Cloth Diapering 101: What do I need to start cloth diapering?

Everyone has to start cloth diapering somewhere. With all the information available online at your fingertips, it can be very overwhelming. The great thing about cloth diapering is that it only takes a little bit to get started. A question we are frequently asked is

"What do I need to begin cloth diapering?"

If you want to start cloth diapering an infant we recommend:

• 24 cloth diapers in the style of your choice. If you are choosing a two-piece system such as Flip or Econobum, we recommend 24 inserts and 6 covers. This number is based on changing an infant 8-10 times a day and washing your diapers every other day. We recommend washing every other day to prevent mold and other issues.
• A diaper pail or wet bag to store dirty diapers until laundry day. For a diaper pail, we recommend a vented pail. The air flow also helps to prevent mold. Wet bags come in a variety of sizes, fabrics and styles to suit the needs of any family. If you are not using a diaper pail, you will want a wet bag large enough to hold 2 days worth of dirty laundry. You may also consider a wet bag that is a smaller size to hold a few dirty diapers for your daycare provider or those times you are out and about with your little one.
• A cloth diaper safe laundry detergent- Safe detergents are those without enzymes, brighteners, dyes, scents or fabric softeners. More information on why to avoid these ingredients can be found in our detergent blog post. Make things even easier on yourself by checking out the natural laundry section on CottonBabies.com where we sell only cloth diaper safe detergents and offer free economy shipping.

If you are beginning to cloth diaper an older child, you may not need a full 24 cloth diapers. Many people even begin their cloth diapering journey with just a few cloth diapers for each day. Our Change 3 Things campaign encourages any parent to change just 3 cloth diapers a day. We chose 3 cloth diapers because we feel it's a manageable goal for any parent, whether all of baby's caregivers will change cloth diapers or not.

For a gradual start like this, we recommend checking out our Change 3 Things packs. Don't forget to add a wet bag and detergent to your Cotton Babies order as well. These 3 things are all you really need to begin your cloth diapering journey.

As you grow confident in cloth diapers, you may find you want to branch out to try new styles of cloth diapers, use cloth baby wipes, or try new accessories. As always, we are glad to answer any questions you may have if you give us a call at 1-888-332-2243 or live chat with us at www.cottonbabies.com

Real Mom Talk: My Econobum Challenge

Throughout my cloth diapering career our family has experienced circumstances and phases that have dictated our ability to use (or not to use) cloth diapers. There have been seasons of all cloth all the time, seasons of disposable dependence, and seasons of both (cloth at home and disposables on the go).

I read Jenn's recent post about families struggling to buy disposable diapers and sometimes choosing between buying diapers and food. Providing Econobum to needy families is really exciting. It got me thinking. I know that using cloth diapers saves money. I know that an Econobum Full Kit costs less than $50. I know that Econobum is easy to use and wash. What I didn't know was about the ease of transition for a family switching from disposables to Econobum. So, on Thanksgiving weekend I set out to compare the use of 1 Econobum Full Kit to our typical use of disposables during the busy Holiday season.

My husband works full time; I work full time from home and we have six awesome children. Our house is always bustling (read noisy and probably messy). Our extended family is large and active. Beginning with Thanksgiving and ending with New Years Day we spend weekends going from one celebration to the next. During the weekdays in between our house is in recovery mode.

I am now in the third week of my self-induced Econobum Challenge. I have added 2 Flip Stay Dry Inserts for overnight use because my son has very sensitive skin. I am washing a small load of cloth diapers every morning. I had anticipated that this might be a problem and leave me with no diapers if I got behind on laundry. But something quite the opposite has happened. The daily routine actually has left me victorious in the taming of the laundry volcano! Another unexpected positive has been the lack of diaper pail (or trash can) stink. Econobum has accompanied us on several all-day outings. I was even able to change a diaper on my lap in the front seat of the car while out Christmas shopping. I have been pleasantly surprised with the absorbency of the pre-fold and the cover has contained some serious power poopies.

So far, I would say that Econobum has stood up to the convenience factor of disposables. But alas, there are still a few weeks left in this delightfully busy Christmas season so we will see what I have to report nearer to the end of my Econobum Challenge.

How does your family handle diapering during busy, hectic, or stressful times?

Cloth Diapers 101: Types of Cloth Diapers

One of the things we see a lot from moms who are new to cloth diapers is that the cloth diapering lingo is very confusing and overwhelming. We've all been there, new to cloth diapers and struggling to figure out what each type of diaper really is and what we need to purchase to make it work. We've compiled a basic list to get you started. We won't cover every cloth diaper in existence, but consider it a primer to get you started in the right direction.

Pocket cloth diapers: A pocket diaper is usually made of two layers of fabric sewn together to form a pocket that will hold an absorbent insert. bumGenius 4.0 and Fuzzibunz are pocket style cloth diapers. The advantage of pocket style diapers is that they can be as convenient as disposables to put on baby during diaper changes. Pocket style cloth diapers do require an extra step after laundering of placing (sometimes called "stuffing") the insert back inside the pocket.

All In One (AIO) cloth diapers: AIO style diapers have a waterproof outer fabric and absorbent inner fabric, all sewn together to create one piece. bumGenius 3.0 Deluxe All-In-Ones and bumGenius Elemental are all-in-one style diapers. The advantage of AIO cloth diapers is that they can be more convenient because there is no need to stuff inserts after laundering, although these diapers frequently take longer to dry because of their multiple layers of fabric.

Hybrid diapers: Hybrid diapers are a new class of cloth diapers that are a blend of traditional all cloth diapers and disposable options. Hybrid diapers are usually a two piece system comprised of a waterproof outer cover and an insert that can be a variety of materials ranging from cloth to disposable. Our Flip Diapering System is a great example of a hybrid. I consists of a waterproof, one sized fits most, cover and your choice of stay dry, organic or disposable inserts. The advantage of hybrid diapers is the versatility of changeable inserts to suit your baby's changing needs.

Covers and prefolds: Covers and prefolds are an economical way to cloth diaper. Covers are typically a single layer of waterproof fabric. Prefolds are the classic, original cloth diaper. With modern covers, there are no need for pins to keep your prefolds in place. Prefolds are all cotton, with bleached and unbleached options available. Econobum is an economical cover and prefold system, where you can cloth diaper your baby from birth to potty training for as little as $100.

Another important thing to know when purchasing cloth diapers is about sizing. There are both sized and one-size options in all the categories of cloth diapers mentioned above.

Sized diapers: Each cloth diaper brand has it's own sizing system, so be careful to read the weight suggestions for each size before purchasing. bumGenius 3.0 Deluxe AIO (all-in-one) cloth diapers come in sizes extra small (XS), small (S), medium (M) and large (L). FuzziBunz Perfect Size cloth diapers are available in S, M and L sizes, while Thirsties Diaper Covers are a cover/prefold style with covers available in sizes XS through L.

One-Sized diapers: One sized diapers are a shorter way of saying "one size fits most". These cloth diapers or covers are designed to fit most babies from newborn stage (approx. 8 lbs.) through toddler stages (approx. 35 lbs.). The way these diapers grow with baby is by having rows of snaps in the center of the diaper that create an adjustable rise. These snaps do not have to be changed at each diaper change, only adjusted as babies grow. bumGenius 4.0 is a one-size pocket style diaper; bumGenius Elemental is a one-size, all-in-one clothdiaper and Econobum is a one size cloth diaper cover.

The key to successful cloth diapering is to remember that you must have a waterproof outer fabric or cover in addition to an absorbent inner liner or insert and it needs to be the correct size for your baby.

Are you wondering about other cloth diapering terms? Ask in the comments and we'll add to this post.

How much waste does a baby wearing disposable diapers really generate?

Cotton Babies has long been frustrated by the lack of information available about how each baby wearing disposable diapers impacts landfills.

We are working on a project to collect data about how much used disposable diapers weigh. The goal of this project is to estimate the approximate weight of the waste generated from a child wearing disposable diapers full time. 

To participate, please have your baby wear one disposable diaper for a normal length of time (as you define it). At the next diaper change, please weigh that disposable diaper.  You can submit the information about that diaper using this form:

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2vcyg3lg8kjrgtb/start

After the data is collected and summarized, we will publish the results here on this blog for the benefit of the entire cloth diapering community.  Multiple submissions per family are welcome, but please sure that each submission reflects the information for one diaper only.  Thank you in advance for your participation and for telling your friends so they can help too!

Kindest regards,

Jennifer Labit, Owner
Cotton Babies, Inc.