No more pins

Finally, after three and three-quarter years, I have arrived at a good cloth diapering system that’s fairly easy and affordable. On a tip from a wise comment-leaver (thanks Rachelle, wherever you are), I bought a few Bummis Super Whisper Wrap cloth diaper covers. This was right when I was about to abandon cloth because I was afraid of sticking diaper pins in Owen, who remains as squirmy and flippity-floppity as ever during diaper changes. Now I can use my standard Chinese pre-folds with these Velcro covers that can be reused multiple times before washing (and then washed with the cloth diapers). Just fold the diaper up, slip it into a little pocket on the front of the diaper cover and wrap the boy up in it. Now that he’s mobile it’s actually almost easier to get on him than the disposables for me. Four or five diaper covers is plenty for my stock of two dozen cloth diapers. I do diaper laundry (actually a very simple affair) every five days or so, use disposables at nighttime and occasionally for outings and wonder why I ever bothered with pins.

I bought a size too big so Owen could continue wearing the diaper covers for a good long while, so his 10-month-old waist is now bulked up enough for 18-month pants, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

(Rob and I had tried some of the deluxe all-in-one pocket diapers -- Fuzzi Bunz was the brand – after a friend passed on the couple of pairs that hadn’t disappeared when she moved to a new house. At first they seemed miraculous. “Man, we’ve been living in the dark ages,” Rob said when he first snapped one of the fleece-lined fuzzi-buns on Owen. But since the covers and inserts work as a package and can only be used once, you’d either have to spend a small fortune buying plenty of the things (they cost around $18 a pop on websites I checked) or do laundry every other day and perhaps cancel out some of the environmental benefits of using cloth. I'll admit, though, that the fleece interior and the tight-fit make them look like a luxury diaper next to Owen's current get-up -- and they'd be a better nighttime option. So if you're just investing in cloth diapers and imagine you'll be using them with at least a couple kids, they might well be worth the investment.)

But if you know of anyone wondering how to go cloth on a budget, the whisper wraps make for a nice compromise (especially for older babies who aren’t having poop explosions several times a day). If you want to know how I clean the things or other logistics, just ask and I’ll share all the dirty details.

(You can buy Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers here and shipping’s free – I sound like a commercial, but I've got no ties to the company. For Chinese pre-fold diapers, try searching e-bay – that way you can save money and buy recycled. The things never wear out.)