Cloth Diapers - Santa Rosa, CA

Cloth diapers do come in handy. My sister used them for her babies. Cloth can be washed by hand, or wash machine. I used it for a while, but I preferred Pampers. I was a stay at home mom, but I didn't like the constant changing. Good luck.

Hi, I too had many questions regarding cloth diapers for my little man (3 mos yesterday). I recieved this link to a site that is a great reference. It has articles on what to buy, how to use, how to clean and not have stains, and what products are earth friendly. I hope it helps you too. Good luck.

http://www.diaperjungle.com/

Hi Ashlee. I have been CDing my 15 month old since she was about 2 months. I wash them myself. We tried several kinds to find what worked best for us (read: what my husband found easiest since he wasn't 100% on board with the idea). I started with a fitted cloth (I believe they were called blue dog) with a diaper cover. Diaper liners are GREAT for catching the majority of poop and flushing it away. I have swithed to All In One diapers (AOIs) now and some insert kind (very similar to g diapers but instead of the flushable liner it is a cloth liner that you pull out and wash with the cover. I believe you can use cloth diapers with the g covers so that could be a good start for you. Feel free to email me (can you do that via this site??) for more info or to talk about what works for us. Good for you for going cloth!!!!
D.

I too was a professional mommy. I used cloth and studies are now showing what I experianced, that cloth is better for baby. Yes it is a little more work, but the benifits are worth it. I found that the diapers you fold your self fit better then pre-folded. Useing a diaper liner that can be dumped in toilet makes laundry easier. Also don't use fabric softner, like with bath towels the diapers will not be as absorbent. You will also find you save a LOT of money with cloth diapers.

Cloth diapers are wonderful, the Tidee Didee Service is super reliable. You will need to be dilligent with diaper changes, wet cloth diapers=diaper rashes. When your daughter starts to walk you will find that the diaper size between her legs becomes cumberson and you'll probably want to switch to something more streamlined like the G or something else. Oh yes the waterproof covers can only handle so many washings/dryings before they start to decline in protection but they are fine. Go for it.

Hi, I had a diaper service for a year. My mom gave it to me for a gift. I absolutley loved it. No washing, or rinsing out diapers. I recommend the service totally. You will never be able to sanitize like the service does. You don't have to go real expensive try starting out small with a budget that works (because it can be expensive) if you run out of diapers before your scheduled delivery just have some on hand just in case.

Hi Ashlee,
I am a mother of 3. I have a 17 year old son and 15 year old daughter. Our first son only lived a year. (it's o.k.: he taught me alot about life) Anyhow, I used cloth diapers with my children and the one thing that "really" helped me with the messy diapers is as soon as i would change them i would put the diaper in the toilet and holding it i would "shake off" what mess would fall off and then i would flush the toilet (still holding the diaper of course) and let the power of the water flush off the rest! It's amazing how well it worked. Then I had a diaper pale with bleach and water and would " accumulate " a days worth and the next morning i would ring them out and then put them into the wash. It sounds like alot but its really not and AMAZING how much you will save not just money but our childrens future!!! Oh and you dont have to use pens any more you can get velcro!!! Best of luck and God Bless your family
L.

Ok, i kinda looked over all the responses and didn't see anyone mention www.diaperswappers.com this is a cloth diaper board you can use for ALL of your cloth diapers questions, tons of mamas with lots of advice! I have been CD'ing my son for about 20 months and have found that i like prefolds with covers and a snappi the best. Since you already have g-diaper covers, if you aren't wanting to spend tons of money you can use your g-diaper covers and tri-fold a prefold into the g-diaper snap in piece where you would have put the g-diaper insert. You can also use a prefold snappid under a g-diaper cover (i believe). I purchased my premium prefolds from little-lions.com and my toddler prefolds from the thirstiesoutlet. On diaperswappers you can also buy and sell new and used diapers so if you wanted to try something like an aio or pocket before you spent tons of money on them only to find you don't like them you could find them on the for sale or trade (fsot) board, i have bought all of my bummis covers there and many other things. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message! Good luck!

Hey there, I just started a month ago and am liking it so far. I started sewing my own after trying a few out I ordered online. there are great resources like the diaperpin.com. It will tell you anything you need to know and has all the resources. I don't know if budget is an issue with getting started or not. You can send me a message and I can tell ya tons more! I started out with Gdiapers too. You can always start by buying infant prefolds and putting those in the gdiapers instead of the inserts(just trifold them and then fold over lengthwise) and see how that works.

I just read your email and I used Tidee Didee. I just noticed you don't want a diaper service, but if you change your mind, they are great.

Finally, a local Sonoma County Diaper Service! T. provides cloth diaper service to Sonoma County using unbleached, all natural cotton diapers, natural cleansing enzymes & NO chlorine bleach. We are a Bay Area / Sonoma County Certified Green Business. Our mission is to provide a reliable, affordable alternative to disposables, serving you and the planet.

hey~ we're using cloth diapers with our son and we like them. they are more work because you have to change them as soon as the baby pees, but it's worth it. he has never had diaper rash and is retaining knowledge of what happens when he pees, he gets wet. have you considered trying the Natural Infant Hygiene (diaper-free baby) thing? it goes hand-in-hand with cloth diapers.

we use a diaper service so i cannot speak for cleaning them at home. but i will say that we have few poopy diapers since our son does most poops in the toilet. Yeah!! but i did want to let you know that i appreciate the cloth diapers.

I cloth diapered two with Fuzzi Bunz. I can't recommend them highly enough, especially if you use the microfiber inserts. They are pricey, but they will last you through several children. It's less money in the long run, but it is a lot up front.

We use Fuzzi Bunz. I have a 4 month old daughter and we have been using them since the beginning. They are a pocket cloth washable diaper. They are very easy to use and wash and we have no leaking or odor problems. My baby has never had a diaper rash and the diapers wash up so clean, like new. I highly recommend them. Try the nurtured family website, they have package deals, good luck : )

I am so glad to see someone else who is interested in cloth diapers! I work full time away from my home and I have been using cloth diapers for about a month now. I use a pocket diaper called Bum Genius 2.0 (or 3.0) and also LOVE Mommy's Touch All In One Touch Tape diapers. If you want more information on cloth diapers you can go to:

www.diaperpin.com

Good Luck! Email me with any questions you may have.

I use Tiny Tots diaper service located in Campbell (they deliver all over) with my now 9 month old...and I used it with my first who is now 7 yrs old, they are great!!

LOL -

believe it or not, there are websites out there telling you how to sew cloth diapers out of old flannel shirts. even tying receiving blankets up as a flat diaper!

in any case, i use prefolds from www.greenmountaindiapers.com - i found their sizes are generous and make more sense, because they have more width for the waist. i use several different covers, imse vimse bumpy covers, bummis super whisper wraps, and gee...that's it. i have a bunch of pockets, including fuzzi bunz, swaddlebees, bumgenius 2.0s, haute pockets, and a little known brand called komfy kidz.

if you really want to get overwhelmed by the cloth craze, check out www.diaperswappers.com - if the idea of buying and sanitizing a used cloth diaper doesn't bother you, then you can sometimes find good deals on used diapers. you can also find crazy posts about all the WAHM diapers out there - customized embroidery, custom prints, etc.

i would say if you're used to gdiapers, pockets or all-in-ones or all-in-twos are a good transition. or trifolding prefolds into a bummis super whisper wrap or another similar cover. the green mountain diaper website has a lot of info with pictures on how to do so.

Hi,

We've been using gDiapers for more than a year and very happy with them. I was considering to use cloth in gcovers but I found it to be too much hassle.

There is a gDiapers Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gDiapers/
where parents share there tips and ideas and what not. There are tons of information there on using cloth specifically in gDiaper covers, what works best at different ages, etc. It's a very friendly group and if you post your questions, you'll find lots of helpful ideas and lots of support.

Hope it helps,

I.

I've been using Fuzzi Bunz for a year now and I would never go back to disposable diapers. I like the Fuzzi Bunz because they're very trim and because they close with snaps instead of velcro. Velcro gets dirty after a while and isn't as effective anymore. They come in 2 sizes so they're probably more expensive than the one-size ones, but I found that they were a better fit for my daughter. The Nurture Center in Lafayette carries cloth diapers, so you can see what they look like. I find that the Nurture Center tries to push the Bum Genius more because they're one-size but it's really about a good fit, so make sure that the diapers you buy fit your daughter well. Also, make sure that you buy a hemp insert for nights.

Hello,
I am using Motherease cloth diapers for my 6 month old son, and I love them! they are a one size diaper with lots of different snaps to fit a growing baby up until a toddler. They are great, wash well, and are comfortable for my baby. I especially like the air flow diaper covers that I buy from mother ease website- they are great- I rarely have a leak or a soak through to clothes. I heard about these diapers from my midwife assistant who used the diapers for 2 kids and then sold them on ebay, so they are quality and last. I think the website is Motherease.com or just google Motherease cloth diapers. You can buy them individually but if you click on specials and packages they have money saving packages with diapers and covers too.
Good Luck

Hi Ashlee! I use Fuzzi Bunz and we love them. They wash up at home so easy. They are pocket diapers so they also dry really fast. They are cute too. We've also never had to deal with diaper rash. They are pricey, but over time they have saved us a ton. My son is 18 months now and wears a med (we bought med when he was 10 months and he still has lots of room to grow). He is slim so I really think we won't have to ever buy the lg ones -- knock on wood. My husband has liked them too. I rinse them twice cold, wash hot, then dry -- NO SOFTENERS. I use Charlie's Soap because others really do leave a residue. Hope this helps.

I've been using Fuzzi Bunz for about a year now (my son is 19 months) and I love them! I hesitated to use cloth diapers because I thought they would be a hassle, but I've found that the Fuzzi Bunz are really easy. We put the dirty ones (you have to shake off the poo into the toilet) into a diaper bag (I think I got it at www.nurturedfamily.com) that has a little strip of fabric that you can put tea tree oil on to help with the odor, and then I just wash them every few days. I hope that doesn't sound gross, it's really not that bad. I couldn't handle a wet diaper pail. I just use the inserts that came with them, but I've heard that if you have a child that has a large volume of pee, you can use the hemp inserts to hold more. I think the Fuzzi Bunz are a little more expensive, but like someone else in this forum said, you can use them for more than one child. Mine are showing hardly any wear from using them for a year. I've also seen them on eBay (new ones) and you might save money that way. Good luck and good for you for going cloth! : )

We used Fuzzi bunz with my first daughter and they were okay but then with my second we switched to BumGenius 2 diapers. They are awesome! You can use them from 8-35lbs. so you aren't buying new sizes each time they go up a size. www.cottonbabies.com is where I get them and they have "packages" where you save some money. Ask any questions if you need!

i have used cloth for 2 years no service -- they put too much bleach in anyways. my method -- dry pail, wash 2 or 3 times/week. three or four wash cycles:
1. 20 min. soak w/ 1/2 cup baking soda (any temp)
2. wash with very little detergent (warm or hot)
3. short rinse with 1 c. vinegar (hot)
4. short rinse just water (hot and optional)

basically i choose to do the additional rinse if the third cycle looks like there is bubbly residue. this will destroy your kids bum, so do heed the advice of very little soap. the vinegar should help neutralize that stuff, butit seems extra rinses help.

i have bleached maybe twice in 2 years. seems everyone says it messes with the diapers and it seems so harsh. there are several websites with diaper care depending on your type. i use prefolds -- so cheap and work well for other messes too, but at night we splurge on the fuzzy buns with 2 inserts and they are great. if you can afford them they will never give your kid a rash. i have found powders are what helps keep off the rash associated with cloth.

it is definitely a little more work, but so worth it.

PS dont put plastic wraps in dryer.

I did cloth diaper for a while with my now 3 yr old. I tried for several mo before I gave up. I didn't use any service and would have stuck to it if I had. Pretty much all you do is designate a container for soiled. I used a 5 gal bucket. Roll up pee pee ones and soiled ones you dump as much into toilet and roll up. Do NOT put water in the soiled bucket. When you are ready to wash...fill up w/cold water and swoosh diapers around. Repeat a few times...then wash in the washer. Make sure you use a fragrance...dye free detergent and no bleach. Dry normal. The more you wash them...the more absorbent they become. Buy good quality diapers. I liked the bummies covers best. Inserts you can buy homemade on ebay as well. I have some al in one diapers I bought from wahm but they are hard to get dried....just super convenient. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. I also have a friend that does all cloth diapering for her 3 kids and I think she sells natural products.
R.

I've used Fuzzy Bunz before and they worked great for me. I tried G Diapers actually and didn't like the hassle of having to swirl the contents in the toilet. Plus I never knew where to store the wand! But Fuzzy Bunz works great. Buy the extra inserts for overnight diapering (they are a little thick with these, but baby doesn't seem to mind). One size lasted a while too and they are still in great shape for my next baby. I know there are other cloth diapers out there that have velcro and snaps that may be one size fits all, I've never tried them but maybe they are worth checking out.

L.

Aslee, Tiny Tots also has a store in Campbell where you can ask questions, touch the diapers, compare, and check out all the different methods and supplies. They are very helpful. We ended up using their service as well, but I bought all the get-started supplies from them. I used the service for 6 months, then did my own fora year and it was so easy. To wash, I simply tossed the diapers (poop and all) in the machine with detergent (whatever was on sale at the store, at half strength), a little bit of bleach, and put it on the heavy-duty cycle. When they were done, I ran them through another cycle, without anything but water to make sure they were good and rinsed out. Then into the dryer and that was that. I used Bummies covers and snapeez closers, and the bummies go through the washer and dryer. Tiny Tots can help you with lots of advice. They even have a diapering class!

I use Happy Heinies pocket diapers with the hemp insert. Hemp is the most absorabent material you can get. I love them!

I used cloth diapers - my son is now 15. Lots of benefits - little to no diaper rash because the cloth breaths. I used a white plastic bin (kind of like a garbage can that would normally go in the kitchen). When I would change him I would just toss the diaper in the bin. When I would leave the house I would bring along ziplock plastic bags to place the soiled diapers in. His poop diaper I would rinse in the toilet, then toss in the bin. I would have to do laundry about every other day or every two days - I don't remember what cycle I used though. However, I did just use the baby laundry detergent and it worked fine. There is also an insert to use for overnight, which works well. Sometimes I would have leakage but found I just needed to switch the plastic pant for some reason or another. You will save an amazing amount of money doing this and no diaper service is needed - I didn't think so anyway... hope this helps. I did switch to the plastic diapers when he turned 12 months. Just found it a little easier because he was so active.

I am about to be a new mom in a matter of weeks and have decided to try the g-diapers. i don't know anyone who has used them before and i'm wondering why you have decided to switch to cloth diapers? is there some reason you do not like the g-diapers?

thanks!

I loved using cloth all the way through with both my kids who both were completely potty trained before two. You can buy gently used cloth diapers from ABC diaper service in Berkeley since real, service quality diapers are impossible to purchase in this country. They are sold by the dozen, no poo stains, just some wear and tear from diaper clips. I am also a huge fan of the snappy clip which I'm sure they sell too. Good luck!

A few years ago, I used some wonderful cloth diapers. They were contoured (with a series of plastic snaps so you could adjust them to fit any sized baby waist. You didn't need to do any folding or use any pins. They were thick cotton terrycloth and plush--so soft. They also had a snap in diaper-doubler which doubled the crotch area for overnight. The waterproof diaper covers were sized (XS-L) and brushed nylon and (you had to line-dry them) so the seams were soft and not sharp. They were waterproof on the inside and velcroed around the waist so you didn't squish pee down you baby's ankles when you were trying to take it off. They were made by Mother Ease out of Canada, I think they were called all-in-ones, but I'm not sure. I read a great book about cloth diapering that discussed pro and cons of different types. I washed them with an oxygen bleach--like oxyclean, and they stayed pretty stain-free. I dried the diapers in the dryer and just tossed them in a beautiful basket on the changing table, I didn't feel the need to prefold them and stack them because it didn't save time when I put it on the baby.

I have used Happy Heinys on both of my boys and loved them.

Check out www.diaperpin.com for reviews and advice. You can post this question in the cloth diapering forum there with as many specifics as possible and get lots of suggestions as well as figuring out your wash routine.

I don't know how well they work for a 3 month old, but my current favorites for my 13.5 month old are Dream-Eze all-in-ones (from Montana's Diaper Store, mtdiaperstore.com) and Dream-Eze organic cotton fitteds under wool covers.

There are tons of great choices out there. It's not your mama's world of cloth diapering any more. Have fun!

Try visiting the website
www.thediaperpin.com

They lsit every diaper out there with momma reviews, specific needs, how to clean etcc... We loved kissaluvs, bummis wrappers and little lambs. email me if you have any questions. I tried so many brands!
____@____.com

I love my cloth dipers! I use the bum genius one size dipers. They are really great. They hold alot, and are so comfy for my son. I put inserts 2 in at night and it holds for 14 hours! I tried them on my 3 yo when I got them to make sure they would fit my baby though potty training and they fit (my son is a big 3, already potty trained.)They have velcro tabs which hold really well and are easy to put on my wiggly 1yo. And they are just so easy to use! Good luck, please feel free to eamail if you have questions on the bum genius or want tips on how to use/clean them!

Hi Ashlee-
We are using the Gs also. I wanted to use blueberry diapers, but they run $25 each & we haven't been able to put enough money together to buy the initial amount we'd need. They are sweet tho- all in one diapers that adjust to fit growing babies with extra inserts for noght time etc. You can check out the website blueberrydiapers.com. The quality is outstanding. They came recommended by a friend of mine with 2 boys in them.
We are also thinking about using traditional wool "soakers". The are wool outers that go over the cloth pre-folds. I have no idea how much they cost or where to buy them, but if you knit, there are tons of patterns to use. Apparently the wool is really good because it wicks away moisture so well when treated with lanolin.
Good luck & HTH!