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One of the most common challenges that cloth diapering presents is finding an overnight diaper that doesn't leak on your little one. Even though I'm on my 3rd baby, I still sometimes struggle to find a cloth diaper that will hold Emmett all night long! His ever changing sleep pattern makes that an even bigger challenge as one night he will sleep 12 hours straight (ok, this actually only happened twice) and the next night he'll wake up and nurse 4-5 times per night. No wonder I love coffee...
Anyhow, I digress...
My first son, Ian, did very well with pocket diapers overnight. When we first started cloth diapering, the only diapers we owned were BumGenius One-Size Pocket Diapers. Back then the 3.0 version was all that was available, but you can now purchase the 4.0 version. He only needed the one-size microfiber insert and 2 of the newborn inserts stuffed into the pocket to hold him for 12 hours! As my love for cloth diapers grew, we later tried out several other brands, including Happy Heiny's, Swaddlebees, and Fuzzi Bunz. All of these with an extra microfiber insert or two worked great overnight for Ian!
Then along came my little Sean. Sean was a heavy wetter from very early on and we had to try several different diapers before finding one that worked for him overnight. Sean was an awesome sleeper, sleeping for 10-12 hours per night from about 6 weeks on. That means he needed something heavy duty! We ended up having 2 options that we could use interchangeably. The first option was a Best Bottom One-Size Cover. I preferred the hook & loop version for overnight, it's super adjustable. We snapped an overnight insert in the cover first, and topped it off with a stay-dry insert. Another option that worked very well for him was almost any brand of one-size pocket diaper with a one-size microfiber insert and a large hemp insert. I found the Happy Heiny's Hemp Stuffins to be really great for little boys. You can stuff a couple extra hemp ovals in the pocket of the insert and put that end in front, just where boys need it!
When Emmett came along, I thought I had it all figured out! A pocket diaper with some inserts was bound to work, wasn't it? Not so much! When I say Emmett can pee, I mean Emmett can pee. Somewhere in that tiny body of his is an adult sized bladder. No amount of inserts stuffed in a pocket diaper can hold Emmett overnight. I did find a combination with my trusty Best Bottom Diapers that works, though! Best Bottom Diapers now offers a hemp/organic cotton overnight insert when once they only had a microfiber insert available. I pair this with a stay-dry insert and this will hold. Phew! But I wanted more options. I love using my BB's during the day and sometimes don't have enough shells to use them overnight as well. Then I discovered fitted diaper love! A fitted diaper is unique in that unlike a pocket diaper where just an insert absorbs, the entire fitted diaper is absorbent. Another great thing about fitted diapers is that the vast majority of them are made out of hemp or bamboo, both ultra absorbent materials! I have 2 go-to fitteds that when covered with a wool diaper cover are bullet-proof. The Imagine One-Size Bamboo Fitted and Kiwi Pie Bamboo fitted both are absorbent enough that I don't even need to add an additional doubler! Why wool you ask? Wool is great for overnight and especially for heavy wetters because it's breathable, anti-microbial (you only need to wash it about every 2 weeks!), and it can also absorb when your diaper is soaked.
So don't get discouraged if you have to do some experimenting before finding an overnight option for your child. Even us CD "pros" have to do some trial and error! If you've found an overnight solution for your child, feel free to share in the blog comments!
One-Size Diapers are incredibly popular and with good reason! They allow you to change the sizing on the diaper to grow with your child, making cloth diapers even more economical! However, one of the most frequently asked questions we get at Nicki's Diapers is something like, "My 7 month old is so chunky and is already on the largest setting of his one-size diapers! There is no way these are going to fit through potty training! What do I do?!" I can almost hear the panic in their voice as I read it, because I've been there!
Let me tell you, it's going to be OK! The vast majority of children DO potty train out of their one-size diapers, even if they were a super chunky baby! Let me tell you my story :) Ian, my oldest son, came into the world more than 4 years ago at a whopping 9 pounds 11 ounces (born at 39 weeks, yikes!). We didn't start cloth diapering him till he was about 12 weeks old and we exclusively used BumGenius 3.0 One-Size Pocket Diapers. Right off the bat, Ian was on the second largest setting and within a couple months, they diapers were fully unsnapped. I was FREAKED! Did I just drop hundreds of dollars on these diapers only to use them for a few months?!
Then, he started to crawl and slimmed down a bit. Then, he started to walk and slimmed down even more. He was never an incredibly rolly polly baby, just really solid. Their body shape changes as they grow and even those who have maxed out the rise of the diaper will likely still be using them well into toddlerhood! I've also found that the more mobile baby becomes, the easier it is for them to have a lower rise diaper. As the close in on potty training, it more resembles underwear then, too! So, the good news is that when he potty trained just before his 3rd birthday at about 32 pounds, he was still fitting beautifully in his one-size diapers and we had actually snapped man of them down a snap to get a more trim fit under his toddler sized jeans. Just a couple months ago, our family was hit with a stomach virus and at 4 years old and 40 pounds, I put Ian back into one-size diapers for a couple days without any fit issues!
 
Pictured above, (left) Ian at 7 months old with the diaper fully unsnapped and (right, below) Ian at 2 1/2 years old, still wearing one-size diapers! So if you're like me and many of the concerned parents who's little one seems to be growing at a rapid rate, take a deep breath! You're not the only one to be having the "First Year Freak-Out!"!
Hands down the most popular modern cloth diapers on the market right now are one-size diapers. There are many benefits to using one-size diapers!
- They are incredibly economical since they grow with your baby
- They are a great option for families who have more than 1 child in cloth diapers since children can "share" diapers
- They allow you to change settings on the diaper to accommodate change in baby's body shape as well as extra bulk for overnight diapers
There can also be a few cons to one-size diapers, especially when it comes to using them on a newborn.
- Most one-size diapers don't start fitting till 8-10 pounds (depending on baby's shape) so you will have to use a "newborn" diaper in the mean time, or some families choose to use disposable diapers till their little one fits into their one-size diapers.
- Since the diapers have to last through toddler hood, there will be some extra bulk on a smaller baby.
The good news is, I believe the pros certainly outweigh the cons! Since cloth diapers have such an awesome resale value (try your local craigslist or a cloth diaper resale website like undermycrib.com), you can start with a newborn stash for the first couple months and easily get a good amount back from re-selling!
When you are first trying one-size diapers on your little one, keep a few things in mind.
- They're going to look HUGE! But remember your baby is going to grow SO fast and they don't move around much as a newborn anyhow.
- Check the common spots for leaks do to poor fit. Lift their legs up and make sure you don't see any gaps. Make sure wings are tucked in and there is no gapping around the front.
- Try a few different brands. Something that fits your baby at 3 weeks might fit completely different at 3 months. I generally do not suggest people build their entire stash out of the same brand if they haven't tried other brands yet.
- Use a sized insert! Many one-size diapers come with 2 inserts, one of them usually termed a "newborn" or "small" insert. Take advantage of these as they will reduce bulk. Another great option is a system like the Best Bottom Diaper with the sized inserts that keep the diaper fitting nice and trim!
I've chosen some of the most popular brands of one-size diapers to show you on Emmett.
The BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with 2 newborn inserts. It adjusts with a snap up rise and the stretchy tabs allow for a really custom fit around the waist. These started fitting Emmett (who has very skinny chicken legs) right around 10 pounds. These are also available in a hook & loop closure.
The Fuzzi Bunz One-Size Pocket Diaper is stuffed with the "small" insert. It adjusts with elastic in the back and legs to get a great fit! I did find these to have a little more bulk to them when the legs are cinched very tight but they fit closer to 9 pounds.
This Best Bottom One-Size Diaper has a small hemp/organic cotton insert snapped in it. These adjust with a snap up rise and close with either snaps or hook & loop around the waist. The extra leg gussets hold even the messiest of messes. These started fitting Emmett at about 9 pounds.
This Blueberry Coverall has a small Imagine Smart Fit Prefold under it. These generously sized covers fit suprisingly well on a small baby. The extra leg gussets also contain messes well! And just a sidenote, this particular cover was originally purchased for my now 4 year old when he was 1 1/2! This is the third child to wear it! :)
Congratulations! Please email casey@nickisdiapers.com within one week to claim your prize!
I had the opportunity to review a new bumGenius Freetime All-in-One and I even get to share one with you! My first impressions were good -- the Albert print I chose is ADORABLE. My husband and I are a little on the geeky side, and even he commented on how cute it is.
I was impressed by how trim the diaper is, even for an all-in-one. The way the inserts are attached and layered makes them spread out for coverage and gets tons of agitation and air flow in the washer and dryer. Some of my other all-in-ones take forever to dry, but this was done with my regular inserts! I definitely feel like there's enough absorbency with the multiple layers of microfiber too, even with my heavy wetter.
The fit was great on my two year old -- the bumGenius stretchy side tabs and trim diaper combined to give a great snug fit. On a smaller baby, the layers can be folded to put them right where they're needed. (I apologize for the lack of pictures, my kids have been sick and the shots I got of him in the diaper were pretty sad-looking!) Overall I really like this new design -- and you have the opportunity to win one, too! (Choice of color and closure depending on availability.)
You can do each one of the entries however you must post back here to our blog and tell us WHAT you did. Be sure you follow the Nicki’s Diapers blog - publicly for your chance to win! We will post our winner on Friday, December 30th! How do you enter to win? (Each worth 1 entry per day unless otherwise stated)
Optional Entries:L ENTRIES - Blog about our giveaway and link back to our site. When you post back here you must link to the URL where you blogged. (2 entries)
- Follow Nicki’s Diapers @nickisdiapers on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. Leave the URL where you Tweeted.
- Tweet @nickisdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
- Tweet @planetwise #clothdiapers or #wetbags (1 entry for each unique tweet)
- Tweet @bestbottomdiapers #clothdiapers (1 entry for each unique tweet)
- Like Best Bottom Diapers, Planet Wise and My Swim Baby on Facebook - Be sure to state your facebook name when you post back here. (1 entry for each)
- Suggest the following facebook pages to your friends: Nicki’s Diapers , Best Bottom Diapers , Planet Wise. You must post back here telling us which friend accepted your page suggestion. (1 entry per page for each person you suggest that LIKES us)
- Grab our button and place them on your blog. Post a link to the blog here. (2 entries per blog - per button)
- Start or comment on a discussion on the Nicki's Diapers facebook page discussion board.
- Blog about your choice to cloth diaper and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com (2 entries)
- Tag @nickisdiapers or @bestbottomdiapers, or @planetwise in a facebook post (1 entry for each tag)
- Have a friend subscribe to our blog. Post their username in your comment. You can do this as many times as you can get friends to subscribe!
- Talk about Nicki's Diapers on any forum and include a link to www.nickisdiapers.com.
- Sign up for the Nicki's Diapers newsletter (enter your email address on the top right of our homepage).
- Start a thread about this giveaway on any baby or cloth diapering related forum and include a link to your thread. (2 entries)
- Place an order at nickisdiapers.com, myswimbaby.com or clothdiaperclearance.com between 12/21/11 and 12/29/11. Include your order number in your entry.
- Tell us your favorite bumGenius color or print!
GOOD LUCK!!
6th Diaper must be Sweet, Bubble or Artist Series Diaper.
Have you seen the news from BumGenius?! It's BIG!!
Three new colors, Sassy, Mirror and Dazzle, along with two new "Genius Series" prints, Albert and Lovelace have been released and will be available soon in your favorite BumGenius Products! You can place your pre-order for BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper "Genius Series" or new colors here! New colors and prints will be available in Flip products in early 2012.
They have also introduced the new Freetime All-In-One Diaper! It's a one-size All-In-One Diaper that is so easy to use, you'll have more freetime! These no-stuff diapers have semi-attached stay-dry inserts for a quick dry time. They will be available in snap or hook & loop closures. Place your pre-order for the BumGenius Freetime All-In-One Diaper, set to arrive December 2011, here!
Is your little one getting ready for potty training? The Flip Training Pant will be arriving soon, too! This pull-up or snap-off training pant has replaceable organic cotton inserts that allow your child to learn by feeling wet. Stretchy side panels make it easy for your little one to pull up and down on their own and snap off side make even the messiest messes a breeze to clean! The Flip Training Pant fits most toddlers 18 months-4 years old (20-50 pounds) and will be available in solid colors and the new "Genius Series" Prints! Place your pre-order for the Flip Training Pant, set to arrive December 2011, here!
Do you want to see the new products in action? Check out this YouTube Video!
**This offer is valid on solid and print diapers. No other discounts can be applied, sorry!**
Many parents are intimidated at the thought of using cloth diapers overnight. However, Cloth at night is not that different from cloth during the day. The key is to make sure there is enough absorbency to last the night.
Cloth diapering at night can be quite the adventure as you search for the perfect diaper and cover combination that will leave your baby happy and dry after a full night, the bed staying dry it just an added bonus! At first I had rough time with night time diapering of my twins. They are both very heavy wetters and would soak through to the bed in a prefold with a cover. Quickly I discovered that doubling the prefold and adding a fleece liner and a Flip cover worked awesome at night. From there I found that Bum Genius with both inserts or a bamboo fitted diaper with a wool cover would also do the trick!
Diapers made specifically for night time tend to be more absorbent & more than likely they will be a bit bulkier than your average daytime diaper.
Pocket diapers such as BumGenius can be great for nights because the absorbency is easily customized for your baby's needs. You can use additional micro inserts to help boost absorbency even more. The fleece interior lining of Pocket Diapers are great at helping wick moisture away from your baby's skin. My babies skin is always soft and dry in the morning, not clammy at all.
Using a Prefold diaper will not usually be enough to last an entire night if your baby is a heavy wetter or frequently nurses through the night. However, if you layer in a micro insert and a fleece liner or two this will add absorbency. For a fitted adding an additional micro liner or a fleece doubler will do the trick as well! The fleece-topped doubler wicks moisture away from my babies skin and leaves them feeling more dry.
Double diapering? Well it is what it sounds like:) You simply place one prefold diaper inside another to help absorb moisture..I've got some funny looks when I have talked about using two prefolds with a snappi and a cover. It might be a little bulky but it has worked great for 3 years and 3 children.
If you want to stick to Prefolds or Fitteds at night, then the next step would be the cover. The most popular covers in our house are wool soakers. When it is cold weather I tend to stick with my Knit Wool longies. Regardless of the cloth diaper style you selected, consider fleece or wool when picking a diaper cover. A wool soaker can absorb more than one third of their weight in moisture and are water resistant while remaining breathable. They fit fantastic over most cloth diapers, helping keep baby dry in whatever cloth diapering system you choose. Fleece is really great as well, however you may find a wool soaker is better for your baby, with its natural wetness protection. Plus you can get a scented wool wash and/or lanolin, so when the wool gets wet, my twins smell like Cotton candy! Other than wool, I have found that Bummis Super Brite Covers, and Flip Covers work fantastic! However, when I use a Bummis or a Flip I always double the prefolds or add an extra liner in a fitted diaper.
I would like to add that not every system will work for every baby. It can depend on how heavy your baby wets through the night, and if you want to change them during the night.
As your baby gets older, your night time diapering routine might end up changing. Night time diapering is an ongoing process, but with a clear understanding of your options, there is no need to be afraid!
Cheers to dry nights!
Britni
Mama to 3, Cloth Diapering twins
When I first started cloth diapering my daughter over a year ago, I thought that I might be the only person willing to change her diapers. The words "cloth diapers" have a scare factor for many people. At first, even my husband was skeptical about my decision to use cloth. However, I have found that my husband, the grandparents, and even babysitters are quite willing to change cloth diapers, as long as I make it easy for them.
When I first started leaving my daughter in the church nursery in cloth, I told the nursery workers that they could just page me if she needed changed. I didn't know if they would be willing to mess with an unfamiliar way of diapering, and I knew that they had several children to watch. The ladies quickly told me that if I would tell them what to do, they would be willing to do it. They just didn't want to get it "wrong." From that point on, I realized that if changing my baby isn't really any more trouble than any other diaper change, people will give cloth a try.
So what is my routine for sitters? First of all, I make sure that anyone watching my daughter knows how to change her. I usually demonstrate a diaper change in front of anyone who hasn't seen her cloth diapers. I also keep it simple. Even though I love to use snap diapers, I know that most people are more comfortable with velcro; it is just so much more familiar, and it's easier to get the fit right on the first try. So I only leave hook and loop closure pocket diapers, like Bum Genius or Thirsties Duo Diapers, for babysitters. (And I do stuff my pockets ahead of time!) Also, I don't expect anyone to pull out the inserts or dump the poop out of the diaper. I just ask them to place it in a medium-size wet bag, and I deal with that part later. That way, a babysitter only has to take off one diaper and put on a clean one - just like any diaper change. What could be easier?
By Guest Blogger: Angel N.
When my twins were newborns prefolds and covers were all we used! We love prefolds, they are easy to use and dry extremely fast, so you don't need to have a ton. However, when it comes to prefolds, in my experience they get wet a lot faster, thus you end up using a bunch through the day. When the babies were a few months old we decided to branch out to other cloth diaper styles. After much research, we made the decision to add Bum Genius to our prefold stash.
I purchased 18 Bum Genius 3.0 - 9 boy colors & 9 girl colors! When a friend of mine (we'll call her Jane) found out that I was cloth diapering my infant twins, Jane decided that she would give cloth diapering a try with her 13 months old. We each placed our orders at the same time. Jane's diapers ended up arriving about 10 days before mine did.
When mine arrived, I read the manufactures guidelines and washing instructions. Then I did about 8 prep washes to ensure they would absorb as much as they possible could.
 But...Jane washed them once. She told me she didn't think it was really that important to prep them and all she really wanted to do was "get the factory smell" out of the diapers.
Life is busy, having kids is hectic, and living in 2 different states, Jane and I ended up not talking for a few months.
During those few months, when one of the twins would poo, I would spray it out and if there was staining I would use a scrub brush and try to get the stain out, then wash it with in 2 hours. When the diapers were wet I put them in a wet bag until, the wet bag contained a full load (12-24 dipes). My diapers were ONLY washed with other diapers. ONLY dried with other diapers. I only used laundry soap made for cloth diapers...if for some reason we were out I would use a tiny amount of a natural free and clear. I NEVER used bleach or any other harsh chemicals. I NEVER EVER would use a dryer sheet. If my diapers were not absorbing like before , I would simply do 3 hot loads with NO laundry soap, they would always be back absorbing like before, they had just a little build up...happens to the best of us!
When I finally got a chance to talk to Jane, all she did was complain about the diapers, how horrible they were, how they leaked everywhere, and how they smelled so bad. I just listened to her rant. After she was done, I asked her how she had been caring for the diapers. "How I've been caring for the diapers?" she asked me, like I was crazy. I explained what I meant. As she shared with me, I was HORRIFIED! Jane told me this: When her baby would poo, she would shake to diaper over the toilet to remove the poo...Ok, that's good! Then, She would toss the dirty diaper in a laundry basket with all the dirty clothes, bath towels, and anything else that needed to be washed. Every diaper that had been wet would be tossed into the laundry basket as well, again with everything else that was dirty. In addition to this, when Jane would do her laundry load, EVERYTHING would go in together. No separation of diapers and other items. I started to get a little concerned about the condition these diaper were in. Jane also regularly used these Bleach, heavy duty laundry soap, liquid fabric softener, and fabric drier sheets. I understood now why the diapers were leaking so badly. I gave her a few suggestions, like: doing a soak and maybe a few strip loads with no soap. I also encouraged her to stop using the bleach and fabric softener. Most importantly, I told her to wash her diapers with only diapers. She told be she would give those suggestions a try. We chatted about our kids, then hung up.
A few weeks later, the phone rang...it was Jane! She told me that my suggestions had totally transformed her diapers. They had been holding up over night, they weren't leaking & most importantly they didn't stink! Then out of the blue she said: "I need your address" -"ok, why" I asked. Jane responded "I decided that cloth diapers aren't for me and I just want them gone". I was actually really surprised by this. When I shared that I was confused, she told me "we'll they were transformed for about a week, then I decided to go back to washing the way I was, it is just so much easier that way" My first thought...UGH. I gave a few suggestions, she responded back. I knew there was no point, her mind was made up. I gave her my address and that was that.
I received a box of 5 Bum Genius 3.0's soon after. Call me naive, but I was shocked at the condition of these diapers. When I compared my BG 3.0 to Jane's BG 3.0's, I was surprised. My diapers looked like they were maybe 6ish months old, Jane's looked like they were about 5 years old. (both mine and Jane's dipes were 10 month old in the photos) On my diaper the velcro was still stiff and held the diaper wonderfully together. The velcro on Jane's was almost unrecognizable as velcro, horribly curled & pilled, and not 'sticky' at all. In addition to this the inserts were rough and almost blue from all the bleach. Note: In all photos my diaper is the Dark Green, Jane's is the Light Green.
My husband looked at these sad diapers and told me: " Well if anyone can bring these back to life, its you". On a positive note the PUL was actually in pretty good condition. So I set out on a journey of repair. After 8 washed the water was still coming out soapy, it took 12-14 for the water to be 100% soap free...whoa. The smell of harsh cleaner was still too strong. I did a over night soak, and that really seemed to help with the chemical smell. I tested the diapers out on the twins, they don't leak, honestly I am stunned. However the velcro is pretty shot, and doesn't hold at all. With a little more TLC I know these Diapers will be back in great working condition, in addition I have plans to convert them to snaps.
I share with you this story, not to bad mouth Jane, but to share the importance of proper diaper care. It takes a little extra work, but done correctly, diapers can stay in beautiful condition for years. I also understand that cloth diapering can be difficult, and may not be for everyone, but if it is something you are considering, do your homework, know the Do's and Don'ts of Cloth Diapering. Cloth Diapering can be a wonderful and even fun experience when the proper care is taken!
Loving my dipes,
Britni
Mama of 3, cloth diapering Twins
Many diaper companies offer the option of snaps or aplix (velcro, hook and tab) on their diapers. What's the difference?
Mostly, it comes down to personal preference. There are some pros and cons that I can highlight for you, however, that might help you make an informed buying decision.
APLIX
Pros: I have always felt that you can get a more customized fit with velcro. No "between-snaps" size. I have heard others say that the fabric doesn't wear as badly around velcro tabs as around snaps, but I haven't experienced this firsthand. It can also be easier for caregivers to use -- no remembering which set of snaps to use.
Cons: Velcro can curl over time, lose its sticky power, and some children (like my youngest) can learn to undo it more easily than snaps.
SNAPS
Pros: More durable. Snaps never lose their hold. More difficult for little hands to undo.
Cons: More likely to be "between sizes". Takes longer to do than velcro. Can be more confusing for caregivers. Sometimes causes wear on fabric.
All said and done, I use both. Velcro BG 3.0s on my big boy, and I've switched to snap Best Bottoms for my little one as he learned how to undo the other covers. They each have their merits, which do you prefer??
When I was pregnant, I started looking in to cloth diapers. I was amazed at how cool (and cute) they were. I started thinking of all the money we could save by using cloth. I thought about how my baby would never have to wear a plasticy, papery disposable diaper. Then I thought about how to convince my husband that we needed to do this.
After the talk about money savings, better for baby, better for the environment, he couldn’t get past the ick factor. He was afraid that our washing machine was going to become a poopy mess. I explained how breast fed baby poop is water soluble, and that you just swish or spray off other poops. I did everything I could to assure him that our washing machine would do just fine. After all of that, I still couldn’t get him on board.
Fast forward to August 2010.
Our adorable little boy is 3 months old. We’ve been using sposies since the day he was born, and every poop equals a change of clothes. No matter what brand we tried, he leaked out of all of them.
Then, one day, while buying a $40 box of diapers, I made a decision. We were going to try cloth, and I was going to convince my husband that this was the way to go. I was tired of ruined clothes, and money down the drain. Amazingly, my husband agreed!
Two weeks later, I bought my first cloth diapers! I bought 5 bumGenius 3.0’s. It was enough to get us cloth diapering at least half the day, and I was washing every night. After about a week, we knew that we didn’t like the pocket diapers. They didn’t fit him well, and we were having leaking issues.
We were going to buy Flip diapers, because we could get them locally, but we had a few concerns about them. We didn’t like the one-size insert, or the fact that there is nothing to hold them in place. We talked about buying Flips and making our own sized inserts, and possibly adding something to hold them in place. Then I did a Google search.
“Diapers like Flips”
And I discovered Best Bottom diapers. They had sized inserts, snaps to hold the inserts in, and they had double leg gussets to help hold in the poo. Yes please! They addressed all the concerns we had with the Flips, plus some. So, I sold my bG’s and ordered some Best Bottom’s.
We immediately loved them. The materials are so nice (nicer than the bG’s I think), they are super trim, and they don’t leak! Better still, my husband loves them!
We are now a full time Best Bottom family. I’ve even branched out and purchased some Imagine prefolds and Kissaluv’s contours. All from Nicki’s! As for my husband, he is officially a cloth diaper lover! He even offered to install a diaper sprayer for me, and I didn’t even have to ask!
By Guest Blogger: Nikki Moore
When I had my first son two years ago, cloth diapering was not even an option. I knew nothing about it and didn’t even consider it. I had one friend who clothed and I was briefly exposed to a prefold and snappy and that was it. So for us it was disposables, the mass amount of money we literally were throwing away.
So 6 months after our son was born we were given the shock of our lives…baby number two was on the way. Yes, more diapers, more clothes, more food, and less sleep. As we crunched the numbers over and over again, me working was not an option with the cost of childcare. With that being decided, I knew we had to cut costs so I started researching cloth diapers thinking this would be a great way to save money. Boy was I amazed at what I found. Not only were there prefolds but pockets, AIO, AI2, hybrids, covers, WAHMS, fitted, wool, and organic. I was so overwhelmed and didn’t know where to begin. Luckily that wonderful friend that first exposed me to this bizarre concept was able to shed a little light on all of this and refer me to a local class at a cloth diapering store.
So I got my husband on board (well as much as I could) and convinced him to take me to the seminar, which was an hour away. It was very informative but still overwhelming. With baby number two fast approaching I bought a Bum Genius One Size pocket to try along with some fitted with covers. We tried the BG on our 1 year old and thought this was it. It was easy, worked well and looked adorable. Well now that we were about to go down to one income, the upfront cost of buying new diapers was not in our budget. Insert Nicki’s Diapers gently used section here.
Oh Nicki’s Diapers… It has been my best friend and worst enemy. You can get such great deals but it becomes SO stressful because you want to be the first one to get the deal and don’t want to miss anything. I was able to snag some great newborn Bum Genius diapers that worked really well.
We later moved onto Fuzzi Bunz sized diapers (another great find at Nicki’s Diapers gently used section) and I even convinced my mom to get me some brand new diapers as a gift.
How did I learn what what worked and what didn’t? Trial and error. If my son soaked through something is one wetting then I knew it would not work for us. Also I looked at convenience of it. Pockets are great for going out (also they are so cute) and the husband prefers to put those on.
I still consider myself a newbie when it comes to clothing. We clothed until about 6 months and then we started using disposables again for some reason. We recently started clothing again and are loving it. We do it full time and I couldn’t be happier. In our stash are mostly prefolds, covers, and pockets of all brands. I still feel there is so much out there to learn. I have not gotten the perfect wash routine down, haven’t found the perfect night or nap diaper, and haven’t tried all the wonderful brands and types out there.
My advice to newbie’s… if you can attend a workshop. They are informative and very helpful. Try as many types as you can, even if its one of each so you can figure out what works best for you. Nicki’s offer packages where you can get a variety to try and can send back what you don’t like. It's their 15 day promo. Don’t give up. Clothing takes a lot of work in the beginning. It’s hard to figure things out but everyone in the clothing business is very helpful. Don’t be afraid to stray from the “name brand” diapers. Yes they are wonderful but there are also a lot of wonderful diapers out there at great prices.
So take a deep breath, research and try to talk to someone, and enjoy that fact that you are saving money, saving the earth, and covering your little ones bottom is the most adorable diapers out there.
By Guest Blogger - Christina McMahon
 When I was a first time mom, at the young age of eighteen, I would slap a thin, plasticy Pampers diaper on my daughter's bum and call it a day. The thought of diapers took up less than 1% of my thinking. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever get obsessed with something my child pooped in.
Then my first BumGenius arrived in the mail. From that moment on the need to acquire an uncanny amount of fluff consumed my spare time. Being a beginner, BumGenius was an obvious first choice. After a few friends had me interested in them, I had merely googled "cloth diapers" and BumGenius was displayed all over my screen. My daughter was fifteen months old at the time and I was very pregnant, so I bought gender neutral colors, not knowing there was a variety of brands and prints out there in the cloth diaper world.
Convincing my husband was one of my first challenges. BumGenius diapers are completely daddy proof, so I'm glad we started with that particular brand. I would convince him we only needed "two more" to have enough diapers for the baby we were expecting. Before I knew it I was rushing to the mail box before he came home for lunch, my addiction was growing. And maturing as well.
I started to investigate many websites that sold cloth diapers. I only looked at "one size" diapers as well, thinking it would be dumb to have to buy more cloth diapers once my son surpassed a size. And fitteds? What was the point of those?!
I was also a sucker for one particular website because they had "rewards" points. But they also had expensive shipping, which was starting to add up. Then I discovered Nicki's Diapers when ordering my first Planet Wise wetbag. It then became one of my "go to" sites. They had everything from babylegs (another obsession that would continue to grow) and wet bags, to a variety of prints and colors of diapers that no other site offered. Best of all, almost everything I had purchased included free shipping. Not only was it free...but fast. An addict can NOT receive fluffy mail fast enough. Every time an e-mail notification pops up on my phone, I hope it's a tracking number. Or one of those exciting "Your Order Has Shipped" ones.
Cloth diaper give-a-ways were another way to get fluff my husband wouldn't be mad about. It would have no effect whatsoever on our bank account, therefore he could care less. I even used my daughters cuteness to win a Smartipants three pack when she was their "Baby of the Month". It felt like winning the lottery. Lucy was just entertained with the package it came in.
Pretty soon, I was getting curious about those "fitteds" that everyone was trading on my cloth diaper swaps. And those cheaper "pre folds" that looked extremely difficult to use. BumGenius quickly became my boring diaper. I love BumGenius to death but I was wanting more. I really wanted to know what I LOVED.
Before I knew it, I had sold my complete stashes three times to start over. I am currently divulging in a FuzziBunz fetish, I need to have two of every color. There is no telling how long it will last. I swear it's my final stash...until another brand peaks my attention. Sometimes I feel as though I'm the only one this obsessed with cloth diapers. But I know there are other moms out there right now...browsing, acquiring, trading and hoarding Pay Pal money to help feed their addictions. And all the time I'm wondering...do our babies feel used? Because we are using their cute tooshes to purchase mounds of fluff?
By Guest Blogger Mandie Medeiros
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