Cloth Diapers: What?

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just part of our cloth diaper stash

Types of Cloth Diapers:

fitted diapers: Fitted diapers are like a disposable diaper, but are made out of cloth. Fitteds require a waterproof cover. They close with snaps or velcro.

flats: Flats are one layer of fabric that is folded into a diaper and then secured to your baby with diaper pins or a Snappi.

prefolds: Prefolds are a rectangle of fabric with several layer sewn into the middle of the rectangle to create absorbency. These are also secured to your baby with pins or a Snappi.

covers: With fitted diapers, prefolds, and flats, you’ll need a cover. Diaper covers are waterproof (PUL: polyurethane laminate) and usually secure around your baby with velcro or snaps.  Wool and fleece are highly absorbent and make great diaper covers and soakers.

liners/inserts: Liners, or inserts, are usually made from several layers of microfiber or bamboo material and are used with pocket diapers, and sometimes covers.

pocket diapers: Pocket diapers have the PUL layer and a fleece layer that creates a pocket. The pocket gets stuffed with liners or folded flats/prefolds. We use one liner for awake times, and two liners for sleep times.

hyrbrid diapers: Hybrid diapers are a cool option. They consist of a cover and liners. Some give the option of disposable liners, which are perfect for traveling.

all in one diapers: AIOs are usually considered more user friendly because they function most like a disposable diaper. The absorbent liner and waterproof outer layer are all one piece.

cloth wipes: Cloth wipes are usually made out of flannel or terry cloth. A inexpensive option would be to purchase baby wash cloths. I chose to cut old tshirts from high school and college into squares; no sewing required.

wet bag/pail liner: A wet bag or pail liner is mad out of PUL and is used to store the dirty diapers in between washes. There are also smaller versions available for use in the diaper bag.

What’s in our stash:

Our cloth diaper stash consists of hand-me-down prefolds, pocket diapers (FuzziBunz), AIOs (BumGenius) and hybrids (gDiapers and Flip).
[I haven't ventured into covers, simply because our stash is rather large for the one child currently in diapers. Should there eventually be another diaper wearer in the house, you can bet I'll be buying up some covers with cute prints to cover a fluffy booty.]

AIOs, [insert sewn into the diaper

What to buy:

If you’re looking for inexpensive, flats and covers are the way to go.
If you’re looking for the convenience of disposables, all in one diapers are super convenient, but they’re also more expensive and take longer to dry. Hybrids are a good alternative.

pocket diaper stuffed with one insert

What I like:

Prefolds or inserts used with a pocket diaper are my personal preference, simply because they’re a good middle ground between convenience and expense.