I Heart Cloth Diapers- Giveaway!(closed)

Vaylee in her bumGenius Freetime

I’ve been cloth diapering for the last 6 years.  You could say I’ve been around the fluffy block a time or four.  For so many reasons I love cloth diapers.  My favorite is they save me time and headache.  I don’t have to rush to the store if I run out of diapers(or wipes).  I don’t have to shell out my vacation money monthly and then see it on the curb on Thursday mornings(trash day here).  I don’t have to smell Friday’s dirty diaper on Wednesday.  I don’t have to change baby’s whole outfit Every…Time…She…Poops.  Which means I need fewer and wash fewer baby clothes.  With clean cloth next to baby’s bum I don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals or rashes.  Oh and I love the cloth wipes…who wouldn’t…they are so much more efficient when I’m changing a wiggling toddler.  With cloth diapers my girls and boys show interest early and potty train by 2 years old.  Washing the diapers is a breeze too.  And baby’s diapers are so cute! Dressed only in her diaper she makes a fashion statement.

So now on my fourth child I’m in a full on love relationship with my diapers.  I found the system that I adore, I figured out the best way for me to wash them, and I’m in a routine to keep up supply.  Don’t get me wrong diaper life was not always this peachy.  Many leaking, stinking, rashing trials had to be endured.  But I’m so happy that I took this journey and now that I’m near the end of it I know I will miss my children’s cute fluffy bottoms.

The Diaper

Vay stylin in her Fuzzi Bunz Elite

Owning a cloth diaper store gave me the opportunity to try a lot of different diapering systems over the years.  I’ve tried prefolds, contours, and fitteds with their PUL, wool, and fleece covers as well as pockets, all-in-ones, all-in-twos, one-size, and all the new hybrid systems.  There are so many options on the market and so many differently shaped baby’s with individually sized bladders to customize for.  After years of loyalty to Perfect sized pocket diapers from Fuzzi Bunz I’ve fallen in love with a new diaper….the Fuzzi Bunz Elite one-size pocket diaper.  The Elite is trimmer than it’s predecessor and the Perfect sizes too.  The adjustable elastic is the ideal way to adjust sizes without extra bulk.  And the amazing minky inserts are super absorbent.

Staying Dry

With newborns we just change baby as often as we nurse or baby poops.  Changing a newborn that often is just how it should be.  No one wants to sit in their waste for very long.  Once baby is older they come to a heavy wetting stage, especially at night.  One option is changing baby in the night.  Another option is an extra insert.  I’ve always used hemp inserts for this but I’m now really liking the new minky inserts.  For even more protection during this stage we use a Sugar Peas Fleece cover or a recycled wool cover.

Rashes

I’ve found one of the best methods for clearing up a rash is a naked night time.  We will put down a waterproof pad or some towels and let baby sleep naked.  This helps clear up a rash overnight.  Otherwise I will use my Magic Stick which is a natural rash ointment in a stick form that works great and is mess free.  If baby has a rash there is an issue that needs to be resolved.  The issue could be that baby is sick or reacting to food they ate, or detergent on the diapers.  Another possibility is that the diapers aren’t getting clean enough or the bacteria isn’t being killed.

Washing

Vay & all her fluff!

Washing my cloth diapers has been a struggle for me for years.  I couldn’t shake the ammonia smell.  Sometimes the build up would be so bad it caused rashes on my baby.  And that I couldn’t stand.  I’ve bleached, boiled, treated, stripped, sunned, and re-washed so many times…….whew.  The happiest testimonials from moms I’ve talked to have been from those who either line dried their diapers in the sun, or from those lucky mamas who had a soft water system.  I can now add myself to the list but for a different process.  I use a PureWash which adds oxygen and oxidizers to the water that goes into my washer.  I only use cold water and I don’t need any detergent.  It’s been amazing!  I feel like my tax refund was put toward some great long term savings for detergent, hot water, and avoiding all the re-washing and stripping.

Traveling

When we go on a weekend trip we take our cloth diapers with us.  We have enough for a couple days and it doesn’t interrupt our cycle.  Trips that last longer than that are a different story.  We’ve tried different cloth options but we prefer getting the eco-friendly biodegradable diapers if we can find/afford them.  A lot of people have great success with the disposable inserts that are now available for cloth diapers.  They are absorbent, easy to use, and biodegradable.

The Extras

The items in my diaper stash.

I mentioned this already but I love my cloth wipes.  I use 2 ply organic bamboo velour wipes.  They are so soft but so grippy.  Of the many wipes I’ve tried nothing holds a candle to OBV wipes.  I have 2 wetbags for my diaper bag and 2 pail liners to hang in my bathroom.  Other than that, my Magic Stick, and my Elite diapers, I have some prefolds that we mostly use as spit rags but occasionally are used as emergency diapers with a Snappi that I have stashed away.

The Conclusion

I love the fact that we cloth diaper our children.  I love that it’s healthier for them.  I love that it saves us a ton of money.  I love that it helps us potty train sooner.  I love that I’m not putting a trash bag full of diapers on the curb each week.  I love how cute my baby’s bottom looks in a fluffy diaper.  I love how easy it is.  I love sharing with others when they ask about my daughter’s cloth bottom.  I heart cloth!  Below are some t-shirts that I will be printing for our family and selling here on my blog.

The Freebie

bumGenius OS AIO Freetime in Mirror

Another diaper that I like and is probably one of the most convenient cloth diapers out there is bumGenius’ newest one-size(OS), fast dry, all-in-one(AIO), the Freetime.  There is no stuffing involved and it dries super fast for an AIO.  It’s OS feature snaps in the front, as all bumGenius do, so it’s slightly bulky but it’s a great diaper and bumGenius has some great colors and prints.  I happen to have a new Freetime diaper and I want to share it with you!  So please reply here on this blog post with your cloth diaper experiences/preferences/tidbits, or lack thereof to enter yourself for a free bumGenius Freetime cloth diaper!  The winner will be announced on June 1st!

Click the picture of Vaylee below to see her in action.

6/1/12  And the random winner of the bumGenius Freetime cloth diaper is… Jessica Bretches!  Thank you to everyone who contributed by sharing with us your experiences and all the great cloth diapers that real moms are using!

Comments

I Heart Cloth Diapers- Giveaway!(closed) — 25 Comments

  1. I have been using cloth diapers since 2004, with only a four month break! What could I tell you… everything you said! We finally settled on pocket diapers and my entire stash for my 3.5 year old and 2 yo are pocket diapers. I still have fuzzi bunz from 2005, when my son grew into the size my youngest two are currently in. They are a workhorse of a diaper!

  2. thanks. i have cloth diapered my two sons and have moatly used cloths and covers. they worked great! but the bum and fuzzi bunz are so nice!

  3. I’m a CD newbie! I’m into pocket diapers for now, but I really want to try everything out. I haven’t used any AIOs yet, so this is exciting! 🙂

  4. I have been dying to try this diaper! We are on baby #1 (and hoping for a total of 4!) and have been CD for 20 months now. We started with BG but recently branched out to FB, and even tried a few AIO that I liked – Thirsties & Tot Bots. Have been wanting to try the Freestyle too!

  5. I’m really new to CD- I am pregnant with my first so I haven’t even gotten to try anything yet, but I’m excited to see how different options work out for us. I’ve been making pocket diapers to start with but also have a pocket diaper from My Cloth Baby and a couple of Happy Heinyz smalls for when the little one gets here. So impatient!!

  6. We love our cloth diapers too!! We have also tried many different kinds and use mostly bumgenius one-size these days. We have loved fuzzibunz perfect size and Rumparooz one-size too. We have found over the years that snaps hold up so much better than Velcro or applix. I knew within 1 month of having our first child that disposables were not for me. I saw how fast we filled whole trash bags with diapers bound for the landfill. I didn’t want to leave that kind of footprint. We will welcome our 4th cloth diapered baby 4 months from now, and I already got a couple of lil joeys for the new babe. I’m not sure there is anything cuter than a teeny cloth-diapered baby. 🙂

  7. I’ve been cloth diapering my almost 13 month old since she was big enough to fit into her OS pocket diapers. It’s been absolutely wonderful. We are on a very tight budget and cloth diapering, along with breastfeeding, has allowed us to live a lot more comfortably.

    I think my favorite style is the pocket. It’s easy, line drys fast, has almost no learning curve and can be customized for daytime, naps and nighttime. My pocket brand of choice is BumGeinus. I also have a few Blueberry, Fuzzibunz, and Oh Katy.

    One diaper style I haven’t tried is an AIO, so this would be wonderful to have.

  8. I used to be one of those women who was grossed out by the idea of cloth diapers. Then I found out more about them and while I wasn’t grossed out anymore, I did think they sounded like too much work. I kept thinking, though, just how cute they were. Still, I couldn’t see myself doing all that laundry.

    Long story short, thanks to a free set of diapers, I was sold! I love BumGenius and am VERY interested to try the Freetime! I’m not sure that I’ve saved any money in the long run, lol, but I’ve saved it when I’ve needed it most!

  9. I have cloth diapered the last two of four babies.i love cloth! It truly made me sad to sell my fluff after my last baby . Well…. I shouldn’t have done that because now I am expecting again and all my beloved fluff is gone 🙁

    My advice to new cloth moms , try different kinds of diapers .buy them used or super cheap until you find out what works for you and your family

  10. I am interested in CD. I recently had my 3rd baby and hate spending the $ to diaper 2 kids at the same time! Some of my friends on linethe CD and suggested it! I would love to try yours!!!

    • Congratulations Jessica you are the random winner of the bumGenius Freetime cloth diaper giveaway! Please check your email so we can get you your new sunscreen!

  11. I started using cloth with my second daughter. It went great at first, then we had rash issues. It is a learning process for sure. Now we use cloth with our third and I absolutely love it this time. Surprisingly I prefer my prefolds! We have quite a mixture of diapers here. Most of them are second hand purchases. I mostly use my Bum genius and prefolds.

  12. I have been cloth diapering since my 3 month old daughter was a month old. I tried to start the day we brought her home from the hospital, but way very overwhelmed and had my husband run out and get disposables. I told him I was going to put our entire stash on ebay, but a month later I was upset at myself for giving up so quick on something that I really had my heart set on my whole pregnancy and decided to try again. Now I love it! My favorite is probably our Flip one size covers with OsoCozy Better Fit Prefolds. We have a decent sized stash of one size pocket diapers that I think I will love more once my daughter chunks up a little bit and they don’t seem so bulky

  13. I do not have much experience because we havent had our baby yet but we plan to cloth diaper from birth. My sister cloth diapers and I know it works out great for her.

  14. I love cloth diapers! It’s actually the only laundry I don’t mind doing.:) We use AIO’s (bumgenius organics) and fitteds (Orange Diaper Co.) with wool covers(Sustainablebabyish). Thanks for the chance at a great giveaway!

  15. I just found out I’m pregnant with #7. #6 used cloth and so will 7. so happy

  16. I have been cloth diapering from the begning with my now eight month old. I still have not perfected the wash routine but have loved trying. I will keep trying and trying as I LOVE CLOTH!!! And he looks so cute in it.

  17. I love cloth diapers, its my biggest addiction! Freetimes are one of my favorites, but mainly im a fitteds with covers kind of gal! 🙂

  18. I have been cloth diapering my lil gal (now 2) since she was 12 weeks old. I was leary of trying but it was actually my husband that first wanted to try. I am currently 41 weeks (yes 41!) with my 2nd child and I want to get into cloth diapering even more. Currently I end up using a lot of sposies for outings…so I have purchased more and still plan on getting even more diapers so that I can commit to using cloth all the time. We currently use BG and Fuzzi Bunz one size diapers…but I need to add to my stash soon!

  19. We have a few elites but I’m not a fan of them. I do love the OS FBs. I actually purchased half of my FB stash from happybottomus 🙂 I’m still trying to kick the ammonia smell. I think I’m going to start spraying night dipes down in the morning…might help! Thanks for the chance to try a BG!

  20. I have been using cloth since my DD was 10 months old, wanted to start from day 1 but she was toooo tiny and did not fit in the diapers we had at the time. I use prefolds with applecheeks mainly but love my AIOs.

  21. I am a loyal BG mama! They are easy for home and daycare. My daughter loves them. I hear you on the ammonia, we are fighting that fight!

  22. I have been curious to try a Freetime! We really like the Elementals, but use mostly prefolds and covers…would love to add another AIO to our stash!

  23. Hi Brookie-Lee! I am still waiting for my diaper??? Should I have received it yet? Thanks! Jess