Don't think I'm crazy, but I love my cloth diapers! I had researched them a whole lot while I was pregnant and told J that it would be something that I would like to try. He was resistant at first, but I think he is now glad that we did them as well. I thought I would tell you a little about what I have found about the diapers that I have chosen and how they are cared for.
I honestly thought cloth diapering was a dying bread until I started researching them, and it's amazing how innovative and cute cloth diapers have become! I had convinced myself that the g-diapers would be the best option for us - mainly because they were SO cute! That was my main focus on why I liked them. They also had an option to put in a disposable insert when we were out, which I thought would make them more convenient. I did not actually start using the cloth diapers until Tucker was almost 12 pounds. I had several packs of disposable diapers I had received and thought that it might be too much of an overload if I started when I first came home with him - in hind sight I wish I had just jumped in full force about a week after we brought him home.
You will see the photos below of the G-diapers. I loved that they had a "G" on the booty- like for Golding! For us they were just not as easy to use as the other insert diapers, and I only used the ones I purchased maybe 4 times each. They leaked within 20 minutes of me putting them on him. Now I also have to say that the smalls, which is what I purchased, only go up to 14 lbs, and then you have to change to the mediums, large, and then x-large. He may have just been too chunky to wear the size smalls that I had, but I got annoyed with having to change him and his outfit literally minutes after putting it on him.
The photos aren't the best, but you get the idea of what they looked like on him - I thought they were just adorable. The last photo is how they work. They are on the www.gdiaper.com website. If you are wanting to cloth diaper, check them out! They are so cute, but they didn't work for us. There are several reviews that I read though about people loving these more than any other diapers they had.
The diapers that I actually use every day are the Bumgenious 4.0 and the Charlie Banana one size. I purchased the Charlie Banana as a last minute whim from Target.com. They are very similar to the Bumgenious in that they also come with inserts for newborn and one for older children. I have 12 Charlie Banana diapers and I have 8 Bumgenious. This way I can do laundry each night and have enough ready for the next day as well.
**I will confess that I didn't realize I have been using the newborn inserts for my Charlie Banana diapers instead of the correct ones and they were sometimes leaking on me - I'm very glad to have figured out my mistake!
I love my Bumgenious much more than my Charlie Banana's, and I can't really give you a reason why. They are both so functional and I really love the fact that I can cloth diaper all my children with the diapers I currently have! What an amazing relief it is. The Bumgenious come with the option of snaps or with Velcro. I purchased 2 Velcro ones thinking they might be easier to figure out (from a scared beginner mom's point of view), but then realized that these probably won't last more than one baby, so when I purchased more, I went with the snaps. I think they are so cute on him and I really like the snaps the best of all. My Bumgenious have still yet to leak for me - that's pretty amazing! These are all just my preference on the diapers and I know there are several other types of brands out there. I was told by a friend of mine about Sun babies, and they look identical to the Bumgenious, but MUCH cheaper - I would really like to try these as well. There are also so many other options out there -- If you are wanting to start cloth diapering, research several different types and figure out what works best for your family.
To clean all the diapers, I run them through a cold rinse (dirty and all- this can be done until they start solids). I then run a hot/cold wash and this is when I add detergent. I use Charlie's Soap which you can order online. I occasionally add vinegar in the final cold rinse about every 3 or 4 times I wash them -- this keeps them stripped and smelling fresh. I also throw a little Oxy Clean into the washes sometimes - I think it helps get them a little cleaner. They are very easy to wash, and when Tucker start's solids, I have a diaper sprayer hooked to the toilet that I will spray down the diapers and then add to the dirty diaper pail.
One thing I didn't learn until too late was that you can't use just any type of diaper rash cream for cloth diapers - especially AD&D, Desitin, or Butt Paste. I use California Baby, which is safe for the baby and the diapers.
I have to leave you with this final picture - I think it might be my favorite! He was so sweet and happy to be out and about early on a Friday morning with his mommy!! Hope you all have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
