Cloth Diapering On The Go

Can you really leave the house with cloth diapers?

You sure can! When people new to cloth diapering stop by the store to purchase or learn about cloth diapers, they often say the same thing: "I'm just going to use cloth at when I'm at home, and disposables when I am out."  When I ask them why, they just assume that it must be a messy pain in the butt to change a cloth diaper while on the go. But it is truly no different that using disposables...I promise! You just have to bite the bullet and do it. You'll be surprised just how easy it is!

Bummis Wet Bag

What do you need to pack?

It's really very simple, all you need is your wet bag and a clean cloth diaper. Well, and a diaper bag, some wipes, an extra change of clothing, toys, teethers, bottom balm, pacifiers, bottles, sippy-cups, snack, favorite blanket, a 3rd change of clothes, some bibs, Sophie the Giraffe, and the list goes on. But hey, you need all that even if you are using disposable diapers!

Seriously though, if you have a wet bag and a clean diaper, you can change your baby! Who wants to take home a poopy mess you're probably thinking right? You won't be! Unless your outside in the park, then chances are there is a toilet nearby. You can shake the soils into the toilet or use a diaper liner like Eco Sprout's Eco-Bottom Liners when you are out for easy clean up. Just pick up the liner and flush. Your used diaper now gets safely tucked away inside your waterproof and smell proof wet bag. If you are breastfeeding, then you just roll the diaper up nice and small and place it inside your wetbag. When you get home, your diapers and wet bag can all go into the wash or pail together! I recommend having two wet bags or you are sure to find yourself out one day while you soiled bag is at home in the laundry.

Flip Disposable Soaker Pads

Still not Having it...

Here is another option for you...bio-degradable soaker pads! They are super easy to use and fully disposable. All you do is place the pad inside your wrap like you would a pre-fold. Then when you change baby, all you do is toss the soaker pad in the trash! The nice thing is that these pads are biodegradable and contain a lot less SAP than a disposable diaper so it is safer for your little love. Don't have any wraps? That's okay, you can just use an un-stuffed pocket diaper by placing the pad on top of the fleece and fastening the diaper on baby.

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What do you do with the poop? 

 When considering whether or not to use cloth diapers, this question will undoubtedly come to mind. You will also be asked this question many times from other people.  The thought might just terrify your childless friend, but I promise, it's not that difficult...really!  What you do partially depends on what your child is eating. If you are exclusively nursing, then you're in luck! The only thing you need to do is remove the diaper and toss it directly into your diaper pail or wet bag to wash. No rinsing, no dunking necessary! Why? Breast milk poop is 100% water soluble, meaning it dissolves in water. What could be easier? If you are formula feeding, supplementing with formula, or baby is eating solids,  then the poop should be discarded first. There are a couple of ways to do this.

Dunk, Swirl, Swish, Scrape!

This is the old School method, and while it can be a little daunting at first, it will do the trick. Baby poop is not that bad, really and truly!  Just dip the diaper into the toilet and swirl it around. I have to do this when I am traveling and sometimes it helps to flush the toilet while holding the diaper in the basin. Remember, this method has been done for hundreds of years...and everyone is just fine.  The only warning I have is to  be sure to hold on tight! I have heard stories of the diaper being whisked away quite quickly!   I also know of others who keep a pair of rubber gloves in the bathroom and just dunk and wring out their diapers, as well as people who have a plastic spatula to scrape the diaper off. That will work too. Just store the spatula in the bathroom under the sink with some Clorox wipes and wipe it once you are done.  Don't worry if it all does not come off. Your machine can handle more than you think, that coupled with a pre-wash cycle, hot wash cycle and an extra rinse...your diapers will end up squeaky clean!

Spray it off!

Personally, I have a diaper sprayer. I use it every day, and I love it! A diaper sprayer is a high pressure wand that attaches to most standard toilets. It also comes with a wall mount for the wand and an on/off valve. To use your sprayer you need to lift up both toilet seats and Hold the diaper into the toilet. Spray the wand aiming the water in a downward motion rising the soils into the toilet. When your diaper is fully rinsed, just toss it in your diaper pail or wet bag and it is ready to be washed.  I love my sprayer. Did I say that already?

 Have you heard about diaper liners? 

If you haven't, be prepared to be aww struck! ...and if dad is not on board with the idea of cloth, this might just get him! A diaper liner is usually made of viscose commonly known as rayon. Newer to the cloth diaper world are liners made from Bamboo fibers instead of rayon. Bamboo is often preferred over rayon because it is ultra soft and offers many of the great properties of Bamboo including it's anti-microbial and anit-fungal properties. It is also non-irritating to the skin. Diaper liners are flushable and bio-degradable and come in a roll much like paper towels. These super thin sheets are perforated and tear off very easily. All you need to do is place the liner on top of whatever diaper you are using and when you change your baby, simply pick up the liner (with the soil) and toss in the trash or flush down the toilet, voila! My favorite brand is Eco-Bottom Liners made by Eco Sprout.

 While the diaper sprayer and diaper liners have revolutionized cloth diapering, remember you can still kick it old school and dunk your soiled diapers into the toilet as well.

What do you do with the poop?

Comment below and let us know! Also, enter for your chance to win a roll of Eco-Bottom Liners by Eco Sprout.



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The Science Behind Detergent

Whether you have just decided to cloth diaper, or have been using cloth for years, there will come a time when your detergent fails. It could be a detergent that you have been using for weeks or months, or it could be a brand new detergent that you just tried for the first time. My diapers stink, my diapers leak, my child has a rash! These are common posts, found on blogs, boards, and written in emails. The first person to blame is usually the detergent itself ex: Detergent XYZ gave my child a rash, or detergent XYZ caused my diapers to leak! Regardless of the problem, the detergent company is usually the first to blame. But before you blame the detergent itself, it is important to understand the "science" behind detergent and how it works. Sometimes all it takes is some adjustments to your wash routine to get the clean diapers you are looking for!

Water is key!

The single most important ingredient when washing diapers is WATER. After all, it makes up 99% of what you are washing your diapers with.  The quality of your water is critical. It is recommended that if you have even moderately hard water that you invest in a water softening device. This will save you time and money in the long run and even elongate the life of your clothing. Having a water softener also helps with the wear and tear on your washing machine and plumbing as well. Your water hardness is measured by the level of calcium and magnesium carbonate present in your water.  Other things that will affect your water's washing ability is chlorine, iron, alkalinity, total dissolved solids etc. The ingredients in detergent react differently to the minerals in your water. This is usually not noticed when washing clothing, but we are talking about cloth diapers here, which is entirely different. Clothing is not (or should not be) peed and pooped in on a daily basis.

Minerals:

Your water contains minerals. Hard water minerals need to get broken down in your wash cycle. That is what a water softener or an added softener like Calgon does. They break down the minerals. Otherwise, these minerals will bind with the active ingredient in the detergent making it less effective. The minerals then can also re-deposit back on to your diapers essentially clogging the fibers and preventing your diapers from getting clean. This can lead to that barnyard, not-so-clean smell, ammonia build up, and rashes. Some detergents will add ingredients specifically to combat this problem. Examples would be: Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Borate, or other surfactants that do not bind with the ions in your water. Sometimes those with extremely hard water may still need to add a water softener even when using detergents specifically formulated for hard water.

There are 4 main factors:  

Chemical Action, Water Temperature, Mechanical Action, and Time.  All 4 factors must be present to wash cloth diapers effectively.

1. Water Temperature: Washing in warm to hot water is always best. For every 10 degrees your water drops in temperature, there is a 50% reduction in the chemical reaction. Also, temperature must reach 140 degrees to kill the bacteria in your diapers. Most detergents work better/faster in warmer temperatures.

2. Chemical Action: The detergent added to your machine. People are so afraid of using too much detergent, that they tend to use too little instead. Using too little detergent, or detergent that is getting diluted by too much water will result in stinky diapers. I have yet to find a detergent that will really work with only 1 TBSP for the long run. 

3. Mechanical Action: This is achieved by the diapers rubbing up against each other in your wash cycle. Proper friction is needed for the fibers of your diapers to get clean. Imagine washing your hands: if you just put soap on them an ran them under water - your hands would not get very clean. You need to rub them to together. The same is true for fabric. That is why it is also important to have the right load size. Too many diapers and they move around your washing machine in one clump. Too few diapers and they swim around the water in your machine unaware of each other. 

4. Length of Cycle: This is a very important factor in washing cloth diapers. If the diapers are not exposed to the Chemical Action and Mechanical Action (detergent & friction) long enough, the fibers are not penetrated by the water and soils are not released. A 15-20 minute wash cycle is usually not going to be very effective. If that is the longest setting your machine offers, consider two wash cycles in a row. 

 If you decrease one of the 4 main factors, then you need to increase the other three! So if you are washing in a lower temperature, you need to increase your other factors.

Fabric Types:

Believe it or not, the type of fabric you are washing does make a difference! 

Cotton: If a diaper is made of 100% cotton (like a pre-fold) it is going to be the easiest to clean. Why? Because it is made of layers of cotton twisted around itself and is very absorbent, which means it loves wetness! This makes cotton diapers easy to rinse clean without build-up. 

Polyester is derived from oil so it initially will repel water. It takes a little more time to wash and likes to hold on to oily stains. If not properly washed can lead to stink.

Microfiber: In reality, there is no such "fabric". Microfiber is a man-made fiber that is made up of channels. These channels pull moisture deep inside, which makes it very absorbent. This also makes them very difficult to clean. The detergent and water must fully penetrate into these channels to get them clean which is hard to do, because the channels are already filled with urine. That is why people tend to have more stink issues with microfiber.

Water Level: 

Water level is also very important when washing cloth diapers. A common misconception is that you need lots and lots of water to wash cloth diapers. That is not entirely true. A lot of water is necessary for pre-rinsing your diapers and flushing out the urine. It is also good to have a lot of water for your final rinse cycle. However, a mistake that is being made over and over is too much water and too little detergent. You have to pick a side here. If you are washing a small load of diapers, but are setting your machine to L or XL load and then using 1-2 TBSP of detergent...chances are your detergent is getting too diluted to clean your diapers effectively. If your water level is too high, your diapers are also probably missing the friction needed to get clean. Instead they are swimming around in gallons of extra water. Try reducing the amount of water in your wash cycle so that your diapers are fully saturated with some extra water. If possible, set the water on high for your pre-rinse cycle or at the end for your extra rinse instead. 

Okay, now what?

Now that you know the science behind detergent, but your diapers stink or your child has a rash what do you do?  Contact the manufacturer of the detergent you are using. Don't rely on posts made by others, blogs, and reviews. Sure, you can read them to get ideas and see if others have gone through what you have and you can pick up on something you haven't tried before. But the true experts are the manufactures! They know exactly what is in their detergent and what routines work best based on your machine, water type, water level etc. The manufacturers of cloth diaper detergents are eager to help and are owned by small families and their products are used on their own children. More than likely you will need to adjust your wash routine and yes - even sometimes switch your detergent if all else fails.

Wash Routine:

I get washing questions and emails all the time. I have done tons of research, and spoken to my detergent manufactures at length. I do find that most often users having problems are using too much water, too little detergent, or they have a short wash cycle.  Another common problem is too many washes & rinses without detergent when you have hard water. If the minerals are not broken down properly, they will re-deposit back on to your diapers and cause stink, build-up, and rash. It is very rare that the detergent is "causing your child's rash", more than likely it is the way the active ingredients are reacting with the minerals in your water in conjunction with how you are washing your diapers (ie: wash routine).  I have found the following suggestions work really well:

1. Ditch the pre-rinse. Instead run a short wash or pre-wash cycle with warm water if possible. If you are battling stink, try adding 1 TBSP of detergent to this cycle.
2. Make sure you are using the longest wash cycle your machine allows. If your cycle is under 20 minutes you may want to consider a pre-rinse in cold, followed by two hot water washes with detergent instead.
3. If you have a top-loader, before your main wash - pull the knob out and let your diapers soak in the hot water with detergent for 1/2 hour. Push the knob in and let the cycle complete.

Summary:

Not every diaper works for every child. While you may be in love with Fuzzi Bunz, your sister may think they are terrible and leak. The same thing goes for detergents. Your water, mineral content, washing machine, water level, types of fibers, and cycle length all factor in when finding the detergent is right for you. If a detergent is not working for you, contact the manufacturer & try the suggestions they give you. If it still does not work, switch detergents. But please remember that these family owned companies care about creating the best possible product for you and your babies. I have tried several detergents. Some of them worked okay, and some of them did not. Maybe I didn't give it enough time, maybe my routine was off, maybe the detergent reacted with the minerals in my well water.  Now that I have found the right detergent for me, I have not had to strip my diapers, and I no longer struggle with ammonia or rashes.I still play around with my routine, even after 3 years of cloth diapering, and I find that switching up my routine every now and then, washing them a few extra times, doing a mini-soak ect. works wonders!  If one detergent worked for everyone there wouldn't be an entire grocery store aisle full of different detergent brands to choose from, there wouldn't be a million types of soaps, toothpaste, jeans and the list goes on! 

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Mama Cloth: If I tried them, you can too!

Fair warning, I am going to be writing about my experience with "mama cloth" and my menstrual cycle. This is your chance to stop reading if that makes you uncomfortable.........

Okay, here we go.  Mama Cloth. If you are not sure what that is, mama cloth is a term to describe reusable menstrual pads. Yep, that's what I said: reusable!  Now I consider myself green, but definitely not crunchy. When the idea was first brought up to me I cringed. The entire thought of having to rinse out and re-use a menstrual pad was  a tad over-the-top for me. I already recycle, I nursed all 4 of my children, I cloth diaper my boys, and educate people everyday on the benefits of using cloth diapers over disposables to our planet. Did I really need to start using mama cloth too?  But then I started thinking about it, all those nasty chemicals that are in disposable diapers are also in pads and tampons. I have a daughter who will be maturing in a few short years. If I won't put my sons in disposable diapers, would I want my daughter wearing pads? Then I did the math: I have a heavy flow (sorry if this is TMI, but I did warn you). So I figure I spend around $10 a month on tampons and pads. The average female has her period from age 12 to 52. That is 40 years and $4,800! WOW!

Adorable Gift Bag

Making the choice:

I then had a lengthy discussion with Robyn of It's a Girl Thing Period by Posh Pads. Robyn is just the sweetest person and she urged me to give them a try. In fact, she very generously sent me an entire stash so I could take part in the It's a Girl Thing Cloth Challenge to give their mama cloth a try for my next cycle. When I got the mail a few short days later I was shocked! I received an entire supply of mama cloth in several different pattern and sizes in an adorable gift box.  The first thing I did was lay them all out on the counter and tell my husband how cute they all were. (Seeing any resemblance to a cloth diaper addiction here?) I promptly prepped all my goodies by washing them in Eco Sprout detergent and laid them out to dry.

Love the dark colors for the pad. No Staining!

The Fit:

I had never been so excited to get my period before, lol :)  So once the day came I just had to decide which pad to use. My first couple of days are the heaviest, so I really appreciated that some of the pads had a double heart sewn on them to indicate they were for a heavier flow. I have to admit, I did have some trouble and leaking in the beginning. I found that the pads moved around a lot, and I always seemed to leak at the top and the sides. After several mishaps, I decided I had to adjust the pad to lay more towards the front on me, because of this I really loved the extra long pad that was sent with my trial. I also discovered that tighter underwear made a big difference in the pad moving around. Once I figured this out, the rest of my days went really well. I especially liked the mini's. I found these were great for that last day  - you know, the just when you thought you were finished type of day. I found the pads to be very soft and super comfortable - much more comfortable than a disposable maxi pad!

Super cute prints.

Overall:

Mama cloth is really easy to use. I made sure to use them for two full cycles before writing the review. It definitely took some getting used to, especially for a previous Tampon user, but overall I really liked it. Because of my personal flow, during my second month of using mama cloth, I used a tampon for the first day, with a reusable pad for my back up (which I needed). After that first heavy day, I switched to all cloth and it worked great.  I was very surprised at how much the pads absorbed and found that for my lighter days, one pad would last me a long time. They are super soft and really very comfortable to wear.  If you already cloth diaper, you will find that this is very similar and just a small jump from doing what you already are.

Care: 

Easy to snap.

Cleaning them was also not nearly as bad as I had imagined. I promise, it was not gross at all!  I just run  cold water over the pad and squeeze until the water runs clear. If you have a diaper sprayer, I found that also works really well! You can just hold the pad over the toilet basin and spray with the sprayer. Because they have been fully rinsed out I would just toss them in with whatever I had to wash next. Some people wash them only with their towels or with their cloth diapers (if you use cloth diapers). I think it is just a personal decision. I also liked how you could fold them and snap them closed and then toss in a wet bag. It made changing one outside of the home very easy. After washing, I would dry them in the dryer until almost dry. I like to take them out early and then lay flat to dry nice and smooth. I found they were more comfortable to wear when they were dried this way. Note: do not use bleach or fabric softener. I washed my mama cloth in Eco Sprout detergent and they came out beautifully clean with no staining.

The Pads:

Compact.

It's a Girl Thing Period pads come in several different lengths and all kinds of adorable prints. They can be purchased separately or as a starter set. They are well worth the price and will save you a lot of money. Click here to see our collection.

What do you think? Would you be willing to give mama cloth a try?  Enter our giveaway to win your own sampler pack! Open to US residents only. All entries will be verified.

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Cloth Diaper 101

Trying to navigate the world of cloth diapers?  It's easy, just takes a little getting used to!  Here are some descriptions and terminology to help.  If you're in the area, stop by our store where you can see and feel the diapers as well as take a diaper 101 class! We also offer a fantastic DIAPER TRIAL where you can try all the different types of diapers out there before you buy!!

Itti Bitti D'lish AIO

All-In-One Cloth Diapers (AIO's)
Looking for easy? The AIO is the cloth diaper for you!  These diapers are truly just as easy as disposables, except instead of tossing them in the trash, you toss them in the wash!  All-in-one cloth diapers are easy to use, trim fitting, and have a waterproof cover built right into the diaper.  There is no folding or stuffing needed and they are often referred to as  "the daddy diaper".  AIO's are very popular for first time users and for babies that are cared for by others like grandparents, daycares, or babysitters.  If your baby is away from home, just take off the AIO and toss it in a wet-bag (waterproof diaper bag for soiled diapers) then you can wash it later!

All-In-Two (AI2's):  All-in-twos are just like an All-in-one, except the absorbent soaker pad is not attached to the diaper. It is completely separate and must either be set inside the diaper cover or snapped in place. This allows for a faster drying time than an All-In-One diaper.

Thirsties Fab Fitted

Fitted Diapers

Fitted diapers are similar to a prefold or flat diaper.  The difference is that instead of having to fold a prefold diaper, a fitted diaper is shaped to fit snugly around your baby.  Fitted diapers are soft and squishy and are available in cotton, microfleece, and bamboo.  They also come in many adorable colors and prints. Fitted diapers are extremely easy to use and come with either snaps or hook and loop (just like Velcro) closures.  The fitted diaper is the absorbent part of the diaper, so a cover  is required.(Although many moms skip the cover unless they are leaving the house) Fitteds are a great choice for newborns too, as their snug fit contains messes easily and they are a very popular choice for night time and naps.

One size diapers (OS) One Size Diapers were designed to simplify the cloth diapering process.  OS's are designed to go from approximately 8-35 lbs and allow for maximum adjustability as your child grows.  Most come with 3 rows of snaps allowing you to choose the right size to fit your child.  These diapers are a great choice if you have more than one child in diapers allowing you to use them on all your kids- no matter their size!  One size diapers are available in most cloth diaper styles.

Charlie Banana Pocket Diaper

Pocket Diapers Pocket diapers are similar to All-In-Ones, but they have a waterproof outer layer that is sewn together with either a microfleece or microsuede inner layer that creates a “pocket” to stuff.  You then stuff the pocket with an insert or prefold.  What is wonderful about pocket diapers is you can choose the amount of absorbency your child needs and stuff accordingly.  So if you have a heavy wetter or it is night time, you can use a super-soaker, or double up on the inserts. Another advantage to the pocket diaper is that the fleece layer is next to baby's skin gently wicking away the moisture and keeping your baby feeling dry for hours. Pocket diapers typically come with an absorbent insert.  

Prefolds These are by far the most economical way to cloth diaper your baby!  Prefolds are very absorbent rectangular pieces of fabric that you can fold in different ways to fit your baby.  They are then fastened with a snappi, or simply used with a diaper cover to keep the diaper in place.  There are different types of prefolds available including Chinese prefolds and Indian prefolds.  The Indian prefolds are a bit heavier and more absorbent and durable than Chinese prefolds because of the twill weave used.  It is important to know that all prefolds will shrink when washed (usually up to 10%) and require several washes in hot water to become softer, fluffier, and more absorbent prior to use.  Prefolds are the diapers you must use if you would like to use a diaper cleaning service.  When your baby grows to the next size prefold, you can use the smaller ones for rags, burp cloths, towels, or as inserts for pocket diapers since they are so absorbent.

Thirsties Covers

Diaper Covers or Wraps: These are used over prefolds  and fitted diapers  by wrapping securely around your baby with either snaps or Velcro-style closure.  They come in tons of different styles and colors.  These are a great choice, as they are very economical and can be used for several different diaper changes.  You just toss the prefold or fitted diaper in your diaper pail, and you can air-dry the wrap if needed, and then use it again for another changing.  This system requires you to buy less quantity.

Diaper Inserts:  Most inserts are made of micro-fiber terry, bamboo, or hemp. Diaper inserts are used to put into pocket diapers for the absorbent part of a diaper.

Diaper Liners

Diaper Liners: This wonderful eco-friendly invention makes cloth diapers even easier!!!! Bottom Liners are a flushable liner making clean-up a breeze!  No rinsing of poopy diapers in the toilet, instead, these liners absorb the solid waste and you just discard the soiled liner in the toilet and flush or toss in the garbage.  These liners can be used with any cloth diaper system.

GroVia Hybrid in Vanilla

Hybrid Diapers: These diapers are the newest addition to the world of cloth and are a wonderful compromise between cloth diapering for the environment and using disposable for ease of cleaning.  With Hybrid diapers, you can use an inner reusable nylon snap-in liner that you will wash after changing, or a disposable insert that can be tossed in the trash or composted reducing the need for poopy clean-up!  Hybrid diapers allow you to re-use the waterproof shell for several changes before washing.

DSQ: This stands for Diaper Service Quality. This is is high quality materials to withstand lots of use and a lot of laundering. DSQ is typically used when describing high quality pre-fold diapers.

Understanding the terminology is half the battle when it comes to cloth diapers!!  Enter to win a $20 gift card to our store!

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Ditch The Diaper Bag!

Ditch the diaper bag with this adorable Uptown Diaper Clutch!  Lilly Bit created this stylish alternative to bulky diaper bags allowing you to leave the house to run a quick errand without having to lug around a huge diaper bag! The clutch offers convenient features allowing you to change your baby in a snap! 

There have been many times when I have just had to run into a store and did not want to bring in a huge diaper bag full of stuff. A quick trip to Target or even stopping out for a bite to eat but I still wanted my diaper supplies in case I needed to do quick diaper change. Sure, I have carried in just a diaper in the past and then when I least expected it, needed the wipes I had  forgotten in the car, or wish I had taken in my bottom balm. Then I came across this adorable diaper "bag" if you will and knew I had to bring it in to the store! 

The bag offers several different ways to carry and can be worn as a shoulder bag, Hand bag, wristlet or clutch.  Check it out by clicking here.

What does it hold exactly? I have found that the bag will hold everything you need for one to two diaper changes. I tried several variations of cloth diapers along with my bottom balm stick, cloth wipes & spray, and a small wet bag, and it fits perfectly. The best part is, that if I only needed one diaper, I could put my wallet, keys, and phone in here as well, eliminating the need for a purse.

The Uptown Clutch sells for $36.50 and is available in several colors.


Want to win one for yourself?  Enter to win! Just do the things listed below to be automatically entered. You will receive the correct number of entries shown below for each thing that you do...therefore it is not necessary to post the same thing twice to get your two entries.

1. Post a comment below and include email address 1 entry: (only one comment counts)
2. Become a follower of this blog: 2 entries
3. Be a fan of Cutie Poops and Bottoms on Facebook: 2 entries
4. Place my button on your blog and post a comment below saying you are using it and where: 3 entries 
5. Post a link to this blog somewhere and comment below telling us where you posted it: 3 entries for each location you post our link 

Winner will be posted on our blog and facebook page Wednesday November 16th.  Please make sure your email address is on all comments so we can reach you!

How Many Diapers Do I Need?

What you need to get started cloth diapering depends on the age of the child and the type of system  you are intending to use.  Here are some basics you need to know:

Newborns go through an average of 12-14 changes per day. If you want enough diapers to last you two days, 24-26 diapers will usually do it. If you are starting cloth with an older child, determine the average number of diapers you use per day, double that number and add 2. For example: 6 diapers per day= 12 diapers, plus 2. So you would need 14 diapers for a toddler.

Thirsties Covers

If you will be using primarily prefolds you will need the following:

• 6-8 Covers
• 24 Prefolds
• 2-3 Fitteds
• 2  Snappis
• 15 Fleece liners
• Bio-liners or diaper sprayer
• You might want to add a couple of fitted diapers in here as well to use with your covers, especially for night time
• Detergent
• Bottom Balm
• Wet Bag
•  Diaper pail or hanging pail, or pail liner

If you will be using primarily pockets or AIO’s this should be your stash:

• 24-26 Diapers total (If you are planning on using one-size diapers, it is recommended to get a few newborns or wraps and prefolds to use while baby is small)
• 4-6 Hemp doublers
• Bio-liners or diaper sprayer
•  Detergent
•  Bottom Balm
• Diaper pail or hanging pail, or pail liner

AI2’s or Hybrids as they are called will set you back:

• 6-8 covers
• 26 Cloth inserts
• 8 boosters
• Detergent
• Bottom Balm
• Diaper pail or hanging pail, or pail liner

If you’d like a mix of diapers:

• 6 Covers
• 18 Prefolds
• 10 Fleece Liners
• 3 AIO’s
• 3 Pocket Diapers
• 3 Fitteds
• 1 Snappi
•  Bio-liners or diaper sprayer
• Detergent
• Bottom Balm
•  Diaper pail or hanging pail, or pail liner

Want to win a gift card for $15 to Cutie Poops and Bottoms to help you build your diaper stash? Enter to win! You will automatically receive the number of entries show below for each thing that you do, ex: you do not need to post twice that you follow the blog for your 2 entries.

1. Post a comment below and include email address 1 entry: (only one comment counts)
2. Become a follower of this blog: 2 entries
3. Be a fan of Cutie Poops and Bottoms on Facebook: 2 entries
4. Place my button on your blog and post a comment below saying you are using it and where: 3 entries 
5. Post a link to this blog somewhere and comment below telling us where you posted it: 3 entries for each location you post our link 

Winner will be posted on our blog and facebook page Wednesday November 9th.  Please make sure your email address is on all comments so we can reach you!