Yesterday was the one year mark for using cloth diapers with Ava. Due to this joyous milestone and the frequent requests I receive (on a daily basis), I decided to finally buckle down and write up a cloth diapering post for all of those parents that are interested in cloth diapers. This cloth diaper 101 list will ONLY go over the types of diapers we use (and love), what you need to start cloth diapering, and all the other cloth details. I will say that cloth diapering is definitely an investment up front, but if you invest in quality diapers, it's definitely worth it, so let's get to it!

    Left photo- two week old        Right photo - eleven month old

What type of cloth diapers do we use?

• Prefolds 
• Pocket diapers
• AIO (all in ones) 
• All in Twos 

There are literally a million different brands and different styles that you can choose from. I would recommend bum genius 4.0 pocket diapers for anyone that is trying cloth for the first time. It's a "grow with me diaper" and will fit (most) babies from birth to potty training. Pocket diapers are the most modern type of cloth, and they resemble disposables diapers. Prefolds are the most inexpensive diaper on this list, but they also require a cover. Prefolds aren't as modern as some of the other cloth options out there. 

How many cloth diapers do I need?

Honestly, be economical. You really only need 24 diapers. Aside from "eco-friendly" reasons, cloth is definitely a money saver. Don't get too caught up with "cute prints" because diapers can get costly, especially when you are buying solely for the cute factor.  

Where can I buy cloth diapers?

• Green Mountain Diapers
• Kelly's Closet
• Amazon

What do I wash my cloth with?

Here is a list of cloth diaper safe detergents you can purchase. We use rockin' green, and have never had any issues, but there are a ton of other options out there. 

What other accessories are needed to cloth diaper?

• You need 1 diaper pail to store soiled diapers (I purchased a garbage can pail for this)
• You need 2 large wet bags for the diaper pail (you can purchase these off of the websites listed above)
• I recommend purchasing two smaller wet bags for "on the go" and traveling purposes. Whenever one is dirty, you have a backup wet bag for soiled diapers. You can purchase my favorite brand of wet bags here.
• Since you can't use traditional diaper rash cream with cloth diapers, coconut oil is a perfect alternative. Ava has never had diaper rash, and we have only used coconut oil, and occasionally CJ's butter. 
• Cloth wipes! I cannot stress enough how smart of an investment these are. If you plan on cloth diapering, it makes sense to use cloth wipes. You can even use washcloths rather than actual wipes. Either way, if you are going to invest your time in cloth, use the wipes! Saving more is always smart. I would suggest purchasing 30-40 cloth wipes. 

I made a video of all the information listed and more. I somehow managed to delete my youtube account, but once I get a new channel up and running, I'll go ahead and post the video. Hopefully this information was a little bit more helpful and answered some of the frequent questions I get. 

♥- Leilani

NEW diapering methods

I finally came to the conclusion that cloth is something I am extremely set on with my parenting styles. I didn't want to invest more money in my cloth diaper stash, but due to Ava arriving smaller than anticipated, it looks like I am going to have to. I'm investing in preemie prefolds from greenmountaindiapers. Perfect because the covers that we are using are bummis super brite. The covers start from 4 lbs to 9 lbs and I already have one or two of these at home from prior orders. Ava is an ounce shy of 4 lbs at 33 weeks 5 days ( already in size range)

                                           

I am confident these will work for our sweet girl. I'm really excited about my decision to expand my cloth diapering stash. & there is a bonus: If our next baby is on the smaller side then at least our stash will be set to go for them as well. I almost decided to take the easier route and use organic disposable diapers with Ava, because I found out she was going to be smaller. Cloth diapers are harder to find for super small babies and a lot of people actually use disposable until their babies can fit into cloth. I'm glad I was able to find a solution that works for us. I did however come to a decision about diapering while traveling. 

An ecological alternative to traditional disposable diapers. Made from renewable and compostable materials, they are also carbon neutral.

FEATURES

• Biodegradable: inner shell and padding
• Vegetable-based: materials from renewable resources
• CO2 NEUTRAL: no contribution to climate change
• Hypoallergenic: fragrance-free and chlorine-free                   

my budget for diapering until Ava is potty trained is $500.00 even with my current stash and expected preemie stash I will be well under this amount. I have currently spent $314.26. By investing in organic disposables for travel I will be spending $49.39 ( that's without coupons or promotional codes) for a total of 144 attitude diapers ( we will be on our trip for 10 days, giving us a total of up to 14 diapers per day) I still plan on bringing a small stash of pocket diapers as well. This still keep us in our diapering budget.

Citrus Lane

With all the benefits of organic and natural methods out there I really want to encourage moms and moms to be (of all ages) to venture out and try something healthier for their babies. Something more economical that they hadn't thought of doing before. Over the last two weeks I have invested a lot of my free time on researching organic food lines, recycled toys, and of course "fluff" companies. I came across a company that I am really excited about. You get a box every month filled with cute and practical products recommended by parents. They are geared for mommy/baby boxes. They choose products based on your baby's age and sex. You can buy boxes individually or you can sign up for monthly subscriptions. Every month you get products that are worth thirty to forty five dollars more than the twenty five dollars you spend AND you get a featured treat in each box. These boxes are stuffed with organic friendly products. There are a couple benefits that stick out for me

• getting to try products that you might not have heard of.
• getting products you didn't think to buy. 

I am ordering my first box for the month of May since Ava is due that month.

Citrus Lane