If I Could Cloth Diaper All Over Again I Would. . .
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After over two years of cloth diapering I am finally at a place where I am completely happy with my stash (which has changed a lot even since February). Overall it’s perfect for my needs and is more or less the stash that I wish I would have had from the beginning. But there is something that I would still change.
The first thing that I wouldn’t do again is buy pocket diapers. I am in love with AI2s now and even prefolds with covers. I find stuffing and unstuffing pockets to be a chore that I simply don’t enjoy. I keep a few around now for my husband, but if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have any at all.
In a perfect world I would have an entire stash of AI2s and in particular, RagaBabe 2-Steps. Wait, stay with me here. I know, I know. They’re expensive and hard to get. I get it, but hear me out.
These days you can get used RagaBabes pretty easily. Yes, you will still pay retail or close to it but this is a good thing. I’ll tell you why that is in a minute, but back to getting used RagaBabes. There are places where people are selling their used Rags and even if you think “Eew. Used diapers? Gross!” this is one of the reasons why the 2-Step is the way to go. You can buy a used cover and then get brand new inserts at any time from RagaBabe Headquarters. So there you go, almost a brand new diaper!
If you insist on buying only new diapers, you can even find NIP RagaBabes on Ebay, Spots’ Corner, and Facebook. Also it is easier to score a diaper on stocking days now with the new cart system and advanced warning of when the stockings will be. I have only failed to score a diaper once since the new cart system.
Now why is (almost) retail price for a used diaper a good thing? Because when you’re done with your RagaBabes you can turn around and sell them for at least 90% of retail if you take good care of them so this means that you’re cloth diapering with cute, awesome diapers almost for free! If you end up with a more sought after diaper then you can sell it for above retail if you’re so inclined. It’s like you’re borrowing them. No other diaper has the resale value of a RagaBabe so in essence, that less expensive diaper is costing you more in the end. True story.
About half of my stash is RagaBabe now. The other half are some various AI2s, prefolds, and a few fitteds and pockets. These are for my husband to use since he is very sloppy with the velcro and I don’t want him to mess up my beautiful Rags. This is why, even though my stash isn’t 100% RagaBabe like I would ideally like, this is what works best for us.
The other thing that I would change if I were to cloth diaper all over again would be to start from birth. I didn’t start cloth diapering my son until he was six months old so I missed out on all of those cute, tiny little newborn diapers. While I would be tempted to snatch up all the RagaBabe newborn and size 0 diapers that I could, I probably would only get a few. Newborns are in the tiny diapers for such a short time that the bulk of a newborn stash would likely be covers and prefolds, and some Tots Bots Tiny Fits and newborn Blueberry Simplex diapers.
What would you change about your stash if you could do it all over again?
I like AI2 the shells with prefolds.
I haven’t ever tried RagaBabe diapers, but they sound awesome. Most of my stash is Thirsties covers with prefolds and pocket diapers. I found that at different ages I preferred the prefold/cover and others I really liked the pockets.
I love prefolds and covers as well. They are my second choice to my AI2s
Interesting post. Right now most of my stash is pockets, but that’s in large part because our daycare requires cloth diapers to be either pockets or AIOs. While I thought I would be doing more prefolds and AI2s, the reality is that I can’t, so I don’t. I do love my fitted diapers and wool for overnight, and I am slowly getting more daytime-friendly fitteds and wool, so I guess if I had to do it again I might go that route, but only if I was a SAHM.
Pockets are definitely convenient when you don’t have to stuff and unstuff them. I prefer them to AIOs for sure so if my son was in daycare then I would probably have kept more of my pockets as well 🙂
Though I love my lalabye diapers and inserts, I have been unable to find anything at all that fits my 3 year old son comfortably for overnights. He tells me that they all hurt his *stuff* and he will only wear the pull ups (which I hate spending money on)! Do you have anything you have found for an overnight boy use?
How big is your son? My son will be 3 in November and I have been using a small GMD prefold wrapped around a Ragababe insert (you could use any thicker natural fiber insert or maybe two thinner ones) under a PUL cover. The biggest one I have is the Blueberry Coverall. The Capri and the size large (not one size) Zookies also work. I also use Sbish snapless fitteds under a large wool cover. Since the fitted it snapless you can adjust the size very easily.
I would really love to try Ragababes! I am going to be a FTM in November and have already started building my CD stash. I have mostly pockets with some AI2s and AIOs thrown in to try out different styles. I’ve bought about half used and half new (but only on sale or with coupons). The Ragababes just seem like too much of an investment before I really know what system is going to work for me. I may be selling off my stash to rebuild eventually, though!
That’s what I ended up doing 🙂 But yes, I am a big advocate of getting a little bit of everything. Different styles and brands so that you don’t end up with a stash full of diapers that you don’t like.
I cd to save money. I bought my stash of pockets cheaply and feel like they are accomplishing that goal. Still working on nighttime diapering.
In my experience pockets don’t work all that great at night, but if you are looking for an inexpensive option I have been loving PUL covers with a prefold wrapped around a natural fiber insert or two. My son is coming up on 3 years old and this combo has been working really well for him.
We are about to do it all over again (2.5 year old starting to potty train, baby due in January), and honestly I don’t want to change much. Starting out I made a lot of pocket fitteds (Rita’s Rump Pocket pattern), which worked great for when my son was going through so. many. diapers. a day. Currently in use I have 5 pockets, ten econobum covers and prefolds, and six flats. I have 10 sized pockets (5 small, 5 medium) that are in storage and will be used with the baby. I would just use flats and prefolds, but my husband loves the pocket diapers. This time around I want to buy some smaller covers so I can start to CD sooner.
This is an awesome idea for a post – I had actually thought about doing this recently but really can’t think of an answer. I love the diapers I have but can see myself doing something different as well. Maybe once I’ve actually rethought some of it I’ll write a post on it. 🙂
It was fun to think about. A year ago I don’t know if I would have been able to answer this question other than starting cloth right away as a newborn.
I feel like with each child and each age and stage the child is in, my preference for certain diapers changes. Right now I am on a prefixed kick b/c the ammonia is pretty pungent and they r easiest to get clean. For a while tho I was on an AIO kick. I love my fitteds for night time and diaper rash times. I am over pocket diapers… Can’t stand stuffing them! I am moving away from microfiber currently. I have to have a diverse stash b/c my fav’s always change. I have a good collection of aio ai2 and prefolds going which I am happy with b/c whatever I am into at the time I have on hand. Maybe not a full stash of them but enough that I can mostly use the diaper I like best
Prefold not prefixed… Autocorrect!
Even up until last year I liked having a variety because I still hadn’t decided what I really loved, but now I’m over pockets as well. I still have some because my husband (who doesn’t have to stuff them, lol) likes having a diaper that’s all one piece. I have some AI2s that he’ll use because the inserts tuck into a flap in front, which are also my favorites (Ragababe and Funky Fluff both do that) but he hates my SoftBums because the insert moves around. If it keeps him willing to use cloth then I’ll keep some around even if I don’t like them 🙂
I’m also trying to get rid of microfiber. I’ve started using prefolds as inserts for the diapers that have microfiber inserts.