A Simple Guide to Getting Started with Cloth Diapers

The internet is full of information on cloth diapers.  So much information, in fact, that it can be overwhelming and tiresome to sift through it all.

When I was pregnant with Claire, I probably visited every cloth diaper website, blog, and online store in existence (not really, but it felt that way).  And at the end of the day, I was *still* not sure what diapers I wanted to use, how many I needed, etc. - and I had already cloth-diapered Jack for many months!  So basically, thanks to information overload, I ended up being more confused and unsure than when I actually started cloth diapering.

So, what I am going to do here is lay it all out for you in super simple steps (and be brand-specific!) so that you will know exactly what you need to buy and what you need to do to get started.  Once you have some experience, you can venture out a bit and try new things/add new diapers to your stash/make adjustments as you learn what you and your baby's needs are. Or, you can just keep this super simple routine - after about three years of cloth diapering, I have returned to my roots and simplified my routine (and diaper stash) considerably!

OK, let Carrie's Cloth Diapering Lesson for Beginners begin!

What You Need to Get Started

• Diapers (duh, right?) - you can have as few or as many as you want.  I started with just two cloth diapers, alternating between disposable and cloth for months, while I slowly built up my stash.  If you have any older baby (a few months or more) and want to cloth diaper full-time, you'll need about 18 diapers, at least (I prefer having more so I can go two days between laundry if I want to).  
• If you don't already have diapers, buy yourself some bumGenius 4.0 one-size pocket diapers (if you're not sure whether or not you're going to like cloth diapers, you can find a few pre-loved ones on eBay or Craigslist to try out - that way, you aren't out a bunch of money and if you don't like them you can likely recoup all of your money when re-selling them).  I have tried many, many diapers and the one brand I know I can safely recommend is bumGenius.  They are easy-to-use and will last forever.  One more note on the diapers - velcro closures are as easy as they come, but snaps will hold up longer (and are still pretty easy to use!).
• Wetbag, or diaper pail with a liner - This is where you'll store your dirty diapers between washings.  If you only have a few diapers, you only need a smallish wet bag. If you have more diapers and are going longer between washing, you might want a garbage pail with a washable liner instead.
• If you're going to be cloth-diapering while you're out and about, you'll also want a small wet bag to carry dirty diapers home in.
• Diaper-safe Detergent - Using regular detergent can damage your diapers (they have dyes and perfumes that can build up on your diapers and cause them to repel, or leak).  I have tried four different cloth diaper detergents and I keep coming back to the bumGenius detergent - it just seems to get my diapers the cleanest.  
• Cloth wipes - Cloth wipes are super easy to use and can save you lots of money.  You can make your own and use plain old water, or buy some awesome wipes and wipe solution.
• My favorite brand of wipes is by far Thirsties (seriously, no other brand comes close).  Just like with the diapers, I started small and bought more as I went (I started with 12 wipes - now I probably have close to 40).
• My favorite wipe solution is water mixed with some Ruby Moon wipe bits (a spray bottle mixed with one wipe bit lasts for a week at least).

If your baby is eating solid foods, and as a result pooping solid poop, you might also want:

• Diaper liners - These flushable, biodegradable liners sit in the diaper right against baby's bum.  When you change the diaper, you just toss the liner in the toilet.  Every time my baby poops and I have a liner in the diaper, I feel like I WIN (at what, I'm not sure!).
• Diaper sprayer - When I forget to put a liner in the diaper, I am always grateful for my diaper sprayer.  This certainly isn't a necessity, and does take some practice, but it's awfully nice to have when you need it (for example, when a diaper is covered in extra-nasty poop).
• Disposable wipes - I know, sacrilege!  But really, I am all about keeping it simple and finding solutions that work.  When I am cleaning sticky baby poop off my baby's bottom, I like to use a disposable wipe or two first - that way I don't have to deal with cleaning poop off of a cloth wipe (because once they start having "real" poop, you're going to need to get it off the diaper before throwing it in the pail!).  Then I squirt her little bum with my wipe solution and use a cloth wipe to finish the job (oh, won't she just *love* to read this kind of stuff when she's in High School??).

This pink bumGenius diaper is almost a year old and in perfect condition!

These Thirsties wipes have wiped a lot of bottoms in the past year+, and they are still in excellent shape (and capable of wiping many more bottoms).

How to Use the Diapers

First thing first: prep your diapers.  "Prepping" diapers just means washing them (and drying them) a few times in diaper-safe detergent before using.  Not only does this get them extra clean, but it also helps build their absorbency (the more you wash you them, the more absorbent they become).  If you bought used diapers, I recommend stripping them first.  You can find information about stripping diapers here.

Once dry, they are ready for baby.

This seems silly, but when I received my first diapers (bumGenius pockets), I looked at them and thought, "OK, now what...how do I use this thing?"  The snaps on the front - and the inserts - totally baffled me!

It's really easy, I promise.  Just snap the "rise" (front snaps) down to fit your baby, or leave unsnapped for a larger baby (see chart here).  If the diaper is snapped to the smallest setting, then you will snap the insert to the smallest setting as well.

Put the insert inside of the pocket (if you have a girl, and the insert is snapped down, put the folded part in the back of the diaper, folded side down - if you have a boy, put the folded part of the insert at the front of the diaper, folded part down).

Snap or velcro onto baby, and ta-da!  Baby is now wearing a cloth diaper.

In this house, a cute cloth diaper often counts as getting dressed. 

The diaper should be changed every 2-3 hours (you'll soon learn if you need to change them sooner or can wait a bit longer).  

If baby poops, and is exclusively breastfed, just remove the diaper and toss it in the diaper pail (whether or not you need to remove the insert will depend on your washing machine - my old machine would agitate the inserts out and I never had to deal with them, the new machine does not so I need to shake the insert out before tossing the diaper into the pail).

If baby poops, and is eating solids, then you'll need to toss the poopy diaper liner in the toilet first (you remembered to put in a liner, right??) or spray it off before putting the diaper in your pail.

For night time, you will want to add an extra insert (or two!).  I actually don't use my "regular" diapers at night - I use a diaper called a Lollidoo - but plenty of people add an insert or two to their bumGenius diapers and use them at night without any problems.

How to Wash Cloth Diapers

Be careful when you google "washing cloth diapers" - the incredible amount of information out there will leave you bewildered and possibly running for the hills (with nary a cloth diaper in sight).

Here is the thing to remember about cloth diapers: it's not rocket science!

My routine is very simple.  I wash the diapers (and pail liner) on cold with two scoops of detergent.  I then wash on hot with two scoops of detergent, and set the machine to do a second rinse (to make sure there is no detergent left on the diapers).  Then, I toss in the dryer (sometimes I hang the covers to dry, and if there are any stains I'll set them in the sun for a couple of hours, but for the most part everything gets dried in the dryer).  

If that doesn't work for you, just tweak your routine until it is working.  

A Few Things to Remember

• Most "one-size" diapers are advertised as fitting from birth to potty training, but in reality they are probably not going to fit reliably until baby is about ten pounds.  Don't plan on using your one-size diapers for a newborn (unless your newborn is huge, and even then, they still might not fit right for a few weeks).
• Cloth diapers are supposed to make your life better.  Not harder.   If something's not working, change it.  And certainly don't feel like it has to be "all or nothing" - nothing could be further from the truth!  Just using a few cloth diapers a day (or just cloth diapers on the weekends, even) can add up and save you money over time - not to mention keeping lots of diapers out of the landfills and doing something nice for your baby's bottom, too.  
• Start small and inexpensive and grow your stash as you figure out what you like - there are a gazillion diapers out there and although most are awesome, some aren't that great (or might be great, but not for your particular baby).  Buy one or two of a new brand and make sure you like them before splurging on a bunch.
• The products I linked to are favorites of mine, but I was in no way compensated for this post by any of these brands.  I have used these products for several months to several years now and can attest to their high quality!  Also, most products I linked are sold at Kissed by the Moon.  I am a Kissed by the Moon affiliate (click on their link in my sidebar).  I chose Kissed by the Moon to affiliate with because they have free shipping and they ship ridiculously fast - the last two orders I placed with them shipped out the same day (they also have a rewards program, and you can earn free diapers, yay!).

And finally, some more cloth diaper posts by Yours Truly:

• Here's a little post on how I surprised myself by liking cloth diapers (who would've thunk it!).
• If you want to see how several different brands of one-size diapers look on a two-month-old baby, read this.  This post also shows what I use for nighttime (and in case you're interested, a post is in the works showing all of these same diapers on the same baby, who is now almost a year old).

Questions?  Did I miss anything?

Part 2 - Sized Cloth Diapers on an Infant (a comparison of several different brands)

If you read the first post, you've seen my comparison of several different "one-size" diaper brands on an eight-week-old baby of 13 pounds. For Part 2 (that would be this post!), I am going to show you how all of our "sized" diapers fit the same baby.

bumGenius 3.0 All-in-One / AIO (Size Small)

Sadly, this diaper has been discontinued. So I'm kind of teasing you by showing this...but I'm going to show you anyway, in the off-chance you can pick some up on eBay or Craigslist. Because they are awesome.

When Claire was a newborn, we used the bumGenius newborn AIO diapers (just like the one in the pictures, only smaller). Although we did have occasional leaks in the newborn diapers, (again, the whole fat-belly-and-skinny-legs thing) we rarely experienced them in the size smalls (probably because her thighs had chunked up by the time she fit in these).

These were incredibly easy to use and due to the size (not bulky like a one-sized diaper), they were ridiculously trim. These were the diapers I threw in my diaper bag when we went anywhere.

Unfortunately, they only fit her for a couple of months (I was lucky and had picked these up a deep discount when they were discontinued, and I have saved them all in case we have another baby...so I feel like I more than got my money's worth).

FuzziBunz Perfect Size (Small)

This has to be my favorite sized diaper. Claire was probably close to 10 pounds before they fit, but she's currently about 17 pounds and we still have room to grow in these diapers.

They are on a small setting in this picture - if you could see her in them today (hmmm...another post, maybe?), you'd see she still has lots of room to grow. And, they are incredibly trim (I replaced the microfiber inserts in most of them with FuzziBunz hemp inserts and that made them even trimmer). Here's an idea of how trim they really are (it's about as noticeable as a disposable would be, only in a cuter color)...

Also? They are inexpensive - about $14 each - and I feel like when it comes to sized diapers, you can't beat the value of these (since she'll actually be able to wear them for months before she outgrows them). FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper = WIN.

AppleCheeks Envelope Cover - Size 1


This was one of the cutest diapers in my stash. Sadly...Claire only fit in it for a short time. She had almost outgrown it when this picture was taken (at just 13 pounds).

This diaper cover (insert not included) was expensive ($19), considering the short time Claire was able to wear it. The Size 1 supposedly fits to roughly 20 pounds, but that wasn't the case for us (she had outgrown it around 14-15 pounds). They do sell extender tabs for the waist, but they seemed kind of expensive too ($8) considering they would probably only buy us a few more pounds.

I stuffed the diaper with a bumGenius newborn insert and I must say, it was super trim - and the ruffles?? OMG. Too. Cute.

But. along with fitting for only a short time, I also had some leaks out the back (the tag is sewn on to the back of the diaper, and pee leaked out of the stitches - boo).

So, while I liked the trim fit and adorableness of this diaper and have saved it in case we have another baby, I wouldn't make an entire stash out of them (nor could I afford to).

Drybees AIO (Small)

I wanted this diaper because I liked the print. So when I saw one for sale on eBay, brand new for $9, I bought it.

These diapers are supposed to fit as early as 6 pounds. In our case, they were still quite large around the legs when Claire was 8 pounds...and honestly, we had continual leg leaks until she had outgrown this diaper completely (which was right around 15 pounds).

The velcro was great (nothing more annoying than bad velcro!) and the print was cute. I just wish it hadn't leaked!

When it comes to sized diapers, my recommendation is to get them cheap or buy a brand that's going to fit for awhile (or, wait until they're a bit older and their growth has slowed down some). Yes, you get a trimmer and truer fit, but babies just grow so darn fast in the beginning!

And if you want to see how one-size cloth diapers fit, check out Part 1 to this post (you can really get some bang for your buck with one-size diapers).

Part 1 - One-Size Cloth Diapers on an Infant (a comparison of several different brands)

I decided when I was pregnant with Claire that I would cloth diaper her from birth.  And so, I started doing my research.  I spent a lot of time reading reviews and a lot of time window shopping and a lot of time googling "newborn in one-size bumgenius," "newborn in lollidoo," etc. I wanted to see actual pictures of the diapers I was going to buy on actual babies (not just the vendor's pictures).

I had limited success...there were lots and lots of pictures out there, but not always pictures of a small baby in diapers...they were often older babies.  I ended up buying lots of different types of diapers, and I decided that when my baby was born, I was going to take pictures of her in all of her diapers as a newborn and put together a blog post that would show - in one place - how all of these different diapers fit one baby.

Of course, then she was actually born and in the haze of the newborn days this never happened.

But, when she was two months old I finally got my act together and took pictures of her in all the cute little diapers she had been wearing.  And now (four months after I took those pictures!), I am finally putting it all together.  My hope is that if you are trying to decide which brand (or brands) of diapers you want to buy, you can come here and see a bunch of them all in one place.  If I save a pregnant lady some googling, I have done my job.

I am going to break this up into two posts...one for one-size diapers and one for sized diapers (so if you are interested, be sure to check out the other post as well - that one has several "small" diapers from various brands, and some of those were my favorites!).

Claire was not a newborn in these pictures (clearly!).  She was eight weeks old, and about 13 pounds.

The "one-size" diapers she is wearing are supposed to fit from "birth to potty training" (as the manufacturers claim).  "Birth" is really about 8 pounds, and "potty training" is around 30-35 pounds, depending on the brand.  Remember though, that even a baby born at 8 pounds might not fit in one-size diapers.  Newborns tend to have big tummies and skinny legs, so it may be awhile before the baby really fits the diapers properly.  In my case, most of the diapers did actually fit around 8 pounds...Claire was a few weeks old and chubbing out by then...but they didn't start to consistently contain leaks until she was closer to 10 pounds (that being said, you'll be hard pressed to find a disposable to contain leaks during those early days, too).

But enough of my rambling!  Let's get started.  Oh!!  And please note that when I talk about a diaper leaking, I am talking about pee...I have yet to have a poop explosion or poop leak in *any* of these diapers - which is more than I can say for disposables!  :)

bumGenius 4.0 One-Size Stay-Dry

Claire did fit in this diaper when she was 8 pounds, but she fit a lot better in it when she was 10 pounds.

At 8 pounds, we had the occasional leak (mostly out the legs).  From 10 pounds on, the fit improved and we stopped having any leaks.  I have had a lot of bumGenius diapers (this is almost the only diaper we used with Jack), and they really are amazing.  They are high quality and consistently perform like you would want a diaper to perform (hold up well, and hold bodily fluids in).  If I could only have one diaper, this would be it.  This diaper is a workhorse!

bumGenius Elemental (Organic All-in-One)

This diaper didn't fit (at all, really) until Claire was 10 pounds.  At 8 pounds, there were still gaps around her legs.

Even at 10 pounds, there were still gaps and the fit just wasn't what I'd call "snug" - and diapers need to be snug around the legs.  As much as I love these diapers now that she's a bit bigger, I would definitely not depend on them for the early days.  You'll love these when baby gets bigger and you'll extra love them when baby's a toddler (so trim!).


FuzziBunz One-Size

I didn't have this diaper until Claire was about 10 pounds, so I can't say for sure how it would have fit as a newborn...but in this picture, the diaper could be set to a smaller setting (FuzziBunz has elastic that you adjust to change the rise and leg openings).  I believe that this diaper would be the most likely diaper (out of the brands I tried) to actually fit a brand new baby.

I didn't like having to adjust the elastic, but it did allow for a more custom fit.  They are narrower in the crotch than most other brands, and very trim.  Jack also had a FuzziBunz one-size, and it was almost as trim as his underwear!  He was 31 pounds in the picture below.

Charles complained about the "tricky" snaps (they snap in three places on each side, and I guess he was overwhelmed by the unique snap configuration and the extra snap...ha!).  I ended up taking these diapers out of my stash because I was tired of listening to Charles complain (however, no way am I'm giving up the FuzziBunz Perfect Size diapers...more on those in Part 2 to this post!).

Happy Heinys One-Size Diaper

I originally bought a Happy Heinys for Jack to use during his naptimes.  It was the only cloth diaper I used for naps for some time (they are larger diapers and you can stuff more in the pocket, PLUS the velcro allows for a nice snug fit).  I bought some for Claire and was surprised at how small they could become.  They actually have four settings, and here Claire is in the smallest one.

She fit in this diaper right at 10 pounds.  At first, we were having leaks (out the top mostly).  I finally figured out I needed to adjust it to a larger setting and that did help some.  We still have occasional leaks and I can't seem to figure out why, so I usually only put these on her when she's going to be in an upright position (in the Ergo, for example).  I expect we'll have better luck with these diapers when she's bigger (I loved them for Jack when he was about 18 months old until potty trained).

Bummis Tots Bots

These fit right at 8 pounds, but in the beginning we did have some leaks (around the legs).  Once she filled out, this problem seemed to resolve itself.  We still get the occasional random leak when she's rolling around on the ground, but I trust these diapers enough to lay her down for naps in them.

My favorite thing about this diaper is the velcro.  I have had a couple in rotation for over 8 months now and the velcro is as good as new.  Also, they are super easy to stuff (the insert is attached to the pocket) and very trim (these fit great under Jack's jeans when he was still in diapers).  These are incredibly user-friendly.

Lollidoo Overnight

This is the brand of diaper I could not, for the life of me, find a picture of on a small baby.  Claire was three weeks old when she started wearing her Lollidoo at night. I was convinced it was going to be too big for her, or I would have put it on her sooner.  The nighttime leaking was driving me nuts - I tried every diaper in my stash as well as disposables, and she was still waking up after an hour or two due to leaks (I blame this on just being a little baby and not fitting into any of her diapers properly at the time).  As you can see, it does look huge.

Keep in mind that this diaper is stuffed to the brim with cotton inserts (this is what she wears to bed).  And although it looks ginormous, she didn't have any trouble sleeping in it (and as she's gotten bigger, it fits her even better...and when Jack was still in diapers, he wore these to bed and they were downright trim!).  I do need to put her in pajamas a size larger than normal to accommodate for that fluffy bottom, but guess what?

No leaks.  And as you can see below, although it looks huge, there are no gaps around the legs (they adjust with elastic).

Claire wakes up dry every morning, and better yet...no red marks on her legs or bottom.  It's as if she's been naked (minus pee all over the bed, of course). This diaper is fleece and the inserts are cotton (although I have used all kinds of different inserts with success), so it's completely breathable.  I have so much confidence in Lollidoo I won't even try another diaper (I'm always looking for an excuse to try another diaper, but there ain't NO WAY I am messing with sleep).

My only wish is that they would come out with a tiny newborn version (with velcro).  You hear that, ladies over at Lollidoo??  A newborn version before I have another kid, please! :)

Flips

OK - I am cheating here.  I don't have a picture.  So you'll have to believe me when I tell you they just didn't fit right at this age.  The organic inserts were too bulky, and the stay-dry insert didn't take up enough space, leaving gaps at the leg.  Now, though?  Claire is about 17 pounds and they are awesome.  So, maybe don't plan on using Flips in the early days and save them for a bit later.

The moral of this story is that most one-size diapers will actually fit your baby best when she gets to be 10 pounds or so (FuzziBunz being the most likely to fit a smaller baby, but also the least likely to fit a big toddler).  You have a lot of great choices out there, just be sure to wait until baby's big enough to actually fit in them properly (I imagine it could be frustrating to deal with leaks and poor fit for someone who is new to cloth diapering and doesn't know what to expect).  

Now...click here for my post on sized diapers.  I have more pictures for you!

A Total NaBloPoMo Cop-Out

Today?  I kind of just don't feel like writing.  But I am not ready to give up just yet.  NaBloPoMo calls.

So, I thought I would post some pictures of things that are related to gratitude (kind of).

Let's begin.

These are out new sock monkeys (one for Claire, one for Jack).  Their names are Monkmellious Mee-Mee-Schwee-Schwee Munglewood II and Pinky.  I am grateful for these monkeys for two reasons.  First, I am grateful for them because they were a gift for my kids from a friend who recently moved to Texas.  Second, I am grateful that there was a Monkmellious Mee-Mee Schwee-Schwee Munglewood the First.

I am grateful for Mo.  Mo passed away last October from heart failure, but I had him for about ten years and for that, I am grateful.  I miss him.

I am also grateful for my siblings.  Here we are in Oregon, in 2008.   This was pre-baby - I was still skinny (I was 12 weeks pregnant in this picture)!  This is why I feel like I need three kids...I have a brother and a sister and I love them dearly and can't imagine life without them (even though we are several states away) and I want my own kids to have a similar relationship.

And with that, this post is done (ohhh, I should say here that I'm grateful for blogging because I can write whatever I want however I want to with whatever punctuation I choose).  

All Stuffed with Fluff!

I strongly dislike the word "nesting" - I am not a bird, I did not lay an egg, and I do not live in a nest...but I can't think of a better word to describe my insatiable urge to organize the changing table, neatly stack diapers, and fold an re-fold the receiving blankets!  The thing is - the changing table is waaaaaay organized, the diapers are washed and neatly put away in their little diaper bin, and the receiving blankets DO NOT NEED TO BE FOLDED!!  But in this waiting game...no baby, no new house...I am running out of things to do (besides clean - you'd think there wouldn't be much to clean when the house is 90% packed but that is just not the case).

So today I whipped out the newborn diapers (again) and decided to take some pictures of them because they are so damn cute (also, I wanted to send a picture to my Dad to show him what the money he sent us paid for - so I texted him a picture of all the diapers and apparently he couldn't see it clearly on his ancient phone and didn't know to scroll down and read the message I attached so he called all excited thinking it was a picture of the baby...).

But anyway.  What really prompted this post was the fact that once again, I have surprised myself and reminded myself that you just never know what's going to happen and what direction your interests will turn.

If you had asked me a couple of years ago if I'd be a cloth diapering (fluff) addict, I would have laughed at you.  Cloth diapers.  What a pain, right??  More laundry to do.  More work to clean up.  One more thing to keep track of in an already chaotic house. 

But then I tried my first cloth diaper on Jack and it was like heroine (or so I am told...I have never actually tried heroine but supposedly once you try it you are instantly addicted, or at least that's what the DARE program would like you to believe, right?).  I wanted more.  They were SO DARN CUTE.  His little butt all wrapped up in fluffy cloth as opposed to the plastic-y, chemical-filled contraptions we have been led to believe we all need.  Just SO cute, I tell you!

So...I went online and found the website for the bumGenius brand diapers I had received as a shower gift and purchased a few more. Then I started doing some research and added a few more to my stash.  And so it continued until recently escalating into a full-blown addiction that now includes pink, flower-prints, leaopard, purple and more...and I can tell you with certainty there is no end in sight and you can never (NEVER, I tell you!!) have too many cloth diapers.

The actual added "work" is minimal.  I do an extra load of laundry every other day or so (for one kid - that might change when I have two, one of which I am guessing will be going through diapers like they are going out of style).  I actually like folding them and seeing the diaper bin all stocked with fresh, fluffy diapers so I don't consider that work.  And I realllly like not having to buy diapers all the time (we do still use disposables for overnight or when I *know* Jack is about to poop, so we're not completely disposable-free, but I am hoping we will be for Baby Claire).  I also like that when Jack poops in a cloth diaper, it gets tossed down the toilet rather than wrapped up in a 'sposie and tossed in the trash.

I will say that as much as I love them I wouldn't cloth diaper if I didn't have access to a washing machine (I have friends in apartments and condos without their own personal washing machine and I can't imagine the logistics...I generally soak mine, wash them in hot and then rinse in cold...so I can imagine the pain it would be if I had to do this at a community washing machine - and some diapers take longer to dry than others).

I am afraid I have just broached the tip of the iceberg as far as this addiction is concerned.  Maybe I will hit rock bottom...maybe I will continue on my Fluff High and have another baby just so I can keep using these cute diapers (ha!).  Time will tell (and speaking of time, it takes, like, HUNDREDS of years for a disposable diaper to biodegrade so I am not only promoting fluffy baby bottoms everywhere but also saving the earth while I'm at it).