Cloth Diaper Review

Though cloth diapers were in my baby shopping list, I only started using cloth diapers when my baby turned three months old. It was around this time that my baby started to poop less so it became more manageable for me to use cloth diapers. I still use disposables at night because I do not want to wake my baby for a diaper change though there was one time when he fell asleep still wearing a Next 9 Pocket Cloth Diaper with an overnight insert and he slept through the night with no leaks. It has been 6 months since I have started using cloth diapers and it has really kept us from having to buy a lot of disposables. There are days when I revert back to disposables and during these days our stock can get easily depleted especially if my baby poops 4 times.

There are so many cloth diaper brands out there. The imported ones can fare for at least a thousand pesos and up. That is a bit pricey for me so I did not buy a single imported brand. Some opt to get second hand imported cloth diapers from different groups on Facebook like Modern Cloth Nappying Pinays. These secondhand imported brands can fetch 850Php and up. Still too expensive for me. I ended up buying Next 9 pocket diapers which are priced at 999Php for every three diapers. I also got Earth Baby All-in-2(AI2) cloth diapers. This is a type of diaper that has a shell and soakers. The soakers are buttoned unto the diaper shell. This allows the diaper shell to be reused because soakers can just be replaced when wet. This made for an economical option.  

Next 9 Pocket Diapers 
Pocket diapers are used as you would a disposable except you do not throw them away. This has pockets for microfiber inserts. The lining is made of microfleece so that your baby's tush stays dry without irritating baby's skin. Never get a diaper lined with microfiber as this will dry out baby's skin. I once saw a diaper like this at a baby store much to my horror.Next 9 comes with one regular microfiber insert but I highly recommend their overnight inserts, I use them even during daytime as this gives me a little allowance in case my baby falls asleep for hours.

Pros

• Easy to use - just snap on like you would a disposable diaper 
• Cute and fluffy 
• Does not leak 
• Adjustable so it grows with baby 
• Absorbent microfiber
• Protective microfleece that feels dry even when microfiber insert is already wet
• Overnight insert is effective for baby 
• Cheap 
• Durable (been using mine for 6 months and diapers are still great) 
• Easy to spray off the poop

 Cons

• A box of 3 offers the same print 
• Takes a longer time to dry compared to AI2 Inserts have to be stuffed into the diaper (since it's a pocket diaper) 
• You have to put in the insert inside the pocket

 Earth Baby 
My Earth Baby diapers are All-in-2 (AI2) diapers. These diapers have shells and inserts allowing one to reuse the shells. I reuse the shell twice as it may not be hygienic to use more than that. I just hang the shell to dry after. 

Pros

• Multiple use on shells - I use mine up to two times, I just replace the soaker when wet
• Easy to snap on the soaker 
• Adjustable so it grows with the baby 
• Does not leak if put on correctly 
• Has double gusset to help prevent leaks
• Soakers are absorbent
• Durable 
• You can choose from different designs available on their website
• Free delivery for a minimum purchase

Cons

• Harder to spray off the poop as it sometimes get into the shell 
• There is a button at the back that may be uncomfortable for the baby though my baby does not seem to mind 
• The shell has no comfortable lining and may come into contact with baby's skin 
• Hard to use multiple inserts
• The loop and hook type can scratch baby's thighs as the rough part is too big and can come in contact with the skin. I stopped using the loop and hook type and just used the snap on type

Loot from Baby and Kids Fair

Last August 27, Thursday, after work, my husband and I rushed to the Bench Tower at BGC for the Baby and Kids Fair because I learned that some of the stuff I planned to get are available at the fair. The fair promises discounts and freebies and I am a sucker for these. We were at the Bench Tower two months ago for the Mothercare Sale but at the time, the gender of our baby was still unknown to us. My mom also advised me not to buy yet until my belly is 7 months already. The organizers of the Mothercare Sale contacted me to inform me of this Baby and Kids Fair and it was also timely because I can start buying already and we are now sure of the gender of our baby. You can imagine my excitement!

We had to shop really quickly though because we only had I think 30 minutes left to shop before it closed. We left the office a bit later than expected and the heavy traffic did not help. It was a good thing that I already had a list of things I wanted to get.

• Halo 2-in-1 SleepSack Swaddle for Newborns This is part of my Baby Shopping List because I did not want to use blankets on the baby to avoid SIDS. I also did not want to swaddle the baby myself because if the baby untangles the swaddle it becomes a risk for SIDS as well. If I do it too tightly too, it's a hip dysplasia hazard as well. Since a swaddle blanket is just 300 Php cheaper, might as well get this. I was only planning to buy one because it is a bit pricey but my husband convinced me to buy two for cases when my baby leaks and soils the swaddle. The woman manning the booth though, talked us into buying a "starter set" that inlcudes one Halo 2-in-1 SleepSack Swaddle for Newborns and a Halo SleepSack for a baby that can already lie on his tummy. The SleepSack Swaddle becomes dangerous when baby can already turn over on his own because baby might end up suffocating. If we buy the "starter set" we save 650 Php. We ended up buying two "starter sets". We got two different sizes for the Halo SleepSack. I am grateful because I have a husband who recognizes safety for our baby. :)  

• Cloth Diapers

• Bamboo Dappy As I have said in my blog about cloth diapers, I wanted to get Bamboo diapers for our baby because this is supposed to be more absorbent. However, bamboo diapers are harder to maintain because you need to wash them with hot water. Since we do not have a multi-point water heater, we will have to boil water and my husband does not want us or our help to routinely boil water because many accidents may result from this. After weighing the pros and cons, we decided against getting the bamboo diapers. Note that we did all these discussions within the 30 minute shopping window!  

• Next9  This brand is reasonably priced and has received good reviews. This uses cotton microfiber inserts and is lined with microfleece, a material that wicks away wetness even when insert is already wet. We got six pieces for 2000 Php. This can be bought online but since we were there anyway, we decided to get them from there. My only regret is not buying extra inserts then and there. Now I am thinking of ordering online but I can wait. They say two inserts are needed for nighttime use. 

• Wink Hip and Belly Shaper and Wink Ultra Bikini I read rave reviews about these binders so I got them. They are harder to get online because I was not confident in measuring myself. The people at the shop could have me measured then and there and I also will not have to pay for the shipping fee. This is quite a splurge though but since I saved on other stuff during my pregnancy, I decided I could get this. They say this will help me recover faster from my CS. Husband also approved of this purchase though I am not sure if this being a splurge sunk in.

• Sterilizer Chicco was a candidate but the brand was not at the fair. Months ago, Chicco was on sale at half the price but I was not allowed to buy a sterilizer then yet. We wanted to buy a sterilizer already so we did not consider Chicco anymore. Other candidates were much cheaper brands like Precious Moments and Looney Tunes. My husband did not think they were sturdy or safe enough so though they were much cheaper he decided not to get them.
• Pigeon The sterilizer is priced at 8500 Php but because we were at the fair, they were retailing it for 7500 Php. This is a 3-in-1 sterilizer as it acts as a food warmer, bottle sterilizer and bottle warmer. Since we are breastfeeding, we do not need to warm the breastmilk because warming it can destroy the micronutrients. Also, this is too expensive for a sterilizer in our opinion.

• Philips Avent At the malls this fetches for more than 5000 Php but we got this for a little more than 3000 Php thanks to the discounts. They call this a 3-in-1 sterilizer but this really just does one thing. It just allows you to change its size in three ways. We got this because my husband trusts the Philips brand. 
 
• Natural Bottles Since I have to go back to work after 60 calendar days, I need to train my baby to drink milk from the bottle.  I still want to let the baby directly latch to me even after I get back to work, I hope to avoid nipple confusion. While most breastfeeding advocates would recommend cup feeding, this is really too much of a hassle for the caretaker. Since cup feeding is not going to be an option, the next option is a natural bottle. They say this tries to simulate breastfeeding as much as possible.

• Pigeon Perstaltic Plus is a natural bottle that mimics the mother's nipple or so they say. We did not get this because we were not sure if this will work with our Spectra S2 pump. Pigeon was giving away Perstaltic Plus bottles though so we will still get to try this. I tried this morning if this bottle will work with the pump and I learned that it does not screw into the flange well. This can still be used for feedings though so thank you Pigeon for the extra bottle.

• Philips Avent Natural Bottle is the wide neck bottle that works with our pump. We bought six of these because we already bought 10 Spectra wide neck bottles. I decided to buy bottles instead of disposable storage bags because the bags can be very expensive as well. Transfers from the bag into the bottles can also introduce spillage and I do not want wastage. I tried the bottle with the flange and it fits. 

• Messy Baby Dishwashing Liquid We are going to use this for cleaning the bottles and the pump parts. I am not sure if we will be sustaining this or if we will eventually resort to ordinary dishwashing liquid. This is still up for another review. Another candidate for this is Human Heart Nature Tough Love Natural Dishwashing Liquid but they were not at the fair. I also did not find a powder laundry detergent so we have not washed the baby's diapers yet. I am beginning to ponder on just using ordinary detergent since some are using Tide on theirs.

• Messy Baby Shampoo The shampoo was available but it did not have an expiry date. The thing about organic things is that they have less preservatives so they expire earlier. I am particular about this. Though they assured me that the product was just manufactured, I did not feel safe buying an item that is not properly labelled. We do not have a shampoo yet. 

• Car Seat While we have decided on Britax First Class that can be used from 0 to 4 years old, we wanted to look at other options primarily because Britax First Class will not be available until September or October.
• Aprica Only had a booster car seat at the fair so it's still the Britax First Class for us for now. 

Because we bought so much, we also got three Bench loot bags! Each loot bag came with a Bench Baby Bear puppet. Hana antibacterial handwash 220 ml and Hana shampoo 208 ml, Cradle baby bottle and nipple cleanser 35 ml, Kodomo toothpaste 45g, Kodomo extra soft bristle toothbrush for kids, BC magazine, Oishi Choco Chug, Oishi Great Lakes juice, Oishi Bread pan and Oishi Pillows. All these came in a Bench environment bag.

Not bad for a 30-minute shopping window. :) 

On Cloth Diapers

For a while now, I have been thinking of using cloth diapers because I am thinking in the long run, this may be better for baby's skin. I know it is ambitious and I really do not know if we can sustain this given that cloth diapering really requires more diaper changes, more laundry and more stench. The initial investment one must make to jump into the cloth diaper bandwagon is also not cheap so this really makes me wonder if we should take the leap or not. My husband and I discussed this already and we have made the decision to give this a shot after computing how long it will take for us to break even.

Since I am not supposed to shop until September (only two weeks more of waiting!!!), I just read about the different brands and looked at the different features and designs.

I am looking into pocket style diapers so that I can add more inserts when more absorbency is needed, e.g. during the night.

Kawaii Cloth Diapers

Kawaii Cloth Diapers are available via Baby Chic Boutique. It's great that this brand offers diapers for heavy wetters called Kawaii Goodnight Heavy Wetters that can be used at night. This is priced at 450 PHP each. Each comes with two microfiber inserts. Inner lining is microfleece which I hear is better than microfiber in trying to wick away moisture without drying baby's tush. Moreover, they also offer Bamboo Charcoal inserts. I have read that bamboo is better than microfiber as microfiber tends to absorb moisture from the baby's skin causing the skin to dry and rash. Microfiber can also be difficult to clean compared to bamboo. I am also liking the Kawai Bamboo Charcoal Diaper which has as inner lining bamboo charcoal aside from the two inserts that come with this also made of bamboo charcoal. This costs 450 PHP a piece. This diaper has received wonderful reviews so I might get some of these for our baby.

Bum Genius

Bum Genius is a US diaper and it is priced like a US diaper. This is also available at Baby Chic Boutique. They also have pocket diapers and they call these Bum Genius 4.0. These cost 1450 PHP a piece. This is a bit too pricey for me. Also, this review says it's prone to leak and can smell of ammonia more easily than the other diapers.

Grovia

This diaper while also on the pricey side received a good review. This is also available via Baby Chic Boutique at 895 PHP without inserts. A two insert pack is sold at 950 PHP. It seems pretty absorbent though with four layers of microfiber and a microfleece top layer.

Wholesale Washable Diapers

I found they have BambooBumz, a diaper made also of bamboo charcoal and priced only at 300 PHP a piece including inserts. This is a Philippine-based business and the reviews seem to be good. I think I will be ordering from them too. They also sell charcoal bamboo inserts for 100 PHP. This is not made of bamboo entirely though as the inner layers are microfiber. Outer layer is charcoal bamboo though. They are currently updating their website and the designs are limited but hopefully, in the future, they will be posting more.

Next9

I read this blog that compares Alva, Bambino and Next9 and for the author, Next9 is the clear winner. I was also looking at Next9 before but they only have microfleece and no bamboo. They retail for 1000PHP per three pieces. Inserts are sold in packs of 3 at 300PHP.

Bamboo Dappy

Before I started to read more about other cloth diaper brands, this was my first choice. It is more expensive than the other local brands but this uses bamboo. My husband is just a bit worried about washing this as the care instructions says we need to wash it with hot water. Hot water is not easy to come by in the Philippines. Our household does not have a multi-source water heater and even if we did, we will definitely not have it directed to our washing machine. This simply is not the norm in the Philippines. If you buy using their Buy 5 + 1 promo, you end up paying almost 500 PHP per piece.

While people argue that disposables are ridden with chemicals that are harmful to the baby, it makes me wonder if these so-called safe cloth diapers are free of lead paint and other toxic chemicals. How safe are the inserts and how safe are the fabric and fabric paints used?

And the paranoia begins...

I really am becoming a mom.