Are gDiapers Right for You?

Why choose gDiapers? They're adorable, that's definitely a plus! But gDiapers are great for the mom and dad who really care about helping the environment and putting some of the best materials next to their baby's skin. They're made in the good 'ole US of A too, which really matters to some families. You can diaper your child and keep your money going to a smaller company in the United States.

gDiapers have several parts that make it such a successful diapering system. The fabric that you see are the Little gPants. They have a snap-in plastic liner under the cloth that holds your absorbent insert in place. They come in 4 different sizes. You can choose from Tiny gPants for newborns (one print), Small, Medium, Large, and Extra-Large (XL is only in select colors). There are a wide variety of colors and a couple of patterns to choose from. The snap-in liner keeps your insert from soaking the cute outer gPants as well.

The gPants are also different from other cloth diapers in the way that they fasten onto your child. Unlike many diapering options, there are no snap options to gDiapers. Only hook-and-loop (like Velcro). Don't be deterred though if your child is capable of unfastening hook and loop! gDiaper's tabs fasten to the back of the child, making the closure of the diaper harder for them to reach. That's really handy for my munchkin! He's able to unfasten most of his other non-snap diapers, and I'll walk in to find him smiling up at me from his crib, completely diaperless and sometimes VERY messy! GROSS! He doesn't reach to the back of his diapers though, so we're safe from messes!

Another advantage of gDiapers lies with the snap-in liner. It forms a type of pocket for the insert, and this pocket has done more than it was designed to do for me! If you breastfeed, or have breastfed a baby before, you know that the poop is runny and can be explosive. The snap-in forms a sort-of seal against the 'back crack' and almost always stops those crazy diaper explosions from running up his back! It's a big clothes-saver!

The inserts give you two options: disposable/biodegradable and cloth. Those deserve more detail than just a basic rundown, they're both pretty great!

Are you more the biodegradable/disposable/flushable kind of diaperer, or do you want the cloth? I personally mix it up, but that's not for everyone.

My original choice was the disposable refills. It helped ease me into cloth without any huge adjustments to my lifestyle and my husband was more comfortable with them too. These refills are free of the harsh chemicals you find in most disposable diapers, so they're still good for very sensitive babies. They are biodegradable, so if you toss your liner in the garbage after a diaper change you can do it guilt-free. (If there's no poop on the refill you can compost them as well, but be sure not to throw off he PH of your heap!) One of the most handy features is that these are flushable. When I first found that out, I wasn't so impressed. So what if I can toss it down the toilet? When would I ever need to do that? Well, I answered myself on a day-long errand running spree. I'm sure you've seen this scene: multiple overflowing trash cans, paper towels on the floor, nowhere to toss my diaper that wouldn't leave it lying on the floor. So I pulled it apart the way the instructions say on the pack and down it went!

These refills are surprisingly slim. I was very impressed when I first opened the package! It helps too that you're buying a pack of refills only, not the whole diaper, when you purchase a pack. That seems to mean that more can fit into a pack, and more for my money definitely makes me happy! If you need these to last longer you can double them up as well. It's really a great way to go for the on-the-go family or road trips with baby.

The other insert option is gCloth. These inserts have two layers of cotton/hemp and one layer of soft microfleece. The microfleece goes next to your baby to keep their skin dry and comfortable, and hemp is known to be exceptionally absorbent. The initial cost is a little higher than you may be comfortable with, but as you use and reuse cloth they will eventually save you money. It can be worth the investment!

The cloth inserts don't seem to be as absorbent as the disposables. Yes, I've washed them plenty of times. I've stripped my diapers, which is a process that pulls coating off the fibers like the oils from an accidental brush with fabric softener, ammonia buildup, or sometimes the natural oils that coat fibers like cotton and hemp. Still, the two layers of hemp/cotton blend and third layer of microfleece just don't quite keep up with the disposable inserts. That doesn't stop me from using them though! They're my preferred at-home insert. Why not keep using them? I'm a stay-at-home-mom, so I don't mind changing his diaper every 2 hours. I'll pop in the disposable inserts for outings, and then put the goodness of cloth back on him when we walk in the front door. I still save money using them part-time though! Imagine 5 or 6 diapers a day, and throwing them away. Switch that to washing and re-using the same cloth. The longer you use it, the more the savings add up! So if you can stand changing a little more often, go ahead and invest in some cloth.

You're almost ready to go with your gDiapers! Now it's time to think about the finishing touches to your cloth diapering.

You'll want a diaper pail to put your dirty diapers in before you start the wash, and inside that you'll put a wetbag. This is a waterproof bag that helps hold in odor of dirty diapers, and is washable with your diapers. You'll probably want a small wetbag too for travel. gDiaper's small wetbags sip closed to keep the odor of dirty diapers out of your diaper bag and keep in locked inside. It also keeps everything else in your bag clean and dry.

gDiaper also makes biodegradable wipes true to the earth-friendly family. I personally use cloth wipes, but I use lots more types of diapers than the hybrids and they fit our lifestyle. Disposable wipes are preferred by many families, and gDiaper keeps that in mind! They're gentle on baby's skin and leave me feeling less guilty when I do use disposable wipes.

If you're planning on using the flushable inserts, you might want to get a "swish stick" from gDiaper too. It just makes flushing your diapers a little bit easier.

I think the only thing gDiaper doesn't have from one great brand name is cloth-safe detergent. I personally use Charlie's Soap Powder on all of my cloth. Many budget-conscious moms choose to make their own detergent from easy-to-find inexpensive ingredients. (The recipe is on my prefolds and pockets articles) I prefer the ease of using premade detergent though. You can also use Rockin Green, Tiny Bubbles, Country Save, or a few other detergents but make sure if you're washing your cloth inserts you use a cloth-safe detergent to avoid buildup and residue on your diapers! The last thing you want is for your diaper to repel moisture!

gDiapers with gCloth are still very cost-effective. If you start adding the disposable inserts your savings isn't quite as awesome, but it's all up to you. The fact is, cloth does save money. One thing people don't always think about is the resale value of cloth diapers. Once you're through with your diapers you can save them and use them for another child to add to the savings, or you can sell them and make some of the money back! You can also buy used diapers to save money. If cloth is something you think you might want to try cloth, it's definitely worth the plunge!