A short cloth diaper tale
We all struggle trying to find a good cloth diaper system that works for us and our babies. It’s a balancing act between convenience and functionality. It can be tedious finding the harmony but once you do, you’re set!
The system I use to cloth diaper my current five month old works for me and has changed a tiny bit from my first borns routine. Gus has all the hand me down Prefolds because those things are fantastic and have yet to lose absorbency. In fact they get softer the more you wash them. He will be getting some new PULS soon since we had found a lot of those ones second hand with my first.
We plan to go with econobum because those are made in the USA and we try to support American made as often as possible. I haven’t tried them out and want to try a new brand as well!
Our cloth diaper system
Our system is a hybrid of prefolds, pockets and PULs. Most of the day he’s in a trifold style Prefold with a pocket or PUL on. Whichever I have nearest to me. Both styles of covers can be used more than once up to maybe three changes before it’s time to go into the wet bag.
Occasionally, if his boy parts need to breathe more, I will stuff a pocket with a hemp insert or a Prefold (whichever is closer!) and just throw the whole diaper in the wet bag after one pee. I’ll change him frequently as well. That’s why it’s important to have a good stash of diapers on hand because if you’re changing every hour, you’re going to need them!
I use Nora’s Nursery pocket cloth diapers, BumGenius pocket cloth diapers, I have a few BumGenius all-in-ones that I scored last year, and I still use my trusty prefolds with a Flip PUL cover.
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We used this system until about 9/10 months. At least that’s how long it lasted with my first because he started walked and HATED to lay down to change. Thus began our full time pocket diaper use.
I would pre snap them where they needed to be and then have him step into the diaper which was funner for him and quicker for me.
That also is a good transition step into regular underpants and pulling them up themselves for future potty training!
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Nighttime diaper system
The dreaded night time ordeal! So this took me a while to find our best solution. Our first was a heavy wetter for sure and it seems like our second is too.
I didn’t realize that putting the prefold directly on sensitive skin for long period of time would cause irritation. I don’t think I read anything on that so here’s my tip for you…
ALWAYS PUT A HEMP OR BAMBOO INSERT AGAINST THEIR SKIN. Or just stuff the pocket diaper with inserts.
The organic cotton prefolds are great for short term use but not so much for long term. Cotton absorbs great but it absorbs fast, but it doesn’t dry fast and doesn’t disperse. It just sits in the spot that it absorbed at and doesn’t spread through the fibers like hemp.
What works for us now is a black charcoal soaker insert wrapped in a large Prefold like a flat burritos then lay a hemp insert on top and put natural powder on that. All those lay on a pocket cover (I would try a PUL if I had a brand new one but I just don’t trust my second hands to handle an overnight diaper!).
I’m meticulous about making sure everything tucked well with as minimal of gaps as possible.
I currently change him just once through the night (he wakes up maybe 3/4 times to nurse) and we don’t have issues with leakage!
Occasionally I’ll feel a leak in the night if he’s rolling around a bunch (which he loves). Most nights though, it’s no problem!
Try different things!
It may take a few tries to find your solutions. It takes practice and just plain doing it more to be comfortable with everything.
Don’t be afraid to just lay a towel down under your baby when you try a new diaper system, it may be one or two nights of experimenting but that will save you sleep in the long run!
I hope this was helpful to you and maybe it could work for you or you could use it as a jumping off point!
What system works best for your family?
