Em's Cloth Diaper 101: Lesson Two

Continuing our diaper discussion. In my earlier post, I explained the different kinds of cloth diapers. If you thought there were a bunch of those, just wait until you explore the abundance of brands!

I'll be honest, there are many, many brands of cloth diapers out there that I have not tried. For some, the reason is they are more on the "boutique" end of cloth diapers- really cute patterns, embroidery, etc. but their prices are very high (this is something to be pooped in, let's remember). For others, it is because I researched them on The Diaper Pin and read too many negative reviews. There are some diapers or covers that required too much extra care for me when I was just starting out.

For instance, lots of earthy mamas out there simply rave about using Wool Soakers to cover their diapers. But wool has a care routine all its own, and I was too intimidated to try it. I have a hard enough time with laundry/clothing maintenance as it is! (Bad mom confession: the last time I took something to the dry cleaners was at least 5 years ago. And I've only turned on the iron about three times this year!) So maybe some day I'll try wool, but for right now I'll stick with my PUL covers.

The other reason I've not tried many of the diapers out there is simply this: I did lots of research, experimented, and found things I liked. So I didn't need to try anything else! I still like to check out new brands every now and then if Lyd outgrows a particular diaper, but it's too expensive to do too much trial-and-error with diapers. Even with my favorites, there are always quirks that made them imperfect, or at least only perfect for certain times (like nighttime or short trips or whatever). I'll be fully honest about that, because I want anyone who is thinking about cloth diapering to be as prepared as possible; there are enough surprises facing new mamas! So, without further ado, here are the brands of diapers I've used.

• Bumgenius- These are little more synthetic than a lot of "greener" options, but they are still much better for the earth and your little one's baby bottom than those icky disposables! I absolutely love my bumgenius 3.0 pocket diapers. They fit from the time the cord falls off until, well, you don't need them any more. I used them on Big Sister when she was just sleeping in diapers this time last year! You can stuff them as full as you want to- I put a prefold inside of them for night time and never have leak problems. I have heard people talk about having problems with the velcro wearing out on these diapers, but I've used them for a year now- mostly for night or the diaper bag- without encountering this problem. OOH! The best part? You can buy these at your local Target! I also used the BG all-in-one when Little Sis was very little. I just bought two of them for the diaper bag. They fit well but sometimes leaked. They were also, like a lot of all-in-ones, harder to get completely dry.
  
• Baby Beehinds Hemp- These are a one-size fitted diaper, meaning that they snap in all sorts of different settings to fit whatever size your baby may be at the time. These also fit tiny Little Sis and big Big Sister. They are super absorbent and were my go-to nighttime diaper until a few weeks ago. When Little Sister started pulling up & jumping up and down in her crib, the extra liner in these diapers started to give her a dreadful friction rash. Before that, though, they worked wonderfully. Without the liners, they are a fine diaper for the daytime. A word of warning: hemp is really absorbent, but it also can get stinky if you don't wash it really well. These are my most expensive diapers, but they were well worth the investment.
  
• Wickeez fitted diapers- These are the softest, squishiest diapers ever. They soak up moisture and wick it to the outside, meaning two things. 1) Your baby's bottom will stay dry (and poop probably won't stick to their little bottom, either!) and 2) You need a really good cover to hold in the moisture. These aren't great for night because they put a lot of pressure on the cover to keep wetness contained, but they are wonderful for daytime use. I only bought size 1 and it probably will fit Little Sis through most of her diaper-wearing days. They are not an all natural material, though, if that is a priority to you.
• Tender Tush Organics- My first one of these was given to me by a co-worker in Alabama. It was one of the first cloth diapers I ever tried, and I liked it enough to order five more. They are made from a very natural and thirsty organic cotton. They have a soaker flap sown into the diaper, meaning it has extra absorbancy but can dry a little easier. The only drawback to these diapers is that they are in two sizes, so I've already had to retire my infant stash because of Little Sis's chunky legs. Also, they are a bit stiff and may have contributed to that previously mentioned friction problem.
• Tiny Tush One Size Diapers- I actually found this diaper when searching for more of the previous diapers! Mine has snaps to adjust the sizes and add a soaker, but closes with velcro. I think the new ones no longer have any velcro at all, which is probably good because snaps are a lot more babyproof. This diaper does a great job at soaking up daytime wetness, but it is less bulky than most cloth diapers, especially one-size. No complaints about it, other than that it is a little more expensive than some of my other fitteds.
• Happy Heiny's Happy Hempy diaper- This is a fitted diaper that has a pocket for stuffing. It is absorbant hemp but can have a fleece liner inside for more comfort. I really liked these diapers, but they are very size specific and Little Sis outgrew them pretty quickly.
• Baby Kangas One Size Pocket diapers- I have to be honest, when I first used this diaper it was on Big Sister. It leaked every time we used it. We called it the leaky diaper and used it as a last resort. But it turns out I wasn't exactly being fair. First, I only tried it for overnight on a big toddler. And second, I don't think I was stuffing it well. Since then, I've added different stuffers (prefolds and Bumgenius microfiber inserts for night) and it has done wonderfully. I actually bought more of these for Little Sister. I like that it is a one-size diaper like my bumgenius 3.0s, but that it has a really soft inside and snaps instead of velcro. I love that my kiddo can wear it until she is potty trained.
• Indian prefolds- I like the absorbancy of these prefolds much better than the ones you can buy in stores (like gerber). They can just fold up & get tucked into a cover, or I can fasten them with a snappi. The best part is that they cost less than $3. I've even used them at night, although I usually use two and Little Sister looks like a dancer in a Sir Mix-a-lot video.

These are the diapers I recommend. I have also tried Kushies, Sweet Cheeks, Happy Heiny Pocket diapers, and Happy Endings brands. They aren't my favorites, although some CDing mommies swear by a few of them.

As for PUL covers, I recommend Bummis Super Brite (the sizes are very generous on these so Little Sister hasn't outgrown them as quickly as the others) and Thirsties. Again, this is just my preference. There are lots of cute, uber-expensive covers out there, if that's your thing. I've gotten baby poop on too many covers to get that attached to them!

All right class, that's it for today's diaper lesson. Tune in next time for a lesson in washing your diapers, followed by information on the cloth diapering accessories I can't live without!