 One of the things I was looking forward to when Damian came home was to try my stash of cloth diapers on him. Like I said in one of my previous entries, I want to minimize the use of disposables and stick to cloth diapers as much as possible.
It's been almost a month now and I've tried using flats, pre-folds, Chino Pinos, bumGenius! fitteds, Bummis Super Whisper Wrap, Wonder Wrap, Thirsties diaper covers, Thirsties and bumGenius AIOs, and bumGenius! and Happy Heinys pockets on Damian. Here's the score on what I've tried so far.
Flats. As nappies, I still find these the best. Flats are versatile and cheap, and with proper folding, these are snug and fit well on a small baby. Absorbency can be adjusted by resizing the fold or by using a different folding technique. Also, I appreciate the fact that because they are flat sheets, they dry pretty quickly - a plus factor especially in a country like ours where the sun can hide for days.
Pre-folds. Definitely more absorbent than flats, but these are too bulky to use on a newborn, even as an insert for a pocket diaper. I'll try again when Damian gets a little bigger.
Chino Pinos. These are too loose for a newborn. The fit is not snug even if I put it on its smallest setting. Again, I'll score them when Damian gets a bit bigger. These are also not as absorbent as I thought they would be and didn't hold much even on a newborn so I had to put a small microfiber insert to increase absorbency. And because it can't hold much from Damian at this point, it looks like I have to put an insert every time I use Chino Pinos in the future.
bumGenius! fitteds. These are very absorbent and does fit very well on Damian (I'm using the newborn size right now). But because these are so absorbent, it takes quite a while to dry them. In fact, drying them can take up to 3 days during rainy days, unless you use a dryer. Paired with diaper covers, they are leak-proof indeed even when soaked to its limit.
Diaper Covers: Bummis, Wonder Wrap & Thirsties. I love my Thirsties! Among the three covers that I use, Thirsties is the most convenient and efficient. They are light, very easy to use, easy to clean and quick to dry even on rainy days. The double leg gussets are heaven sent! I've never had a leak nor a blow-out even if Damian is soaked and I go way beyond nappy changing time. The other two covers are so-so. They're ok and are good to use while I wait for my Thirsties to dry. Will definitely stick to Thirsties until Damian is done with diapers.
All-in-Ones: Thirsties and bumGenius!. While I so love their diaper covers, I am not diggin' Thirsties AIOs. They always leak. And although the AIOs double as pockets, they still leak even if I put an insert to increase absorbency. Frustrating.
The bumGenius!, on the other hand, is great! Performs as well as their fitted counterparts except that you no longer need a cover for it. Laundry-wise however, AIOs take a long time to dry, even longer than fitteds - around 2-3 days when it's sunny and 4-5 days when it's raining. Absorbent and easy to use, but not very convenient.
Pockets: bumGenius! and Happy Heinys. I prefer pockets over AIOs because they dry faster since you can take out the insert from the pocket. Both fit snugly and perform well, but between the two, I prefer the bumGenius!.
What I particularly like about the bumGenius! is its covered insert opening which Happy Heinys doesn't have. The covered insert opening makes the pocket all the more leak-proof as it secures the insert and prevents spilling from the inside. This is the problem I frequently encounter with Happy Heinys. Because the insert opening is not covered in Happy Heinys, it is usually the source of leaks especially when you have the pocket on your baby for long periods of time (i.e. overnight).
On the other hand, what I particularly like about Happy Heinys is the fact that it has a slimmer fit than bumGenius! making it perfect for older and more active babies, especially those who crawl, walk or run. I noticed this difference when I used the pockets on Diego. He walked comfortably with Happy Heinys on, while he waddled like a duck on bumGenius!. The fit of these diapers may seem insignificant for a newborn whose activities are confined to eating, sleeping, peeing and pooping, but the issue becomes relevant when dressing up your newborn. The slimmer Happy Heinys is easier to use when the baby is wearing shorts, pants or a onesie.
My verdict: Considering the weather and the fact that a newborn requires at least 12 changes a day, the best option is to go for flats + diaper covers. They perform well and dry quickly making them manageable for everyday use even when its raining. The second best option is pocket diapers which dry longer than flats + diaper covers but are more absorbent making it suitable for overnight use.
But since it has been raining almost non-stop for the past days and laundry takes forever to dry, we have decided to use disposables but only at night. This is also to spare our labandera's hands from all that handwashing considering the number of dirty lampins Damian yields in a day.
Hopefully, when our bunso is bigger and no longer poops as much, and when the weather gets better, we can be on cloth diapers full-time.
 | You're welcome. I'll do another review when Damian turns 3 months old. |
 | thanks for this too! :-) how about tushy wushy? it is locally made by next9
are those good? is it really leakfree? cheers! |
| thank you so much for your quick reply! :-) have one more question (thank you for indulging me! i'm very new on these things kaya better to seek help from the expert moms!): when you recommended Thirsties cover and wraps, which one are you using specifically, the Thirsties diaper covers or the adjustable Thirsties Duo Wrap? Please see http://store.pinoybaby.com/category/diapercovers.htmI realized before ordering that there are two kinds. The Thirsties diaper covers have specific sizes SMLXL while the adjustable Thirsties Duo Wrap are just two sizes which could be used from birth til the potty training is achieved. Which would you suggest? Thank you thank you, very helpful post. |
| Thanks much for your feedback! ;-) |
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the best option is to go for flats + diaper covers. They perform well and dry quickly making them manageable for everyday use even when its raining. The second best option is pocket diapers which dry longer than flats + diaper covers 