I have had a lot of people ask me how the cloth diapering is going and how to get started - so I thought I would post here so I can refer back later :) This was something I typed up for a former bride who is due in September. Does anyone think there is a baby boom going on right now? I think there is and I blame the economy! lol Luke was the 2nd to last baby born at the hospital on 3/31, and it was a record number of births for the hospital that month. The nurses didn't have an exact number for me, but they said a normal month was 40-45 babies, and they were inching up on 70 once we got there! Plus I have noticed a ton of my brides, and former schoolmates that are pregnant right now, older on average I would think. But I digress...

Cloth is going great! It is really so much easier than I thought it was going to be!

First of all, if you haven't already, I highly recommend joining your birth month group, and the cloth diapering group at http://www.babycenter.com/ That site is PACKED with information, and really helped me answer just about any question I could possibly come up with.

I also recommend starting a baby registry on Amazon. Even if you don't tell anyone about it, you can research and read reviews about the products and put them on your registry, so you can buy things there as you want to, compare prices, and don't have search for stuff and remember everything when it comes time to buy stuff. I am still buying stuff that I put on mine as it becomes necessary, because you don't need everything right away.

I am using cloth during the day while Josh is at work, and disposables at night, so he will change them. lol I'll get him into it soon.

There are basically 4 kinds of cloth diapers, All in ones (AIO), Fitted, Pocket, and Prefolds. AIO's are the easiest, and closest to using a sposie, because you just put it on and fasten it. Fitteds are about the same, but need a waterproof cover, so they are a two part system. Pocket diapers have a pocket that you slide one or more absorbant liners into, but are waterproof on the outside, so no cover needed. Prefolds are what our parents used basically, they are what most people think of when you tell them you are using cloth diapers. You can buy those in different sizes, and they need the waterproof covers too. I recommend against the Gerber birdseye ones you see at Target and such. Those are great for burp rags, but they aren't as absorbant as the other kind and they are bulkier too.

I'll link you to what I have liked best so far. I think its a good idea to buy one of each style to start and see what you like best. We used disposables full time until his umbilical cord fell off at about 2 weeks.

AIO: Kushies - I just got these, they were a good deal, but I think they run a little large, and they are a little "stiff." I am holding off judgement until he gets a little bigger. The nice thing about these is, they have a liner that is attached at one end, that you can fold to the middle if you have a girl, or to the front for a boy. And since it isn't attached all the way, they dry faster than most AIO's.

http://www.amazon.com/Kushies-Reusable-Ultra-Diapers-Infants/dp/B0000649E1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1273617524&sr=1-1

Pocket: Happy Heiny's

http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Heinys-Pocket-Diaper-Large/dp/B000KAHIFK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1273617072&sr=8-1

FuzziBunz:

http://www.amazon.com/FuzziBunz-Cloth-Diaper-Apple-Green/dp/B002OL1TTO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1273617463&sr=1-1

The fitteds I am using they aren't making anymore I don't think... But I have one of these too and like it a lot:

http://www.amazon.com/Thirsties-Fab-Fitted-Cloth-Diaper/dp/B001W0XYXM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1273617718&sr=1-1

Covers for fitted or prefolds:

http://www.amazon.com/Bummis-Whisper-Diaper-WHITE-15-30lbs/dp/B001B9ZIW4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1273617821&sr=1-3

I bought the prefolds at a store in Portland. I think this is their online shop - http://shop.milagrosboutique.com/

I also use flushable, biodegradable liners so the diapers don't get so poopy. Its nice, you just put one in and throw away the poop. We have sprayers on both of our toilets, which we still may use as his poop changes, but this is SO easy!!

http://www.amazon.com/Kushies-Flushable-Biodgradable-Diaper-Liners/dp/B000V0QTMC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1273618332&sr=1-1

Overall, I think the prefolds were unnessessary. They are the cheapest choice, but if you don't mind doing a load of laundry everyday, its possible to just do the other kind, and just buy a few here and there until the baby gets here. My mom kind of talked me into them - but I think that was because she didn't know how far cloth had come. She reaches for the pockets first now :)
They are GREAT for burp rags though! So I am glad I bought them.

Most recently I have discovered Sunbaby diapers on Ebay. They are new pocket diapers and are super cheap. I think I got 10 with 10 liners for less than $50. They wash and dry the best, and the covers can be used as covers for the fitted or prefolds too.

The other confusing thing is sizes. There are "one-size" and sized diapers. The fitteds I have are sized, I have 5 each of small, medium and large. I think they smalls will only last another couple weeks because he is a moose... lol The one size diapers have snaps which you use to fit them to your baby.

Snaps vs Velco (aka Aplix) is another debate. The consensus is that the snaps may last longer - through multiple children, but the velcro is easier to use and its easier to fit the kid in them more tightly. I think the velcro is easy, and so long as you remember to close the tabs before you wash them, it doesn't hook up to everything.

Oh gosh, and one more thing, laundry detergent. You can't use most normal laundry soap because it leaves a film which makes the diapers not as absorbant, and they get stinky. I think this is what I got:

http://www.amazon.com/Charlies-Soap-Powder-2-64-Loads/dp/B0018B15FE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1273618685&sr=8-1

This one a lot of people use too:

http://rockingreensoap.com/

Washing is easy, but a little more labor intensive than normal laundry. I do a prewash with cold water and a scoop of detergent (I think its about a tablespoon) then a cycle on hot with a scoop of detergent along with an extra rinse and fast spin cycle (both extra choices on my washer.) I dry them with a dry towel in the dryer to get them dry a little faster. I take out the pocket diapers and covers after one run-through. AIOs and fitteds take an extra cycle.

If you want to see this stuff in real life, there is a cloth diaper store in Corvallis, but its never been open when I have been through town.

http://www.weebunz.com/index.php

I've bought a few things at Bambini in Eugene:

http://www.bambinieugene.com/

Good luck! It makes me feel so much better to at least be making a little bit of an effort to not put so much into the landfill. :)