Cloth Diapers - Schaumburg, IL

We use Bottoms Up diaper service and it works for us. I have cloth diapered exclusively and my daughter is 1.5 years. We like Fuzzi Bunz for night time and for daytime, we use Dappis nylon pants. I tried a wide variety of $$ covers and the Dappis (2-pack is about $3) work the best. They probably don't "breathe" as well as some other covers, but you know what -- her clothes stay clean and dry. They look just like the old-fashioned rubber pants, except they are nylon.

Also, stock up on Snappis -- they are great.

I would recommend the BeByBaby diapering class -- a good way to start learning. I did find it to be very anti-diaper service, but for me, it was diaper service or disposables, so I chose the service.

Good luck!

Start with inexpensive indian unbleached prefolds (you can get them at beby baby on lincoln and roscoe then I'd recommend Mother-ease One Size diapers (www.motherease.com). They are from Canada but shipping is way cheap. They will take you from birth to potty training without having to buy another batch a size up. They are SUPER absorbent. I've never had a leak or blow out with these. I use the Mother-ease Air flow covers with them. They're very slim (not snug- you don't want that) and you can reuse them between changings (I just wipe the inside with a wipe then let them air dry. If poop gets on them, I'd throw them in the wash but pee can be wiped and dried then reused).

I tried pockets, AIO's, prefolds but I prefer the cloth one size with a cover over them all. I can give you more details on each if you'd like. Just p.m. me. If you go the package route, the total cost of doing cloth should run you about $300-400 depending on how many diapers you decide to go with (I recommend the 24 diaper set w/ covers and liners) and the kind of wet bag, toilet spray, etc. you go with. Speaking of, definitely get a toilet spray attachment if you haven't thought of that already. Cleaning cloth dipes would be a pain in the but without that! (you can also get that at BBB). Let me know if you have any other questions!
K.
p.s. If you decide to go with Mother-ease, you don't have to order online. You can call and customize the cover styles you'd like, even on the trial package.

I use cloth diapers from Blue Penguin. They are out of California, but they always get my orders to me extremely quickly. I use their All-in-One's which are a lot like disposables as far as putting them on. You also don't need a diaper cover with those. The last time I ordered (a few months ago) they were about $11 a piece, the best price I've been able to find. The all-in-ones also come in some really cute patterns. Blue Penguin diapers aren't pocket diapers, so they are easier to clean. Their website is bluepenguin.biz. They also have starter kits so you can decide what type you want to use. Plus they always send you a free gift (an extra diaper, a cute bib, extra wipes). I also buy their cloth wipes, which we use with water instead of regular baby wipes. I actually need to place an order for some large diapers now, the medium's are getting a bit snug on my 10 month old. One extra thing, I much prefer the snaps--I thought the velcro would be easier, but you have to fold the velcro so that it doesn't stick in the wash, and that's a pain.

I've been CDing for 8 months and have tried ALL the brands. It will really be dependent on your baby's body type. My dear Moose has the chunkiest thighs in the northside, so Drybees work the best for me. FuzziBs pill and don't feel as "buttery soft" as they did when I started. Swaddlebees are too small for him. Prefolds and Bumkins/Bummis wraps rule, and I get those cute lil prints (Dr Seuss!). It's really trial and error. Diaperpin.com has a great community...join it for free.

TAKE A CLASS! ###-###-####
There's a new CDing class in the area! On June 22nd(with more dates coming), 11:30 am in Park Ridge (near Trader Joe's) there's a new little boutique called Kustum Kribs. Lisa (the owner) and I are co-teaching a class. It's only $15 to join (spaces are limited) and you get a free pocket diaper! So it's for free when you consider that you are getting a diaper. Lisa's also having mocktinis and appetizers for mamas. There's a discount that day if you buy anything. She also has a baby registry. I registered for all my CDs...so I've spent $0.00 diapering my son! My friends even bought my pail and Charlie's soap. More money to spend on fun stuff for my son (who will be at the class as well modeling "how to" do it...

We already have quite a few people signed up. Should be a fun hour! I will be providing an easy ready to use booklet as well. I took a class when I was pregnant (at a store downtown) and left VERY overwhelmed. Maybe it's that I am a teacher, so when things are done clearly, ugh. It could be that nasty nesting instinct still makes me clean everything...

I'm a certified el ed teacher with a masters (now in Early Childhood)...
been teaching since 2001...

The BumGenius 3.0 is definitely an easy transition diaper for anybody planning to switch from disposables. They also come with a 14-day money back guarantee program that allows you to try the diaper risk free. I own PinStripes and PolkaDots a cloth diaper shop in central IL but you might want to check up in the burbs with Green Bebe in Aurora ( http://www.green-bebe.com/ )she opened up shop maybe a year ago and is pleasant to work with. Seeing the diapers in person can make a world of difference.

Don't wait too long the advantages of cloth diapering abound and it shouldn't take too many poo blowouts in disposables to make the switch seem even better. A good fit in cloth will contain messes much better than any disposable.

Enjoy finding cute diapers.

we started out with Bottoms Up diaper service. It was great when we were overwhelmed and exhausted new parents.. The price is comparable(or less than disposable. https://www.spottedhorse.com/sites/bottomsupdiapers.com/s...

Now we wash our own, I am using unbleached indian prefolds. Sometimes they seem a bit bulky now that my 9-month old is moving around on her own. I might switch to an all-in-one once she grows out of the current size. I have heard good things about Fuzzi Bunz.

B., I have a variety of cloth diapers: Lil Bummers and Wonder works diapers. They already have the absorbency inserts built right in to them. Lil Bummers were highly recommended by several people I know. I have a stack of them. They have all been pre-washed but never used. I can give a few to try out if you'd like.

The only thing about the cloth diapers with the inserts, they take a long time to dry. They recommend that you do not use fabric softener or any type of detergent with a softener built into it.

I reside on the sw side of Chicago, near Oak Lawn, IL.

Pam

I just used Gerber brand from Target, with safety pins, nothing fancy, and put a leakproof cover over it. Most modern baby clothes don't have the extra butt room for cloth diapers, but in warm weather, babies can just wear onesies, anyway. The other thing about using them was learning how to wash them properly. I found some advice on-line about detergents and such. Bleach is fine to use, and so is Borax, but putting vinegar in the rinse helps get any soapy or bleachy residues out, and then do an extra rinse afterwards. Also, I dumped the poop out of the diaper into the toilet and flushed it. Why throw that in the washing machine or the garbage?

most brands of cloth diapers are about the same. make sure you get ones that are pre-folded (and stitched) - otherwise you will spend a lot of time folding them. Both my girls lived in cloth diapers - I only used disposables when I absolutely had to. Also get good quality diaper pins - the ones with the plastic heads. I still have 5 dozen diapers and also used them whenever my grandchildren came to visit. My daughters are in their 20s and the youngets grandchild is 5.You will also save tons of money after your initial investment.

If you are going cloth diapers, use the most natural cloth to be good to your son's skin. You can wash them yourself, but do not use bleach. The amonia smell from the urine eventually builds up. There is an old, old product that is natural called Borax or better yet, Borateam. Usually can find it in grocery or discount stores. After my son had continuing rashes, a nurse told me about this product and the rashes went away. Also, the diapers smelled so clean when they came out of the dryer. I have never used a service because I prefer to have my kids wearing their own diapers.

We use Fuzzi Bunz which are pocket diapers, stuffed with two liners for night time and one liner for day time. I have only had a few leaks and only then because we fastened too loosely (mostly my hubby!)

We use prefolds some for daytime use too, and I buy covers pretty cheaply from a work at home mom. Beware some wahm quality is not too good though (I've been burned trying things from eBay)

If you have questions, feel free to contact me :)

Every baby has different needs, so I suggest trying out one of a few different kinds to see what works best for you and the baby. Some fit better than others depending on how chubby (or not) your baby's legs are, some do a better job at wicking away the moisture, etc.

When our baby was an infant, we used the kissaluvs size 0 w/ a bummis superbrite cover. This was perfect for the newborn stage b/c she wasn't wetting that much. But as she got to eating more, I wasn't a big fan of the kissaluvs b/c she'd get soaked in them fast and it didn't wick away very well, so she'd be sitting in it.

So now we use Bummis Super Brite covers w/ indian unbleached prefolds or hemp inserts (hemp is 6x more absorbent than cotton, so if you've got a heavy wetter, it's a Godsend!) during the day. We use BumGenius at night and for travel/sitters/etc since they're easier and more convenient.

I recommend attending the cloth diaper class at BeByBaby in Chicago. We got a lot of info there, and they had all the different kinds to try out. They do have unbleached prefolds there, bummis covers and fuzzibunz, and also a great non-residue detergent. Fuzzibunz are good too, I just prefer the bumgenius b/c they have velcro rather than snaps, so it's easier and faster for everyone to use. Compare w/ prices online though, b/c sometimes you can find cheaper prices online than at the store. But I found it helpful to go there, touch them, practice w/ them (on a doll of coursE!) etc, before making the investment.

I will also say that although the bumGenius are my absolute fav, if your baby is small, you may want to be careful w/ the bG b/c they are bigger since they'll last through toddler years. It was almost as big as her! So rather than chance a blowout, we just waited until she got a bit bigger (around 6-8wks) before using those.
Hope this helps. Good luck!

Hi B.,

I run a small cloth diaper store in Crystal Lake out of my home, and I do free workshops at least once a month where we cover different diapering systems - traditional cloth diapers, fitteds, pocket diapers, all-in-ones, etc. - and we cover how to use, fold, and wash the different kinds of diapers. It's very informational, and it is so helpful to actually see and feel the diapers instead of just looking at pictures on a website!

If you are interested in a workshop, the schedule is on-line at my website at www.sunflowerbabies.com. Good luck with your cloth diapering adventure! It's really easy once you get started!

Warmly,
J.
Sunflower Babies Cloth Diapers

I've used G-Diapers and Fuzzibuns. They aren't exactly cloth, but they aren't disposable and are eco-friendly. They are much easier to be "on the run" with. I tried cloth, but I ended up throwing some away because it was too difficult to get them back home (gross!).

hi!
awesome that you are going to use cloth. we switched from disposables to cloth when she @ 1 1/2. we love it.
there are a couple different diapering systems out there. we use the 'old fashioned' way, prefolds with a cover. there are the pocket diapers and all in ones, neither of which we have used. every baby is differently sized, so what may fit my baby best will not fit yours. its good to try out different brands to see what works and fits your baby best.
as for covers, we have had the best luck with bummis super brites. their inexpensive covers and they really keep the prefold diaper in place. once baby gets into a small size, we will expierement with different covers as she will be in them for longer.
i have found that the best prices and the best refund policy is at babyworks.com. you can return anything (even used!) for up to 30 days and all unused for 90 days. their paper catalog is full of good starter information as well is excellent descriptions of the different systems and products. the last page of the catalog even price compare all the systems and styles!
have fun!!
L.

Hi, B..

I have an eight 1/2 month old daughter, and I've been using the Bum Genius 3.0 Pocket Diapers with her. They have been working out wonderfully. They wash up so well. You have to be careful about what detergent you use, though. I order Charlie's Soap online, and it works very well. It's super concentrated, so it lasts a while. I also got a great deal on the diapers from www.abbyslane.com. Good for you for making the transition from disposable to cloth! You'll see that it's really not that difficult. Good luck!

H. C

B.,
Be By Baby on Roscoe or Lincoln in Chicago sells cloth diapers & covers and may offer an "introduction to cloth diapering" workshop, or know where to find one.

I've had both my babies in cloth. We used fitted ones and unbleached prefolds. The fitted ones were pretty but we found the prefolds easiest. We use a snappi and Dappi nylon pullup covers. They are only $2 apiece. This is definitely one of the most economical ways to go... if we would have gone with just the prefolds and skipped the fitted, we would have spent just $100 on the first year of diapering!

If your motivation is to make minimal environmental impact, wash them yourself. I understand services use bleach, perhaps other chemicals, and lots more water than doing them yourself. But be prepared to do them at least 2-3 times a week, if you have 3 dozen. Good luck!

We love Fuzzi Bunz. Been using them with my 1 year old since he was 7 weeks old. On their web site it says that they have to washed in hot water but I called them to ask a few questions and they said that they can be washed in warm or even cold if need be. We got some on line and some at Be Bye Baby in Chicago. Good luck

I have been cloth diapering with 4 children for 12.5 years now!

I have tried countless brands and the favorite for diapers and covers both is Motherease from Canada!

I prefer the Sandies (bleached or unbleached cotton), because of the elasticized waist and leg openings, they keep everything in, no matter what. I cannot say enough about that. You wouldn't guess how reliable a diaper needs to be until you've been in a movie theatre with a different brand and you're baby has the biggest accident ever all over themselves and you!

These also last through however many babies you are going to have. Very durable and reliable, and cute covers to boot. Nice packages available. I started with a small sample set, and then went for it, diapers, covers and doublers! My faves all around, and believe me, I have been through at least a couple dozen brands of diapers and covers!

I have written about these before on this site, too bad I don't get paid for everytime I recommend these. I think I would have a small fortune by now!

I hope you find these at www.motherease.com
Happy diapering!

I'm a big fan of prefolds and Thirsties covers. It's definitely the cheapest route to go and it seems to work the best for me. I have some Fuzzi Bunz for my 2 year old and they're ok but I mostly use prefolds for her. I use the FB when someone else will be changing her or if a certain pair of pants won't fit over a prefold. I've kind of gone to stretch leggings for her too due to the "junk in the trunk" booty the cloth gives her. It's so cute!!! My almost 4 month old is in mostly prefolds and some fitteds. I have Sugar Peas and Little Beetle Hemp fitteds that are really absorbent. I found those used on diaperswappers.com for a great price. I also use Thirsties covers for him. I've found that they work the best IMO. I have just tried out some wool soakers that I bought on craigslist for cheap and I really like them and they are so cute. I have a FB for him too and he leaks EVERY TIME so I'm going to sell it. A friend of mine swears by Bum Genius One Size pockets but I've never tried them. Diaperpin.com has a whole forum of just reviews which is a great place to read peoples opinions. Be By Baby is a great store for info and purchasing. They offer a great class to introduce you to cloth. Good luck.

We are considering cloth diapering our second, due in August, and are taking a short class at Be By Baby in the city. It may be a good option for you so that you can see, touch, and try different brands. The class was only $15. Just a thought.

http://www.bebybaby.com/

if you're going for a budget-conscious choice, prefolds and covers is the cheapest way to go (just make sure you get good prefolds, not the horrible things gerber/similar call prefolds). if you want something that works basically like a sposie, minus throwing it in the trash then AIOs would be the way to go. AI2s are similar but have a removable soaker which makes drying time less. many people like pockets (we use these for daycare -- mostly wonderoos or fuzzi bunz) because they are also pretty simple but depending on the type, unstuffing messy diapers to wash them is really not so much fun and these brands don't "ustuff" themselves in the wash. but they're still a great, simple solution that if you keep them prestuffed, are as easy to use as 'sposies too. at this point at home we use mostly wahm fitteds (no problem with the wahm diapers i've bought from hyenacart.com -- though it *always* pays to check feedback before buying from anyone on any site first of course!) under knit or crocheted wool soakers or shorts. or longies in the winter. they're darn cute and some of them true works of art with handdyed wool yarns and hours of work invested in knitting or crocheting them up... but definitely not a "cheap" way to go unless you do recycled woolies (made from used wool sweaters).

at the start, my best advice is to get on a site that sells used diapers (like diaperswappers or spot's corner on hyenacart) and buy a small variety of different types. test them out, see what you like, then invest in the system you like best. and since resale on used diapers is usually pretty good, just resell what you don't like or don't want to use! good luck!

I tried prefolds and a cover but I could never get them to work right without leaking and they were soooo bulky. And I got supposedly the best prefolds and cover (Bummis whisper wrap cover and Indian unbleached prefolds). I also tried Wonderoos pocket diapers that a friend gave me...they are adjustable size, but wasn't a big fan of those either...also had leaking issues and bulk. Then I tried the Bumgenius 3.0 pocket diapers and I LOVE these. They are bulkier than disposables but not nearly as big as the others I tried and they fit my son like a glove....the inserts seem to absorb more and they haven't leaked on me. I tried 3 from diapers.com and then found that they get them from cottonbabies.com so then I ordered some more from there. Hefty investment, but I figured since they adjust sizes I shouldn't have to buy much more.

My husband and I have been using cloth diapers now for over 8 months and we love them. We can't believe it's not the norm to use cloth. We use 3 different kinds: Swaddlebee all-in-ones (definitly the easiest - and the cutest! Because they are easy, they are nice to have for babysitters and when not at home - the only negative to these is that they take a long time to dry), Fuzzi Bunz (these are nice because the material doesn't keep the moisture on their skin. We use these every night so that our daughter doesn't get diaper rash), and we also use the old-fashioned style of cloth diaper just folded into a plastic Bummie (The other kind were getting too expensive, so we originally got these as a back up, but we found that we didn't mind them, and got some more.

We got all three kinds in the beginning to experiment to see what we liked the best, and we ended up liking the combination of them.

Let me know if I could be of any more help. I am a huge advocate of cloth diapers!

J.

Have you considered a diaper service. Tydee Dydee diaper service is what I had and it was great. No washing or rinsing of diapers. Just clean diapers delivered to my front door each week.

Budget choice: prefolds and covers. I like the Motherease Airflow covers, though they are a little "puffy".

Sometimes it's easier to convince your husband/babysitter/other people to cloth diaper if you give them something less intimidating than prefolds, though.

Another good choice would be fitted diapers. For newborns I LOVE Kissaluvs size 0 diapers. No blow-outs with breastfed poop EVER. They fit great and work up to about 13 lbs. If your baby is big, you may want to just go for the next size up. You still need a cover with these, but they snap and are shaped, so no pinning or folding necessary. Much less scary for cloth diaper newbies.

Lots of other fitted brands. We have a handful of "Sugarbritches" diapers (WAHM-made) and they actually fit my skinny son a lot better than the one-size diapers (see next paragraph).

Another good budget choice would be Motherease One-size diapers. These can be snapped to fit a baby anywhere from 8-30 lbs. We switched my son into them when he was right around 3 months and they were a bit big on him at the time, but he was a really skinny kid (still is). Technically, you could use the same ~24 diapers from birth through potty training though. Again, need a cover.

If you want to spend more $ you can investigate pocket diapers (like Fuzzy Bunz) or "All in ones" - these have a cover attached to the diaper.

Check reviews at www.diaperpin.com
You can frequently get used diapers for a lot cheaper than new. Check www.diaperswappers.com. Also see the Motherease Forum (link from www.motherease.com) for buy/sell/trade. Nearly all of our dipes were purchased used for about 2/3 the new price and were in excellent condition when we got them.

On the other hand... if you buy new, you shouldn' have any trouble selling YOURS for a good price later on, either.

Diaper service is the best. Bottoms Up Diapers covers all Chicagoland.

I am a huge fan of Bum genius. I use both the 3.0's and 2.0 versions. I purchased mine through www.cottonbabies.com and was very happy with their service and shipping costs. These diapers work great. I never have leaks and they really hold in the blow outs. I have organic swaddlebees pocket diapers and I am not that happy with them. I still use them but they leak pretty easy. I only put it on if I know I am at home and can change my son's diaper within the hour. Also, when we are out and about I use the g diapers. They are a little pricey but I only use them when we are out all day or traveling. They also work great at holding in the blow outs. www.giapers.com Hope this helps and good for you for cloth diapering. I never thought it would be something I would do. But it was all the advice from other mom's that helped me with my decision. Feel free to contact me if you have more questions. Good luck.

gDiapers. Go to gdiapers.com. These are compostable, flushable, or you can toss them. I use them, and even our day care has had no problems with them!

Hi B.,
I have been cloth diapering my son for 9 months now. We started off with prefolds and covers because they were the least expensive. I like them alot and found cloth diapering to be easier than I expected, and very economical. I decided to use a bit of our tax refund to splurge and get some of the Bum Genius 3.0 and I love them! They are pocket diapers, but they can be adjusted for newborns to toddlers! So when you buy them, you don't have to worry about getting bigger sizes as they grow. I found them to be the least expensive at www.diapers.com because they offer free shipping and $10 off your first order. They were cheaper there than I could find on Ebay.

If you have any questions about washing cloth diapers, etc, feel free to PM me. It's (sadly) something I LOVE talking about! :) Congrats to you for choosing to do something good for the environment and your little one!

T.