I was thinking about going with cloth diapers instead of disposibles. I know cloth diapers have changed since my sister used them on her twins 18 years ago lol. Does anyone have any experience making them and can recommend a pattern?
Thanks
Kathleen ~ Due Dec. 30th

I don't have the info, but know my neice has used cloth diapers with all four of her little ones. The are much better than when my kids were little. There are great covers, etc. Someone here will give you the links or else send me a private message and I will try to call my neice for the info.

Kat

dont have a pattern but make sure you have a good diper pail with a lid that seals and put vinigar in with the water to keep oderes down. or try to toilet train them my freind had her daughter traned at 4months

I used cloth diapers on my kids but my baby will be 30 in August. Congratulations on your bun in the oven.

When my first grandbaby was born almost 3 years ago, my daughter wanted to use cloth diapers. Here is a pattern I used/adapted. I tried the sewn in liner, but they took too long tp dry so made "pocket" diapers instead.
http://mayna.livejournal.com/198548.html

I searched online and there is lots of info and free patterns. I practised first using cotton flannel blankets and towels from the thrift store. Then JoAnns had a 70%(!) off sale on suedecloth, so I bought several yards to use for the lining, and cute flannel prints for the outside. Then I made diaper covers(we used to call them rubber pants!) that are made of waterproof fabric called PUL that close with velcro.
Here are two more sites with lots of info.
http://www.zany-zebra.com/free-cloth...patterns.shtml
http://www.diaperjungle.com/sewing-cloth-diapers.html

I used cloth diapers when my adult chuldren were babies, was so glad my daughter chose the same. But I never had such fun, cute cloth diapers as they have now.

Supposedly the best fabric to use for diapers is hemp fabric. Google hemp diapers and see if they're what you're looking for. It's pricey but worth it, so I hear.

get PUL for the outside fabric, automotive morcrofiber shop towels (sams club or home depot) for the absorbent core, and whatever you like for the liner fabric, flannel is soft, but cottons stain.

HAVE FUN :D

OOH! and get plastic snaps instead of velcro ;)

I'm using cloth diapers with my son now. I did make a lot of diapers using this: http://www.favoritethings.net/patter...en/the_nappies

However, I really recommend just buying them. I shop mostly at cottonbabies.com. The purchased diapers just work so much better than anything you can make yourself for a reasonable price, in my experience. Cloth diapers have gone high-tech! I've tried several brands, and my favorite is Bum Genius one-size diapers with the snap closure. I've also had good luck with there all-in-ones, and with FuzziBunz diapers. If it sounds like I'm speaking a foreign language, just let me know. I LOVE cloth diapers, and would be happy to give you any information you want. I can talk about them all day long! I've also tried G diapers, Flip diapers, and the old-fashioned prefolds with a diaper cover. Bum Genius is best (IMO), followed by FuzziBunz, but if you poke around online, you'll find lots of different brands in different price ranges to try.

Reply or send me a PM if you want to talk more or want more advice or info, and congrats on the baby!

Oohhhhhh I'm so OLLLLD!! :( I've never heard of ANY of those!

I tried them with my 2 and a half year old. She had skin sensitivities, so we just went with disposables. MUCH easier.

wow- I'd like to know how she managed that- seriously 4 months? :thumbdown:

My daughter has cloth diapered both of my grandsons. I found free patterns on line. I was shocked at the prices of new cloth diapers. It is very common to sell used cloth diapers. If you do a google search for cloth diapers you'll get tons of good information. Be sure to use poly thread because cotton thread will wick moisture. I was making so many of them I invested in a really good snap press.
If you have an embroidery sewing machine you can get real fancy with designs. These are certainly are not the cloth diapers of years ago.
Neither of my grandsons have had skin rashes or problems. My daughter always hung her diapers out on a clothes line.

fabric.com sells good quality diaper flannel at a good price- when i made my last diapers i used flannel from them-
saved me tons of money going that route :)
and enviromentally sound :)

Glad to know that so many new mothers are going to cloth diapers. I used cloth on my daughters and they in turn used cloth on there little ones. Use a little Clorax in wash cycle. This will keep diapers smelling fresh and sanitizes.

Me too!!! :lol:

If you use all cloth diapers, look into soakers also. It will help keep baby's bottom dry(er) until you can change it.

Wow all these new cloth diapers sure beats the old ones I folded, pinned and used plastic pants over lol. They had disposables when my oldest was born but I was SOOOOOO poor at that time I used cloth diapers, and breast fed,then later made all my own baby food. Saved a ton of money.

Sometimes I think that when we were poorer - we actually ate more nutritious food.

We used cloth diapers, too - but that was when the dinosaurs still walked the earth.

I used cloth diapers on both of my little ones. I researched the cloth diapers for purchase and they are really expensive for my budget. I bought prefolded diapers at Walmart and then microfiber shop towels in the automotive section. I split about half of the microfiber towels (no need to hem cut edge, they don't ravel) and sewed them to the tri-fold on the long side next to the padded center, leaving the top and bottom open. For days I could get buy with just the one layer of microfiber, but at night I would fold another microfiber towel and slide in in the top and out the bottom to provide for 3 layers of microfiber for absorbency. I just used the plastic pants at walmart and loved doing it the least expensive way and it worked good.

As for rashes, I know that anyone using cloth will need to change diapers a little more often, but I didn't mind since it wasn't costing me anything except an extra load of laundry.

Vinegar in the diaper pail will cut down on odors and then also rinsing them in clean toilet water to get most of the yuckies off before putting them in the pail.

Washing them is also a breeze. I would dump the diapers in and run a rinse and spin cycle and then run a regular cycle with a little detergent and about 1/2 cup baking soda. The baking soda neutralizes the ammonia in the diapers. Line drying also helps freshen them but a dryer will work also.

It you want anymore hints, just P.M. and I will be happy to answer questions.

Sheila

Each individual cloth diaper does look expensive, but you save tons of money over the life of your child. I priced making my own vs. buying them, and it was much cheaper and better quality to simply buy. Look for sales, and buy them in bundles. It's worth it.

The pocket diapers like BumGenius and Fuzzibunz have inserts that go inside that wick moisture away from your baby's bottom. They're not made of just cotton or even hemp. They work great, and getting those materials, especially the snaps required for a one-size diaper (which means that fit babies approx. 7lb-35lb) make it cheaper to buy. You generally need just 24 one-size diapers for the entire time your child is in diapers. Compared to disposables or making your own sized diapers, that's incredibly cheap!

The diapers you purchase come with very specific washing instructions. You use hot water to sanitize, and usually use Clorox approx. 1x/month to help prevent odors.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful information and thank you for all the congratulations! My sister thinks I'm crazy for wanting to go with cloth diapers! Lol The main reasons I want to go with cloth is the price of disposables and the fact of putting all of them in the landfill. Also, it better for the baby's bottom.
I really need to start pinching pennies now because the price of day care is $10-$15 a hour. I don't make that at work so hubby and I decided that it would be best if I stayed home with the baby instead of returning back to work. Which is fine with me. Lol
I have some time off this weekend so I plan to tinker with a few patterns. Pictures to follow soon.
Thanks again everyone!
Kathleen

You will find that staying at home will be the greatest choice you have ever made. Every penny you pinch will feel much less like you are depriving your family when that little one smiles at you. This choice is not easy but so rewarding......Congratulations!

I think that the only skin sensitivity problem from using cloth diapers is from what kind of detergent you use and how many rinses you do to get the det OUT!

GOOD LUCK :)

Also important to change diaper when needed!

With my first son, I had originally planned on using cloth diapers, but my dad entered a contest and won a year's worth of free disposable diapers. I couldn't turn THAT down.

Congratulations!!!! I too believe that this is the best choice you can make! I stayed home with mine, we pinched pennies but I loved being there for them.
My daughter is due Jan 7 so she's only a week behind you!

I used cloth diapers for my 3 children 39, 31 and 15 years ago. Boy have disposable diapers changed. 39 years ago you still had to pin the disposables. 31 years ago they came with tape. 15 years ago it was reusable tape then they started with velcro. I only used disposable for travel. I worked and my mother in law watched the middle child and my sister in law watched the youngest. I provided them with cloth diapers to be kept at their house. When an uncle came here from England he brought with him some nappies. They were made from a terry cloth fabric. They were the most absorbent. I checked the patterns that others left in a link and terry cloth could be used in the absorbant centers. I really love those patterns. I wish I had known of that concept when mine were little. I have noticed that plastic pants to cover the diaper are hard to find now. I have looked for them recently and the options are limited and few. -- Congrats and enjoy!

Well, I thought I would go with cloth, but after trying to get breast milk poop of the first round, I decided I had better uses for my time! What a pain! And I really think it is a split on evironmental issues. With cloth you are really using more water which in some areas has become a real issue. Not to mention the extra chemicals going into the water supply. Around here they incinerate the garbage and the extra air scrubbers and such that are required now make that better for the environment than washing. That being said, I think babies with cloth on their hineys potty train quicker.

I used cloth diapers on both my sons. I got them at Walmart and they weren't that expensive. That's probably your best bet pricewise.

I used cloth diapers on my first child, thought I was saving money, saving the planet, etc. What a hassle! I switched to Pampers in about six months when all I did was wash diapers, empty pails, clean bedding every morning. Cloth was fine when she was teeny tiny but as she grew so did the mess. I used the fold your own and the pre fold. The cloth diapers if not changed immediately gave her a rash. I had to rinse the washed diapers at least twice, used a lot of water and time. I tried a diaper service; rash city. My second child I never once touched a cloth diaper. It's a matter of choice but for me it was a no brainer to choose the disposables. I remember Johnson and Johnson had the best disposables but they quit making them years ago.

The cloth diapers can not hold a candle to disposables. All my Grands and Great Grands wore them. They are great, sure wished they had them when I was having kids.

......sorry

I used cloth for my first - thought it worked great. I made the switch from work to home with her, also. When my second was born, I was working full time, and the daycare required disposables. No choice, as I was the breadwinner temporarily. There are positives to both methods.

Sounds like a lot of good advice here. Congratulations on your little one to come!

one of my favorite patterns is called "rita's rump" it is online. there are alot of free patterns on line. however, i found that the patterns are WAY too big for newborns. what i did was get a newborn disposable from someone, and kind of made my own pattern. definetely use the "pocket" type of diaper so that you can dry the soaker pad separately. they will dry faster. i made alot of the diapers in the cutest flannel. they are so adorable. try using a poly-type for the layer that will go up against the skin. poly has a hard time absorbing so it will go right thru to the soaker pad, keeps baby drier. they also sell the bamboo soaker fabric online. alot of that stuff seems expensive, but it is still way cheaper than store-bought any kind! t-shirts also make great diapers. google any of these and you'll be surprised what's out there. have fun.

Thanks again everybody. Happyscrappy, I will look Rita's rump up. :)