We have decided on a cloth diapering system for our baby girl that is due October 14th=). It was hard to narrow down because there are SO MANY different types and brands. We want to live green, but we also need to live on the cheap so that helped us narrow down a lot. Some cloth diaper brands are so expensive that it would be only a slight difference in cost, but instead of "buying-as-you-go" as with disposable diapers, you have to spend a lot, all up-front. Not happening! At first I thought some were not that bad, but then I realized that you have to buy them in 3 or 4 different sizes.
We have decided to use the Flip Diaper System. They fit a baby from 7-35 pounds because the snaps make it so you can fit it to baby perfectly. They do have special inserts you can buy, but to make it a little cheaper again, we are going to use prefolds instead. To make them even cheaper to use, you do not have to wash the cover everytime, which means you need less covers and need to do less laundry. Less laundry? I'm sold!The All-In-One systems consist of a cover that is permanently attached to the absorbent part, just like a normal disposable diaper. That might make them a little easier to assemble, but they take longer to dry (we are going to hang dry ours) and the whole diaper, including the cover, has to go in the laundry. AIO is not for me. It does not seem as green to me either, but that is just my opinion.
The Flip diaper cost 13.95 if bought from a store. Though, if you go to ebay.com you can find them for much cheaper. There are many people who give up on cloth diapers no matter what system they use, so they sell them after only one or two uses.
Another way to cut down on cost and to keep it green is to plan on using it for multiple children. Since Greg and I plan to have one more at some point, we can use the diapers for the next child too. With that in mind, I do not plan to buy any that are pink or girly this time around in case the next one is a boy.
We will also keep track of our spending on diapers and have an update after the baby comes. =)
Here is a video on the Flip diapering system http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKvUFSetBP4&feature=related
