It's diaper time

I have been meaning to write a blog about Ivy's diapers for a long time. I know it sounds weird to write a blog about diapers but people seem to be interested when I tell them I use cloth diapers. Most people think that it is wierd, gross, too hard or just plain overwhelming. But it's not. So I thought I would write up a little blog about some of the different types and how it works as a whole. Mostly just to educate people about it but who knows, maybe I will convert someone to cloth.
Now let me start by saying that I am aware that I am slightly obsessed with cloth diapers. Case in point, Ivy got 8 diapers for Christmas. Five from me, one from Lily and two from Grandma Bev. Some people may think that is crazy but these diapers are all one sized diapers which means they will fit Ivy until she is potty trained. She is a pound or two away from outgrowing her small sized diapers so I will be able to sell them soon.
Let's start with the why. Why do I use cloth? I use cloth because I feel that it is better for Ivy's skin, they are cheaper than disposables over the three years that a child wears them and they are better for the environment. Those are the main reasons I use cloth. One of the perks is that they are super cute! They make for some cute pics. If you don't believe me check out Angie's Photography on Facebook and check out Ivy's pictures. Okay..now onto the whats.
The first thing to know is that there are sized and one sized (OS) diapers. The benefit of OS diapers is that they are made to fit a baby from 8-35 pounds so they can literally take a baby from birth to potty training. Diapers are also available in sizes. These are great because you can really get a great fit. The downside is that they only fit for a short amount of time so you have to buy more of them. I found with Ivy that the OS diapers were too bulky and didn't fit well when I started using cloth with her when she was around 7 pounds. So I invested in some size small diapers that fit really well up until now at almost 15 pounds. Now the one size (OS) diapers are starting to fit really well. I will be able to sell the small diapers to regain some of the money that I have spent on diapers.
The most confusing part about cloth dipaers is the variety of types of diapers. I will give a brief description of some of the different types available.
The most cost effective diapering option is using prefolds and covers. With this system you need a few dozen prefolds (like the Gerber ones sold in the baby stores only way better, most people just use the Gerber ones for burp rags) and 5-6 covers. There is a little learning curve when it comes to using the prefolds but they are not hard. You can also use flat diapers that you fold yourself to put them in the cover. I have never used them myself but have heard of people loving folding their own flats. There are different sizes of prefolds and covers to customize the fit a bit more or you can just buy one size of prefolds and use either sized or OS covers. This is the system that I used for Lily 9 years ago. It worked well but they were pretty bulky on Lily as a newborn. They were even bulkier on Ivy so that is when I started researching other types of diapering systems.
Another type of diapering system is using fitted diapers and covers. Fitted diapers are made from layers of absorbant materials and usually also have an insert that snaps in that is made of absorbant material. So basically they can absorb a lot of liquid. They are not waterproof so you have to put a diaper cover over them.
The next type are called pocket diapers. These are made from a layer of waterproof material on one side and another layer of fabric like microfleece that water soaks through but it stays dry. Those two layers are sewn together on the two sides and the front and then an opening is left in the back which creates a pocket. You take an insert that is made of an absorbant material like microfiber and stuff it into the pocket. So the urine soakes through the one layer that stays dry and into the insert. Baby's skin stays dry. I use this type of system at night so that I know Ivy's skin can stay dry through the night. I also have some different brands of these I use during the day but I am thinking of getting rid of them. Pockets are not my favorite because I don't like unstuffing them before putting them in the diaper pail and I don't like stuffing them after they are clean. So besides the ones we use at night I think these will get sold eventually.
All in Ones (AIOs) are another popular type of diaper. These are by far the easiest diapers to use and are lovingly nicknamed the "daddy diaper" or "babysitter diaper" because they are the simplest to use. They have all the layers of the pocket diapers (waterproof outside, absorbant material inside, and stay dry inner layer) only they are all sewn together. You don't have to do anything else but just put them on. They go on just like a disposable. These are great for the diaper bag because they don't have to be put together in any way. I love these and have some small sized ones that I use in the diaper bag or when someone watches Ivy I always have these available.
Hybrid diapers are, I think, a fairly new addition to cloth diapering. These are made from a layer of waterproof material on the outside and fleece on the inside. Then you snap in an insert made of absorbant material. Fleece is know for its ability to not soak up moisture. So the beauty of these is that you can switch out the inserts of these over and over and not need a new cover. Of course you would change the cover if it gets poo on it or after a day or so of use just so it stays clean. This system is also great for diaper bags because you just take a couple of covers and a few inserts and they don't take up a lot of room.
Now for the fun part....the All in Twos (AI2s). These are my favorite. They are made out of a decorative fabric, a waterproof layer, and then a layer of material. Then you snap in an insert. They are like a hybrid only you change out the cover each time because the material they are made out of is not water repelling like the fleece in the hybrids. These are some of the cutest diapers I have. I just love showing these off. Although there are many brands of AI2s, my favorites are WAHM made. These are Work At Home Moms that make diapers for a living. There are a ton of differnent WAHM diaper. They usually make fitted diapers too but I prefer the AI2s. These are the ones that people get obsessed with. They are sold in online shops on Hyena cart and some of them are so hard to get that people recruit other people to help them try to get one. I have been lucky enough to get in on some co-ops for my WAHM diapers so I haven't had to recruit any helpers yet.
There is my brief overview of the types of diapers available. There are many many different brands of each type and there are probably other types that I am not familiar with but I did the best I could.
Now onto the hows. How does cloth diapering work? That is actually the easiest part. The hard part is figuring out what system works best for you then once you have your diapers and prep them then using cloth diapers is easy. Basically you just put the diapers together (stuff the pockets, snap in the inserts etc) and then put them at the changing table. When baby needs a diaper you just toss one on. When it is soiled you take it off, take it apart and toss it in the diaper pail which is lined with a wetbag. Every 2-3 days you take the wetbag out of the pail and empty the diapers into the washing machine with the wetbag. Do a hot prewash cycle then wash on warm with cloth diaper safe detergent. I line dry my diapers after the wash to save energy and also to preserve the diapers better. They dry overnight and I toss the inserts into the dryer for 20 to fluff them up and then put the diapers back together again and start over. It is really pretty easy. Some people worry about the smell but honesly disposables smell more than cloth. I have a lid on the diaper pail so I may get a small sniff when I open it to put another diaper in but it is minimal. The smelliest time is when you are putting the diapers into the wash. But that doesn't take very long at all and I would rather smell that every few days then smell urine soaked disposables all day every day. As for the poop, that's pretty easy too. I rinse the poo off with the shower sprayer in the bathtub or in the toilet with at diaper sprayer aached to the toilet. It doesn't take long and gets them pretty well rinsed. If I had a top loading washing machine I wouldn't even need to rinse but with a front loader I find the diapers get cleaner when rinsed first. Some people are grossed out by cleaning poop but I figure I would have to clean the poo off of Ivy's clothes anyway if she was wearing disposables because she blasts through disposables with her poo every time. She has only had a blowout in cloth a few times.
That's all I can think of right now. Hopefully it made sense. I am pretty sleep deprived so pardon any rambling. Please feel free to ask any questions. I know of a lot of websites that have a lot of information. I would love to convert some people to cloth so if you want more details or want to see how cloth diapering works in person and you are local please let me know!