When I was expecting my son I had no idea that cloth diapering was so confusing. I was still wading my way through crazy acronyms and strange names trying to figure out what it all meant when he decided to make his appearance a month early. I had about 25 diapers, some hand made, some passed down and NO covers. I guess it didn’t occur to me that there would be a need for a cover. I found myself frustrated early on by getting pee on me constantly. My Grandmother was kind enough to give me a shower gift of about 7 diaper covers. But my goal here is to help guide you through the different types of diapers and covers so that you might make the best decision for you and your situation.
There are a few main types of diapers, some that require a cover, some that have one build in. Both have their pros and cons and I will briefly describe each. You can always email me through my website at jonelle@awarebeginnings.com if you have any further questions.
All-in-One’s – These are diapers that are just what they sound like, everything in one little package. There is a waterproof outer layer, typically made of PLU (a poly based waterproof material) that keeps moisture from escaping and on the inside is an fabric layer with a build in absorbent middle. These are great for people that might be resistant to cloth diapering, like maybe your partner or grandparents. These are also a great choice if you want something that is as close to a disposable as you can get. They typically fit well and are very absorbent. The draw backs with All-in-One’s are that they typically take a very long time to dry, they can get build up and need to be stripped more often and are much more costly because you can only use them once and they cost anywhere from $10-$20 per diaper. So if you plan on doing laundry every 2-3 days this can be a cost of about $300-$500 for your start up system.
Pocket Style – These are diapers that look like all-in-One’s but the middle absorbent layer can be removed for the ease of drying, and you can add or subtract layers depending on the time of day you are using them, for instance if you are putting your child in one at night, you can stuff 2 or 3 absorbent layers in the diaper, where you may only want one during the day. These care virtually all the same pros and cons as the all-in-One style, with the exception of shortened drying time. You still must wash each shell after every diaper change, making your cost significantly higher than other diapering systems.
Prefolds – Personally, I find cottons prefolds to be the best option. They are versatile, affordable and easy to care for. This is a cotton diaper that is folded around the baby and fastened with either a snappi or pins at the corner and then a cover is put over the diaper. They are work horse’s and are typically super absorbent. The cost is typically $2-$3 per diaper. With these you will need to purchase 1 cover per 4 diaper changes, so for a newborn to 6 month old that’s about 6 diaper covers.
Fitted – These are pretty much exactly like prefolds, only they are cut and sewn to not require any folding or pinning, as they typically have snaps on the side. I find these to also work great, especially for ease and fit, I have found that drying time is slightly increased with fitted diapers. For someone like my husband who doesn’t like fumbling with folding and pinning, these are perfect. The cost can range significantly depending on the material any where from $6-$25 per diaper. Many are made to grow with your child.
Covers – There are tons of different brands, but just a few variations. Typically diaper covers are made from one of three different materials – PLU, Wool or Fleece. Each with their own pros and cons.
PLU Covers – Brands like Bummis and BumGenius, and Thirsties Duo wraps. My personal favorite is the Thirsties Duo Wrap. They fit for a long time, are light weigh and not bulky and made with plastic snap closures. I prefer the snap closures to Velcro because it doesn’t wear out as quickly and for a chubby baby like mine, it doesn’t damage the skin at all. PLU covers can be used about 3-6 times between washings as long as you are rotating and airing them out between each use (unless of course they get poo on them). They range in cost from about $10-$16. They are pretty long lasting, easy to care for and significantly leak proof.
Wool Covers – Wool covers are just so darn cute. They come in tons of different styles and so super soft. They have the benefit of being warm in the winter and breathable and cool in the summer. They are pretty easy to make yourself and there are tons of options. The care of wool can be tricky to get use to, but once you do they are a breeze. Wool covers require both washing and lanolizing (a process that puts the natural water repellant properties of wool back into the material) The process isn’t hard, and the best part is that Wool has natural antibacterial properties that help to inhibit smell. So unless your wool covers get poo on them they only require washing about every 2-3 weeks. You do have to have a few to rotate between, giving them time to dry in between uses, but once they are dry, they stay soft, water repellent and odor free.
Fleece – Fleece covers are similar to the look of wool, but they don’t carry the same antibacterial properties. They can typically only be used one time before needed to be washed, or they will start to harbor odor. There are some plus sides to fleece though, they are cute and really affordable.
So maybe you’re feeling a little more confused than you were before? I can tell you that I have found the best system that works for me and my family is PLU and Wool covers with fitted and prefold diapers. It was super affordable, the Thirsties wraps that I bought when my son was 4 months old he is still wearing now at a year and a half. I have been able to make prefolds last for a very long time by folding over large sized prefolds as he grows. I think I have invested less than $200 in cloth diapering since he was about 4 months old, and the diapers we have now will last until he is potty trained.
I can’t say what will be the perfect fit for you and your family, but the piece of advice I can give you is to buy a couple of each and see what you find to work best before investing in one system of the same kind of diaper. It is nice to have some pocket diapers laying around for night time, or when Dad is home alone with the baby. It’s also nice to have some fitted diapers around when you can’t seem to hunt down where that snappi went. I think mixing and matching is the best way to go and will save you tons of money, saving from investing in a system that just doesn’t work right for you.
Aware Beginnings Doula Service 