There are so many new moms who are thinking of CDing, or who haven't even thought about diapering, I thought it might be good for us to start a thread about the basics. I didn't know this stuff when I started, and I think if I had known more about what was out there I might have made better choices to start out with.

I'd like to talk about the parts of a diaper, maybe someone else can add a post about wipes or creams or whatever.

A diaper has three basic parts. Working from the inside to the outside , they are:

1. a layer next to baby's skin to keep baby dry.
You don't want baby to be sitting there soaked in pee, you want baby to feel dry even after peeing. In disposables this layer is a stay-dry lining that lets moisture go through one way, but not back towards the skin. In cloth diapers, this layer is fleece or suedecloth. Only certain kinds of fleece will do this. Some people just cut rectangles of fleece and lay in inside the diaper. Some diapers are lined with fleece, sewn in place. Some diapers are pocket diapers with the fleece next to the skin. Some people skip this layer and just make sure to change the diaper as soon as the baby pees.

2. an absorbant layer to soak up the pee.
In disposable diapers, this layer is paper plus some gel beads that soak up moisture and hold it in place. In cloth diapers, this layer is usually cotton or hemp, sewn in layers. Some people add an extra absorbant layer called a "doubler" which is just layers of cloth sewn together. Having it separate makes it dry faster because many layers of cloth sewn together take a long time to dry. Some diapers use a microfiber towel as the absorbant layer. A prefold would be the absorbant layer by itself. A fitted diaper would be the absorbant layer, and can be made out of different types of fabric sewn in layers. A pocket diaper needs something put into the "pocket" to be the absorbant layer.

3. a waterproof cover to keep their clothes dry.
In disposable diapers, this is the plastic layer that you can feel on the outside of the diaper. This layer keeps the pee from soaking all the way through to their clothes. Cloth diaper covers can be plastic (PUL or nylon) or wool or fleece. Wool is naturally water repellent when it has natural lanolin in it. (otherwise sheep would bulk up like a sponge in a rainstorm!). The type of fleece that is used as diaper covers is water repellent. A plastic type of cover can be reused all day long unless it gets poop on it. Wool covers need to air dry between pees (but don't need washed every time). Fleece covers can usually be used only once before they have to be washed.

So, if you want to use cloth diapers, you need to decide what you want for each of the three layers. The differences have to do with cost, ease of use, and absorbancy. (and cuteness!)

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03