Modern Cloth Diapering 101 with Kim Ormsby of GroVia & Natural Baby Co

Today’s guest post is brought to us by Kim Ormsby. Kim is the owner of The Natural Baby Company. The Natural Baby Company’s brands include: GroVia, Tiny Bubbles, and Magic Stick. Each product was designed out of necessity and innovation.

What a great person to have as a guest here on Modern Day Moms covering the topic of Cloth Diapering. She is here to share her advice, tips and hopefully help you out in our cloth diapering journey. Take it away, Kim!

These aren’t your mama’s cloth diapers!

Today, millions of parents are joining the cloth diapering movement because they’re healthy for baby, better for our planet, and they are saving parents money.

Here are some fast facts:
Traditional disposable diapers take 1 cup of crude oil to make and will sit in our landfills for 500+ years.
Families using disposable diapers will spend $2500-3000 diapering one child, compared to $500-600 using modern cloth diapers.
Modern cloth diapers are dioxin free, often organic, are free of harsh chemicals and perfumes – unlike their big brand disposable counterparts.

Making the switch to cloth is now an easier choice than ever before…

Gone are the days of pins, rectangular cotton sheets, and plastic pull on pants. Enter today’s cloth diaper: easy-to-use, accessible, functional, cute, and made with fabric that is soft and gentle on baby’s skin. Modern cloth diapers are not only simple, but are fun and fashionable.

Ready to get on board the cloth diaper movement? There are a few key terms you need to get acquainted with first.

Prefolds… fitteds… AIO… AI2. What does all of this mean?

Let me break it down:

Prefolds

Prefolds are rectangles of absorbent fabric, usually serged on all four sides, with extra layers of material in the center section. Prefolds need to be folded, then fastened with diaper pins or a Snappi. Prefolds need to be covered with a separate cover.

Fitteds

Fitted diapers have an hourglass shape and elastic in the legs and waist to keep messes inside. Fitted diapers close with snaps or a hook and loop. Fitted diapers are not waterproof and usually require a separate diaper cover, unless your child is going coverless.

* Shown above: Kiwi Pie One Size from The Natural Baby Company

AIO (All-in-One)

All-in-one cloth diapers have an hourglass shape and elastic in the legs and waist to keep messes inside. AIO cloth diapers consist of a waterproof outer and an absorbent inner – but they are one component, thus the name All-in-One. AIOs do not require a diaper cover, they are convenient to use and close with snaps or hook and loop. GroVia makes an award winning AIO and are thrilled to share it with you: GroVia AIO

AI2 (All-in-Two/ Hybrid System)

All-in-two cloth diapers are similar to AIOs, except the absorbent soaker in an AI2 separates from the diaper body. There are 2 parts, the soaker pad and the cloth shell – thus the name, All-in-Two. Usually an AI2 soaker is snapped to the outer diaper shell. AI2s do not need a cover because the diaper body has a waterproof outer layer. One advantage to the AI2 is that the body and soaker separate to make cleaning and drying easier. Depending on the mess, the cloth shell can be reused after a change and just the soaker pad needs replacing and washing. Another advantage is that the soaker can be replaced if it wears out before the diaper body, saving parents money. GroVia makes a famous AI2/Hybrid diaper, find it here: GroVia Hybrid

Now you’re familiar with cloth diaper systems – great! But, there are still more details you must know before buying…

Sizing

More and more families are choosing one size diapers. These unique cloth diapers are designed to fit babies from 8-35lbs. One size diapers take the guesswork out of trying to figure out what size your baby is, and if you have more than one child in diapers, choosing one size is perfect for streamlining your diaper stash. They also save parents money because they actually grow with baby! One size diapers allow parents to use the same diapers throughout baby’s diapering years, instead of having to constantly buy larger diapers as baby grows. A disadvantage parents sometimes face with one size systems is that the size range is an estimate. If you have a baby with large thighs or who is very tall, the diapers may only fit until 25lbs. You will also find that these diapers can be a bit bulky during the newborn stage, but generally still function quite well. Basically, one size systems are not fool proof, sometimes parents find that they still need to buy different size diapers – but I find, it never hurts to try!

How many cloth diapers do I need?

Whether you go with sized or one sized diapers, plan on purchasing enough diapers so that you can wash every couple of days (instead of everyday), and also enough diapers so that you are spreading the wear and tear over multiple pieces. Too small of a diaper stash means you will be washing more frequently and just like your favorite pair of jeans, they will wear out more quickly. I like to recommend 24 of each size if you are going with a sized system, and for GroVia customers I always suggest 36-40 diapers with one size system. Remember, this is for each child!

Laundering Your Diapers:

So you’ve got your diaper stash, now what? Washing diapers is as easy as doing any of your other laundry – but the idea is a little intimidating. For some, the washing is the reason they steer away from cloth diapering, but most cloth converts find – once you go through the process once, you’ll never give it a second thought again. Below are some different methods for washing, as well as some helpful tips I’ve compiled throughout my years as a cloth-mama!

The detergent you pick will make the biggest difference. Detergents now come in a wide variety of eco-friendly brands made from renewable resources, rather than harsh petro-chemicals. While they do still contain some synthetics there are still some containing natural fragrances and no dyes. We recommend Tiny Bubbles.

The Basics

Remove as much solid matter as possible.
Place soiled diapers in a dry diaper pail- no soaking is necessary.
Wash every 2 or 3 days.
Start with a cold rinse.
Wash in warm water with the amount of detergent recommended.
Do an extra final rinse.
Tumble dry or hang outside for extra freshness and to remove stains (I find that the sun helps fade stains).
Do NOT use bleach or fabric softeners, including softener sheets. This concept is as simple as just not wanting to put harsh chemicals on baby’s soft skin.

Almost done! Stay tuned for next week where Kim shares the Top 6 Cloth Diapering Mistakes!

Meet Kim Ormsby

After receiving a BS in Biology + Chemistry from Jamestown College, I spent four years working with Qwest Communication. In 2003, with a growing family, I ventured out on my own and created Montana’s Diaper Store, an online cloth diaper retail site functioning out of my home laundry room. This move into entrepreneurship gave me the opportunity to protect the health of my family with improved products, to ensure a family-friendly work environment, and to guarantee that my children would be exposed to a business that they could learn from, be proud of, and benefit from. In just a few years, Montana’s Diaper Store developed into The Natural Baby Company, a retailer, manufacturer, distributor, and parent company to in-house cloth diaper brand, GroVia. Today, The Natural Baby Company and GroVia are helping unite eco-responsibility and function in homes across the globe, all because we offer a simple way to nurture baby, naturally.