Cloth diaper reviews

First, I have to say, I would want to buy these just for the names - they crack me up!

BumGenius - Excellent pocket diaper. It uses velcro as the waist fastener and snaps to change the length (it's one size, so it will grow with him - hooray). They cleverly ensured there's extra material above the velcro so that the hard part can't accidentally slip and dig into his delicate tummy. The liner is so efficient, sometimes I have to take out the insert to see if he's wet! So far this is also very stain resistent. Overall, the best value for your dollar (they run around $17) and a smart piece of engineering. It's easy to see why these are so popular with CD moms.

Happy Heiny - A very trim fitting pocket diaper. This one comes in some fun prints and works great - very adjustable. It uses velcro as a waist fastener, with the extra material to protect the baby's tummy. They also have a one size fits all, but I haven't tried it yet - I have a small one and it is wonderful. The lining is very soft and kushy on his little bum. They are a little harder to find, and a bit more expensive ($19), but nice if you want more choices on the colors/prints.

BumWare - These are my favorite All-In-Ones (AIOs) even if they don't come in a one-size fits all. They are very absorbant and trim-fitting - easily as small as disposables. I haven't had occasion to test the stain resistance, so that'll be the big deciding factor. Not terribly expensive at $17 for smalls, but I'll have to get mediums and larges eventually.

Fuzzibunz - The best snap pocket diaper and oh so soft! They're very adjustable. I like these a lot (no velcro to get caught in the washer or to chafe JJ) and they're not a bad price at $18. Unfortunately, they're not a one size fits all, so I'd need to get mediums and larges eventually. Good news though - it's easy to get "seconds" (slightly defective, but totally usable) from the company directly for about $14. And some really cute prints too!

ImseVimse - My least favorite of the AIOs, I've had an issue with the velcro creeping up and rubbing on JJ's tummy. Not good. The gussets around the legs are really cool and I imagine if he was to have a blow out it would easily contain it. I may give these a second chance though, the one I have is not the latest design and they may have improved on it. Kind of pricey though at $21.

Swaddlebees - This is a great looking diaper, but I keep having issues with these leaking. I have tried stripping them and may have to do it again. I've got 2 - one leaks and one doesn't. Very frustrating. The snap fittings look good, but it's hard to get a good fit with them. Overall - attractive and I want to like them, but can't recommend them from a functional standpoint (and let's face it - who wants a diaper that doesn't work? And at $21 a pop, they better darn well work.

Cloth diapers and first bath

I started using cloth diapers during the day this week and it's going really well. I've been trying out all the different kinds we got. The All-In-Ones (AIOs) are super convenient, but they take FOREVER to dry once you wash them. The Pocket diapers are also very convenient and fit quite well (plus they dry faster) They seem to leak about as much as the disposables. The big surprise is the prefolds - you have to change them a bit more frequently, but they leak less than disposables and are surprisingly easy to use and to clean.

Something I didn't really realize about cloth diapers - most baby clothes (onsies, specifically) are made with disposables in mind so they don't take into account the bubble butt the baby has when you use cloth (cloth diaper = baby's got back). As a result, he's wearing a lot of t-shirts during the day.

JJ had his first bath this evening. Boy, did he hate it! I thought babies were supposed to like bath time. You'd think we'd dipped him into molten lava given how much he screamed. Once it was over, he seemed to think that the lotion and towel phase was pretty cool, but boy he sure didn't like the water too much.