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teachingmyown
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| Posted: March 22 2007 at 9:12pm | IP Logged
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Okay, so I am trying to find ways to save money. So, I decided to try cloth diapers again with Emily, 11 months. When she was born, I planned on using them and even bought some of those nice diaper covers that I never had with babies 1-4. I gave up when she was a newborn because it seemed she was FOREVER soaking her clothes!
But that was then, she is bigger now and I would just be more diligent about changing her often. NOT! The first diaper, actually double diaper so as not to take chances, lasted until her nap, but I didn't change her and she slept a few hours. So, of course, she wakes up soaked from head to toe. Okay, my fault.
Next diaper, double again, new outfit on at 4:30. Well, there is dinner prep, kids outside playing, teen to help with homework, dinner to eat, little people to bathe. Suddenly, it is four hours later and guess what? Baby soaked! Not head to toe yet. In fact, we managed to save the little shirt she is wearing, but Ugh!
I don't think I am a negligent mother. I just have seven kids and forget to eat lunch until 3pm most days and can be heard shouting 50 times a day, "where is the 3 yr old?!". So, am I kidding myself about using cloth diapers? Are you ladies able to remember to change the baby every hour on the hour? Or am I just missing something, doing it wrong? Help! I want this to work. 
I used cloth diapers with Gerber plastic pants for my first four children. I don't remember it being this frustrating. But then, I don't remember their first words or when they walked either.  
Please, share your wisdom, your secrets, your empathy!
By the way, I was going to post this in the Loving the Little Ones, but I thought it safer to come to you moms of many. I can't imagine what kind of mother I look like if I can't remember to change the baby!
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 22 2007 at 9:24pm | IP Logged
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Okay, Michael didn't log out and so I didn't log in, so I just posted a response as Michael (which is sort of funny since I posted about changing Michael's diapers). That's the third time I've done that today--the last two times, it looked like he was posting about the "birds and the bees." Sigh...
Anyway, here's what I said:
I tell you what...Fuzzi Bunz! These are the most amazing diapers. But they are not budget friendly if you already have dipes and wraps...So...I'm going to venture out there and tell you that four hours is too long (even with Fuzzi Bunz). You need a peg--a way to remember that it's time to change the baby. I change upon waking from night and naps, before nursing if she feels damp, before nursing if I sense she'll fall asleep nursing...
still thinking this through, I remember I always changed Michael when I switched sides nursing...Yeah, that's pretty crazy  .After every meal..
Can anyone out there help Molly? I'm babbling here...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: March 22 2007 at 9:39pm | IP Logged
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I was wondering who Mikey was when I got the message in my inbox! Pretty funny, what a helpful guy!
I *know* four hours is too long! Tell me I am not alone! At least I haven't diapered the watermelon, yet!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Lisbet
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:14am | IP Logged
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I have two in diapers right now, and I have always used cloth. I actually write diapers changes in the schedule!! Seriously, after breakfast, just after lunch, mid afternoon, after dinner, and just before bed. It's part of my routine. (I also change inbetween if need be, but this has become the routine that the kids seem to follow too!)
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
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Cecilia born 10.29.10
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extremeknitter
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 9:13am | IP Logged
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**I misread the initial post... this is now edited!**
What kind of diapers are you using now? Gerber prefolds?
What kind of covers are you using?
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Tami
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 9:56am | IP Logged
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Molly, like Elizabeth said, just hanging in on a peg - do you have a mid-morning break/snack time, or perhaps before you hand her a sippy cup/bottle, if she's taking fluids that way.
Do your kids have a regular bathroom break? Is there someone old enough to remember, but young enough to use the bathroom frequently that you could assign as 'diaper' reminder? Sounds silly, I'm sure, but I'm brainstorming here...
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When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become. (Nouwen)
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mary theresa
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 11:36am | IP Logged
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I think some babies wet more than others.  I;m the oldest of 9 and I helped alot with young siblings cloth diapering. Now with my own 12 month old I am finding that she wets through way faster than I remember with my sibs! Even my mom says so. I guess thats a good thing?? Anyways. I have to change her when she gets up at 8, then AGAIN at 10 then again at noonish. And it's not like she's really nursing or drinking that much betwn nursing at 8 and then again at noon. And YES I second the Fuzzi Bunz recommendation! I have two in my baby's size right now and I always save them for key times like naps, or church or nighttime or something.
You know, I think cloth diapers leak pee more, but when our washing machine broke and we had to use disposables for 3wks -- they leaked poop ALL the time -- from the sides and even the back. Cloth diapers are great about that. And I'd rather have pee than poop any day.
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Bookswithtea
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I used all cloth with the first two (neither potty trained before 3, either), but burned out. I tried to get back into them with an 18 mo old recently and had the same problem. I think I'm out of practice with how often I have to change them, too...so its not just you.
BTW, do you use pins? I always used good quality cloth diapers (prefolds) but I pinned them before using the covers and I had way less leaks than my friends who just laid the diapers in the covers.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 5:06pm | IP Logged
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Fuzzi buns! Oh my gosh! This certainly is an investment. How many do you think one needs? I usually have 4 dozen diapers with one child in all cloth diapers. I'm scared to think how much that would cost, even with the not so cute clearance prints.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:05pm | IP Logged
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I have the Gerber pre-folds, circa 1991 ! I still have a supply of plastic pants, which I think work better than the cloth covers. I do use diaper pins. I really think that she does fill her diaper much faster than other babies, but I am certainly way more distractable than I used to be.
I guess this whole question just sums up my life- a lack of pegs/schedule in our days to make sure things are happening when they should.
I will persevere! I used to like cloth diapers, but then again I used to like pregnancy and homeschooling, too! My poor husband wonders what happened to the woman he married! I wonder myself sometimes.
I do love Pampers, but I can do this.
Too bad Large Family Logistics doesn't send out a "Change Baby" Do the Next Thing reminder.
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:10pm | IP Logged
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teachingmyown wrote:
Too bad Large Family Logistics doesn't send out a "Change Baby" Do the Next Thing reminder. |
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~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:12pm | IP Logged
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Bookswithtea wrote:
teachingmyown wrote:
Too bad Large Family Logistics doesn't send out a "Change Baby" Do the Next Thing reminder. |
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Oh, my babies would soak through a Gerber prefold in about 30 minutes. The ones I have used to be sold by Mary Pride (boy, that dates me! ). They are a specialty item like the ones Elizabeth linked to, but are much cheaper. Have you tried triple diapering with those?
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:26pm | IP Logged
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Is that what it is?! I haven't ever looked at other diapers so I didn't realize there is a big difference.
I double diaper during the day and triple diaper at night.
Maybe I will check out other diapers. In the long run, it will be cheaper than Pampers, and certainly lower my frustration level. 
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:30pm | IP Logged
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Okay, just looking at Fuzzi Bunz. Are these diapers and covers in one?
Any other recommendations for quality cloth diapers so I can comparison shop?
Thanks!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 7:34pm | IP Logged
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I just finished browsing Julie's site, and I think I have the chinese prefolds at the bottom of the page. During the day with an older baby, I fold one of the diapers into three and put it in the center of one not folded. When I triple diaper, I use two unfolded and one in the center folded into thirds. And at night, I confess I use regular ole waterproof pants. They work better than any fancy cover I've ever tried and they are cheap.
I don't like that a lot of these diapers come in different sizes. There is one there that can be snapped different ways and made to fit all sized babies/toddlers. I wonder if they are any good?
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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cvbmom
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Bookswithtea wrote:
I don't like that a lot of these diapers come in different sizes. There is one there that can be snapped different ways and made to fit all sized babies/toddlers. I wonder if they are any good?
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I was wondering the same thing. They look great, but do they really work? Do they need additional inserts? Having a one size thing could save some money. Hmmm...
Christine
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: March 23 2007 at 10:04pm | IP Logged
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I used Bumkins with my son. Primarily we used the covers with Gerber birds-eye weave inserts (they fold to any size you want - I even sewed some of ours into certain folds to make laundry faster), but I did some of the all-in-ones in medium and large (small just seemed to leak out the sides to easy all the time - the mediums leaked a bit at night, so they were primarily daytime diapers). I tried several at the newborn size and then stuck with Bumkins all the way through.
Now I take care of several children who use various kinds of cloth diapers in various sizes. I like the Fuzzi Bunz, but don't like how the inserts go in - and I've not looked at their prices.
www.bumkins.com
www.jjbaby.com (just Bumkins diapers)
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extremeknitter
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| Posted: March 24 2007 at 10:44am | IP Logged
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I use contours and wool wraps. Only the covers/wrap size changes. After 3 of my own kids and 3 friends' kids, most of my stash was too worn to use again, so I needed new diapers with my youngest. The ones I liked were no longer available and the nearest alternative cost $300 per dozen!  Needless to say, I sewed my own. I used 4 layers of flannel with a cotton terry panel between in each. We almost never leak. Really. I think he's an average to heavy wetter. I am usually mindful to change every couple of hours or so, (well, not at night) but sometimes it's longer and still, no leaks. The covers really only "seep" when it's time to relanolize the wool. I do double for overnight (meaning 8 layers of flannel and two thick pieces of terry.) I find they are much more absorbent than prefolds.
To add absorbency without too much bulk, you could try folding up a couple of cheap washcloths like they sell at walmart/kmart/target (wherever) in packs of 12 or 18 and using them as "doublers"... they make great wipes, too.
Fuzzy Bunz (and other "pocket diapers") are very popular, but I'm a semi-old school cloth diaperer and I don't want a collection of different sized diapers. I love wool because it wicks away moisture and is so very breathable. Commercial wool covers are a bit expensive. I have some of them, but I knit my own, too. An inexpensive alternative is something like Proraps. Easy to use, they fit well and offer good leak protection.
If you are interested, you can see my basic wool wraps and contour diapers HERE and HERE. Here are Longies and Shorties (these require that you have a way to keep the diaper on: pins, snappi, velcro) and a Handknit Wrap (this holds the diaper on)
I hope you find a solution for the leaking. It must be frustrating.
Okay.... I'm done.  I like talking about cloth diapers too much!
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~knitter
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monica
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i dont have a large family (yet ) but we do cloth diaper and i have to put in a plug for Bummis super whisper wrap. i use the gerber chinese prefolds inside and the wrap out side and it helps me get to the next "peg" without too many leaks. i do think it has to be a part of a routine, or it feels like some thing extra. i too have an 11 month old and usually change him when he wakes up in the morning(if needed), before morning nap, after morning nap (if needed) before afternoon nap, after afternoon nap and before bed. i use pampers during the night, but even with those i sometimes have to change him (well, dh changes him) after a middle of the night feeding. he is a real wiggle worm and i dont like changing him, but i figured out how much it saves me per diaper to cloth diaper and i remind myself how much i am spending per diaper and per year and it changes my attitude pretty quickly!
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doris
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Oh, I shouldn't even be reading this forum as the mother of a mere three, but one can always hope!
Anyway, looks like there's lots of good advice here, but I just wanted to suggest that you try ebay for some secondhand nappies/diapers -- and there should be some other sites you can get hold of them from, too. (I only know UK ones.)
Some babies do just wet more than others. You need lots of boosters -- hemp is really absorbent, or microfleece.
I used to change my cloth-bottomed babies only every four hours or so, and they were fine. Obviously more frequently if they needed!
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Topic: cloth diaper vent/question
