Cloth Diapers - Auburn, WA

My husband and I, before we even got pregnant were talking about using FuzziBunz. We saw some friends using them with ther small one and asked about them, we thought that they were such a good idea we registered for them for our baby shower. We LOVE them. Our baby has not had one tiny bit of diaper rash. They are a bit more of a hastle than disposable because you have to wash them, but it's worth it. Plus you save SOOOOOO much money, which to us is huge. We calculated that we save at least .25 cents everytime we change his diaper.

This is a confusing decision and I wish you luck.

My recommendation would be to check out www.diaperdecisions.com My friend Susie is one of the co-founders of that website. They have so many great links, websites, information, and even games from time to time. I used cloth diapers for the last 18 months for my daughter..wish I had started at birth.

Also, I think that the all-in-one cloth diapers are the easiest to deal with and they come in sooooo many adorable colors/patterns/designs.

Good luck!

Get yourself to Babyworks! They are in NW Portland near Upshur and 25th.

I have been successfully cloth diapering my 2 children for almost 5 years now. I couldn't have done it without Babyworks. They help you get started, let you try different styles on your baby, even take returns. The initial cost seems high, but I have used the same sets of diaper wraps and the same diapers on both my kids. As my youngest outgrew the wraps, I sold them! They have great resale value. All in all, a GREAT investment.

Washing the diapers and wraps is pretty simple once you get your "system" going. As your baby grows, there are less diapers to wash :)

You won't be sorry. I think Babyworks is open on Tues and Thurs from about 11-2 and then again on Sat. (They are mostly a mail order business, run by a local Mom) It's worth the trip!

I don't have any advice on cloth diapers, but I wanted to recommend Seventh Generation diapers if you haven't tried them (and still want to try disposables). They are chlorine, latex, fragrance, and TBT (tributyl tin) free and chemical free. They are hypo-allergenic and work great! Most stores carry them (sometimes only in the natural/organic section), but we buy our daughter's "bed-time panties" (AKA pull-ups) from www.Diapers.com by the case. The price can't be beat, they offer free shipping on orders over $50 and arrive within a couple days (to Seattle).

I used cloth from the get-go with my daughter and it worked for us, and now I have them for the second child, so they really do save money (not to mention the environment.) I would recommend a buying a package with different sizes. Also, the chemicals they use in disposable diapers have not been proven safe for baby's skin. One such chemical is dioxin, a highly toxic by-product of the bleaching process. Secondly, sodium polyacrylate, the clear gel-like substance you often find on your baby's genitals after a diaper change, gives disposable diapers their super absorbant characteristic. Its use in tampons was banned in 1985 because of its link to Toxic Shock Syndrome. And most recently, TBT or Tributylin was found in disposable diapers in Europe. TBT is ranked by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most toxic substances in use in consumer products in the world today.

This is what I got.

http://www.diaperaps.com/home/dp1/listitems_28/Birth_to_P...

Also, here are some guidelines for washing them....
http://www.grizzlybird.net/2006/03/how-to-wash-cloth-diap...

A.

I use disposable - but you might want to try organic disposables before going for cloth - if you like using disposables...if not, I am considering using the G-Diaper if we have another child (mine is almost fully potty trained, so I am not going to switch for nap and bedtime use). The are more environmentally friendly than straight cloth.

Hi D.,

The world of cloth diapers can be a bit overwhelming as there are soo many choices now. There is a ton of info online, but Diaperpin.com might be a good place to start. If you want the least expense go with prefolds and wraps. I like the Indian prefolds with the snappi and Thirsty wraps. The pocket diapers are more expensive, but easier to use and still cheaper than disposables in the long run. If you want to stick with disosables, but get rid of the chemicals, you might try seventh generation. They work pretty much like other disosables, but without the chemical smell. We use bum genius pocket diapers, some prefolds, and seventh generation disposables as backup and travel. Feel free to e-mail me with other questions.

Have fun with it!

C.

D.,
I'm sure you have heard this from a zillion people already, but if you are going to make the switch to cloth, just go with a diaper service... less work for you, but with the benefits of having the cloth.
See it's not like the "old school" days with our parents where you have to clean them in the toilet before washing... No, you get a receptacle from the company... put the soiled diapers in, and on a scheduled day, they are picked up and new ones dropped off.

Good Luck!
R.
One Woman Spa
###-###-####

I own an online business specializing in cloth diapers that are SIMPLE to use and feature a special "stay-dry" liner to keep babies rash free. The style of diapers I sell were actually invented by a mother whose children suffered from diaper rash. These diapers are "daddy and babysitter approved" and require NO folding, NO plastic pants, and NO dunking in the toilet. Please visit my website for details. I also offer no obligation consultations for those living in the greater south Puget Sound region. This would give you a chance to see the diapers in person and for me to demonstrate how they are used and cared for. I'm here to help! You'll find contact information and details on my website: www.simplecloth.com.

I haven't started using them yet, but Seattle Diaper Baby Diaper Service [____@____.com] is recommended. I had them on my baby registry and will be trying them out shortly.

Cloth is a great choice! There are so so so many different types. It depends how much moola you want to spend. If you read Mothering magazine, the May issue had a great article on cloth diapers. Actually I think you can go online to Motheringmagazine.com or something like that and look up the article. I use Motherease, b/c I am borrowing them from a friend. They don't leak at all and are easy to deal with. Good luck and good choice!

Have you considered G-diapers? They are convenient as a disposable, yet are chemical free. Bonus; you can flush them as they are biodegradable.

Have you tried any different brands? The Walmart brand (Parent's Choice I think) gave my son a rash but Huggies seem to be fine.

Hi D..

The trick with diapers--cloth or plastic--is to change them when needed. One pee is all it takes to cause diaper rash. I used Tidee Didee for my kids, and it worked really well. It was easy and I wasn't dumping disgusting diapers into the land fills. One bit of advise: instead of using wipes (yuk!), try just plain water and a soft wash cloth. If your baby's bottom is sore and raw, put a little baby soap on the cloth. That way baby gets cleaned, but not burned. Baby soap has non-stinging formulas that work. I speak from experience. My own medical situation has cursed me with chronic raw and very painful skin (the adult version of diaper rash). The only thing that works for me is baby soap. I use Johnson's Baby Wash. Wipes hurt. Period! By the way, my kids never had diaper rash. Good luck to you and your baby!

Love, love, love cloth diapers! I do a lot of shopping at bananapeelsdiapers.com. Also, cottonbabies.com has a great amount of information if you are just starting out. Don't get discouraged once you start, there is a learning curve. With disposable diapers most of us are guilty of leaving one on for longer than it should be, but with cloth they need to be changed every 2-3 hours. So, that alone is better for baby's bottom.

I just feel so much better putting soft cloth against my baby's skin. And most of the diapers you find are made by work at home moms. It's great to know I am supporting them. And from my experience, they are great at answering any questions you may have. Cloth diapering mammas really love supporting other cloth diapering mammas!

I looked all over the internet for a good cloth diaper website and finally found this one simplewondersdiapers.com I think that is it anyway. The woman who runs it is named Sultana and she is wonderful and her website is thorough, she will email with you or call you if you have any questions. She also offers sample packages and discounts for buying multiple diapers to help you get started. It is worth checking out. If the link doesn't work google it and you should find it. Of note, I went with the Bumgenious one size they seem sturdy and are pretty easy to use and wash. I have only one blowout but it was because I didn't close it tight enough and never have had a leak.
Good Luck and Happy diaper hunting!
R.

I had to get into cloth diapering for that same reason with my daughter. Cloth diapers have come a LONG way since we were little. I use what is called pocket diapers (BumGenius is a fantastic brand, here's the link: http://www.bumgenius.com/one-size.php). These come with an insert (cotton, hemp, or what I use is microfiber cloths). You fold them up and insert them into the diaper which is almost identical to a disposable with a waterproof layer and a soft inner layer. There are also diapers which are called All In Ones that have the insert sewn into the diaper, they are harder to clean and take a lot longer to dry. And of course, you can always do it the old fashioned way and just use prefolds and pins with a waterproof cover! Good luck (I have actually made my own diapers, saves you money, and tons of free patterns online).

I used cloth diapers briefly with my oldest son. I was fortunate to live in a community that offered a diaper service that made it a breeze. I remember it was a bit cheaper to use the diaper service than it was to buy disposables. We had to frequent a laundromat back in those days so I didn't even consider buying my own diapers and wash them myself. I would have stuck with it alot longer but we moved. The diapers also doubled as burp rags so I always had a fresh one available.

I used a diaper service for my oldest son for 6 months. If you need to have cloth full time, this is the way to go in my opinion. All you have to do is put the messy diapers in a bag and leave it on your front porch once a week, and they leave clean ones! It was convenient and the cost is about the same as disposables a month.
With my newborn, I decided to buy some cloth and use intermittently to save some money. It is more labor intensive and you are constantly washing diapers, but once you are past the up front cost, you are diapering with no additional costs each month. I have to admit, though, that I use this probably less than half the time because it is just such a chore to deal with clean up. I recommend www.cottonbabies.com if this interests you.

We were using disposables and I just couldn't stand all of the waste so I did quite a bit of research before switching to a more earth friendly diapering system. My daughter started out with a service but they are expensive and not always better for the environment. We were exclusively using Gdiapers for our son and they're great (but expensive). I decided that since I could do G's, I could do cloth and bought some BumGenius Pocket Diapers. I absolutely LOVE them! He's almost two, and we've been switching between G's and Bum's for over a year. We use both depending on what we're doing and where we're going. The new Bum's come with an extra liner for when you have a very small baby and we use those to help line the G's if we use them at night so he doesn't leak out. Alternatives to disposables are kind of fun to play around with and decide what works best for you. They're expensive at the start, but more than pay for themselves in the long run. Good luck and happy diapering!

I loved my diaper service but they are no longer available. I can't offer up to date info but I can tell you it is easy and reduces diaper rashes when you use the plain cotton as babies let you know the minute they are dirty. Made potty training quick too! Sounds like you will need to use natural detergent too.

I used them with my daughter and bought my supplies online from a company called www.greenmountaindiapers.com.....they have a lot of useful information for parents, especially those that are starting out. I used these for the first 6mos as it is pretty easy (esp if you breastfeed)....there is no prewashing needed, you can just dump the whole bucket in the washer and wash...very easy. After we introdued food at 6 mos, it became more and more smelly and kinda gross...I did try the G diapers as others have mentioned....I was disappointed because you have to tear the diapers in half and swoosh them around in the toilet before you flush..not a problem at all for wet diapers, but not so great for poopy diapers....good luck.

D.,

I am cloth diapering my daughter who is 11 months. I started from the beginning, but by starting now you probably won't have to change sizes much.

There is a lot to learn. My favorite resource has been diapertraders.com. It is a reader board for cloth diapering parents and WAHMs. I found WAHM who makes pocket fitteds. She made them adjustable, so they can grow with my lo(little one). I bought covers through Hyenacart.com, a WAHM mom mall. I also have Mommy's Touch Pocket Diapers. They work really well for when you go out and don't want to take the extra time to secure a cover.

If you need more info. or have more questions, feel free to e-mail me. I'd love to help you. Have a blessed week.

Hi D.,

I use Baby Diaper Service (www.seattlediaper.com) and love it! It's so easy, just put the dirty ones in a covered pail and set out once a week. They bring you clean ones. It's no hassle and minimal smell since they have good air fresheners that slide under the lid of the pail.

S.

I use a diaper service and I like it a lot. I don't like doing laundry but you could look into buying the cloth diapers and washing them yourself. It is a bigger initial investment but you will probably save money in the long run. However, if you just want to try the diaper service for a month then the only expense you are out are the diaper wraps which are about $40? I like it because they deliver the right amount of diapers every week and pick up your dirty ones too. You don't have to wash or rinse the diapers. Just dump them in the pail they provide. Here is the company we use and I am sure they would be happy to answer any questions over the phone too:

http://www.seattlediaper.com/
206-634-BABY(2229)
253-383-BABY
1-800-562-BABY
____@____.com

We use fuzzibuns and wonderoos and like both. The fuzzibuns seem to contain better, but both are good. Friends of mine bought their diapers from a diaper service and I think they said they use 25 every 3-4 days for their 11 month old. Hope that helps!

I've used cloth for both my girls and have loved it- saving money, hardly (if) any diaper rashes, and early potty training. I use the typical cloth diapers with the extra padding in the middle, then use a flushable liner (like a dryer sheet) for easy poop clean up, and a velcro wrap for the outside. I got my wraps at diaperaps.com as well as the liners, but they can be bought at other websites. I have yet to find anything at any stores. I have about 6 wraps in each size and when you change your child, if it's just pee in the diaper, you can let the wrap air out instead of washing the wraps each time. The liners can also be thrown in the wash and used again, unless they are poopy of course. When that happens, just pull the liner off and flush down the potty.
If you have other questions, please let me know! I actually just put all my stuff away since my 23mo decided she was potty trained.
K.

I have had great success with cloth diapers and it's really not as difficult as people think it must be.

There are several great brands of covers out there- we chose Imse Vimse because they were the softest in our price range (some of the less expensive ones are very stiff and don't look like they'd be comfortable, but the REALLY comfy looking ones are quite pricey)

Anyway, I'm not sure where you live, but we found everything we needed at Mother Nature's on SE Clinton St in Portland. it might be helpful to go to a store so you can talk to the person and see all of the choices. We ended up buying 6 Imse Vimse covers and about 30 unbleached cotton prefold diapers to go inside the covers. This was enough to do laundry every 5- 7 days.

My "system" was to keep a bucket at the bottom of the basement stairs (where our laundry is) then i would literally throw the dirty diapers down the stairs- after a while i got pretty good at making it in the bucket :) Then when the bucket was full or we were out of diapers, I'd wash them in hot water with a little vinegar to take out the smells.

A helpful thing was that i had this pastic stick thing to help me scrape poop off the diapers in the toilet. (but when they're older and poops are more solid, you can just drop it in the toilet and throw the diaper in a bucket) For our next baby I think we will install a spray nozzle onto the toilet to help rinse the diapers.

Another good thing to know- since you will only have a limited number of diaper covers, you can just air out the ones that are not soiled or too wet and reuse them until laundry day.

I did, however, use a disposable on my daughter at night because she was an all-night nurser and would soak through cloth (and i was too tired to change her) but there are extra liners available for night time, or maybe the Seventh Generation chlorine free diapers would work for your kids at night.

Good luck!

A great resource for this is the Cozy Baby Boutique ###-###-####) or look online at cozybabyboutique.com. The owner is an absolute guru of cloth diapering and she is a doll. She will teach you all about what you do and don't need, explain how cloth diapering works and get you totally set up. Good luck!

Hi D.,

I did cloth at home with both kids. I got my diapers from Babyworks in Portland Or (NW 23rd and Upshaw). They have a web site and you can order that way or you can go to their warehouse on Tues and Thursday 10am-2pm. They are really great there and they will help you find the right diapers for your budget. I used the chines cloth diapers with the Nikki covers. We also got a spray nozel that hooks up to your toilet so your can spray out the poopies before you soak them in the diaper pail.

They wash really well, I am still using the diapers from the first child on the second and he is 2 years old!

Also my kids never got the bad diaper rash that some of my friends babies got from the disposables.

Good luck,

C.

If you want the convienence of disposable (not having diapers to wash) I suggest a diaper service. The pick-up and deliver on a weekly basis. Your sons could have had a reaction to the diaper wipes you are using or the foods they are eating as well. Use a wet wash cloth to clean their bottoms with and when possible leave their bottoms out to air dry. Check with your pediatrician as to what's their recommended ointment to use. I used A and D ointment and also a Diaperene. Best of luck!

Hi. I;m a gramma who raised three kids primarily using cloth diapers. in those days we could buy plastic pants to pull on over them keeping furniture & laps dry. not sure what is out there today biu surely something. My best advice is " change diapers often, change diapers often,etc. although th fabric does wick the moisture away somewhat it is not as effective as those disposables in that respet. however, potty training seems to be easier usingcloth as baby gets uncomfortable being "soggy" more easily than in disposables. be sure to always wash them in HOT water. If you have a clothesline, drying them in the sun is wonderful for sanitizing/ besides they smell so fresh & clean that way. I wish you great success. I only used disposables for travel or emergencies & thought they were so great for that. of course you'll want to soak the used diapers in a large pail/container with a disinfectant and enzyme product to help break down any organic material that didn't come off while swishing the diaper in the toilet at changing time. here's to healthy bottoms,
Gramma K.

Welcome to cloth diapers!! It's a wonderful world. I waited until my daughter was 9 months old to put her in disposables, but it's a bit of an initial start up cost. You need to decide one major thing: Do you want to wash your own (not as bad as it sounds) or have someone wash them for you? You have more options for different types of cloth diapers if you wash your own. A great resource is go to to www.diaperswappers.com. It's a buy/sell/trade site for moms and cloth diapers. But it's also a great resource for information. I would not buy more than one kind until you're sure you like it. We love the Tiny Tush one size (OS) all-in-one AIO) diapers. We get all our diapering supplies from www.punkinbutt.com. Audrey is a local mom (who gives local moms discounts), and will work with you on trying different diapers on your baby to find the perfect fit. She'll show you how to use them, and give you washing instructions, along with all the stuff needed to wash them. Good luck! It's a wonderful world, and far less intimidating than it seems at first.

If your children are chemical sensitive, you might want to check into a diaper service. They provide the diapers and then better yet, pick them up and launder them for you, giving you fresh new ones. Not sure of the cost, been YEARS for me LOL. Anyway if that's not an option then you can purchase cloth diapers from a store and plastic pants and pins I think. Like I said been YEARS. I might be out of the loop by now.

I highly recommend Motherease cloth diapers. Look it up on line-they are based in Niagra Falls, Canada I think. Anyways, several friends recommended them to us and we have a 9 month old who wears them everyday. They are great. We got one of the starter packages and we did the one size fits all. They were a little big when she was so little but you probably would be okay with your 3 month old. We got a Simple Human kitchen garbage can b/c it has a removable inside part to dump the diaper water out. We wash every 3 or 4 days and we use water and Bac Out (by Biokleen, can be found at Market of Choice) in the diaper pail. A friend of mine showed me her diapers after her daugther potty trained after wearing them for 2 years and they looked almost new. These are great! Good luck!

My aunt used a diaper service. She would put out her pale of dirty clothe diapers once a week and it would be replace with one full of clean ones. The service was a little pricey though.

check out bumgenius diapers, I absolutely love them!! The best thing about them is that they are one size fits all-from newborn to 37 pounds. So they save you even more money. I like them a lot better than disposables, they never leak and they are so soft, they are fleece inside with microfiber inserts. Check out their website. bumgenius.com

D.,
We decided to go the cloth route with my son (now 18months) and got great advice at Mother Natures in SE portland. Cloth diapers have definitely come a LONG way and there are a ton of good options out there. We use Bummi and Thirsties wraps and have liked them. We also wash at home with no issues. I would recommend that you look at some alternative disposables or g-diapers for traveling -- we use disposables then. Good luck!

Hi D.... We have been using cloth diapers since our baby was born (he's nearly 12 months old). We also get all our cloth diaper supplies from Babyworks in Portland via mail since we live an hour from Portland... they have been so helpful and nice, and are very quick to ship orders out. We do use the 7th Generation diapers at night since our baby slept through the night since early on. The best price I've seen on those is through amazon's subscribe and save program (usually less than $10/package, with free shipping.) And we use a variety of cloth brands and styles... we usually have 2-3 all-in-ones, but mainly use the "pre-fold" (just plain rectangular cloth diaper) with covers, and "snappis" instead of pins to hold the diapers closed. We like the Bumkins covers, and also the Bummis Super Whisper Wrap.

I really liked Kushies All in ones, they are easy to use, work great and look cute! You do have to change them often or else you'll end up with a rash problem again - about once an hour for my son.

www.punkin-butt.com is a WAHM run business. There are several articles on cloth diapering plus several different types of diapers on there. If you call Audrey (owner) she will help walk you through all the differences and make sure that you are getting what you need for your child. She also has a diaper package on there through Bummis that might be a good idea. when my daughter was born she had to go to the hospital, they used disposables on her and she had the worst rash. When I got her home and into the cloth diapers it cleared up in 2 days! i love cloth diapers. It might take a little while to figure out what works for you but it is totally worth it. I have not had a problem with diaper rashes since we switched to cloth. And while there might be more work since you are washing instead of tossing I love it.

Good luck mama. Feel free to contact me if you have more questions.

S.

We used Tidee Didee diaper service. As long as we weren't on vacation, it was as easy as disposables (and less leaky). Just take off the diaper and throw it in the pail, they come and pick up weekly, you can adjust how many, size, or training pants later. In the meantime have you tried Angel Baby bottom Balm for that rash?

If you find that the cloth diapers aren't working out, there are alternatives. I'm a cloth diaper flunky, but I totally love gDiapers. My daughter had a really sensitive bum until I started using them. It's a washable cloth outer with a flushable liner. The liner is biodegradable - made with natural materials. I also like Nature Babycare disposables - again totally biodegradable, made with natural materials. You can find both at www.coolerchoices.com. Good luck!

Hi D., I was in the same spot about 4 months ago, I have now started to use th G-Diapers when we are traveling or going over to a friends house so I dont have to carry a wet diaper with me. But be careful where you flush them as they can stop up old plumbing. I use the Thirsties fleece diapers with a diper cover the rest of the time , they are super soft and dry really fast after washing, so they can be dried in the sun ( when we have sun) and dont get all stiff like the cotton ones. There are some sites that have starter kits available so that you can try them out with out the super huge investment. or try some of the resale baby stores they sometimes have cloth dipers there. Its not bad to use previosly owned diapers, in fact they are more absorbent than the brand new ones. Good luck !! I really like using cloth, and there are soo many options that you really cant go wrong!
V.

there is a company in the Olympia area called Sound Diaper Service, they serve the south puget sound including chehalis and shelton if thats helpful. I think its sounddiapersevice.net

they also sell used cloth diapers that they were unable to get the stain out. last time i checked they were $6 per dozen. its not hard to wash them yourself.

I have a 6mo old son. We have used cloth diapers from the start, but in the hospital and a few other times he wore the disposables, same thing -horrible rash. We use the baby diaper service. I'm not sure where you live, but check if there is one in your area. It is so nice to never run out or have to make trips to the store. Also not having to deal with all the washing allows more time to be spent w/your kids. I love these wraps I found on e-bay. A mom makes them and they work so much better than any other I have tried. And you can pick from a variety of cute colors. She also makes diapers if you are thinking about buying those too. Its called Monkey Bunz. She has comparable prices. I have bought 2x from her. Good luck! Hope this helps. Cloth diapers look and feel so cozy and you just know that you are doing something great for your child.

I dont know what brand diapers that you use, but depending on how often you change them, they shouldnt get rashes. I used cloth diapers with my first daughter and they work great, BUT you have to be right on top of changing them because if the urine stays on their skin, it is going to increase the chances of rashes. I didnt continue using cloth diapers because there is nothing pulling the wetness away from the skin (that is what is in diapers like huggies and costco's Kirkland brand) and my kids would break out more..

So good luck! S.