Week 1 Under Cover: How To Get Fitted Diapers Cheap

I admit, fitted diapers are not the cheapest things in the world. Then on top of it you have to buy a cover! (Although you do not necessarily need one cover per fitted diaper depending on whether you use them during the daytime or nighttime). Here are some things I have found for getting good fitted diapers at a cheaper cost.

1. Try to win them. Takes a little time to enter but if you win then you get a fitted or two for free!

2. Make them. Either from a prefold diaper or from fabric. Depending on what fabric you get, how much, and from where it may be the cheapest option. Or, if you have a bunch of prefolds lying around that you don't use you can always turn them into some nice fitteds! Check the links below to find directions on sewing.
Prefold to Fitted
Sewing a Fitted

3. Check Etsy. Etsy is full of WAHMs and sometimes you can find a real gem for a low price. My all-time favorite fitted diaper is made by handsewnbyme and sold on Etsy. These diapers are cloth inside and out with layers of zorb in the middle. Very absorbent, cute, functional and cheap! Only $8.25 for a large + very reasonable shipping.

4. Check Ebay and other resale diaper sellers. Be careful of the quality. When I was checking this out, my first thought (I admit!) was that there is no way I want a diaper someone else used! But then I found that if you look frequently (as they get snatched up quickly) you can find barely used diapers that someone bought to try and ended up disliking. Just make sure if you bid on something that you don't bid over the limit of what it would cost you if you bought brand new!!

Those are my tips and what I usually do when buying diapers. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to share! Happy Diapering!

Giveaway & Review: Zookies Cover! *CLOSED*

Rating: A +

I recommend this cover to everyone

Review:

I was on the fence about this cover prior to trying it because it is about $15 and I generally don’t spend that much on my diapers or covers. When it arrived in the mail and I ripped the packaging open, I was first very impressed by how cute it was! Then I pulled it out and I couldn’t believe how soft it felt! My other covers all feel rather waxy on the outside. This diaper is nice and soft inside and out. It has nice soft fabric around the legs and the back. Gentle elastic is sewn in around the legs and in the back.

I chose to get this cover with Aplix closure as I far prefer that. The laundry tabs hold very well in the wash and the Aplix is holding up very well thus far with no fraying, pulling or curling. It does seem to take an extra hour to dry because of the soft cloth outside, but if you don’t wash your covers intending to use them in just an hour this won’t make any difference. It will still be dry and ready to use by the same afternoon.

This diaper has a nice high rise. It fits very well over my fitted diapers that have a high rise. I end up pulling my other covers and repositioning a ton of times in an attempt to get them to fit over the fitted diapers I have, but not this cover! I have no problems getting it to cover around the legs and up the back.

I ordered the diaper in a size Large so my daughter would be able to grow into it and use it for a longer time (her weight overlaps between the Medium and Large sizes right now). You should know that Baby “S” is also still chunky around the legs and trimming around the waist. This cover fits perfectly! She will be able to wear this one for a long time and yet it is not too big right now. The tabs are made to cross over to fit the smallest weight that it is made for and that is just perfect. I also have had no problems getting a great fit around the legs and waist as is a problem for many diapers and covers I try.

How to order this diaper:

Zookies has a website. Don’t forget to check out her Bargain Bin!

How to Win this diaper:

Zookies is giving away one diaper cover in the winner’s choice or size, print, and closure.

Mandatory Entry:

*don't forget your email address in each comment so I can contact you if you win! If you do not include an email address I will have to choose another winner!

Visit Zookies Website and comment below telling me one item that you would love to try.

Extra Entries:

1. Publicly follow this blog (1 extra entry)

2. Follow Zookies on Facebook (1 extra entry). Don’t forget to thank her for the giveaway!

3. Enter another giveaway I am hosting this week (2 extra entries for each giveaway you enter)

4. Tweet about this giveaway (2 extra entries per tweet). You may tweet every 3 hours for extra entries). Leave a link below to the tweet as I will check when a winner is chosen.

5. Post about this giveaway on your blog (2 extra entries per post). You may post twice per day.

6. Mention this giveaway with a link to it on your facebook status (2 extra entries per status update with this mention). You may update your status every 3 hours for extra entries. Leave a link below to the update as I will check when a winner is chosen.

I will verify all entries prior to posting a winner. Winner will be chosen on March 16^th at 9:00pm EST via random.org.

Week 1 Under Cover: Introduction To Fitteds

What is a fitted diaper you ask? Think: All-In-One but it needs a cover and that will give you the basic idea. A fitted diaper is usually cotton on the outside and on the inside and the middle has something absorbent sewn into the middle such as zorb. A cover is needed because the cotton is not waterproof in any way. I have seen these diapers made in a sized version (large, medium, small, etc) and in a One Size version (snaps on the front to adjust the rise). I have also seen these made with snap closure, Velcro closure, and no closure sewn on, in which case you could use a Snappi or a diaper pin.

Why get a fitted instead of an AIO? In my opinion, a fitted diaper is the best diaper for night-time use. About 2 months ago, I discovered the joy of these diapers. An AIO diaper is only absorbent on that small strip under the baby where the insert is sewn in. A fitted diaper is completely absorbent. True, when you take it off the entire thing will be soaked (if you use it overnight), but at least you don’t have any leaks! I love these diapers at night-time. I do add a fleece liner to the inside of mine to wick moisture away from Baby “S”, but I love having a diaper that is completely absorbent and a great cover to keep it from leaking.

Under Cover Month Begins!!

Welcome to Under Cover Month! This month we will be discussing prefolds, fitteds and covers: the hidden gems of cloth diapering! These diapers seem to take a backseat to All-In-Ones and Pockets and thus are not as well-known.

The goal this week is to help you all to understand the value of these diapers and to convince you to give them a try. They are a fabulous addition to your stash and while you may not desire to have only prefolds and fitteds, you just may learn that they are wonderful for certain times in your cloth diapering journey. You just might be surprised at how much you like them!

This week I will also be hosting three giveaways:

1. A cover by Zookies

2. A wool cover by GrandmaGift11

3. An All-In-2 by Itty Bitty Bums

Welcome and Enjoy!

Tips For New Moms (BF'ing Blog Hop)

Its week 9 of the Breastfeeding Blog Hop! This week's topic is Tips For New Moms. I chose to write all my tips for breastfeeding moms.

1. Set small goals rather than long-term ones. For example, plan to breastfeed until baby is 5 weeks, then 3 months, 6 months, etc. You can always hope to breastfeed until a certain point, but planning on smaller goals will help you to overcome the obstacles and it will help keep you from becoming too frustrated and giving up.

2. Seek out help whenever you want it! Whether it be a friend, family member or lactation consultant, no question is too minor. If you have a question, ask! Get help!

3. Don't always listen only to your doctor or pediatrician. Many doctors will tell you that a low supply means you have to quit. Talk to a lactation consultant to get lots and lots of ways to help increase your supply or otherwise remedy whatever the situation may be. You have options other than quitting!

4. It will hurt in the beginning. Just stick it out...it gets better I promise!

5. You will most likely face some obstacles to overcome. If you seek out help, keep and open mind and try your hardest, you can overcome the obstacles.

6. Don't feel ashamed! If you choose to give formula part time, don't feel ashamed! Full-time breastfeeding is the best. Part-time breastfeeding is better than not at all though!!

Happy Nursing!!

Cloth Diapering Blog Hop

March Blog Hop is Here! Follow the linky below to find other cloth diapering blogs! If you're new here from the Blog Hop please leave a comment so I may say "Hello & Welcome"!

Snaps V. Aplix

This is one of the hottest debates in the cloth diapering world. Many people are either on one side or the other; either you like it or you don't. I have yet to meet anyone that is indifferent about the type of closure on their diaper. Here, I am going to discuss my preferences and what I have found to be pros and cons for each type of closure.

Note: Aplix may also be called Velcro or Hook & Loop.

I far prefer Aplix closure. I have tried both snaps and Aplix, but with my little one Aplix is the much better choice. Here's why:

APLIX
pros
* It is easy to get a good fit around the waist and around the legs. Baby "S" is trimming out a bit around the waist but still has very chunky thighs. she needs her diaper tighter around the waist yet wider around the thighs. With Aplix, we are able to position the closure so the diaper fits exactly the way we want.
* If one falls off (although this hasn't happened yet and we're 8 months into cloth diapering) you can simply sew it back on, or easily buy another to sew back on.
*Quick closure for squirmy babies or those that cry through an entire change.

cons
*At 9.5 months Baby "S" learned how to unhook the Aplix (one week later she learned how to pull the snaps off though).
*Curl in the laundry after time.
* Will likely create a "diaper chain" in the laundry because the laundry tabs only work for so long
*May become frayed over time depending on what brand the diaper company uses (for example, my Bum Genius Aplix hasn't lasted and is in terrible shape while my KaWaii Baby Aplix still looks brand new. We use the KaWaii Baby diapers more frequently).

SNAPS
pros
* Snaps hold better for a baby that is trying to take their diaper off.
* Won't create a diaper chain in the laundry, making laundering a tad easier
* Won't stick to clothing (Aplix tabs may curl a bit and stick to the inside of clothing. Although this doesn't cause any damage to clothing or diaper, it can still be annoying)
* Two rows of snaps can help to create a more appropriate fit around waist and legs as snaps can be at different stations on each row (personally, this didn't help the fit for Baby "S" very much).

cons
* When snaps fall off (as has happened to me a few times now), they are much harder to replace. I do not happen to have a snap press just lying around, and if you have lost the snap you will want to find one that at least comes close to matching the ones already on there.
* Very difficult to fasten with a wiggly baby on your hands or one that cries through the entire diaper change as it takes longer to fasten snaps
* More difficult to get an appropriate fit for baby.

My best advise is to give each style of closure a try. While I am extremely pro-Aplix and anti-snaps, you may find yourself the complete opposite. It is all about what works best for you and your baby. However, don't tie yourself down to just one style until you have tried and explored both snaps and Aplix closures. You may be surprised at what you prefer!