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Parenting & Farm Kids:  Need advice...cloth diapers  |
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snowberryfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
132 Posts
Michelle
Central Wa
WA
USA
132 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 07 2008 : 10:52:46 PM
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Hello! I am considering cloth diapers for my baby. Does anyone here have experience with these, or know of a good place to get them?
Thanks!
Michelle |
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Rebekka Mae
True Blue Farmgirl
965 Posts
Rebekka
Moscow
ID
USA
965 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2008 : 11:30:28 PM
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Yes! I love green mountain diapers or punkin butt to order diapers from- they are both online stores. I personally use prefolds with snappi fasteners and wool covers- my personal favorite as well as bummi's covers. Our local Natural Living Store has great bummis covers- their contact information is online www.naturalabode.com. There is also a woman who was featured in MaryJane's Stitching Room who makes contoured diapers from old flannel...come on Meg, help me out here, you use them for Stella;)
There are also great yahoo groups where you can find used cloth diapers that I have had good luck with.
Here is a local (sort of- Eastern WA Northern ID) resource I just found...this mama has classes on natural parenting and here she explains everything about cloth diapering (it is all really personal preference).
http://www.chicsavvymamas.com/clothhowtosinformation.htm
Warmly, Rebekka
www.bebebella.etsy.com
As a woman I have no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.
Virginia Woolf |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4199 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4199 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 04:46:59 AM
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I used the curity diapers on my 3 boys. They were the double fold ones. I never thought they were a bother. You don't have to run to town to buy more, after the inital investment, you just wash. I did make some that fastened with velcro, and had a shower curtain for a liner. It was made from a pattern, simplicity or whatever.
Michele |
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl
712 Posts
Holly
Abilene
KS
712 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 05:10:35 AM
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I used MotherEase diapers and covers with two of my children and loved them! Nice thick diapers that don't need folding or pinning (they snap!)and the covers last!
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
http://timsarmywifey.blogspot.com
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
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Peanut
True Blue Farmgirl
603 Posts
Jennifer
Waverly
Virginia
USA
603 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 07:25:27 AM
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I use Fuzzi Buns and love them. I didn't cloth diaper my first two kids, but I'm planning on using these on my new baby - the dayare mom was nice enough to GIVE me her stash of Fuzzi Buns! :D
The Fuzzi Buns come with inserts and they snap.
"What is a farm but a mute gospel?"
Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 07:40:59 AM
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I love using cloth diapers, but I don't buy them. I make them from flannel that you can buy at any fabric store. It doesn't have to be diaper flannel either. White works best as it is more absorbent, but I often fall victim to the cute prints! When I make my own, I will either do flat folds which are just squares of flannel that you can fold in many different ways, or contoured which look just like store boughten ones but made out of cloth. Flat folds are the most adjustable types as depending how your fold them, they can fit for quite some time. Our first set which were 22 inch squares lasted us until Nora was 5-6 months old.
When I sew contoured diapers, I usually use Mamabird's diaper pattern (free) found here: www.geocities.com/cold_wy/mamabirdpatterns2.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/rew4birth/Diapers.html
I do not use PUL in my diapers as I feel it is too expensive and I am afraid I would make a mistake with it. I am not a knitter and did not have good luck finding 100% wool sweaters at our local goodwill (to felt and use as soakers) soo...I use diaper wraps that I buy from The Natural Abode. They are great and I love how quick and easy it is.
Unlike some of our friend's houses that use disposable diapers, we have never had an issue with odor. I carry a plastic grocery sack with me in my backpack and the soiled diapers go in there and then into the wash. Some of our friends let their dirty diapers (disposables) sit in the family garbage until you can hardly stand to be in the house *ugh* but since ours get washed every day or every couple of days- the odor never builds up. We have even had guest mention that they were suprised that there was no "baby" odor in our house.
I think it is a sad comment on our society when people expect your house to start stinking of dirty diapers just because you have an infant!
My husband prefers to go the easy route in life. He will do whatever is the cheapest/easiest for him to do. He doesn't care if I buy organic food etc as long as it is not harder to prepare. So when I proposed doing cloth diapers, he was very skeptical. But even now- he recommends cloth diapering to all our friends who have babies. I don't think we have converted anyone, but we won't do it any other way. We have saved so much money! Spending $30 on flannel every, say, 3 months equals about $120 for a years supply of diapers. Then say about the same $30 every 4 months to buy bigger diaper wraps equals about $90 in diaper wraps (which can be reused baby after baby!) So for a grand total of $210 we have (or will have) diapered our daughter for a year.
The average bag of diapers costs about $15 and lasted us (when we did use disposables) about a week. So $210 is only about 14 weeks worth of diapers which is just a little over 3 months worth. Probably less because I do remember going through more that one bag of diapers in a week soemtimes. Also I have read the statistic that it takes about 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose. Yikes! I didn't feel right about doing that to our planet.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog: http://FarmgirlAlee.blogspot.com |
Edited by - Alee on Jan 08 2008 07:42:11 AM |
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MustangSuzie
True Blue Farmgirl
634 Posts
Sarah
New London
Missouri
USA
634 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 08:44:37 AM
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I found using cloth diapers liberating. No more running to the store because you are out of diapers. It's much easier to wash imho. My children would break out from certain types of disposables and one even got repeated yeast rashes. I found diaper service quality diapers on clearance, made my own flats from diaper flannel and/or picked them up at yard sales. I chose to fold and pin for my boys. As soon as they found they could unfasten the velcro type they did just that. I liked the woolie covers but found them expensive in the beginning. It's getting hard in my area to find quality waterproof covers though.
Also if you put the word out that you want to use cloth, there may be someone who is looking to get rid of theirs. Sometimes ebay has some good deals too.
Best of luck to you in your decision. I think you would love using cloth, and so would your baby.
Blessings....
Sarah
www.mustangsuzie.blogspot.com
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Edited by - MustangSuzie on Jan 08 2008 08:46:52 AM |
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tziporra
True Blue Farmgirl
234 Posts
Robin
Seattle
WA
USA
234 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 7:04:35 PM
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Hi there -- I find the most knowledgable folks about cloth diapering tend to be the people running catalog sites like Green Mountain Diapers or Sunshine Diapers. The people running these businesses are passionate about cloth diapering, and really know their stuff. Call them up and chat with them about systems/customer satisfaction/etc. If you decide to make your own diapers, they have flannel resources as well.
We have a diaper service, which saves us zero dollars on cloth diapers (it's probably slightly more expensive than disposables, but we use cloth as an aesthetic and enviromental choice rather than an economical one). I make all our diaper covers using a great pattern I found online for $8.95. With my "heavy wetter" I made wool soakers, either knitted from scratch or cut from old wool sweaters.
Good luck! Cloth is the best!
Robin |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2008 : 8:10:31 PM
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I loved using cloth diapers for my two oldest boys...I used the birdseye ones (huge funny shaped cheeseclothy stuff) because they were what I got as shower gifts when I said I wanted to use cloth diapers. (I always coveted the curity prefolds..but never had any) I am amazed at the wonderful cloth diapers there are now..just fantastic. I wouldn't hesitate to cloth diaper again. All but the first two of my kids were adopted past diaper age so I just had the two first ones as babies (I gave birth to them) and they are 27 and 30 now!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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farmgirlannie
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Annie
Chehalis
Wa
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Jan 12 2008 : 6:50:57 PM
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| I also use fuzzi bunz and love them. The are easy even for my husband and sitters. They are more initial cost up front, but you only have to buy them once. |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2008 : 08:26:39 AM
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I love cloth diapers. I used them with my oldest kids, but when #4 came along with my strong willed #3 only 16 months old I gave into convience after a few months. Mom and I made most of my diapers in the ways Alee described, or I used the birdseye ones like Aunt Jenny. I used them EVERYWHERE and even taught the teenage nursery attendents at church how to handle them. My oldest daughter absolutly could not wear anything else with out breaking out into a bloodly rash after about an hour. As for diaper covers, I didn't use them. I just doubled up flannel diapers and made sure I kept them changed. The covers seemed to hold in heat and give my little ones heatrash on the tushie. Also, I could never afford the good ones and the cheap Gerber ones have been hard to find in recent years.
It sounds so good to hear myself laugh. --Rascal Flats, "No Reins" |
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shawna
True Blue Farmgirl
241 Posts
missouri (north)
241 Posts |
Posted - Jan 13 2008 : 11:31:29 AM
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i have spent HOURS!!! looking up info on cloth diaps. i just ordered my first lot from the MJ catalog info, here is her info. Ragamuffin Hand-Sewn Diapers
Kendra Parnell ragamuffindiapers@hotmail.com
she was great to work for and we really like ours. I cut up purp rags and put these in the front of my little boys diap, this way if he just wets a little bet i can just change the "extra" cloth and not the whole diaper. I hope you do switch and have support from those around you. it sort of like breastfeeding, without support you can't talk about any problems without others telling you that you are wasting your time. at least there are lots of web pages to go to for advice. best of luck
GOD Bless America! Stand up and fight for your FREEDOMS!!! freedomtofascism.com |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2008 : 04:49:56 AM
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All the gals have such great advice. The amount of knowledge and down-to-earth common sense is overflowing here.
I don't remember the brand or type of cloth diaper. So, I can't be any help there. I thought I'd share on how we managed them.
I kept a diaper pail that had a locking lid on it right next to the toilet. I put about 3 gallons of water and baking soda in it each morning. As the girls needed changing, I'd simply put the wet ones in the pail and give the messy ones a quick dip in the toilet to remove the ....well,....you know.....poop! Then in the pail went the messy ones. The pail/bucket could hold well over 10 diapers.
At the end of each day I'd pour the whole thing...water and diapers....into the wash on a rinse cycle. Then a complete full wash. I'd clothesline dry when I could (if I washed during the day) But most of the time I used the dryer because I washed at night.
You can also make your own wipes out of old t-shirts or new fabric. Keep them in a ziploc or empty wipe container to keep them moist. They can be tossed in the pail with the diapers.
Blessings
Catherine
Farmgirl#76
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
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yellojewl
True Blue Farmgirl
72 Posts
Amber
Hurley
MO
USA
72 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2008 : 3:21:22 PM
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| I've gotten cloth diapers (new) and Snappies from Green Mountain. They are great! Also, I've bought quite a few from WAHMs and a website called diaperswappers.com. Moms using cloth diapers swap and sell really good used dipes and even new for different sizes, etc. |
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jillofalltrades
True Blue Farmgirl
90 Posts
Nicole
USA
90 Posts |
Posted - Jan 14 2008 : 10:53:02 PM
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I loved Happy Heiny's pocket diaper. I purchased most of them from www.kellyscloset.com or bought them used from the yahoo group diaperswappers. I just love pocket diapers period. I also started making my own using a revised Very Baby pattern. www.verybaby.com
Nicole~ mom to Makinlee Georganna
Louisiana born & bred
Currently living abroad in South Korea
http://www.offshorewifeslife.com
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jillofalltrades
True Blue Farmgirl
90 Posts
Nicole
USA
90 Posts |
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Anastasia
True Blue Farmgirl
56 Posts
Anastasia
Telkwa
BC
Canada
56 Posts |
Posted - Jan 20 2008 : 6:04:23 PM
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I'm going to be using Mother-Ease diapers as they were recommended by three friends who couldn't stop raving about them. They've already arrived and are so darned cute! The covers are breathable, too, with some special non-leaking, venting thing going on, so the heat doesn't build up (as mentioned by a previous poster). They have extra liners as well. I bought mostly the one-size ones (there are a series of simple snaps that change with baby's size, both legs and waist) along with some newborn sizes. They also make an all-in-one (diaper with attached cover) for when you just have space to pull one off and pull another one on. Handy!
"Speciality is for insects." -Robert Heinlen |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jan 20 2008 : 6:49:30 PM
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I love cloth diapers. I can't say enough good things about them. It makes me so happy that I can just pass "that" aisle in the grocery store. I feel bad for all the moms out there that are scraping together pennies to buy disposables and then skipping meals because of the horrible cost. I know this happens and it makes me sad that marketing has made the "mainstream mommy" belive that disposables are the "only" option. I am so glad to help spread the word about cloth.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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elah
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Emily
SW
Michigan
USA
349 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jan 21 2008 : 8:10:26 PM
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I am so glad you have been converted to the cloth side! :D hehehe
I love it. I really do. Are you doing flat folds, pre-folds, or contoured?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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elah
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Emily
SW
Michigan
USA
349 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2008 : 6:54:14 PM
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Nice! Did you make or buy your pre-folds?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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elah
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Emily
SW
Michigan
USA
349 Posts |
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Parenting & Farm Kids: Need advice...cloth diapers |
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Need advice...cloth diapers
