"tigger" wrote in message
om...
Thanks for all the advice! Please keep them coming!

We want to at least give cloth diapers a try as it seems like there
are a lot of benefits to using them. DH equates it to breastfeeding -
it's a lot better for the baby, but a lot of people don't want to do
it because of the "inconvenience" (real or perceived).

We were looking at the chinese prefolds with velcro wraps. Are the
"fancier" cloth diapers really any better than these? Are
pins/Snappies better to use with wraps or is it kind of redundant?

-Lesley

Hi Lesley,

One more happy cloth diaper user here. We use a combination of cloth and
disposibles...I keep the disposibles in the diaper bag for when we are out,
and always have some on hand at home in case I don't get to the wash ontime.
We have WAY fewer leaks with the cloth than with the disposibles. My little
guy is a heavy wetter/pooper, so I am sometimes absolutely amazed at what
those velcro wraps keep in! It sounds like you are breastfeeding...if so,
washing the diapers yourself is no big deal at all. You just need to run
them through a soak or rinse cycle before washing.

As for which diapers to pick...there are so many diapers, aren't there?!? We
primarily use Chinese prefolds with velcro covers (We have a mix of Proraps,
Bummis, and Litewraps with a couple homemade fleece and wool soakers thrown
in). I think they work great. I've also tried Kissaluvs (which are great for
a newborn, but don't last long) and a few AIOs, and just picked up a couple
Fuzzibunz for night...IMHO, once you get the hang of the prefolds with
velcro covers, they are the most convenient and work the best. Also, once
you start getting into the fancy ones, they aren't nearly as cost effective.
One thing I WISH I would have had on hand when DS was born was a package of
Birdseye flat diapers. DS was a skinny little 6 pounds at birth, and the
infant prefolds were way too bulky until he was almost a month old. We ended
up using disposies the first week, then one of my aunts brought over some
flat diapers that she had cut down to fit him, and they worked great until
he was big enough for the prefolds.

I do have a few Snappis on hand, but usually don't end up using them. Just
laying the diaper in the cover works great.

Also, I wanted to second someone's earlier recommendation for diaperpin.com,
and put in a plug for my favorite diaper store (hope that is ok!),
naturalbabies.com. The woman who owns it is so great, and her diapers and
prices are really good.

HTH!
-Michelle
Mom to Owen 3/17/04