Let's Talk About Cloth Diapers!!

Some of you may think that it's outdated to use a piece of cloth for a diaper and pins for its fasteners. Well, you're only sort of wrong. Cloth diapers have come a long way since your grandma used them, and a lot of them are pretty similar to the sposie diapers your mama probably used.











My mama uses cloth diapers, and not the ones like my grandma used. In fact, she has lots of options, including the old school types called flats. Flats are the super duperest cheapest option. They're basically just a square of cloth, usually 27"x27" cotton. You take that square and fold it up, and usually fasten it with a snappi fastener or pins.












If you want something more than a square of cloth, but still pretty super duper cheap, you can go with prefolds. Prefolds are a square of fabric (usually hemp, bamboo, or cotton), but they have layers of absorbency, rather than just one flat sheet. And there are different sizes for prefolds for itty bitty babies, to babies my size, to big toddlers. They also have to be folded, and usually fastened with pins or a snappi to work.











Both of those diapers need covers 'cause they aren't waterproof, and will get wetness onto your clothes. A cover is just something that goes over the diaper to hold the moisture in. The diaper can be fastened or folded under the cover. Sometimes they're made with a waterproof material called PUL, sometimes fleece, and sometimes wool. We'll talk more about wool on another day.











Another diaper that needs a cover is called a fitted. Even though it needs a cover, it's more like a sposie diaper than flats or prefolds. However, like a flat or prefold, it is usually made from hemp, bamboo, or cotton. Like a sposie, it doesn't need fancy folding, and usually has fasteners (snaps or velcro) built in. These are more expensive than flats or prefolds.
















A diaper like a fitted, but that doesn't need a cover is an all-in-one (AIO) diaper. These diapers have the waterproofness and absorbencies built in. They can also have a variety of different fabrics, which can be natural like the other diapers, or synthetic.











A diaper that's a lot like an AIO is a pocket diaper. This diaper is like an AIO, but it doesn't have the absorbency built in. It has a pocket built in, and needs to have an insert put in for absorbency. These diapers usually dry faster than AIOs.
















The last type of diaper we'll talk about is called a hybrid. This diaper is like a pocket diaper, but different. Instead of having a pocket for the insert, the insert is just placed or snapped on top. That way if the diaper cover/shell doesn't get dirty, just the insert can be changed. This makes it less expensive than a pocket diaper because you don't have to change the whole diaper each time. You can make your own hybrid diaper by folding a prefold or flat into thirds and placing them on a cover.











Any of these types of diapers can be bought as a sized diaper (small, medium or large) or a one size diaper. The one size diapers are adjustable so you can change the size to fit different sized babies. All cloth diapers are bulkier/fluffier than a sposie, but the sized diapers are less bulky than one size diapers. However, one size diapers fit longer.











And if you're looking to buy some cloth diapers, here are some good websites to check out:
Mom's Milk Boutique, Squishy Tushy or Franklin Goose.

In fact, for your first purchase from Mom's Milk Boutique, use discount code MMB10 to save $10. They also have free shipping. Squishy Tushy and Franklin Goose both have pretty cheap shipping too!