When I was getting ready to have my 3rd baby, and I was going to take some time off of work, I thought of things I could do to make our dollars stretch as far as they could go. I started researching cloth diapers and what was my first concern? Which diapers were the best for dealing with poop.
I ultimately went with the Flip system and here’s why. I found out that the all in one styles were super convenient they were almost the same as a disposable when dealing with changing a baby. I then looked into pocket style diapers and decided for a breast fed newborn that they were a good way to go. I bought some fuzzibunz on eBay. I wish I would have bought at least one straight from the vendor then I would have realized the ones I got on eBay were not exactly as described. Nonetheless they were very easy to use and I would recommend these types for a newbie as it is hard to not get them on right. I have to say that I have not noticed a difference with my water or electric bill. I wash at night during off peak hours and I have clean diapers in the morning.
After a couple of months I ordered some Flip diapers from Cotton Babies I really like the site mostly because every order is free shipping. Also if you hang around the site enough you might catch a seconds sale and get some diapers at a pretty good discount. The flip system is 2 parts. An insert and a one size cover. I have been using the flips with the stay dry insert. One insert during the day and doubling at night.
I have to say that I can count on my hands the number of times they have leaked. I know with disposables I would always have to pack an extra outfit in case of a blow out. It seemed to be a common occurrence. The flips however are great essentially no blow outs.
Which leads me to poop. The inserts are very smooth on the side that touches the baby and microfiber on the other side pulls the moisture away from your baby. The smooth surface is perfect for shaking poop off the insert and into the toilet.
I wash my diapers everyday at night. I feel like this is the best way to go because there is no time for the stinkies to build up. You may have to experiment with detergents to find the right one for your water source. I have a he washer and very hard water and I like Kushe I also like Green Mountain they seem to work well.
There are tons of colors to choose from!
I have to say that generally kids are gross and you’re going to touch a lot of things you don’t really want to. I don’t think cloth diapers are any more gross than anything else kids dish out. I would recommend having a couple of wet bags to keep your diapers you need to wash in. I really like my Planetwise wet bags with the extra zipper so I can toss it in my diaper bag. That way I can carry a clean diaper and wipes in the separate compartment and keep the messy ones in the waterproof part. I’ve left a stinky diaper in my Planetwise bag in a hot car and it contained the odor really well.
I have to say my favorite thing about cloth diapers is there is NEVER an emergency diaper run! Also saving $50 every couple weeks on cases of diapers that take years to breakdown in a landfill is a plus too!