Cloth Diaper For Beginners

[Guest Diaperdragon]

Can anyone recommend a cloth diaper and plastic pants for me. I want a cloth diaper that is as thick as Dry 24/7 and Abena X plus.I would like to know if Pocket diapers are worth buying. I want to switch to cloth because of the cost of buying Disposables and maybe start wearing a combination of cloth and disposable diapers.

[Guest Diaperdragon]

My advice would be, first, decide on a fabric (flannel, gauze, birdseye). Then decide if you want prefolds or contours. Then shop around on Ebay or some of the various online vendors until you find some that are the right size (consult the size charts that most vendors have).

I usually will order 1-2 if it's a new vendor and I'm not sure if I will like them, if they're what I'm looking for then I will order more.

Plastic pants? Well, you should find some that you think are cute and that fit you. Good luck with the shopping!

Which one is better, AIO diapers or Pocket Diapers. Any opinions on Pocket Diapers and AIO diapers

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

This is one of those questions that you can bet on recurring. We should have a section on it

The best are pin-on with rubber panties AIO's leak and are more care than they are worth. I am not impressed with pocket diapers. As for patnies. go to my profile and use the Likes button and you will find out what I have. AIO's and Pocket diapers can be worn only one way Pin-on's can be doubled. Flats can be doulbed and folded in different ways to suit you. What I have were made after home-made childrens' diapers rather than infants' and use only one pin and can be doubled up

Another thing to consider is price and can you save money DIY. Some of what I have seen is absurd $25-30 is crazy money

Then there is care. How to wash. What to use and drying can be anissue

Then wearing: I can go about 10 hours between changes

One thing that is popular that I do not use or recommend is "soakers": extra material between the legs. I would rather have 4 layers over the entire diaper than a 2x4x2 or 2x6x2 The more material you have between your leges, the longer it takes for wetness to leave that earia which menas you are more likely to get irritated. If you have an even distribution of material overy the entier diaper, it holds just as much but ut spreads out and away faster. It will be a thicker diaper if that is all right with you. Thinner diapers need to be changed more ofthen but they are less showy

The best thing to do is to make an assessment of what you need or want and then see what is there that is the closest match.

[square_duck]

First off, congratulations on your choice! Cloth diapers rock, but are an expensive initial 'investment' but they are cheaper down the road.

Now pull up a chair, and have a dry diaper on as his is going to be long

As said above, you have to do a lot of research and make a few decisions. Cloth diapers actually come in a wide variety of fabrics today, as opposed to the traditional gauze, birdseye, flannel. Today you have a twill fabric which is cotton, but spun and woven in a different manner to create a fabric that is soft yet strong and absorbent and soft. I have a couple of these and they really are awesome! There are also your micro fibers, micro suede and bamboo fabrics and a few other materials that are used...so you have some shopping to do.

Personally, I already knew what I wanted when I started shopping for cloth diapers, I wanted prefolds since I was tired of folding diapers that just seemed to take away part of the fun for me...but thats just me. I wanted birdseye prefolds and thats what I got from ADC company. They are initially expensive, but reusable so you get the value back after washing etc.

If you have no clue, then all you can do after research is do what you did with disposables, buy one and see how it works. If you don't like it for what ever reason, try another style or fabric type....and so on.

It's a very personal thing, like any other type of underwear....so you have to try different stuff before you find what really floats your boat. Sorry there is no easy answer, but thats how these things work. The nice thing about trying different types and fabrics is that the ones you don't like you can always use as stuffers!

For thickness, you might want to go with multiple day weight (thinner) diapers that you layer up. This works better in the long run because washing thicker diapers takes longer to dry than multiple thinner diapers. I fought this for a long time, but it does work. My twill (4x10x4 ply) actually dry faster then the 4x8x4 play night weight birdseye prefolds that I got from ADC (which have a terry cloth center panel, which I'm not to enamored with

So, my recommendations (depending on what you want and how you plan on using them) are try baby-pants prefolds or contour fit diapers. They have birdseye and gauze and twill fabrics (and no terry cloth in the center as a filler! but all Birdseye or gauze or twill!)and prices are pretty much in line with what everyone else sells

Also try changing times diaper company. They have twill prefolds and prices are actually pretty good and he's a reliable vendor.

I don't like flannel, but others do, so thats something that you can consider and try as you should so you have a better idea of how each performs.

Pocket diapers and AOI products all have their merits. The major consideration is with fit for the AOI and washing. You have to be careful of the PUL outer shell, and wash as directed in the instructions. Pocket diapers i have'nt played with much, but I see the potential. I bought a couple from snap EZ, but they were to small I ordered a large following the chart, but I should have ordered an extra large...so theres another example. The quality is great, very well made, and they use a wide variety of materials (micro suede and micro fleece etc) and you can stuff them to the level you want or need, and you can un-stuff them and wash everything separably, so everything gets clean etc. i just have to order the right size next time They aren't cheap, but reading reviews and comments they seem to work really well....and are good looking as well

Plastic pants follow pretty much the same thing, trial and error. Look at construction, size seams should be welded not sewn, good rise measurement, wide enough in the crotch to cover a bulky diaper(s) and made from durable materials. lots of people like Comco pants, so I bought a couple of pair off Ebay...but I'm not really enamored with them. The leg bands dig into my thighs (size large) and the waist bands bother me. The fit is good with ample room, but I am used to different leg and waist band arrangement (Old VIP pants) so again, thats just me. Personally I would try leak master pants sold all around, and Gary makes good pants as well (sold through baby-pants) or Kins products which look more like the old VIP pants that I am used to and like, which were patterned after the Gerber pants made back in the '60 and '70's etc...

So again, as you see you have to shop around and research and try and find what will suit your needs and wants. It's not easy, you can (and have) asked for advice or direction to go in for initial purchase info, but the bottom line is you have to burn some bucks to sample stuff, and no you can't send them back if you don't like them

as I said, the ones that don't work can be used as stuffers

Soooooo...hope this helps some...it's not easy, or cheap, but have fun with it anyways, all you can do is learn a LOT about different diapers and fabrics and such, so that one day when some newbie comes in asking questions about cloth diapers...YOU TOO can sit and write a H*U*G*E long post like this one and pass along all the things you learned in your life about cloth diapers!

[Guest Diaperdragon]

I am looking at cloth Diapers because being how the Economy is in this country and disposables are getting very expensive nowadays. I know i will still use disposables from time to time, but I want to get cloth Diapers for home use and just for when I need to pee. I have been looking at AIO diapers and Pocket Diapers. I want cloth Diapers that can hold an equal amount of pee that equates to wearing either a Dry 24/7 or an Abena X plus.

What is the difference between AIO diapers and pocket Diapers.

What is the Thickest Cloth Diaper anyone has worn.

How long can you wear a cloth diaper before changing them.

Can Cloth Diapers also hold poop.

What is the Upfront cost and long term cost of Cloth Diapers

[beallucanb]

Why don't you just buy some better plastic pants and use some thick bath towels as diapers, bath towels make good diapers.

That way if you find you and cloth don't get along, you can use extra towels, and you still have better plastic pants for your use.

[Guest Diaperdragon]

Why don't you just buy some better plastic pants and use some thick bath towels as diapers, bath towels make good diapers.

That way if you find you and cloth don't get along, you can use extra towels, and you still have better plastic pants for your use.

I have seen pocket diapers and I like how you can make them as thick or thin as you want and not have to wear plastic pants. What about Diapers from Nicediaperco.com

[babylin]

It doesn't take a geometry major or an origami degree to fold a flat piece of cloth to fit properly as a diaper.

Use a flat twin bed size flannel sheet blanket, fold, then pin it on tightly.

Cover with generous sized plastic pants.

An investment of under $25.

If you can pee enough to make this combination leek, then add a couple Gerber stuffers.

I have several such sized flannel sheet blankets and occasionally one becomes a quickly applied diaper under my 6-ml Babykins plastic pants.

I use the XXL size Babykins because the leg elastics then leave no marks on my upper legs, yet contain wetness very well.

Happiness Is Wearing Cotton Diapers

[square_duck]

Ok, so someone didn't do their research! *sigh* then here we go......many of these questions also ignore the fact that cloth diapers (or a variation there of) have been used for about 300 years...and worked fine...if it works, don't fix it!

"What is the difference between AIO diapers and pocket Diapers.

"The difference is actually rather clear, an "all-in-one" is just that. an all-in-one. The item has padding sewn in place and is put together and sewn with a PUL outer shell and some kind of (supposedly) stay dry liner inside. it's all sewn together in one piece, in eaither a pull up design or a snap / velcro style. This seems convenient until laundry time and the thickness of the item causes longer drying time and and also the possibility of bacteria growth resulting in odors etc. Washing and drying also shorten the life span of the product, since the PUL will break down eventually and leak.A pocket diaper has a pocket in the front or back into which you slide a 'booster' or other absorbent item, and as many as you want, making it flexible. These materials can be removed for washing and the diaper can be reused if needed by removing the wet inserts and inserting dry ones etc. It can be washed separately as well and dried at different temps or room dried as its just a PUL cover with the sewn in pocket, so they should last longer, and one or 2 pocket diapers shold last a while with as many inserts as you want or need. These are made from a wide variety of materials mentioned above, such as micro fleece and micro suede or bamboo etc. In theory, these should be cheaper, because all you have to do is buy inserts, but you can also use terry towels or baby diapers / prefolds or flat diapers folded how you want /like.

What is the Thickest Cloth Diaper anyone has worn.

Well, define "worn" ?? The thickest cloth diaper I 'built' or put on was made from layering a few of my prefolds and pinning them in place. Since I was using 4x8x4 and (I think) 2x4x2 diapers, i think I wound up with something that had 30 some layers in the center, and it barely fit into my plastic pants..I have a pic of it somewhere, and I did post it here once.. It was VERY bulky, and would have been fine for over night....I think, but it would have messed up your sleeping position and or your back It was THICK!

How long can you wear a cloth diaper before changing them.

You can wear any diaper as long as you want, or until it leaks Cloth is no exception. Wearing cloth, you can stay in them as long as you want, or can stand it. When I wear, I usually run out of time before the diaper is soaked resulting in it leaving a puddle in my plastic pants....then you know it's time to change Like anything else, it depends on how much you drink and or wet. many people who are bedwetters wear cloth to bed, and thats generally an 8 hour period. Need more protection?? add another layer!

Can Cloth Diapers also hold poop.

Anything will hold poop, cloth diapers are no exception, specially sicne cloth diapers have been around for 300+ years for babies and children, so I'd say they work well for that too If anything, they do a better job than disposables in containing solids simply due to the amount of material in the seat area, and how they are folded.

What is the Upfront cost and long term cost of Cloth Diapers

Tis is where shopping come in handy. It depends on where you buy and how many you get. In the long run, cloth diapers will last around 150 washings or more, so you get your moneys worth after a couple of uses. Upfront, it also depends on how many you buy and who you buy from....unless you make your own using a pattern for adult diapers. Commercially I'd say $25 per diaper and $13 for a pair of plastic pants. When you find what you like and decide to buy more, and aren't a 24/7 user or wear for need, you can get a nice set up for $100, that would cover a couple of diapers and a couple of plastic pants, and that shold last you a number of years...

[Guest Diaperdragon]

Ok, so someone didn't do their research! *sigh* then here we go......many of these questions also ignore the fact that cloth diapers (or a variation there of) have been used for about 300 years...and worked fine...if it works, don't fix it!

So what's your opinion's on Snap Ez pocket Diapers. What about clean up, in truth how painful is it to clean up cloth diapers as oppose to disposable

[Angela Bauer]

Can anyone recommend a cloth diaper and plastic pants for me. I want a cloth diaper that is as thick as Dry 24/7 and Abena X plus.I would like to know if Pocket diapers are worth buying. I want to switch to cloth because of the cost of buying Disposables and maybe start wearing a combination of cloth and disposable diapers.

Sorry to be so late to this discussion. My strong suggestion is that you think carefully about the entire disposable/cloth diaper situation before getting so wrapped up into what kinds of cloth diapers and plastic panties to purchase.

First of all, cloth diapers are only practical when you have convenient access to at least one good washing machine and an equally good dryer.

Second you need a discreet way to store wet/messy cloth diapers until you can wash them.

Third you need enough spare time to do this washing.

Fourth, all waterproof pants need to be washed and dried away from sunlight. The sooner after use the better. They need to air dry discreetly.

Fifth when you include the cost of using washing machines and dryers to the price of diaper detergents such as Dreft, your cloth diapers will need to last a long time before there is a cash savings versus disposables.

Sixth growing cotton, processing it, weaving diaper material and several stages of transport are not so green.

As for the kinds of disposables and cloth diapers, plus vinyl panties, I wear, just look at my previous posts. There are a lot of those. I wear pinned gauze diapers when I can do so discreetly because for me they are more comfortable. My loving husband and I are blessed to own a large home with more than one washing machine. When I lived in student housing and tiny apartments before I married I had no discreet washing facilities, so I had to wear disposables. I do not now, nor have I ever, claimed that my use of washable diapers and vinyl panties saves me any money. Fortunately I can afford the diapers I need to be a productive, responsible adult. I know others who are not so fortunate, which is why I suggest doing your own calculations about the relative cost of disposable vs cloth diapers.

[Guest Diaperdragon]

Sorry to be so late to this discussion. My strong suggestion is that you think carefully about the entire disposable/cloth diaper situation before getting so wrapped up into what kinds of cloth diapers and plastic panties to purchase.

First of all, cloth diapers are only practical when you have convenient access to at least one good washing machine and an equally good dryer.

Second you need a discreet way to store wet/messy cloth diapers until you can wash them.

Third you need enough spare time to do this washing.

Fourth, all waterproof pants need to be washed and dried away from sunlight. The sooner after use the better. They need to air dry discreetly.

Fifth when you include the cost of using washing machines and dryers to the price of diaper detergents such as Dreft, your cloth diapers will need to last a long time before there is a cash savings versus disposables.

Sixth growing cotton, processing it, weaving diaper material and several stages of transport are not so green.

As for the kinds of disposables and cloth diapers, plus vinyl panties, I wear, just look at my previous posts. There are a lot of those. I wear pinned gauze diapers when I can do so discreetly because for me they are more comfortable. My loving husband and I are blessed to own a large home with more than one washing machine. When I lived in student housing and tiny apartments before I married I had no discreet washing facilities, so I had to wear disposables. I do not now, nor have I ever, claimed that my use of washable diapers and vinyl panties saves me any money. Fortunately I can afford the diapers I need to be a productive, responsible adult. I know others who are not so fortunate, which is why I suggest doing your own calculations about the relative cost of disposable vs cloth diapers.

That's why I am looking into going into Cloth Diapers, though the one hitch would be being that I am a college student living on campus. Cloth Diapers would be an Issue as oppose to Disposables.

[Angela Bauer]

Diaper Dragon, times sure have changed. When I left home for university in August 1981, none of the dorm buildings there had coin washers. In 2008, when my niece Karen (also urinary incontinent) moved to a university dorm, she was assigned a room next to the washers, which accept campus debit cards. Karen told the housing office about her incontinence. She uses her own waterproof sheets. Her suite mate is also incontinent.

Storing cloth diapers until you wash them can be a problem in shared space, such as a dorm. Discreetly washing and air drying waterproof pants can also be a problem.

As for the vinyl pants, I prefer Babykins/Kins Adult Small pull-on style 10300V.

I prefer gauze/Birdseye, which means I do not wear contoure or Velcro-fastening diapers. I have been pinning on my own gauze diapers since I was 12. It is not all that difficult. A downside to Velcro is it is a major pain in the washer and in the dryer.

I buy my 36" square 2-ply gauze flat diapers from Adult Cloth Diaper. I use ordinary Gerber infant Birdseye pre-folds as soakers. Those I buy from Babies-R-Us when they go on sale.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

How are the Babykins different from the Comco? they seem alike to me, at least the heavyweight ones

[Angela Bauer]

Comco make their pants and Babykins/Kins make theirs. Of course now there are two different companies using the name "Comco" so I am not sure which you mean. Besides it has been 20 years since I handled any Comco vinyl pants.

The Kins style 10300V are not heavy-weight. These are soft slightly stretchy 3 mil vinyl. The side seams are welded very well, so I assume an automatic ultrasonic seam welder was used. The waist and leg holes use an especially soft Lycra covered elastic. Babykins has a website linked from that section of DD.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

The Kins I was thinking of are the 6 mil. I do not care for lightweight as they tend to deteriorate faster. The Comco's material lasts longer than the elastics. Also the Comco are smooth material and the seams are welded the A. C. Med panties are a bit lighter and the seams are seams are sewn but they are very full cut and high waisted. As to material the A. C. Medical are about the same weight as the Gerber panties that I put on Dolly Andre and Dolly Lisa. Kins stretchy rubber panties are also quite sturdy, made from 15 guage rubber and I have heard very good things about them and have 4 pair

[CDLover]

How are the Babykins different from the Comco? they seem alike to me, at least the heavyweight ones

Having both the 6mil Kins and Comco (Hinkley, MN) there are considerable differences.

The plastic on them are completely different. The Kins is more pliable and has a "sticky" feeling. The Comco panty feels more like traditional vinyl. The fit is also different. I have both in large. The Comco is much roomier. Some might consider it too roomy across the hips. Kins is much tighter and is almost constricting around my lower hips. Perhaps this is because they are more leg forward design. The last design difference is the width of the elastics. Kins is traditional thin elastic and Comco's has about 3/4" (?) width that is fabric covered.

I bought my first pair of Comco in February. I wish I discovered them years ago.

CDL

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

Thank you

[Honu]

By now you have seen a lot of opinions and a wealth of data. Here's my 2 cents: I just recieved 12 yards of organic birdseye cotton cloth. Making prefolds is so very easy that even I can do it! It's just straight stitching, but I do have a serger and will overlock the raw edges. Birdseye is a bit more durable than flannel or gauze. I got the "organic" because it was available in a 60" width, which makes it easier to make adult sizes. As has been written, to get thickness, just add more diapers to the stack. You definately want a few thin diapers stacked up rather than a big thick one (like a towel). The reason becomes clear when you try to do laundry. Thin washes cleaner and dries faster. In the washer and dryer, that thick stack is just a bunch of thin ones!

If sewing turns you off, you can still order fabric, cut to flat fold length and learn to fold your own diapers. This is what was done a hundred years ago and is the easiest to launder. You should do something to keep the cut edges from fraying but it's the fastest and cheapest way to get into real cloth diapers. Besides, you can use your college education to calculate how many yards of fabric in which width you would need to make the number of diapers you want. Make sure you account for shrinkage!

[mammaof6]

If you are into making your own, there's a website that has a sewing pattern for adult cloth diapers

They are super oober cute:

Geesh that image is huge. Anyway, The listing says that there are directions for both pockets AND aio's. I personally think pockets are the best so you can decide how much absorbency you need per use. But that's just me.

[Craisler]

AIO diapers are guaranteed to leak. Because the absorbent lining is sewn in direct contact with the elastic at the leg openings, wicking will occur resulting in wet spots on your jeans. For an active adult, they just don't work very well. You'd be better off with a diaper and plastic pants. If you have a large waist, contoured diapers will work better than standard pre folds.

[carsfan]

Thanks everone for their quality advice to newbies on the topic cloth diapers. I've been wanting to try cloth for some time and was excted to find out that babykins is located relativly near by to me( about an hours drive) Will be placing an order of a couple pairs of cloth and plastic pants when I have some extra cash.

I was born in 1988 and wore actual cloth diapers as child up until about 1992. I have zero to very limited memories of this time but am excited to see what cloth diapers are like again.

[BabyJune]

I make my own cloth diapers out of diaper flannel. The fabric I order is 27" wide and it works for me with a 38" waist. I use a diaper panel that is approximately 36" (one yard) long, and I fold the front and back edges over twice (1/2", then 1") and zigzag stitch it. This leaves a smooth edge as well as provides a "landing place" for the diaper pins. I use polyurethane laminate (PUL) to make waterproof pants. You'll have to design a panty pattern that fits your physical dimensions and remember to leave an adequate material allowance in the waistband area to thread elastic as well as extra material at the leg openings for elastic there, too. 3/8" elastic works well for the leg openings, but if you want a bit of extra support at the waist, then use 1/2". You can use multiple layers (diaper flannel or terrycloth) or soaker layers for increased absorbency. Microfiber is super soft and comfortable, but it is also a bit pricey per yard.