Not sure how to start this… It’s actually a little late, since we haven’t been using our cloth diapers lately. I meant to start this months ago and keep everyone up to date with how things were going but life gets away from us and nothing seems to go as planned!
We (my husband and I) decided LONG before our son as born that we at least wanted to try cloth diapers. Partially to save money, partially to be more “green”, but mostly because I think those little bums are simply too cute clad in all the different styles that are available now.
I must have talked him into it, but either way, we started with the “G Diapers” starter pack. These hybrid diapers have cloth covers with a waterproof liner that snaps in. You can either use disposable liners or washable liners in this style of diaper. Either way, you can use the same diaper multiple times throughout the day by just swapping out the liner during each change.
The “G Diapers” starter pack comes with 12 newborn sized diapers, 6 small diapers and a ton of disposable liners. We had to buy the washable liners separately, but we knew what an investment this would be.
Now while the idea of this style of diaper (and the countless positive reviews we read through) got us excited enough to make a large purchase, they did not work well for my son. We had leak after leak in the newborn size diapers which continued when we moved into the “small” size. I could barely use a diaper more the one time without having to wash it. I ended up turning to other moms for advice since I wanted to badly to LOVE my “G Diapers”!
I was asked if I was putting them on him properly, which I double and triple checked. Other moms told me to go up to the next size. Another option was to double the liner if my son was just a “heavy wetter”. I tried all of these options with no luck. Disappointed and confused, my hubby and I decided to use the disposable diapers we had on hand until another option came about.
A little over a week ago, we grew weary of the disposable diapers and started to research other types of cloth diapering options. Pocket diapers seemed to be the best option for other parents like us so we decided to take the plunge and make an investment.
The one thing we couldn’t stand about the “G Diapers” was that you had to purchase multiple sizes as the child grew so we knew our new purchase HAD to be a “One Size” style. The new “Charlie Banana” OS style had good reviews so yesterday, we jumped!
A six pack was the best deal. It came with 6 “One Size” pocket diapers, 6 small liners and 6 large liners. Initially the plan was to purchase them on Amazon, but I tripped over them at Target so BAM!
I of course chose the “Tango Mango” pack because as well as being gender neutral, the colors are also vibrant and fun. I can’t stand pastels and I won’t put my child in them unless its a last option, haha. The liners are currently on their second of four rounds in the wash and I will give updates on how things go!
Update 6.13.13
We are LOVING our Charlie Banana One Size Diapers!
It took a while for the hubby to get used to the snaps. He was a little confused by the hip snaps at first but we work at it. I think, but maybe don’t take my word for it, that he is getting better, lol.
I have been using my homemade laundry detergent for washing, and because I only had one set I’ve been drying the in the dryer (don’t get mad at me cloth diapering fanatics) to have enough for every day.
My husband and I read a review where a mom was very unhappy with the elastic leg pulls. She complained that every time she washed the diapers, the pulls would come undone and she had to re-set the size. We haven’t had any issues like this.
The only time we’ve had leaks is if the kiddo falls asleep and we don’t feel like waking him up just for a change.
Advice that’s can give at this point would be:
If you are diapering a boy, make sure the liners are pulled more towards the front of the diaper. If you fail to do this, there will not be enough absorbency where you need it.
Use liners to catch the poo. I’ve been using the ones I have left over from the G-Diapers we were using previously and they work fine. If I were to purchase more, I would buy a roll from amazon since they are much less expensive. They make poo clean up much easier, and leave less mess on the diapers which means less staining.
Then There Were Five 