Simple Cloth Diapering: A Review of BumGenius! Cloth Diapers

I always said I would NEVER use cloth diapers. The whole idea was just icky to me, to put it mildly. I could not stomach the idea of swishing diapers in the toilet, messing with folds and pins, etc. So when we were expecting our first child, and my husband suggested cloth diapering to save money, I told him I really wasn't interested. My thoughts began to change, though, when a friend introduced me to "all-in-one" cloth diapers. I started doing some research online, and discovered that cloth diapers have come a long way since my mom diapered us with flats, pins, and plastic pants. I was particularly interested in the idea of "pocket diapers"--a 2 piece diaper with a waterproof outer layer, fleece or suedecloth inner layer, and a pocket in between for stuffing an absorbent insert, often made of microfiber or hemp. Over my first couple years of parenting, though I used disposables for the most part, I also bought a few kinds of pocket diapers to try out, and was fairly impressed. Then, after my second child, Julia, was born in April 2006, I started hearing a lot of good reviews of a new brand of pocket diapers, known as bumGenius!.

Back in November, when Julia was about seven months old, we decided to invest in a pretty large stash of bumGenius! cloth diapers. These one-size pocket diapers, made by Cotton Babies (www.cottonbabies.com), are so nice, and we have been very happy with them. Because they adjust with a set of snaps, they can be used on babies from 8 to 35 pounds. To use the diaper, you simply stuff the insert into the pocket, making sure the outer snaps are adusted to the size you need, then fasten the diaper on your baby just like a disposable. It's so easy that even my husband doesn't mind using them.