Cloth Diapers

It's been a little over a year since we started using cloth diapers so I thought I'd give a little review.

Pocket Diapers
We started out with pocket diapers. They look a lot like a disposable (in fancy colors). There's waterproof fabric on the outside and it's lined with fleece to help her feel drier. There's an open pocket in the back to add the absorbent layer between the fleece and the waterproof fabric. You can add more absorbency if you need it.
They come in small and medium (large is for really big toddlers) or in one size. The one size usually have snaps to adjust the rise although we have some that you can adjust the elastic around the waist and legs.

We like the pocket diapers, they're pretty easy to use. On and off like a disposable (except with snaps instead of velcro). They dry pretty quickly. We dry the outside on the line and put the absorbent part in the dryer (this helps the waterproof fabric stay waterproof longer).

We had trouble with leaks for a little while until I figured out that she needed more in the diaper to absorb. Pretty soon we'll switch to the medium diapers, and they'll absorb even more so that will be nice.

All in Two
The second kind of diapers we have are All in Twos. They are a waterproof cover that has an absorbent soaker that snaps in, the idea being that you can reuse the cover until it gets dirty and just replace the soaker. We use the GroVia brand all in twos. Their soakers have a waterproof back so that even if the soaker is completely soaked it doesn't leak through onto the cover. They come in one size with snaps to adjust the rise.

These work pretty well, they have gussets on the soaker to help contain the poop but we've found that if you're not quick about changing a poopy diaper you'll end up having to toss the cover in the diaper pail as well. I don't think we've ever had a leak with these but we don't use them very often since they take a very long time to dry. They're pretty compact, so good for traveling.

An added bonus to these diapers is the disposable insert option. The disposable insert looks like a disposable diaper without any side velcro to wrap around. It has two sticky tabs on it that you stick inside the waterproof cover. I like these for when we're out of the house. That way I don't need to worry about trying to get poop off a cloth diaper when we don't have our diaper sprayer. They're biodegradable and a bit better for the environment than a regular disposable but in exchange they don't hold as much pee as a disposable which has led to some problems. They definitely need to be changed frequently.

Prefolds
The third type of diaper we use are prefolds. This may be what you think of when you hear "cloth diaper". Traditionally they were held together with pins and then you put a cover over it to keep it waterproof (wool, rubber, or plastic). You no longer need to use a pin for them, we use the snappi It's a stretchy thing with teeth that grabs the diaper from the outside and holds it together (just look at the link). When I put them on her I fold the sides in and flare out the back and front so I can use the snappi to close it. I've been using the GroVia covers from the all in two system with these and it's working really well.

The prefolds hold a lot of pee which is what we need right now. We were having trouble cleaning poop off of them (with all the folds and bunches it was getting everywhere) but I started using the fleece liners in them and that has helped a lot. I assume it helps her feel drier too, like the pocket diapers. I air out the covers in between changes, swapping between two covers throughout the day. They never get soaked but sometimes get damp. I really like them. They were pretty cheap too, comparitively. JR has not been sold on them yet.

Right now I like the prefolds best. Then the pockets. Then the all in twos. It seems to change with what we're doing and with how she pees and poops. And I bet it will change all over again when Bean gets here and is a different shape and size.