CD's and absorbancy

[Valerie99]

What AIO, Pocket/Stuffing or Fitted/Cover is about equivalent in absorbancy to a disposable? DH is willing to give cloth a try, but only if they are as close to disposables as possible in ease of use and absorbancy. I like Snap-Ez for pocket diapers, and I'm wondering if the Hemp/Burley Knit Terry Daytime Inserts (3-fold) for them are as absorbent as a disposable would be. Or is a microfiber insert in a pocket as absorbent? Also, what is the difference in microfleece and suedecloth? Does the poop roll off suedecloth like it does microfleece (once they are in the formed poop stage, of course)? Is suedecloth virtually unstainable like microfleece? Thanks!

Edited to ask: What about Very Baby AIO's? It seems simpler than a pocket, since he doesn't have to remove the stuffing before throwing it in the pail. Is it comparable in absorbency to a disposable? Is the hemp version much more absorbent than the birdseye version? I've also heard Daisy Doodles are very absorbent, so I'm considering those too, if they are recommended.

[mudder17]

Personally, I'm not sure how my diapers compare to the absorbency of a disposable, so you'll probably get much better answers from moms who use both. However, based on my neighbor's experience, they change their DS every 4-5 hours or so, with the exception of a poopy diaper. We change DD every 2-3 hours, sometimes as early as after an hour if she lets loose. And of course, poopy diapers get changed right away. But DD is also a super soaker and I'm not sure if her friend is one, so it's hard to compare directly.

When I used the SEZ, Kaya needed the 3-fold insert + a microfiber towel if I needed her to go 3 hours. But as I said, Kaya's quite the soaker. One microfiber insert would definitely not hold Kaya, although the Zannadu giant microfiber towels can hold her for a good 2-3 hours, depending on how much she's drunk.

Different people's experiences with suedecloth and microfleece may vary, but my experience is that microfleece keeps Kaya feeling drier, but suedecloth holds up better over time. Poop sprayed off or rolled off both equally, and I never had stains with either.

I don't have any experience with VB AIOs or DDs.

Generally, if you're looking for good absorbancy, you'll probably want hemp and pockets will probably give you better absorbancy than AIOs. Right now my most absorbant diapers are my fleece pockets (or any pockets) stuffed with a Zannadu microfiber towel + a hemp insert (any size). For night time, I can actually get her through the night with a Zannadu MF towel and a LJ night insert, so that's pretty darn absorbent. So far, for any inserts, I've had the most success with a MF/hemp combo.

HTH!

Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040222/0/0/1/-5/.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 13 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[psophia17]

When I first started with CDs, DS was just over one, and I had four lonely FBs and four four-layer hemp inserts that I made to fit into the FB. DS has never been too much of a soaker, and those 4 dipes could last from morning (7/8 AM) until bedtime (7:30PM) no problem, if DS didn't sneak in extra poops.

Now that I have more inserts and more CDs in general, I change DS more often, but I also have inserts with fewer layers to use when I know that he's going poop soon, and to use as extra layers overnight. My favorite style is an AIO with the snap in tri-fold fleece-topped soaker. My favorite one, and the easiest to use, is from Lucy's Hope Chest www.lucyshopechest.com. Everything rolls out, all you need to do when you change the dipe is unsnap the soaker and drop it in the pail, and you can fold extra doublers right into the tri-fold for overnight use.

HTH - and tell your DH that snaps make CDs way, way easier to use than sposies with the sticky or velcro tabs - a squirming baby won't mess up your aim! :)

[pritchettzoo]

Well, considering some people have left a disposable on their child all day, there is no way a natural fiber can compare to the liquid-absorbing gel chemicals. So I don't think you can even compare. Unless you have a rare super-soaking toddler, you shouldn't have a problem so long as the diapers fit correctly and you change them frequently. With cloth, you really need to change after every pee and not wait like you can with a sposie. You'll be surprised how frequently your child actually pees. I know my friends all comment on how much Gracie pees--their kids pee that much too; they just don't know it.

Pockets are probably the easiest and most flexible absorbency-wise. An AIO is the easiest, but not always the most dependable. With pockets, you can vary the stuffing to meet your needs. In my experience, hemp holds more but microfiber absorbs quicker. Hemp combined with microfiber would be a relatively safe combination, but it's not going to magic-gel-absorbent.

You'll probably need to try a few different kinds of pockets--they are all made with a slightly different pattern and fit the baby differently. Before you buy a whole stash of one kind and discover it doesn't fit your baby correctly, I'd get one of that kind to try on.

I have never used suedecloth nor the VB AIOs. Your hubby's a big boy. He can figure out how to pull out some stuffing and throw it in the pail. Men can take apart a car engine or a computer and put it back together and claim to be stumped over diapers!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and a BOY! (coming July '05)

[american_mama]

I am usually asking all the questions since I have only been using cloth diapers for about 2 months with my very small 5 month old, so take my info with a grain of salt. But, I don't think any cloth can compare to the absorbency and dryness of a disposable. But you can get close. Making sure the top layer next to baby's skin is fleece or suedecloth helps a lot with feeling dry; you can use a pocket as is or cute out rectangles of fleece from a fabric store when using other types of diapers.

I like pockets and prefer the velcro at this stage. I think it's easier and faster to put on, and for your DH, more comparable to a disposable. My husband regularly lines up the snaps on our daughter's pajamas in correctly, so i think he'd do the same with a Snap Ez or Fuzzibunz pocket. (This is all hypothetical, since I think he has only put on CD on her to date).

I had stains initially with the fleece liner in a Happy Heiney pocket, but I think that was due to too little of a too cheap detergent. Since then, the poop stains on fleece or suedecloth have removed. I only have suedecloth on one diaper, a Baby Blanket pocket, and I don't really like the feel. It's not as soft as fleece, and the back side (which, granted, never touches DD) is so polyster feeling. I would never wear something out of that fabric, so I don't really like having it in a diaper.

[mudder17]

>I have never used suedecloth nor the VB AIOs. Your hubby's a
>big boy. He can figure out how to pull out some stuffing and
>throw it in the pail. Men can take apart a car engine or a
>computer and put it back together and claim to be stumped over
>diapers!
LOL! I'm telling you, Anna, I just click on your replies to lift my spirits when I'm feeling blue. :7


Eileen

Mother of Beautiful Kaya, www.chemicalgraphics.com/kaya
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040222/0/0/1/-5/.png

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 13 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[squimp]

The bad news is that probably no cloth diaper is as absorbent as a disposable. I think we CD'ers are admitting this. Your question is very logical though.

KrisM performed what I think is currently the most authoritative and comprehensive test on insert absorbence :) (adding appropriate Friday night silliness). In this link you will find that the Pampers absorbed AT LEAST 32 oz, while the most absorbent CD insert absorbed a mere 19 oz. And that was a premium CPF.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=60&topic_id=29528&mode=full

It's also important to note that different materials have different absorption kinetics (the rate of absorption) which affects their performance in diapers - so it's not just how much but how fast they absorb.

The good news is that there are a number of CD options that allow you to change diapers every few hours, and keep your baby's bottom rash free (we hope). You probably don't even want your child to have 32 oz of urine in their diaper :)!

For example a Cottonbabies microfiber insert in a Snap-EZ or FB works really well for us. I like microfiber better than hemp inserts (seem to last longer) but this may be something to compare and learn for yourself.

[calebsmama03]

You've already gotten great info - cloth will never be as absorbant as a sposie in terms of the "leave your baby in one dipe for 12 hours" method, but you can definitely avoid leaks and have a great system! I started cloth when C was 10 mos old. I never liked pockets because I just couldn't get one to fit well around his thighs because they were so skinny. Now that he has chunkster thighs it would probably work!!

DH's fave system for simplicity and no wicking/leaking (unless we go to the zoo and I forget to change for 4 hours - BAD MAMA!!) is Lucy's hope chest AIO's. I love the design of her soakers since it snaps into the shell in the back and has a doubler that snaps onto the front of the soaker - I fold the doubler up front to get extra absorbancy in the boy pee zone. They are pretty trim, too. When it's time for a change all DH has to do is unsnap the soaker/doubler and toss into the pail and hang the shell to air out, unless it's poopy. I also like the economy factor of AIO's over pockets since the shell can be reused multiple times unless it's poopy. If you want to "dip your toes in" without investing too much money, I'd definitely get maybe 2 shells and 2-3 soakers per shell to try them out. :)

If DH is concerned about simplicity, he probably wouldn't like fitteds/covers :( My DH complains that it's like having to put on 2 dipes, which can be a challenge with a toddler who's got an agenda, LOL! He will use them, but mainly for night/nap. I started with all AIO's (used sposies at night for a while) and gradually eased DH into the more "complex" stuff :)
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
And Miss Purple due 5/21/05