Cloth Diapers=Woah

So I've been researching cloth diapers on and off for quite awhile now (even before I was pregnant), but only today did I really buckle down and do the research needed to see what I thought I would like, and more importantly, what it would cost us. I think I've made my decision, but I wanted to post here and see if any other cloth-diapering mothers out there could give me some advice on my choices. (Plus it's Saturday night and Dan has gone out to a party, so I'm all alone and have nothing better to do, ha!)

The main thing I've decided to do is to get a variety of types of diapers, so that I can find out what I really like and then adjust accordingly when little Kid A gets older (or for the next baby...)

Because of their price value, I've decided to buy 2 packages of Bummis Organic Cotton Prefolds, one for Infants and one for Baby. Each comes with 6 diapers and from what I can tell, they are fairly easy and good to use, even when (and maybe especially when) the baby is really small. I will probably use these mostly on days when it's just me and the little one at home, so that Papa won't have to use them too much, but I'm sure he could learn if he had to. For our budget (less than $500 from birth to potty training, including all accessories), this seems like the best way to go.

To go with these of course I'll need some Snappies (I'm not really aware of any other kind of closure devices, are there others out there?), and some covers/wraps. Based on the reviews I've read, the Bummis Super Whisper Wraps are the best multi-purpose use wraps, they fit well over prefolds, flats and fitted diapers, even non-Bummis brand ones. So I'll be buying 4 of these, 2 with Velcro closures and 2 with snap closures (the woman at the store said that snaps are better for older kids since they are harder to get off.) The patterns are so cute!

Another type of diaper that we'll be getting is the fitted kind. These will be easier for Dan and the grandparents to use, but are still cheaper (generally) than pocket and all-in-one diapers. I haven't done a ton of research on different kinds, but another mom recommended Sandy's Mother-Ease fitted diapers since they are super absorbent and long-lasting. So the plan is to buy 3 of these at the moment, and if we really like them I'll probably buy more.

Since we don't have a huge budget we won't be able to afford many pocket and all-in-one diapers, but I did buy 3 Fuzzibunz Pocket Diapers today because they were 24% off and seemed like a good way to ease into our cloth diapering purchases. I've only heard/read good things about Fuzzibunz so I have no doubt that I won't regret buying these.

So that's what I have planned out so far. The cost will be about 250$. This still only equals 18 diapers and 4 wraps (9 for up to 15-20lbs and 9 for 20lbs+, plus 2 covers for each weight category), so I realize that I'll definitely need more, but I'm hoping to find some 2nd hand and/or receive a few as gifts to fill in the gaps, and if not I'll most likely fill in the gaps myself with more prefolds or fitted diapers, and only count on my luxury diapers for special occasions. But overall I'm quite happy and excited for trying this out, I realize it's going to be some work, but I'm lucky (?) in the fact that I haven't changed a lot of diapers in my life, so I'm not used to disposables by any means, so if this is all I know then it should be easy.

Now, ideally, if I had all the money in the world, there are some cloth diapers I would definitely buy, like the Bum Genius all-in-one diaper, (or even the Fuzzibunz all-in-one diaper-as opposed to the pocket version I have), and the Bummis Bamboozle Fitted Diaper looks really nice too. And for the mother of all wool covers (with a price tag to boot), is the Aristocrats Wool Soaker.

I also love the idea though of handmade knitted wool diaper covers (even though I know they are not as absorbent), but for the cuteness factor alone I would suffer through some leaks. I mean, look how cute this is! (Mama, si tu es entrain de lire ceci, voici un autre projet pour toi, haha)

Photo from here

So that's about it. My main source so far as far as cloth diaper education and reviews go has been Simple Mom, she has a wonderful series on cloth diapering that completely sold me on the idea long ago. I've also been checking out The Diaper Pin for reviews on items Simple Mom doesn't have listed. There are so many brands out there though, it's hard to know which ones to go with, so I've basically stuck with the most popular brand names, but if there's one that I'm missing, please let me know! (I've also chosen these brands because they are available locally at a wonderful local baby boutique called Nurtured, it's gorgeous in there, and they sell mostly natural/eco-friendly products, check out their site!)

So, cloth diapering mothers, what advice do you have for me? Mothers-to-be, are you thinking about cloth diapering and if so, what brands/types are you leaning towards? I'd love to hear from someone else, since it's such a large investment and part of your child's (and your) daily life, it's important to make good choices.

Or am I just nuts and obsessive on this Saturday night?

I may just be.

PS-I totally plan on using disposables sometimes, especially when he's just a tiny itty-bitty newborn and maybe near the end when they are potty training, or just to have a pack around for nighttime/travel, but I'd like to be about 80% cloth diapered.