we've had a few people lately ask me about how we diaper little eli. i thought i would write up a few post mostly to consolidate the info in my brain and to make sure that i don't forget anything. the world of cloth diapering can be a confusing place and sometimes it's hard to wade through all of the information and jargon. there are many options out there including: prefolds (of various fibers), pocket diapers, all in ones, disposables in a cloth diaper cover etc.
diaper: we decided to go with the basic diaper and we use cotton prefolds with a diaper cover. this means that the diaper is basically a large rectangle with a reinforced middle. we then fold the diaper (in a variety of ways)and place a diaper cover over it. for overnights, we have some hemp doublers that we layer in his diaper. these increase the absorbency which means we don't have to change his diaper until the morning and his bed/clothes mostly stay dry. (hemp absorbs 7 times more than cotton, crazy!) we have 36 diapers which means we wash diapers twice a week, not much time at all. how many diapers should you buy? it depends how often you want to wash, the less you have the more you wash. though the more you have the stinkier they will be when you wash them so for us 36 seems like the best compromise.
covers: the second part of our system is a diaper cover. covers are reusable and we only toss them in the pail if they are soiled or smell too much like urine. we have 9 covers and that is plenty for 4 days of diapering. we just rotate and let them air dry between changes. we have tried a few brands/styles and we both agree that the bummis super whisper wrap is the best. (though i want to try wool covers but haven't coughed up the $30 ,gulp, for a cover.) we also have some flip diaper covers. we like that they are adjustable and grow with the baby but we tend to get a few more leaks with these covers (they are also cheaper than the bummis, a plus).
the last basic we have is something called a snappy. this device allows us to fasten eli's diaper so there are no pins!
All of these things you can purchase online and find great deals. craigslist is also a great resource or if you have friends you can borrow their diapers. that's what is so great about cloth diapers, the initial investment can be hard to swallow. BUT you get to use them for a ton of kids and save the cost of buying diapers. let's be honest, i love the environment but my wallet was more of an incentive when it came to diapers. i just didn't feel like spending $100 a month on disposables, what can i say i'm cheap (ya'll knew that already)!
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