The Great Cloth Diaper Journey..Abbreviations

Before my daughter was born, I knew that I would be cloth diapering.  I read horror stories about how our landfills are piled with diapers that wouldn’t break down properly.  I listened to mom after mom struggle to find a diaper that wouldn’t break her kid out in rashes.  I kept hearing about the dreaded “blow-out”, and how the only way to prevent it was with cloth diapering.  I researched and saw how many chemicals were in a diaper, and I saw the investment long-term financially that traditional diapering cost.  I just knew it wasn’t for me.

What I found out immediately in my diaper journey, was most people don’t understand it.  A lot of people tried to deter me from going down this path.  But, for me, it was the only path that even made sense.  The other thing I found out was there are a zillion different types of cloth diaper options, and abbreviations you are just supposed to magically know.  It can get rather confusing.  Now, I’m an avid researcher.  I like to know all my options, where the best deals are, and what the benefits are of the product….so, I started where all great researchers start.  Google.

I want to break the Diaper Game down to you.  For a new mother, this can be overwhelming.  So, I have compiled some notes that you may find handy on your cloth diaper journey.  This is all about abbreviations to get you hip to the party.

AIO: all in one:  This diaper is your basic cloth diaper.  It is lined so you can either just put it on the kid, or you can pop a liner in for extra protection.  It will fit all sizes of kids because there are ways to adjust it.  It’s an easy breezy diaper.

AI2:  all in 2:  This is one of my favorite diapers because the double gussets really helps keep the liner in place.  Also, if you don’t want to use a liner, than it keeps all the pee and poo nicely stored inside.  These are pretty much leak proof in every way.

Pocket Diapers:  I think this is fairly self-explanatory.   But, there is a pocket that you can pop a liner into for added protection.  I really like these for the night-time because I can put a liner in, and then lay a liner on top and Emma has extra protection because she doesn’t get changed as much at night.

Pre-Fold:  This is a tri-fold cloth that you can drop in to your diapers.  Most moms just use those thick white burp cloths, and fold them over.  These are amazing for when they are newborns, because you can just fold them around kiddo and pin it together.  (this is a traditional, old school diaper)  You can also use a pre-fold as a burp cloth, a wipe, a dusting cloth, a cleaning cloth, etc…Just go ahead and register for a lot of these because they are invaluable.

Shell/Cover:  This just goes over the pre-fold if that’s your choice of diaper.  A cover has no lining on the inside, so you must provide one.  Flip Diapers makes my favorite shells.  http://www.flipdiapers.com/

Fiited:  This is a cloth diaper generally that you would pin on.  You would put a shell/cover over it.  A lot of moms like hemp, organic cotton, or bamboo.  I really enjoy the hemp ones that I have. They are soft and very absorbent.

Insert:  This is the absorbent rectangle shaped cloth that you can use to stuff the diaper, lay in the diaper, or pop in your shell.  You will need a lot of these.  They come in a variety of fabrics, & brands.  I will get into fabrics and brands on another blog.  It can get complex.

CD:  On all the mommy blogs, this will stand for Cloth Diapering.

There is so much more information on cloth diapering.  But, let’s take it step by step.  Getting your lingo down is the first move.  In my next blogs, I will talk about cleaning them, brands, and all the other fun stuff that you may want to know.   Happy diapering!!