Tips on Cloth Diapering

There are many decisions any new mother needs to make about the care of her baby - breastfeeding or bottle feeding, attachment parenting or not and now whether to go with disposable diapers or cloth diapers. The cloth diapers of generations past have not been as user friendly as the new methods. Some cloth diapers are as easy to use disposables! If you decide to go with cloth diapers you'll need to know what to buy and what to do once you've got them!

First you have to consider the basics of cloth diapering and what goes into it. You need the soft cotton part that touches baby's bottom as well as a barrier between the diaper and baby's clothes and your lap! There are a multitude of styles out there today - you just need to find what you like best. Diapers that are closest to disposable diapers are called All-in-one diapers. These diapers have the absorbent, yet soft layer that touches baby's skin as well as an attached outer layer to prevent leaks. This is as close as it gets to disposable diapers and if you're using a variety of diapers these will be the ones you leave with the babysitter! The drawback to these diapers is the cost - because they don't require extra pieces they are somewhat pricey.

The next level of diapers is the kind that require a plastic cover to keep the moisture in. In this we have two varieties - fitted and unfitted. Fitted diapers are the next closest thing to disposable diapers in that they are the size and shape of a regular diaper. In most cases you will also attach them as you would a disposable diaper with velcro, although some use snaps, and then cover with a waterproof diaper cover. Diapers that are unfitted are those that you have to fold onto the baby and are the basic type used in previous generations. All unfitted diapers require diaper pins or a unique diaper fastener called a Snapi to keep the diaper closed. I have put a diaper on and used the diaper cover to keep it on and this does actually work. It's just a bit cumbersome to get it folded and then covered if it's not kept in place by pins. I gave up that method before I could become good at it but I bet with practice it's doable. During the night you'll want an extra layer of absorbency. This is where a soaker comes into play. A soaker is just an extra piece of absorbent diaper fabric that goes in the diaper before you seal it all up.

Now that you have the supplies all down - how do you clean them? The simple, yet possibly expensive solution is to hire a diaper cleaning service. However doing it yourself at home is not a big deal once you know what you're doing. The days of soaking your diapers in a big bucket of stinky water and bleach are all but over. It is easy enough to store your diapers in a dry diaper pail until you are ready to wash. Take all the diapers that are soiled and put them in for a cold water wash with baking soda. I usually set the cycle for a soak for this load. When that load is done you add the wet diapers to it - do not remove the previous load, just add the wet ones to the batch. Wash again with baking soda but this time with hot water and half the amount of detergent you would normally use. Send the diapers through an extra rinse cycle with cold water and white vinegar and then finally one more rinse with just cold water. When choosing a detergent it's best to choose one that is free of all dyes and fragrances. Do not use whitening detergents or bleach as they will break down the fibers in the diapers.

Cloth diapering is not only kinder to your baby's delicate bottom but is also environment friendly. All-in-one diapers are as simple to use as disposable diapers and while fitted and unfitted diapers come from a large variety of companies, they all do the same thing. The trick is to figure out what works best for you.