Cloth Diapers types

All in one diapers

All in one cloth diapers are easy to use and go on and off like disposables.  They have a waterproof outer layer and an absorbent inner. While they work great during the day, you may need doublers to increase absorbency during night time or when you can't change your baby often, for example during a long car ride. All in ones are very convenient and easy to use, this is a great diapering option for day care or babysitters, they come in sizes from XS to XL to fit your baby just right at every age, never the less, they do have some ability to adjust to baby's grows, they have either snaps or velcro closures. Some all in one diapers are also one size, they expand with baby's grows - bumGenius Organic One Size Diaper, Kissaluvs Marvels One Size. Many in one diapers are less expensive than one size diapers and some brands have them at real bargains, see Kushies All in One Diapers. You will most likely have to purchase two or more sizes of all in one diapers throughout the diapering period. One of our favorite All In One Diapers is Drybees Hybrid All In One Diaper, this diaper has a built in absorbent soaker and a pocket to add insert when you need one. It has a true stay dry fabric next to baby's skin and it never leaked for us and continued to fit for a very long time even though it is not a one size. Not sure what it is about this diaper but it worked perfectly for our daughter!

Pocket diapers

Pocket Diapers are made from a waterproof outer layer and a micro-fleece layer next the the skin with an opening for an absorbent insert. The micro-fleece next to the skin helps the baby feel dry.  When a baby wets the moisture passes through the micro-fleece layer and gets absorbed by an insert or prefold that is placed in the pocket of the diaper. Poket diapers let you use as many inserts as you need for every situation, so a pocket diaper can be trim and light during the day and super absorbent for night time. We like to use hemp inserts or prefolds with pocket diapers when you need extra absorbency. Babykicks Hemp Inserts and Thirsties Hemp Inserts are excellent when you need extra absorbency. Many pocket cloth diapers are made to be one-size, for example Fuzzi Bunz One Size Diaper, BumGenius 4.0 Diaper and Happy Heiny's One Size Diaper all come with two inserts; other come in sizes from XS to XL, they are generally a little less expensive and are popular with many parents who are looking for a perfect fit like Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size Cloth Diaper or Drybees Pocket Diaper.  A great option is an all in one cloth diaper that also has a pocket to add an insert when you need it, we highly suggest Kissaluvs Marvels and Bum Genius All In One Diaper.

Fitted diapers

Fitted cloth diapers require a cover. They are form fitted and go on and off like disposables attaching with snaps or velcro.  Young babies and lighter wetters can wear some fitted diapers without a cover.  Kushies Classic diapers come with a waterproof inner layer with flannel sewn around it.  These diapers can be used without a cover for a short period of time. Fitted diapers are relatively inexpensive to use, you will need to change diaper cover every 3-5 diaper changes. Some fitted diapers are one size diapers - they adjust as baby grows and will last up to potty training, for example Kissaluvs Marvels One Size Fitted Diapers. Most fitted diapers come in sizes from XS to XL. Some great examples of fitted diapers are Kissaluvs Fitted Diapers and Babykicks Hemp or Babykicks Bamboo Fitted Diapers.

There are two basic types of diaper covers - diaper wraps and pull on covers. 
Pull on covers are used over fitted diapers, pinned prefolds, or snappied prefolds.  Wraps can be used with many fitted diapers, prefolds folded in thirds, pinned prefolds, or snappied prefolds. Dou Wrap from Thirsties comes in two adjustable sizes, they grow with your baby. Usually covers are sized from XS to XL. You will need 6-8 diaper covers per day for an infant. Wool diaper covers are naturally water resistant and are a great option for parents looking for an all natural diapering option for their babies. Combine wool cover with either cotton or hemp contour or fitted diaper and you have a great all natural diaper. 

Contours

Contour cloth diapers are shaped diapers that require a cover.  They are basically like fitted diapers without any fastener.  That means you will need to use a snappi, diaper pins, or a snug fitting diaper cover with this diaper. They are a more economical choice over fitted diapers and are very popular with newborns because they are small investment for a short period of time when some babies are to small to fit into one size diapers. If you like using contours, they do come in all sizes and some are even one size contours like Imse Vimse Organic One Size Flannelet Contour Diapers.

Prefolds

Prefold diapers are the most economical choice.  They have a rectangle shape and can be folded in thirds and placed in a diaper wrap, pinned, or snappied.  Prefolds are made of cotton or hemp, they have multiple layers of fabric for optimal absorbency. Prefold diapers are often used as inserts in pocket diapers, hemp is a wonderful fabric for its absorbency and antibacterial qualities, hemp prefolds make the best inserts. Also a popular choice for newborns because moms have the ability to wrap them around the baby for a perfect snug fit or trifold them in a cover. These are the cheapest cloth diapers and do require a little skill to put them on but very quickly you'll be used to them and it will take just a few seconds. We used prefolds for our newborn and thought it was the best option because of the fit and the fact that you can change a prefold and keep a diaper cover for 3-5 changes (you do have to make a lot of diaper changes with a newborn :) Makes a difference in the laundry too.

Cloth Diaper Inserts

Cloth Diaper Inserts come in many different fabrics: microfiber, cotton, hemp, bamboo. All of them are soft and pleasant to the touch and can be placed against baby's skin, their main function, of course, is to absorb. Microfiber inserts are especially good to be used with diapers that do not have pockets with micro-fleece material that keeps moisture away from the skin, microfiber inserts will help you baby's bottom stay dry. Bamboo and hemp are known for their absorbency without adding bulk. Cotton is absorbent, soft and fast drying.

You will need 6-16 diapers per day for your baby.  Toddlers will need 6-10 diapers per day.  Newborns and young babies will need 12-16 diapers per day.  If you want to wash every day then add 2 diapers to these numbers to allow for washing time.  You will need at least 4-6 covers in each size.  A newborn or a young baby may need more than 6 covers. Newborns do not general require extra inserts, unless you have an early heavy wetter, but as babies get bigger, you may need to invest into some good quality inserts or use prefolds as inserts in your diapers. You will also need something to collect used diapers until you are ready to wash, you can use a diaper pail bag that can be found in cloth diaper accessories. 

What about the smell?
Actually I have found that disposable diapers smell much more than cloth diapers do.  The chemicals in disposables cause an odor that you will not find with cloth diapers.  Washing at least every other day will help keep odors at bay. If you do notice some odor you can try Citrus Circles.

Do I need to dunk cloth diapers?
Dunking your diapers in the toilet is not necessary.  Some people prefer to do that however.  This is what has worked for me:  Shaking whatever poop I can into the toilet then throwing the diaper into a dry diaper pail and letting the washer get the rest off.  I found fleece liners to be excellent to prevent the need for dunking.  The poop easily comes off the fleece and prevents stains on the diaper.  You can also use flushable liners in your diapers and just toss the liner into the toilet they can be found on the Cloth Diapers Accessories page. bumGenius Diaper Sprayer is an excellent product to wash away stubborn mess from your diapers.

How do I wash cloth diapers?
Basically you need to follow the washing instructions for the diapers you purchase.  However, most diapers can be washed in the following manner:

1. Place the dirty cloth diapers in the washer and run a rinse cycle
2. Wash the diapers on hot with 1/2 the amount of recommended detergent.  Do not use bleach.
3. Follow up with an extra rinse cycle with a small amount of baking soda or vinegar.  Diapers washed with too much detergent or diapers that have any remaining detergent may smell.
4. Dry in dryer on hot.  Many covers may need to be dried on low or hung to dry.  If you hang dry all of your diapers you may want to put them in the dryer for a short period of time to soften them up.

What kind of diapers are for me?

Thanks Mama offers a hanging diaper pail that will attach to a doorknob.  The hanging diaper pail is an open diaper pail.  Ironically, open diaper pails don't smell like closed ones do.  As long as you don't let the diaper sit for more than 1-2 days the open pail shouldn't smell.  The hanging diaper pail also has a fabric swatch inside for you to place a few drops of your favorite essential oil.  You can also get a pail/storage container at a local store.  Make sure you get one that you baby won't be able to open easily.  You can tape a citrus circle on the inside of the lid to keep things smelling fresh. 

Are you using disposables and want to switch to cloth, but don't have the money to do it? 
You can start out with a dozen prefolds and a couple cover/wraps for $40-50.  You will need to wash every day with only a dozen cloth diapers.  Then you can use the money you save from not purchasing disposables to buy more diapers until you have all you need to wash every 2-3 days.  

What about barrier creams with cloth diapers? 
Barrier creams do not work well with stay dry fleece diaper systems such as Fuzzi Bunz.  I have found that I don't need them on my two boys at all.  I just change every 2-3 hours during the day.  I use a Fuzzi Bunz at night so my sons skin isn't wet all.

Want more information about cloth diapering? Check out www.clothdiapertalk.com