cloth diapering twins

I have been meaning to update you on our cloth diapering ways... because I know you want to hear about the nitty gritty details of dealing with cloth diapers times two.  First of all I feel I must mention that if you do not have a baby you will likely think that dealing with baby poo is totally nasty and that you will have no part in laundering soiled baby diapers. When it's your own... you might feel differently.  I do.

We're almost five months in and totally sold on cloth, wouldn't have it any other way, we tell total strangers on the street with babies that they should be using cloth.  I am a believer.





I meant to write this post for a good while so that I can convince even more of you that cloth is so the way to go.  Today I found the perfect motivation as one of you is pregnant with twins (yay!!) and emailed me to ask me about the ins and outs of cloth diapering twins (thank you Nicole from Glam Granola).  Well I just hit send and am afraid I wrote you a novel... so I figured I mind as well post that novel on here ... right. now.

here goes.

We assumed our babies would be small (smaller then they actually were) so we originally went with these bummis newborn covers along with these organic preemie prefolds and snappis, we would then hold the prefold on the baby with the snappi and put the cover over.  For the first week we used disposables until they got rid of all the sticky black stuff.  Originally I admit we used disposables at night for fear that the wetness of the cloth would wake them up (we were soo soo wrong).  I think we bought roughly 40 of the diapers and about 10 covers to start with and we were planning to wash them every second day.

Here's what I didn't like about the original system we had going:

1. I do not like the velcro fasteners on the covers (they stick to everything when you wash them even though you velcro them back on themselves before washing (bummis do make covers with snaps but I haven't tried them)

2. they seemed to hold the smell really badly 

3. the covers dug into their legs (and they had small legs)

What we do now (and have done since they were about two months old when i discovered flip one size covers)...

Flip OS Cover via

We use the next size up of organic prefolds by bummis (the infant size which I am told will likely be good enough until they are potty trained), along with a fleece liner (I bought the bummis ones but you can cut up a bunch of fleece yourself... this makes the baby feel less wetness) and a flip one size fits all cover (which I love love love love love).  I fold the prefold into thirds the long way and then lay the fleece on top and then lay it in the cover and voila... you have the diaper.

I do wash the diapers usually every day, sometimes every second but I just do it that often because then there's less to put back out and less to fold (I loathe folding).  We have 8 covers now which works well if we launder every day or so.  I only change the covers at night and when they um poo.

As for how we handle the dirty diapers... I really recommend fuzzibunz hanging diaper pail... you throw the dirty diapers in it and then it unzips at the bottom so you unzip and shake them into the laundry and then toss the bag in too (see... not so nasty afterall).  We also have two small laundry pails that we sometimes put the bag in, otherwise you can just hook the bag around a door knob.  We have a front loading machine and we put it through a rinse cycle first so that everything gets nice and wet and then we run it through a whites cycle.  We use Country Save detergent - we started out with Nellies and it just didn't take the smell out but country save works really well for us.

I breastfeed... which makes this whole thing easier... now I could write a novel on how that all went down and how awesome it is NOW so if you have questions ask away... if you do use formula you will need to use a paper liner and flush it as that stuff won't just wash away.

For going out of the house (which you will need to do in order to STAY SANE) you will need a wetbag - I like these bags with the outside compartment.

For diaper cream I use liveclean non-pertrolum jelly and it does fine with the cloth.

Now anyone will tell you that an AIO (all in one) is easier but it is going to cost you a lot.  At this point we've spent roughly $500 - $600 total on diapering stuff and we likely will need to spend very little more until they are potty trained (compare that to roughly $2500 PER CHILD on disposables), not to mention that disposables stink... like literally they smell awful.

The hardest part of cloth diapering thus far is responding to people (or should I say defending my position) on why we are using cloth diapers... people think they are gross.  

Bottom line in my opinion... you do need to decide you are just going to do it and stick with it because disposibles are more convenient but like I already said... they stink... a lot... and will burn a hole in your wallet...

have I convinced you?

I hope so.