Lily's Prefolds Love Profile

This is the first of my Prefolds Love Profiles. As I've been sharing my experiences with cloth, I'm receiving questions about cloth and what works for me. I love sharing! But I also realize that what works for us is not the best solution for everyone and it could be helpful to hear about what someone else is doing. I also know what it's like to not have any friends that are currently cloth diapering to compare products or stories with. So, I will be doing a few interviews of friends of mine that are also cloth users and calling this the Prefolds Love Profiles (although all interviews may not necessarily about prefolds).

First up, is Michelle. We had a class together in college when I was pregnant with my first baby. I didn't really know her well, but she brought a present with some of the cutest baby girl clothes that turned out to be my favorites for our baby girl. Michelle has good sense of style and is so sweet and friendly. Here's a little bit about her experience cloth diapering her sweet baby girl.

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Name and age of your little cloth diaper wearer...

Lily Bean, 7 1/2 months

Your cloth diaper system...

Mix of self-made inserts and diaper covers I purchased.

Why did you decide to cloth diaper?

I chose to use cloth diapers not only for the environmental benefits, but also for the cost comparison to disposables. I also am somewhat of a hippie mom and cloth diapers are fun and different.

How long have you used cloth diapers?

7 1/2 months

What processes or products have you changed from when you first started?

I started with the Flip brand diaper covers, but found that as Lily got bigger, they tended to leak out the sides. I found that the Thirsties diaper covers work so much better as they have double gusseted leg openings that prevent leakage. I also started my cloth diapering career with inner diapers that my mom and I made. They have elastic leg holes and are fitted. When Lily outgrew them, I switched to using the old school cloth prefolds, but found that they also contributed to leakage and were a lot messier to clean up, so we just made larger fitted inserts.

What is your cloth diaper wash routine?

I have a bucket in my bathroom with a lid that locks. I fill the bucket with water and 1/2 a cup of Bac-Out (a natural odor eliminator). I put the used inserts in there after rinsing (if poopy) with my bumgenius diaper sprayer. Once the bucket gets full (the Bac-Out is amazing for odor...sometimes I don't wash them for a week or two), I drain the excess liquid into the toilet then throw them into my washer and just do a rinse cycle. Then I use a natural laundry detergent (I can't remember what it's called right now). and run them through a full cycle on hot. If they are really stinky I will run them again, but it's usually only an extra load a week.

Do you have any preferred brands or products?

I really like the fitted diaper inserts my mom and I made. We used old flannel sheets, baby blankets, and old pajamas to make really cute inserts. I like any diaper covers with the double-gusseted legs because leakage has been a challenge for us. I also highly recommend Bac-Out if you use a diaper pail. It makes the whole process smell much better!

#1 reason you love cloth diapers?

I feel good about what I'm doing for the environment, and Lily just loves her cloth diapers. They are so much kinder on her sensitive bottom!

What is the biggest cloth diapering challenge and how do you get over it?

Probably diaper leakage out the leg openings. The double gusseted sides definitely help that. Otherwise, I just figure that even disposables will leak...it's not too hard to change Lily into another outfit.

What is your cutest cloth diaper/cover?

My diaper covers aren't so cute :( My favorite insert we made from a pair of pajamas with bright birds. It makes me smile when I use it!

Money you've spent on cloth diapers so far...

This is only a rough estimate...
Diaper Covers-$50
Diaper Sprayer-$50
Sheets/PJs/Blankets for inserts from thrift store-$10
Diaper Pail-Used old dog food pail
Bac-Out-$20
Laundry Detergent-$10 (the brand I have has really stretched...I'm still using the same jug 7 months later!)
TOTAL: About $140 for 7 1/2 months! Not bad at all!

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also see:
new to cloth? start here...
prefolds & covers 101
all posts on pregnancy, baby, cloth