cloth diapers

Mike and I decided awhile ago that we really want to give cloth diapers a shot. (Before you judge us, let me just tell you that they've come a long way since the 70's!) Our primary reasons are:
1. better for the environment
2. less chance of diaper rash
3. much earlier potty training (avg is 2.5 years with cloth and 3.5 years with disposables)
4. fewer leaks
5. no carcinogens, as in disposables
6. cheaper in the long run  (compared to the estimated $1500-2000 for disposables from birth to potty training - see these links for details)

So, having made that first decision, we were then faced with the daunting task of choosing a CD (i.e., cloth diaper) system.

Which turned out to be totally overwhelming.

So, like the good students we are, we did as much research as possible: We asked friends and family for advice. I read a book on the topic. We went to a free class run by the owner of this local, on-line store. I scoured the web for sites like this. And I checked out Peapods, which has the reputation of being the go-to CD store in the Twin Cities area.

And then we just took a giant leap and picked something. Hopefully it was a good choice!

Here's a very brief overview of the options (which I'm primarily typing out in case we need to make any changes to our plan down the road!):

1. Prefolds with Covers.
These are the closest to the old-school diapers of yore.
Pro: cheapest option
Con: may have troubles with fit, depending on how baby is built
Price: prefolds are $20-30 for a dozen, covers are $8-14 each. Total needed: 2-3 dozen prefolds and 6-8 covers (aka ~$180 for 3 dozen)


2. Hybrids / All-in-two diapers (AI2s)
These have a waterproof outside with a liner that snaps into place.
Pro: covers can be reused throughout the day
Con: slightly more expensive than prefolds
Price: 2 covers and 6 inserts = $50 (aka $200 for 2 dozen)

3. Pocket diapers
These have a waterproof outside and you stuff the liner into an interior pocket
Pro: very easy for grandparents, daycare, etc. because (once stuffed) these are basically like disposables
Con: have to be stuffed after laundered, price
Price: about $15-18 per diaper (aka $400 for 2 dozen)

4. All-in-ones (AIOs)
These are just like they sound: everything is already prepped and ready to go, just like a disposable diaper
Pro: Super easy to use, no work required (other than laundering)
Con: slow to dry, price
Price: about $18-20 per diaper (aka $450+ for 2 dozen)

I already listed the general CDing "pros" above, so I might as well list the general CDing "cons," just to be fair:
1. having to do laundry (with special detergent) every 2-3 days
2. most "one-size" CDs don't fit until baby is 7-10#. So you can buy special newborn size CDs (which increases the total price), or you can use disposables for a couple weeks (which compromises your morals) - we decided on the latter (so much for morals!).
3. not all brands fit baby the same way, so you may need some trial and error to find out what works best for you

Overwhelming, isn't it?

So after all that investigation, we decided on AI2s (specifically the Flip system) since we figured they be a good balance between price, convenience, and versatility. But just to be on the safe side, we registered for a few prefolds, pockets, and AIOs as well. Hopefully it's fun to play around with these, and hopefully we made some good choices.

If anyone has any cloth diapering advice for us, please let us know!