My Cloth Diapering Journey

Abigail and Liberty in the Alva one-size snap pocket diapers. They are 21 months apart.

   After accidentally deleting all my previous posts on my cloth diapering experiences, I have decided to just give a summary of my thoughts and what I am currently using in regards to cloth diapers. I may post more on cloth diapering if the need should arise. :o) There is a lot out there as far as the do's and don'ts, the pro's and con's, and also thoughts from other cloth diapering mothers. Some of what I have learned is from the websites I have on my blog, but most has been from trial and error and figuring out what works or doesn't work as I go through different seasons of life. Given there have been times were I don't use my cloth and buy a few packs of disposables. I really just needed a break for a while. With each new child comes change, and sometimes it takes a bit to get back in the "groove" of things. Of course, then when you do get back in the "groove", something will happen and you will be back out of your "groove"! :o) Which ever way you choose to diaper your baby is your decision and neither way is right or wrong! It is only a matter of preference!! With that being said, I do highly suggest to moms to at least invest (if possible) in a few cloth diapers. You never know when you might need them!  :o)

   I am going to try and give a very informative yet brief summary of each type of diaper in my stash. (We shall see how this goes! lol!) And then some added thoughts from my use of them and the things I have learned. I have used only three different brands of cloth diapers, partly due to cost, but also due to the research I put into my decision. I narrowed down which cloth diapers had the best reviews and then figured out which ones I could afford. My first stash consisted of only Bum Genius one-size velcro pockets. I realized after my second was born that I did not want to invest in velcro again. They are somewhat easy to replace, but just time consuming. With snaps, there is no need to replace! I also ended up having to retire my first stash because of diaper cream usage, (long story there...). It was definitely my fault, so nothing against the cloth diapers! (Since then I have found a solution for diaper cream usage that is great! More below!) 



   I loved my first stash, which were the one-size velcro Bum Genius 3.0 and would still agree with many that they are the best cloth diaper brand out there. Overall. But..... they cost more than what I would spend now. I bought mine in "bulk" through a retailer near me and saved a lot that way. It came to around $300 for I think like 22+ diapers (diaper includes one insert and one newborn insert/doubler). Now with that said, I know that they paid for themselves easily within a matter of months! They worked well for me at the time, but as with the change of "seasons" in my life and learning through experience, my preference of cloth diapers has changed.

My stash (Dec.2012):
(links to the items are highlighted.)

Alva baby one-size snap pocket diapers
    OK.. let me first begin with... THESE ARE GREAT DIAPERS!! Especially for their price! For under $5, you can buy ONE cloth diaper (one insert included), and try it out for yourself. FREE SHIPPING ANYWHERE!! You CAN'T do that with any other cloth diaper on the market!! Its true! I looked around! The next up in price would be the Kawaii diapers with their lowest priced diaper at $6, but you still have to pay around $5 in shipping! It then comes to around $12! Uh, I am not going to pay that much to try a new diaper I might not like!  I ordered one Alva baby one-size snap solid color pocket diaper, after using it for a little while, I was hooked! I have been using them for almost 2 yrs and they are holding up well! I just love how pocket diapers whisk away the wetness from my babies bum, which is especially great for nap and bedtime! California Baby diaper cream is cloth diaper safe and is what I use with these. It is a mild diaper cream and is really only for prevention or mild diaper rashes. I cut up an old white 100% cotton t-shirt into rectangles and use them to protect the diaper from the thicker diaper cream I like to use (more about this below). I use the liner when I want a thick coat and great protection from wetness and don't have any cover/pre-folds clean (more on this below too). :o)

I bought the dry/wet bags, (under $5 ea.), from Alva that work great as well! You should really check our their website, they have really grown more popular
since I first started using them and they have added new products.



Bum Genius micro-fiber newborn/doublers 

These were left over from my first stash of Bum Genius one-size snap pockets.
I use these along with my Alva inserts. The Alva's come with one insert, and I would have to be changing more often if I didn't have the doubler. The one insert might be fine for some babies, but mine need the extra absorbency of the doubler. You can order a pack of the doublers from a Bum Genius retailer near you or you can order extra inserts from Alva and just use two inserts at a time. This would be wise at nap or bedtime when the diaper would be on them longer.

Econobum snap cover/pre-folds 
  These are made by Bum Genius. I do like that I can re-use the diaper cover multiple times before needing to wash it. Usually after 2-3 uses. For this reason I only have three covers. They come with one cotton pre-fold each. I bought extra cotton pre-folds to use with them (see below).

 Triple paste is the only thing that works at knocking out the rashes!! It is amazing stuff! I have tried many different things, some being naturally based and some not, but I finally tried this paste and it did the trick. You can find it at any CVS or Walgreens. It has great reviews! The down side is that it is NOT cloth diaper safe, because of the white petroleum creating a barrier on the pocket diapers. But their is a solution, you can use any diaper cream on the cotton pre-folds and it will not affect the absorbency! This is a HUGE plus!
I use my Econobum diapers when I plan on putting the Triple Paste on my baby. The only concern from other moms was that some diaper creams might leave a stain, particularly the tan colored ones like Butt Paste. I haven't had any staining from the Triple paste diaper cream.


Osocozy unbleached indian cotton pre-folds
   I bought these to use with my Econobum diapers. They work great! You can use any type of "burp" cloth that is 100% cotton, as it will be safe to use on your babies skin. 

   I did at one point try to make my own cloth diapers. I believe they now have all you need to make snap cloth diapers at JoAnn's Fabrics. But really, for me, my time is more valuable than my money. And I am not exactly sure it is that inexpensive to make them yourself. It is expensive to sew period these days! I do much, much better at my local thrift store!! :o)
 With the great deal that the Alva diapers are..... well there is no way you can make a one-size snap pocket diaper for under $5! :)  

My washing routine:

  Last but not least, here is my washing routine. 

• Store in dry pail
• Wash every 3 days on average. (No longer than 4 days.)
• Cold wash w/detergent
• Warm wash w/detergent
• Warm rinse
• Tumble dry low or hang dry

I use the Trader Joe's powder laundry detergent, but I prefer to use the Rockin Green detergent because it is great with battling hard water issues. Hard water can make your diapers leak from mineral build up. I will need to order some more soon from a local retailer. 

Hope this has been helpful!
Questions and comments are welcome! :o)

Happy cloth diapering!