Fast-forward to 2019 and baby number three. The popularity of modern cloth diapers has risen considerably, making them more accessible. Several friends who are/were cloth diapering moms had been pleased with their experience with "one size" diapers, which are adjustable to accommodate baby at almost any size throughout the diaper-wearing years without having to buy various sizes of diapers. I looked at many of the brands my friends had recommended, but I found most of them to be rather expensive. Being an avid Amazon Prime shopper, I decided to look to Amazon for an alternate solution. I found some surprisingly affordable options but was, naturally, a bit skeptical. Could these cheaper options really perform as well as the big-name brands, or would they be a waste of money? I decided to put a few sets on my baby registry and see what happened. I wound up receiving two different brands that are nearly identical styles, and I have been very pleased with both! I was concerned that the one-size diapers would not fit my skinny-legged baby very well, but when I finally tried them around 1.5 months (9-ish pounds), they worked perfectly with no gaps or leaks. After reading a few Pinterest hacks about how to make a one-size diaper work on a newborn, I think I probably could have started using them even sooner. (Note: cloth diapers do make baby's bum a lot bulkier than disposable diapers, so you may have to size up on baby clothes, especially onsies.) Here are the brands I have with a few details about each, although like I said, the two brands are nearly identical.
1. The brand I registered for on my baby registry was Alvababy. These come with six diapers and 12 microfiber inserts. I currently only use one insert at a time, but as baby gets bigger and wets more, I have the option of doubling up on the inserts for added absorbency. These sets are $29.99 for the solid colors below and $32.99 for the prints. That's roughly $5 per diaper cover with 2 inserts! Really great deal compared to the big name brands.
2. Wegreeco. I didn't register for this brand, but I did receive them as a gift. The only difference in this set and the Alvababy set is that instead of 12 microfiber inserts, these come with 6 bamboo inserts, plus a wet bag where you can place used diapers when you are away from home. This set is $28.99.
If you've never cloth diapered before, here is a short run-down of things that may be helpful to know.
First, I like to use a diaper liner to make cleanup a bit easier. I use these bamboo ones.
Basically, these look kind of like a used drier sheet. You lay them on the inside surface of the cloth diaper and they catch most of the poop while letting pee pass through to the absorbent diaper. Then, you just toss the liner, rather than having to wash poop down the toilet. Speaking of which, I have also installed a diaper sprayer onto my toilet, but I haven't needed to use it yet, as breastfed newborn poop is completely water soluble and doesn't have to be washed off prior to laundering (and the liners catch most of it anyway). I bought this Charlie Banana one because I was able to get it with a Target gift card, but there are cheaper brands on Amazon.
After I've changed a diaper and disposed of the diaper liner, I use an Ubbi diaper pail to store the soiled diapers until it's time to wash them. (They have lots of cute design options.) I also have the reusable diaper pail liners to avoid throwing out plastic bags. They come in a two-pack so you can wash one each time you do a load of diapers, and still have the other one to put in the pail.
As for washing, I'm pretty sure I was just winging it with my first two kids. I've done some research recently (i.e. Pinterest links), and here's the basics I came across that really helped me get a better handle on things.
1. Your regular detergent is fine. You don't need anything special. But if your baby has sensitive skin, you might want to be mindful of that and go with a fragrance-free, gentle option.
2. Use hot water and a cold rinse. My machine doesn't give the option of selecting the temp for the rinse, so I assume it's always a cold water rinse. The hot water is necessary to dissolve the detergent appropriately, as well as help dissolve any solids on the diaper.
3. If you have a H.E. washer, which most of them are now, you'll want to do a "deep water" wash cycle. My machine has a setting specifically for this, but if yours doesn't, you can trick your machine into using more water by adding a fluffy towel to the load.
4. I wash everything all together... the diaper covers, the inserts, and the reusable diaper pail liner (turned inside out).
5. When it's time to dry, I air dry everything except the inserts (the absorbent part). In the Florida humidity, these would take ages to dry. I put them in the dryer on high heat with a clean, dry bath towel.
Okay, that's all the advice I can think of for now. I hope this helps someone who is considering cloth diapers. Let me know (via Facebook) if you have any questions.
