baby got back // the scoop on cloth dipes

I like big butts and I can not lie

You other mamas can't deny

That when a baby walks in with an itty bitty waste

And a round thing in your face

You wanna ask about the dung, want to pull up tough

'Cause you notice that dipe was stuffed

Deep in the dipes they're wearing

I'm hooked and I can't stop staring

Oh baby!

Admit it. That was fun to read...har har har ;)

There's a million resources to help parents embark on their cloth diapering journey, but I still get asked everyday how we do it in our household (which I don't mind and always welcome!). I was that mom, too, always messaging my veteran cloth dipe friends to see how they did things. I even took a Cloth Diaper 101 class, but still felt nervous, ill-equipped, and skeptical. Like, even though we made up our minds to cloth, and even though I was swooning over the cute prints, I was still legit worried that I would screw it up. I compare my feelings about cloth diapering for the first time to breastfeeding for the first time; I loved the idea, and looked forward to it very much, but I was nervous as heck when it finally came time to try it.

Truth be told, Bennett could've started cloth sooner than at one month when we started. JJ would hold up a cloth dipe and say that he thinks Bennett can fit them now, and I would mutter, "no, no, he needs to get chunkier," but my husband was right. Of course, looking back, I feel pretty silly now because cloth diapering is easier than I could've ever imagined. And, it's true what the other moms say about the fluff addiction. I have over 50 dipes, and I still "window shop" on Etsy and hyena cart. Seriously, what is my life...

Okay, so, I took a poll on Facebook when I was still pregnant to see which diapers my friends preferred. Cost was a HUGE factor in our final decision. A lot of people hated on pocket diapers because they hate stuffing, but a handful of mamas I respect and look up to suggested Sunbaby pockets. Sunbaby dipes are made in China, but after using them myself, I have to agree with my other Sunbaby mama friends in that the quality holds up very well to American made diapers, which is roughly a $350 difference in savings if you go with China made.

Don't be that person who lectures people about buying things from China. At the time, it was the best choice for my family. With the money saved, I was able to invest in wraps for babywearing. And, I do my part in helping small American businesses. The money I spend on hybrid fitteds on Etsy and Hyena Cart will shock you, but they are worth every damn penny. More importantly, I would rather see my friends buying what they can afford through Sunbaby than seeing them not cloth diapering at all, so shush. Sunbaby pockets are our base stash and we love them. If you order from them, get the blended inserts. Do it. After several washes, they get super soft and absorbent (make sure you at least have double the inserts per dipe...the more the better). Also, my stash is equally split between size 1 and size 2 dipes. The size 2 is for chunkier babes, but we rarely notice much of a difference since they're all one size dipes with adjustable snaps.

Once we got the hang of those, I kind of went crazy on adding hybrid fitteds to our stash. If some of this cloth dipe lingo is confusing, maybe this and this will help. But, really quick:

From Fluff Love University

“The most common cloth diaper. A pocket diaper is a cover and a fleece/or suede lining that has an opening to stuff in an insert of your choice. Pockets allow you to choose the absorbency.”

 
From Kelly's Closet

“A pocket style diaper has a pocket opening between the outer waterproof shell (or cover) and the inner layer that touches baby’s skin. You can place the absorbent material (insert) inside this pocket opening. The pocket style diapers are the most popular style of cloth diapers and don’t require any additional covers. A pocket diaper may be one-size or available in sized options and may have natural or synthetic fibers. Available in both snaps and Velcro closure.”

 
From LittleBoppers

“It is a fitted diaper that has a hidden body layer of poly fleece, sandwiched between the outer print and the inner velour. This layer of poly fleece helps the diaper to be more effective. Liquid hits the fleece layer and is deflected back into the absorbent inner, soaking up into the rest of the soaker pad and inner velour instead of just saturating the middle and immediately needing a change. The hybrid fitted is still a “fitted” diaper, meaning it is breathable and it isn’t totally waterproof. It would require the use of a cover to be considered waterproof. Many folks like to use these coverless around the house because they are more water-resistant than a regular fitted. They are not as waterproof as AIOs or AI2s made with PUL, but they are more breathable than them.”

We've gone to bed with hybrid fitteds without any problems, so far. When Bennett gets older and pees more, I'm sure we will invest in wool covers if need be. I have friends who only do fitted dipes with wool covers, and they swear by them. I'm told that wool covers are practically bulletproof, so there's that.

My local cloth dipe shop sells wool covers and here's what they have to say about it.

From Nappy Shoppe 

“Wool is no longer just your grandmother’s fiber. If the word wool conjures up images of hot, itchy, hard-to-care-for garments, then you are in for a pleasant surprise. This versatile fiber is making a huge comeback as more and more people realize that sometimes going low-tech can be a delightful diversion from the age of synthetics. You’ll be amazed at the variety of soft, functional, and convenient wool diaper covers that are just waiting to adorn your baby. Warning: you may be on the brink of a new addiction!”

On their site, they state that wool is antibacterial, self-cleansing, breathable, odor-resistant, and fire-retardant.

Currently, we just have pockets and hybrid fitteds, with a few hybrid AI2s here and there. I do laundry about every 3-4 days when I have anywhere from 18-24ish dirty dipes, and this is what laundry day typically looks like.

For a wash routine, check out what the experts have to say on the Fluff Love University site or ask to join Fluff Love & CD Science on Facebook. As for me, I do a regular wash with half a scoop of Tide or Gain, because we have a basic washer and dryer without a pre-rinse option, and I do it with hot water. Then, I do another wash with hot water on extra heavy with a full scoop of Tide or Gain, plus a scoop of Borax and a capful of Gain scent boosters. Afterwards, I throw them all in the dryer and we're done! Also, save yourself and your dipes and don't use homemade detergents and here is why. For more, go here.

A word about disposable wipes...they're annoying and awkward. After two months of awkwardly holding dirty wipes, I decided to look into cloth wipes. It was such a "duh" moment, you guys, I mean really. There's nothing more gross or annoying than holding a poopy wipe after you've already tossed the dipe in the wet bag. With cloth wipes, I just stuff it in the dipe and throw them both in the wet bag. I do, however, remove inserts from my pockets first, which really isn't as gross as it sounds. I find that doing it right after the diaper change works best vs. right before starting a load.

While you shouldn't use homemade detergents for washing, you can totally make your own cloth wipe solution (there IS a silver lining, I promise)! I just looked on Pinterest and Google until I found a recipe I wanted to try. 

My solution consists of:

- a cup of water

- a tablespoon of Dr. Bronner's Castile Liquid Soap

- a couple drops of EO

I currently use Dr. Bronner's Tea Tree Castile Liquid Soap, because tea tree has anti-fungal properties and I really like the smell. I add a couple drops of peppermint EO because it makes it smell even better. Also, I'll add just a little bit more water to coat my wipes evenly, and then I remove the excess liquid and store in a container. This solution works for 24 wipes, and I use 48, so double this recipe. I ordered my wipes from TooshieWipes on Etsy. For outings, we use a smaller sized wet bag that can hold about 5 dipes, give or take, and I have a small tupperware container for my cloth wipes. We don't do anything special; it's THAT easy, guys. Since I don't need a trash can, I can virtually change diapers everywhere and anywhere.

You can find wet bags anywhere, but I got mine from Nappy Shoppe, and you can order it online here.

My favorite diapers are pockets and hybrid fitteds. Here's a list of all my favorite things:

Diapers:

AppleCheeks

WAHM hybrid fitteds on Etsy and hyena cart

Inserts:

AppleCheeks 3 ply bamboo

Well, that's it! I hope this was helpful. Cloth diapering just got a whole lot easier, cuter, and you're doing Mother Nature a huge favor! Not to mention, your wallet! Happy cloth diapering, y'all! <3

Love,

Mamabear