A few people have asked me about how things are going with the cloth diapers since I blogged about it previously here and here, so I wanted to give you an update.
We have not started using the cloth diapers yet, since we received a bunch of disposable diapers as gifts from friends and family. Also, the cloth diapers appear too big for baby yet. The instructions on the Bum Genius diapers indicate that it will fit babies from 8-35 pounds. Baby Champuru is still only about 6-pounds at last check.
I have to admit that the convenience of disposable diapers makes it very tempting to continue using them, except for the fact that I have already invested a good deal of money in the cloth diapers. Also, disposable diapers can get expensive really quick. I’ve already had Hubby run out to buy a couple of 40-packs of Pampers from Wal-Mart and they were about $12 each. Seeing as how baby can go through 8-12 diapers a day, a pack of 40 doesn’t go very far.
I’ll probably try to put a pre-fold on her soon, as that may be smaller than the pocket/all-in-one (AIO) diapers. Of course, if any cloth diapering mamas have any recommendations for me, I’m all ears!
For now, I guess it’s Pampers and Huggies for Baby Champuru. And by the way, not all disposable diapers are created equal. We got some Wal-Mart Parent’s Choice diapers in a gift basket and they just don’t seem to fit as well as the name brands. However, when doing a price check, they’re about half the price of name brands. If we were to continue using disposables primarily (which we won’t once baby will fit in the cloth diapers), it may be something worth considering for home use, though.
What are you doing next Tuesday? I’m thinking of inviting myself over so we can get baby in cloth and a sling
C was born at nearly 8 and a half pounds, so he actually outgrew the “newborn” diapers in two weeks! We used the Kissaluvs at first, and those are definitely small enough. And the prefolds + small Thirsties covers will fit too. I never needed a Snappi, just folded the diaper in thirds lengthwise and tucked the top 1/4 down into the top flap, then velcroed it on.
Don’t stress too much about not using the cloth diapers right away. I use a mixture of cloth and disposibles, since I don’t have 100% buy in from my husband or the grandparents, but I use enough to make a load of laundry. I just think well, that’s at least 12 diapers that didn’t go into the landfill today…
I do want to get more diapers, and my family is noticing how easy it is to use the new cloth diapers, they just had their mind set on disposibles in the beginning.
I think I’ll make my next round of purchases when my kid is big enough to fit into the larger sizes and is mobile, because there’s a fitted one that has a narrower crotch that is supposed to be easier to move around in.
Costco has good deals on diaper and wipe combos of Huggies. The Costco brand diapers are also pretty decent.
I had little babies too. Mine were 6lbs 9ozs and 5lbs 3ozs. I hated spending money on disposables. I used old fashion flat diapers and Bummis super whisper wrap covers in newborn size. I didn’t do any funky folds or use pins. I just folded the flat diaper into a rectangle that fit into the cover and used the cover to hold it shut. It was super easy and then later I could use the flat diapers as burb cloths, crib liners etc.
Good luck!
Erin
http://www.momandbabyboutique.com
Thanks donna for replying, it was useful.
Folding the prefold into thirds and putting it in a diaper cover (someone else mentioned Bummis which I hear are great; I use Thirsties) may work for your wee one. I wouldn’t know because I didn’t use cloth until she was at least 6 months old.
My daughter was about the same size as Baby Champuru and has always been on the small side, staying below the 10th percentile on growth charts. She’s only just recently started fitting into 6 month clothing at 7 months old and her cloth diaper stash is almost all smalls with a medium pocket diaper for overnights.
Honestly, don’t worry about not using cloth from the get-go. Do whatever works for your family. Though if you decide at a later point that cloth diapering is NOT working for you and you’re worried about recouping some of the cash, you can always go on the for sale or trade boards of to sell either part or all of your stash. On the same note, it’s a great place to try other brands before making a commitment. The diapers are usually used but I’ve found excellent condition used diapers (either never been used or washed once) for a steal.
We tried the parent’s choice diapers and found we went through them twice as fast as pampers. They just don’t hold as much, leak more, and were much scratchier. We didn’t even finish a whole pack. They aren’t worth it, even if they are cheaper – they are cheaply made. Ugh.
I used a Moby wrap for my kiddo, and walked around the house with him in it. It kept him close to me. He loved it, was content, and slept a lot. And I was able to move around and get things done. Later I used a bjorn, but when he was new, it was a wrap. They keep them close to your chest better than another carrier, too, I think.
you must be psychic…i was going to twitter you about the cloth diapers yesterday…wanted to know how it was going.
disposables are more convenient…this is true…for a cheap brand, go to costco. kirkland diapers are 19.97 (reg 30.99) for 234 diapers that will fit up to 15 lbs…
when you do use the cloth, i’d really like to know how you like them!
I was wondering about the cloth diapers, but even this discussion on disposables is interesting!