Cloth Diaper Help?
I’m totoally clueless when it comes to cloth. My nine month old has had a rash for months now. After trying every cream perscription and not and every brand of sposie. I made the decision to switch to cloth. My husband doesn’t like the idea and thinks I will have nothing but leaks and diaper washing every day…Oh and I forgot to mention he’s a penny pincher when it comes to something he doesn’t approve of. So I will be making my own dipes and have lots of questions I haven’t found answers too.
Do fitted diapers need covers?
What in the world is a cover? I know the general idea but does it have to be special fabric or just anything so you have an extra layer?
What is PUL? I know its fabric but thats about it.
What is the best type of diaper to use? I would prefer not to use pins.
For night time would a prefold stuck in another diaper work well? Just an FYI the baby has kidney problems and pees as much as a newborn.
Where can I find the best pattern?
What fabrics are best to use?
Whats the difference between an AIO and fitted?
Any other suggestions you have for a beginner?
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Tagged with: AIO • clueless • diapers • fabric • fabrics • fyi • general idea • kidney problems • leaks • night time • nine month • pees • penny pincher • perscription • pins • rash
Filed under: Fitted Diapers
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**Do fitted diapers need covers?
Yes, fitted dipes need covers. They are usually made of cotton, hemp or other absorbent material.
**What in the world is a cover? I know the general idea but does it have to be special fabric or just anything so you have an extra layer?
A cover is for over prefolds or fitteds and needs to be made out of something that either contains the moisture (PUL) or repels moisture (wool)
**What is PUL? I know its fabric but thats about it.
PolyUrethane Laminate. It’s a treated cloth
**What is the best type of diaper to use? I would prefer not to use pins.
That is going to be a personal decision…there are so many types! If you use prefolds, you can use a Snappi fastener to close them up. It’s similar in concept to the old Ace Bandage fasteners. You can also just tuck them into a cover specifically designed to use with prefolds. See http://www.thediaperhyena.com/diaper_folding101.htm for some diagrams.
Using fitteds means you’ll either need a snappi or they’ll fasten with Aplix/Velcro.
Pocket diapers and AIOs usually fasten with Aplix/Velcro or snaps
**For night time would a prefold stuck in another diaper work well? Just an FYI the baby has kidney problems and pees as much as a newborn.
At night we use a double-stuffed pocket. With a heavy wetter, you might want to look into hemp; I hear it’s super-thirsty.
**Where can I find the best pattern?
I don’t know….but I did find this resource with a bunch of patterns and stuff: http://www.diaperkit.com/catalog/
Also check DiaperHyena.com for some other links and DiaperSwappers.com for a forum that includes some info on making your own.
**What fabrics are best to use?
Cotton, Hemp, bamboo cloth are good choices for the diapers. Wool and PUL are popular choices for soakers and covers
**Whats the difference between an AIO and fitted?
A fitted is just the absorbent part. You need a separate cover. An AIO is diaper and cover all wrapped up in one
Any other suggestions you have for a beginner?
1. To get a really sweet stash of diapers, you need only spend $200-$250. If you just use prefolds, even less. You’ve probably spent nearly $500 on sposies and will continue spending about $50 a month on dipes until your LO is potty trained. You will SAVE MONEY by going to cloth.
2. Getting a couple of pocket diapers (here’s some examples: http://nickisdiapers.com/catalog.php?category=11) or AIO’s can help convince your husband of the ease of use. Slowly introduce the more intimidating (to daddys anyway
_) prefolds. My husband likes all the different types now.
3. Cloth diapers hold in the messes a thousand times better than any disposable ever could. Every time dd would poo in a sposie, she had a blowout. I have never had the same problem in a cloth.
4. Cloth will never be as trim as a sposie. Your little one will have A LOT more junk in the trunk now, and you may need to buy pants a size up to accomodate the booty.
5. Be warned, cloth dipes are CUTE as hell. You will be addicted. Don’t window shop…you will end up coveting all the cute stuff!
Good luck! Hope you love it as much as we do!
I used cloth nappies on my son for a few months and the whole time he had a rash that would peel and bleed, it was horrible and now that i have switched back to disposables he is fine. Its because the nappy doesnt draw away the wetness from the skin like disposables so when the baby poos and it mixes with the wettness it makes them sore. I do however know people that cloth nappies work well for, though mainly when used from birth so the skin is used to them.
An AIO nappy is basically an all in one, it has a waterproof layer on them so you don’t need to use a cover or wrap with them. A fitted nappy is one that you don’t have to fold, it is shaped so you put it on like a disposable and either use the velcro or poppers or pins to fasten it. The cover is basically a waterproof layer to stop the wet soaking through onto babys clothes.
I would recommend Kushies Ultra, formally Kooshies Ultra, they are an all in one nappy that you put on like a disposable and fasten with the velcro. They are lovely nappy and really easy to use, you can get them from mothercare or off Ebay quite cheap. you can get boosters off ebay or the internet to place inside them to soak up more if your baby is a heavy wetter. I would really recommend you soaking the nappies in water and a few drops of tea tree oil because the nappies can start to smell if just soaked in water or not soaked at all, also don’t use fabric conditioner as this ruined a couple of my nappies. Good Luck!
Why not return to using disposable diapers? No diaper rash… Not as time consuming… Not nearly as messy… and add these factors together not really any more expensive.
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Diaper covers do help reduce leaking. They look like a pair of panties, but are usually made out of a plastic-like fabric. As for the night-time use, if he does have frequent urination I would suggest getting up at least once per night to change him (in addition to reducing the risk of a leak, it will also help to keep him dry and prevent rashes). I would not layer a cloth diaper and a disposable though, as this greatly reduces air-flow and may cause him to have more rashes. The more air to keep his bottom dry, the better.
There are cloth diapers that are made now that come with velcro straps, thus eliminating the need for pins. They are also pre-shaped, which helps make them not quite as bulky.
As for the financial aspect, it is much cheaper to use the cloth diapers – it is a one time cost to buy them, and the cost of doing one load of laundry a day is much less than spending at least $20/week on disposable diapers. They are a little costly at the initial purchase, but to buy enough diapers for a day that you wash and re-use costs about as much as a one month supply of disposables (for the ones that are pre-shaped with velcro straps). It is much cheaper to buy the ones with pins (an adequate supply of these would cost about as much as a one week supply of disposables).
WOW that is alot of questions. I used cloth diapers with my son and was very please with it. So here is what I know
Gerber makes a gauze weave diaper that i personally liked because it was a nice shape that I could change the way I folded it as he grew. The material is a little stretchy so it could fit nicely. I was given some Dappi diaper covers and you can avoid using pins with it because it had velcro that kept things in place but I found that using the pins along with the cover did better. You will need at least two packages of diapers to begin with (yes, you can make them but it will be more economical to purchase them in the long run) Keep a diaper pail in the bathroom and after you change the baby take the diaper and rinse it in the toilet. THis rinses out the urine and decreases the smell and it there was a bowel movement you can flush it. The diaper pail should be filled 1/3 – 1/2 with water and about a cup of Borax (it has natural antifungal properties that cuts down on fungus and can help prevent fungal based diaper rashes.) I usually washed diapers every third day. My son potty trained very easily and quite early and I always felt it was because he experienced being wet and didn’t enjoy it.
Oh, you can get your basic rubber pant diaper cover from Wal-mart or such store. I didn’t care for them as much but they do work. Yes, there were occasional leaks but only when I wasn’t being diligent to change his diaper frequently and when I was first learning to use them and learned how to create folds that helped catch waste instead of allowing it to leak out. Usually the diaper covers would last thru several changings so I only tended to need 6 and then I had the rubber pants as back-ups
YOu can get free or cheap cloth diapers from free cycle or garage sales and sometimes EBAY. I didnt’ make mine, but got them all free to cheap.
For my daughter I used cloth diapers, and then for nightime I would insert a cloth liner. I ALWAYS used the flushable, disposable liner from Walmart. That way I didn’t have to touch the poop as much. Just throw the liner in the garbage. I would rinse any poopy diapers (it doesn’t always land on the diaper liner fully) in the tiolet. I soaked the cloth diapers in pail of water and did wash them every 2 days. You do need rubber pants to to hold the wet diaper inside and keep the clothes dry. I used diaper pins (they have a safety) when the velcro wore out (or if you make them with no velcro).
Cloth diapers do tend to get a rash easily though as the pee is not pulled away from the skin like a disposable. But once you have the diapers.. they are cheaper. All it costs you is the water bill, and the flushable liners which are cheap. And rubber pants (the cheap new ones crack easier).
I washed mine in bleach every month or 2. BUT remember to wash them again, or when they pee, the bleach will come up onto the skin and they will have a rash from he ll.
Not too keen on cloth, but I have a suggestion for the rash.
Lotrimin foot cream- my ped recommended it. Only use 2x per day, but it cleared up the most painful rash (bleeding, raw, etc) in a day.
On the up side, cloth diapers mean earlier potty training.
Yes cloth diapers either need a plastic pant or a diaper insert, sort of like a long maxi pad for baby. I am not sure of any cloth diaper where you don’t use pins, they don’t have velcro or anything like that.
To get rid of the diaper rash take a cast iron skillet and put some flour in it and keep stirring until it burns, then put it in a sandwich bag and keep rolling it (with a rolling pin or something like that) and use it as a dusting powder. And I am not sure if you have a boy or girl, but when changing their diaper let the air hit them for a while, maybe put a towel underneath or take a piece of toilet paper and cover your son’s wenkie and let the air get to his butt, it will help with the diaper rash.
Clothes diapers are cheaper than disposables. I’m surprised that your husband didn’t want you to do this from the start. You can buy them and then that way it is a one time cost and all you have to do is wash them…At your sons age you wouldn’t have to buy bigger sizes as he gets older.
Cloth diapers are not what they used to be 20 years ago.
I’m not sure about making your own. Have a look in your area and see what is available.
I used cloth on my son for several months…he would get the worst rash and sometimes skin would peel off. It was so painful for him…they just don’t keep their bottom dry enough. I switched back to disposable.
I went with cloth for both of my kids,Rarely got a rash and is enviromently better,I used the plastic covers for mine.