Before I begin, let me clear up a few things. You may have read Brit’s post that mentions me. It’s down there somewhere, past all the adorable baby pictures. For the record, I don’t break up with friends because they don’t use cloth diapers. I try not to even nag about it. But if you hang around long enough, I’ll eventually send you off with a dozen diapers. You see, I love cloth diapers, and I want everyone to share the love. But only if they want to.
I grew up the child of hippies, in an extended family that was green and environmentally conscious way before green was cool. We lived in a rural neighborhood with lots of other like minded hippy freaks. I saw my mom use cloth diapers with all my younger siblings and changed more than a few of their diapers myself. And then my cousins diapers. And the diapers of the neighborhood kids that I babysat. So for me, diapers have always been cloth.
Around the fall of 2000, my husband and I started to think about having a baby of our own. It turned out that trying to getting pregnant and actually becoming pregnant are totally different things. So I filled my childless hours (which became childless months and then years) with planning and shopping for the baby that wasn’t even on the way yet.
I checked out the diapers available at few local stores, and discovered that they were nothing like the soft, fluffy flannel squares I remember using with my siblings. These were thin flimsy things and I couldn’t imagine how they would work.
Eventually, I turned to the internet. I found a baby gear swap at babycenter, and bought three dozen gently used infant prefolds and 8 covers for $35.00 It was a steal! The diapers came and I washed them and put them onto a shelf. And waited. And waited.
Finally our sweet baby girl arrived. We diapered her with those prefolds, and then her brother. Those infant prefolds went on to diaper four of my nieces and nephews as well. They were finally retired to the rag bin this winter. Along the way I’ve discovered that there is a giant world of cloth diapers. The variety is amazing. Today, I’m hoping to give you a brief overview of the different kinds of cloth diapers.
All diapering systems (even disposables) have three basic parts. There is an absorbent material that does the dirty work of sucking up and holding the liquid. There is a waterproof layer that keeps the ick from landing on baby’s outfit or your lap . Finally there is some sort of fastening system that holds it all together and on the baby. In a disposable diaper the absorbent layer is a combination of fiber-y pulp and gel stuff, the waterproof outer feels something like soft paper and of course there are velcro-like tabs that hold the diaper on.
Cloth diapers have a lot more variety. I’ll start with the diapers that are most like disposables, and move to the old school stuff (like your grandma used) I’ll try to give a few pros and cons for each type as well.
All In Ones
These look and work much like disposables. There is an inner layer of absorbent material, sewn into a waterproof outer. The inner layer can be cotton, hemp, bamboo or microfiber. Some All in ones are lined with fleece or suedecloth to wick moisture away from the baby’s bottom. The outer layer is usually made with PUL, a durable, flexible and waterproof coating. There are snaps or velcro that hold the diaper on.
Pros: Easy to use, even for the most dedicated disposable diaper user.
Cons: Typically the most expensive type of diaper. Can be difficult to wash and dry, because the outer shell prevents water from moving through the diaper.
Example:
All in Twos
All in twos are a lot like all in ones. The only difference is that instead of being sewn together, the absorbent layer snaps out of the outer shell. So if a diaper is only wet, you can snap a new insert into the outer. When the outer shell is soiled, you wash it.
Pros: Easy to use. Washing is easier than all in ones
Cons: Expensive. You will need quite a few shells.
Examples: Baby Soft Wraps
Pocket Diapers
Pocket diapers are one of my favorites. The diaper itself has two layers. The outer layer is waterproof and the inner layer is fleece or suedecloth, which allows liquid to pass through to the middle. There is an opening, typically at the back that allow you to put an absorbent insert into the diaper, between the two layers. The inner layer protects the baby’s skin from wetness. When the diaper is soiled you remove the insert and wash both pieces. Inserts can be natural materials like cotton and hemp, or synthetics like microfiber.
Pros: Easy to use, wash and dry fairly easily.
Cons: Can be expensive. Stuffing inserts into diapers is time consuming.
Fitted Diapers
Fitted diapers still look a lot like a disposable. They are shaped like an hourglass, with elastic gathers around the legs and waist, and velcro or snaps to hold the diaper on. There is an unbelievable variety of materials and styles of fitted diapers. Fitted diapers don’t have a waterproof layer, so you’ll need to use a separate waterproof cover (more on that later)
Pros: Generally less expensive that AIOs or Pockets.
Cons Need a cover, can take a long time to dry
Prefolds
Prefolds are rectangular flat diapers. They are technically a big long piece of fabric that is folded and stitched in the manufacturing process so that they have a middle section that has more layers and absorbancy than the outer sections. Prefolds are described by their size and the number of layers. Typically infant prefolds are 11X14 inches and have 4 layers of material on the outer edges and 8 in the middle. Prefolds need to be fastened on, with a snappi, pins or a snug fitting cover. Prefolds need a cover.
Pros: Inexpensive. Easy to wash and dry
Cons: Need a cover. Can be intimidating at first.
Flats
Flats are probably what your grandmother used. They are, as the name implies *flat* Most flats are a 27×27 inch single layered square of material. The flat is folded origami style to create a diaper that fits your baby. Flats need to be fastened with a snappi or pins. They also need a cover.
Pros: Inexpensive and versatile. Extremely easy to wash and dry, even without a washing machine or dryer.
Cons: Need a cover. Need to be folded before use.
Covers
Covers are the outer waterproof thing that you need over fitted diapers, prefolds and flats. Covers can close with snaps or velcro. Some even simply pull on. There are covers that fit very snugly and can hold a prefold or flat without a snappi or pins. Covers come in a variety of materials like nylon, PUL, fleece and even wool.
If you made it this far, I’m hoping that you’ll consider using cloth. Maybe you already are.
For me the best part of using cloth, the thing that has kept me washing, folding and loving my diapers for the last five years is this:
They are beyond cute.
FABULOUS post! I think you’ve covered it all here.
And I *love* this bit about the fitted diapers:
“Generally less expensive that AIOs or Pockets.”
Hehehe…. yeah, I’ve been drooling over some goodmama’s the last couple days (planning to write a post about them) and I don’t think there’s ANYTHING that isn’t expensive about them. Of course, they’re cuter than heck, so it’s all good.
Thanks so much for posting this!
Great post! I needed this a year ago, when I first started with cloth.