Every family has their own reason(s) for cloth diapering. For our family,it was the fact that we were on a (very) tight budget and we didn't have any other option.

When we found out we were expecting baby #2, C, our oldest, B, was only six months old. We knew we were going to have two in diapers for quite a while and there was no way we were going to be able to keep paying for disposables. It took some talking, but I finally convinced my husband, E, that we would try cloth diapers. The stipulation was that there were no pins involved.

Since we didn't have the money to buy our cloth diapers with cash we decided that we would purchase them on a credit card and then put the money we had budgeted for diapers each month toward the credit card instead. This worked really well and we had the first part of our cloth diapers paid off in about four months.

Since that time we have had not only a second, but a third and our cloth diaper stash has gone from the original 14 diapers to forty. We now have three children who use these cloth diapers (one just at night) and I am ever so thankful we decided to switch. This simple thing has allowed us to get out of debt, buy a house, and go back to school.

We love Cloth Diapers!

And don't forget that Babee Greens has a great layaway plan to help you get started with your cloth diaper needs.

Written by guest blogger A. Kerr of Kerrific.

 If you’re like me before I tried wool diaper covers, you might be wondering how in the world can a wool cover work? Isn’t it just fabric? Won’t the fluids in the diaper just leak right through? I had those same thoughts when I first heard about moms using wool diaper covers and longies.

Well, wool happens to be a “wonder fabric” unlike anything else in nature or man-made! Wool works perfectly for keeping our babies dry and healthy because of three amazing properties.

1. Wool is water repellant – Wool fibers connect with an overlapping structure that naturally repels water. To visualize, think of how roof shingles overlap to keep out rain. As if this wasn’t wonderful enough, sheep produce a natural oil called lanolin, which coats the fibers. This slick lanolin coating also helps wool fibers repel water.

2. Wool is breathable – In case you’re worried your baby might be hot in their wool cover, you should know that wool fibers when processed (with heat or water) tend to tangle. This is called “felting,” which not only tightens the wool fibers together, but creates mesh-like pockets within the fibers. These pockets allow air to pass between them, which regulates temperature and allows moisture to evaporate quickly! So any moisture that gets into the wool isn’t going to just sit there like it would with cotton and other materials. It will quickly convert to water vapor and dry off.

3. Wool can absorb a lot of moisture – Whatever water is not being repelled or evaporated gets absorbed by those tiny pockets of meshed wool fibers. These pockets can actually absorb up to 30% of the wool’s weight in moisture! This keeps any moisture inside the diaper from getting back on your baby’s skin, and also keeps the wool cover from leaking for quite some time!

So there you have it – the trifecta ability of wool to repel water, breath, and absorb moisture. Wool is really the wonder-material for creating natural, healthy wool diaper covers for your baby's cloth diapers.

By Julie Kieras – www.ayearwithmomanddad.com

There are so many cloth diapers out on the market that it can be somewhat confusing, especially for a beginner. When I started researching cloth diapers, I had no idea where to begin and what constituted a good cloth diaper! They are available in several different fabrics, including cotton, bamboo, wool and hemp.

Reasons To Use Hemp Diapers

Strength & Durability - Hemp is over 4 times as durable as cotton alone, which means it is long-lasting and can withstand much more washing and wearing!

Lightweight- Hemp is incredibly lightweight, so it can keep baby dry and comfortable even in hot summer months.

Antimicrobial Properties- Hemp is naturally mold resistant and contains anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. This is why hemp is especially great for babies prone to diaper rashes!

Cost-Effective- Hemp costs little to grow and harvest, which means it's cheap to purchase. Hemp diapers, like Babee Greens, are available at amazing prices.

Environmentally Friendly- Farming hemp requires a small amount of water compared to other crops. In addition, no pesticides or fertilizers are needed. Also, almost every part of hemp can be harvested and used to make products!

Hemp is such a versatile product, which is why it is becoming much more popular. Babee Greens offers a variety of cloth diapers, including the Growing Greens Fitted Cloth Diaper in cotton & hemp blend. Using 55% Hemp and 45% Organic Cotton, this unbleached diaper offers the best for your baby. It's soft, absorbent and long-lasting. Plus, it helps prevent diaper rashes!
 

Written by guest blogger Roxanne DeBord of Children Teaching Mama

When I first decided to use cloth diapers on my youngest son, I was totally overwhelmed by all the options.  So I took the simple route.  My entire stash consisted of pocket diapers.  While they worked great as daytime diapers I learned very quickly that they just weren't going to cut it at night. 

It started simple enough my 11 month old would wake up at 2 am completely soaked.  I mean from almost head to toe!  I don't know how many early morning baths and sheet changes I did!  And all the ruckus was not making for good sleeping patterns for my baby or myself.

So I started to super stuff my cloth diapers.  A Microfiber insert wrapped in bamboo prefold and sometimes another bamboo doubler!  YAY no leaks!  But this lead to another, more pungent problem.  As soon as you walked into his room in the morning you could smell it.  I didn't even have to open the door! That is how bad the ammonia smell got!  I hated having him sleep like that.  It made my eyes water to change his diaper, I could only imagine how it made him feel!

That is when someone suggested I try a wool diaper cover.  I was a little afraid of wool.  I thought that there was some CRAZY process needed to care of it and that I was going to ruin my covers after spending so much money on them.  Put I took the plunge! 

I first night he wore his Babee Greens Organic cotton Fitted Diaper under his wool shorties and to my surprise and relief he not only slept through the night, but when he did wake up in the morning the smell was gone!  No more ammonia!   I love my wool covers now and wish I wouldn't have waitied so long to give them a try! 

Guest post written by Cristina of Tailor Made Momma

Fitted diapers are a common choice among parents first starting with cloth diapers. They are easier to use than prefolds because they have apex or snap closures rather than pins. For many this is the easiest way to cloth diaper. Today I have complied a short list of the pros and cons of fitted diapers from my own experience.

Pros:
Have the same shape as disposables so they tend to be less bulky than other kinds of cloth diapers.
Don't need to be pinned.
Elastic around the lgs (and sometimes back) helps prevent blowouts.
Easy to wash.
Dry quickly.
Doesn't take up much space.

Cons:
You need a cover so they take longer to put on than All In Ones (can be hard with a wiggly baby/toddler).
Covers and fitted diapers aren't necessarily compatible between brands.
Not as husband/childcare friendly.
Because they are fitted, not every brand fits every baby.
Can have an overabundance of snaps.
May have to buy different sizes as your child grows, unless you choose a one size fitted like Growing Greens

Ultimately the decision is yours. Everyone has a different type of cloth diapers that work for them so please do not take this as the rule. You may disagree but as you choose the perfect cloth diaper to start with, do your research,  talk to friends or try different kinds.

Written by guest blogger A. Kerr