Oooookay! I've had a ton of different Moms ask me about the cloth diapering. Here's the info you've all been waiting for. I hope it's worth the wait!
We initially thought about cloth diapering when we were pregnant with the twins but we didn't end up doing it and I really regret that decision. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of money we've spent on disposables thus far, and we just have two children. Right now, the boys are almost 2 years old and before we started this cloth diapering, we were spending $80-$100 a month on diapers...and that was us buying SMART and in bulk. Jackson has a sensitive butt and the only disposable we've found that would work for him are the $Huggies$. At the same time, I didn't know if cloth diapers would make his butt just as bad...so I didn't want to throw hundreds of dollars into this and decide, "You know what? It's just not for me." and end up losing SO MUCH MORE money.
That's when I decided I'd start out small and slow. When I started asking some of my more experienced Cloth Diapering Mom's (CDM's) which diapers they used and where to go, I was FLOORED at how much some cloth diapers cost. We are talking mostly $18-20 each. PLUS shipping. I
still can't imagine spending that much on a diaper. Not to mention, my husband works HARD for our money. He wouldn't be okay with spending $20 on cloth diapers that he wasn't totally sold on to begin with. So....off to Ebay I went. And the love obsession grew.
I can honestly say that I've spent anywhere from $1.02-$9.00-something on our diapers. And the only reason I spent nearly $10 on that one diaper was because it was for a diaper that exactly matched another pirate diaper I had bought a few days prior for Jackson and Aiden's Pirate Party Bash!! In all honesty, I probably would have paid up to $20 for that damn diaper...but that's just because it was for a special occasion. I generally back out of bidding once the diaper get to be about $8 each, but then it also depends on which diaper it is I'm bidding on. For some of them, I won't pay for than $5 each.
Before all the nitty gritty, here's some basic info to help you understand what I'm talking about.
Pockets vs AIO's- AIO's (all in one's) are just that, all in one. They don't need anything more than the diaper.
SOMETIMES if I know J&A have had a lot to drink...or if it's going to be a long car ride, I'll put a prefold diaper in them for
extra absorbency. Pocket diapers are thin and they have an opening in the back that you can put liners or prefolds in. Some people will sell a liner w/ the diaper and some don't. I've got lots of prefolds around the house, so that's what I use as inserts for the pockets. They seem to work alright but not for long rides. These are the ones I will usually use around the house. AIO's are the ones we usually use when we go out and about. Again, this is only what we do. I know many people who ONLY use pockets everywhere they go and they have no problem with leaking though.
I like BOTH pockets AND AIO's. We like to line dry our cloth diapers (it keeps them newer longer) and the pockets dry faster than the AIO's but I like the simplicity of the AIO's.
Prefolds- are the "old school" cloth diapers. They ones that NEED a diaper cover and require pins, or something like that. There are MANY different kinds of prefolds and usually most people don't like using them because they really are harder. You need pins and covers and blah blah blah. And actually, the really good ones aren't that cheap! The Gerber brand you can get at your local Target or Wal Mart are pretty crappy for actual diapering. They are better for burp rags OR as INSERTS for pocket cloth diapers!!
Velcro vs. Snaps- Just a personal preference. I prefer snaps. I'll use either Velcro or snaps though. I'm not picky. You'll also want to remember to turn the cloth diaper inside out and close the diaper (like, attach the Velcro) so that they won't attach themselves to other diapers and cause damage. Your diapers will last a lot longer if you take care of them in the washing cycle and line dry them. With snaps, you don't have to worry about Velcro harming any of the other diapers.
Sizes- Some people sell a One Size diaper which fits pretty much any size baby (they might be a bit big on a newborn...I wouldn't know). Then some sell them by S, M, L and XL. Check each seller for the difference in weight for each size. Sometimes they
DO vary.
These were made by a WAHM (work at home mom) on ebay. I really like these diapers. They are
AIO's (all in one's) and they are very cute. They are made out of a soft fabric. Jackson wears a large and Aiden fits a medium.
The only con is that they are made with Velcro. I prefer snaps. Just a personal preference thing. And for the life of me, I can't remember who it was I bought these from. If I come across the seller again, I'll post their info.
I think I spent about $6-7 plus shipping on these? I think? I can't find my receipts for it.
These were also made by a WAHM on ebay. I believe I bought them as a "Buy NOW!!" option at $5 each for 4 of them plus shipping (a sale at the time). These are
pocket diapers. She has a nice selection of fabric you pick from and then just tell her the size(s) you need. These use snaps and she also has this thing that hangs off the diaper (you can see part of it in the top picture of Aiden) that you can attach a pacifier or a toy to . Our kids are too old for this feature, but it seems really neat for the younger kids. She also does combined shipping and it's
very reasonable shipping from what I remember. She says she has a new design that she's trying out which will be available on ebay in the next few weeks for about $6 each (before shipping), so keep checking her ebay store.
There was a slight problem with one of the diapers. The stitching had come undone in one place and was starting to unravel. I simply sent her an email explaining the situation, telling her I'd be more than happy to take a picture so she can see OR mail it back to her, she replied RIGHT AWAY to tell me that there was no need, she'd be more than happy to send me a replacement. She is extremely pleasant if there is a problem. And let's just be honest, these are each made by hand. There will be little errors like that every once in a while and it's nice knowing that you've got such a nice person to deal with.
The cons to this diaper is that it's listed as a "one size" yet they don't have much growing room left for Jackson (though he is a big boy and he's nearly 2) however, those that I bought were her of the old design she's not selling anymore. She says that the new model IS roomier. As of right now, her pockets do not come with inserts (which is not a problem for me but I know it is for some Moms out there). What I do is take two prefolds, fold them up and then stuff them in this diaper and it works great. She does plan on making some with inserts soon, she's just trying to find the right material.
***currently she has a sale going on for 12 diapers (you pick the fabric) for $48, FREE SHIPPING!! That's just $4 a diaper!!***
Ebay store:
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/High-Style-Productions__W0QQ_armrsZ1Her website:
www.bubelebaby.com
These are called Green & Comfy. I really, really like these, they just tend to be in high demand. Harder to bid on. I've seen some mom's get brutal out there and bid up to $9 on them PLUS paying the $4.95 shipping!! Now...here comes the interesting part. You can get them as
AIO OR pockets and they come in either S, M, L OR they have a one size fits all, it just all depends on which one you are bidding on. I've bidded on these and won them all at different prices, from $1.75 each all the way up to $7 each. The seller will help out with combining shipping, which helps. These are light and airy. Also, I love the snaps. They tend to be VERY roomy. They also have awesome sales when you buy multiple of them at a time, with FREE SHIPPING! Everyone loves free shipping.
The ONLY con to these diapers is that with the pocket diapers, the cloth that they use that touches the kids butt? It's really, really soft (which is a pro) but it's also pretty thin. So on one of ours, there is already a little hole worn through. And they just come in solids. BUT the solids are cute colors! And I'm not sure where they are made.....come to think of it.
Ebay store:
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/green_and_comfy_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ
The diapers might be cute but the woman who makes these diapers can't be trusted to walk your dog! This has been the MOST unpleasant diaper buying experience I've EVER come across and of course it all happened to ME!
She isn't able to keep up with her business enough to send out complete orders. We literally bought diapers from her MONTHS ago and TO DATE we have YET to get them in the mail, though they've been promised MULTIPLE times. Trust me, I have the copies of all the emails and if Mrs. Bonnie wants to dispute ANY of what I'm saying, I'd be MORE than happy to back it up with proof.
So....if you like
lending your hard earned money to someone while they do NOTHING but give you excuse after excuse (I believe I counted 4 different excuses), then she's your woman!
If you have ANY common sense, you'll STEER CLEAR!!!!!!!!
Here is her website:
http://www.yourbabyessentials.com/Browse.htmland a link to her on ebay:
http://www.auctiva.com/stores/viewstore2.aspx?id=887523&styleid=12&siteid=0
(Yes, that one is purple. Don't judge.)
lol
I think I've bought about 5 diapers from this seller on ebay. Most of her items have a "Buy it NOW!!" option for less than $7 so you don't have to really worry about bidding and bidding and bidding. Nice, huh? Also...a HUGE plus is that she offers FREE SHIPPING. So you're talking a total of $7 for a good cloth diaper!! Not bad. They are also very absorbent and for an
AIO (which all of her are) they dry on our line dryer fairly fast. The outside is a waterproof PUL (material) so it's rare they wet through these.
The cons is really only two 1/2 con's equaling one small con. The inside is made out of a fleece material, which is fine for Aiden's butt but not so great for Jackson's. Don't ask me why, but Jackson has always been a lil sensitive. If you've used fleece before and like it, then this won't be a con. Like I said, they work just fine for Aiden. And she uses Velcro BUT she has these laundry tabs on them, so you can fold the velcro inward and not worry about it catching on all of your other diapers.
Her ebay shop:
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/whimsey_1_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ**currently she has a sale going on for SIX AIO diapers for just $34.99 FREE SHIPPING! That's about $5.90 a diaper!!**
You know, I don't even know what to call these! LOL! They are not AIO's and they are not pockets, yet they aren't prefolds. They have SNAPS! They are extremely thin cloth diapers that NEED a diaper cover. They are not very absorbent at all. They each came with a "liner" that seems to be way too small for a diaper liner....so I just put a prefold in them, snap them up and put a diaper cover on them. I think I bought a total of 9 diapers from her for less than $12 including shipping. She does good discounts on multiple orders. So obviously another pro is how extremely inexpensive they are.
The cons are that they need a cover and they are not absorbent at all. That being said....I think they are going to work GREAT for potty training!! I think that's the only way I'd recommend anyone buying these, actually. Another negative to them is that they are not very fitting. They do not have elastic around the legs, so sometimes half a hiney sticks out, which
looks cute...but it's not very practical. heehee. I'll let you know how they go with the potty training. So if you
do bid on these, just know how thin thin thin and non-absorbent they are. They do NOT work well as a cloth diaper.
Ebay store:
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/GingerbreadDiapers__W0QQ_armrsZ1If anyone has any questions for me, feel free to ask here or email me at teelaherman@gmail.com.
