Making the switch to cloth diapers

I always thought I would be a cloth diapers kind of person mom but when Jackson arrived with all that had been going on (post on that here) the last thing on my mind was researching and investing in cloth diapers.  So we went the disposable route.

Now that Jackson is five months and we’re in a better routine I decided to try out some cloth diapers options.  I really didn’t know very much about the different brands or types of cloth diapers so I got on my iPhone one night as I lay in bed with baby and husband sleeping soundly and started my research.

I ruled out prefolds (the traditional cloth diapers that my parents used) knowing that although it was the least expensive route it wasn’t as easy as the AIO (all-in-one) diapers.  If you’re not familiar with the concept it’s basically a cloth diaper enclosure that looks a lot like a disposable diaper but you slide an absorbent cloth into.  They have snaps or velcro to fasten to baby.  I have heard from a few of my friends that they use FuzziBunz and I saw on a few blogs that they use bumGenius.  So I started there.

I already had one FuzziBunz Perfect Size diaper in size small that had been on my registry but only received one of (and you need way more than that!).  I went to Amazon to order a few more FuzziBunz and bumGenius diapers.  Amazon always has some suggestions at the bottom of the screen so I started exploring some other brands that were highly reviewed.  I ended up with four brands and five different types of diapers to try.  I have a total of eight diapers.  I read that 25 diapers should be enough for three days of diapers so I figured eight would at least last me a day and we were planning on continue to use disposables at night.

These things are expensive, around $20 each, but you use them over and over and over again.  They say that in the end you’ll save thousands of dollars and you can feel a little better that all those stinky diapers aren’t filling up a landfill.  The diapers are either one-size, and are advertised as being able to go from newborn to toddler, or they are sized, S-XL, and won’t last from birth through potty training but boast a better fit.

First I started with ordering FuzziBunz:

(2) Fuzzibunz One-Size Diaper

(1) Fuzzibunz Perfect Size, Medium & (1) Fuzzibunz Perfect Size, Small

Then I ordered a few bumGenius:

(2) bumGenius 4.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper with Snap Enclosures

I found a few more that weren’t on my radar when I started searching but seemed worth a try.  Kissaluv has a diaper where you don’t need to remove the insert before washing.  The liner is attached and should agitate out during the wash cycle and then you can re-stuff after drying

(1) Kissaluv’s Marvels One-Size All-in-One Diaper

Then I found the Bummis One-Size All-in-One diapers which also has the liner attached and has velcro closures.

(1) Bummis Easy Fit Diaper

I also bought some Charlie’s Laundry Soap to wash the diapers with.  I read that if you use a soap with fragrance you can have some smell problems and that this soap works well.  I already use a free & clear detergent (Method) but I thought I’d try another one in hopes of preventing clean, but smelly diapers.

So that’s where I’m at now.  I’ll let you know next week how they work out for us.