Cloth Diapering a Newborn - the Cheap and Easy Way

If you are looking to try out cloth diapering your baby from birth, and you are not quite sure about it. This is the cheapest, easiest and most effective way.

This way can save you approx $185 over just four months - and that is a conservative estimate. Your stash could last until 6 months, so it would save you more like $305!

Most one-sized diapers don't really fit well from 0 - 3 months. If you are on the fence, then you are not going to like messing around with the big bulky one-sized diapers on your 7-lb-skinny-legged-precious-bundle. Yes, they are bulky,  and you won't be able to squeeze your baby into that squeal-worthy newborn outfit you maxed out your credit card with. More importantly, you won't like the extra messes if the fit isn't tight around the string-bean-legs. 

Add this to the overwhelming adjustment and sleep deprivation of a newborn, and you'll risk throwing in the towel even before you give it a chance.

Instead, this is what you do:

1) Buy at least six (6) small covers

My recommendations from experience is the Thirsties Duo 1 wrap cover. These fit babies 6 - 18 lbs. Mine lasted until 16ish pounds though, when my baby was around 5 months. The rise became too small, leaving her crack hanging out. These can easily be found second hand on Diaperswappers. You can get excellent to good quality from $10 - $6/each including shipping. So that will run you $36 - $60 for six covers.  (You can get six new for $80). 

Better yet, you can resell them afterwards on Diaperswappers. Assuming they are still in decent condition, after selling fees and shipping you should get back $25-$40, that you can reinvest in your next size up if you want to continue.

I recommend velcro (applix) closure over snap for this first round of small diapers only. This gets you a better fit, espeically needed when they are so small and have skinny legs. Velcro wears out fast, but you will only be in these for 3 - 6 months, and you are a newbie, so don' t risk snaps at first. 

I do recommend switching to snaps when the baby gets bigger because you want the cloth diaper to last you the rest of your babies diapering days (another year or two). Snaps do an amazing job at going the distance, and your baby when s/he gets older will have a tougher time getting the diaper undone. 

To illustrate this point. I've used my Grovia snap covers full time for almost 7 months, and they barely looked used. My applix (velcro) Grovia cover, however, looks pilly at the top and faded a bit. The velcro is still holding up well though.

2) Buy at least eighteen (18) small prefolds 

Do not be scared by the name. They are easy, dry quick, cheap, soft and all around awesome. 

It is just a rectangle that you can fold into thirds and lay into the cover. Other like getting more complicated with it and using cloth diaper fasteners (not pins). But let me tell you, those Thirsties covers are amazing. They have super gussets at the legs that keep the wet in. If you don't believe me, watch some reviews on You Tube.

Eighteen should last you 2 1/2 days, assuming baby wets 7 times a day. If you want to do laundry less, then buy more.

I recommend buying these new and unbleached. The cheapest are cotton, but you can get more fancy with hemp, or bamboo. Natural fibers hold up really well and are very absorbent. I love Swaddlebees (smalls). They are made with 4x8x4 layers of unbleached cotton twill that gets softer and more absorbent with time. I have some medium-sized ones that are still looking wonderful and feel soft after months of wear. You can get 18 for $36.

Here and here are two little videos showing how the prefold and cover goes one. 

3) Conservative Cost Savings

Using this method, if you get the six covers second-hand and the 18 prefolds new, the total cost is approximately $80! 

This $80 is spread over at least 4 months, if not up to 7 for smaller babies. Not to mention the $25-40 you can get back by reselling your covers! So that could be, to be conservative, net $55! To be fair, I do buy special cloth diaper detergent ($14 lasts about 4 months), and you also got to add in the the energy it cost to wash them. 

But, lets look at the conservative estimates of what generic disposables will cost. For the first four months of life, generic disposables will cost you at least $40 a month, maybe even down to $30 if you do it el-cheapo buying bulk at Costco or the like. Plus disposable wipes will cost you at least another $20 a month. (If you cloth diaper you might as well use cloth wipes too. An easy affordable way is to just cut and sew up your extra receiving blankets.)

The grand total, after four months of throwing away diapers and wipes is $240! Man, even by my conservative estimates that is a lot. 

4) The Cloth Diapering Extras

* You may want to invest in a wet/dry bag to hold the cloth diapers in at home and a small one when you are out and about. 

For at home, you could always just use a regular trash can with lid, and a plastic liner until you feel committed to cloth diapering. Or use a plastic grocery bag for your diaper bag when you are out. Then you can invest in the wet/dry bags later.You wash these bags and they will last for years. PlanetWise makes great hanging ones for home, or small ones for when you are out. There are other uses for the bag too, after you are done with it, like transporting wet bathing suits home. Cost for both is $51 (for the two).

* Biodegradable disposable inserts. These are great for travelling, overnight or when you just can't deal with it anymore. G-diapers small inserts work well in the small Thirsties covers, or the Grovia. If using the Grovia, DO NOT use the sticky backing, it will ruin your Thirsties PUL (polyurethane liner).

* Microfleece layers are nice to lie on the top of your prefold to wick the moisture away from your baby's bottom. You can just buy a yard of it and cut it up to fit on top, or cut up some old microfleece clothes or blankets.

* Store-bought cloth wipes are a fun extra. I recommend starting with a stash of 20.

* Cloth diaper friendly detergent. Rockin Green, or Charlies Soap have a good rep. Other regular earthy detergents work, as well as scent free main stream. Here is a good list.

* Cloth diaper friendly cream. You can use the regular stuff with a liner (even toilet paper on top of the prefold) so that it doesn't get onto the cloth and ruin it. But if you don't want to mess with it, check out my review on Grovia's magic stick. It works good on cloth or not, and goes on like a deodorant stick so there is no mess.

You might want to buy a few more covers or prefolds so you don't have to wash so much. Six covers and 18 prefolds should get you through 2 1/2 days.


Have fun! For $55, it is a pretty cheap way to test drive cloth diapering out. Plus you will learn what you like and don't for the next size of diapers. Let me know if you have any questions or have more wisdom to share!

Cloth Diapering Has Raised My Consciousness

Cloth diapering, so much more work? Well, I see it more as "right effort". With right effort, consciousness can expand. I do feel like cloth diapering has actually raised my consciousness and enhanced my life. Let me explain.

If you've had a baby already, remember how much work it all felt like at first? Everything was new, and there was so much to learn and know. It can be totally overwhelming. But comparatively, the second baby barely puts a dint into things.

That is how cloth diapering has been for me. Overwhelming at first, but now it barely feels like more work. No rushing out to buy disposable diapers at inconvenient times. No spending money on something I am just going to throw away.

In fact, dare I say, cloth diapering seems to enhanced my life.

First, they rarely leak, like disposables, which is just so annoying.

Secondly, I don't have to touch unnatural materials, such as chemicals encased in plastic, an added 5 to 7 times a day.

Thirdly, cloth diapering has raised my consciousness.

Cloth diapering has completely changed my outlook on our household's daily consumption and waste. It freaking blows my mind that a piece of cloth can be pooped and peed on at least once a week for a year or two or more, and still hold up, possibly even free of stains! Blows my mind!

It has gotten me to think that if one little piece of cloth can do that, then why are we creating all this paperwaste? I now use cloth all the time instead of papertowels. (Well, unfortunately I forgot to communicate this to my husband so we are working off two rolls he bought a month ago). I try to use cloth and containers where I used to use plastic baggies. I am more aware of our own plastic consumption. I try to make better purchasing decisions to cut down on the plastic that will inevitably wind up in landfills. I find ways to be more efficient with things so as to create less waste.

I used to think of myself as quite environmentally aware, but cloth diapering has really opened my eyes, and made me really see it and feel it.

My baby daughter and I went away on a three-day trip together. On a road trip, I just bring the big wet bag and keep on cloth diapering. But an airplane that charges now for checking just one bag, I had to do something. I considered buying Grovia's 100% biodegradable disposable diapers. But instead chose their biodegradable disposable inserts since you get more for the same amount.

Just three days using disposable wipes and throwing away inserts left and right, and it all just felt so bad and so silly to be so wasteful.

It makes me wonder what are the karmic implications of creating so much needless waste? 

Especially if it makes you feel bad when you throw stuff away. That "bad energy" you have created for yourself  (in way of thoughts and feelings) is now stored in your body! As a yogi and mediator, I  have experienced first-hand how past negative thoughts and actions are stored in the body. It is so unnecessary!

Even if you don't consciously feel bad about creating so much garbage, it is still bad karma.

Oh but all that laundry! That has to be more work, right?

True, doing an extra load or two a week is something you don't have to do if you use disposables. But I will let you in on a little secret, which, to be honest, still blows my mind.

The cloth diaper loads are actually my favorite load of laundry to do.

When doing our other laundry, I usually find that my mental chatter is griping about how much unnecessary laundry my husband and son create. I can get overwhelmed by all the laundry.

But cloth diapering, oh it is rather magical.

It amazes me every time how something so absolutely disgusting can be pre-washed, washed, and extra-rinsed and come out so darn clean!

Not to mention that the cloth diaper load is the one load I am so happy to get it cleaned as soon as possible, because who wants dirty diapers sitting around. Ew. I am always happy dealing with cloth diapers because I love the fact that I am touching, and my daughter is touching cloth, not something unnatural. And happy about not contributing to our land fills.

That happiness even transpires when I am folding them, or hanging them on the line. It always seems like a joyful mindfulness meditation when I am folding or hanging or unhanging.

This is serious life-enhancing stuff, so I think.

If you cloth diaper, how has it effect you?

The Double Buzz

You know that buzz you get while doing something you are deeply passionate about? Wonder how you can increase that buzz (uh, naturally)?

Try sharing your passion. Do it out of love for what you are doing. Do it in the spirit of sharing. Do it for free. Blamo. The double buzz.

Since the end of January, I have been offering a free weekly yoga class at my home "studio". With the new baby, I hadn't been teaching much and missed it. It was a great way to keep my home practice inspired, as well to keep my spirits up knowing I was helping others in my own way. I love teaching yoga. It is such a great way to help others connect to their body, drop out of their minds, and open up to something deeper.

Creating a sacred space and time to share yoga with friends I care so much about infuses light and joy into my very being. Especially when I know many would otherwise not be able to attend a class.

In doing this, it has created a small a sense of community and connection for me. As well, I feel empowered that we battled through the February blues together!

I also wrote an article (another passion for me) for an incredible inspiring new organization called Heiny Helpers. Three mothers from Bloomington, Indiana love cloth diapering so much, that they wanted to share that passion with others who were less financially fortunate.

"By providing reusable cloth diapers to families facing financial hardship, we enable parents to do something better than throw their money in the trash. Not to mention help the environment at the same time.”

Heiny Helpers just started in late January, and already have kept 140,000 diapers out of landfill by putting 20 babies in cloth full-time! Fourteen more are waiting for diapers.

This organization inspires me on so many different levels. It has brought private businesses and organizations in Bloomington together to help make Heiny Helpers a success. Not to mention all the donations from individuals. This little organization is doing big things for the  environment and helping families save money and keep their babies healthier!

I ask you now, what can you do to share your passion???

Got Grovia, Will Travel

On our third road trip with our four month-old, we have successfully completed a three day journey, yes that is 72 hours, exclusively cloth diapering away from home. And let me tell you, it was easy. As easy as cloth diapering at home really.

The first road trip when she was a wee three-weeks-old was over Thanksgiving week. I was tired and new to cloth diapering, and not up for the challenge of messing with it while at the in-laws for four long days. I didn't think I had enough to get me though the four days. Plus, I think I was too tired, foggy, and busy to even care.

Our next three day road trip over Christmas we ended up cloth diapering, but used biodegradable disposable inserts. The inserts went into the garbage, however, and I didn't like the feeling of adding to environmental waste.

This trip, I decided to just go for it. Here is how I managed to cloth diaper for 72 hours away from home:

1. Loaded my big (clean) diaper wet bag full of Grovia covers and inserts.

2. Loaded my diaper bag as usual for day outings with a couple covers, few inserts, cloth wipes, spray bottle (for cleaning up the poo), and small travel wet bag.

3. Put baby in fresh diaper and away we go!

4. Change baby #1 after three hours into a 4.5 hour drive, putting wet diaper in small wet bag. Note: she slept the first three hours. Diaper was wet, but didn't leak.

5. After arriving at destination, took out all items in big wet bag and piled them in new temporary diaper changing area.

6. Moved all dirty diapers and dirty cloth wipes to big wet bag.

7. Loaded up diaper bag as usual for daily outings. Transferred dirty diapers in small wet bag into big one at end of day.

That is pretty much it. She only pooped once, and that one was wrapped up tight in the cover. I was worried it might smell so I put it in a plastic bag and then stored it in the wet bag.

We just got home and I emptied the contents of the big wet bag into our washer, including the wet bag, and prewashed, then laundered as usual. Diapers are hung out and drying now.

Here is a run down of what I ended up using:

     - 5 Grovia covers

     - 16 cloth inserts
     - 3 cloth wipes
     - 3 biodegradable disposable inserts.

I brought more covers than I needed, but you never know when you might get leaks, especially in the poo department. I am a pretty new Grovia cover user, and I wasn't overly confident. However, from my trip, I can say I am very confident with Grovia now. It only let me down once, and that I believe was just user error. My husband attempted a snap cover, followed by a feeding in bed where she leaked out the side.

I am really loving the Grovia covers. They really do lock the wetness in, even overnight. The covers, for the most part, don't even get wet and I can just switch out the insert. Poo is a little different. Since my dd is exclusively breast fed, her poops are quite liquid and I have to change out the cover with the insert. BUT I rarely have had poo get on her outfit.

I am surprised it wasn't any harder than normal or inconvenient. I am confident I will continue to CD while on trips. I love not creating more waste for the environment and feel better knowing what I am putting next to my baby's skin.

10 Weeks Down - A Newbie's Cloth Diapering Review

Ten weeks down, and still going strong. I have to say, I am proud of myself! I never thought I would be able to do it. It did take a bit of adjusting, but now that I am in the routine, it's really is not a big deal.

Actually, I feel so good about it. I love the way the soft cloth feels on my new baby's bum. I love that she isn't peeing into chemicals and wrapped in plastic.

Even better, I have saved nearly 500 diapers from going into landfills*.

Yes, I know. I am using energy and water resources by washing the cloth diapers, but that to me, is a better option than the energy and resources it requires to make disposable ones, as well as the fact that disposables do not break down and will last in a landfill for 500 years!

As well, I would rather have my daughter's first touch experiences be touching something that is soft and comes from the earth. Enough said.

A Little Help
I have to admit, I have had a little help. The gods took pitty on me for having an extremely poopy first-born son, so they blessed me with a daughter who is low on the poop scale. For a while there she would go once every other day or two! Now it is about once a day. But having that wonderful window of no pooping really allowed me to get a handle on the cloth diapering, and not bail. Poo definitely is the worst part of the whole deal.

Secondly, the bio-disposable inserts are a god-send. I usually use them only at night now because they are more absorbent than the cloth inserts. But I have been known to use them when I am behind on laundry, sick, or just feeling like a need a break. They are more expensive, but the gods blessed me again with a big box arriving at my door from my friend Eileen who had extras to pass on!

Yes, the bio-digradible inserts are a bit of an environmental hogwash. Just like regular disposables, the inserts come from a non-sustainable crop - made from paper- and are bleached. You can flush the inserts, but that is also a lot of extra water.

The Surprises

1- Special detergent. I was a bit miffed that I had to buy new detergent just for my CDs. I could get away with some other more regular types, see full list, but I figured if I wanted my CDs to be really absorbent, I might as well splurg. A pack of Rock'in Green Classic Rock Cloth Diaper detergent cost me $15. However, 10 weeks down and I still have half or so left. Not bad.

2- Poo in my washer. Not so bad. The pre-rinse does wonders! My baby is exclusively breastfed, so the poops are just liquidy. If I won't be washing diapers that day, I rinse out the pooey dipe with our handy-dandy water hose that's connected to the toilet. Hmm, I wonder if I will be able to stand the poo problem once we get to the solid foods stages though. I distinctly remember raisins and half-digested food in my son's poo. (Must not think ahead of myself...blocking memories now)

3- A lot of Laundry? Nah, not really. An extra small load every other day or two is all. Hang dry over night. Fold and voila!

4 - I can live without wipes! Disposable wipes that is. I just use cloth, and wash them with the dipes. For poo, I wipe with cloth, then spray with a waterbottle/soap solution, and wipe again. Presto! So easy, cheap, and green! I can't believe the money I spent on disposables now, not to mention the chemicals.

Second-Hand Diapers!?
It may sound disgusting, but it's true. There is a whole market for second-hand cloth diapers. With sun-bleaching, and fancy-dancy detergents, the diapers come as good as new. And is a heck of a lot cheaper! If there was not a second-hand market for cloth diapers, it is safe to say, I would flat out not be doing it. It is too expensive up front.

All, but one, of my CDs are second hand. As mention in my previous post, I scored some new g-diapers for cheap at Once Upon a Child ($15 for four). Another two were given to me (after a few uses) from Contentedly Crunchy, and the rest I bought off of Diaper Swappers.

As for my one new luxurious cloth diaper, a dusty rose colored GroVia AIO, I have www.thegreennursery.com to thank for it. Check out my little darling baby featured with it on their website. I have to say I like it. It is soft, very absorbent, and the cover doesn't seem to dampen while in use.

G-Diapers
Mostly I have been using G-diapers. They are classified as a "hybrid" in the cloth diapering world. As mentioned, you can either use cloth inserts with them, or a special disposable insert.

G-Review: The Good

• Best feature -  you don't have to pitch the whole diaper in the wash. Many times I've been able to just switch out the insert and keep the cover going (as long as it is still dry). I have some all-in-ones, and it seems like such a waste to have to wash the whole darn thing after one little pee.
• The fit is pretty good on my baby so the leaking is minimal.
• Cloth or bio-degradable disposable insert options.
• Not too bulky looking.

G-Review: The Bad

• Worst Feature: the velcro. Ugh! The older the dipe is, the less sticky the velcro gets. Many times I've had the diaper come undone on some of my older G's.
• Expensive to buy (luckily I got my all second-hand). And they come in small/medium/large so you have to keep buying as your baby grows.
• Their covers and inserts are not organic.

Going Forward
With my 11 pound two-month old slowly getting bigger, I will soon have to abandon my stash of small g-diapers. I have to decide what to go to next. I am thinking I may try some prefolds, with waterproof wraps, that way I can just switch out the cloth insert and reuse the cover. I'd like to keep some "hybrids" for my lazy days or traveling times. And if I can help it, no velcro!

But, like a true cloth-diapering queen, I will probably have a little bit of that, and a little bit of this.

* If you figure newborns use about 7 dipers a day, then I have saved almost 500 diapers from going to landfill in the last 10 weeks!

More Poop! The Diaper-Guilt Dilemma Calls Again!

I hate disposable diapers as much as any yogi environmentalist. I have as much guilt as any mom who has a conscience and knows better. And yet, I still go for the convenience.

I tried. I really did with my first. I even bought a bunch of great hand-me-down "pocket" cloth diapers. How green is that! I had a blast in the summer time with my son romping around in his colorful trendy cloth diapers. I loved seeing him in them. Ah, and all those colors hanging on the clothes-line. I loved blissfully drinking in the air of being a good little earth-mom.

But then winter came. No more dumping the poop water outside and using the hose. No, it had to come inside, and in my small space.  I had to draw the line. No poop in my sinks. And definitely no unrinsed poop in my washing machine. Ew. Did I mention my very poopy vegetarian son? He has a three-times a day habit, and very loose. Not so friendly. So I failed for most of the year.

Now at two, going on three, my son is *blow whistles now* potty trained.  Yeay, no more guilt about wearing disposable diapers! (Next on our environmental agenda: water conservation). Oh but wait. I am pregnant and only have a couple months break from diapering again. Darn.

I was in our local green baby story, Barefoot Kids, gazing all starry-eyed at the different types of cloth diapers, and all the different inserts, and all the sales. The sales-guy even tried to tempt me with the "hybrid" cloth diapers with the disposable inserts. There was even a diaper swap going on in the next room.

But all the while I knew: NO.

Seriously, I thought, there is only so much poop and pee one woman can be expected to deal with. Two kids is dirty enough. It will be a fight to keep anything clean. I don't need to add a whole new level of dirty feeling to it.

So away I went smiling, guilt free (almost), no money spent.

But now I am getting closer to my due date. The reality of having a brand-spanking-new-barely-been-exposed-to-our-harsh-chemical-ridden-world actual mini-sized human being is smacking me in the face.

I am revisiting everything that may come in contact with her skin, or respiratory system. From chemicals in her bedroom (fake-wood storage unit emitting formeldahyde is out, air-purifier in), to lotions and wipes.

Friends of ours gave us a few packages of their left-over bleached-white cheap newborn diapers. They smelled like plastic. I couldn't help but visualizing that tiny new-born-bum sitting in that plastic, with who knows what chemicals inside. Ah! I suppose I could splurg for a while and get some chlorine-free more natural disposable ones. But they are quite expensive - as much as fifty cents a diaper! That is fifty cents times 8 diapers a day = $120/month on diapers! Not really in the budget. At all.

But at last,  the decision was made for me. So I feel. I was trading in some of my son's old shoes for some newer ones at Once Upon a Child, and happened upon a steal of all steals. While browsing through an aisle, totally put off by most of their overly priced second-hand items, I happened to look down and see a brand new package of very trendy expensive "G-diapers". They were amongst the first generation of "cloth diaper hybrids". They are cloth/velcro fitted with a green disposable insert you can flush or compost. Or you can have the regular cloth insert.

Nice I thought. But how much. Mmm, $15. Okay, well what exactly is in this stash. Turns out this brand new starter pack buys me four g-diapers (two small, two large) and about 40 disposable inserts. Sweet. Somebody didn't price this one properly. The going rate on amazon for such would ring you up to about $80! So, with that little purchase, it sent me into a tissy on getting my hands on more g's.

Sure, buying the refills are a bit expensive, but at least they are biodegradable. And it gives me an easier out if I need it. I hope to get some cloth inserts too to try it out to see if I can handle it. We are in a new house, and hopefully I can rig up a hose that runs from the sink to the toilet to wash them out or something.

Now, my conscience feels a little better. Even if I fail again, I know I tried. I figure I will give the g-thing a go at least for the first few months. I still have my old cloth pocket diapers if I make it beyond three months too. Summer for sure. So, with that, I can feel better about calling myself a proper earth mom.

Read More 10 Weeks Down: A Newbie's Cloth Diapering Review