Cloth Diapering Basics and Happy Heiny One-Size Giveaway

06/30/2009 By Rob 255 Comments

For my next installment of the Preparing for Baby series I’m going to bring you something that is near and dear to my heart, CLOTH DIAPERING. While I’ve been cding Shae since she was a newborn I’m not an expert in all the types of diapers. My new friend Sherrie with Itty Bitty Baby Bunz has given a short and sweet breakdown of the styles and their benefits.

One of the greatest things about choosing to use a cloth diapering method for your child is all the options that are available to you. You truly get to find a system that works for your family’s needs simply because there are so many styles/kinds from which to choose. Unfortunately, all these choices can be quite daunting for families new to cloth. Here’s a quick rundown of what you will find when you decide to use cloth diapers on your child and a basic guide to help deliver you from the confusion:

4 basic types of cloth diapers to choose from
• All-in-One’s/All-in-Two’s
• Pockets
• Fitteds
• Prefolds/Flats

Benefits:
Needs a waterproof wrap/cover-Fitteds & Prefolds/Flats
Needs a special fastener-Fitteds & Prefolds/Flats
Needs inserts to work-Pockets
Has elastic legs/waist- Pockets, Fitteds & Prefolds/Flats
Easy to clean-All-in-One’s/All-in-Two’s, Pockets, Fitteds & Prefolds/Flats
Fast drying-Pockets, Fitteds & Prefolds/Flats
Easy to use-All-in-One’s/All-in-Two’s &Pockets
Available in colors/prints-All-in-One’s/All-in-Two’s, Pockets, Fitteds & Prefolds/Flats
Daddy/babysitter approved-All-in-One’s/All-in-Two’s &Pockets
Trim fit-All-in-One’s/All-in-Two’s & Pockets
Economical-Prefolds/Flats

And the winners are…..

Economic Award — Prefolds/Flats
At $20 a dozen plus a few bucks for covers and closures (pins or Snappis), you can effectively diaper your child from birth to potty learning for under $400 dollars. (Throw-away diapers can easily cost you this much in 6 months – eek!) NOTE: you do not need to purchase a huge set of covers because covers can be wiped clean during wet changes and reused.

Transition Award – All-in-1’s
All-in-One’s are exactly that – everything you need to diaper your child in one piece. They require no inserts, no pins and no covers to work properly. They are an excellent transition diaper from throw away to cloth.

Convenience Award – Pocket Diapers
With a just a little preparation (stuffing the insert into the diaper), pocket diapers are the perfect solution for busy families where dad, in-laws, daycares and/or babysitters take part in diapering baby. These diapers are easy to launder (quick drying because of the removable absorbent insert) and easy to place on your baby. Since they require an absorbent material inside the pocket to function properly, pocket diapers offer caregivers exciting options. Microfiber inserts can be used for a trim diaper or add a hemp or second microfiber insert for extra absorbency overnight or for heavy wetters. Prefolds, flats, or even microfiber towels all work in pocket diapers as inexpensive inserts. Extra bonus – never have to touch the wet/soiled diaper! Just shake the insert loose into your laundry pail or bag. No ICK factor!

If you have multiple children in diapers and don’t want to deal with grabbing the right size every time they need a change, a One-Size diaper might be a good option for your family. Or, if you have only one child but don’t wish to purchase a whole new stash of diapers each time your child grows, a One-Size diaper could be the answer for you. There are many different brands of One-Size diapers available; however, most of them work using a system of snaps or fasteners on the front of the diaper. These front adjusters allow you to select the appropriate rise for your child and in essence, grow with your child. One-Size diapers will accommodate most children through their potty learning years. What a savings! A wonderful option for the cloth diapering world, though, like any system, there are a few drawbacks. If you plan to use the same One-Size diaper for three kids, you may begin to see wear and tear by the second or third child. This breakdown of the fibers does not indicate poor craftsmanship or bad quality materials, but rather the effects of washing a garment multiple times a week, month after month. A second reason you may not wish to choose a One-Size diaper is due to the bulk factor. Most moms don’t mind to see the adorable waddle of a child in cloth, but some parents don’t care for the way clothing fits (or doesn’t fit) overtop of a bulky dipe. Especially when your child is a baby, there is excess cloth in a One-Size diaper – it’s waiting there patiently for when it will be needed in the coming months.

Whatever kind of cloth diapering system you choose, you can rest assured that you are doing a great thing on many fronts.
• you are reducing the amount of waste your family contributes to our landfills
• you are saving tons of money by not purchasing paper and plastic you will just throw away every few hours
• you are, in most cases, supporting small businesses and work-at-home moms
• most importantly, you are laying your baby’s delicate skin next to soft, breathable, chemical-free materials for 24 hours each day

One of our favorite One-Size diapers are Happy Heinys One-Size Pockets. With been using this one for over a month and it fits like no other one-size we’ve tried before. With 4 size settings and generous stretch in the elastic this diaper is sure to fit from infantcy through to potty training. As with other Happy Heiney’s I’ve used the outer color is vibrant, the inner liner is soft and resists staining and the aplix closure tabs stay flush against the diaper to deter little fingers from opening. A recent design change has added leg casings instead of the traditional fleece roll out at the legs. I love the look of the little fleece peek out but think the casings work better at containing messes. Itty Bitty Baby Bunz is currently reducing their price for the diapers without leg casings to snatch them up before they are gone.

To close out this fantastic Cloth Diaper Basics rundown Sherrie with Itty Bitty Baby Bunz is giving LookWhatMomFound readers the chance to win a Happy Heinys One-Size Diaper.

Visit IttyBittyBabyBunz blog and leave a relevant comment on any post. Come back and tell me where to find your comment.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above and please be sure your email in in your comment, attached to you blogger dashboard or easily seen on your website/blog. I will not search through About Me/Contact Me links.

Follow me and IttyBittyBabyBunz on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway DAILY for an additional entry each day, copy and paste this message: @IttyB3 Happy Heinys One-Size diaper giveaway @lkwhtmomfound http://bit.ly/354HGz
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Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Thursday, July 16, 2009. Winners will be announced on this post and emailed and have 48 hours to claim prize. This contest is open to US residents only.

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About Rob

Rob brings a new perspective to the once mommy blog. His insight on technology, parenting and family brings a different spin to the this site, one that is often overlooked in the blogosphere.