View Full Version : Switching to cloth diapers during toddlerhood?
Just wondering if anyone has experience in switching to cloth diapers for an older toddler? My son will be 2 in April. We started with cloth for the first couple of months but it proved to be too much for me with all the other "new parent" issues.
Now I'm wondering if it's too late to try cloth again. I'm home full-time now and would LOVE to save the $10/week on diapers and help the environment at the same time.
Anyone switch to cloth with an older kid? If so, does it in fact help with potty training? We're working on that and I also hoped it might make being wet a more pressing need for him.
Any info appreciated--also, if you have cloth diapered, is there a particular brand that isn't so bulky? I remember having trouble snapping onsies before because of the huge diapers. (I used plain flat liners and the little waterproof fitted covers.)
THANKS!
We just put DD straight in underwear. She still wears a Pull-up during her nap, and a disposable diaper at night (I am using them up). There are accidents, but she is making progress.
If you'd planned on washing diapers anyway, why not? Plus he can enjoy picking out his "big boy" underwear.
A friend of mine switched when her son was in the 18-24 month range. It saved her a significant amount of money. I gave her my cloth diapering supplies and all she had to buy was a few covers, and her son was one who took a long time to potty train.
Flour Sack Mama
2-24-11, 2:12pm
At 2 years, I agree that you might have success with just letting him try big kid undewear in the daytime. Hanna Andersen has some nice, thick training pants in organic cotton that we've liked using. If you do want to try cloth diapers again: Just about any of the leading cloth diaper brands today are going to be more leak-proof than they would have been a few years ago. I have a friend that likes Bum Genius that has velcro and closes really well around the legs.
Hi Joyous_5. Switching to cloth diapers at the toddler stage IMO will be one of the best switches you have/will ever made/make. As far as early potty/toilet training goes, I didn't have much success with my kids toileting early (that's just me although), but a good portion of the lateness in our home was the result of me being a little "wee too relaxed". With cloth it didn't cost me anything (aside from laundry expense) to diaper my kids, so by baby #3 I contently threw my hands up in the air and let my kids decide (more or less) when they wanted out.
Switching a toddler over to cloth after diapering his bottom in disposables will be BIG change for him. He'll definitely notice/feel the wetness. At this stage I'd go with cheap. By cheap I'm talking prefolds (so you don't have to fold), pins (if you aren't scared of them), and waterproof pull-on pants (vinyl). It will cost you next to nothing to outfit your son in old-fashioned cloth and you'll have them for the duration.
With cloth you aren't going to really get away with/find anything trim or thin. Cloth is bulky, but I never fretted over finding pants and outfits and things to go over my kids butts. My kids lived in diapers (mostly), and when the weather turned (winter/colder months) one size up pajama bottoms did the trick to cover (night-time/bedtime), as did plain old elastic-waist cotton pants/sweat pants when going out.
Brand name, whew, I can't remember what brand name of diapers I bought, just plain old-fashioned cotton flats. Pins were run-of-the-mill diaper pins available at most department stores at the time (better quality than now), rubber pants the same. Re: Diaper pins, go with Dritz! I bought some Dritz pins with my last two kids and IMO they are the best pins you can buy! (Even better than the old pins I have from my first born). The plastic-safety capped ones are what you want. Oh, just remembered something, I used Babykins pants pretty much exclusively for my last three kids. (They're out of Vancouver BC). Check online. Hmmm, what else to mention.
Oh ya, all you'll need in the way of diapers (if you decide to go with old-fashioned economical ones) will be two dozen. That's plenty of diapers for a toddler. A couple sets of diaper pins, and 4-6 pairs of rubber pants. If economics are a factor you can cheat/cut corners on the added expense of an actual plastic diaper pail by using an old lidded bucket/pail.
Re: Cotton training pants. If you go this route what you want are the old padded-waffle knit trainers with the thicker soaker panel running down the centre. And you'll want rubber pants for over to hold in wetness. When my kids reached the training pants stage I doubled two pairs of cotton training pants together to help keep them more dry and comfy, and to prevent wetness (leaks).
Thanks very much for the feedback and ideas. I'd never heard of cloth training pants, so immediately I did a Google search--interesting!
I'm still in the very early stages of potty training my son. This is particularly sad because I'm home with him every day. I can't ever remember to put him on the potty! Lately though, I've been aiming for at least once a day. I take care of another little girl and write part-time so it's often so hectic here that I forget completely.
NOW I'm wondering if I should go with the cloth diapers and covers (thanks for the suggestions of Babykins, Miz M!) or training pants. He's really only using the occasionally--but would it still be better to go w/ the pants vs. diapers, I wonder? I'm psyched to give this a go. I found some used cloth diapers w/ covers on craigslist but sadly they were already sold.
Oh, I also forgot to ask (and I think you've answered this question for me before Miz M.) How does one go about washing the diapers which have rather mushy poo in them? My mom said I should wash them in the toilet?! Also, what if I make cloth wipes? I like the idea but the poopy ones must be gross and smelly before tossing in the washing machine. I don't want our house to smell like a septic system!
Cloth diapers can be really easy. Here's what I did - no pail full of water or wet diapers to carry around the house.
Prepare a diaper pail - just a garbage can with lid and a plastic bag for a liner. No water needed!
Put dirty diapers into the pail. If a diaper is really messy, shake off the solids into the toilet.
Every 2-3 days, wash the dirty diapers. Cold water rinse with baking soda, then hot water wash with a gentle, unscented detergent, just a small amount. Vinegar in the rinse cycle will remove excess detergent.
My experience with cotton "training pants" was negative. I found them to be mostly useless. I tried some heavier ones that used cotton prefold diapers for liners and those absorbed more but were too bulky to be practical. We waited until DD was a little past 3 years of age so that it was warm outside, and sent her outside to play in clothes and regular cotton underwear. She noticed immediately when she was wet and came inside to change. She had a few accidents in the house but the thing that made a really big impression on her - and the last accident she ever had - was about 2 months after we began this process. We were at a park, and she did not want to stop playing to use the restroom (the usual cause of her accidents). I did not have any spare clothes at all, and we had to leave immediately. She was very unhappy about that, and the natural consequences really worked that time!
Hi again Joyous_5. Unless your son is on and off the potty multiple times each day- all on his own, I don't think you'd go wrong in looking at cloth diapers. (IMO he's still at the diaper stage). The nice part about old-fashioned diapers is, you can occasionally leave the rubber pants off when you're training him to give him that wet feeling. Plus, he's still going to need diapers at night for a while even after he daytime trains, so the cloth diapers will be a blessing for that.
One thing I did with my kids is ask them a lot if they had to go. When they were older and had an accident (but didn't tell me), when I'd ask them- "do you need to go potty", they'd immediately reach for the back of their pants/diapers if they were dirty, or the front of their pants if they were wet. Little did they know their actions were telling! :) I always knew they were lying to me when they did the "grab". :laff:
As far as training pants go, unless your son is all but trained throughout the day, I wouldn't rely on training soakers (pants) as a means of eliminating diapers in your home. You'll be pulling your hair out after a week! :)
Another thing I did when training my kids was to mimic what an older baby does when being asked if they have to go. Older babies/toddlers tend to pat the are of their pants related to what they need to do (potty) or have done (in their pants). So anytime I asked my kids if they had to go (or already went/accident), I'd pat my bottom and say "poo-poo", or pat the front of my pants and say "pee-pee". They'd always respond by patting their own pants in the front if they were wet, or the back if they were dirty. If you work on making that a common every day affair/occurrence in your home, your son will (after a few days) approach you and pat the front or back of his pants/diapers to let you know.
Rinsing out poopy diapers is really easy. Your mom is right, rinsing them in the toilet is the best way. When I rinse out a messy diaper I take it to the bathroom and sometimes even put the diaper in the toilet (water) and let it soak for a few minutes beforehand (if it's really bad). Easier cleaning.
Anyhow, when it's time to rinse, I grab hold of the diaper firmly (extra good grip) and while holding the diaper in my one hand- I flush the toilet with the other. While the water is swirling I dunk the diaper up and down in the water. Out everything comes! The diaper will still be stained but the bulk of what was once there will be gone. You can also grab hold of the diaper (hand at each end) and rub the spot or area together (fabric part) back and forth to loosen the mess. (Again, that's only when baby has gone really bad). Most times it's as easy as a quick dunk, a wring, toss diaper into pail.
Washing, same thing, super easy. I used cotton baby washcloths for my kids and just fired the dirty cloth into the pail with the diapers when I was done using it. The pail will help with odour. If you're more fussy about the cleanliness of your washcloths after use, you can do the toilet dunk/diaper rinse with them before putting them in the diaper pail. (You'll get to a point where you'll happen on a method/system that best works for you).
As far as actual washing goes, on laundry day I'd dump the diaper pail right into the washing machine, everything inside. (Wet/soiled diapers, rubber pants, washcloths). Everything. Then I'd turn the washer on a short rinse/spin cycle to rinse and spin the dirty diapers out quickly before starting the wash cycle. (If you toilet rinse and dry pail you don't even have to go through the process of doing a rinse/spin cycle). I was fussy so I did. Anyhow, when done, I added my detergent to the wash, closed the lid, turned the select dial to what I wanted, and pressed on! Out came freshly washed diapers ready for the line!
The lead-up to cloth diapering is always the hardest part for most moms I find. After you do it a few times you'll think to yourself- "why didn't I do this sooner"! :)
Joyous_5. If my kids old diapers and things weren't so worn and stained I'd gladly pass everything down to you for free, but I'd feel ashamed in offering you the likes of what I've got. To help with costs drop in to your local thrift store(s) for a visit and see what they have. Ours usually have a good selection of both diapers and rubber pants, all gently used and often not even stained. Just a little helpful suggestion to help you save a little.
wallydraigle
2-24-11, 9:51pm
We switched our kids when our older one was about two. Worked beautifully. I don't think she's closer to potty training, but we've been through a move and settling into a new apartment in the last few months, so that doesn't surprise me.
The thing that did catch me by surprise was the need to change diapers MUCH more frequently. Both my girls have really sensitive skin, so if they're wet, they need to be changed within about 20 minutes. They're also really heavy wetters, so we're keeping them in disposables for nights and naptimes. We're still save buckets of money, though.
Check out www.cottonbabies.com. I got the one-size econobums, and I went for the seconds (supposedly they're diapers that have something superficial wrong with them, but I can't detect any kind of flaws in these). I use Indian prefolds. Two days' worth of diapers for both babies: $63. I'd like to stock up a little more and maybe invest in some pull-ups for the toddler, but we can make do with what we have. The thing I love about diapering this way is that I can wash the covers and prefolds together, remove the covers, and then sanitize the prefolds if needed by pouring in some boiling water. Diapers like Bum Genius can't be done that way. I much prefer them to some of the all-in-ones I've tried out. I also really like MotherEease, but they're ridiculously expensive.
wallydraigle
2-24-11, 9:56pm
For mushy dirty diapers, I use a kleenex to wipe the solids off their bums (kleenex, unlike wipes, is flushable). Then I can use a cloth wipe to finish cleanup, and I don't have to worry about rinsing it clean of solids. It just goes in the diaper pail with the rest of the diapers. Cut-up flannel receiving blankets make perfect wipes. I found that letting them sit in a solution made for mold and yeast problems, so I just use a spray bottle and keep a stack of dry cloths near the changing station.
These are such good ideas--I typed up a nice reply last night but it was apparently lost in cyberspace. Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm planning to still use disposable at night and when he's at someone's house (being babysat) but otherwise here we come cloth diapers! I love that some of you included processes of how you did it--that's really helpful. I also just discovered that a new friend is cloth diapering and she reiterated a lot of this good information. Thanks again!
FYI - a friend of mine used a dry diaper pail, and the ammonia from the wet diapers caused her diapers to wear out very quickly. They had holes in them within 6 months. I always used a plain water soak in the diaper pail and my diapers lasted through all 3 kids.
Joyous_5. I've lost a mess load of posts on the new forum. I'm slow at thinking and even slower at typing, so at times (by the time I'm done preparing an entry for posting), my login status times out and the forum kicks me out! Now whenever I'm preparing a longer post than average I save or copy my work, that way when I hit "submit reply" and the forum kicks me out, I can login quickly again, paste my work to the appropriate forum, then submit!
Glad to hear you have a little support and someone to help guide you. That comes in so handy! Do post a followup as to how you made out in the purchasing department.
Tammy. Great info. I wet-pailed with my first two, a little with the third, then I switched to dry-pailing after that. I washed every second day (for the most part), so maybe I managed to stave off ammonia burns and damage through frequent laundering. I remember reading an article in a magazine a number of years ago related to dry and wet-pailing, and the article mentioned that dry-pailing aided in whiter diapers. (White diapers are nice, but if a mother can't use 'em it don't matter how white they are)! :)
Thanks for the tip, Mrs. M. Maybe that's what happened to my post. And thanks, too, for the kind offer to share your cloth diaper supplies if they were in better shape--I completely understand and appreciate it! I just posted a large stash of my son's tiny diapers (did he ever really fit in THOSE?!) on craisgslist and am planning to use the money from that sale to purchase the sizes we'll need.
Joyous_5. Have you decided on something specific cloth diaper wise?
Not quite yet...I did find some gently used diaper covers (little "rubber" pants, though I think they're nylon or something similar) at the local children's shop. I bought 5 pair for under $10 and now just have to buy the prefolds to go inside. A friend is also loaning me a pair or two of her son's pocket diapers, which he hasn't grown into yet, to see if I like those. I might, but I'm thinking the price on that type is significantly higher than the little elastic pants. We'll see!
OK, if your kid is almost 2 then it's time to try potty training. To get it done right you really need to devote at least 2 or 3 days to it. Just set aside anything you need to do for 3 days and get it done. It isn't hard but you need to set aside the time. It is time well used. Get the book "Potty train in three days", or something like that. You can probably get it from the library. It really works. I used it on both my kids and it worked. In 2 days with my son and about 4 days with my daughter. But it works. No drama, no tears, no threats, just success. But you have to actually do it. It's worth it. It amazes me how parents draw this out with all the drama and tears when the thing can be done in a flash. And in a positive way.
Nothing succeeds like success. Let your kid succeed in this first challenge.
Nice to know you're past the planning stage and onto the actual purchasing stage. Great buy on the rubber pants! One thing about pull-on waterproof nylon pants is, you'll have to change them out more frequently than vinyl ones. Nylon pants tend to wick and hold moisture when baby wets. Not a big deal in the big scheme of things, just a little something for you to keep in mind when using.
As far as diapers go, look for "Premium" sized prefolds. Premium is the largest size available and will easily fit and cover your sons diapering needs right through till he's trained. (Just fold them down and under at the front if you find them to be a little large). As far as fastening goes, I'm a firm believer in pins, albeit as old-fashioned as they are. Once you get the hang of tugging, overlapping, holding, and pinning, you'll be sold! Pinning is so easy! And it's super safe when done properly. (Never poked a kid in my life ever using them)! A couple of fingers between baby and diaper when pinning, that's all there is to it.
One of the reasons I suggested you go old-fashioned is the versatility aspect of a simple two piece diaper and pull-on pant system. It's so reliable! But what's more, when you're done diapering your son you can continue using the rubber pants for toilet training. It's the best of both worlds. You really get your money's worth when using the old-fashioned cloth method. Plus, if you decide to toss in the towel in the baby-making department, the diapers can go on to be used as washing, wiping, drying, and cleaning cloths! (Best window washing/drying cloths you can get/use)! Diaper pins can be tossed into your notions kit/box and used as menders, fixer-uppers, tackers, seam-holders when stitching or sewing, and general clothing repair doohickeys!
Peggy. Did you use those old-fashioned thick padded waffle knit training pants?
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