Temerity Jane

My accumulated collection of fluff.

This is about diapers. Some of you are totally uninterested and can come back later – I promise to write something else. Maybe. I use the word “promise” loosely, in that it doesn’t actually mean I promise and it’s not in any way binding. The rest of you left, however, are very interested, because if you are interested in cloth diapers, you are VERY INTERESTED IN CLOTH DIAPERS.

(If you did not know, “fluff” is how the cloth diaper professionals – and by “professionals” I mostly mean the people who spend a lot of time talking about and researching cloth diapers – refer to their collections and individual diapers. Don’t I sound professional, talking about fluff? All I need to do now is start referring to everyone with a vagina as “Mama” and I’m all set.)

As you know, Garlic Bread remains firmly inside the Hut at the moment, thus I have no actual experience with cloth diapering my own kid. However, a lot of people have asked what I’ve been buying, because there are a lot of people who read this blog who are in the same situation as I am – creating a collection of cloth diapers for a butt that has yet to make an appearance – so I thought I’d tell you about what I’ve purchased so far and what I think of it, with the understanding that I have not yet experienced these diapers in combination with infant bodily fluids.

My original plan was to take some decent pictures of my piles of diapers in order to add some visual interest to this entry, but I’m feeling quite poorly this morning and am laying as low as possible in order to stack the blood pressure deck for my appointment in the late morning. That limited me to cell phone pictures (which is something, because at first there were NO PICTURES AT ALL).

Let’s all agree that I will provide better pictures of these diapers at some point, or upon individual request as needed and as convenient to my Butt Rust situation. That is, if you really would like a picture of a particular diaper or particular color, I can be persuaded to dress a stuffed monkey in the diaper of your choosing at some point in the near future and send you said picture. Otherwise, assume each diaper will be pictured more clearly as one, it appears on Garlic Bread’s butt, and two, and the situation in point one happens to coincide with me having something to say about said diaper.

I need to point out that for the newly de-hutted Garlic Bread, we will be using prefolds and covers instead of fancier pocket or all in one diapers. I ordered my prefolds from Cotton Babies, and I chose the unbleached Indian cotton. I first ordered a whole bunch of infant, but as situations changed, I also added a collection of preemie sized prefolds as well. As far as prefolds go, I have heard very good things about Green Mountain Diapers, but so far have no reason to be unhappy with the ones I got from Cotton Babies. Of course, they are as yet unpeed upon. So, we’ll see.

We’re going to be using prefolds and covers because they are an inexpensive, effective way to diaper. Some people use prefolds and covers all the way through to potty training, and if your goal in cloth diapering is strictly to save AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE, that’s probably the way to go. Even if you know you’d prefer the more convenient pockets or all in ones eventually, starting with prefolds is usually a good idea, because newborns and their chicken legs often need a few weeks to even a couple of months to grow into the smallest setting of “one size” diapers.

Now, everything else I have collected encompasses a small variety of brands and styles of pocket and all in one diapers intended to make up the start of our long term collection. I shopped from sales and swaps because I wasn’t set on any particular brand, and wanted a variety to try so we could figure out what we like and don’t like and what works and what doesn’t.

You should keep in mind that no matter HOW much a friend raves about a specific brand of diaper, they might not work for you, which is why I was hesitant to build a full collection of any one kind. I did stick to mostly the two biggest brands for two reasons: one, the reputation of each brand is good, and two, there were enough options covered within each of those two brands that we still have quite a few different types of diapers to evaluate as well. As is my way, a lot of the collection was dictated by really good sales, both from diaper store sites and from forums like DiaperSwappers.

ANYWAY, here is what I have for my kid’s butt.

(A lot of my links go to Cotton Babies, simply because that’s where I’ve shopped (free shipping!), but other good sites include Kelly’s Closet, Nikki’s Diapers, Green Mountain Diapers, Little Lions and a whole ton more. Also, none of these links are affiliate links at all. They’re convenience links. For you.)

Covers: 1 Econobum, 2 WAHM* randoms, 1 Thirsties (old style, small), 3 Thirsties Duo (size 1)

Top: Econobum, 2 WAHM
Bottom: Thirsties old style, 3 Thirsties Duo

I still intend to add a couple of preemie sized covers to this collection – probably Bummis or Prorap. Covers go over prefolds to provide the waterproof layer, and if you’re not familiar with them, they’re kind of like an updated version of the old “plastic pants.” They go on just like a diaper, with snaps or velcro, and are essentially a diaper shell – just the waterproof part.

The Econobum is a one size diaper cover, and from what I understand, it’s the “economical” (or generic brand) version of the Flip diaper system. It’s a snap cover and it’s one size, which means it will grow with her. I’ve snapped it down to the smallest size, and it gets about as small as a regular one size diaper would – not very. I probably can’t use it on a newborn, I think you’d want a chunky 8-10 lbs for this. However, with it being bigger, it does give you the space to lay in an extra insert if your baby pees like the dickens or something.

The two WAHM (work at home mom – this generally refers to any kind of diaper that isn’t a big “name,” and is made by… well, a work at home mom. There are a LOT of popular diapers in this category, so if you’re shopping, don’t limit yourself to just the big names) covers look very much like they’re modeled off of Thirsties, but also appear a little big for a newborn. One is snap and one is aplix. By the looks of them, while not fancy, I have no reason to believe they won’t function exactly as designed.

The Thirsties old style (small) is a sized cover, which means it’s either small or large or medium or whatever, and doesn’t adjust. It has double leg gussets, which I think is important, especially for smaller covers for smaller babies, because, you know… containment.

Now, I think the 3 Thirsties Duo covers I have are going to be the best of my current collection for the Wee Bread. They have the double leg gussets and they’re not ONE size, but they do adjust. Duos come in size 1 and size 2, and each of those covers a range of sizes – between them, they cover the whole span to potty training. These do get QUITE small – smaller than the old style size “small.” I think, so far, in their unpeed state, these are what I would recommend for starting based on what I have, because they do get down to the smallest and oh yeah, are also adorable.

Pockets: 7 BumGenius 4.0 (3 snap, 4 aplix), 2 FuzziBunz Perfect Size (small), 2 FuzziBunz one size, 1 Rumparooz, 1 I forget.

Left: 3 snap BumGenius 4.0
Right: 4 aplix BumGenius 4.0

BumGenius 4.0 – these are all one size diapers, and they all adjust with snaps on the front to create a “rise” that is the right height for your kid. There’s not a lot of difference between the snaps and aplix. I figure I’ll prefer snaps, since these are meant to last and snaps will be harder for her to remove on her own, but I got a lot of aplix because they’re the closest to disposable, which will make Phil more comfortable with them. They’re pocket diapers, so you stuff an insert into the pocket to create absorbency – you can use more than one insert as needed. The inside of the BG diapers is soft but not fluffy, and the pocket has a flap over the opening to prevent the inserts from wiggling out or any wetness from leaking… up.

Left: 2 FuzziBunz, sized (small)
Right: 2 FuzziBunz, one size

FuzziBunz Perfect Size – Since these are small size, they don’t have the same lifespan as a one size diaper. However, you can still make the waist of the diaper larger or smaller depending on where you snap it, so it’s not like it’s totally limited. It’s more of a length of the baby thing, since you can’t make these diapers taller or shorter as your baby tallens up. The FuzziBunz have an elastic pocket opening instead of a flap, so it’s more open than the BG. But the inside of the FuzziBunz feels so nice – like the inside of your very best sweatshirt. I would wear these.

I mean, I wouldn’t use them. But I could see wearing one. It seems like it would be cozy on the delicates, you know?

Very poor quality picture of FuzziBunz one size rise adjustment elastic.
You can also kind of see how soft the interior of a FuzziBunz is.

FuzziBunz one size – Basically, all the same things about the sized FuzziBunz apply, except that you can adjust the rise. However, unlike the BG, you don’t adjust the rise with snaps. Instead, there’s elastic inside the legs of the diapers that you pull tighter or looser. These diapers come with replacement elastic as well, because elastic doesn’t last forever, so that’s a nice bonus. I don’t know how I’ll feel about adjusting elastic vs. adjusting snaps, but it’s not like you adjust it every day. You set it to your kid’s size, and it stays set until your kid bigs up a bit.

Rumparooz one size, adjusted down to smallest setting.
It gets QUITE WEE.

Rumparooz – This was kind of a random purchase. I heard good things about them, but they don’t have the same name recognition as BumGenius or FuzziBunz, so I don’t know, I guess I didn’t want to take a huge risk on them. They’re not cheap. However, they seem to put together all of the best features of everything else. The inside is soft and sweatshirty, like a FuzziBunz. It has an elastic pocket opening like the FuzziBunz, but also a small flap. In addition to the legs being elasticized, so too is the pocket, which creates a kind of… landing zone for baby business, with extra containment. Also, the pocket has some height to it, almost, making it look like adding extra inserts is easier in this diaper than it might be in some others. It’s also a one size and adjust with snaps, and has a double row of snaps at the waist, which I’m told helps prevent droopage.

The “I Forgot.”

I forgot – Really. I forgot what this is. The outside is silky, way more than a BumGenius and a little more than a FuzziBunz. The pocket is elastic like a FuzziBunz, but the interior fabric is thin like BumGenius. The snaps don’t match anything else I have. I have really no idea. It’s one size and only has a single row of snaps across the top. It looks like a very well made, very functional diaper. Watch, I bet it ends up being my favorite and I can never find another one again because I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS.

HOWEVER, I think I have just now remembered that the person who sent me this diaper kindly included it when I had purchased some FuzziBunz from her and also READS THIS BLOG, so maybe she knows.

All in ones: 2 BumGenius 3.0 (and that’s all)

2 BumGenius 3.0, size small.
You can see that the interior is different than FuzziBunz (but still soft).
Also, the flap over the pocket.

BumGenius 3.0 - I got these for Phil. I think they’ll be his favorite. They’re the only all in ones I’ve purchased so far. They close with aplix, making them function like a disposable, and they’re sized (small), so there’s no adjusting the rise. Additionally, the insert is already sewn into the pocket, no stuffing required. There is a pocket, though, so you do have the option to add an insert for overnight or for whatever pee-needs you have. These take longer to dry than pockets and covers, but if you’re sending your kid to daycare or to a family member to babysit for a night or just really like convenience, these are probably it. If I recall correctly, these are being discontinued, maybe? So I got these two on a really good sale. Note: These still ARE on really good sale at Cotton Babies.

Fitteds: 2 frivolous diapers

CAN YOU EVEN STAND IT?

I admit it. I bought two adorable fitteds (no waterproof layer, need to be worn with a cover, or can be worn without if for a short time or light wetter) specifically so that I could put them on her for pictures when she’s extra tiny. They’re just WHAM diapers, I don’t know the brands. I got them from a swap or a forum somewhere (trading and selling cloth is big, oddly). They’re very teeny and probably pretty impractical, but whatever. ADORABLE.

So. That’s our collection right now. It’s by no means a full collection that will take us from baby to potty trained, but I do think there is enough variety that we’ll be able to choose what we like best (snaps vs aplix, pocket vs all in one, etc) and shop from there. Also, the prefolds and covers we got for while she is very tiny will remain useful for quite a while, so we do have enough, at the moment, in theory, to be able to test things out for a significant amount of time before choosing a final collection. Also, once we are done using prefolds and covers (and maybe we never will be), the old prefolds can become inserts and doublers into other diapers. So. You know. There’s that.

If you want to know anything else or want a better picture of a particular diaper or color of diaper, feel free to ask. Keep in mind, though, that I can only speak from the specific viewpoint of someone creating a collection. Still ask, though, because I know a lot of people with more experience in cloth diapering do read and comment and can definitely answer any questions that I can’t. Those people should also feel free to correct anything I muffed up.

Well. Not a fun or exciting entry, but people have been asking and I occasionally like to respond to such requests in order to make myself not seem like a total blogging wang who is above responding to frequently asked questions. I am only a partial wang.