My First Cloth Diaper

I wanted to share my experiences with Best Bottom diapers. These diapers are sold as a two part system consisting of a one size diaper cover, and three sizes of inserts. The diaper cover contains two layers of PUL, double leg gussets, and four rows of rise snaps, instead of the usual three. For the inserts you can choose either four layers of microfiber topped with a layer of stay dry fleece, or an organic option of cotton and hemp. Also available are a "micro-doubler" and an overnight insert that has six layers of microfiber. You can also use them separately; you can use the diaper covers over prefolds, flats, or fitteds, and use the inserts in pocket diapers or other covers. These diapers make up about half of our current rotation, with the other half being pockets and all in ones.

I definitely have an emotional connection with these diapers. This system was the one that I picked when I was pregnant, and the first cloth diapers we put on our daughter. I was drawn to this system because of the customizability and the adorable patterns on the covers. We didn't actually start using these diapers until she was about three weeks old and maybe 9 pounds or so, however, I do think that you could use this system on a newborn, as the extra row of snaps in the rise and the crossover tabs allow them to adjust to a very small size.

My baby is a very heavy wetter, so we have had some issues with the inserts being able to keep up with her. I bought almost all of the stay dry inserts, which was fortunate because she doesn't like to feel wet. She started out in the smallest size, and by the time she weighed about 12 pounds she was already wetting through them. It is very obvious when it is time to size up the inserts, as the cover starts leaking and her skin started getting red in the areas where it touched the PUL- I think because urine was saturating the whole inside of the cover instead of staying in the inserts. At that time we switched to the medium size, but I only ended up using them for about a week because I did not see any real increase in absorbency from the small inserts. If I was able to do it over again I definitely would not have bought the medium inserts, I barely was able to use them.

At that point my daughter was still only about 12-13 pounds, I don't even think four months old, and we were already starting on the large inserts. The disadvantage of having to switch so early was that we had to unsnap the rise to the second to largest size to accommodate the snaps, and it turned the diaper from a fairly trim option to quite bulky. However, the large inserts are definitely more then a match for her, and I am hopeful that it will take her a long time to outgrow them. She is now six months old and 14 and a half pounds, with a long torso and slender frame. She has been wearing the BB diapers at this size for over two months with no problems at all, and since she has grown, they look less bulky and obvious. She has fallen asleep in one and worn it overnight with no leaking, or I will use them with the overnight insert as a night diaper on purpose. I also have a few of the cotton and hemp inserts, which I pair with a microfiber insert in a pocket to use as a night time option, and that works really well. My plan is that if she eventually does outgrow the microfiber inserts I can use the cotton and hemp inserts with a fleece liner, as they are supposed to be more absorbent.

I wash my BB diapers in Rockin' Green detergent, and haven't had any issues with staining or repelling. I generally tumble dry my inserts, but I always hang the covers because it really seems to wear down the PUL faster to put them in the dryer, even though I dry them on low. You can definitely see the difference in the covers that have spent more time in the dryer, but even so, all of them have held up very well to five months of regular use. I feel confident that this system will last through this child and possible future ones.

Bio: Rebecca Azer is a working mom to one daughter. She started cloth diapering to save money, and ended up an addict!

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