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Cloth Diapering Your Baby

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The Comeback of Cloth

You may think of cloth diapers as those square cotton fabrics which our grandparents and even some of our parents used with pins and rubber pants, and always had to hang out to dry.

Well, aren't you in for a treat, when I tell you that cloth diapers have evolved into a funky, cool, easy to use and clean, hip diapering trend which is steadily gaining popularity. Especially with the environmental concerns of today and the trend toward "being green" in today's society, cloth diapering has never been more popular among parents as it has been in recent years.

Why Cloth Diaper?

So, why should you choose to cloth diaper? Here are the top three reasons many parents give as to why they chose to use cloth diapers:
  1. They are less expensive than disposables: Disposables end up costing over $2,000 over the course of 2.5 years for each child. Cloth diapers, depending on the method of diapering you use, can cost about $700 (including cost of electricity and water use for laundry) and are reusable for each consecutive child! That's an incredible savings especially if you have multiple children. Check out the Cloth Diaper Savings Calculator to see how much money you could be saving!
  2. They are healthier for your baby: Cloth diapers do not contain any chemicals and dyes like disposables. To be absorbent, disposables use a chemical inside called sodium polyacrylate. This is the chemical which pulls absorbs fluid away from the baby's skin and holds it inside the diaper. This chemical has been known to cause allergic reactions in some children.
  3. They are safer for the environment: Disposable diapers make a lot of garbage, with some saying that they are the third most common consumer item in landfills. No one knows really knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years. Cloth diapers are reusable from child to child, and people even hand them down to others children or resell them to other cloth diapering parents.

Cloth Diapering Basics

Where do I even begin?

So, now that you are thinking about using cloth diapers for your baby, you may think to yourself that you haven't the slightest clue where to even begin.

Cloth diapers come in all types of styles, shapes, and sizes. Some resemble the cloth diapers of our grandparents generations, while others are new and innovative, catering to the needs of today's fast-paced lifestyle.

What kinds of Cloth diapers are there to choose from?

Here's a basic list of the types of cloth diapering methods available:

Prefolds

Prefolds are the type of diaper that your parents and grandparents will remember using. Typically, it is just a cotton fabric square which needs to be folded, secured, and covered with some sort of waterproof cover.

But today, pins and rubber pants are a thing of the past. You have several options for securing the prefolds.

ProrapsDiaper wraps, which can come in a variety of styles and colors, can be used to secure the prefold, sans pins. All that needs to be done is to fold the prefold cotton diaper into thirds and place it inside the wrap, then fasten the Velcro sides. Basically, the waterproof wrap fits around baby's waist and legs and holds the prefold in place. Some of the most popular diaper wraps or covers on the market today are Proraps and Bummis.

SnappisThere is also a new stretchy, non-toxic and biodegradable device called a Snappi which effectively fastens a prefold without sharp pins or edges. All that needs to be done after this is to cover the prefold with some sort of waterproof pant or cover. Snappis come in several hip colors and are easily washed with soap and water, and best of all you don't have to worry about poking yourself or your baby with a pin.


Here's a nice article about prefold diapers:

Prefold 101: Understanding the Differences



Prefolds, Wraps and Accessories:
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Contoured Diapers

Contoured diaperContoured diapers are like prefolds but without the folding step. They are already pre-shaped to fit nicely around your baby's bottom. Contoured diapers are a very simple design with no Velcro or snaps, so they need to be used with Snappis and/or diaper wraps and covers.

One of the most popular brands of contoured diapers is the Kissaluvs Contoured Diaper.
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Fitted Diapers

Fitted diaperFitted diapers, on the other hand, have either Velcro tabs or snaps and usually have elastic around the legs and waist. They look for the most part like a disposable diaper. They are adjustable and can fit your baby while he or she grows. Most fitted diapers require some sort of waterproof cover or pant. These are by far the most popular diapers being used today. Remember, fitted diapers still require a waterproof cover.
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Pocket Diapers

Pocket diaperThese happen to be my diaper of choice. Pocket diapers are exactly what you think they are - a pocket consisting of an outer layer of waterproof material and an inner layer of microfleece or suede cloth. The inner layer wicks moisture away from the baby's skin which keeps baby feeling dry and helps prevent diaper rash. In between those layers you can stuff prefolds or cloth inserts which allow you to customize the level of absorbency you need. Pocket diapers also have the advantage of being very easy to launder and dry. They come in a variety of colors, patterns, and styles.

The most common inserts for pocket diapers are made of either hemp or microterry cloth. Both materials are very absorbent, and it's a matter of personal preference as to which ones do the job better. I personally prefer the microterry inserts, and at night I can stuff my pocket diaper with two of these for added nighttime absorbancy.


Review of Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diapers

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All-In-One (AIO) Diapers

AIO diaperAll-In-Ones tend to be a favorite of daycares, baby sitters, and grandparents due to their ease of use. AIOs are the complete package, with a waterproof outer layer, snaps or Velcro closures, and an absorbent inner layer. They resemble that of disposables in their everyday use. AIOs come in all the colors of the rainbow, and also in many gender neutral or gender specific patterns. You can really get funky and stylish with these diapers!

The only real limitation of these diapers is that they take longer to dry after washing as opposed to the pocket diapers, where the absorbent insert can be separated from the pocket, thus cutting down on drying time.
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eBay: A Great Place to Cloth Diaper on a Budget!

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Where to Buy Cloth Diapers On-Line

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Kelly's Closet

Cloth diapers, cloth diaper covers and diaper acce more...1 point

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The Fuzzi Bunz Store

The Fuzzi Bunz Store - Cloth Diapering Made Easy!1 point

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JamTots Baby & More Store

Baby Kangas, BerryPlush, Sugar Peas, Bummis, Kissa more...1 point

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All in One Cloth Diapers

Searching for best all in one cloth diapers? We've more...1 point

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Cotton Babies

Cloth Diapers, bumGenius, Kissaluvs, Fuzzi Bunz, c more...0 points

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Diaper Swappers - Cloth Diaper & Parenting Community - Powered by vBulletin

Diaper Swappers is a community of cloth diapering more...0 points

Washing Your Cloth Diapers

For a step-by-step "how-to" for washing cloth diapers, check out:

CLOTH DIAPER LAUNDRY

Additional Cloth Diapering Items

Stuff you may not have thought about at first!

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MamaWise

Author of the baby product review site The Wise Mommy.
I am a 34 year old SAHM to two boys. I am a physical therapist, and also hold a degree in biomedical... more »

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