pinching green pennies

[greenANDchic]

hybrid diapers

Since right now I am dealing with diaper issues I thought I would do a few posts on some of the different options available today. I have tried at least some disposable diapers, hybrid diapers and cloth diapers so I do have experience with them all to some extent or another.

Yes in this day and age you can even get hybrid diapers. I will specifically talk about gDiapers since that is the only hybrid diaper I know of and therefore the only one I have tried. What is so special about these diapers? You can use both cloth and disposables in the same neat cover and liner setup. The disposable inserts are not only able to be disposed of in the traditional manner of throwing them away, but you can also put them in your compost bin (not poopy diapers) or even flush them down the toilet. As far as using cloth in these diapers goes it is really cheap and easy to get started as most people use regular old cotton prefolds (infant sized) in them. From there you can experiment with other fabrics if you like. I myself made some inserts out of old flannel receiving blankets to use on my little guy over night since he is a very heavy wetter. I have also begun using fleece to cover the actual diaper so that poop doesn't stick to my diapers as much, poop doesn't really stick to fleece. I have also just begun experimenting with microfiber which is really great at absorbing a lot of liquid (pee), I haven't tried them overnight yet but plan to try that soon. It is on my list of things to experiment with this year though. The only thing about the microfiber is that I am told you can not put it directly up against your little one's skin as it will draw the moisture out of their skin.

Of course we all know that in the long run cloth is cheaper than disposables and is also healthier for our little ones and the environment. Of course if you are a little on the crafty side you can make your own diaper inserts and save a lot of money doing such. If you are one of those who is a bit crafty and are interested in making your own inserts I would suggest checking out the clearance section at your local fabric store before buying their full-price fabrics. After all we are only talking about making the inserts for these particular diapers so it doesn't really matter what pattern you have so you might as well save some money. If you use fleece there are non-pilling versions available for slightly more than their traditional counterparts. I will get to talking about the differnt inserts and things I have made for my gDiapers in a future post.