Cloth Diapers thus far!

I asked myself today, "Why haven't I been doing this all along?" Alivia is now 14 months and we just started using cloth diapers a week and a half ago. It is the best thing we have decided to do since making our own laundry detergent. Before we made our purchase I did a lot of research on the internet. Following blogs and looking at websites. One that I found really helpful was allaboutclothdiapers.com It offered great advice on all types of cloth diapering. It helped me to choose the cheepest yet affective diapering system for our family. We decided to go with the One-Size covers and the microfiber inserts. I would love the convienence of an All-in-One but I didn't want to spend too much money if I wasn't sure if this was going to work for us.

Here is what I bought:

*Flip Day Pack (2 covers & 6 microfiber inserts) - $49.99

I bought this at abbyslane.com. She offers everything and it is always free shipping in the United States.

*2 Thirstie Covers
*1 Grovia Wet Bag
*6 chinese prefolds
-$62.00
I bought these at Compfy Bummy in Naperville, Il. Prices are pretty comparable to online but some of the things might be a little more spendy. This is a great place if you need something fast. I needed some extra stuff for our Indiana trip and didn't want to wait for shipping.

Homemade inserts:

I decided to make a few of my own inserts. You can do this with any extra linen you have laying around. I had some extra fleece and flannel from a previous project that I decided to use. I used the microfiber inserts as a template and got to work. I used three layers; fleece, flannel and an old towel. I sanwhiched the towel in the middle and sewed them together. I washed them and they were ready to use. So far they are working out great. I put the fleece against the skin for added comfort and to help pull away moisture.

Traveling with Cloth:

We recently went to Indiana for the weekend and I contimplated using disposables while we were away. My husband encouraged me to just try cloth. So I did! I made sure I had my wet bag and plenty of inserts. We did great!! I did put a disposable on her in the car, that way we didn't have to change her that often and she could sleep the whole way. But I realized I probably could have had her in cloth the whole time. We didn't have any leaks and we had plenty of diapers for the whole weekend. When we got home I threw the bag and the diapers through the wash and we were good to go for the next day!

Night time routine so far:

So far we haven't leaked out at night. I put two inserts on her at night with the microfiber insert on top. (that way the suede that touches her skin pulls away moisture and she doesn't feel as wet)

Washing:

I throw everything in the wash and do one cold rinse cycle (help with the stains) followed by a hot wash. I add 1/4c of my homemade detergent to the second cycle. I usually hang dry to save on our electric bill. Some people do an extra rinse but I haven't had to do that yet.

I hope this encourages people to switch to cloth or at least consider it. I am still learning since this is my second week, but I have been pleasently suprised and wanted to share what I know so far.

thanks for reading and good luck!!