The Buerglers

We have gone over the reasons for cloth diapering , prefolds , pockets , all-in-ones , and hybrid/all-in-two .  Today we're discussing a basic wash routine as well as a stripping method. (Please note: This is for all types of diapers and covers EXCEPT wool. Wool has it's own wash routine not covered in this series) Ask anyone who cloth diapers and they'll tell you their method is the best.  Over time you'll taylor your wash routine to your schedule, style, water type, and detergent preferences.  Here is a great place to start! Prepping New Diapers for Use: New diapers need to be prepped.  Well, the covers don't but anything that is absorbent does, so all the inserts, prefolds, and all-in-one diapers.  PUL covers and pocket shells just need a few washes prior to use.  Why?  Because like anything manufactured you just want to get the junk off.  The diapers also get more absorbent over time.  Diapers need 6-10 washes before use. Y...

Today we're wrapping up the styles of cloth diapers by discussing hybrids, also known as All-in-twos (AI2). As soon as I met Maria I knew she'd be the person to ask to help me with this post.  She is the most enthusiastic GroVia hybrid fan I've ever met! Maria W. Valles is m om to Anna Carolina (almost 6 months) with an amazingly tolerant husband and 2 goofy dog-babies. You can find her  blogging about the undersides of cars, not babies, over at  http://www.motorcarsintl.com/ blog/ When I was miserably sick during my first trimester of pregnancy, I spent a LOT of time laying in bed. I was either binge watching Netflix, or researching the heck out of all things pregnancy and baby. I had been a nanny for 10 years, and in all my time with babies and kids, I had developed some pretty clear ideas of  things I wanted to do/not do when I had my own child.  Cloth diapering, however, had not crossed my radar. I knew that I did not want our family to use...

The Pocket Diaper.  Arguably the most popular choice of the modern cloth diapers.  A pocket diaper has a layer of fabric sewn onto 2 or 3 sized of a cover creating a little "pocket" opening that can be stuffed with different types of inserts creating layer-able absorbency. They come in snap or aplix.  Closure: Aplix vs Snap While aplix (also called hook and loop or velcro) wears more like a disposable, it also needs to be hooked before washing, and can wear out after a while.  Snaps are a little trickier to get a good fit, but don't need special washing attention and don't wear out. A few brands have better aplix than others.  Personally I love the aplix on TotsBots (an all-in-one) and Thirsties, but do not care for the aplix on Rumparooz or bumGenius.  I keep a mix in my stash and save the aplix for the sitter. Inserts: Synthetic vs Natural Diaper companies make different kinds of inserts.  Fabric options include polyest...

Welcome back! Yesterday we went over some of the basic terms, reasons for cloth diapering and some common questions about getting started.  Even though my job title for The Natural Baby is "Cloth Diaper Expert and Consultant" I would hardly call me an expert when it comes to the more traditional forms of cloth diapering. I am definitely an All-In-One or Pockets kind of gal.  I asked my friend Julia to explain more about "old school" cloth diapering. Julia is a stay-at-home-mom with a one year old boy named David.  She lives in Woodstock, Georgia. She warns that if you think she's passionate about cloth diapers...you might not want to ask her about baby wearing.   Everything that I use is a two-part system: the absorbent diapers, and then the waterproof covers. A typical "stash" to wash every 2-3 days would be 20-24 diapers, with 5-6 covers. Covers Cover are made of a waterproof material, and their job is to keep whats in the ...

I've recently started working for a cloth diaper shop.  We're located inside an OB/GYN office so a lot of our foot traffic is pregnant women waiting for their appointments.  The number one question I get is "Why bother with cloth diapers? I don't get it."  followed by a candid, "Sooo what do you do with all the poop?" Hopefully by the end of this series you'll understand a bit about why we crazy people voluntarily deal with the poop and how to "handle" it. Before I had children, I heard of friends using a cloth diaper service. When I found out how much money it cost it didn't sound like using cloth was really about saving money.  With all the extra water used for washing I couldn't imagine they were better for the environment than a disposable.  I just couldn't figure out the appeal, yet the idea of cloth diapers stuck with me. As Eric and I were married and paying off those darn student loans and car payment, we starte...

2014 was a blessed year!  Eric left his job at RouteMatch and began working for NCR writing software.  Elizabeth retired from youth ministry and started a photography business and cloth diaper consulting job . Evie switched preschools and started taking dance and gymnastics. We welcomed Maggie into the world and adore her infectious smile. We had a very quiet New Years Eve but the year started with a bang. Elizabeth went to St. Pete for her cousin Kristin's wedding.  We went to Monster Jam again. Eric attended the Christ Renews His Parish retreat and continued with the group formation in the months following. Elizabeth f inished painting the furniture for Evie's room and we transitioned Evie to her "big girl room". Evie went on her first MARTA ride downtown to visit Eric at his office. February started with the chaos of SnowJam2014  where Eric had to abandon his car and walk three miles home with a gallon of milk.  Eric took Evie to Daddy-...