In Everyday Life, Homemaking, Parenting, Reviews
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aking the decision to cloth diaper your baby doesn’t always come easily. There are many factors to consider, but in the end, we feel cloth diapering wins out on many counts. If you missed Part 1 to this series, be sure to read this first. But if you’re looking for more information for your cloth diapering journey then you’re in the right place.

We listed the health, financial and environmental reasons to cloth diaper in Part 1, but now we’ll discus more in depth the styles of cloth diapers and how they differ, as well as some pro’s and con’s from our personal experiences with the styles we’ve used. We hope our own refinements can help eliminate potential problems and lead you to cloth diapering success!

Types of Cloth Diapers

Pocket Diaper’s – Probably the most common choice among avid cloth diaper-ers.

  • Pro’s:
  • Pocket diapers come with an outer shell made up of a waterproof backing and a soft cloth liner.
  • Inserts don’t touch baby’s skin (which can be irritating if insert is made from microfiber).
  • Inserts often come included, which is stuffed in between the two layers into the “pocket”.
  • Many pocket diapers come in one-size and have adjustable snaps that allow the diaper to grow as baby grows.
  • Buy diapers once for your baby’s entire diapering journey.
  • Affordable! MamaKoala diapers are sold 6 diapers and 6 inserts for $39.99. (Not all brands will be this affordable.)
  • Inserts can easily be removed and “stripped” without having to strip the entire diaper (which can deteriorate the waterproofing).
  • New inserts can be bought (if needed) at a minimal cost compared to buying a whole new diaper.
  • Con’s:
  • Diapers must be stuffed with inserts after each washing (time consuming, but a great job for older siblings!)
  • One, lesser expensive brand of pocket diapers we used (not MamaKoala) lost its waterproofing after two years of use.

All-in-One’s – One of the more expensive options when considering cloth diapering.

  • Pro’s:
  • Also come in one-size and have adjustable snaps that allow the diaper to grow as baby grows.
  • Buy diapers once for your baby’s entire diapering journey.
  • No stuffing required! All-in-ones have their “inserts” sewn into the diaper, eliminating the need for an added liner. Makes for a quick grab-from-the-dryer option.
  • Diapers are soft and gentle on baby’s skin.
  • Extremely absorbent. These are our go-to nighttime diapers as they hold alottapee!
  • Con’s:
  • Spendy! You’ll pay upwards of $20 for one diaper.
  • Difficult to clean. Because the liners are sewn in, when the diaper becomes soiled, it can be difficult to spray off into the toilet, as well as pre-wash in the sink.

gDiaper’s – The cutest option – IMO!

  • Pro’s:
  • Did I say adorable? These diapers have such fun prints, but even the more affordable solids look cute on baby’s bum!
  • Slimmer fit so baby’s pants fit over entire diaper (sometimes and issue with the other choices)!
  • Easy Velcro fasteners, very similar to disposables and easy to use.
  • Velcro fastens in the back, so baby won’t take off its own diaper.
  • Can be used with reusable or disposable (and even flush-able) inserts. This makes using gDiapers when out and about more appealing.
  • Less to clean. gDiapers have a cotton exterior, with a snap-in waterproof liner, the only part that gets soiled (barring blowouts) is the insert. This allows for the need of fewer “exterior” diapers as you can oftentimes simply swap out the soiled insert for a fresh one.
  • Fit our baby the best from 6-18 months with less chance for leaks as pocket or all-in-ones.
  • Con’s:
  • They’re sized diapers, so if you want to use gDiapers for the extent of your baby’s diaper-life, you’ll need to buy three, maybe four different sizes. This cost can add up and make cloth diapering a less affordable option.
  • Liner sits against baby’s skin, only a con if used with microfiber liners (which happen to be super absorbent), but can become irritating to baby’s delicate skin. (I recommend using cotton pre-folds or charcoal bamboo inserts for the gDiapers, but steer clear of inserts with gussets as they’re more difficult to wash.)

Which Diapers Fit Your Lifestyle?

When choosing which diapers will fit your lifestyle there are a few basic questions to ask:

  • Will my baby be in childcare? Although not a deal breaker, getting someone other than you and your spouse to commit to cloth diapering isn’t always easy. But if your childcare provider is on board, all you need is a simple “wet bag” for them to throw the dirty diapers into and you can handle the rest once home. It’s really no different for them, they just toss the diaper into the bag instead of the trash!
  • Are we frequently on the go? If you’re frequently on the go, you can still cloth diaper, but you may want to consider gDiapers that have disposable inserts. If your baby is only wet, you can easily remove the wet liner and replace it with a fresh one, this makes diaper changes virtually identical to using disposables. If you’d like to use reusable liners, having a travel wet bag is definitely useful.
  • Am I committed? It’s just a fact that cloth diapering takes a bit more effort than disposables. If baby is breast fed, cloth diapering will be a breeze until solids are introduced, where pre-rinsing will be necessary. But diapers from babies fed exclusively on breast milk can be tossed directly into the washer as their “poo” is water soluble and will wash completely away in the washer. And because I know you’re wondering, no, your washer won’t stink or be dirty either! But committing to the process is necessary. Cloth diapers cannot sit for days on end until you feel like getting around to washing them. Keeping on top of a good washing routine will be your best friend!
  • Is it worth it? For us, the savings, eliminating environmental concerns and reducing chemical exposure were all well worth the commitment and investment.

Final Thoughts

I tried to consider if I would still use cloth diapers if budget, the environment and chemical exposure weren’t concerns, and truthfully? I don’t think I would! But I will say this…because those concerns are real, after two years of cloth diapering, I would do it all over again!

There are definitely some “tricks of the trade” that I’ve picked up along the way, tips that help make cloth diapering a success. There have been a few times I’ve felt like I was fighting a losing battle with odor, cleaning routine and sizing. In Cloth Diapers – Part 3 I’ll disclose some of the best cloth diapering hacks I’ve learned to date. It’ll include basic care instructions (pre-rinse, washing, stripping), tried and true products (and possibly some no-no’s) as well as a list of helpful tools that will make cloth diapering a breeze and even fun!

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