I'm discouraged with CDing and baby isn't even here yet...

[mama2be]

Yikes...I've been pretty proud of myself jumping in and researching and trying to buy what i thought was practical to CD. Well I have practiced alittle over the past few days (not with anything just folding them ont heir own with all of the sruff inside) and am very discouraged and want to toss what I have...hopefully someone with experience here can tell me what to do.

I have my 36 PF's, and tons of Prowraps, (and via touch the Gerbers actually feel nicer, but I assume the Prowraps are the thing since they were consistently endorsed). And I've cut 26 fleece liners with "wings" so that I can do the trifold method. Actually my fleece things are the only thing that is corporating...

These PF's are sticking way out, I took advice and folded them up an inch from the "short side" and they are still way too big, I mean I am having to fold them a good 3-4 inches to even fit in the newborn cover. Then you add the fleece (which really takes up nothing) and they are so bunchy and thick my DH thinks I am crazy to even consider putting such a "brick" on the baby (I know my friends will chime in)...

Please help what I can I do with these, can I sacrafice the PFs for the "newborn stage" and have a seamstress just hem them a good 3 inches...

I am seriously about to toss all of it...I really ahve spent a lot time trying to do what is right here and am VERY frustrated...

Thanks...buying more stuff or AIO's etc... is not an option...if I can't make it work with what I have then I will have to switch to disposables...

UGHHH I am so upset...

[joodyjr]

Well, I've only been CD'ing about 9 or so weeks now, but it's old hat to me now. I just slap (not literally) a dipe on her and away we go... LOL.

Don't fret, don't give up. It's terribly overwhelming. I've taken on some major research projects, and cloth diapers have been the most time consuming and diverse to date.

I pop on this board from time to time, but I don't remember your stash exactly, but you mention CPF's and proraps in this post....

I started with 3 doz bleached CPF's and 12 unbleached in infant size. I ended up selling all the bleached on Ebay and keeping the unbleached. While I love them, I only use them when I'm all out of fitteds. I found a Prefold with joey bunz or two prefolds together to be fine. When she was teeny tiny, I folded the back down about an inch for a better fit. I used CPF's for several weeks before discovering the wonderful world of WAHM diapers. I fasten them with a snappi. I love that snappi!!

The proraps. hmmm.... I read alot of great things about them too, so I bought a dozen +. My first mistake was ordering newborn size. They are just really small. I had ordered them from Naturalbabies.com and she was able to exchange them for me for smalls. I really never found the love with them. I found Imse Vimse Bumpy's to be the best best best covers. I love them. They work well over CPF's, and kissaluv's!

But, that's just the beginning of my adventure. Long story short, I now use fitted's exclusively and CPF's if we run out or I'm just wanting a change of scenery so to speak. I have a ton of joey bunz, so I guess I feel guilty for them just sitting there unused and put a prefold on just to use the joey bunz.

I have found several WAHM diapers to fit the bill just wonderfully. I still love Kissaluvs and use Mother Ease Airflow covers occasionally. In my case, I kind of got out of control ordering from many many different places, but I think it worked out because I got to try so many different diapers, I've now found what works very well for us.

If you think you've err'ed in your purchases, don't worry, sell them on Ebay or WAHMALL.com. Cloth diapers do very well on auctions. I came very close to recovering all costs when I sold my covers and CPF's on ebay.

I do think you will like Prefolds, I just think you'll be happier with Proraps in small instead of newborn size. I also recommend trying one or two Bumpy's covers. Bummis also worked very well. Both can be found at Naturalbabies.com, an online vendor I highly recommend!

I can go through an entire day with just 2 covers for my exclusively breastfed DD. Granted fitteds do a much better job containing poo, but if a little gets on the cover, I use a baby wipe and wipe it off. I've found PUL covers dry very quickly after washing.

I've ended up with several different types of diapers and covers including some fleece and wool. It's almost an obsession anymore. I'm always checking different sites for new diapers. I definitely haven't saved any money doing this, but it can be done well, and conservatively, financially speaking.

I wish I could be more help, but I do want to offer encouragement. I was honestly very nervous about starting to cloth diaper, and that was when DD was 1 week old and I had this big ole stash of diapers. My mom was with me that week and she showed me how to pin the diapers, and fold them (that was also the one and only day I used pins, the snappi's are the best!). Now, I show Mom a thing or two about diapers.

To be honest I only use one "official" AIO, Bumkins. I like it very much, but it's second string in the diaper drawer. The other is a Darling Diaper, which is an AIO, but it has a removable soaker. Same principle, better design.

So, don't give up. Don't hesitate to e-mail me, I'd love to try and help if I can!!!

[email protected]

[corrie]

Neve,
I wouldn't het too discouraged just yet. I too have tried to practice with my CPFs and covers but the reality is that until I actually put the diaper on my real child, I have no idea what will work well and what won't.

A few things: first, I assume that you are using infant sized CPFs as opposed to regular or premiums (which would be way too big for a newborn). From what I understand, you do still need to fold up a portion of the PF to shorten the length, but that is desirable...it puts more absorbancy where you need it and it aids in the creation of a "poo pocket" that will help catch poo and keep it from leaking out of your diaper. When I tried folding my infant CPF and snappied them, they were very similar in size and bulk to newborn kissaluvs, so I don't think the bulk would be a problem.

If you are still terribly concerned about the infant PFs being too big, I would NOT have them chopped up and made smaller (babies are tiny for a very short time). Instead I would consider buying preemie CPFs, but I really don't think this will be necessary....you also have no idea what size your baby will be at birth.

Don't get yourself all worked up about problems you haven't even had yet. Wait until the baby is born. Get to know baby (size, shape, elimination habits) and your diapering system, and become more familiar with the different ways to fold a diaper (newspaper fold, origami fold, etc.) and make changes then. Don't assume that the system you've chosen won't work before you've even given it a try.

Good luck...I'm keeping my fingers crossed for both of us!

-Corrie

[joodyjr]

I meant to add, I use Infant Prefolds, and they were never too big on DD, even at 1 week old. She weighed 7lb 7oz and I only folded about an inch in the back.

[mama2be]

I feel alot better now...someone on the PP diaper board recommended at the newborn stage actually using washcloths or soakers, doublers and skipping the PFs all together.

I swear I was having my first pregnancy "melt down" last night with these things in my lap...and then you have DH (who really is a dear) holding them up and saying "this is bulky...this can't fit on him...now what are you doing"...It's enough to make me run off into the bathroom and hide from him until I have it all figured out. IF I have one more person look at me and say "why are you doing THAT????" with their nose all cringeled up I think I will explode. I've had several folks say that to me and once we get to talking they all admit they considered the option or even tried it so I wonder why they would ask it that way...

Thanks for your suggestions...I'm hanging in there with it all, they're not in the trash yet :)...

[KathyO]

I can't offer too much specific help on the PF front, but I will say that all new babies look like they are being swallowed up by their cloth diapers. Here is your poor little spindly-legged delicate newborn darling, whom you are certain is going to fall apart if you so much as BREATHE on him/her, and here's this big awkwardly-folded WAD of cloth (awkward because you haven't had any real practice yet) wrapped around their middle!

So when you first try cloth diapers, don't worry if they look strange to your eye. You'll get better at it, baby will fill out, and before you know it you can change a diaper in the dark, or on a car's back seat, or while holding a telephone conversation!

Cheers,

KathyO

[Melanie]

When you say "WAHMs" what do you mean? Is it just that ANY diaper made by a WAHM is better, or are you talking about a specific one?

THX.


Mommy to Jonah

[mama2be]

I asked this same question several weeks ago (keep in mind I am very new to this CD thing). I might be leaving something out or "off" a bit...but I believe it is diapers that are made, or distributed by women who work at home and run these "diaper business". A lot of folks like to support them (understandably) so try to use them...

I think it was KathyO that brought up a good point that many of the non WAHM business are "WAHM roots", in that they were business from home that took off and are now run out of a home...but the philosophies are the same...

This has been my impression of what the terms mean when applied to the CD biz...

[egoldber]

Most all fitted cloth diapers are made by WAHMs. Some are smaller WAHMs than others. I have tried a few of the diapers made by some of the smaller WAHMs and haven't found them to be any better than the "big names" like Motherease or Kissaluvs or FuzziBunz.

With cloth diapers, it's all about how a diaper fits YOUR baby, not how it fits someone else's baby.

HTH,

[egoldber]

It'll be OK! You can read and read, but until you put a diaper on a baby, it's hard to visualize how it all works. But it will work! And you can do it!

And the diaper can be somewhat bulky. So what? With premium size prefolds, I have to fold up at least 2-4 inches on Sarah to make it fit her. I find the "regular" size prefold fit her so much better than the premiums that everyone raves about. To be honest, this is one reason I prefer fitteds! There is far less guess work and folding involved!

Give yourself a few days to get the hang of it. What's the worst that can happen? A little pee or poop escapes (and that's gonna happen no matter what!). So you throw another outfit in the HUGE pile of laundry. Who notices?

I think you have a lot of nerve for going bravely forward on the cloth diaper route. It's only natural to be nervous about this (and other things) as the baby day draws near, but it'll all work out. Soon you'll have that baby and you'll be into that "mommy groove". :)

HTH,