Prefolds - Flat diaper folded and secured with a pin or a Snappi. Must be covered with a waterproof liner. These are the least expensive baby cloth diapering option.
Fitted - Easy to use and to clean. They are durable and last through several washes. Excellent for newborns as they hold in the liquid baby poo. Made of any different materials from terry, sherpa, hemp, to cloth and fleece lining. They secure with snaps or Aplix and require a diapering cover.
Pockets - A waterproof PUL outer layer locks in wetness, and micro fleece on the inside to keeps baby dry. There is an opening to stuff the cloth diaper with an insert. The major benefit of is that you can change the amount of absorbant inner material as needed. This will depend on how heavy of a wetter your baby is and how old your baby is. They secure with snaps and/or Velcro.
All In Ones - Similar to disposable diapers in their design. There is no stuffing or assembling required. The cover is attached to the inner absorbent material. They do not last as long as prefold diapers and these diapers are also not as absorbent as prefold or fitted diapers. After washing they do take longer to dry.
One-Size - One Size Diapers are diapers that fits from birth to potty training, that sets no limits from thin & short to tall & chubby to everything in between. They usually have snaps that make the diaper adjustable in size as your baby grows. Most are pocket diapers allowing you to adjust the absorbancy need for your baby.
How many cloth diapers do I need?
The number of cloth diapers will be determined by how often you intend to do laundry and how big or small your budget is. If you change your baby eight times a day, and wash every other day, you will need at least 16 diapers. Smaller babies require more frequent diaper changes.
What other accessories do I need?
Wet Bag-Used as a dry method of storing soiled diapers inside of a dry pail. Wet bags typically have an elastic opening which holds it in place on your pail. On wash day, turn bag inside out and wash it along with your diapers. I prefer to use this method for the pee diapers. Smaller wetbags are also great to have in your diaper bag!
Wet Pail -You can use a wet pail to soak soiled diapers. Use any garbage can or bucket type pail. Fill it with water and/or some essential oils to keep it smelling fresh. I use this method for the poo diapers after shaking off solids into the toilet. The wet pail is more difficult to deal with, but is the best way to ward off stains. When ready to clean the bucket, dump the dirty water into the toilet.
Laundry Detergent -You will need a diaper laundry detergent. Choose one that is fragrance free, additive free, and chemical free to ensure it will not harm your diapers. Do not use detergents with chorine bleach, fabric softeners or pure soaps as these can all affect the diapers. Allen's Naturally and Charlies Soap are two brands that have worked well for me and my baby. The type of water in your area plays a major role in what detergent will work best. What works wonderfully for one person with soft water could be a nightmare for someone with hard water. Another washing tip is to always do an extra rinse.
Fasteners-If you use prefold diapers you will need something to hold them in place. The two main closure's are pins or a Snappi. A Snappi is a fastener made specifically to hold a diaper together, it grips the diaper on each side and in the middle and holds it all together and works great!
Doublers & Inserts-Used when you need extra absorbancy. Many people add doublers & inserts to the diapers for night time and heavy wetters. They come in various sizes.
