The Great Cloth Diaper Change

On April 21^st 2012, I participated in the Great Cloth Diaper Change along with 8,251 other people in 189 locations on 4 continents.  This event attempted to beat out last year’s Guinness World Record for the most simultaneous cloth diaper changes.  The record was set at 5,026 which we exceed by 3,225 more cloth diapered babies!  This event was held in 256 locations and 9,464 babies participated but not everyone qualified.  Makes me wonder how many will be at the next one, maybe 14,000 babies?

There were 45 people who participated in the event location I attended.  It was held at the NOVA Natural Child Birth Center in Chantilly, about 15 minutes from where I live without traffic.  I was very excited to be at this place which I had no clue existed.  I did some exploring around and fell in love with one of their birthing rooms.  It looked like it was out of an Ethan Allen catalog.   I could not believe they let women birth their babies in that gorgeous room.  It also has a big beautiful tub.  I plan to attend one of their Tuesday night open houses to talk with their midwives about having my next baby in that tub! 

When we checked in, I was given a brown paper swag bag filled with business cards, flyers, samples, a Milkin Cookie, a microfiber insert, and a cloth wipe.  I was not expecting such a thing, so score!  But some people got reusable green The Great Cloth Diaper Change bags and I was a bit green with envy.  I am way more likely to sport that bag then wear the green rubber The Great Cloth Diaper Change bracelet that came in my bag.  Next year I will have to sign up sooner, maybe that will increase my odds for scoring a sweet tote bag.

We arrived at The Change at 11:15 and Orion was asleep in the car which did not last long.   Doors opened at 11:15 and closed at 11:45.  This led me to believe that the change would take place at noon but it actually occurred at 12:30.  Orion and I took our seat around 11:45 in a small room with maybe 20 others moms with a second room next door which held another group of moms.  This left me sitting and waiting and thinking that any time now we would have to change some diapers.  I know Orion was getting a little impatient.  All he wants to do is crawl but it was too crowded and we didn’t know anyone.  If you have food, he will totally go for it and if you have a Sophie, he will try to take possession.  So we sat and waited and I attempted to distract him with a sippy cup and organic puffs. 

Thankfully, they had arranged for a Baby Signs instructor to come and teach us a few things.  She was great and really skilled at talking over the din of 20 odd babies.  I am glad I had picked that room to be in because the group in the adjoining room was not so lucky.  I actually knew the Baby signs instructor from a mom and baby group.  I think Orion was as happy as I was to see someone he knew.  When we all sang a few songs together, a hush fell over all the babies.  It was really incredible, every baby became quite, calm, and relaxed during the singing.  

I had hoped to make a few friends but didn’t have much luck.  I am not always the most outgoing person when it comes to new people in new places.  Add the attention needed to wrangle a baby and I have an even harder time.  I did meet a woman who had graduated from the same high school as I did but 20 years earlier.  He daughter lives in the same town which I now live and we are trying to hook up a play date.  What a small world! If my husband hadn’t been wearing his GoggleWorks, Reading, PA shirt I am sure we never would have met as that was the catalyst which sparked their conversation.

The event had a few vendors set up selling cloth diapers and their accessories but also jewelry, knitted items, Shaklee, and natural and organic body products and cleaners.  It was nice to see some local and female owned business.  The event also had free snacks and drinks which was pretty awesome.  Orion and I shared some zesty ranch veggie sticks which we both enjoyed.  I fed him the sticks while wearing him in our Becco carrier and we got crumbs all over us!     

I think if Orion was able to talk at the even he would have said that it was boring and made him fussy.  He liked the singing and the snacks but it was kinda like baby torture.  Orion does not like to get his diaper changed under normal conditions.  Being in a room with a bunch of other babies all in dirty diapers may have been a bit much for any of them to handle.  I think there needed to be a bit more entertainment for the babies and maybe a few ballons or something for them to look at instead of white walls and ceiling tiles.  It also would have been nice to have a bring your own toy designated baby play area. 

This was my first time participating and I did learn a few things about dealing with such an event.   So what did I learn?  Most moms who use cloth diapers are also into baby wearing, like me.  There are a few local mom owned businesses that I would like I check out in the future.  When you check in, ask when the change will occur.  If you are going to do this event, hang out on your feet until the last possible minute.  Bring some toys and snacks to occupy yourself and your baby.  If you don’t have someone leading you in song, be that person to get everyone singing.  Your babies and your sanity will thank you!

I am glad to have taken part in this event and hope that it does increase awareness of the cloth diaper option.  The event was attempting to set a world record but also in increase awareness about cloth diapering.  People need to know that cloth diapering is a wonderful option that is financially and environmentally friendly and nothing like the cloth diapers previous generations used. They also collected cloth diapers to be donated to needy families in my area which is really awesome. 

I think I would participate again especially now that I have learned a thing or two about how to navigate such an event.  I hope the next event takes place in one big room instead of being split up.  Since we were split into small rooms, my husband (and many others) were left hanging out in a hallway as they were not allowed in the room due to lack of space.  The husbands also had to take turns standing at the door to snap photos.  I hope there is some entertainment for the group next year.  I will also be sure to know what time the change will occur before I take my seat.     

Which Cloth Diapers work for us

I purchased many different kinds of cloth diapers in order to see which ones worked well for my family. I recently went through my receipts and calculated that I have spent about $550 this past year on cloth diapers. Some of the things I bought I wish I hadn’t and some things I wish I had bought more of. There are so many different kinds of cloth diapers on the market, it can be really overwhelming to decide which to use.

Luckily, I live near Abby’s Lane and was able to take their Cloth 101 class. The owner, Stephanie, is supper nice and really helpful. I brought Orion to the class and she commented a few times on his cuteness and how she wanted to eat him up. Then he had 2 very loud poops during class which shocked me and made me gasp a little. Stephanie said it was a good segue to our next topic of poop. Stephanie has always answered my emails with lighting speed despite her 5 children, one of which isn’t even a year old yet.



If you are going to do cloth diapers you really need to have a working washing machine in your house. We have a front loading energy efficient washing machine and it does a great job. When we started cloth diapers we had a really old, ordinary washing machine which also did a decent job. Some people prefer the older models because you can add more water to the load which is something you can't do with the newer, water saving models. I have never been left with nasty inside either of my machines after washing diapers.

I started out using Rockin Green Classic Rock unscented washing detergent but have since switched to Tide powder. When I run out of Rockin Green, I either have to order it online or drive for an hour. It is also more expensive but it is more environmentally friendly than Tide Original powder. I really did not like the smell of the Tide at first but now I don’t even notice it. When washing, I recommend doing a pre-wash but an extra rinse really is a must. I wash my diapers daily and this has become a step in our baby's bedtime ritual.



I also recommend a diaper sprayer. It hooks up to your toilet and uses clean water from the tank (not the bowl which is for pooping). It is great at spraying away those sticky poops and we have not had any staining. I like to spray my diapers into a big paint bucket which we keep inside the tub. I will spray the diapers in the bucket (the higher sides help containing splashes from dirty diaper water) then I empty the bucket and rinse it out and then soak the diaper in the bucket with the lid on. You do want to be careful as a bucket with just a few inches of water is a drowning risk.

Here are some of the different cloth diaper options and my experience with them
Flat/pre-fold diapers with covers. We tried this option early on and I found I could never get the fit right. The diaper cover will help to catch leaks but you do need to change them more often. We used some of the Gerber cloth diapers you find at Babies R Us, some of these we used as burp cloths and some as diapers. I sprayed a bit of blue dye on the ones which would be used for burp cloths so I could tell them apart from butt diapers. These are not nearly as absorbent as the more expensive Indian prefolds. Both work and this is the cheapest option. One thing you really need if you are going this route is a Snappi. Forget the diaper pin, this little guy is genius!



When it comes to covers we tried Gen-Y, Thirsties, and Blueberry. I love that the Blueberry and Thirsties diaper covers have an extra leg gusset to catch leaks. Both worked really well but I prefer the Blueberry because it is roomier. I found the Gen-Y cover would get damp around the edges but they are super cute and we all know I am a sucker for cute. We also use the Flip system which is a cover and you can buy reusable or disposable inserts. This is more like an All-in-Two system as the cover wont really fit well over most fitted diapers. It can be used with pre-folds or flats and I really like the Flip system.

Pocket Diapers are really quite easy to use and we have had lots of luck with this type of diaper. We have tried Charlie Banana (small size), Happy Heinys (one size), DryBees (large size), RumpARooz (one size), and Fuzzi Bunz (one size). The RumpARooz have a short rise so my boy outgrew this diaper pretty quickly, around 6 months. I do think this diaper would last longer for a girl. Now that Orion is close to a year old and 22 lbs, the Fuzzi Bunz also seems to be too small. Personally, I found the Fuzzi Bunz annoying to adjust but sometimes I lack finger dexterity and patience. I love the Happy Heinys and have found they fit my boy well and have the least leakage. I like the DryBees and this is my go to morning or nighttime diaper when Orion has his highest output because this diaper always seems to stay dry. I was really happy with the Charlie Banana pocket but my favorite retailer does not sell them. When using a pocket diaper, I like to have a microfiber insert paired with a hemp insert on the bottom. The microfiber is quick catch and the hemp is super absorbent.

I have also tried a few All-in-Ones/All-in-Twos, Softbums, GroVia, and Thirsties. I like the Softbums but they are not the most absorbent so I tend to use this one in the afternoon. I did buy a bamboo pod to boost absorbency which is very effective. The GroVia is super trim and will fit well under clothes but it does leave red marks around Orion’s legs, the fit isn’t the best, and it is not the most absorbent. It isn’t my favorite diaper but I keep one in my diaper bag in case of emergency. I have also used their shell with flats and prefolds but have not bought the snap in inserts. I found that this shell did not fit over my fitted diapers which is why I do not consider it to be a diaper cover. But I couldn't resist the airplane print and just saw their bicycle and robot prints which are really cute. The Thirsties are our newest addition and we are still trying to get the fit down and its absorbency capacity. I think this is a diaper that might be better for girls because how the insert is sewn in. It also has to air dry which takes about 2 days inside. I like this style of diaper because it is less work but I don’t think they work as well as other diaper styles.



It took me a long time to understand what a fitted was and now I understand it to be a diaper that is 100% absorbent and requires a cover. Why they are called fitteds I do not know as I had thought fitted referred to size. I have used Kissaluvs and I really like this diaper and use it for nighttime diapering as well as daytime. I think a lot of people prefer fitteds for nighttime use.

Wool covers have worked really well for us at nighttime. Until that one time when I didn't wash the cover right and I had no luck with that cover for months and months. I have been using disposables at night but hope to get back to cloth diapers with wool covers soon. I am just waiting for the weather to warm up so I don't have to worry about having Orion in footie pajamas. I have only used the Disana cover but am curious to try to make a cover out of an old wool sweater.

If I were to go back and buy only one diaper system, it would be Flip. I love their inserts! You can fold down the insert to adjust their size and they have an amazing stay dry top. These are trim and absorbent but not as absorbent as my microfiber/hemp insert combination. I like to use these in the afternoon when Orion’s output isn’t as great. I know Orion’s pees way more in the morning until noon and now in the afternoon he goes a few hours without peeing at all. But really, I do not want just one system, I like having a variety to chose from depending on my babies needs at the moment.



Not all diapers are created equally. Whenever anything is really cheap, you have to ask why is it so cheap? Cheap material, unethical production practices, slave labor, child labor? The garment industry is pretty notorious for using sweat shops. Some companies are guilty of green washing and cashing in on environmentally friendly trends. Some companies have transparency in their practices and others do not. I know when I shop at Abby’s Lane that they can vouch for the items they sell. They sell items that are made with fair labor practices to the best of their knowledge. They also have a Made in the USA section

What works for us may not work for you because babies are like snowflakes, each one is different. It may take some time to figure out what works for your family. I know I overwhelmed my husband with too many diaper systems and not knowing how to work each one. I personally do prefer Happy Heinys when it comes to a pocket diaper and really love the Flip system. I also like Velcro/Aplix to snaps because they are quicker and easier. I do wonder if Orion will be able to undue the Velcro eventually.

I only started using cloth diapers 8 months ago and am still learning each and every day. I hope to offer some more in depth diaper reviews in the future. I often think my diaper stash is complete but then I see something that I really want to try out. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! And no, no one paid me or gave me anything to write this post. I did it for the love of the cloth. I will be taking a break from this subject but with Earth Day coming up and the Great Diaper Change, I wanted to take some time to focus on cloth diapers.

Cloth Diaper Glossary

There are so many different terms when it comes to cloth diapering that it can be overwhelming, like learning a new language. Here I will explain some of these terms and the accessories that go with cloth diapering.

Pocket Diaper- This is a style of diaper that has a waterproof outside shell, then a pocket into which you stuff inserts, then a stay dry layer which will be against baby’s skin. Example- Happy Heinys

Inserts- are added to pocket diapers for absorbency but they can be added to any diaper system. Inserts are most often made from microfiber, hemp, or bamboo. Microfiber should not be placed against baby’s skin especially when new as it can adhere to wet flesh.

Prefolds- These are the diapers your grandmamma used. They are a flat chunk of cotton that has 2 seams down the side to make them easier to fold around baby’s legs. They require a closure and a cover.

Flats- These are like prefolds but without the seams. Both can be added into other diapering systems to increase absorption which is a great way to cut down on cost.

Cover- This is a waterproof cover for use with prefolds, flats, and fitteds. They do not have to be changed with each diaper change or washed as frequently. If they do get a bit wet, you can air dry them and reuse them the same day. Wash when smelly or poopy. Example- Gen-Y

Snappi- This is a wonderful closure for flats and prefolds. It is like the little metal things used to close an Ace bandage. Snappi has 3 sides, left, right, and down. The down bit is great because it helps to get a better fit. Forget the diaper pins if you want to go with prefolds, the Snappi is quicker and easier and will never poke the baby.

Fitteds- This is a diaper that only needs a cover. It is usually made of natural material and is completely absorbent. Example- Mother-ease

Aplix- This is a strong Velcro closure and sometimes is referred to as hook and loop. This can make for a really great fit on baby. Be sure to close you Aplix/Velcro prior to washing or it will catch on everything and cause damage.

Snaps- This is a closure made from snaps and can work really well but may not give you the kind of fit you can get from Aplix. The issue can be when baby is in-between snap sizes but I personally have never had this issue.

All-in-Ones- This is a diaper that is very much like a disposable, it is ready to go. The insert is sewn into the diaper so there is nothing to stuff. They are trim but have less absorbency so they need to be changed more often. Example- Thirsties

All-in-Twos- This is a diaper system similar to using prefolds and covers. The outer shell does not need to be changed with each diaper change; you just add a new insert. Many in this style have special inserts that snap in place. Sometimes this diaper system is called hybrid. Example- GroVia

Wool covers- These covers are made form 100% wool, are very breathable and cool and are anti-fungal as well as anti-bacterial. They only need to be washed when poopy, stinky, or every two weeks. What turns people off from these diaper covers are the hand washing/lanolizing and the idea that their baby will be hot or that these covers are scratchy. The care for these covers really is easy once you know how to do it. They do need to be air dried so have a backup waiting in the wings. These are great for night time and can even replace pants in a pinch. Example- Disana

Wet Bag- This is a waterproof bag into which you put your dirty diapers then empty its contents into your laundry machine and wash and dry with the rest of your diapers. Most diaper pails will not work with these types of bags as the pail often requires its own special bag. But don’t fret, you can get a large sized pail liner and line a 13 gallon trash pail.

Wet/Dry Bag- You can get one bag that has both a wet bag and a dry pocket. These are great to use when you are out and about, clean diapers in the dry side and dirty diapers in the wet side. These are also great to fill up with ready to use cloth diapers and hand off to your child care provider.

Diaper sprayer- This wonderful device hooks up to your toilet and uses clean water from your tank. It is high powered and works great for spraying out poopy messes. I have also used this to spray a mess down my toilet.

Liner- You can use a liner with any diaper system; just lay on top of diaper and place baby on top. They can be made from hemp, silk, fleece, or a flushable skin safe material. These are great to aid in the cleanup of a poopy diaper especially if they are flushable. They are a must when using any diaper cream as the cream can affect the absorbency of the diaper. You can also easily make your own fleece liners with no sewing needed.

Cloth wipes- These are basically baby wash cloths and can be made from cotton, flannel, or terry. You can also easily make your own. You can use dry, with a spray bottle of water to aid in clean up, or make your own special solution. If you are using any diaper cream you should put your liner and wipes in a separate bag until they are washed but everything can be washed together.

Visit the Cloth 101 section on Abby's Lane to learn more and be sure to check out the section about how to care for your wool diapers. And no, no one paid me to write this post or gave me free stuff, I am not that fancy. I just really love Abby's lane!

Why I decided to use Cloth Diapers

While pregnant, we decided that we would use cloth diapers. Our decision was mostly based on cost; cloth diapers are way cheaper than disposables. You pay up front with the cloth diapers instead of as you go with disposables. Dropping $300 at once can hurt, but it is way less than you would spend on disposables in the long run. Let’s say you have 10 diaper changes a day for 2 years, which is 7,300 diapers. If you spend $45 on a box of 210 diapers, that is about $1,575 spent on diapers in the first 2 years. If you have 5,000 diaper changes, 6.8 diaper changes a day for two years that cost is $1,041.43. If you use 2 disposable diapers a day for 2 years, which is 1,460 diapers for a cost of $312.86.



We received one cloth diaper as a shower gift and about 300 disposables. My Aunt made us this kick ass diaper cake and we were gonna use it up. Those first few weeks you are constantly changing diapers. You change a poopy diaper and a minute later you are changing a poopy diaper cause baby wasn’t done yet. The diaper cake was made from pampers which have turned out to be our favorite of the disposables. We tried all sorts of hippie diapers, chlorine free, made from corn, unbleached. I didn’t even know why I should use chlorine free diapers (dioxions?). But we tried them all and they all leaked.

What no one tells you about diapers is that at some point all diapers will leak. It doesn’t matter who put the diaper on, it will fail. We have been lucky that we have only had 2 poopy leaky diapers. My husband got one which got on everything he was wearing including his socks, shoes, and underwear. My mother-in-law got the other one. Newborn infants lack the leg chunk that helps diapers not leak. The good news is that baby pee is pretty harmless. Yes, I did run to Whole Foods one day knowingly aware that there was baby pee down the front of me.

Many people think you have to do one or the other but we use both in our house. When Orion was 6 weeks old, we went to Abby’s Lane to invest in a cloth diaper stash and diaper sprayer. The very next day my father died and Orion and I spent the next few weeks out of town. We continued to use disposables because sometimes you just need to make things as easy as possible. Once we were back at home and had the diaper sprayer hooked up, we were ready to start our cloth diaper adventure. We still used disposables at night and we often still do. We have used cloth diapers at night with a wool cover with some success but it can be hard to get his pajamas to fit over the big diaper butt.



One issue with cloth diapers is getting clothing to fit over them. If you go up a size and your baby is learning to walk, they can end up tripping over their pants or footie pajamas or they may walk right out of them. I look forward to summer when I can have Orion running around in just a diaper, t-shirt, and baby legs to protect his knees from carpet burn. Then at night he can wear a shirt and sleep sack with a cloth diaper and wool cover. I have found that the Little Peanut happy pant by Peek is great for cloth diaper butt. I want these pants in every color and every size! (But of course I can't find them and got the one pair on clearance at Nordstrom Rack)



Then there is the waste factor of disposables. Can you imagine a pile of 7,300 dirty diapers!? There has been some debate regarding whether it is better for the environment to use cloth over disposables. Water is a renewable resource, for now at least but landfill space is not. We have one of those newfangled front loading energy efficient washing machines. I was worried that this machine would not be able to get my diapers clean because of what I had been reading on cloth diaper blogs. We cannot add extra water to our machine but we don’t need to, our diapers always come out fresh and clean. We have had no issues with staining or detergent build up. Most studies on cloth vs. disposables have not taken these new energy/water efficient washing machines into account.

Bottom line is that disposable diapers take up a lot of space in landfills. It really doesn’t matter what kind of disposable diaper you are throwing into the trash because nothing is going to biodegrade inside a landfill. I took a little seminar on composting and it is very important to turn, mix, and aerate compost in order for it to break down. That is defiantly not happening at the landfill and if your diapers are inside a plastic diaper pail bag it will never happen.

What we are doing seems to be working for us. Orion has had the smallest touch of diaper rash once way up on his coin slot. It did take me awhile to go out and about in public with cloth diapers but now that I have gotten used to it I find it as easy as disposable. Yes, I do laundry everyday but it is now apart of our bedtime routine. Next, I will go into detail about what cloth diapers we like. And if you want to read more about the diaper debate check:

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2008/03/should_my_baby_wear_huggies.html

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/04/63182?currentPage=all

http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/first_steps_the_diaper_debate/