Diaper Update

Before Sam was born, I wrote about embarking on the cloth diaper adventure.  I guess it's time for an update!  If you are not interested in all the fine details of baby bottoms, feel free to skip this post.  :)

I really loved the diapers I made (with elastic and velcro).  However, since Sam came early, I never got a chance to make velcro covers for them, nor any in bigger sizes once he grew out of the small size.  I used a few hand-me-down covers as a short-term fix.

When Sam outgrew his first set of diapers at about 3 1/2 months old, I broke down and bought some secondhand Chinese prefolds and covers through Diaper Swappers.  I paid a mom in Colorado $25 and she sent me about 15 diapers and four covers.  Three of the covers are Proraps, with leg gussets and velcro closures (new Proraps cost $8 at www.prodiaper.net; they have fully-functional seconds for cheaper, too).  Here is a photo from the Prorap website:  

The other I bought is a snap closure:

I am very happy with this system!  The covers hold the prefolds in place very well, so no pins or other closures are needed for the prefolds.  I have enough diapers to do laundry every 2-4 days; everything just gets tossed straight into the washing machine.  I use 1 Tablespoon of homemade powder laundry detergent (Recipe #4 here, made with Ivory Soap) per load (excess soap can cause diaper rash) and NO dryer sheets (decreases absorbency).  Vinegar in the rinse cycle can improve softness, but I didn't notice enough of a difference to bother.  Drying diapers in the sun both saves energy and bleaches out stains; I did it at the last house, but our new neighborhood's HOA forbids drying laundry in backyards (can you believe it?).  I just haven't spent time on a workaround for that yet.  The covers only need to be washed if Sam has an "explosion"; otherwise they can be reused immediately by inserting a clean prefold.  I've heard other moms have spent $200-$300 on their diaper stash; they have some really cute all-in-one's (insert and cover together) with neat patterns, and that cost is still cheaper than disposables, but the Proraps work just fine and $25 is more my style.

Saving the best for last, Grandma Fullam made Sam some cute wool soakers, which substitute for the Prorap covers.  The wool acts as a moisture barrier (as fleece would) but breathes more than the vinyl-lined Proraps.  They are especially great when it's hot out.  Another plus is I think they are adorable!  

I've seen these in very stylish variations, including "longies" (more often for girls than boys).  Here is a stock photo:

So, this system is working great for now.  We'll see how things change as Sam switches to solid foods (uh-oh, watch out!) and starts crawling and walking.