Cloth Diapering...a journey!

Today I was a bit put off by one of my favorite blogs because she posted for the first time about her cloth diapering experience and it was the opposite of what I thought it would be.  I was excited for the post because I thought it would help those moms that follow her blog to understand cloth diapering a little better and to think of it as an easier and healthier option (the blog author is very health conscious).  Well, the post was a huge disappointment and she basically came out saying she decided not to continue cloth diapering because "I was starting to feel that the extra weight around her tushy was preventing her from moving they way she’d normally do."  I'll be totally honest, I have read lots of reasons not to cloth diaper, but this was never one of them.  Cloth diapering delays developmental milestones???  You have to be kidding me.  And to top it off her other reason was "I didn’t just spend hundreds of dollars in clothes only to have the cloth diapers prevent her from wearing them."  Well, I thought I would post the other side (granted my readership is significantly less than hers...but the premise is still the same.)

I started getting interested in cloth diapers mainly due to the experience of a few of my sorority sisters.  I'll admit, I was excited about the cute patterns and materials (and potential money savings) and as I began to research, I dove head first into the idea of cloth diapering my soon-to-be little girl.  We bought two varieties of diapers before Annabelle was born - prefolds and AIO's (all-in-ones).  I soon realized when I brought her home that the Grovia Newborn AIO's were going to fit her for maybe a week tops.  They didn't impress me in the absorbency department either, so those were used once or twice and put into storage.  Every other diaper we bought is currently being used, some more than others. 

Prefold & Thirsties cover

We began the journey with prefolds and although they were a great option in the beginning, I really didn't like using them much.  I have a heavy wetter and she would last maybe an hour and a half at most and we were going through as many outfits as we were diapers.  I enjoy laundry, but not that much.  The covers we used with our prefolds were Thirsties.  I like the covers, just not the prefolds.  So I made the investment into a few different types of pocket diapers (I learned that this is the option for a lot of cloth diapering moms) and love the current brands we are using.


Thirsties Cover with prefold

My personal favorite are Charlie Banana, we have both the perfect size option and the OS (one size) option.  I really enjoy the perfect size option because they fit like a glove, but as Annabelle grows I know OS will be the way to go (she grows FAST!)  The OS option has adjustable thigh elastic (which I just adjusted up to the medium option) and it works great for her "strong" thighs.  Overall, I love the colors of Charlie Banana and the absorbancy is pretty good.  This is our go-to diaper most days.

Charlie Banana Perfect Size Diaper

My husband love the KaWaii brand.  We originally tried these because we needed an overnight solution and had heard good things about this brand (and the price tag helped).  The goodnight version has been a lifesaver for us - we used to change Annabelle twice a night because she would pee so much, but now we can go from bedtime to wakeup in the same diaper.  We bought a few of the regular version to test as well and those have become my husband's favorite (mostly because of the velcro).  I enjoy this brand simply for the money savings and would recommend them to any new cloth users - as they are very user friendly.

KaWaii Goodnight Pocket Diaper

KaWaii Regular Pocket Diaper

So, overall we have had a great experience with cloth diapers.  I know it will change when she starts solids, but poop doesn't really scare me (which is more than I can say for my husband), so I'm not too worried.  We ordered two new brands of pocket diapers from Zulily, so look for the Lotus Bumz and Bumkins reviews to come soon!