I recently had a lovely reader here at Cloth Diaper Mamas ask me what the point of cute, printed, fitted diapers like goodmamas if they require a cover to be waterproof?  Why get all excited about the adorable prints when no one gets to see them?

This is an AWESOME question, because I too asked myself the very same thing not that long ago.

The OBV diapers I could understand, because while the serging and snap colors were cute, they weren’t vital to the look of the diaper and were more for functionalities sake.  Therefore it wouldn’t be as hard to cover them up with a cover.   But I saw all sorts of mamas over on Diaper Swappers salivating over cute and rare prints, bartering these diapers and paying exhorbitant prices for them.  WHY?

I think I understand better now.  For one thing, bamboo diapers such as goodmamas are extremely absorbant and can hold a lot more liquid than your average flannel fitted diaper.  As such, my children (both of them!) can wear these diapers and pee in them a couple times even before they feel overly wet on the outside.  So a lot of mamas don’t put covers on these diapers if they’re going to be around the home all day.  In the summer, this is easy, quick and cool.  In the winter, you can keep baby warm with a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of baby legwarmers.  This works great because the baby is still getting airflow to their diaper area, helping prevent heat rash and diaper rash.  Maybe not quite as effective as “naked time”, but close enough (and a lot kinder on our floors!).

I also like to think of it in terms of “Victoria’s Secret”.  Back when I was a young, skinny thing with money to burn, I bought virtually all my underwear at “Victoria’s Secret”.  Sure, no one was seeing this stuff I was paying a premium price for.  But, I knew it was there and it made me feel more special, somehow.  I feel the same when I know my daughter is wearing a goodmama, especially if it’s a cute print.  (Okay, so we only have the one.  FOR NOW.)

And, I imagine, here in a couple years before she’s potty trained but after she’s more verbal, she might start asking for her favorite diapers.  And I imagine those diapers will be the pretty printed ones.  In fact, I’m looking forward to finding out what she thinks is cute and letting her pick her favorites out.

So there you have it.  Now that goodmamas are easy to fetch at market prices, what’s holding you back?  They’re adorable AND functional.  Who could ask for more?

As I’m sure you’ve heard, I love BumGenius diapers.  I’m not sure why I love them so much.  It could be that they’re nice and trim.  Could be that the aplix is easy to use and husband/babysitter/grandparent approved.  Could be that it will fit Kitten for a while to come.  Could be because we’ve never had a leak, even overnight (with both inserts).  I am sure, though, that if you’re unfamilar with BumGenius diapers, you might be a little confused when I talk about them.

There are three types of BumGenius diapers, the 3.0, the AIO, and the new Organics.

The 3.0 is typically the diaper that most people are referring to when they say BumGenius.  It’s a one-size pocket diaper, that has three rise sizes that are adjusted by snaps.  It has a pocket at the back, and comes with 2 microfiber inserts (one is a “newborn” size, and the other is an adjustable size).  It has PUL on the outside, and white suedecloth on the inside (this is a lot like microfleece only a lot thinner, and more fine).

BumGenius also offers an All-In-One diaper.  The AIO is a sized diaper - meaning that you have to buy different sizes as your baby grows (unlike the 3.0).  It still has a PUL outer, Suedecloth inner, and microfiber inside.  The difference is that you don’t stuff this diaper - it’s a very easy diaper to use.  The only problem is that AIO are notoriously hard to dry.  They take a long time because only one size is permeable.  Plus, you have to buy more than one size, which increases your cost.

The newest addition to the BumGenius lineup are the Organics.  It is an AI2 diaper, which means that it isn’t quite as streamlined as the AIO above.  A typical AI2 has a lay-in soaker, or a snap in soaker, but from what I can read, there’s nothing to undo or do up about the Organic.  You do have to fold the inside back up.  It’s loose so it dries faster, which is really something to be interested in.  The major difference is that this diaper is made of organic cotton, so babies who are sensitive to man-made fabrics should be able to wear this diaper no problem!  It’s also great for moms who are sensitive about what they put on their baby’s bottoms.  This is a one-size diaper, so you don’t have to buy multiple sizes (just multiple colours for fun!).  Don’t forget with organic cotton fiber, it needs to be fully prepped.  This means washing and drying several times before it reaches it’s full absorbency.  You can use it before it’s fully prepped, it just won’t absorb as much (AKA - maybe just use it for the day for the first half dozen uses).

BumGenius also has a slew of other products.  They have an Odor Eliminator, a bottom care spray (cleaner to use with cloths), diaper sprayer (to hook up to your toilet), Egyptian Cotton flat diapers, and flannel baby wipes.  You can view their whole product line-up at cottonbabies.com.  If you need replacement (or extra) inserts for your existing BG diapers, you can buy those as well!  The cottonbabies website also lists a BumGenius bamboo fitted, but the links don’t go anywhere.  I’m not sure if it’s a new product or a discontinued one, but I would love to get my hands on one of those to try out!

The only BumGenius I own is the 3.0.  Hopefully sometime this week, we’ll be able to branch out and pick up an Organics one (as well as 2 more 3.0’s).  I’ll definitely let you know what I think of the Organic diaper, how it stacks up against the 3.0.

Have you seen this yet, ya’ll?  This just about made me wet my pants just a little.  I’m still relatively new to cloth diapering and have only really tried gDiapers and the bumGenius One-Size 3.0 (a pocket diaper).   And, I will admit, I completely and totally adore my BG 3.0 diaper.  I only have three (so far) but would marry it if I had more.  A lot of parents complain of the bulkiness of the one-size feature on a smaller child, but I don’t think it looks anything but adorable.  I even like the suedecloth lining on the inside as it does it’s job of being soft against baby’s bottom but keeping the wetness away very well.

But this right here seems like a gift from heaven.  It has the features I really enjoy from the 3.0, but without the hassle of stuffing the pocket (which, yes, can get old).  Plus, baby has organic cotton fibers next to his or her skin instead of synthetic ones.  And organic, at that!  The liners go a step further, even, by being adjustable to where you need the most absorbency and since they aren’t completely sewn down, help the diaper to dry quicker than your average AIO.

I think you’ve heard it here first, folks.  I think this diaper may very well be the end all, be all.  It’s a tad pricey now, just under $25, but I think one (or two) (or more) of these might have to make it in my next diaper order.  It’s simply too much to resist.  Of course, if I do end up getting one of these charming devils, I’ll be sure to share with you all what I think of it!