Cloth DiaperingCloth Diapering101

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Why cloth diaper?Why cloth diaper?good for the environment

good for baby

good for your pocket book

it’s easy and fun!

people think that cloth diapering means touching yucky poop, dealing with disgusting smells, and doing a whole lot more laundry, but there are ways to avoid or prevent all of these unsavory details.

all cloth diapering really means is saving a TON of money, doing a few extra loads of laundry per week, and getting to add ridiculously cute butt covers to your baby’s wardrobe :P

Good for the Good for the earth PROearth PRO

Disposables consume 70% more energy than the average cloth diaper per diaper change.*

3.4 billion gallons of oil and over 250,000 trees are used annually in the manufacture of disposable diapers.*

Disposable diapers are the 3rd largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent 30% of non-biodegradable waste.* *

http://www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_diaperdrama4.asp

Good for baby PROGood for baby PRO

Some babies with a sensitivity to disposables are much more comfortable in cloth diapers.

Pampers and Huggies put chemicals in their diapers, especially the new “dry max formula.”

“Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S.”

“Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.”

“Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet... this increased absorbency improves the environment for the growth of toxin-producing bacteria.”

*http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

Good for your pocketbook Good for your pocketbook PROPROhttp://verybaby.com/cms-

display/dollars.html

You can save more by buying cheap CDs, or you can splurge a little on nicer CDs and STILL save a lot of money.

Using CDs can save you an average of $1600. That means instead of spending $2,100 on disposables, you can spend $100 on a stash and $400 on laundering expenses, and then put $1600 in baby’s college fund... or go to Disney World :P

detergent electricity water

laundering expense per

load

$0.25 $0.97 $0.20 $1.42

260 260 260 260

total laundering expense

$65 $252.20 $52 $369.20

Disposables 2184

Cloth 469.20

Will I have to Will I have to touch poop?! touch poop?!

CONCONWhen you cloth diaper, you end up thinking a lot more about poop.

Exclusively breast fed babies (ebf) have very runny poop. It’s important to have a diaper or cover with gussets if you’re going to ebf your baby.

Formula fed babies or babies who have started eating solids have much more solid (and much stinkier!) poop.

How your baby poops can have a major impact on the kind of cloth diaper you buy.

Breast fed babies’ poop is water soluble. It can be throw right into a diaper pail and then shaken out into the washing machine.

Solid poop can be a sticky situation. This kind of poop is not water soluble and must be rinsed off prior to washing.

There are 2 methods of doing this. One is the dunk and swish method. The more ideal is buying or making your own diaper sprayer. This fantastic invention can cost you anywhere between $20 and $50 and attaches right to the back of your toilet.

diaper sprayerdiaper sprayer

$37.95 Fuzzibunz

gogonatural.com

The Cloth Diaper The Cloth Diaper EvolutionEvolution

Flats are your great grandma’s diapers; prefolds are your grandma’s diapers. They may not be touted as the easiest way to cloth diaper, but many swear by them!

The good news is that even prefolds have been improved. A new device called a “Snappi” makes prefold closure much easier than using pins, and covers are no longer plain rubber pants, but cute covers in colors and prints.There are a plethora of other diapering options, ranging from the next step up at contours and fitteds, to the much fancier all-in-ones, all-in-twos, and hybrids. These new kinds of cloth diapers have made cloth diapering VERY EASY.

Cloth Diapers have evolved and continue to change every day!

different kinds of different kinds of diapersdiapers

There are SO MANY it can be overwhelming.

The most common types you will hear about: flats+covers, prefolds+covers, contours+covers, fitteds+covers, pockets, all-in-ones, all-in-twos, and hybrids.

dirtydiaperlaundry.com’s introduction video series and the pro/con charts from Diaper Pin can help you navigate through all these options.

flatsflats

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A flat is a large rectangle or square of fairly thin cloth, like a flour sack or birdseye cotton.

They are very cheap, as low as $1.00!

They dry super fast.

They are one size - fit all babies.

There is a learning curve in using them: origami fold, kite fold, pad fold, diaper bag fold.

They must be secured with pins or a snappi.

prefoldsprefolds

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A prefold is a small rectangle of cotton. There are 3 panels, with many more layers in the wet zone.

They must be secured with pins or a snappi.

They are very cheap, but cost slightly more than flats. 1 dozen for $15-40.

There are newborn, small, medium, large, and toddler size prefolds.

There is a learning curve in using them, but they are less difficult than flats: angel wing/newspaper fold, jelly roll, bikini twist, trifold.

Diaper your baby from birth to potty training for $200 or less!

All-in-onesAll-in-onesAll one piece! The insert is sewn into the wet zone. No stuffing or unstuffing like a pocket, no laying in or snapping like an Ai2.

There is no learning curve, of all cloth diapers, they are the most similar to disposables.

“regular” AiOs dry very slowly, so take more electricity in the dryer or more time on the line.

There are variations like the BG Elemental ($26) and tongue-style AiO that take less time to dry.

They are very expensive.

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pocketspocketsA pocket diaper is a shell with a pocket in the inner lining or at the back between the lining and outer fabric.

Stuff the pocket with insert(s) for absorbancy.

Removable inserts make for a faster drying time than AiOs.

Lining material is usually something wicking like suedecloth or microfleece.

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All-in-twosAll-in-twosThe basic idea of the Ai2 is that one shell can be reused many times, until soiled.

one type of Ai2 has a suedecloth or anti-pill fleece lining. It can be air dried, but not wiped clean.

another type of Ai2, aka a “hybird,” is lined with PUL and can be wiped clean.

GroVia makes a mesh lined Ai2, which can’t be wiped clean like PUL, but feels soft against baby.

A separate insert can be laid in or snapped in and makes for a faster drying time than an AiO.

They are a cheaper option than AiOs or pockets because you only need a few shells per many inserts.

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www.My Cute www.My Cute Genes.comGenes.comI started sewing my own cloth diapers because I couldn’t find my ideal diaper among those commercially available.

I combined aspects I liked from several different brands, models, and types of diapers.

MCG diapers are an Ai2 style shell with reusable inserts toped with a stay-dry, wicking suedecloth or micro fleece.

Cute prints, appliques, and other embellishments offer something for everyone - a cover for everyBUM ^_^