Leslie's Latest: cloth diapering 101

Showing posts with label cloth diapering 101. Show all posts

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Listen to Leslie: How do I know how many cloth diapers I need to use cloth full-time?

Good Afternoon and Happy St. Patrick's Day! Welcome to another Listen to Leslie post where Leslie answers some of the most frequently asked cloth diaper related questions.

Question: I'd like to use cloth diapers full time but I'm just not sure how many diapers I will need to have?

Answer: How many diapers you will need depends on a lot of different factors. For example, younger babies tend to go through more diapers per day then older ones. Little ones also tend to need less absorbency but much more frequent diaper changes, that's why prefolds are often a method preferred by moms of newborns.

You also need to decide how often you'd like to be doing your diaper laundry. If you want to wash every night then you need enough to last you longer than 24 hours. While the diapers are washing you'll need diapers that you can use and you also want to take into consideration that baby might get sick or experience more frequent bowel movements than usual and you don't want to run out.

The diaper bag? It's important to plan on keeping 2-3 diapers in your diaper bag at all times. Great for going out and about and as backup in the event that something happens at home and you need a clean diaper fast.

I can't tell you how many times I ran out of clean diapers because my diaper laundry got put into the dryer but I forgot to turn it on!

What about wear and tear? If you keep the exact amount of diapers that you need for each day and no extra, AND you're washing daily. Then you can expect to be washing those same diapers 365 days a year. That's a lot of wear and tear and you may not be able to rely on those diapers for use with future children.

The more diapers you have the larger your rotation which means instead of every day, each diaper would get used every other day. That cuts your wear and tear in HALF!

Styles of Diapers? For prefolds, fitteds and covers you can pretty much count upon the fact that you won't have to change the cover with every diaper change unless it gets smelly, too moist or soiled. So you can get by with 2 dozen prefolds and 4-6 covers just fine. With Pockets and AIO's you know that the entire diaper including the outer shell, pocket, inserts, etc. need to be changed at each diaper change.

Phew! That's a lot to take into consideration isn't it? Well I hope this post helps you a little and gives you a better understanding of how many diapers you'd need.

What are your thoughts, suggestions, comments?

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Listen to Leslie: Sized Diapers vs. Onesize Diapers, What are the pros and cons?

The onesize vs. sized diaper debate is a good one. There are definite pros and cons for both. So this weeks question is a very good one and I will try to shed a little light on the topic.

Question: Do onesize diapers really fit newborns? Why would it be better to buy onesize over sized diapers or vice versa?

Answer: There are many benefits to both types of cloth diapering options. Many people buy onesize diapers because they want to save money and not have to purchase different sizes of diapers. Or they might buy onesize diapers because they have more than one child in diapers and they like being able to use the same diapers with both children. These are very good and legitimate reasons for choosing onesize over sized and families who choose them for this reason are usually willing and wanting to overlook the drawbacks.

The benefits of using sized diapers are that on a tiny baby, especially a newborn, you'll be able to get a better fit with less bulk. With the onesize diaper on the smallest setting for newborns, it will be really puffy and bulky and and you might find that your newborns clothing may not fit, you might have to buy the next size up, especially in denim or non-stretchy fabrics.

You might also experience leaking diapers if the onesize doesn't fit properly. Most onesize diapers fit from 7 or 8 through 35-40lbs. We all know that not all newborns weigh 7-8 lbs and some are skinny while others are total chunkers.

Another thing to consider is that if you plan on using onesize diapers from birth through potty training in order to save money, then most likely they'll be totally worn out by the time you're done with them and may not be suitable for use on future children.

With sized diapers, since your little one will outgrow them, they will have gotten less use and be in better condition in order to be saved for future babies to come.

There are definite benefits to both, everyone's preferences and priorities are different, so there's not just answer as to which kind would work better for you or your babe.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Listen to Leslie: So confused about natural fibers. Why do they have to be washed separately?

Have you ever wondered about using natural fibers? Today's question is a really good one!

Question: I've heard that when you have diapers made from natural fibers like Hemp and Bamboo that you need to wash them separate from the rest of your diapers? Is this true? If so, why is this the case?

Answer: This is a really great question and I am sure that many moms wonder this exact same thing. The washing instructions for natural fibers can be really confusing and often contradictory.

Here's the scoop! Natural fibers like Hemp and Bamboo contain naturally occurring oils. Generally you can assume that they've been prewashed before use in the manufacturing of inserts and built in soakers, but in some cases, like with prefolds, they may not have been.

Most manufacturers, in order to be safer than sorry, recommend you prewash your newly purchased inserts, diapers or prefolds that contain natural fibers separately from the rest of your diaper laundry. At least a couple times before beginning to launder them all together.

Washing them with your pockets and other diapers right from the start would run the risk that the natural oils might wash out and coat your other diapers causing repelling and odor issues. If you're concerned about whether or not you need to pre-wash your new items it's a good idea to contact the manufacturer or post to their FaceBook Wall asking their advice.

Now you're probably thinking, Do you really have to prewash one insert or prefold all by itself multiple times? What a waste of water right? Well if it's convenient for you then you can wash them with your towels, linens or other non-diaper laundry, or even wash in the kitchen sink a couple times.

*So what do you all think? Do you prewash your natural fibers separately or forgo all the warnings?

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Listen to Leslie: What exactly are diaper liners and how do you use them?

Today's Listen to Leslie question is a great one! Diaper terminology can be so confusing. Inserts and doublers, liners, micrfiber vs/ microfleece, hybrids, pockets, aio's...yeesh! If you're new to diapering there are surely a lot of interchangeable terms and phrases that can confuse even the most educated consumer.

Question: I've heard of liners, flushable, washable, and built in liners. I don't really understand the difference and how they work or whether or not I really need them? Can you help?

Answer: Liners can be totally confusing and I definitely understand how their different applications and styles could overwhelm you. Lets address the different types of liners and frequent issues that arise.

Bidegradable/Flushable Liners are similar in feel to a soft tissue paper. They are often sold in rolls or sheets and you lay them inside your babies diaper in order to help catch some of the soiling and make diaper washing easier. At the changing you'll take the diaper to the toilet and best case scenario, the poo is mostly stuck to the liner which you can peel off and flush down the toilet. The diaper will still need washing as usual but may not require as much effort as it would if you hadn't used the liner.
Microfleece Liners are similar to the flushable liners but made out of a stay-dry microfleece fabric which will keep baby feeling dry as well as catch the majority of the poo. The difference is that they do need to be washed. Since they're heavily soiled many moms wash liners separately, especially if they used a diaper ointment or cream with them.
Built in liners are specifically designed to keep baby feeling dry. In a pocket diaper such as BumGenius or Knickernappies the inside of the diaper IS the liner. The interior of diapers, especially pocket diapers and AIO's, are usually microsuede or microfleece which are synthetic and keep baby feeling dry which helps prevent rashes.
No liners? Some diapers like fitteds or prefolds are simply cotton or bamboo, hemp, etc. They have no liner and this is where it becomes your choice if you'd like to use one. You can try diapering without liners but keep a close eye, liners help keep the moisture off the skin and if you see a rash developing then most likely you'll need to invest in some.
Does microfiber need a liner? Since all babies are different this is a tough question. A lot of moms are able to use diaper covers with microfiber inserts inside and no barrier or liner between the baby and the microfiber, with no problems at all. However many complain of severe rash or irritation occurring when using microfiber without a stay dry liner. I suggest that you try this with caution and watch for irritation. If you already know that your baby has sensitive skin then I would definitely suggest sticking to diapers or inserts that have a stay-dry liner or buy them individually to use as needed.

I hope this post has been informative and has helped clear up any questions you may have had. Please leave a comment with any future questions you'd like to see addressed in upcoming Listen to Leslie posts.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Listen to Leslie: How do I know how many diapers I will need?

We'd like to introduce you to our new blog series "Listen to Leslie" where the wise and wonderful Leslie will answer reader asked questions and give tips and advice on solving the many diaper dilemmas.

Question: I am so confused! How many diapers do I need if I want to cloth diaper full time?

Leslie's Answer: Hi! Great question! This is a commonly asked question and one that has many answers that can depend upon many different varieties of factors. Many experienced and cloth diaper addicted moms will tell you that you can never have enough diapers in your stash! That's because cloth diapering is not just a necessity, it becomes more like a hobby and sort of addiction. Moms become cloth diaper collectors and users all at the same time. Plus there's nothing cuter than seeing your little ones bum in their newest tie dye print or velour diaper, side-snapping or aplix, fitted, cover, etc. so what reason would you have to ever stop buying them! Right? lol

Seriously though, while you can never have too many, according to some, how many do you really NEED? It's one of the most basic questions and one that must be answered in order for anyone to successfully convert to cloth diapers full time.

First off, how many you need depends a lot on how often you plan to do diaper laundry, how many children you have in diapers, and their ages.

Newborns needs their diaper changed a very frequently, pretty much ALL THE TIME! I wouldn't hesitate to say that you could change a newborn or small baby's diaper up to 12 times a day, maybe more. They might not be filling their diaper at each diaper change but instead are doing a little squirt here or there, enough to warrant a change of diapers every time you turn your back and often as soon as you've finished snapping their onesie back on!

Older babies and toddlers who are gaining more control over their bowel movements seem to begin to hold it more and go less often but in larger quantities than small babies. This means less diaper changes. At the very minimum I'd say you'd still need to count on having at least 6-8 diapers per day to be on the safe side.

So now you're thinking "Multiply the number per day by how many days before washing and...tada! You've found the magic number!" Well it's not always that simple.

One thing you want to keep in mind is that for most, cloth diapering is affordable and desirable because you want to have your stash of diapers to last through potty training and for future children.

If you have exactly the number of diapers that you need to get you through a day then you need to think about the fact that those diapers will be being laundered almost 365 days a year! Cloth diapers are not unlike your clothing, take your favorite shirt for example, a nice and quality made one, and wash it every day or so for 1,2,3 years and it's going to get worn out, there's no way around it. So much so that you probably won't want to wear it anymore, even if it didn't have holes in it.

Basically, the more diapers you have in your cloth diaper rotation means each diaper is getting used less and washed less. This results in a lot less wear and tear on your diapers and they remain in better shape in order for you to be able to sell them, give them away, or save them for use on future babies.

Personally I think it's a good rule of thumb to figure out how many you need to get you through a day or two without washing and then double it. This will ensure that you're diapers won't be getting overused and worn out and you'll have plenty for emergencies like if your washer breaks or you or the baby get sick and you can't tend to your laundry like you normally would.

So have any of you figured out your perfect number of diapers? How many diapers do you have and what are your thoughts on this topic? We'd love to hear from you!

*Would you like Leslie to answer some of your questions? Comment here or on our FaceBook Page and we'll feature your question in an upcoming post!