Velcro to Snaps

One of my summer projects is to convert my Bum Genius pocket diapers from velcro to snap.

Before and after (after on the left with the addition of blue snaps!)

The diapers are in excellent condition with the exception of the velcro. The elastic around the waist and legs is holding up perfectly. I knew the velcro wouldn't last forever, but hoped that the patches to stick the tabs to during washing would extend the life of the velcro, which probably did, but the tabs have just picked up so much lint and really have lost their stick. The velcro actually has enough stick to most likely last until Freddie potty trains, but I have high hopes of using these diapers on Part Deux or at the very least passing them along to someone who can use them.

Reduced tab sticky. Can you see my hair stuck in there? It's everywhere!

I found a few people online who do the conversion for about $4 a diaper. I'd be looking at about $100. So I got the snaps and pliers for $30 and will do the work myself.

I found a few sites online with different methods...one row of snaps, two rows of snaps, 4 snaps on the tab, one snap on the tab, 16 snaps, 20 snaps. I went ahead with a double row of 8 and will do that on a few and try the diapers to see how it works before doing all of them.

I found a YouTube video to be very helpful. It was actually done by the eBay merchant who I got the snaps and pliers from.

If you're in the market for cloth diapers definitely go with snap closures. Check out FuzziBunz. They're a creation of a Louisiana based company. Support the hometown peeps, y'all. I opted for the BumGenuis over the FuzziBunz because I wanted an "one size diaper", which FuzziBunz didn't make at the time. Going with the one size made sense for us because it was a one time investment (except for the little snap business) and I didn't have to seek out diapers ever again. FuzziBunz now offers a one size product, but I understand many people who cloth diaper prefer to get specifically sized diapers because it allows for a better and trimmer fit.

Looking forward to testing out the snaps and using these diapers for quite a while longer (Not with Freddie though!).

A year of cloth diapering

It's been just about a year that we've been using cloth diapers on Bordeaux. I know some eyebrows raised when people heard what we were doing, and there were certainly a few comments passed about whether we'd really keep it up. I can honestly say it is a decision I am glad we made.

The decision to use cloth meant we shelled out about $450 up front for everything we'd need. That included:

• 24 pocket diapers (with pads included)
• 30 "wipes" (wash cloths)
• Covered trashcan lined with wet bag for dirties
  
• Diaper sprayer
• Travel size wet bags for diaper bags
• Foaming soap dispenser (5 squirts baby wash & water make up wipe solution)
  

I figured that meant I had to cloth diaper Freddie's bum for at least nine months to break even, assuming I'd have spent $50/month on disposable diapers. I've more than broken even.


When we travel we use disposable and sometimes I look forward to the break. Honestly it isn't as monumental of a "break" as I anticipate and I actually look forward to going back to cloth. I feel pretty guilty looking at the mound of disposables int he trash after a week.

We still put him in a disposable at night though. We started this early on as I did not want to have the extra step of getting the cloth diaper to the bin or fooling with the wash cloths and solution in the middle of the night. And I had some fears about the cloth diaper's ability to handle those early morning explosions. For some reason we have never gotten away from this, but I fully intend to drop this habit this week. Now that I have some experience with diapering, using cloth diapers round the clock is totally doable, even with a newborn.

With 24 diapers and Bug not needing to be changed as often, I do a load of diapers about once every 5 days. Not too bad. And I am never out of diapers. I'd say it takes me about 15 minutes to "stuff" the pads back in the covers and transport to the changing area. Hardly a huge inconvenience.


If I were to order diapers again, I think I'd choose cloth diapers that snap. The velcro is still sticky but it has picked up some lint and is loosing its umph. I was wonder if BumGenius would replace the velcro or if I could bring them to a seamstress to do this.

I am using the same supplies I started out with on day one and have no need to change anything. I anticipate these diapers and wipes will last through potty training and still be in shape to be used by another babe.

Cloth Diapering 101

We've started cloth diapering on Bordeaux, and I couldn't be happier thus far. We are using them around the house during the day and on short jaunts. We haven't entered into the world of nighttime use because he's still a little small for them and I am not yet prepared for leaking poop. We are still using disposable wipes, but next week I will add the cloth "wipes" (washcloths) to the mix.


We have 24 or so bumGenius 3.0 all in one cloth diapers, in lots of colors...white, orange, two shades of blue, two shades of green, and yellow. They look just like a disposable diaper, with a pocket.



Into the pocket I slip an absorbent pad. We have some that are thicker for night time use. As he gets older we'll still be able to use the same diapers because they'll "grow" with him, but we'll need pads of greater absorbency.


Once the pad goes in, they get velcoed onto his little bottom. This makes for a super cute bum, and I like seeing the diaper peaking out from under his clothes.


Dirty diapers are tossed into a trash pail with a "wet bag" liner. We have travel wet bags for our diaper bags as well. I do no remove the padding that's been stuffed inside the diaper. It comes out in the wash on it's own.


Every other day I toss the bag and the dirty diapers into the wash. I do a warm water wash with a little detergent....1/4 usual amount of detergent is recommended. And then into the dryer they go. With the summer months approaching I am thinking some outside drying may be called for. Although we haven't gotten any dingy coloring as of yet, the sun will bleach out those dirty stains.

Benefits:

• No yucky "gel" from the diaper left on his bottom or belly from the diaper.
• Cheaper!
• No trips to Target just for diapers
• Less garbage

Drawbacks:

• More time
• Not as convenient

So far so good. We'll see how it goes once we introduce solids and things get stinkier and require poop disposal before washing.

Diapers can be scratched off the list

We are cloth diapering on Bordeaux Street.

In the long run it'll be cheaper and will hopefully allow for earlier potty training. But the main reason for our decision is we try to be pretty green around here, and we just can't fathom putting 2000+ diapers in the landfill each year knowing there is an alternative.

Cloth diapering is entering the mainstream with more choices and easier access. Although I haven't been able to find them in any physical stores in New Orleans, you can find them at Target and Walmart online. I'm not sure what policy childcare centers have on cloth diapers, but we're hoping to work something out so that we won't have to consider that for at least a year.

I have been doing some extensive reading and research on cloth diapering. The big debate was whether to use prefolds and covers or use pocket diapers exclusively. The prefolds and covers system is basically the good old fashioned way of cloth diapering with a few improvements. The pocket diapers look like a diaper, and can be "stuffed" to increase absorbency as needed. The pocket diapers are more expensive but are more convenient.

I ordered pocket diapers, enough to get us started, but I think I'll end up needing a few more once I figure this all out and for the sake of not having to wash a load each day.

We looked into a diaper put out by a Louisiana company (FuzziBunz), but ultimately went with bumGenius (which can even be found at online at Target!) because one size can work with kids from 8-35 pounds. Using FuzziBunz would have meant buying more diapers as FCS outgrew each size. This way, we can use what we've bought today until he's potty trained.

We will most likely start with some disposables to get us into a routine before adding cloth diapering and poopy diaper washing to the mix. And FCS will need to put on a few pounds to make the bumGenius diapers effective. Most reviews I've read said they work best once baby has reached 12, not 8, pounds.

I am sure we'll have some updates on our successes and challenges with cloth diapering. Feel free to ask any questions. Also, any suggestions are appreciated!

Next up: nursing bra and bottle nipple research. Oy vey.