Cloth diapering seems so foreign and mysterious to many of us nowadays. It is not what it used to be when our parents were in them as babies. With the evolution of so many new types of cloth diapers, it often leaves people overwhelmed.
Thankfully, we've got an expert right here in Concord! Kim Ricard owns Petite Bottoms- A cloth diaper store and so much more! Between cloth diapering her own children, running a cloth diaper service, and retail shop, Kim has a wealth of knowledge to share. She also graciously spends time to be sure parents get all their questions answered. I know from experience! The following are two of the most popular misconceptions that people have along with her expert advice!
Cloth diapers are expensive
It can definitely appear that way when you look at the prices of cloth diapers. In some cases one cloth diaper can cost as much as a package of disposable diapers.
You can't wash and reuse a disposable diaper at all. You can wash and reuse a cloth diaper.
Here are a couple of facts on cost.
- The average customer at my store will spend between $300- $500 on a cloth diaper stash, birth to potty training size.
- The average consumer will spend $1,500 (for generic brand) to $2,500 (earth friendly or name brand) on disposable diapers over a two year period.
- The cost of cloth diapers is paid up front. Buying disposable diapers is spread out over time. It gives one the illusion that disposable diapers are not as expensive as they really are.
- Think of cloth diapers as an investment.
Don't have the money to drop hundreds of dollars on a full cloth diapers stash? Not many people do!
Below are some tips on how to save money on cloth.
- Keep it simple, flats, prefolds and covers are the most economical way to go.
- Don't feel that you have to buy everything all at one time. Start with the newborn size, maybe get a few one size options to try. You can add on more as you need them.
- Try a universal gift registry. You can pull product or gift certificate links from any store. This is a great way to cover the cost of cloth diapers and people love to give diapers as gifts.
- They usually struggle with what to buy when new parents decide to cloth diaper. This makes it easy for them and you.
- Buy gently used diapers. In some cases they are half the cost of new diapers.
- I recommend buying from a cloth diaper store if you are starting out. You know what you are getting this way. Many cloth diaper stores, including ours, list their gently used diapers on their website or Facebook page.
- Resell your cloth diapers. If you have some that aren't working for you or you aren't planning on having more children, get some money back for those diapers.
- You can either sell them back to the store you purchased them from or at one of the many online market places.
There are too many cloth diapers to choose from
The choices seem endless and the task of making that choice can feel daunting.
Many people are so overwhelmed that they give up on cloth diapering before they even begin!
Below is a quick rundown of the different types of cloth diapers and our recommendations on what to start with.
Flat Diaper
A large square of one layer of fabric that needs to be folded. It can be folded to lay in the cover or folded to wrap around baby and be fastened with pins or a Snappi. These are the old fashioned diapers that our grandparents and their parents used. Some common ways of folding this diaper are the kite, origami, and pad fold.
Prefold Diaper
A prefold diaper is a flat diaper that has been folded and sewn, hence the name, prefold. They are usually rectangular in shape and have more layers in the middle than on the sides. There are many different types of prefolds on the market now. The most common ones you will see are Indian and Chinese. Indian prefolds are thicker and come bleached and unbleached, many people prefer the unbleached.
Chinese are bleached and thinner. These diapers can be folded around your baby and fastened with a pin or Snappi. They can also be folded in thirds, or tri-folded and laid in a cover. This is a very easy and the most economical way to cloth diaper your child.
Contoured Diaper
A diaper with an hourglass type shape. These diapers do not require folding, may or may not have a closure and usually no elastic. These are easier to use that a flat or prefold diaper, yet not as economical.
Fitted Diaper
A fitted diaper is a step up from a prefold or contoured diaper. Fitted diapers have elastic at the legs and usually the back, sometimes the front too, to provide a better fit. Some have a closure in the front like aplix or snaps, closureless fitteds do not have either.
Covers
All of the above diapers require a cover. A cover is simply anything that “covers” the diaper. There are waterproof covers made out of PUL and TPU. There are breathable covers made out of fleece, specially treated cotton and wool. These are not waterproof. Some covers are a pull on style and some covers are a wrap style that close in the front with aplix or snaps.
All In One (AIOS)
A Diaper and a cover that is in one unit, think of it as a prefold or insert and a cover combined.
All in Two (AI2)
A two piece diaper that usually has an insert that snaps into the cover.
Pocket Diaper
A two piece diaper that has an opening at the back, or pocket to stuff an insert inside of.
Hybrid Diaper
A two piece cloth diaper that you can use either a cloth of biodegradable insert inside of.
Our best advice is to go with flats or newborn prefolds and newborn covers if you want to cloth diaper from birth.
Once baby is bigger and out of the newborn size, you can use the flats and prefolds as doublers.
At about the 12 pound range, babies will fit into most one size diapers. If you know what you like, it's easy to go with that in a larger size.
If you still haven't found "the diaper" for you at that point, consider one of our diaper rentals. You can try a variety of diapers before you decide what to purchase.
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