Cloth Diapering 101

Diapers drying by the fire

I knew as soon as I found out I was pregnant that I wanted to use cloth diapers. Luckily, Alan was also willing to give it a try. I had talked to friends and read about the many advantages - no chemicals to worry about, no waste that ends up in landfills - but I also wondered about the disadvantages like the amount of laundry required and how best to deal with the inevitable mess.

We decided to give it a go and when Caleb was less than 1 week old, we began using our reusable diapers. I learned right away that cloth diapers require you to use 'alcohol-based detergent'. Most laundry soaps are oil based, therefore they repel liquids so you obviously don't get the maximum absorbency from your diapers if you use regular detergent. We use the Allen's Naturally brand. We also quickly discovered the need to use flushable liners which definitely helps with the cleaning process. After we remove the liner, we rinse them in the toilet then let them soak in our diaper pail.


Over the past 14 months, we have used three different types of cloth diapers and have had varying success with them all. Here is my quick review of the brands we've been using.

Bummis

This brand is made by moms in Montreal. They are outer covers only (have no pocket) and come in 3 sizes. I pair these with a hemp insert (buy seperately) folded 3 times. I find these are quick and easy to use, but they do seem to leak more than I'd like. I'd never attempt to use these overnight, but I like using them for 2-3 hour stretches. I also use them at the pool. I have 3 pairs of the medium Bummis.

Bum Genius

This brand is made in Colorado. They have a pocket where you can place a micro-terry insert, which come with the diaper. I often double up and put a smaller insert outside of the pocket for extra absorbency and find this combo lasts really well through the night. These come in one size, and can be adjusted using the front snaps. This means they are a one-time investment from birth until the child is toilet trained. The smallest size was super bulky for the first couple of months, but the biggest size fits great right now. I really love these ones, but lately the velcro has not been holding up. There has been a couple of times that I've noticed a large lump in Caleb's pants and, sure enough, his diaper has come undone! This has not been disastrous yet, but could lead to some pretty terrible situations if it keeps happening. I think it is my fault because I didn't properly care for these diapers right from the get go. You have to be super diligent to fold back the velcro tabs before washing them, which I didn't do for the first while. I'm not sure if there is a fix for this, because other than this problem, they were my definite favorites. I have 8 of the Bum Genius brand.

AMP (Annie Marie Padorie)

Made by a mom in Winnipeg, these pocketed diapers have snaps instead of velcro so the ones we own are still in great shape. It took awhile for me to figure out the best combo for inserts with these guys, but I think they work best with the double terry-cloth inserts (just like the Bum Genius - a big one in the pocket and an extra one on top). I like that these ones are trustworthy and I don't need to worry about them coming undone. They come in 3 sizes. We did have about 7 pairs of the small size but had to reinvest in the mediums when Caleb was about 6 months old. Now we only have 1 of these, but I'll probably buy more in coming months when he outgrows it.

So, looking back, if I were to do it all again I'd try to take better care of my Bum Genius diapers. If the velco still held well, they would still be my favorites. A close second (and creeping into first) are the AMPs. I like the Bummis as well, but only for shorter periods of time. Hope that helps some of you who may be considering cloth diapers!

Anyone else have any tips/ brands to recommend? I'd love to hear them!