September 2008 Weddings
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Re: School me on cloth diapers
We use pocket diapers (BumGenius OS 4.0s) and love them. She probably could have started wearing them around 10lbs but I waited until 11lbs- we did disposables for the first 3 months because DH wouldn't do a newborn rental (Nell's Natural does a great newborn program from what I've heard).
We took a cloth diaper class so that I could help DH learn and hear the different options that are out there. Not every diaper works for every family or every baby. I took a huge risk in buying all BGs but they work perfectly for us.
ETA: it cost us about $300 so far... maybe $350? I bought them all new-- 18 of them at buy 5 get 1 free and then bought three more (b2g1free). I'm going to make my own laundry detergent when I run out of the stuff I have right now so that will save me $. The only problem I've encountered so far is that a front-loader uses less water and I have to add water to the hot cycle so that I can make sure we get them really clean. It's not a big deal. DH & I are both rather pleased with how it's working out so far. (DH would not let me buy anything used so we had to get everything new)
I am really happy with our decision to do it, and it has worked well for us so far. I wish I had all of my information in a word document. I think I have something on Google that outlines everything. I will check tonight when I get home
and send you an email.
CDing is not what our parents or grandparents associate with CDs that is for sure. Between Fitteds, pockets, All in ones (AIOs), etc it is so much easier than pins and flats.
We have a pretty large variety in our stash, and as N's body shape has shifted some diapers work better than others during certain phases. I can usually tell when she is growning because we do get more leaks so I adjust the fit. The best type for daycare is either AIO or pockets. They are the most like disposables.
Cost, for me I have done a more pricey route, but I have spent probably close to $1K, but that is a complete stash from NB through current/toddler phase. Almost all my diapers were new, and I have some pricier diapers and some wool covers, which add up. Since I am using them all for a second kid (possibly a 3rd if we decide to have another) the cost has gone down significantly. I will not be buying new diapers, maybe a few boyish covers, if we have a boy, but that cost is minimal.
I have reviewed some on my blog but its not complete by any means.
Heidi basically said everything I would. I've been really happy thus far. I've only paid full price for 8 of my diapers. I bought most of my NB stuff (except prefolds, which I have wayyyy too many of and bought as seconds) used, and I got one or two used of pretty much everything to see what I liked. To be honest, for all you read about not buying too much in advance, they're all fine. Our blueberries are kind of wide for the girls, and I don't like the insides of the kawaii (so I sold those) but otherwise they're all ok. I DO have my favorites, but that doesn't mean others don't work. If you want specifics I can go on. and on. and on.
For what its worth, we use snap diapers at home and send aplix to daycare. They'd probably be OK with snaps and they do launder easier, but there's more room for user error and we're the only CD family so far, so I just got more aplix (the full price ones I mentioned above, hah). We send them BG AIOs (the old ones that are discontinued), pockets (mostly BG) and BG freetimes. At home we mostly use snaps (BGs, a couple of bottombumers, GroVia AIOs - which I LOVE, Swaddlebees Simplex - which I love even moreeeee and might get a couple more of when they finally outgrow the small/size 1 stuff). I also like the hybrid/AI2s for home - Grovia and Flip. We use these and prefolds a lot on the weekend and it makes the laundry super fast since there's no stuffing.
I have a giant stash (at least 50 diapers, plus the AI2s and some fitteds) and have spent about $1600 including wetbags and a full NB stash, but we have only spent $50 on disposables including a weeklong trip when they were 12 weeks old and enough NB ones to get them into the NB cloth (around 6.5 lbs). I'll be selling off the NB stuff soon (they still fit into some of it...) and will probably get another wetbag for daycare and a couple more of my fav's for home. I don't think that's too bad for enough to get through 2.5 yrs with 2 babies who STILL use 9-10 diapers each/day
I'll probably keep all the bigger stuff in case we have another, but I just can't justify having all the NB stuff sitting around.
andddd this got long even though I didn't mean to
ETA: It would have been nice if I used coherent sentences. Also, we have enough to do laundry every 3 days without touching the AI2/prefolds (if I had a mega washer, lol), but its good because generally speaking at any given time I have a load in the dryer, a full hamper, and enough for the next day ready to go. You totally do not need this much stuff.
I tried and it didn't work for us. I did it for 2+ months before giving up. The laundry just got to be too much with baby sitting our FLer. I tried all the tricks to get it to add more water, but to get them clean and stink free I had to do a 3 hour wash cycle every 2-3 days with pre-washes and extra rinses. Maybe things would've been different had DH been more on board and our washer worked out. (We have a GE) The laundry detergent wasn't the/an issue- we used Tide Original and I added Oxy clean to the first pre-wash mainly for the microfiber inserts.
While CDing, my favorite diapers were actually Sunbabies followed by Kawaiis and I think Nubunz. I just typed up a blog on our experience with them. M has no butt and is tall and slim, so the BGs never fit her right. I bought our whole stash and supplies for about $300 used from various FB groups and fellow Nesties which included OS pockets and a few AIOs for my MIL's house for daycare. If I had to do it again, I'd skip the micro fiber inserts and go with Zorbs and probably prefolds in the pockets. We never had a problem with disposables so I really had no issues switching back. I was just trying to look for extra costs savings for our family considering I'm awaiting an outsourcing position for my job and we have another one on the way. We really get our sposies at decent prices as it is, so I can't really complain.
I'm surprised. Both of the girls are around 3rd percentile weight for height, and we haven't had a single issue/leak with these. We use them overnight for Avery too.
S is tall and thin too... though I'm about to post a picture where she looks like a chunkster, but she's really not that much of one.
The majority of the girls on the Maine board CD and a lot of them have had great success with the BGs so I started there. As I said above, we went to the Intro to CD class and I let DH pick what he felt most comfortable with in terms of use. He said "all-in-one" and then I pushed him at least to the pockets. I wanted to be able to control absorbancy and wanted something that was adjustable and she could grow with.
I'd check to see if there is a CD store/ local resource around you!
I didn't get a starter kit, but a trial is a good idea. Jillian's Drawers does a sized trial now (well, I think you can pick a size anyway) and its really affordable. I knew we'd get our use out of NB diapers, so I got a bunch, mostly BG and thirsties (and a lot of prefolds) though I picked up a couple others brands along the way (and we ended up using them forevvverrr. We were using XSs until 3 mo and still are using all of our Ss)
When we started with OS, I had 2 of each brand I liked in the reviews (I got them all used) then I picked up, over about 2 mo, more of the ones I preferred. I actually just sold our Kawaii and Fuzzibunz OS - the only ones that didn't work well for us (the FB b/c the girls are not the same size). I'm probably going to sell our Oh Katy's soon too, as they don't do well overnight for us and I don't have a need for pockets I can't use overnight. I'll probably replace them with sized Simplex. I like having cute diaps for the weekend
ETA: You might want to "like" a couple of stores on FB - they tend to ask questions and lots of people post good info, which is great for CD research/factfinding. Kelly's Closet/Diapershops.com is probably most active, but Abby's Lane is my Fav. I do 75% of my ordering there now.
I know I'm late on this but I wanted to chime in too.
I LOVE our BGs and am also surprised Heather found a lot of leaking with them. B is a skinny mini and they seem to fit her best. We have a few fuzzibunz that fit ok too but the "perfect fit" mediums didn't fit her until she was about 19 lbs vs the 15 it says.
Also we started out using prefolds and wraps which is a much cheaper way to go. It worked great but we wanted something a bit easier/more absorbant than that as B got older/squirmier. Next baby (if there is a next baby ever) will be in pockets from the get go just because of the ease of use.
Good luck with all your research. It looks like the ladies have given you some great advice.
My stash was dependent on sales. So I bought random styles with good ratings. I think the largest portion of my stash is FuzziBunz. I have about 6 FB OS and couple of the perfect fit. Then I have 3 BG Organics OS (I think they are the elementals now), 3 HH sized, 2 GroVia AI2 - I loved these when N was smaller but now she is on the largest size they don't work as well for us anymore, 2 Kawaii - which I am ehh about - but they do their job. I am now picking up diapers with great absorbancy for overnights, so more in the fitted realm, but I only need a couple of those, my main stash is built.
I would recommend a trial package because it exposes you to a bunch of different options for cheap, then you can build your stash based on your likings. Ditto Emily on liking different diaper stores on Facebook so you can get coupon codes.
OS is much more economical. I'd guess about 80% of our current stash is OS. We are still using the BG Ss I got used...I also have some Ms waiting in the closet - they're not made anymore except XS.
To be honest, I prefer sized as the fit is a bit better and they're less bulky. Sized diapers are only a bit bigger than disposables (I also find our GroVias are similarly trim. Of course, the girls came out small and have continued to be very thin. I really doubt most people are using BG smalls (or simplex smalls, which Quinn wears on the smallest snap and avery on the second) at 6 mo. So....it might matter a bit a) what you want to spend and b) how the baby is shaped. For a chubby baby, you'd probably want a trim option for jeans, but haven't had any clothes fit issues at all.
For perspective (and because I feel like being an AW): this is 1 mo/their EDD. Quinn is around 5.13 here and Avery is about 7.13. The middle diaper is a BG Small (which fit below their belly buttons now). They fit into the XSs at this point (well, Avery did anyway - she has on a Thirsties XS cover here and probably a fitted underneath) and wore them until around 9-10 lbs when we moved into Ss and OS. This was close to 3 mo for us (so 8 weeks for a term baby).
As a sidebar, this post has motivated me to sell off the stuff we're not using (I have a buying problem and like to try new things) to lower my net cost
This is awesome! I'm trying to convince Matt that we need to at least try cloth when we have a baby. He's hesitant (the whole gross, poop in the washer factor I think), but seeing this might just sway him.
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Jo it really is incredible how much $ we have saved.
And washing them is so not a big deal. We are using disposable liners right now because of the antibiotic cream B has to have to clear up her infection and honestly I don't feel like it saves me that much time. I probably spend 1/2 hour a week washing/stuffing diapers. (Not including the time they are actually in the washer and dryer) (Plus technically you are supposed to dump the poop in the toilet with a disposable too but no one does that.)
Andrea to answer your question most of our stash is one size. Which I prefer as it is cheaper. But for a NB stage I would get sized diapers if we have another.
babies require a lot of gross things to go into the washing machine. Ask him if he plans to throw out everything that is spit up on
I know! I think the fact that he has never changed a poopy diaper and has always handed off a baby when it spits up has something to do with this. I will convince him to try it. I'm a good negotiator.
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