We're going to do it!

[Brandi]

So, we decided to try CDing. I'm very excited. But, I am worried about what to do at first. I have talked with some people and am not sure where to start exactly!

Do most people start with the prefolds? Or is it common to go with the fitteds, pockets, and AIO's?

If people do use mostly prefolds, is it because they are so much cheaper and they don't wear them for very long when they are newborns?

I really would like to do mostly the fitteds, pockets, and AIO's, but I'm a little nervous about the cost.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I've gone to the Mothering boards and it's quite overwhelming, so I thought I'd start here. Then, I have to figure out which brands to buy! GEESH! It's a big deal, isn't it?!

Any other advice would be highly appreciated!

[eelyak]

I didn't start cd'ing Genevieve until she was 14/15 months old. At the time, I was still working so I could afford to invest money in one system, so I bought a bunch of fuzzi bunz pocket diapers. They worked so well for us, and were so easy to use, and husband friendly. It wasn't till a few months later that I started to branch out using other things.

For Audrey, I knew I'd start cd'ing her from the beginning so I had to build up a stash for her. A lot of people do use prefolds and covers because they are inexpensive and relatively easy to obtain and can be easy to use. I just personally for myself find fitteds and covers and fuzzi bunz to be the things that I use the most for Audrey instead of the prefolds. I don't know why, I just can't get into you using them and really wanting to use them. But that's just me.

I just don't find AIO's very useful for newborns...especially with all those runny poops and all. A fitted makes more sense than an AIO IMO.

I could suggest that you get a couple dozen infant prefolds and 4-6 covers and 1/2 dozen fitteds and maybe a couple of pocket diapers just to see what you like best. Sell off what you don't like, keep what you do.

[Jennie]

I agree - I started with Charlie on a part time basis for 2 reasons - I didn't know what I'd like and I had a feeling he would outgrow them fairly quickly. I tried 2 Kissaluvs (fitteds) with one cover (you can reuse the cover unless it gets poopy), 2 Fuzzi Bunz and 2 Bumkins AIO's. I liked them all but I found that the AIO and the fitted took a long time to dry which is important for me with Canadian winters - it's not like I could throw it on the line in Feb to dry! :lol: And I found that DH liked the FuzziBunz a lot.

If you're starting from scratch, you could try Wonderoos as they fit from about 7.5-8lbs to 30lbs. Charlie is still wearing his Wonderoos and he's 28 lbs at 16 months. I wish I'd had these when he was small.

Or try some used - I have some small FB in my store that are lightly used and/or try a starter package from various WAHM shops. Not sure if any of the stores in your area have a loaner program either - I have one for local moms and I have done it once for another online friend. Allows you to try several kinds and I charge $17.50/wk which is approx. the cost of a week of disposies (and you can apply one week of rental towards the purchase if you'd like).

Some ideas for you.

Jennie

[Cortney]

:yippee: It seems (and so what I'm going to do) that fitteds with cover and prefolds with covers hold in those little newborn "blowout" poops the best. I DO have a few AIOs that I'm going to use but mainly fitteds with covers. I have quite a few of the Kissaluv 0s (let me know if you'd like to buy a few!) but as I'm buying more and more newborn diapers I like the toot sweet newborn fitteds and the kindhearted women small fitteds. Unfortunately toot sweet is closed right now for the birth of her baby and kindhearted women smalls are a little hard to be found.

Anyways......so far here is my stash for the new baby:

For newborn size:
*15 infant prefolds
*13 kissaluvs size 0
*3 toot sweet newborn fitteds
*2 kindhearted women fitteds
*1 one-size Snug-to-fit fitted
*2 newborn size Bummis Snap Wraps
*2 newborn size Bumkins wraps
*1 newborn size woolybumbums soaker
*1 newborn size Little Lambs AIO
*1 newborn size Valor Kids AIO


For small size:
*4 small bummis SIWW
*1 small bumkins wrap
*1 small bumkins AIO


Misc:
*a small wetbag
*a large wetbag
*a mini-shower
*a whole slew of cloth wipes (mostly made me)

[millergirl]

I also didn't start CD until later. I guess Andrew was 5 months old. I found that fuzzi bunz are my favorite. They are easy to use - and easy to get poop off! Always a plus. I also like the motherease fitteds - it's a one size diap that requires a cover. Personally, I don't like the AIO, they do take a long time to dry and it's a pain in the butt to get poop out of them! It just seems to fall right off the fuzzi bunz - I guess I'm spoiled to them. I would try Ebay or the sell section here. Just buy a few of the kinds you'd like to try. You can always resell the ones you don't like!

I have a few I am thinking of selling - PM me if your interested.

[mamajenn2pnm]

Hi, I'm new here and am SOO happy to have found a cloth diapering thread. I'll post an intro later on, but wanted to be sure to give some input about cloth diapering.

I CD'd my son, now 8, for about 1-1/2 years. Back then, money was tight, and we didn't have internet or anything. I had found some DiDeeSnugs fitteds at our KMart on clearance, so got some of those. They were sufficient, and we had washer/dryer hookups so I could launder them at home and all was well, even if I was laundering once a day (I had four smalls, 12 mediums and 12 larges, and vinyl pull-up pants). It did save us a lot of money.

It took us a long time to get pg with #2, but we now have a little girl, who is 4 mos. I really, REALLY wanted to do cloth with her, but for some reason thought I "couldn't" because we have no hookups here. Most of my laundry is done at the laundromat or occasionally up at my parents' house, about 15 minutes away. I was worried about "rules" at the laundromat, then was reminded by some online friends off all the things that people drag to the laundromat to wash. Then I wasn't worried. I guess we've now been using cloth for at least a month. I love it, and am so happy I decided to do it.

The internet is an amazing tool. There is a huge, addicting world of cloth diapering out there. Lucky for my husband that I'm trying to be good about sticking to a budget!

Right now, my daughter is close to a different range for a lot of CD'ing items. I'm trying to restrict myself because I know it won't be too much longer before she's in the next size on some things I've looked at.

So...Yes, cheapest is prefolds and covers of some kind. But don't waste your money on the cheap Gerber prefolds that you can find at Wal-Mart. They are far from the greatest. I bought a dozen of those when I was too anxious to start with cloth (waiting for ordered ones to come in). I wish I'd saved that $12.00 and used it somewhere else!

Diaper Service Quality Chinese Prefolds or Indian Prefolds are fantastic, and much more affordable than AIOs or fitteds. I know that hemp prefolds are supposed to be great, but at $6 a piece, it'd take me a long time to get a stock of them. Right now, I have one dozen infant size DSQ Chinese Prefolds, bought from Granitesmith's eBay store, and one dozen large/premium size DSQ unbleached DSQ Indian cotton prefolds, purchased from the same place. I have 3 small Proraps Classics which I love, bought from NoPins4Baby (free shipping) and 2 medium pink Proraps colors that I don't like so much for my daughter, bought from the same place. I'm thinking of stocking up on medium Proraps Classics, and selling the pink ones, as I think I could get back at least half of what I paid for them. I'm sometimes using those DiDeeSnugs when I need to (and the velcro closure is awfully convenient). They're just not very absorbant, and seem to soak through quickly.

I could use disposables while I save up enough to get a stash of pricier fitteds or pocket dipes, but I don't want to wait. SO, here's my plan (the point of this, since you're trying to figure it out, too). My daughter is 13.5 lbs, so very close to the bottom weight for the large/premium prefolds. The gap in size is taken care of just by extra folding, that sort of thing. I have the one doz. of the Indian cotton diapers, 4X8X4, which are in the larger size. I LOVE them. They are so soft and absorbant. They're bulky, though, because she's smaller than the 15 lb bottom range on them. Folded just right, though, I can still use my small Proraps, and the mediums are terrific with them, but like I said, I'm not too thrilled with the Proraps colors. I plan on getting at least one more dozen of these diapers. Sometimes I pin, sometimes I just lay them in the wraps. I haven't tried a Snappi yet, but am curious about those.

So, I plan on at least on more dozen Indian prefolds. Maybe one dozen of the Chinese prefolds in the larger size, but I haven't decided yet. I will stock up on 4-6 medium Proraps classics (13-25 lbs), and I'd like to try an
Aristocrat(s?) wool cover/soaker, perhaps for overnights. But these are pricey.

I would really like to try some of the other diaper options out there, but really have to buy those kinds of things piecemeal. I plan on buying maybe one or two fitted(s) or pocket(s) either each pay or each month, just to have a small stash of "easier" diapers for my husband, for traveling, or even for overnight changes (stumbling in the middle of the night with pins... would rather have some GOOD fitteds). Some that I want to try are the Raincatchers contour diapers, and some WAHM types, like Cuddlebuns which look really cute. I'd like to try PooPockets, but have a hard time finding anything but patterns, or $25 3-packs. I want to try pocket diapers, like Fuzzi-Bunz or Wonderoos, too. I like that I could use my existing prefolds for stuffers for them. I have two Monkey Bottoms AIOs that won from someone on eBay. Very cute diapers, and nice b/c they are AIOs, but they DO take forever to dry. Also, I'm not sure how long they'll fit my little girl, even though she was well within the size range. I do like that they are fleece where it touches her skin, and there were fleece-topped doublers included that are so soft.

So, that's where I am. I'll probably always stick to DSQ prefolds and wraps/good covers as my main diaper stock, while expanding a little into other diaper types for variety and convenience. I wish more PUL covers were available in prints/colors. I'd like very much to learn to sew my own dipes and covers sometime. If you have a knack for sewing, there are a lot of resources available for that. You could try the cute, fun diapers for a LOT cheaper than buying them ready-made.

Sorry for the ramble...hope it's not too boring or confusing. I may has well have introduced myself...my CD'ing story is mostly here. I'm Jenn, BTW, married to Rich and mom to Paul and Maria.