Cloth Diapers have come a long way since our moms and dads used them. The prefolds with the big ugly plastic cover aren’t the only option these days. We’ve got the choice, and the luxury, of many different kinds of diapers that fit every lifestyle, personality, and gender!
Choosing to cloth diaper is the easy part. It’s choosing the system you want that’s hard. It took me well over a month to finally decide on the type of diaper to use…I mean, it’s a big investment up front and you don’t want to make the “wrong” decision. I don’t believe that there is a “wrong” decision when choosing the system you want to use, but there are better decisions.
There’s 4 main diaper systems: prefolds, all-in-ones (AIO), pockets, and fitted.
Prefolds: These are the one’s our parents used. There are 3 parts to this system: the prefold insert, the cover, and the pins. Pros: least expensive, easy cleaning and drying, and the inserts can be used for burp cloths, wipes, and cleaning rags! Cons: Dont contain “messes” very well, time-consuming (folding, pinning, wrangling the baby while trying to do these things), bulky, need to be changed very often.
AIO: These function as a disposable diaper. No separate parts. Examples include bumGenius AIO, Grovia, Swaddlebees, and Blueberry AIO. Pros: childcare facilities prefer these ones, easy to use, no extra working folding or assembling. Cons: No separate parts means you need a lot of them (think 5-7 diapers a day) if you don’t want to do laundry everyday, take up lots of space, break down faster, long drying times, and harder to get really clean.
Pockets: The insert (usually fleece) gets put in the “pocket” of the cover, hence the name. Take out the insert, and throw both in pail when soiled. Examples of pocket diapers are bumGenius 4.0 and Fuzzi Bunz. Pros: Lots of choices of sizes and colors and prints, insert more than one to adjust absorbency, adjustable or one-size options, get the right fit they hold in poop. Cons: Can be costly, need a clean cover and insert each time a diaper change happens (which means more laundry and more space needed)
Fitted: These use a cover and have a separate insert. They snap or velcro together. Examples of fitted are Kissaluvs and Heiny Huggers. Pros: Can be washed separately from covers, very trim fitting, different sizes means better fit which means less leakage, lots of colors and prints available! Cons: Cover is required, not as convenient as an AIO.
Enter gDiapers.
Though technically a “hybrid” diaper (reusable cloth cover with disposable/cloth inserts) I’d say gDiapers would be a fitted diaper. After all my research on which system to use, I finally decided on gDiapers. My reasons for being a gMum:
- There are 3 separate parts (the cover, the pouch, and the insert). Let’s say she pee’s. I only have to take the insert out, put it in the pail, and put a new one in the pouch. If she poops and it gets on the pouch, I just un-snap it from the cover, and throw them in the pail. In the very rare occasion of a leak, I throw all parts in to wash. No unnecessary laundry.
- I don’t need to have 30 whole diapers, nor do I need to store them. I have 30 inserts that fold nicely and compactly, a few extra pouches, and just a few covers.
- I have the option to use a disposable, 100% biodegradable, flushable insert. I use this at nighttime for extra absorbency and to prevent diaper rash.
- I have the option to use the flushable liner. This allows for me to easily remove the poop from the insert without spraying, scraping or otherwise dirty-ing my hands.
- The inserts have four layers. 2 microfiber fleece to whisk away moisture, and 2 hemp/cotton to trap the moisture. The more you use them, the more absorbent they get.
- The different size options means baby get’s a better fit, which means less leaks and better fitting clothes.
- The company is legit.
- They’re so dang cute.
Some people are haters-they say gDiapers are the “yuppie way to cloth diaper.” My opinion, they’re just jealous they didn’t use gDiapers. The thing to remember when investing in cloth diapers is “you get what you pay for.” Yes, gDiapers are a bit on the pricey side…but you get what you pay for. Excellence.
Elizabeth Horn 