Cloth Diapering

This is yet another baby-related post. Since we’ve both pretty much been home for the past 3 weeks, we don’t have much else going on, but I’ve been listening to a lot of NPR while breastfeeding, so there will most likely be some other commentary coming soon! Also, I’m determined to see Hot Tub Time Machine sometime soon, so Andy will review that when we get around to giving Meg up to one of my sisters for a couple of hours!

We decided to use cloth diapers early on in pregnancy, mostly because we’re cheap and disposable diapers are super expensive, but the “green” aspect is also nice. I perused Amazon for reviews of different types of diapers and diapering systems and ordered a few sample packs of different types, including a couple of All-In-Ones and different types of covers and inserts. In the end, we decided to go mostly with prefold diaper inserts and Thirsty Duo covers, both for price and ease of use. We’ve had lots of questions about how cloth diapering is going (several people doubted we would actually stick with it, but we haven’t used a disposable since the hospital!), so here’s what we’re doing:

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The whole process needs a prefold diaper, a cover, and a Snappi.

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The prefold gets folded into thirds, which we do when we take them out of the laundry. Then the top part is sort of unfolded a little and goes around Meg’s back and the rubber Snappi is used to keep the diaper together the way pins used to be used.

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Not my best job, but when you’re dealing with a squirmy baby, sometimes you have to take the best you can get.

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Finish by covering the prefold with a cover!

So far, we’ve only had a couple of “blow outs” and are washing diapers about every 3 days. We put in a “doubler” liner at night when Meg sleeps longer and we don’t want to wake her up to change her to help prevent leaks. I think I might be able to make some more of those myself, just like the wipes I made. Otherwise, we won’t have to buy anything else until Meg weighs 18 pounds, so we should be set for awhile. I ended up finishing the rest of our supply of diapers and covers at Cotton Babies in South County and have been really pleased with their helpfulness and willingness to only sell you what you want and not a bunch of other stuff! Also, it seems that their in-store prices are quite a bit lower than their website (the Thirsty Duos are $12.75 in the store!), so unless I find a better source in Iowa, we might have to make a run back to St. Louis to restock when Meg is bigger!

4 Replies to “Cloth Diapering”

  1. I saw an ad in our paper last night for D&H Drugstore (local pharmacy) that they now carry ‘Cotton Babies’ cloth diapers. There must be a market in Columbia for them too. I’m glad it’s all working out so well for you.

  2. I had no doubt that your cloth diapering would be a success 🙂 Thanks for sharing how that works for those of us who are still a bit clueless in that department!

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