I wanted to update my cloth diapering guide a little. I’ve already shown you some cool modern fluff that makes it look as easy as ’sposies with a washer…now I want to share some old school tricks: pre-folds.

Prefolds are like flat diapers, but have an extra absorbent centre panel, so you don’t have to fold extra layers in the centre where more absorbency is needed. Hence the name pre-folds.

They need a cover, and still need some folding. here, I will show you two of  my favorite techniques:

snappied pre-fold, with a fleece cover

I don’t have a name for this fold, but basically I lay the pre-fold under the baby, with the top of it at navel level. I then fold the pre-fold in at both sides, pull it up through her legs, and re spread it over her belly. Pull the wings over, snappi (google it), and done. I find this method quite quick, and pretty good at holding in messes of all sorts:

tri-folding in a PUL cover

Basically I take the pre-fold, fold it in three, and lay it in a cover (this is a bummis whisper wrap), lay the baby over the whole thing, fold over the top to fit, and do up the cover.  This is quick and easy. Not great for runny breast-fed poop, but a great pee diaper. It is also pretty trim and works well under clothes. It is also a great way to use pre-folds that your baby has grown out of and no longer can be folded around baby.

However you use a pre-fold, make sure to tuck all of the diaper under your cover of choice, or else you will get leaking.

I don`t know much about pre-fold sizing or shopping, since I got my 3 (infant sized, Indian pre-fold) on a swap board. I do know you should always look for diaper service quality pre-folds. Google pre-folds to learn more about what to buy.

Since we are going old-school today, here is an adorable fitted diaper that does nt have snaps. I usually use a snappi, but this day I decided to try something different:

This post is brought to you by a comment on a friend’s blog, and postings on 2 bulletin boards. The three conspired to create, with some editing, a comprehensive posting on Cloth Diapering…AKA my new obsession. I am too lazy to do links, you can easily find any of the diapers I discuss on google.

Here it goes, the diapers I use, and when I use them:

1) Pockets.  There are a cover with a pocket in it, that you stuff with an absorbant insert. Mine are BumGenius 3.0, I use these at night only, with a superdo insert.  Other popular pocket brands are Fuzzibuns, Happy Heineys and Haute Pockets.  Many pockets come in one size, so they adjust for about 8-35lb babies, which is very conveneint.

2) AIOs. All In One’s.  A diaper that has it all…use it like a sposie, then throw it in the laundry. I use these for going out and to keep in my diaper bag, since they are easy to use, waterproof and all one piece.  These are also all the man will use. I like Drybees, Swaddlebees, BumGenius Organics, Piddles Poddles (these are all in twos, since the soaker snaps in), and Mommy’s Touch. Many of thsde have a pocket under the absorbant part so you can add an extra insert for added absorbancy if needed.  Here are some AIO reviews.

3) Fitteds. These look kinda like an AIO, but not water-proof. Very absorbant. I use them at home and for short outtings-with covers, of course.  Some of my favorites are GoodMama, Muttaquin Baby, Bububebe, Northern Baby, and Bagshot Row Bamboo. The adorable dipe in the post two down is a fitted, from Northern Baby. OK, here is is again:

4) Pre-folds. These are like flat diapers but have a thicker more absorbant part in the center, and need a cover. They can be folded and laid right in the cover, or folded around the baby in a diaper shape  (like old school diapers), fastened with a pin or snappi (google it) and covered.   I only have a few pre-folds I got when swapping diapers with someone, and I usually use them for short periods-for example if I get the  dressed shortly before we are going out, and she needs a fresh diaper.  I always change her diaper right before we go out, so I put on a pre-fold for that short time period.

Now, a bit about covers:

I use 3 types of covers over my fitteds and pre-folds:

1) PUL. These are waterproof covers that snap or velcro on. Thirsties, Gen-y and Bummis are good ones. They work well, but look…like a cover. I do not use them out of the house much since it is too mcuh effort; to change a diaper with this sort of cover you need to take off the pants, take off the cover, change the diaper, and replace cover than pants. At home, I just use the cover.

2) Fleece. Fleece is naturally water-repellant. They make nice covers since they are cute enough to wear as bottoms. They can be a soaker (covers just the diaper) shorties (like shorts) or longies (like pants). The colourful striped pants most of you have seen here are fleece longies. Yeah, these:

3) Wool. Wool is a my favorite. Like fleece, they can be soakers, shorties or longies. They are absolutely adorable,  and naturally absorbant and waterproof.  They can be expensive (Luve, Wild Child Woolies, Sustainable Babyish) but ETSY has a lot of fabulous crafty people (I hate craftly people) that recyle wool sweaters into affordable and adorable wool covers.

I use wool mostly over fitted diapes. The fitted absorbs the liquid and then the wool absorbs it once it starts coming out of the fitted, and then the wool holds onto it due to lanolin. How bullet-proof a wool cover is depends on the wool. Interlock or thick tightly knit (or felted) wool is great. Looser knit lighter wool needs to be kept a better eye on, but I still find it as leakproof as pockets. When it gets too full, I can feel that it is damp through the outside, but it doesn’t really leak or get onto anything (though I guess at this point it would if I did not change it soon).

I do need to lanolize every few weeks to keep them working. I just soak them in a sink full of warm water, with a bit of baby wash and a drop of melted lanolin, then wring lightly, and lay flat to dry. The amazing thing  about wool is, because wool is naturally anti-bacterial, I only need to wash every few weeks (unless poop gets on them!). When it feels damp I just hang it up, and when it drys, no smell!

I use mostly wool and fleece covers.  I use them over fitteds at home, and then when I go out I usually change to an AIO. and use the wool or fleece over top. I like the extra protection of a waterproof AIO, out of the house, and the wool or fleece looks great AND ensures that even if the AIO leaks or wicks, it will not be a problem. The blue pants with the flowers I recently posted are wool longies. Yeah, these:

Here is a wool soaker:

People always want to know how gross cloth diapering is

Not so much.  Reality is, if you are dealing with a baby, you are dealing with baby shit. Pee too. I have far less blow outs with cloth than I did with sposies though, and I do not find it gross at all .  But I also do not find the diva cup (google it) gross, so maybe I am just wierd.

I can  honestly say that  in 5 months of 100% cloth diapering, home and out, I have NEVER had a bad leak. I have had a bit of wicking or leaking around the legs when the diaper is too loose, or too full, or the material pulled the liquid out…but I have never had clothing or anything else soaked.

Trouble-shooting a leaky Diaper, particularily a pocket or AIO

I am c&ping this directly from the blog comment, since I think it might be helpful to those that end up here via google and have cloth diaper problems:

Make sure the dipes have been washed and dried, in additive free detergent, several times before using. No matter the material, this should fluff up the absorbant layers. Make sure there are no soap bubbles in the last rinse cycle. DO NOT put fabric softener (sheets or liquid) anywhere near your diapers! It can coat the fibres and make them repel instead of absorb liquid.

When putting the diaper on, ensure no gaps, and that the inner material is all tucked in and only the outer waterproof cover is exposed.

If they are well washed, seem to be a good fit, and still leeak ing…you may want to try holding them under a slow flow (not just dripping, you need some force to the water to replicate a peeing baby) of water to see where the problem is.

-If the water is rolling off the diaper instead of absorbing into it, you’ve got repelling for some reason (usually dtergent build-up or diaper cream or fabric softener on the diapers) and I would strip the diapers (wash them on hot with a couple drops of DAWN detergent, then rinse on hot until there are no bubbles left).

-If the diaper is filling then leaking, you probably need more absorbancy than your diapers offer. You can get “doublers” online, or try laying some thick soft bamboo or terry washclothes in them to increase the absorbancy. If you are using a pocket, play with adding inserts, folding long enserts differently. I find hemp/microfibre inserts to be the best. Loopydos and (at night) superdos are great.

-If they are absorbing but the water is soaking right through the waterproof layer, well, there is not much you can do but use covers over them.  I have some AIOs form independant fiaper selller that shoudl be waterproof, but just leak right through anyways. I treat them like fitteds.

Laundry

Another question I am always asked. I hate laundry, but it is not so bad. Since I love my dipes so much, it is almost….fun. Here is how I do it:

I do laundry every 1.5 to 2 days (I did a load yesterday morning, I am doing one tonight). Not a huge load, but not nothing either. That is usually about 15 diapers, which is just right. Too few is a waste of water and energy, too many and they don’t get as clean. 

I pre-set my machine: Hot soak, hot wash, cold rinse, second cold rinse. Most people use a cold soak, but I find hot soak works better for me. However, if I know there is no poop in the load (Charlotte only poos every 3rd day) I do all cold.  Still a soak, wash, rinse, extra rinse. The AIOs, fitteds and prefolds go in the dryer on medium high, as well as the inserts for pockets. The pocket shells and pul covers dry on the rack. Anything that comes out stained gets dried on a sunny window-sill (works great!). I use Purex Free dtergent, and about a 3rd of a capful, with a half scoop of oxi-clean.

Last but not least, the fun part!!!  I took pictures of my stash for a thread on a bulletin board today, and will share them here, with details (I am c&ping this directly from the board, which is a Cloth Diapering community where everyone knows that acronyms. If you look hard enough, you can figure out most of them from the information above! It is like a quiz):

Just some pictures I took recently.

Those of you that know me, like, at all, know that I am the least crafty person out there. One of my mottos is “I don’t make things, I buy them”. In the past, I have generally meant buying them from mass market retailers, or from individuals who are selling things they bought from mass market retailers.

Recently, though, I have started buying more and more hand (or home) made items for my girls, and myself. Accessories and diapers are excellent items to get from those in this world that are craftier than I am. Generally you can get beautiful and unique items, and at reasonable prices.

I love to shop at Etsy. It is a fabulous place to find some great stuff. I especially enjoy buying from Canadian sellers, just because it is nice to support my fellow Canadians. It also means faster, cheaper shipping and no customs.

Here are a few of my  favorite Canadian sellers on Etsy:

Northern Baby 
Northern Baby makes wonderful diapers. I have several fitted diapers from this shop, and LOVE them. The Organic  Bamboo Velvet used is super soft and only gets softer everytime I wash the diapers. I also have some washcloths that are so soft that even though they are for Charlotte, I use them on myself too.

Someday Sarah
Sarah is super local, lives in my city (well, the city next to mine!). She makes wonderful recycled clothing from wool, fleece and cotton, as well as doing some of her own knitting. I have some adorable Wool Shorts and Soakers from her, as well as these awesome Fleece Longies that make sure Charlotte’s diapers never leak and keep her look ing so hip!

My Sunshine Designs
Beyond adorable, well made hair clips are what I’ve gotten from this wonderful WAHM (Work At Home Mom). She also makes lovely ribbon paci clips (great for clipping teething toys to within reach as well), and other girly accessories!

Time Designs
Dawn makes beautiful Jewellery, mostly focused on mothering though she also has some unique boutique pieces.  I have an Amber Teething Necklace for Charlotte (google it, and yes, it does work!) and a Nursing Necklace from Dawn, and recently ordered  an Amber necklace for myself, in hopes that it may calm my headaches and other aches and pains.

Is is Strawberry Season yet?

Why, yes it is!

(ok, not really…but we can pretend!)

So, after 3 months of cloth diapering, I am officially addicted. I have, however, changed my system a little.

Originally, I was using all Pocket Diapers, mostly BumGenius 3.os. These are super popular, because they are as easy to use, and almost as trim and absorbent as disposables. They are also one size, adjustable from 7-35lbs. I loved them, but after a while got sick of tired of stuffing them. See they are diapers that get stuffed with an absorbent insert, and stuffing them all when I was done washing them all got tired fast.

So, I added a bunch of All In One (AIO)s to the mix, since I already had a few, and liked them. These are basically like disposables. They are one piece. No cover, no stuffing. One diaper you out on, take off, and throw in the laundry. They take longer to dry and tend to be a bit bulkier than pockets, but are easy to use and easy to take care of. They are also pretty expensive.

Before I knew it, I was trying out fitted diapers, because they seem to be popular on online diapering communities, and are really cute, and affordable. These are diapers with no waterproof cover, and a lot of absorbency. You can use them on their own for a short period of time, or longer with a cover. I use mostly  fleece covers.

So now, my system:

At home, I use mostly fitteds with fleece covers. They let Charlotte’s skin breathe, and are super cute. Too bulky to wear comfortably under clothes, so I wear them with a t-shirt and baby-legs.

When we go out, I use  mostly AIOs. They are easy to use and carry, trim enough under clothes, and can go a few hours before being changed.

At night, I still use the pockets. They work well at night, and I don’t want to mess with nights, so until they stop being enough, I am sticking with them.

Now, for the reviews. A while ago, I got obsessed with One Size AIOs. The best of both worlds-no stuffing, and not sizing up (needing to buy all new dipes when your baby moves to the next size).  Here are reviews of the the 4 OS AIOs I use most:

Mommy’s Touch with Aplix:
These are my faves! They are quite nice fitting with elastics at the legs and the back. It is easy to adjust them by just folding down or not folding down the front, and there is crossover aplix (like velcro) for a nice snug fit. They are quite trim. They have a soft fleece lining as well as a sewn in flap type fleece soaker. The fleece is soft and absorbent. They come with a small snap in doubler that can go at the back or front for girls or boys. I don’t use these often since these are daytime diapers, and they do make the diaper quite a bit bulkier. I think that I may use them more when Charlotte  is older though, if she is a heavier wetter, as they wont seem as bulky on a bigger baby. I have found these to wash well with no stain or stink issues. Bonus points for cute patterns. The dry very fast in the drier, and overnight if line dried indoors.

The only problem with these is the laundry tabs, which don’t stick well. I do the  trick of twisting one tab and sticking them to each other, and that works well.

Also, they did not fit Charlotte well until she was about 10 lbs. Before that, the thighs were too loose and they were way too bulky.  I see them fitting to potty time though.

DryLine Bamboo baby
I love these because they are are so soft.   The bamboo is very soft and absorbent, and I have never had leak or blow out issues. They wash well and I have had no stain or stink problems. They are a good fit with elastic at the thighs and the back. They have a sewn in flap type soaker, and that’s it. I am sure you could add some sort of doubler over or under it if you wanted to. the laundry tabs usually work on these, and the velcro is nice and strong.

The problem is that they are very small. At about 14lbs and 3 months, Char is already on the largest setting …and the aplix fasteners are nowhere close to touching at her tummy. I imagine they would be great for newborns , but am quite sure they will not fit until anywhere near potty training. There are a few good inches left though.

Also, boring colours. Light green, light yellow, light blue and white. Blah.

Urban Fluff  OS AIOs
These are so cute-great colours. Mine are chocolate brown PUL with pink fleece lining and snap in soaker. A long fleece soaker that you fold in half so it is 2 layers, and is very absorbent and soft.  They are a great fitting dipe-they fit my DD from about 8 weeks on, and are still on the smallest sizing with the tabs crossed over, so they have a lot of room left . No stink or stain problems.The Aplix is not great and needs to  be twisted than secured.

The problem is that the lining rolls out at the thighs and bum, which is nice and soft and looks cute, but can lead to a bit of wicking if I am not careful to change often, so I mostly use them at home with Baby-legs.

Also, I wish the soaker was sewn in instead of snap in. The website says it is so you can change the soaker and re-use the diaper,but I have never found the cover to stay dry enough to do that. I’d have to change Charway more than I am willing (I normally change every 2-3 hours, and whenever I am aware of poo) to in order to do that, so I’d rather it be sewn in so I would not have to re-attach them when sorting the laundry. Sometimes they stay snapped, but not always.

 Bum Genius One Size Organic
I love the fit, the sizing and the trimness. I do find the soaker a bit bulky on the smaller settings, since you cannot fold it or anything, it just kinda bunches-and is a stiff fabric.. This does not seem to bother Charlotte at all though. I have heard these take forever to dry, but I do not find they take very long to dry really. Longer than the others since they all have the flap soakers, but they do dry in a full dryer cycle for me.

Charlotte turned 3 months yesterday. She wasn’t really feeling the bear picture:

one month ago, just because you care how much she has grown and I am kind enough to not make you look for it:

She may not have been into the bear, but she sure was rocking her Tinkerbell dipe:

1. Here is how we spend much of our days:

Charlotte, like her older sister, is an absolute boobie monster! She spends much of her awake time breast-feeding, or rooting for food. I am lucky in that I have now had 2 babies who BF has gone wonderfully for right from the start.  Charlotte has a great latch, and my milk came in just like it was supposed to. I have very little pain (sometimes a bit when she latches rather enthusiastically) or problems.

Note how little of my breasts you can see, even without a blanket. I never understood why people make such a big deal about BF in public or in front of people. It is feeding a baby after all…not to mention most of us have seen breasts!!  I must say, however, that in my 28 months of BF the Girl and the 2 weeks I have BF Charlotte, I have not heard any negative comments. What has been said behind my back, I do not know or care.

2. We also spend a lot of time like this. Charlotte loves to be held upright and nestle her head in my neck or under my chin.  For this reason we are using the Mei Tai and Bjorn much more than the slings for now. No baby wearing pics yet…but they’ll come.

3. Cloth Diapering is going great. We use mostly BumGenius 3.0 (though this picture is one made by a Work At Home Dad on Ebay). Since Charlotte is still at the 12 poops a day stage, I am having to do a load of diapers a day….but soon she’ll start pooping and peeing a bit less (plus I’ll get my last order of diapers) and I’ll probably be able to go to a load every other day. As it is,  since I am at home 2 loads of laundry a day (one of diapers, one a mish-mash of whatever is in all the laundry baskets) is pretty manageable.

I am also using  flannel cloth wipes, which are so soft I wanna wipe my own butt with them.  The solution I use is mostly water with dabs of olive oil, baby soap and tea tree oil mixed in.

4. The girl is still a baby too, although sometimes she seems so big. She seems to be adjusting well for the most part, though of course she has her moments where she complains about the changes (like when I try to get her to stop running around like a raving lunatic when Charlotte is sleeping. Not that we try to make her silent, but I’d like her to show a little courtesy when someone is sleeping) but she is in love with her little sister and the man and I make sure she always knows how important  and how loved she is.

5. As for me, I am fine. Tired when I wake at night to nurse, of course…but not exhausted during the days and feeling good. I am pretty well all healed up (though I was not very damaged by the birth in the first place) and feel much better and more energetic than I did when I was pregnant. My carpal tunnel is almost gone, and my swelling is getting better. I can finally get my boots back on (yeah, I was getting tired of soaked feet) and am working on my rings.

I guess that’s all for now. A few more pics to finish off:

more pics!