Things You'll Need:
- The internet
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Step 1
Flat Diapers: These look like thin recieving blankets. You have to fold them up oragami style and use a cover. VERY cheap but also very impractical.
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Step 2
Prefold Diapers: These are what most people consider burp rags. They are rectangular and sort of seperated in thirds, with the middle section thicker than the outside sections. (Did that make sense?) You fold them in thirds, then lay the baby on them, unfold underneath the baby, bring it up through his legs, and pin the sides together. There is also a thing out now called a snappi so you don't have to use pins. It's really hard to explain without a picture, so if you're confused pop it in to google, but basically it's a "Y" shaped piece of rubber with plastic gripper teeth on all three ends. You grip both sides of the diaper and then pull down in the middle to keep the diaper on without pins that could stick your baby. You can get prefolds generally for around $24 a dozen, and snappis are about $3 for a 2-pack and last about 6 months.
If you go with these, get standard size. Unless you have very small babies or a premie, the newborn size is a waste of money since you can fold them down to fit even the smallest baby. They will be bulky at first, but by the time your baby cares about the bulk they will have grown into them. Last, I really don't reccomend bothering with the Gerber prefolds they have at Walmart and such. They hardly hold anything and leak like crazy. -
Step 3
Contour: This is like a prefold (it needs a cover) for people who don't want to fold. It is several layers of absorbant fabric sewn in the shape of the diaper. These are usually around $8 a piece and will need pins or snappis and a cover.
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Step 4
Fitted: Like a contour, but with velcro or snaps so you don't need pins or snappis. These vary GREATLY in price, so shop around for different brands. (These need a cover also)
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Step 5
Diaper covers: Prefolds, flats, contours, and fitteds all need covers. There are the cheap vinyl pull up pants like you see in Walmart, and they work if you're on a budget. But the most popular covers are made of PUL (polyurithane laminate). PUL is waterproof, yet very breathable so diaper rash is really rare. The really cool thing about PUL covers is that they don't need to be washed every time you use them. You can just wipe them out and lay them to dry. I wash mine about once a week unless I have a poop blowout, in which case I wash them right away. These are generally around $11 a piece, but you only need about 3-5 of them. You can also use heavy fleece or lanolized wool as a cover. Fleece is cheap and easy to make yourself, I haven't looked into prices on ready made ones. Wool is pretty pricey, generally about $40 for one, but worth the money for a number of reasons.
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Step 6
Pocket Diapers: Pockets are one of the easiest ways to cloth diaper. It is basically two layers, the inside layer is absorbant and the outside layer is waterproof. The back of the diaper is open so that you can stuff it with however many absobent layers you need, less for the daytime and more to last through the night. BumGenius 3.0 is the most popular brand of pocket diapers, and they are one-size fits all adjustable so that they last from 5-30 pounds. These can run about $18 a piece, but when you take into consideration that they generally last through potty training, they are a really good choice.
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Step 7
All-In-One Diapers: AIO's are the most convenient on the surface, but they take a very long time to dry and they are really hard to rinse properly, so I dont' reccomend them really. They are the most husband and daycare friendly though. Basically they are exactly what they say. Several absorbant layers sewn right into the waterproof outer layer. They go on with velcro or snaps in one piece. These can go from $18 to $25 or so.
