Not Your Grandma's Cloth Diapers!

As one of our first steps towards self-reliance, we decided that we wanted to have our children in cloth diapers.  While we still use some store-bought (disposable) diapers when we are going to be away from the house for longer periods of time (rather than lugging around soiled diapers), cloth diapers have saved us a ton of money over the past couple of years.  We started with just one kind of cloth diaper to try them out and see if we were up to the task of regular washings and what not, but have expanded greatly from there.

gDiapers

 

These were the first cloth diapers that we purchased.  They're actually a hybrid diaper.  We had heard lots of good things about them and were excited to try them out.  They come in mostly solid colors (we have orange, blue and green).

 

I think one of the first things that turned us onto them was the snap-out nylon liner that you see.  This would help in terms of keeping the outside shell dry in cases of accidents.  The g's actually come with disposable, biodegradable liners, but the main purpose of us buying them was to avoid having to repeatedly buy diapers and to reduce waste.  Inside the gDiaper, you will see the absorbent cloth liners.  Miss Jackie found out how to make them and went ahead and hand sewed them.  They're made of fleece (with a layer of microfiber) which allows moisture to wick through to the layer below so that it doesn't irritate the baby's bottom in the case that you aren't immediately able to change it.  The second layer is a combination of hemp fabric and fleece.  This is the main "catcher" to, again, keep little bottoms dry.  Lastly, you have the nylon liner which protects the outside fabric from moisture.  The only drawbacks we found (and these are just personal preferences): you have to round up several parts after each wash to assemble the diaper.  Also, gDiapers are sized... so we invested in newborn, small, medium and large sizes.  We were new to cloth and didn't know about brilliance of one-size diapers.

bumGenius

The second style of diaper we invested in was a one-size pocket style from Bum Genius.  This was an instant favorite!  Not only did we love the idea that we could adjust this as our kiddos grew, but the "Albert" design delighted our nerdy science-geek selves!

 

This diaper came with an adjustable microfiber insert that kept our heavy-wetter dry (even during his 13-hour slumbers). 


Chunky Monkey

 

These are probably our favorites!  Not only is each order customizable, in terms of colors and designs, but they are also locally made (only two towns over!).  Also, we have found that they leak through less than some other cloth diapers.  Really helpful when you aren't able to immediately recognize when someone needs a changin'.  Chunky Monkey makes many types of cloth diapers, we have mostly one-size pocket-style and all-in-twos.

 

 

As you can see, the sizes are fully adjustable.  She does make fitted diapers, but we have found that one-size fits both our 5 mo. old and 2 year old.

 

Inside, you find a cotton "soaker" that is super absorbent.  These have worked great for keepin' our little guys' bottoms nice and dry.  You can also get hemp liners which just increase the absorption!

 

They are basically three sectioned and you just tri-fold them and insert them into the pocket and are ready to go!  Of course, there is a plastic (PUL) waterproof layer that separates this from the outside cloth so as not to soak through.

Bumkins

 

Last, but not least, we have the Bumkins.  These are pretty stinkin' cute in the Dr. Seuss designs that we got.  They, like our Chunky Monkeys, are also pocket-style diapers, but the fact that we can customize each diaper and we are supporting a locally based company gives Chunky Monkey an advantage.

 

Like we said earlier, we have saved a TON in what we would have spent on disposable diapers and they are quite stylish on the warmer days.  Haha.  Once we started cloth diapering, we were excited to learn about all the other benefits of cloth (less diaper rash, for one).  We definitely got some funny looks from some of our family and friends when we first mentioned the idea of cloth diapers.  Instantly, the image of safety pins and long strands of cloth pops into your mind, but this is definitely a contemporary spin on the whole thing.  While there are times when we have leak-throughs, they are probably less often than what you would have with disposable diapers. Plus, we've found that cloth diapers eliminated the dreaded blowouts that ruin cute outfits. 

 

So, that's just a bit about how another old school idea is making a roaring comeback in a contemporary way.  Is it just a little more effort?  Yes.  But the payoff is huge. 

 

Are there other products that you think are reviving practices of the past in a new age way?  Let us know in the comments!

 

Until then...

 

 

 

Keep Calm

and

Can On