Categories


Authors

The Cloth Diaper game

The Cloth Diaper game

Victoria Siegel

Cloth Diapers Made Easy

One of my main goals when buying anything (even before having a baby) is reducing the amount of toxins that make it into my body. Every time you eat, breath, or touch something, some amount of chemicals release onto/into your body and slowly add up from microscopic amounts. (Vitamins absorb better topically than when eaten as supplements!). And of course, the most easily available anything is covered with the most toxins: whether foods, lotions, or just basic air or water. And you can bet those diapers and tampons (that touch our most sensitive body parts) are also chock full of all kinds of added things that we never really asked for, or knew to ask about. You better believe I started to look into some more natural options for diapers when the time came around.

Long story short, I went with:

  • Newborn and travel (since this phase is so short, only a few weeks or so, I picked out the best natural diapers I could find)

    • Disposable diapers for 8 weeks+, assume 12x a day = 672 diapers (plus extras for travel/sanity, etc)

      • My favorite: Coterie: $90 for 6 pack: 4-week supply

        • SO SOFT! and absorbant. and they have the little stripe that says blue/yellow if peed. No other diaper compared to the softness.

      • plus disposable water wipes

  • Cloth Dailies (24 on hand, picking from a variety to find the best fit/fabric for my baby)

Reducing your toxic load

Some of these added things found natural, but over 80k have been introduced in the last 40 years, most of which have not been tested, and allowed to be grandfathered into regulation. Some say we accumulate 5 lbs of toxins every year, including a credit card size amount being especially harmful heavy metal toxins every year in the United States.

And even scarier, we don’t start with a clean slate. Tests on umbilical cord blood measure (on average) over 200 toxic chemicals, meaning, before any of us take our first breath, we already have a toxic burden to get rid of. And every year it gets worse. Every generation, babies are being born into an even more toxic enviro than the one before them. It is a scary slippery slope we are on.

Knowing we have toxins pretty much all over the place, the best we can do is minimize our load. (example: Grabbing that receipt from the checkout clerk is an example of immediate toxic absorption, ESPECially if you are using hand sanitizer, which enhances absorption). You CAN detoxify, but it takes months and strict diet protocol. Easiest thing to do is try to keep a clean slate, as much that is possible. Buy stuff with the least amount of stuff on it. That means, go for the more expensive, natural stuff. Go for organic, natural dyes, the least amount of stuff on the label. Search for the fabrics that DON’T have fire retardants, and pick out candles and shampoos and laundry detergents that say paraben-free and remain unscented. (essential oils are ok for scent, (if natural/organic). Buy food that is organic, and if animal related, only if they are pasture raised or wild caught and only fed organic stuff that they were meant to eat (ie… cows eat grass. salmon are not supposed to eat grain either, but farmed salmon found a way, and they get sicker and produce less of the good stuff for you!). The whole lion king/circle of life thing is very real. It matters what you eat, and it matters what your food eats.


The hardest part is that we have to do all this work to feel… nothing. We are shooting for an ABSENCE of symptoms. Toxic overload shows up in so many kinds of ways in different people, and can either be immediate, or take 40+ years to develop into some issue that no doctor can name, until thousands+ of dollars later, you find your 20th doctor who finds the right perfect lab to check all the right pathways in your body that are clogged. Every human is different, and we all process chemicals at different rates, some more efficient than others. But our goal should always be to minimize these burdens, especially in our babies. If there is anything to spend money on… spend it on their nutrients, and on blocking the hell out of any bad stuff that can get absorbed into their bodies (through their skin or otherwise).


We don’t really think about it, but our bodies take stuff in not just through our mouths. Skin absorption is actually extremely efficient: many vitamins are actually absorbed BETTER through the skin, than internally. The same thing goes for toxins. It may seem silly to care about organic cloths and mattresses and sheets and shirts and diapers and socks… but think about where you sweat. Any direct holes in your body are THE most important to protect (so tampons, diapers, etc), but also any underwear, and clothing that just touched your body, especially where you sweat.

  • (Mental absorption/distraction is a thing too… concentration leads to better or worse efficiencies… but that is a whole other topic).

These are just the products that I have come up with as of today. And i find new great brands all the time being advertised to me! For now, I want the ones with LEAST added stuff on them. Writing this is 7am on a pre-christmas week as i have spent the last few days creating my registry obsessing over patterns, and styles, and sizes, until I realzied a few things to look for that would have helped me out a bunch.

Why go cloth?

  • You could be considering cloth diapers for a few reasons:

    • cheaper in the long run than disposables ($1k-$2k cheaper, depending on kind you buy and how long your baby uses them)

    • less toxins on baby’s body, especially their sensitive, wet parts! (the parts that get the most absorption)

    • better for the environment (but does take more water, which to me, is better than filling up landfills, especially if you only use natural soaps and detergents)

Newborn Phase

  • Ok, I am interested, but there are SO MANY OPTIONS. There are even some really great disposables diapers now that biodegrade AND are non toxic to baby. When it comes to cloth diapers, there are really 2 main phases to consider: newborn, and baby. The newborn phase (on average) lasts about 8 weeks. Many cloth diapers are best for the “second” stage, which includes most one-size-fits-all options from about 12 to 35+ pounds (when potty training kicks in somewhere).

    • Since fit (and sanity) are quite important, it makes most sense to me to go with a disposable (non toxic) diaper for that first 2 months of the newborn phase

      • Disposables come in every size imaginable (based on a small range in weight), so they will always be easier on you in the moment to pick a perfect fit.

    • We are told we need about 24 cloth diapers (to get through 3 days), it was not really cost effective for me to consider enough diapers at newborn stage, then AGAIN at the slightly larger baby phase (or worse, to sacrifice a right fit and messy explosions at my most vulnerable time right after birth!). I think many people may end up giving up here because of fit, or just exhaustion, when a cloth diaper just doesn’t fit quite right yet on baby’s tiny body.

    • Also, many cloth diaper brands say they get better, softer, and more absorbent with time, like 8-10 washes. I can only imagine why so many people say it gets easier with time! You just have to set yourself up for success, and be easy on yourself if you need to change your mind.

    • Another thing to consider is getting other people on board with your plans. Right after birth, you may be needing the most help from your partner/family/friends/doula, etc. It may take YOU some time to figure out your favorite options, let alone teach someone else. It will always be good to have some clean disposables on hand.

      • Disposables

        • Coterie: $90 for 6 pack: 4-week supply for newborn stage ($180 in total for ~2 months) (newborn is considered <10 lbs, then size up level 1)

      • Newborn Organic Cloth diapers (Knowing will have to get larger diapers later)

      • And later:

        • Kangacare Trainer Pants, $15 each, organic and bamboo

        • PREP: Your diapers are a natural fiber inside. Prior to first use; wash and dry diapers and inserts 3-5 times before first use to get them heading towards maximum absorbency. They will be most absorbent after 8-10 washes.

          • From birth to potty training

  • Other things:

    • fave liners

    • Puracy stain remover (my fav!)

    • baby wipes (and cost)


TYPES of cloth diaper

  • Now that we have that newborn stage taken care of, you could make it easy on yourself and stick with the All-in-One sets, and pick each pattern you like. Every brand makes theirs a bit different, but it comes down to liners and the diaper itself, and its nice when one just has all you want.

  • Once you made it into the cloth all-in-one realm, there are still options to make. There are more natural ones, that use organic materials that touch baby’s skin, and some kind of water proof material on the outside. This is where i tried to focus on.

Tips:

  • Just wash it after use. Throw poop in the toilet and rinse, pee can just go straight to wash. Wash cloth diapers by first doing a rinse cycle then wash on heavy duty or whatever the equivalent of that setting is on your washer. do not let sit more than 3 days dirty.

  • Alvababy Recommends bleaching once a month, try bleach, or sun drying, making sure they dry completely between uses.

  • “Stripping your diapers” (?)

    • Turn water heater up to 140F or higher.

    • Wash everything 3 times on HOT, using a detergent of your choice.

    • Then run the wash cycle 2 more times with no detergent in there.

    • Pull the covers out and dry them on high for 10 minutes, then pull to hang dry. (The idea behind drying the covers on hot is to potentially “re-seal” the PUL in the covers.)

    • Wash the inserts two more times, once with detergent, and once without.

    • For those using hard water and are experiencing mineral build-up, our friends at Fluff University have some helpful additional steps to get your diapers back in shape

The Organics

  • The brands I really loved include:

    • All Natural Cloth Diaper sets, all-in-one’s

      • KangaCare Rumparooz (priciest at $35 each, all-in-ones, overnight)

        • 4 sizes in 1 diaper - fits 6-35+ pounds

        • Patented double inner gusset leak prevention technology, great overnighter

        • Prior to first use; wash and dry diapers and inserts 3-5 times before first use to get them heading towards maximum absorbency. They will be most absorbent after 8-10 washes.

          • One review: I will not be using this as my go-to overnight cloth diaper- it leaked out the front both nights my 8 month old boy. The insert kept all the moisture up front rather than dispersing in through the material. I prefer Flip diaper w/ 2 stay dry inserts overnight.

        • colors a bit dark, but still beautiful! (wish they made more with light shades)

          • Outer: Polyester (Breathable waterproof outer layer)

          • Inner: Bamboo Rayon, Organic Cotton & 20% Polyester (mostly Organic Cotton Bamboo Velour (OBV) with Bamboo 6r Soaker liner)

        • They also have Kangacare Organic Regulars: $32 each (but why not just get the thicker above?)

      • Thirstie’s Natural All-in-one, $27 each

        • Made in USA, Goes on in one simple step, cloth diapering doesn't get easier.

        • Prep- Wash and dry diaper at least 3 times before use to remove the natural oils from the cotton and hemp

          • Outer: polyester with waterproof TPU laminate

          • Inner Liners: 2 layers of organic cotton

          • Inner Soakers: 8 layers of half hemp, half organic cotton

      • Smart Bottoms Dream Diaper, $31 each, no prep, all-in-one cloth

        • The snap-in insert can be detached and replaced with our Dream Diaper Overnight Insert for extra absorbency.

          • Outer: 100% PUL

          • Inner: half hemp, half organic Cotton


The Non-Organics

  • Then I also bought a few from other brands that I just liked the colors or patterns that I sacrificed for not organic. Adding some others on rotation helped bring cost down, and while the diapers may not be organic, you can still get organic or other natural liners (bamboo is great too).

    • Alvababy, cheapest sets, SO many cute patterns, 6 pack sets for $45 ($7.5 each) with MF inserts

      • For baby from 18-24 months (6.5-33 lb)

        • Outer layer: polyester with waterproof and breathable

        • Inner layer: suede cloth inside, it does not hold moisture itself

        • Replaceable Insert: (holds the moisture)

          • MF: each set comes with a 3-layere microfiber inserts (i would replace these with something more organic/natural)

        • They also make (purchase separately)

          • 3-layers Bamboo Viscose Inserts

          • 4-layers Bamboo Viscose Inserts

          • 5-Layer Charcoal Bamboo Inserts

    • Nora’s Nursery Sets

      • no leaks, waterproof guarantee, fits babies and toddlers from 10 to 33 pounds

        • Pack of 7 for $60 ($9 each) with inserts and Waterproof storage bag (wet/dry compartments)

          • outside layer: Bamboo to maintain comfort against your babies bottom

            • sued cloth with TPU lining and bamboo/microfiber hybrid inserts

          • inner layers: microfiber to absorb moisture and maintain dryness

        • Hollywood Hotel or All White, 4 pack, $45 (with bamboo inserts)

          • insert: 4-layer bamboo polyester that softens with every wash

      • Review recommended other liners for more absorbency:

        • Naturally Nature, charcoal bamboo (with or without gusset, black or white) $30 for 12 pack

    • Charlie Banana Boy

    • Kangaroos Originals: $25 each, (but I wouldn’t pick these bc not enough colors)

      • Outer: 100% Waterproof TPU polyester

      • Inner: 100% Microchamois stay dry polyester

      • Insert : 100% Polyester Microfiber

Cost

  • In total, cost for 2 years of diapers is about $2000 (+/- years of use, and type you buy)

    • Cheapest cloth diaper sets: 24x @ ~$8 each = $200 (or less if bought used)

    • All in-ones: 24x @$25 each = $600

    • All-in-ones, organic: 24x @$35 each = $840 (still about $1k less than disposables)

      • don’t forget additional disposables for travel and newbie months (could be another $200+ in disposables)

Raising a Veggie Lover!

Raising a Veggie Lover!
The Baby Registry I Wish I had signed up for!

The Baby Registry I Wish I had signed up for!
0