Baby of the Cloth: Part 2

We have been cloth diapering for about 6 months now and I am still very happy with my decision to make the switch! Here is a quick update on somethings I have learned along the way.

1- We received our new Alva baby diapers that we ordered directly from Alva baby and we love them! They have a great suede cloth instead of micro fleece which really wicks away the moisture and isn't as bulky. Overall they are a much trimmer fit.

2- I am so glad I went with pockets instead of all-in-ones. The AIO's are great for convince but I've been told by many of my friends that they don't hold up as well. If they don't try them, the absorbent layer gets stiff and uncomfortable for baby and if they dry them, the PUL wears too fast. I love that I can dry my inserts and hang dry my covers.

3- ECOS detergent is awful (for us anyway...) I don't know if it's the super hard water we have here in Arizona or what but we had horrible build up and the worst ammonia smell of all time! It was bad for a while there. I switched to good old fashion Tide. I haven't had any damage to our diapers or problems with irritation for Isla. I use only a half a tablespoon of liquid tide during my wash and then I rinse until there are no more suds. Usually just one cold rinse after the wash but sometimes two. My wash routine is still cold rinse (with 1/2 Tablespoon of baking soda), hot wash (with 1/2 Tablespoon of Tide), cold rinse. We have a standard top loading washer so the amount of soap you'll need can vary. The best tip I found was to lift the lid during the wash and see if there are suds and then check again during your rinse. Keep doing this until you find the right amount for you. You should have suds during the wash and no suds during your rinse.

4- Night time diapering was so inconsistent and I was so tired of Isla waking up soaked but I was determined to exclusively cloth diaper. I tried hemp and bamboo inserts and those were some of the most absorbent, especially when used together. Finally though, I just recently purchase some good old fashioned gerber plastic pants. They're a little noisy but that doesn't seem to bother Isla and we haven't had a single leak since we started using them, no matter how wet her diaper is. As an added bonus they were only about $5 on amazon for a set of 2. Just make sure you order a size that will cover that bulky night time diaper!

Now that we are starting to move forward with our plans for baby numero dos, I am very interested in thoughts and opinions on cloth diapers for newborns. Really just for that first month or so when they are teeny tiny. I'm looking for something inexpensive that will hold in those breast milk blowouts. If you have any tips, let me know! Especially when it comes to how many diapers I'll need in a stash and things like that. As of right now I'm seriously considering pre-folds or fitted diapers
and woolies as a cover, if you have any experience with these especially tell me your thoughts! These Disana diapers and covers were recommended from a friend of a friend that just raves about them, they're relatively inexpensive for wool covers as well and the diapers themselves are only about $5 each.