Poop is a fact in a Super Mom's life (mine especially) so I thought I would just lay out some options for all you mom's out there getting ready to deal with it.
Disposable Diapers
My beautiful Power Princess wore disposable diapers all thru her baby years and Rainbow Brite did for part of that time. For those of you considering this route for your own super heros, here is what I learned and the brands I have tried.
Items you may need for success:
- Diaper Pail - I used a Diaper Genie because it locked to keep your tiny heros hands out of it and the diapers twisted sausage fashion in the bag with each so it somewhat trapped the smells inside and not in the room.
- Wipes - I used whatever brand that was cheapest that day at the store.
- Rash Cream- We used Boudreaux's Butt Paste.
- Change Pad or Change Table
- Disposable Diapers - Lots of them!
Brands I have tried:
Pampers - I loved the smaller size swaddlers because they have this yellow line that changes color when wet. This was super helpful at the hospital or when you are Breast Feeding for record keeping as disposables are made with super stay dry material so it's hard to tell if the baby is wet by feel and look alone.
Huggies- I never liked the smaller sizes but the size 3 and up were pretty much the same as pampers and where great.
Luvs- I really loved the trimness of these diapers as well as their fresh baby powder smell. Also the price was awesome!
PC Choice Teddy's Choice and Life Brand Diapers- These diapers are the most inexpensive and are fine for short term wear but not a good choice for overnight or long wear. Super Dad calls them one pee wonders!
Potential Cost:
Wipes- I picked up whatever brand was the cheapest at the store that day because Super Dad could go thru 30 of them with one poopy diaper, lol!
Disposable Diapers- The best way to calculate the cost of disposable diapers is to determine the brand you want, how many are in the box and how often you will change your baby in any given day.
On average, I changed Power Princess for at least the first 6 months of her life 8-12x's a day, 40-60x's a week or 160-240x's a month (hope my math is right) so you can use that to calculate what it might cost you to change your new little hero.
There is also the one time cost of the change pad or table and ongoing costs of the rash cream and pail bags for the Diaper Genie.
Cloth Diapers
I have cloth diapered both Rainbow Brite (part-time) for 1+yrs and Spiderman exclusively for 2+yrs. I have tried alot of different brands thru the years but I try very hard to support the WAHM's (work at home mom) of the world and steered clear of most of the really big box brands. I have alot of favorites but some of the ones I have tried did not work for us at all. To be fair, I am only listing the brands I found to be the most useful by type so I can keep this somewhat short and concise and I don't want to be a critic to a super hard working Mama out there.
Items you may need for success:
- Wet bag or pail liner: I use a Ragababe Laundry Bag (holds about 25 diapers with liners and wipes) that I hang on the back of our bathroom door and a Planet Wise wet bag (holds 5 diapers with liners and wipes) for the diaper bag.
- Wipes - I use cloth wipes in a wipe warmer and disposable wipes for the diaper bag. I find when we use cloth wipes, we use less of them (when I write "we" I really mean "Super Dad") when we clean the bum. I like my Charlie Banana double sided wipes the best but that is a personal preference. I keep about 30 wipes for each child in diapers at any given time. We use them for more than just dirty bums.
- Rash Cream- It is VERY important to use cloth diaper safe cream or you will ruin your cloth diapers (I learned this the hard way). Do not use any petroleum or store bought cream products. I like Hiney Honey from Scarlet Naturals. It comes in tins but they will soon be carrying sticks. I have one tin at home and one in the diaper bag. I also like their wipe solution in Pearberry scent.
- Change Pad or Change Table
- Cloth Diaper Safe Detergent - Like store bought creams, do NOT use your regular laundry detergent or any kind of fabric softeners on your cloth diapers. It will leave build up on your diapers which is difficult to get off, causes leaks, voids warranties and can cause severe wear and tear. I use Rockin Green Earth Wind and Orchid Remix.
- Diaper Sprayer - For an exclusively breastfed (BF) baby (0-6 mos) you do not have to rinse the poop off your diapers as BF poop is water soluble and will wash away in your machine with no residue left behind.
For formula fed or Babies who have started on baby food- you need
to get as much of the poop off that diaper that you can before you
launder it in your machine and a sprayer is just an easy way to do it.
I bought mine on ebay for 10 bucks 3 years ago from seller Mr.
Bidet and it still works like new with heavy use. Be sure to get a
sprayer with metal fittings and not plastic.
Types and Brands (again this is just a brief list of the top ones I have tried, there were alot of others that I like):
Pocket Diaper - This diaper is made of an outer waterproof layer and an inner, soft layer sewn together on three sides, with one side left open to form a pocket. You insert the absorbent layer into the pocket. Pocket diapers are not absorbent without the insert.
This diaper is a one size (OS) that fits 8-35lbs. It's super cheap, so is an awesome investment for first time cloth diaper moms. Comes with 2 full size Bamboo inserts with each diaper. I really liked the trimness and natural fibers. It is really absorbent and super cute prints too.
I liked this diaper because the sizing snaps are placed in the elastic and hidden as opposed to across the front so it didn't chafe Spiderman's legs when he started crawling. It comes with a small doubler and a full size micro fiber insert. These are super absorbent and have bright bold colors. I also liked the wide elastic across the back for comfort and poop containment.
All In One (AIO) - are, as the name suggests, a one-piece cloth diaper system. AIO diapers work just like disposable diapers, except, of course, they are made of different material and are washed and reused, not thrown out. AIO cloth diapers are extremely easy to use and require no special folding (very super dad and babysitter friendly).
Nana's Bottoms- This is a super duper cheap diaper but I love them alot!
Nana's Bottoms- This is a super duper cheap diaper but I love them alot!
I will tell you more about this one below but this is my all time favorite brand of diaper in my entire stash! Here is a pic of Spiderman's tattoo diaper :)
All In Two (AI2) - Quick dry AIO diapers, also known as AI2 diapers, are a variation of the all in one diaper. They are also extremely easy to use, and are more versatile than the standard all in one cloth diaper.
These diapers are super cute custom prints and super soft! They can be ordered in an extra large OS so they are also great for larger babies and toddlers. We have both of these beauties in our stash and hope to get more for our future super hero.
SquishyButts-
Also super cute customs. They dry really fast and have an extra fabric in the soaker called Zorb which is awesome for big heavy wetters. Here is a pic of Spiderman in his favorite Thomas The Train diaper in the extra large OS. He is sweeping the carpet for me and eating a banana at the same time cuz Super Hero's are smart! These diapers also can be made with custom embroidery.
Fitted and Fitted in 2 (FI2) - are the same shape as disposable diapers. No folding is required to put on fitted cloth diapers, but they do require a diaper cover because on their own, fitted diapers have no waterproof layer.
I haven't really loved fitted diapers with covers cuz it seems like a hassle but they can be cost effective and less washing for alot of people. Goodmama has some really cute prints too but I find they are more for a smaller baby.
Wool Covers- very breathable, keeps bums cool and only needs to be washed every few weeks unless they are poopy. They are antibacterial and super absorbers. I have never had a leak with these and are great over a fitted. I have used woolybottoms and they use recycled wool so its more green :) Here is a pic of spiderman in his woolybottoms having fun with dress up.
I like the prints from monkey doodles and the convenient snaps for easy poop cleanup. They are made with PUL which will catch one pee for just a bit which is important for little boys like Spiderman who pee like fountains at the splash pad! They are sized so be sure to check the size chart.
The cost is substantial when you begin to cloth diaper but you can save by buying or trading used or buying local to save on shipping costs. You can also check out youtube and get free tutorials on how to make your own fitteds out of blankets and t-shirts which I did for Spiderman when he was really young. Here is a pic of one I made for him out of Super Dad's work shirt.
SquishyButts-
Fitted and Fitted in 2 (FI2) - are the same shape as disposable diapers. No folding is required to put on fitted cloth diapers, but they do require a diaper cover because on their own, fitted diapers have no waterproof layer.
I haven't really loved fitted diapers with covers cuz it seems like a hassle but they can be cost effective and less washing for alot of people. Goodmama has some really cute prints too but I find they are more for a smaller baby.
Wool Covers- very breathable, keeps bums cool and only needs to be washed every few weeks unless they are poopy. They are antibacterial and super absorbers. I have never had a leak with these and are great over a fitted. I have used woolybottoms and they use recycled wool so its more green :) Here is a pic of spiderman in his woolybottoms having fun with dress up.
Now our Rainbow Brite has a few diapers that I referred to as church diapers from cutiepoops. They were pockets and they are so cute I couldn't leave them out of this post! They have adorable ruffles on the bum and every baby girl needs some ruffles in her church dress stash :)
Swim Diapers - made specifically for use in the pool, splash pad or lake. They are not absorbent but are made based on safety to hold poop messes in.
I like the prints from monkey doodles and the convenient snaps for easy poop cleanup. They are made with PUL which will catch one pee for just a bit which is important for little boys like Spiderman who pee like fountains at the splash pad! They are sized so be sure to check the size chart.
Cost:
The cost is substantial when you begin to cloth diaper but you can save by buying or trading used or buying local to save on shipping costs. You can also check out youtube and get free tutorials on how to make your own fitteds out of blankets and t-shirts which I did for Spiderman when he was really young. Here is a pic of one I made for him out of Super Dad's work shirt.
You have to remember that when you plan well, the start up costs will not at all exceed what you would have spent using disposable diapers thru your babies diapering years. In fact, alot of people save money in the long run because when you take care of your diapers, you can re-use them for subsequent children and/or resell them for a large percentage of what you paid for them. Also, if you decide before baby is born to cloth diaper then you can actually ask for gift cards or register for them for baby showers.
Alot of people have asked me about how many diapers that you need and it really just depends on how often you plan to wash them. The same rule applies to cloth as I described in disposables. For example, my little heros started out being changed 8-12x's a day. So if you only have 12 cloth diapers then you will have to wash them every single day. I have always tried to have enough diapers so I don't have to wash more then once or twice a week. It's really up to you and how much you want to put into each day.
That's pretty much all of the info I have for disposable and cloth diapers. Stay tuned for a more in depth post about using and disposing of disposable diapers and using and laundering of cloth diapers. Please let me know of anything you have tried for diapering. I am super interested in finding out more about diaper bag brands right now for our newest super hero due in October :)
Have fun,
-SuperMom
