Diaper Debate ⇒
We've tried cloth and four brands of disposable diapers: Huggies, Pampers, Western Family and Kirkland
In last place - Western Family. They held out ok for leaks but they are so stiff! I actually returned them because I couldn't fathom letting Elise suffer the chaffing that would no doubt ensue as she kicks her legs so much.
The Kirkland ones are made by Kimberly Clark, same as Huggies and they performed the same way - they leak consistenly on Elise. My friend Colleen is using Kirkland ones and hasn't had any leaks but most people I know who have tried Huggies find they leak. It's a shame too, because the Kirkland ones are half the price.
In first place are Pampers. We've been using them since day one and keep going back to them after we've tried the other brands. So far we've just used Pampers Swaddlers but I hear the Cruisers are just as good.
The diapers I really love, though, are my cloth ones. I got a bunch from a friend so it was a cheap experiment for me to try. I wasn't sure how I'd like them since I hate doing laundry but they are so great! They are lovely and soft and since modern cloth diapers have snaps or velcro, no pins are required so they are easy to use. So far we've not had a leak onto Elise's clothes, either. Clean up is easy. Since I'm breastfeeding, all I have to do is put the diapers into a pail with water and some vinegar, then when I'm ready to wash them, I throw the whole lot, water and all, into the washing machine. I use regular detergent on them and just run a second rinse and spin cycle. My opinion may change when she's not exclusively eating breastmilk but by then, there are fewer dirty diapers anyway and you use a flushable liner to handle most of the mess.
I also just got some Kooshies cloth diapers this weekend from another friend. They seem to be really nice too and supposedly you don't need to put a waterproof cover on the outside. This morning, we had a breach so I think I will use the covers after all.
The downsides to cloth are: 1. that they don't wick away the wetness so when she gets wet, it stays against her skin. Since Elise doesn't like wet or dirty diapers (who would?!) I end up changing them a bit more frequently over the day. This also means they aren't great at night because when your child is sleeping 6 or 7 hours between feedings at night, you don't want her waking up because her diaper is wet! 2. They are bulkier so her clothes lose a little length - considering how long she is already... 3. It's another load of laundry but so far that isn't too bad for me.