Anyone tried a cloth diaper trial program?

[elmojessi]

I’m gung ho about CD’ing our daughter, but my husband isn’t quite on board yet. I’m also overwhelmed by all of the different types and brands of diapers there are out there. It seems that everyone has their own personal favorites for what works and doesn’t work for their child and I don’t want to make an investment in something that may or may not be the best choice for her and us.

I ran across the Jillian’s Drawers website and see that they have a 21 day trial of different kinds and brands of diapers and I’m very interested in giving that a shot. I like that they offer different styles and brands so that we can determine if it’s something that we want to do long term and figure out what works for us. However, they only send 6 diapers, which I imagine would not even be enough to get through one day of diapering, and we’d be washing daily to make sure she has a clean diaper to wear.

I’m guessing that doing laundry daily at that point is not something we’ll want to be doing, so I’m wondering what to do during that trial period. If you did the trial, how long did it take you to figure out what type/brand worked best for you (i.e. at what point where sure enough in your preferences to feel confident buying more of what you liked)? What did you do about not having enough diapers during the trial? Did you use disposables, wash daily, or have other CD’s on hand? Any other tips?

Thanks!

[trales]

I have never done a trial, it sounds really interesting. 6 diapers will get you through about a half a day. If you want to CD all the time, you will need about 24 diapers, in order to laundry every other day.

It seems like a good idea if you are on the fence, you use some disposables to make up the difference and see what you like for a week or two.

[brittone2]

How old is your DD?

With DS, I had considered CDing but was totally overwhelmed with the info and wasn't sure I could handle the washing :o so we just planned on disposables. It became obvious pretty quickly that he was sensitive to all commercial wipes (including "sensitive", "newborn" etc.). So I bought cloth wipes and looooved them (so easy!). That also got me over my initial fears about washing, and I realized it was so not a big deal.

I started researching CDing at that point and thought we'd give it a try. I didn't want to invest a lot in case we hated it. I also didn't have much time to research as DS was like 2-3 weeks old at that point. We started w/ some basic infant prefolds and covers and maybe 1-2 fitteds. If the diapering thing didn't work out, I knew we could reuse the prefolds as burp cloths, mini changing pads, for cleaning around the house, etc. I realized prefolds were cheap and easy, and we stuck w/ those for a while and then added on more options as he got older.

If there is any way you can network with some other CDing mamas in your area that will help IMO. I had friends of friends who were interested in CDing, and our mutual friends hooked us up and we brought over our stuff and showed them some of the different options (an AIO vs. a pocket vs. a fitted plus cover). It makes it so much easier if you can see them in person and have someone talk you through the pros and cons of each type of system.

You may be able to find someone to talk with IRL via mothering dot com's finding your tribe section (divided up by different states/ regions), finding a La Leche Group or Baby Wearing group in your area, asking on Craigslist, etc. IMO it is so much easier to make sense of it after seeing, feeling, etc. the dipes and getting a better feel for what everyone is talking about.

YOu can definitely start small. If your DD is still a young infant I'd start with 2-3 covers and a dozen prefolds (not enough to get you through more than a day max, but a small investment) and see how that goes before diving into more expensive options. Or try one pocket, one fitted plus a cover, and then some prefolds (same covers should work with the fitted or prefold in most cases). You could do that for under $75. If you have an active Craigslist etc. you can resell if it doesn't work out for you.

[alirebco]

We did the Jillians Drawer trial when my son was 5 months old and never looked back! During the trial, I would use a disposable or two while washing and 2 days into it, had already ordered a 6 pack of diapers to add to it. We only ended up keeping one diaper and one cover from the trial but it was so helpful that I recommend it to everyone. And Jillians has great customer service!

[Philoscript]

Hi,

I'm currently doing the trial. We're on day 1 of using the diapers. Although I like the simplicity of the prefolds (esp. in shared facilities with coin operated machines), I'm realizing they might not be absorbent enough for my daughter (she's 6 months) during naps. She leaked EVERYWHERE. I want to love them (due to cost), so I called regarding troubleshooting the leaking issue and they suggested a different fold with another insert. They were very helpful.

Anyway, the fuzzibunz worked well for her with the insert that was included, the kissaluvs fitted with Thirsties cover worked with no leaks after almost 3 hours, etc. I'm learning I like the pockets (they dry quicker than AIOs) for the easy use outdoors and the ability to change absorbency, but prefer the basic diapers (Fitted and prefolds) for home use (as long as she's not napping) and cost-effective laundering.

I get to wash them tomorrow, so I will keep you updated if you wish. We weren't too brave to use them during the night, so she's in a disposable. Like many others, I also started using cloth wipes. My daughter has been sensitive to many different detergents and soaps.

If you want more information, feel free to PM me.

[heatherandlouis]

We use cloth diapers full time now and used some diposables when he was born. The cloth has never leake at night and our son sleeps 8 hours at night. Disposable diapers lak every time as he is a heavy wetter.

[BayGirl2]

I did the Jillians Drawers program, but I ordered before my baby was born. They let you order up to 2 months before your due date then start your 21 day trial any time after the baby comes. That gave me lots of time to get the diapers pre washed, play with them, and do some research.

I knew early on that all in ones would be easiest for our lifestyle, especially since we're doing daycare. So I started to stock up on Thiristies XS and Bum Genius One Size Organics when I found deals. Diaperswappers.com has great info and you can find a lot of used good condition diapers. I also found a WOHM on hyenacart who makes cloth wipes that I like.

When DS arrived we used disposables for the first 1-2 weeks, until the meconium poop was gone. I tried the trial diapers which pretty much confirmed my preferences. Then we went right into the Thirsties. He hasn't worn a sposie since. As it turns out he was sensitive disposable wipes and we didn't like the feel of the chlorine free diapers. DH is a big supporter of cloth too. We ~22 used XS Thirsties for 14 weeks (our DS is skinny) and figured we saved over $100 in that time alone.

We now used fitteds with doublers and a wool cover at night, AIO's during the day, and I have some fitteds and a cover that I use when I'm home with him. We'll be using Gdiapers for a few months at daycare until we start at a different place thats more accommodating of cloth. (We couldn't bear to buy disposables even for a few months.) Everyone who watches him has no problem with the AIO's, they are just as easy as disposables.

I think the trial is a great way to get a feel for types of CD's, but its not enough to diaper your baby. You'll need to have some disposables on hand if you don't buy cloth diapers in advance. There is plenty of info to research online too. Some of it does come down to what fits your DC best, but you'll have some preferences based on your lifestyle, budget, etc. It can be kind of addicting, like strollers, there are always new products coming out. Have fun!

[american_mama]

What wonderful advice you have been given! Just wanted to help/toot my horn and say I have a simple FREE introductory brochure about cloth diapering that I am happy to email people. It's very helpful at breaking down all the gobs of information.

There's nothing in it for me except a feeling of pride and spreading the CD word! I based the brochure largely on the CD 101 thread here, but distilled it all down. Just send me a PM here with your email address.

There is also another cloth trial service... maybe Denver Diaper Co.?