Any mamas have any experience with this brand of diapers? Are they any good? I bought them because they're affordable (56 for $7.00 where Pampers and Huggies were 40 for $10.00). They're pretty much the only brand (aside from Parents Choice....which I heard weren't too good) that didn't have Winnie the Pooh splashed all over them (they have artwork by John Lennon on them). Also....are cloth diapers any good? Are they worth the trouble and the mess? Or, being a first-time mom, should I just stick to the disposable ones?
CLOTH CLOTH CLOTH!!!! Think about it. Would you want to sit in a chemical-filled, non-biodegradable pile of something...or soft cloth? Which do you think would be better on your bum? the environment? Your pocket book? Cloth diapers, despite the initial expense, will save you more money in the long run. All you need to launder them are vinegar and baking soda, maybe tea tree oil (plus the expense of water and the dryer). I've found with my cloth diapers that they are no more inconvenient than disposables. In fact, they are more so because by using them, I've avoided horrible butt rashes that baby could be getting by sitting in a wet diaper for hours at a time. I know lots of the mommas here use more expensive cloth diapers. But I actually found that if I laundered them a lot before I actually used them, the Gerber's brand chinese prefold actually worked just as well as the diaper service ones. Plus, instead of using pins (which suck, IMO), we bought a pack of three snappis (will try to find a website) that work just as well as pins but don't take near as long to get on. Plus, once you get the hang of folding the diaper, it becomes so easy, you can do it almost more quickly than mommies that use disposables. Don't waste your money on sposies, because in the long run, you'll be paying for the diapers, the wipes, the rashes, and the extra time it will take your baby to potty train. Truly, look into cloth diapers. It's totally worth it for a million and one reasons, hon!
Amen to that My mother used cloth, back in the day, and never had any real issues. Things have come on a long way in the last twenty years [no snappies back then] so it's getting even better. Cloth diapers are cheaper in trhe long run, not only do they pay for themselves but if/when you have another baby you're all set with supplies there.
Ok, being a mama who has had experiance w/ disposible diapers I've tried 'em all. If you don't have a washer and dryer or a laundry mat within walking distance cloth isn't practical and well, thats how it was for me for a little while. Any store brand in my opinion sucks. White clouds sucked, they may have been cute but they didn't hold up. You go through a pack of those diapers faster than luvs. Luvs were the best. Pampers were also great but way too expensive. For some reason store brands don't seem as thick and durable. My kids were peeing machines. I'd have to change a full diaper for them every time they ate (every 2-3 hrs). I remember the white clouds would sometimes leak out the sides because that little leg strip was so flimsy. Although, if you do buy store brands white cloud are the best out of them. Cheaper but durable diapers are the luvs in my opinion. As for cloth advice, can't give you any yet. We are having the chance to switch soon and I'm pretty excited about it. It seems alot easier and convientant from my research on it all.
bear in mind that I was using disposable diapers exactly five years ago, and they surely must have changed since then... store brand diapers (almost all are made by Paragon, I think is the company) gave my baby a horrible rash and leaked every time she pooped. The lower end name brand diapers did too. I could only use the very most expensive Huggies Ultra or Supremo or whatever they call their fancy dancy diapers, and then I could only use them if I opened the package and let the perfume air out of them for a week or so first. Cloth is really no big deal. I figured I was already taking a garbage bag full of stinking diapers out to the trash every day, how hard would it be to take them down to the washing machine instead? Once you have a baby, that washing machine is constantly running anyhow. But the kicker for me was when I added up how much money I was spending on disposable diapers and wipes (we had to use the most expensive, unscented, wipes available as well, or she'd get a rash). I had to change her diaper as soon as she peed in it or she'd scream bloody murder (another sign we shouldn't have been using them). In that first year, I spent over $1500 on diapers. Don't get cloth diapers from a store that sells disposables. They only carry the cruddiest brand, because they aren't about to start losing money on all those diapers they sell! I personally like unbleached prefolds and wrap style covers best, but every baby is different, what fits each baby will vary, and what cloth diapers mamas like will be different too. Try websites like www.naturalbabies.com and www.punkinbutt.com for an idea of what is available and what prices you are looking at, but there are literally thousands of online sources for cloth diapers and diapering information. Just make sure they are reputable, I got burned when I ordered from an online "friend" whose business sense was severely lacking. To me, the best thing about cloth diapers is when I sold some of my used diaper covers on Ebay, that both my girls wore as well as a friend's baby, and I made a profit on them!! The price had gone up so much in five years that the used ones are going for more than I paid for them brand new.
Ain't that the truth! I like Chinese prefold DSQ, (Diaper Service Quality.) Ask around to see if there are any diaper services near you. It really isn't more expensive than washing them yourself, once you count in electricity, gas, detergent, something to kill the germs, the water for the extra rinses ect. I LOVED my diaper service. All my kids had it, and it was great. They would even do extra pick ups, if the kids were sick and I had used the diapers to clean up puke and the craps. (They do ask you not to do regular house cleaning like dusting and stuff with them, though, but the cheaper store boughts are fine for that.)
Thanks ladies! Instead of using wipes, would just a lukewarm cloth and some baby soap do the trick? Both her father and I have really sensitive skin....and I'm guessing that might be passed on to her? I'm going to look into getting some cloth diapers. We don't have a diaper service around here, though. I'll check those websites. And on the laundering part, would washing them in baby detergent be just as good as the vinegar wash? My mom and family members have bought TONS of Dreft....they all said I'd constantly be at the washing machine and should be prepared with the right detergent. Thanks again, mamas.
Cloth with just plain warm water is all you need, really...and after that, Maggie has a good recipe for a wash water...
and yes, if you both have sensitive skin, the babe probably will too! (same here on my side.. hubby and I are freakishly sensitive) Another reason why cloth would be better for you.
If you can, buy 7th heaven wool wrap covers! I just bought three and the are FABULOUS! They are a bit more pricey, BUT, there are only two sizes (S and L) and they each have four rows of snaps so they grow with the bub up to potty training! And the are SO soft! And cute. I'm gonna go order three more! I get my diaper stuff from here: http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com. They are super fast at shipping. A very informative website too.
don't wash cloth diapers in Dreft!! It has fabric softener and way too much perfume. But it's the fabric softener in it that will decrease the diapers' absorbency. The perfume will irritate *my* skin, I'd never use it on baby's clothes, much less their diapers. We use just the tiniest drop of fragrance-free detergent for a load of diapers. Lately I've been adding some fragrance-free oxyclean to the wash, I used to use borax and then rinse with vinegar. Now I just run them through an extra rinse before throwing them in the dryer. we use cheapo washcloths moistened with plain water as wipes. If you have sensitive skin, rethink using any baby soap products, especially the johnsons or baby majic stuff. Plain water will get your baby real clean, hair and all. If there's a particularly sticky mess when kid gets older, a tiny bit of castille soap or something mild without fragrance is all it takes.
I'm planning on using cloth with my baby coming in October. But, I used disposables with my son, and I have to say that White Cloud are GREAT diapers for the price. I used them more than any other diaper because they are soft and have stretchy tabs, I liked them better than Huggies or Luvs. Good luck!!
i use Parents Choice disposables, and i'm pretty happy with them. When my son was a toddler, i switched over to huggies because of leaking, but i've had no problems with my girls; either the diapers got better, or more likely, the pee gets more evenly distributed because little girls go more toward the center. Parents Choice and White Cloud are the very same diaper, minus the design. A couple of years ago, White Cloud had velcro closures and Parents Choice (called Dri-Bottoms at the time) still had sticky plastic. Now they are both velcro, and i have even occasionally bought Parents Choice, opened the package, and seen the familiar John Lennon animals, just like those advertised on the White Clouds. Interesting So i buy Parents Choice, because they're a couple of dollars cheaper for the same thing. But the others are right, cloth really is best. i wish i had the dedication to use them myself!
I use the white cloud and think they work just fine. I was kinda sketchy at first thinking that because they were cheap that they wouldn't work but they do!
I decided to go cloth for a myriad of reasons but as I have never walked this road before the tachnicalities of diapering still perplex me. My mom has gone silly buying gently used diapers off ebay so I have a large assortment of different kinds. Yes I have the pre folds and the wraps? I get that you put a pre fold in a diaper wrap but I am confused by the ones that have the fleece inserts with the pocket. Does the whole thing get dirty when you use those? What is the point of the fleece just to absorb pee? Any explanation would be greatly appreciated.
Warped - I have never used a pocket diaper, but yea, I guess you basically just stuff it with whatever works for you, either the fleece like you have, or even a prefold could be stuffed. Pocket diapers have to be washed each time, they are probably more convenient, but more of a pain to wash and dry. But they seem like they would be great for overnight use. Give me a review after you try them, I have 2 kids in diapers and about a million prefolds and covers, but thats the only kind I've used.
I used Happy Heinies pocket diapers with my oldest child, but only if someone else might be changing her (like a babysitter or Nana). You put the absorbent part (it can be a prefold or special insert, and you can use as much or as little as you need) inside. The fleece keeps the urine off baby's skin, which helps with a rash-prone child or if the child is eating too much acidic foods and their urine is burning their skin, and keeps baby more comfortable in between diaper changes. Some people reuse the outer part and put another insert in them, I never did that. They do require a different washing system to keep the fleece from repelling. If the urine can't go through the fleece, it will leak down baby's leg instead. Keep in mind that all-in-one and fitted diapers do not fit all babies. Some babies are longer and thinner than others and can't wear the same diapers. Prefolds are just easier for me. You can fold them to fit any size or shape baby, and you can use the smaller ones as doublers when baby gets bigger. try this website for information http://www.thediaperhyena.com/ or just google for cloth diapering information. There's tons out there.
