hassle and are WAY nicer on baby bums. We had very few rash/redness issues using this combo (nothing a tiny bot of coconut oil didn't solve). Also modern ones all have snaps and inserts and it takes almost NO time to throw in a load of laundry
[–] ReadPastHeadlines 1 point 3 points 4 points (+4|-1) ago
We went with unbleached, "organic" disposables. Find the right brand that leaks the least for your baby. Don't make life harder for yourself.
[–] OneOfTheBoys 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
I have done both, and much prefer cloth. I used disposables when in hospital and for holidays and as emergency back up as I had a very minimal stash of cloth, I also use disposables now my 1& 1/2 year old is practically potty trained, but is having a sleep regression which was helped by going back to nappies and it was easier to do one or two disposables a night than unpack the cloth. We also did EC (highly recommend, makes life so much easier), which influenced my preference I think.
I used mostly squares and snappies at first. I have some hand knitted 100% wool covers and some 100% wool covers from Puppi (polish brand, don't buy their squares -super thin-skinned but their covers and inserts are amazing quality functionality). Also used Baby Greenes 100% cotton fitted diapers but the best were Sandy's fitted 100% cotton diapers by Mother Ease brand, boosters are a good idea.
Disposables are very fiddly to put on and I find more likely to get a rash from (but organic coconut oil is the best for that).
https://cleanclothnappies.com/
Is a bit confusing of a resource but helps. Don't leave them for more than 2 days before washing. I used cloth wipes too as it helped fill the load faster and was cheaper and gentler for the skin.
I washed on two cycles in a row with lots of rinses. Always rinse or shake any poo in toilet asap. Use a good detergent, eco brands aren't the best for the job. Use a laundry booster like Lectric or NappiSan and laundry sanitizer is not necessary every time but nice. Don't use fabric softener as it can reduce absorbency.
Always check nappy bag after outings for dirty bibs and diapers!
[–] britt121 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
I use cloth for my kids since we are home all the time. We use disposables when leaving the house and at night (we use Bambo disposables- they are pricier but super non toxic)
I got a lot of cloth diapers secondhand and saved a lot of money- I repair the elastic leg holes when the elastic gets stretched out- easy fix.
[–] AmoebaGrin 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago (edited ago)
We have done both. Disposables are very convenient to have while out and about, or while traveling. I feel like there's somewhat of a large learning curve for cloth diapers, but really, they aren't that difficult. Cloth diapers can save a LOT of money in the long term. Especially if you are having multiple children.
Keep in mind, that there are SO many different styles/kinds of cloth diapers. And you might prefer a different style at different stages. For example, for a newborn we loved pre-folds and for an older baby we loved pockets. I would recommend using a pack of newborn diapers for the early tar-like meconium poop though! Alva diapers (Amazon) have worked great. Baby Goal are basically off-brand Alva's only cheaper. Momma Koala are great too. These are some of the pocket diapers I've tried. But I do love my cotton pre-folds (can use them in pockets as well!) with Thirsty covers. I have also used wool covers. I highly recommend the website greenmountaindiapers.com for many cloth diaper supplies. Also, consider using cloth wipes as well!
Because your preferences might change as your child grows, or as you become more accustomed to cloth diapers, I would recommend buying a variety of used cloth diapers, styles, and brands, to see not only what you like the best, but what seems to fit your baby the best as well.
[–] TradRight14 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago (edited ago)
Absolutely love cloth diapering, it’s so easy and faster IMO than disposables, plus babies don’t get diaper rash, easier to do EC and because being dirty in cloth is uncomfortable, they potty train sooner. I bought 2 dirty cheap 8 pack pocket covers off amazon, but stuffing pockets is time consuming and unnecessary IMO, I just line the diaper with a prefold, and switch it as soon as it gets wet. I have a sprayer hose attachment for the toilet for poopy diapers that is incredibly effective and not gross (no need to get the shield IMO) and I haven’t even gone through my first bag of diaper soap. I have 80 corron prefolds and 16 covers and because I line them (like a panty liner) microfiber doesn’t touch baby’s skin, and I only have to change the cover once a day or when poop gets on it. I wash laundry once a week and don’t even come close to running out. We do elimination communication but also diaper full time, so the only other “accessories” we have are a wet dry bag for when we are out and about, and also a toilet seat insert for baby to go potty after she wakes up in the am and after naps.
It’s easy, easier to check when they are wet, cleaner and better for baby’s skin, NO POOPY BLOW OUTS! Super cheap!! And honestly, I keep disposables in the car if I forget to bring clean ones to change, and I absolutely hate them, harder to tell when damp, have to roll them up and find a place to dispose of them, diaper rash, they stink like chemicals. 10/10 love cloth.
Edit 1:
Also, I had new born covers at first, but then I bought the kind that have adjustable snaps and are “one size fit all” my baby is almost a year (next week) and has used the same size covers since 2 months, and also the same liners, and I expect that she will be out of diapers completely not long after she can start walking (any day now)
Edit 2:
We use a basic super cheap pail with a closing lid and yea, it smells like ammonia after a couple of days, but we hose the poop into the toilet, and you spray it and it comes off completely, then you wring it out and throw it in the pail. We don’t put feces in to the washer and we have never had issues with larvae, bugs, or residual smell. Extra hot soak super white 80 minute extended wash setting for sure 😂 and a scoop of diaper soap and oxygen brightener works great. Come out of the dryer and don’t smell at all.
[–] beefartist 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
You are rocking it totally ...we keep telling ourselves we should get the shield and never bother. Our shower is close enough to the toilet that we don't have to run ice cold water through the sprayer. We discovered leaving the lid OFF of the dirty diaper hamper pretty much eliminated the ammonia smell and the laundry room never stinks because of it.
[–] Broc_Lia ago
I looked this up out of curiosity, that's pretty revolutionary. I'm surprised it's not everywhere.
[–] TradRight14 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
It’s everywhere not in the US. Many other cultures do it or variations on it, calling it “waiting on baby.” Saves diapers and gets them out of diapers sooner.
[–] KILLtheRATS ago
Ho can it be faster than getting a new diaper.
[–] TradRight14 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
Because I have to unfold a disposable to then put it on and secure it, where as when I have prefolds you just remove the wet one, toss it into the bin, lay the flat one to line the cover and snap it closed. Can be done one handed without dropping baby’s legs. I keep disposables if I am out and about and forget to bring clean liners, or if we are on vacation. I can can change a cloth diaper in about half the time it takes me to do a disposable, the only thing that makes disposable easier is if baby poops then you can tods the entire thing instead of bring it home, hose it out, and then throw it in the bin, but because we do elimination communication we catch most of baby’s poops in the toilet.