More About Cloth Diapers - Plus Some of My Favorite Links

I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with the last post about cloth diapers. It's something I'm really excited about right now and I hope to help others understand that it's not as much work as it seems, and it's rewarding to be able to diaper your child with something that's reusable and doesn't need to be replaced constantly. I have spent thousands of dollars on disposable diapers over the years, and I'm thrilled to be doing something on a smaller budget now that will last a long time.

I mentioned that I'm using prefold cloth diapers. I'm loving these, because I can remove the prefold from the cover when I change my baby's diaper, and I can reuse the cover with a fresh prefold. The only time I need to change the cover itself is if it has become soiled and needs to be washed. I feel this method of cloth diapering is more economical than using AIO (All-In-Ones) or Pockets because there is less to change and wash.

Here is a great website I found that has instructions with LOTS of pictures about how to use prefolds: Green Mountain Diapers: prefolds. They also sell prefolds, and they are incredibly affordable, ranging from $1.17 - $3.00 per diaper (depending on the size).

Green Mountain Diapers offers 5 prefold sizes compared to 3 sizes that most others make. Most other websites about prefolds offer 3 basic sizes: newborn, standard, and toddler. If you plan to make your own prefolds, you can save money by making the 3 basic sizes rather than the 5 that Green Mountain offers. Here are two websites I found that offer prefold patterns and measurements for the 3 basic sizes:

DIY Prefold Diapers
Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Fanatic

Here is the link where you can buy waterproof diaper covers (VERY CUTE) from the same company: Green Mountain Diapers: Diaper Covers. These are more expensive at about $11.00 - $12.25 per cover, but you only need a few covers because you change them less often than the prefolds.

I'm approaching cloth diapering from a low cost perspective, so I plan to make my own cloth diapers and build up a lasting stash. Here is a fantastic site that has free cloth diaper patterns for any type of cloth diaper you might want to make: Fern and Faerie Frugal Diapering. Using old clothes (t-shirts, flannel shirts, old wool sweaters, etc.) you can sew your own diaper stash for $30 or less!

I also found a website with a one-size-fits-most fitted diaper pattern that is designed to fit a child from infant size to toddler: Rita's Rump Cover. Look through each page and pattern to see which would fit your needs the best. The great thing about this pattern is that your child can wear the same diapers from infancy to potty training without having to buy different sizes, and you can use any fabric you choose with minimal closures (1 diaper pin will hold it in place or you can sew in velcro or snaps or use a cover to keep it in place). I plan to use this pattern to make covers for my prefolds, using PUL fabric which is waterproof.

My niece who wrote the letter in my previous post about cloth diapers also did some research about the cost of cloth versus disposable diapers. Here is what she said:

"When I did my research a box of size 1 Pampers on Amazon.com was $24.69. Newborns go through about 12 diapers a day, so a month of diapering with disposables will set you back $88.92. This cost will lower when your baby is older and you are changing less often, so you can assume that most older babies will cost around $80 per month. If you diaper for 2.5 years, 30 months, you'll spend around $2400.

"That's $1,976 leftover" (that you save by buying a brand new stash of cloth diapers compared to disposables for 2.5 years). If you make your own diapers, you save even more.

And I haven't even touched upon the benefits to the environment...