Let's talk about cloth, baby

I hear there's a new de-lurking movement pulsing through the blogosphere today: The Great MoFo De-Lurk, in which those of you who cower behind the bland template of your feed reader are encouraged to visit the sites of the blogs you read and (gasp!) leave a comment. Now, I use a feed reader for blogs I'm still "getting to know" but rely heavily on my About page's blogroll to keep up with my favorite reads, so this concept isn't geared towards folks like me. However, if you're going to take the trouble to stop by these parts, the least I could do is give you something to talk about, right?

Right. So here it is: cloth diapers.

Whenever Luke and I tell people that we plan to use cloth diapers for Freka, we're usually met with a nose crinkle and a "Good luck with that," as if we're lofty idealists completely out of touch with the workings of the real world. And for the most part, I can understand where they're coming from. Why purchase reusable diapers when you can buy ones that go in the trash? Who wants to run shitty fabric through their big, shiny washing machine?

How about people who want to save money?

Though my husband won't be quitting his job until the end of my maternity leave, we'll actually be putting our one-income budget into effect the minute I'm hit with my first contraction since, you know, I'll be too busy caring for our child to bring home the bacon. This means we have to be very creative with our budget in hopes of working each dollar to the max. When it came time to draft our Excel spreadsheet, we looked at what the cost of using disposable diapers would do to that budget and nearly had a collective heart attack. Because of the Interweb, I was already familiar with some of the benefits of using cloth, but my near miss with death sealed the deal.

I talked to Luke about it, and he was totally on board, which was pretty important, seeing as he'll be the one in charge of all the day changings once I'm back at work. He was especially interested in doing a little something extra to cut back on the vast amounts of waste we humans dump into our landfills every day.

(Quick note here to acknowledge that the only reason cloth diapers are feasible for us as renters is the fact that we have a washer and dryer set in our apartment. No way could we afford to pay a professional laundering service. The whole point is to save money, remember?)

Yes, this move will require a little more legwork on our part. Yes, it might get a little disgusting from time to time. But hey, nobody said this parenting gig would be shit-free.

Still with me? Here's what I need from you:

Luke and I need to build up our supply of cloth diapers. We know we want to go with enough All-In-Ones (no messing with extra inserts for us, thank you very much) to last us the first few months, but we're not sure how many we need starting out or how varied the sizes should be (i.e., do we really need to buy the ones especially for newborns, or can we just go with the next size up?). We're also not sure where to search for the best deals or if we'll need any special accessories to make this work. Also, where in the hell do you stash the dirty ones until you're ready to wash them? I'm assuming the bathroom, but WHERE?

Readers without any interest in the type of fabric destined to grace my kid's ass: Can you offer any insights on the new Tori Amos CD? This is just as important as the diaper stuff, seeing as Luke and I bought tickets to her November Indy show! Yes!

Freka's going to love it. She's already partial to "Bliss."

Comments

[Molly]

Though I'm not sure where else to shop for them, other than the very obvious Very Baby, I can tell you that you can expect to go through about 12-15 diapers a day with a newborn. Or at least that was about right for my kids. As they get older, it tapers off significantly. Jack gets about six changes per day now, at 21 months.

I can't wait to see the new generation of cloth diapers that Freka will sport. The only ones I remember are the white cloths, diaper pins and plastic pants of our generation.

[Zoot]

For the record - I HAD to use cloth with LilZ b/c he had some major diaper rash issues and one of the solutions was to switch to cloth because more breathable. I was also 19 and in college and POOR. So, we did cloth. But - everything has advanced so much in the last 12 years, anything I would tell you to get would probably be stupid and outdated.

So - I'm simply de-lurking!

[Anna]

Unfortunately I can't offer any kind of answer to either of your questions. I have zero experience with cloth diapers (aside from wearing them 27 years ago) and I don't think I've ever listened to Tori Amos.

So, I guess that means I just get to delurk!

[Virginia Gal]

I've been told that my parents swished the diapers in the toilet to remove any loose particles, and I know that they had a couple of large diaper pails (maybe so they could always have one while the other was in the laundry area?) because they had been converted into trash cans post-diaper use. But this was the original cloth diapers, not these fancy-schmancy ones available now-a-days.

True story: one vacation my parents decided to use disposables for me instead of cloth. So, plenty of disposables, only a couple cloth diapers (for burp clothes, etc.)...and I developed a severe diaper rash reaction to the disposables. They ended up having to rotate the few cloth diapers - one on me, one on the line, then swap. Lesson: If there are situations in which disposable diapers may need to be used, you might want to do a few days of test drive in advance, just to avoid the situation in which my parents found themselves. Of course, this was in the early days of disposables, so...take it for what it's worth.

[Michelle]

Hi, delurking here. I often find it funny when people have something negative to say about using cloth diapers. Many of us had parents who used them on us when we were babies and we turned out fine. Thanks for sharing the tales of your life. I enjoy reading!

[wilddreemer]

have you checked out swistles new post. she uses target brand diapers and her son is four months old and she only spends 15.00 a month on diapers. the woman is genius!

next up, newborns are tiny, tiny like the difference between your thumb and your little toe, or an ant and a watermelon. newborn size is a must or freckas ass will be bare since the diaper will slide right off...and then fremas shirt will be mustard orange!

[Keri]

We don't use cloth diapers so I'm not an expert however every baby is different. I wouldn't buy too many in advance just to make sure the brand you choose works for your baby.

[Liza]

I assume you've read these:
http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/03/qa_cloth_diaper.html
http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/04/cloth_diapers_p.html

Thought the first: Hold off on the newborn size; Freke will grow like a weed the first 6 months. Also, you will both be insane and sleep deprived for at least the first 6 weeks, so you may want to cut yourself some slack re: disposables during that time.

Thought the second: AIOs. I just bought my first ones about a month ago, and I hate them. They don't help me touch less mess, they're harder to get leak-proofily situated, and my heavy wetter needs more absorbancy than they provide. I use a combination of hemp/cotton prefolds and microfiber pads for pocket inserts, and love them.

Thought the third: Also new to me, prefolds with a wrap cover. People all over the internet claim this is the cheapest way to go, but it seemed messy. But I saw a cover on sale supercheap, and thought I'd try it. I'm a convert! It was easy, it was less laundry, it didn't leak overnight. I'll be getting more.

Final thought: Try a couple of diapers from each brand you're considering. Some that sound amazingly cool you might hate in practice.

Nope, turns out that wasn't the final thought: FINDING DEALS! Craigslist if you are ok with "gently used." That's where I got my hemp prefolds, the best diaper investment I ever made. Also, http://www.diaperpin.com/announcements.asp lists sales for tons of WHAM cloth diaper sites. I'm also a fan of http://www.fuzzibunzseconds.net/. And even though gerber prefolds from Target are supercheap, skip them. They just aren't as absorbent as either Chinese/Indian prefolds or Hemp prefolds on the Internet.

[Mandee]

Really no input to offer. I was going to point you in Swistle's direction, but that's already been done.

So, I'm just delurking!

[PaintingChef]

I'm quite impressed by your ambition. I know, without a doubt, that I could never do it. Also? I have no advice. Other than if for some reason it doesn't work out, don't beat yourself up. You most likely tried harder than 90% of the parents out there. (But I imagine you'll be fine, you and Luke seem like you could quite easily handle the cloth diapers)

Oh. And maybe practice putting them on a fake baby before Freka is born. That looks like something that would take a lot of practice and could end badly for everyone involved without the proper practice.

[Becca]

We love our cloth, but you knew that. We have tried it all and I agree with the above poster that wraps and prefolds are easy, adjustable, effective, and the cheapest way to go. But. I LOVE my AIOs. We had ten for daycare and on weekends I used them with glee. They have cute prints and they are SO easy. They aren't as easy if you need to make adjustments for absorbancy or size, though, and Charlie went through periods when he didn't fit into them well. My favorite AIO is the BumGenius (the cloth is so soft!). Kushies worked well but I wasn't crazy about them because they didn't have any elastic at the waistband so it was hard to get a snug fit.

We started out with size small and they were HUGE on Charlie for the first month. He was a big baby too and he grew fast. So you might need something smaller if you want to use cloth from the get-go (we just used disposables for that month since we had a bunch people had given us anyway).

Good luck! I'm always excited when someone tries cloth because we've been so happy with it.

[Auntie Di]

I just have 1 suggestion, maybe you could use the disposable just for the nights?
If you are going to breast-feed then you will be changing lil Freka ALOT. Breast-fed babies' POOPY is mushy and runny-so be prepared!
Love ya!
AD

[Rhi]

I totally plan to cloth diaper, if I ever marry and procreate, that is. Hurray for you guys! Good choice!

[Jen]

I don't have any advice for you about cloth diapers (I considered it for about 0.4 seconds before I KNEW I would never be able to stick with it!) but I will say: You go girl! (hello, 1994!) Having used disposables for 6 months, if it's a financial issue and you're looking for a way to cut costs, cloth is definitely the way to go! DIAPERS ARE EXPENSIVE!

Also- kudos to your hubby for being on-board :) That's great!

[Anna]

I am afraid I can't help with either request, but I am de-lurking to say that I have been reading your blog for a little while now and really enjoy it.

Also, like the above commenter said, hooray for cloth diapers - from what I've read it sounds like a great choice. I don't have kids, so I don't know anything about that aspect of it, but the environmental benefits sound great :)

[ktjrdn]

I've never tried cloth diapers. I have no insight. Well, I have those links about to Moxie re: cloth and Swistle re: cost per month, but you already have those, so I have nothing new. Good luck

[Michelle]

I admire you for the cloth diapers.

And I am jealous of the tori tickets.

That's all.

[Audrey]

The internet is a wonderful place, isn't it? I always imagined cloth diapers would be totally gross, but now I have learned from the Internet that they're not so bad. And I think I will seriously consider using them whenever I have kids. So I can't wait to hear more about your experiences with them and learn even more!

I don't know what kind of new-fangled things they're making these days (I sound SO OLD!), but I do know that my mom used cloth diapers and then my brother and I used those square white cloths as dust rags for YEARS afterwards. I think my mom still has some in the closet. So, you know, they can potentially serve multiple purposes, too!

I haven't heard Tori's latest CD, so I'm no help there.

[Operation Pink Herring]

Dear Lord, PLEASE let my children be born potty trained. Amen.

[Nette]

I'm delurking with a bunch of others. I don't have any diaper advice, but you are one of the cutest pregnant women in the history of pregnant women. Those people with the big belly comments are just RUDE.

[Keri]

Frema - I am delurking... I linked to you from Isabel awhile back, but have never commented here... Anyway, my husband is from Indy, so we have something in common.. I didnt use cloth w/either of my kids, but I have a friend that did/does and her friend (who blogs here->http://www.mamac-ta.com/) can totally give you the low down on which brand, etc. ...I thikn she has a bunch of posts in her archives about cloth..Or email me & I will give you my friends email - she is totally in the know on cloth too!

[Sadie]

I haven't heard Tori's latest cd, and I have no knowledge of cloth (or disposable, for that matter) diapers.

But I'll be interested to hear what you find out, seeing as it'll save me the trouble of researching that information myself one of these days.

[Whitney]

I have no insight on either topic. Why? Mainly because I suck but also because I didn't use cloth diapers on Evie and also because I'm not a huge Tori Amos fan. So, alas, I'm simply de-lurking. Hope your day is awesome!

[Marriage-101]

Hi! No comment on either but just delurking, even though I'm not really a lurker ;)

[Erika]

ALL IN ONE? What the hell does that mean? I'm just de-lurking. I thought they made special diaper pails for cloth diapers with chemicals they soak in until it's time to wash? I also think maybe I've left this comment before. Also somewhere in the back of my mind I recall a story about someone's mother rinsing cloth diapers in the toilet...hopefully I am making that up, right? We did use cloth diapers for burp cloths and I know I don't have to tell you how wonderfully they worked.

[Christar]

I'm so glad Zachary is potty trained and no more diapers. I know how expensive they can be! Especially with how much kids poop and pee. I think it's neat that you're using re-usables. It's a great money saving technique. Shaun's mom told me she used mostly cloth diapers with all her boys and it saved a ton of money. Good Luck! :)

[ali]

i'm a pampers girl...
and also, i'm delurking :)

[Katie]

I made/bought a whole stash of cloth diapers for my 2nd kid. I used the poo pockets pattern to make a one-size semi-fitted diaper, and they are AWESOME. Then I bought some prefolds and covers. If I had the money I'd go with AIOs though.

We used cloth until I started working, at which point dh (the SAHD) had trouble keeping up with the laundry, and we went to disposables. At first I thought we'd use disposables at night, but they leaked way more than the cloth!

I have to admit that I'm a really bad candidate for using cloth diapers - I am so bad about changing diapers quickly. This is one reason I lean toward disposables, even though I have a stash of cloth still.

I'm totally rambling and jumping around here, sorry.

It's hard to say how many you'll need, or what size. My first son pooped every time he ate, which was approximately 20 times per day (seriously). My second son pooped twice per day. My third son poops four to six times per day. The reason the poop frequency is relevant for me is that I'm likely to change a poop diaper quickly, but I tend to ignore just wet ones (where's the hiding with a bag over my head smiley?).

Again with size - hard to say. My kid was 9 pounds 13 ounces at birth and was barely able to fit into the newborn size disposables at 2 weeks old. A 6-pounder is going to fit into them for a long time.

If you'd like to use disposables occasionally, what you need to do is have the person who is organizing your baby shower include a diaper raffle. Everyone who brings a package of diapers is entered into a raffle for a cool prize. My church had a baby shower for me, and we received 1300 disposable diapers. At the rate we change diapers (yes, we are horrible, evil slackers), those will last a while. At that point, we'll decide if we want to invest a little more into cloth (I'd need better/more covers), or go with disposables.

You may want to browse the cloth diapering forum at mothering.com/discussions. Even if you just lurk, you could get a lot of info just by looking around.

[dee]

I have no advice, but have to say I admire anyone who uses cloth diapers. I have thought about it but I can barely keep up with my laundry as it is. I'm pretty sure dirty diapers sitting around for a couple weeks at a time wouldn't be a good thing. Good luck! I hope it works out for you.

[Carrisa]

First off, yay for Tori tickets!

Second off... um... wait... I forgot.

But I do wish you honest good luck with the cloth diapers.

[Leah]

Hey, Dawnie just pointed me in your direction b/c she knows I use cloth and love it. I wrote a whole thing about it here: http://lakelinesthoughts.com/?p=403

In your situations, you have a lot of options. But one thing to keep in mind is that you may not like what you think you will like. I thought I would love pockets and AIOs, but I hate them. I couldnt' get my wash routine to where the outers were leakproof but the inners weren't giving D. rashes. Turns out I needed to use vinegar in my wash routine, which breaks down the PUL in the outer. So now I use WiggleWorm Bottoms covers with a snap in sleeve (the ease of a pocket for babysitters, but the versatility of a cover for you).

You'll need 24-36 dipes for a newborn.

So honestly, what I would recommend is to get a sample package (like this package here http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/cdcm.html), a dozen AIOs, a dozen infant prefolds (you'll use them even if you don't use them for dipes), and a dozen fitteds like Kissaluvs size 0 (that you will love because of the snap down space for the umbilical cord). You'll need 6-8 covers, too, but you can get cheap prowraps or wahatever while you're deciding what you want to use for good. Then as the baby grows in size, you can buy more of what you like and not of what you don't.

Keep the diapers in the baby's room in any old lidded garbage pail. You'll be washing every 2-3 days and if you're breastfeeding you won't have much stink anyway.

Look into getting some cloth wipes (you can use extra baby washcloths!) because I hated having to have a trash AND a diaper pail in my nursery. With cloth wipes you just throw everything into the same place. You can keep a spray bottle of water on the table to wet them, honestly you don't need anything more than water. The baby's bum will thank you for not stripping it repeatedly with soap and alcohol.

Feel free to email me with any questions you have. I am more than willing to talk about it! And tell people who say stupid things to eat you.

[Bethiclaus]

I don't know shit about cloth diapers, although I'm always vaguely impressed by people who can make that work for their family. But in the spirit of the Great MoFo De-Lurk, I am here to say hi.

[Ree]

Well, I'm a disposable diaper mom myself. And I've killed too many brain cells to remember anything about size in the last 16 years ;-)

[eva]

I'm also bravely planning on cloth, with disposables for when we're out for the day maybe, but primarily cloth. Also, we're not planning to use wipes when we're at home - a friend recommended getting a large supply of cheap washcloths - she would warm them with warm water, and they don't have the chemicals that wipes have which can irritate the baby's skin. I haven't decided on AIO's vs. pocket etc - still trying to wrap my head around the difference. One thing we're going to get is an attachment for the toilet that lets you spray the shit off the diaper, right into the toilet. Here's the link: http://www.parentingbynature.com/05_minishower.htm

[Marilyn]

Yeah, good luck with that. ;) *ducks vase thrown at her head*

I have no input on either cloth diapers or Tori Amos so I'll just "Hey!" and be on my way. :)

[Amanda]

We never used cloth diapers so I don't have much to add. However, I saw this advice posted on my parenting board and thought it made a lot of sense. One cloth diapering veteran suggested using disposables for the first few weeks due to the (insanely ridiculous) quantity of diapers the baby goes through. We're talking upwards of 8-12 diapers a day, and when you're dealing with the trials and tribulations of nursing, exhaustion of sleepless nights, and overall giddiness at being a new parent, washing diapers twice a day is not high on the priority list.

I made sense to me, but what do I know? I've given more money to Pampers than I ever care to admit.

[Isabel]

My first husband would have left me for Tori. (Instead he just left me. Haa!!)

My mom used cloth diapers, so I totally remember them from when my younger siblings were in them. I just remember piles and piles of white diapers in the wash that my mom would fold after we went to bed. I also remember them soaking in the toilet and the rule was that whoever had to use the toilet had to get the diaper out and move it to the bucket. So um yeah, we would hold it for as long as we could because nobody wanted to get it out.

Cloth diapers worked for my mom. So why wouldn't they work for everyone else!?

And, I don't want this to be assvice, but I was also nervous about the cost of diapers before Babboo was born. When it came down to it, the diaper costs don't even make a dent on our budget. Seriously. We buy the Target brand, and like another commenter said, they are CHEAP and awesome.

I would say to buy a few cloth diapers to get you started. And then see how things go. It's definitely worth it to try them out!!

Good luck.

And also, hola, I'm delurking. (As if I would ever lurk at your site!)

[Bunny]

Alright, alright, I'll click over from Bloglines. I have only used disposable, but a girlfriend of mine used cloth and her son was potty trained at 18 months because he didn't like being wet (disposables feel pretty dry). That, my dear, is enough reason to go cloth: it will (could) cut your diaper time in half.

[casey]

I can't offer any help on sizes because I use "one size fits all" pocket cloth.. so I deal with inserts. GL though and I hope you prove those others wrong.

[alyndabear]

Hey Frema - happy delurking day. No idea on what you could use, but I do know that my parents used reusable cloth nappies (ha, that's what we call them here in Sydney) on me and my brother and had no dramas whatsoever.

I'm not sure what they were made of, but they were HUGE bulky fluffy looking things, from the pictures anyway. ;)

[Tess]

There was a great post/comments section on Swistle's blog back in March. Here is the link: http://swistle.blogspot.com/2007/03/cloth-diapers.html Good luck to you!

[Brie]

Hey-lo happy delurking day!

[ambitious mrs]

I can't offer any personal advice on this - as we're landfill fillers ourselves (sorry earth!) But I'm in a Moms Group here in Colorado with the woman who runs this website: http://babycottonbottoms.com

Her name is Dani and I can garuntee she'd be willing to answer all your questions as she's trying to convert the world one diaper at at time :) Good luck!

[miguelina]

Delurking!

I'm impressed that you're going to try cloth diapers.

[Michelle Z]

I always wanted to use cloth diapers, but never figured it out. Maybe someday ...

Good luck!

[Plattie]

I am delurking in the spirit of the day, but I don't know anything about cloth diapers, except, well, I wore them when I was a baby, and I don't remember having any complaints!

Anyway, hi. I am now delurked.

[Liza]

Cloth wipes are super easy!

We actually started with 7th Generation wipes, and have 2 of their reusable wipe holders. When we switched over to cloth, I cut up one of the 70-zillion flannel receiving blankets and now we have 30 cloth wipes.

Most cloth wipe moms just use water, but there are cleaning mix recipes out there.

Oh, and we don't use a pail full of scary chemicals. I rinse and "dry bag" -- throw the used diaper & wipes in a waterproof bag designed for the purpose. Rinsing first keeps the smell down if you aren't doing laundry every day.

[Liz]

No advice for me because I'm killing the planet, one poopy diaper at a time.
I wish I had the confidence to pull of cloth diapers, but I just plain don't. I know it's selfish, but, well, there it is.
I think it's great that you and Luke are planning on going cloth. I know a few people that have raised their children with cloth diapers and they have nothing but wonderful things to say about the experience. They all live in Vermont, by the way. :-)

[Joanne]

I haven't read all the comments, so forgive me if this is redundant, but there are some great threads about this at threewayaction.com, including posts that address your exact questions. I intended to use cloth diapers with my first, and then was so ill-prepared and overwhelmed by his birth (surprise c-section, HORRIBLE baby), that I used disposables "for a while", which has turned into 2.25 years. My assvice would be to not start with disposables if you can help it because it is incredibly easy to get into the habit. I have several friends who have used cloth from the beginning and have had great success, so I am going to do it with this next baby. Good luck!

[Sherry]

Don't have kids (yet) but my sister-in-law used cloth with her first, she actually didn't find them that much cheaper when you took into consideration cost for energy, water, bleach etc to clean them (and of course the time it takes to do the cleaning) I think she did like them for the skin care reasons but just really found them alot of work and eventually switched to disposables. Environmentally I think people get a little carried away with the idea that cloth is so much better for the environment, sure they aren't going to the landfill but take into consideration all that water, electricity, and chemicals needed to propperly clean resuables and I think strictly environmentally speaking you've probaly got a tie on your hands.

I'm definitley not brave enough to try this but have you ever heard of going diaperless? Check it out at http://www.natural-wisdom.com/
Good luck with what ever you choose!!

[daddy dd]

I don't the difference between cloth diapers. But they are just like tools, you probably can't have too many of them. I would want a package of paper ones around for a backup. The material flow rate might require a backup at some time.

[debi]

Wow, I love all the comments you got on this one. I think you and Luke are great for deciding on cloth. I started out with cloth but after my machine broke down and we could not afford another, I tried disposables.Then I got spoiled and never went back to cloth. Cloth does seem like a wonderful gift to the environment. Wish more of us used them.

[Roxanne]

I didn't read through all 50-something comments so hopefully I don't repeat too much. I used cloth with both my kiddos (they are 14 and 10 now). I started out buying a bunch of diaper covers with velcro closures but was quickly disappointed as they leaked something fierce. We ended up buying the plastic pants and pins (!!) and thankfully my mom was there the first week to give us the hands-on tutorial. Once we got the hang of using the pins, it was a cinch.

As far as storing the dirty ones until they're washed: we used a rubbermaid trash can either in the bathroom or laundry room. I would fill it with water and some type of disinfectant (I used Hexol...it smells like Pine-sol). Even though you wash the poo out in the toilet, the disinfectant really helps keep down the lingering smells and helps prevent stains.

I still have a stack of diapers in the cupboard that we use for bathroom cleanups! So not only can you help the environment now, but for years to come. Also, you won't have the expense of buying all the diapering supplies with the second, third, etc. child. How great is that?

[Amy]

Hooray for the environment!

A little caution: I babysat a cloth-diaper kid from my church when I was a teenager. I was not experienced at cloth and put him to bed with a new one, finding out later from the parents that it was a messy time in the crib since I didn't do a very good job fastening the diaper. After that they provided disposables when I babysat. :)

[KC]

De-lurking and giving you my .02 cents on cloth.

We have a 10 week old, and we're using cloth and loving it! We used 'sposies for the first week because you do NOT want to have to clean meconuim off cloth. The only time we've ever had a "blowout" was when she was in a 'sposie. For us, cloth = no leaks. We are doing it mostly for the money as well, and therefore I did not want to have to spend money on seperate sizes, so we've gone with one-size diapers. I have about one dozen fitted diapers and covers, and about 4 pocket diapers. I love them all, but really love our Baby Kangas --we got them from www.Jamtots.com

And really? I haven't found doing cloth more work at all. We drypail (dump all your dirties and cloth wipes in an empty diaper pail) then dump them in the washer every 2-3 days. Cold soak, hot wash, rinse, and you're done.

[Sherry]

Found a neat website on the energy used in cloth vs disposable(less energy used in disoposables surprizingly), interesting read if you are an eco minded chic like myself, kinda scientific worded and dry if your not though:

http://www.ilea.org/lcas/franklin1992.html

[diane]

I used cloth. I found that dry-pailing reeked. I used a diaper sweet chemical with enough water to cover them. When it was time to launder, I dumped the whole bucket in the washer, put it on the spin cycle, then washed them. Bread bags work pretty well for stashing dirty diapers when your out and about. You can knot them off until your home and can rinse them. I used a stack of white washcloths for wipes so they could be bleached along with the diapers. You just carry a few damp ones with you when your out.

[Liza]

Thought you might enjoy this post on the addictive nature of cloth diapers: http://www.unwellness.com/unwellness/2007/10/crazed-diaper-b.html

[Gillian]

We're CDing, but not until he can fit into the medium ones- which he'll be able to wear for a good year or so. We're going the Pocket Diaper route- BumGenius and FuzziBuns.

We already have six of each, and will be buying another six once I figure out which brand I like more. Jamtots.com is the place to get them!

[Rachel]

I use cloth diapers, but only to clean up spills, snotty noses, spit up, etc. I have only used disposable so I will be no help.

[wolfbaby]

i was a die hard im going to do cloth it's going to be cheapter etc... but then life slapped me in the face liek the beach she is... disposible are cheaper where i live due to water costing so much. with the laundry i already do.. at 90 dolloars a month in water bills.. i can't imagine how much more it would be with cloth diapers as much as my kids go through. since my oldest has potty trained i now only spend about 30 a month on diapers. good luck with whichever way works for you!!!!

[Angel]

I wanted to share this website with you www.diaperswappers.com there are a lot of helpful Mama's on there. You can buy cloth diapers very cheap. I have cloth diapered my daughter since she was 4 weeks old. I used prefolds first. Then when I had more money I went with Fuzzi Bunz. There are a lot of choices in the cloth diapering. Hope this helps!