hello mommies!

so my husband and i have decided we want to start cd'ing our son, who is 6 mos and roughly 15lbs....i have been on a few websites, like greenmountaindiapers.com and diaperswappers.com; both are great sites, but not so user friendly, i feel.  i just don't get terminology, as i am oldfashioned (at the ripe age of 28!) and actually write out words, rather then abbrieviate *gasp*.  once in a great while i do, but its the more common ones (ie, cd, ebr, lol, lmao, omg, etc.) i just don't get how you size these dipes, primarily.  i was looking to buy used, since its greener, but it seems like such a hassle wading through the message boards trying to piece together a deal, especially when you're unsure of what you're looking for and short on time since i have a baby who won't nap! 

help please, anyone! i really have no one i can refer to, so i'm hoping some other cd'ing mommies can help answer a few things - 1) sizing? 2) most trusted brands, 3) appropriate price points for used diapers 4) common cd slang.  this is something i feel strongly about doing, and don't want to be dissuaded over some confusion and frustration!

thanks from me and my son!! the sooner we can get him away from disposables and into nice, cotton, green  dipes the better!

Yay for you!!  Cloth diapering is really not too much trouble once you get the hang of it.  There are many blogs and websites out there that will give you instructions on washing, how many to buy, etc.  I agree with you that it is very confusing starting out though.  There are so many options.  I used cloth with both of my kiddos and wish that I had known more of the options that were out there before I purchased.  At that time I only knew one other person who used cloth and I wasn't an avid Internet researcher.  I ended up going the economical route and used 2 pieces (diaper cover and diaper) which was kind of a pain, although it didn't bother me much.  My husband refused to use them because he could never get them to stay on!  With my 2nd baby I learned of  Mother-ease diapers which a friend of mine used and I totally wish I would have forked out the money for.  I just couldn't justify it since I already had the diapers from my first.  If I had used them with both kids it would have totally been worth it.  These are all-in-one (aio) diapers that grow with your baby...from newborn to toddler.  The "aio" aspect of it makes it so easy and the one-size means you only need to purchase once!.  My friend was very happy with hers.  Their website is http://www.mother-ease.com/ and you'll want to go to one-size cloth diapers.  The website seems pretty straight-forward and since they are one-size that one less thing to worry about!  Also, I wish I had bought some cloth wipes.  I always said I would whip some up on the sewing machine but of course that never happened! 

Sorry this got so long...I hope this helps :)  Good luck!!

Hi Jdoc!  I agree with Molly, it's really no big deal once you get the hang of things.  To answer your questions:

1. We used the one size Bum Genius and loved them.  They have snaps in the front so you can adjust it to fit baby, whatever size he is. 

2. We really liked the Bum Genius - we tried a couple different kinds - the one size pocket diapers were our favorite.  I know they also have all in ones so you don't have to put the inserts in (they're built in), but personally I liked being able to double up inserts at night, and they seemed to dry faster since you could take the inserts out.

3. I didn't buy any used, but I know a site that we bought a lot of our diapers at does sell used diapers as well:

http://www.cottonbabies.com/

4. Common cd slang I can't help you with, sorry!

I second the vote for Mother-ease.  We bought a set for our oldest daughter, and used them for all three kids.  They also were loaned to a friend for her two kids, and then now they have been passed on to my other girlfriend.

So they are well worth the money!

I can't help much with the cd slang either!

It has been years since I cloth diapered, but I loved it. What I would suggest is to start out with a couple of each kind and see what you like best. I mostly used products I bought from diapersafari.com but also some from Green Mountain Diapers. Diaper Safari was a very informative place to start for me - but this was 8 years ago!

We used 2 types - "prefolds" with covers, and all-in-ones (AIO - I know the cd slang for that at least!!). The "prefold" is what you think of when you think of a cloth diaper - a square of soft cotton with some stitching. You fold it in thirds and then put a cover over it. I had the basic snap-on covers - Bummis brand I think. You just change the folded diaper inside and the cover stays clean for a while.

For going out and for times when my parents or others babysat, we had a few All-In-One type diapers. I don't remember the brand now, but they had cute patterns and fastened with Velcro. These are by far the easiest and most like disposables - you just velcro it on, and when its dirty, change the whole thing. Super easy.

You might also find out if there are any diaper services in your area. This is what we did with my oldest, but the company had gone out of business for my second, so we had to do it on our own. Most diaper services provide you with several basic covers in whatever size you need (based on baby's weight, I think) and then deliver a supply of clean pre-folds and pick up the dirties every week. Couldn't be easier - and the cost was not bad at all compared to buying disposables.

The one thing that you need to remember switching from disposables is that cloth are going to need to be changed more often. That's where some of my friends have run into problems, and felt like they couldn't make cd's work.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll find something you and your baby will love!

My boys have been cloth diapered since 3 mo.  I love it!  I have BumGenius and love them, but if you go to the website: jilliansdrawers.com they have a trial program where you pay something like $100 and they send you a variety of diapers.  that way you can try all sorts of kinds and keep what you want.  Whatever you don't like you send back for reimbursement.  Also, there are package deals available so you get a few pre-folds and diaper covers like econobum, flip, grobaby, etc.  I like jilliansdrawers personally - they have really good toys and other products other than diapers.  Good luck!

Cloth diapering is definitely the way to go! My son has been in cloth since day one.  He is now 11 months, and we've never had any problems with our system.  I remember when we were first researching cloth diapering feeling VERY overwhelmed by all the terminology and sites out there.  So we went the diapering kit route, everything you need all in one box, and it proved great for us!  We had to purchase one kit for infancy and one kit from 6 months all the way to toddlerhood!  We are set until he's potty-trained. 

Bummis.com... check it out!

What a great decision!  Cloth diapering is such a kind thing to do for your baby, your wallet, and the earth!  You are right though; it can be a little confusing to get started.  We have a little bit of everything at our house.  It will all come down to your personal preference and what works best for your baby.  I recently wrote about cloth diapering on my blog:  http://mamahealthnut.blogspot.com/2010/05/healthy-baby-bums.html

I like to look at and touch things before I buy them, so even though I have an account I have never bought from diaper swappers.  The vast majority of our diapers were bought from a local cloth diaper retailer or from moms in my moms' groups.  Is there a MommiesNetwork group in your area? http://www.themommiesnetwork.org/locations.php

I am fortunate to live about fifteen minutes away from an online cloth diaper retailer.  Christy with Gorgeous and Green (http://www.gorgeousandgreenmd.com/ ) is awesome and she explained so much about cloth diapering to me, when I got started.  If you don't have someone in your area that can help, I'm sure she can.  

Like a lot of the other moms, I like Bum Genius Organic One Size All-In-Ones.  They are so easy and slim fitting.  My only complaint about them is that they stain easily and dry slower than some others diapers.  

I also love Bamboo Baby All in One One Size Cloth Diapers.  I wish I had discovered them sooner before I already had so many other diapers.  

I also like using Thirsties Fitteds and Covers at home.  They are a little bulky for some of my girls' clothing when we go out though.  

We have G-Diapers too. They're a nice hybrid, but they're pricey.  

We have also used pre-folds with both of our babies.  They are super inexpensive.  My older daughter likes them,  My younger daughter hates them.  She starts crying the moment she gets even slightly wet and pre-folds don't wick the pee away from babies' skin. 

I'm not a fan of pockets.  I find them to be bulky, but I know lots of parents love them.

You can learn a lot about cloth diapering online.  Here are some links I've found helpful:

http://cdretailercooperative.blogspot.com/

http://gorgeousandgreenmd.com/pages/ClothDiaperStyles.htm

http://www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiapers.php

I used gdiapers for my girls.  My oldest didn't mind at all but they started to bother my youngest.  Gdiapers have a cloth outside with a water resistant liner inside. You then insert either one of their flushable diapers (which are nice if your out or someone else is watching the baby) or a cloth diaper.  I never bought their cloth inserts (too expensive) I used flat cloth which I folded to fit the liner.  I didn't like the prefolds, they were too bulky.  The outside cloth and the inside liner snap together with plastic snaps on tabs, this is what bothered my youngest.  I would not buy them again because of this reason.  But if we have another child I would use what we have but I would also check out other brands.

I buy from nickisdiapers.com, they are great.  They have a 15day trial program to try diff kinds etc.  Also they have tons of info.  I like the one size pocket diapers that you fill with prefolds.  Hope this helps a little:)

Congrats. I clothed diaper my son 100% from about 3 months to 2 1/2 when he potty trained. It was super easy once I got the hang of it. I bought all my diapers used from diaperswappers.com.  And spent less then $200 for about a week and half stash. Meaning I could go about that long before having to wash.

When he wasn't moving I liked prefolds and a cover. Those are the cheapest way to go. Plus \ you can use them for clean up rags when they are potty training. And when he started crawling and walking pockets were the best. They dry faster (less energy if you are drying in a dryer) then all in ones and I think they provide a better fit. My favorite pockets are FuzziBunnz. I woud get a couple of each kind off of diaperswappers. Used you can get some for $10 a diaper if they aren't fancy. Less if you by a bunch at one time. Then see which one you like you best. You can always sell them back online. Don't you love cloth diapers. :)

As far as lingo you can create a post on Diaperswappers and ask them what it means. They should direct you to the right post or answer you. Good luck!!!

I've tried all kinds of cloth diapers but I really love Bum Genius one-size diapers the most. They fit from roughly birth until 35-lbs or so.

If you want a cheaper option the same company, Cotton Babies, makes Flip covers that I use with infant prefolds.

I wash every other day and go through ~8 diapers a day per child. So I'd need at least 16 diapers to always have clean ones on hand.

And like others have said diaperswappers is a great resource if you have any questions.

Cloth diapers are great.  It is so nice not having to spend money on diapers every week.  It really can add up fast.  I have tried many different kinds of diapers on my three kids.  My favorites for ease of use (and husband buy in) are Fuzzi Bunz and Bum Genius.  I discovered Bum Genius with my third baby and love that there is no assembly or anything.  Just grab them off the clothes line and go.  Prefolds are great if you want something more economical.  They are inexpensive to buy and they last forever.  There are tons of cute diaper covers out there.  I bought a bunch of cute covers made from recycled sweaters on Etsy.

I wash my diapers every night and line dry them the next day so I have enough of them to go two days.

Also, cheeky wipes makes a good wipe product.  It comes with nice wipes and also two boxes one for the clean wipes and one for the mucky ones.  

The store I would recommend is Bananapeelsdiapers.com  The owner has three young kids of her own so she's right in the midst of diapering and she is super helpful and very responsive to questions.

Hi, I am about to start doing the same with my 6 month old, the terminology is so confusing. I am in Australia and I think that we will be using Baby Beehind they look awesome.