Cloth Diapering, Part 2: Choosing your cloth diaper

Hi Again! 

Today we’re going to be discussing types of cloth diapers- this is a great post for the parents who want to cloth diaper, but don’t really know where to start and which type of diaper they’re looking for. While we haven’t used every single type of diaper, we have tried quite a few brands at this point, and I have some pretty strong feelings about a few of them. Like so many aspects of parenting, this really isn’t a one size fits all choice- what works well for us may not be your cup of tea! 

Lastly, this list goes from least complex → most complex in terms of systems. In this case, least complex means most basic, so prefolds are technically the simplest system but require the most ‘effort’ on a caregiver to learn folding, proper pinning, etc. While more complex systems, once you can master them, at least theoretically, put the least effort on parents. I’ll do my best to describe all the options and will link a few of our favorite resources at the end. As always I love both questions and comments/outside opinions, so please let me know your thoughts below! 

Prefolds. These are exactly what they sound like- a rectangular cloth that must be folded and pinned onto your child, either with clothespins, or more commonly with a t-piece. The cloth will absorb the pee and poo, but these diapers do need a waterproof covering, with wool, fleece or synthetic materials. While the cloth itself gets washed with each use, the cover can typically go through a few changes unless it gets soiled. They are typically the most affordable of the diaper systems. 

We have never used these types of diapers personally. I don’t have a photo of them, but here is a link to what they look like. At the time that we were switching to cloth diapers with our first child, we were also brand new parents and feeling overwhelmed, so we opted for more user-friendly systems. That being said, I know two or three families who used and loved this style of diaper. 

Fitted diapers. These are similar to prefolds, in that it’s essentially just a cloth, but this one has elastic around the waist and legs and snaps so it is fitted around the baby’s body without any folding, pins or t-piece. It also requires a waterproof diaper cover. We used these during the newborn phase- the brand we used is called Luladew and they rarely leaked, we loved them! Another popular brand that has gained a lot of attention on social media is Esembly. I haven’t tried them, mostly because I think there’s a trend tax going on and they’re not the best value for your money, but they certainly look very cute.

Pocket diaper. in this system, there is a waterproof cover/outside, a microfleece/fabric interior that goes up against the skin, and a ‘pocket’ between the two. They have the same snaps and elastic as the diaper covers described above, but can also use velcro to close at the waist.

Inside the pocket, you place 1-2 absorbent inserts to absorb pee. These can be disposable, bamboo, microfleece, or another material. When soiled you take the inserts out before washing them. Because of this, they also tend to dry faster than some other styles of diapers.  We used these most frequently from when E was 3 to 20 months old and found them really easy to use. There are many great brands here; when we lived in Massachusetts, Bumgenius was very popular; personally I found them no better or worse than Alva or Nora’s nursery, except that the alva baby opening to place the inserts into was smaller and it took a little adjustment to get good at stuffing the clean diapers with inserts prior to use.

All in one. In this system, the cover and ‘inserts’ are combined into one. Instead of a hole and space between the waterproof cover and the inside for inserts, in these, the insert is built in, either sewed to the back of the diaper or snapping in place. (caveat: in some cases there is still a space for additional inserts, for kids that tend to pee very large volumes.) 

All in one with a snap-on insert. More can be added by additional snaps

All in one with one end of insert sewn to the edge of the pocket. You can add additional inserts as needed.

In theory they’re easier to use, but I personally didn’t find them much easier or harder to use than the pockets. This may be because our oldest is a ‘heavy wetter,’ meaning she peed a lot and often leaked with this type of diaper unless we adjusted them (i.e. added more absorbent layers. We had a few Grovia brands and really loved them! 

Hybrid/other. this term typically describes when you use a cloth diaper cover with a disposable layer, that looks like a pad beneath it. These are very convenient to use but obviously you lose some of the low-waste element there. They will also cost a bit more money since you need to keep buying the inserts. 

A lot of people will use these when out or on the go for convenience. I have never used them, but we’re considering this option for next time around, when we’ll have two kids and maybe need to simplify our on the go cloth diapering situation.

That’s about the gist of it- it’s worth noting that within each category, there are sometimes dozens of different brands vying for your money. I truly don’t think one brand is that much better than the other- some will have good reputations from other parents/word of mouth (hi, Bum Genius!), Others have excellent marketing strategies (Esembly). Ultimately, what worked great for our family might not be the best fit for yours- babies come in all shapes and sizes, and yes, they even pee differently! I hope this bird’s eye view is a helpful starting guide for anyone looking to try out cloth diapers but not sure where or how to start. 

If you’re looking for more info, check out some of the resources below, which we found incredibly helpful throughout our journey (I still refer to these now with our cloth pull ups!) And definitely let me know your thoughts in the comments :)

 Diaper Lab Cambridge- https://www.diaperlab.com/class-list I still reference this shop and website so much. If you’re local to Cambridge/Somerville/Boston, I highly recommend going in person, joining their Facebook group and taking one of their intro to cloth diaper classes. It was incredibly helpful when we were starting out. 

Cloth Diaper Subreddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/clothdiaps/ the folks in this space are a great wealth of information, especially for us novices who are troubleshooting while learning the ropes! 

Eco-parent groups- We had a local group in Massachusetts that I still pop into when I have questions. For this kind of practical knowledge, they really are the best. We haven’t found a similar group down here yet, and I’m finding I’m really missing the awesome low waste-focused group of folks I leaned on in those early days of parenting. 

What questions do you have about cloth diapers? If there is a lot of interest, I'd be happy to make another blog post. As always, thanks for reading <3

The True Spirit of Buy Nothing Groups

The other day (okay, this was actually months ago!) I was reading an article on Apartment Therapy on Buy Nothing Groups. In it, the author shares tips and secrets to 'scoring' the cutest and best home decor on these sites. The article wasn't terrible in its entirety, but the focus and common thread throughout was: "use buy nothing groups because you can get a lot of stuff for your house for free."

I find this take interesting, and I guess unsurprising- Apartment Therapy is a home and style website, which translates to lots of marketing and a push for more stuff- stuff to fill your space, to leave your signature on, to make it pretty. I get that. I too, want the perfectly curated space, the instagrammable, light-filled, themed-but-still-beige-y-enough-to-appeal-to-the-masses vibes that seem to be both on trend and weirdly soothing. 

The thing is, that is really only half of the story behind Buy Nothing Groups. Having participated in two such groups in the last 2 years doesn't by any means makes me an expert, but it doesn't take a philosophical deep dive to understand the purpose of these groups. The origins of the Buy Nothing Project may surprise you. 

The story goes, two parents in the Pacific Northwest became concerned about the plastics they were finding washed up on the shore of their coastal town. This deep concern about waste and its impact on their local ecosystems and environments led them to brainstorm ways to become less reliant on purchasing 'stuff' altogether. 

While you can read more about the origins and current philosophies about Buy Nothing Groups here, the spirit of the groups really isn't about getting free stuff to fill your home with. It's about avoiding the urge to buy something new, in communities where overabundance is already a huge problem. It's about finding what we need within our own communities. And I'd argue, it's about giving more than we receive. 

I'll be the first to admit that as a new parent and now a new homeowner, I have more often than not been on the receiving end in our community. Both in and out of the Buy Nothing Groups, I've benefited from the generosity of others- Our biggest piece of decor (the one in the top photo) was a curb drop off by a neighbor down the street. But the receiving feels a lot more powerful when it's coupled with giving- for us, that's the old baby clothes we no longer need, or the gate that doesn't quite work in our current space. 

The true spirit of the Buy Nothing Group is found in the handful of respondents eager to collect our spare Black Lives Matter sign, or the fellow mom talking about her little one's favorite dress as she passes on the pieces her toddler outgrew. Or the woman collecting all our moving boxes and bubble paper, some collected from our Boston Buy Nothing group, before her own cross-country trip. 

I suppose we could always resell some things too (and sometimes, we do!) But in my humble opinion, if you're active in a Buy Nothing Group, you're really in the business of giving.

I'm curious, what's the nicest or most interesting thing you've given or received through a Buy Nothing or similar group? I'm super thankful for the artwork our neighbor gifted us, but my new (old) writing desk is a close second!

Happy Earth Day

Hi!

Pacific Coast Highway, somewhere near Jedediah Smith State Park

Like seemingly everyone on the planet, our lives have been turned upside-down by an invisible enemy. Thankfully, myself and my loved ones are all safe, healthy and still employed. But I’d be lying if I said this experience wasn’t throwing us for quite the loop. I hope you all are doing ok during this truly crazy time.

Anyway, Instagram was kind enough to remind me that it’s Earth Day. It’s so fun, this tradition of arbitrarily assigning a day of the year to celebrate something. Kind of a weird tradition, right? I guess as long these random days include ones associated with getting a free donut, I have no complaints.

El Chalten, Argentina 

And to be fair, Earth Day is a pretty important one. Now more than ever, we need to think long and hard about how our daily behaviors impact the planet and other people living on it with us. The impulse buy of a cheaply made blouse that gets tossed or donated a few months later, the food we throw out because we forgot about it in the fridge for too long, or the gas-guzzling SUV you purchased for the great horsepower (is that why people buy these cars? What is a horsepower? Can you tell I know close to nothing about this subject?) – all these things have downstream effects - on the planet, on people more vulnerable than ourselves, and of course on everyone’s future.

Did you know the 20 warmest years on record have all been in the past 22 years?  Or that various species of animals are going extinct at a faster rate now than ever before in modern history? 

Balos, Crete

Grand Canyon National Park

Upstate New York

And if you’re a grinch who doesn’t care about the health of the planet or the animals on it, research has shown climate change has detrimental effects on humans, too. Higher temperatures, worsening air pollution, and more severe weather will all contribute to increased morbidity and mortality globally. 

Plateau Point, Grand Canyon National Park

So if you already cared about the planet (high five!), or you decided you care now that these sobering facts have scared you, read on for some lifestyle modifications anyone can try to reduce their impact on the planet.

Go vegetarian (or vegetarian-ish.) Believe it or not, this is one of the biggest and most important things you can do for the planet. Loss of unfarmed natural lands to farming is one of the leading causes of extinction, and because over 80% of farmland is used to keep livestock, which then produces 60% of agriculturally-generated greenhouse gas, cutting your meat and dairy consumption, even by 1 or 2 times a week, can have a huge positive effect on the planet.

Stop shopping. Or at least, cut back a bit. We have all been trained by media, the internet, and pretty much all the brands we rely on daily, to buy, buy, and then buy some more. Whether it’s upgrading your iPhone every time a new one comes out, switching cars every 1-2 years, or buying that cute new skirt because it keeps popping up on your Facebook feed, companies everywhere encourage us to go for the newest, the latest, the most cutting edge- when really, shopping our own closet or holding on to that smart phone a few more years will work just as well, save us some money and reduce our impact on the planet. Definitely something to think about.  

Support organizations trying to make a difference, if you can. There are many, many good programs out there working hard to protect the remaining wild places on the planet and hopefully slow climate change. This is not an exhaustive list- but a few organizations I like and have donated to in the past include The Rainforest Foundation, which specifically aims to protect the remaining tracts of forests across the globe, nationalparks.org and the official charitable partner of the NPS. Charitynavigator.org is a great place to go if you want to get more info on a specific charity or for top 10 lists for charities in different areas. Lastly, its always nice to support local groups if you can- I grew going to a nature center in our town that helped fuel my lifelong love of animals, is a place I always try to visit when I’m in town and donate to when I can.

Learn Something. Many of us have more free time on our hands than ever before. Instead of watching The Office re-runs (also a stellar choice, don't get me wrong!), tonight consider putting on a nature-focused documentary. Planet Earth has some absolutely stunning cinematography, and Chasing Coral on Netflix will open your eyes to how bad things have gotten for our ocean's reefs. There's so many great films out there that have a great story and can teach you a few things :)

Stay home. This virus has caused so, so much devastation, so I hope it doesn’t sound flippant to bring up the fact that staying home has had a positive impact on gas emissions and the planet. And when it is safe to move more, travel more and get outside, choosing vacations that are closer to home and limiting air travel really is a great way to reduce your impact on the planet.

There you go! Usually when I am making a list like this, I include a lot more on cutting back on single use items. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of the Covid-19 pandemic is that in certain situations, single use items may be safer- we just don’t know yet. As time rolls on, hopefully we can be more careful and selective about what stays single-use and where we can go back to reusable items. But for now, we are just following local guidelines in this area. 

Lastly, this is a really, really weird time right now. If any new changes in your habits or lifestyle sound overwhelming right now, if you don't have the financial means to donate to charities, or if you don't have the brain space to handle worrying about anything else, that is totally ok too. The most important thing right now is keeping ourselves afloat and safe, physically and mentally. 

What do you do to lessen your impact on the planet? Would love to hear more in the comments section :)

Stay safe out there,