It's Like Shoes For Babies

Over half of my mommy friends here cloth-diaper.

In my military community - where everyone is trying to stretch a buck - it's just that common.

And, honestly, it's also just that cool.

One of my child-less friends sat around listening to us talk pockets and fitteds and flats one day for about 45 minutes straight when she finally exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! It's like shoes for babies!"

And, in a way, it kind of is.

Cloth-diapering isn't just a means to an end; for many, it's a passion. It's a collection.

I have a friend who has well over 100 cloth diapers. That's easily four to five times the amount she could ever possibly need for her one child, but she's just that into them. She buys every new color, print, and style she can find.

If you're not careful, cloth-diapering your child can indeed become downright addictive.

Still, for those mamas who don't "CD," cloth diapers can easily hide behind a veil of mystery and baby feces.

It's hard to understand how anyone could possibly wash and re-use something that is expressly designed for a child to pee and poop in. And like it.

But we do. And, in all honesty, most of us love it.

So today, I'm going to walk you through how I cloth-diaper. There are a million different methods to doing it, but I've recently got what works for me down pat, and I don't mind sharing, especially since I basically learned everything I know from the cloth-diapering mamas who have gone before.

I am not going to belabor why we cloth-diaper; there are a bazillion places on the interwebs that can tell you why it's cheaper, better for the environment, healthier for your babies' skin and nervous system, and helps improve their fertility later in life.

I'm just going to tell you what we do and how we make it work.

Cloth-diapering has come a long way, and I want to share.

We may pay homage to those who have braved plastic pants, diaper pins, and big cotton pre-folds all for the betterment of their child's bum, but we're a new generation of CD-ers.

Our methods have improved, and we adore cloth-diapering all the more and everything it entails.

We're also pretty proud of the fact we let our babies rock out with their cloth out.

So, we share what we know and love. And that's why today, we're talking cloth.

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The Stash

There are about 18 billion different choices when it comes down to the modern cloth diaper. Pockets, pre-folds, hybrids, fitteds.

There are covers and all-in-ones. Their are doublers and soakers and inserts.

People write books on this stuff; there are classes on how to cloth diaper.

If you let it, it can be crazy overwhelming.

Luckily, I started cloth-diapering with the easiest method: One-size pocket diapers.

There's Ella at 7 week old rocking a pocket diaper

It's a fleece diaper, with a waterproof shell attached that forms a pocket down the middle of the diaper. In the pocket, you stuff inserts that add to the diapers' absorbency.

It has snaps up the front and around the waist so you can adjust the size of the diaper to fit the baby as they grow. My diapers all fit a baby from 8 pounds until 35 or 40 pounds.

Another shot of a typical pocket-diapered bum

During the day, my baby girl wears these, stuffed with a microfleece insert. (Imagine a giant, fluffy maxi-pad.)

I am not a brand snob; I have BumGenius, Fuzzibunz, Happy Heinys, and many cheap-o diapers that cost a third of what the name brands do.

Pockets are so easy, even husbands can change them. (In a power outtage, no less.)

And honestly? All of them work the same. All of them. It doesn't have to be a huge investment if you don't make it one.

I probably own about 22 pocket diapers, and I change Ella's every two hours or sooner, poop-depending.

But at night-time, things get a little heavier. Literally.

Ella wears one of two combinations: An organic cotton pre-fold (pictured below), stuffed with a Flip Stay-Dry insert (imagine that maxi pad again), closed off with a Snappi (it's the modern era's diaper pin), and covered with a Thirsties cover or a fleece cover a local woman made for me.

There's a pre-fold, closed with a Snappi. It's the cheapest way to cloth-diaper and quite effective.

Our other bed-time diaper entails me folding a Hemp Babies flat, which looks a lot like the cotton pre-fold pictured above, underneath the Flip Stay-Dry insert, then laying it in a Thirsties cover and snapping it all on.

My baby girl is a heavy wetter, and therefore, microfleece inserts and pockets don't cut it at night. She needs organic cotton and hemp - more absorbent, natural materials - to help soak up and draw the pee away from her. The Flip insert helps wick away moisture to keep her skin rash-free.

I have six pre-folds and four Thirsties covers - a waterproof shell that snaps around the baby's diaper, much like the Flip shell pictured below.

This method is more absorbent and more labor-intensive. It's also quite bulky and not practical for day-time use unless I just use the pre-fold diaper.

Lastly, when we travel to a place where I don't have access to a washing machine, I use the Flip hybrid system.

There's Ella at 4 weeks old wearing her Flip shell. Look at how little she was! (Quick Note: A Thirsties cover looks pretty much the same.)

It's got a protective shell that can hold either re-usable inserts or disposable ones. I use the disposable inserts while we're away and just hand-wash the Flip shells should she have a real blow-out.

I have four Flip shells. Most of the time, I can make it through a day with only using one to two Flip shells, as the disposable inserts catch and absorb all the mess, leaving the shell clean for the next insert.

You'll notice I don't use fitted or all-in-one diapers. They are awesome, but they are simply to expensive for my budget, as they require more diapers to get the same job done.

In total, I own more than 30 diapers. This is a decent-sized stash, and I'm never worried about running out of diapers. I do not do laundry every day, either.

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The Extras

It's not just about the diapers. It's also about a few other things that all cloth-diapering mamas need to make things run a bit more smoothly.

I also use cloth wipes, wipe solution, wet bags, pail liners, and cloth-specific diaper cream. Let's break these down, shall we?

Cloth wipes - If you're washing diapers, why not wash wipes? They are simply pieces of flannel or cotton, cut into squares and serged. You can even use wash-cloths if you'd like. Make your own; I have. They are far more effective at cleaning than regular wipes, as well. I normally only need one to get the job done. And it's just another way you can cut the cost of wipes from your budget.

Wipe solution - If you need to moisten the wipe with something, you can buy a solution to use. The cloth-diapering companies make them. Or you can make your own. I do the latter by mixing 2 cups water to the following: 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons non-allergenic baby wash, 2-4 drops tea-tree oil (a natural germ-killer), and 2-4 drops lavender oil. I keep a miniature spray bottle of the stuff in my diaper bag and a regular bottle on our changing table. It cleans away every last drop of anything left on her skin.

Wet bags - These zippered, water-proof bags fit into your diaper bag so you can throw dirty diapers and wipes in them. I have three, and when one is dirty, it goes in the pail with the dirty diapers, as it's washed with them, too. Then, I just throw another, clean one in my diaper bag.

Pail liners - I use a regular trash-can, with a step-pop lid, as my diaper pail. But I line it with a waterproof pail liner. (I use the Planet-Wise brand.) I own two. And when I go to wash diapers, I simply throw the dirty, used pail liner in with them. It washes right with the diapers, and my second, clean liner is ready to set up in and line the pail.

Diaper cream - You will get build-up, and therefore ruin the absorbency, of your diapers by using creams not specific for cloth. So I use a cream made for a local lady here, or the more nationally recognized brand CJ's BUTTer. Both are completely natural and have kicked even the slightest hint of redness on Ella's bum in the tush, so to speak. But, for those of you looking to save a few bucks, take note: Coconut oil is a natural anti-microbial and amazingly healing and softening for the skin. It also kills yeast, especially if you pair it with a few drops of eucalyptus oil. So, in other words, you can make your own cloth-friendly diaper cream, too. Just another way to save money (and stick it to the man, as my hubby likes to say.)

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The Laundry

When you get past all the pee and the poop and the initial sticker-shock of cloth-diapering, it all comes down to one thing: The laundry.

If I had a dollar for every person that's told me, "But I just don't have time to do that much more laundry. It would never get done," I'd be rich.

Ask any cloth-diapering mama, though, and they'll tell you that's simply an excuse.

The laundry, in reality, is not that bad. In fact, my workload has not increased by more than 20 minutes a week, I'd say, when it comes to laundering diapers.

The trick, honestly, is having a routine: Wash on the same days, at the same time, every week.

For me, I do diapers every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 11 a.m. I run my four cycles (a cold rinse, a hot wash with soap, another hot rinse, followed by a cold rinse) then I throw all hemp and microfiber inserts, plus my pre-folds and cloth wipes, in the dryer while laying my diaper covers, wet bags, pail liners, and pockets on a drying rack - outside if it's sunny – to dry. In the evening, right after my daughter goes to bed, I stack everything up and put it in it's respective places in her room.

To keep myself accountable, I pencil it all into my planner, and I set timers so I remember to go back and turn on the next rinse cycle on my washing machine.

Thanks to the sun, my diapers don't have a stain on them, and my washing machine is as clean as can be, too. (For those of your grossed out by washing pee and (liquid-y baby) poop in your washing machine, run a cycle through it with a cup of white vinegar once a month, and you'll never notice the difference.)

Detergent-wise, I don't use expensive cloth-diapering detergents. I've tried them, but there are cheaper solutions that have the same ingredient make-up. My favorite is free-and-clear Dropps, though I've also heard ECOS and Trader Joe's detergents work just as good or better than more expensive options. Regardless of your preference, as long as your detergent is enzyme-and scent-free, it's safe to use on cloth diapers.

The only time washing diapers can be a bit labor-intensive is when you're stripping them, which I do once every six to eight weeks.

Basically, you start your diaper laundry like normal: A cold rinse, followed by a hot wash with detergent. Then, you run another hot cycle with a cup of white vinegar in it. Then, you keep running hot rinses until, when you look in the washer mid-cycle, you no longer see suds, bubbles, or film on the water. (This normally takes me four to five extra hot rinses or short wash cycles.) Once you've achieved that, do a cold rinse and dry as usual.

Stripping helps keep detergent and other things out of your diapers, maintaining their absorbency and keeping them clean against babies' bums.

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OK, so, that's my daily life, regimen, and roster as a cloth-diapering mom.

So, tell me, what are your questions? I will answer them, and I may even do a post answering them if enough of you are interested.

Also, check out my pal Callie Nicole's blog. Yesterday, she had me and a few other mamas talking about how we cloth-diaper, and today, she's got more of the same. As I said, all of as CD-ers do it differently, and there's no "right" way.

Do your research; ask questions, and figure out a method that works for you.

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Happy (Diaper) Wednesday, everyone!