What I do

At last!  Sorry for the delay in finishing this series...I was taken out the past week and a half by my sick toddler who graciously shared her illness with me.  So, without anymore interruptions, here you go!

What Kind did I get?
I decided to go with the one-size Flip diaper system.  Here's why:

• I liked that the cover could be used for small, med, lg - most bang for my dollar.  I thought that the price and quality were best when comparing commercially made one-size covers.  
• They do not have gussets at the legs, but, no one seems to have a problem with leaks from lack of gussets - it usually has to do with the insert/frequency of changing or getting the right fit.
• No snapping, pinning, etc... there are little flaps that the inserts of your choice go into and then you are done.  Pretty simple.  (Also, I felt that the snap-in insert style could potentially dig into a baby that is active/pudgy) To date, the inserts have stayed put just fine on Kendra.
• Pretty much any absorbent "insert" (including homemade) can be used interchangeably, therefore, you are not tied to purchasing "theirs", making the system less expensive all around.
• There are a variety of insert options, less bulky for daytime, more substantial for naps and nighttime.  The inserts they sell are onesize also, again, more bang for your dollar.  They even offer a newborn insert to reduce bulk from folding for use on the small babies.  (smaller baby, doesn't usually need as much absorbency to get the job done either.)
• I did purchase 10 of their onesize stay-dry inserts, and 12 newborn stay-dry inserts (the newborn size make great doublers for nighttime too!). and 1 organic cotton pre-fold for nighttime.
• I have 12 covers (this is to keep both of my babies in diapers for at least 1 day - I will add more if absolutely necessary, but hopefully it will do - I have a few other supplemental "garage sale" diaper covers that are size small only as well.)
• In addition to the purchased inserts, I also used my old "organic cotton" t-shirts to make some more pre-fold style inserts, and some microfiber/microfleece fabric to make some stay-dry style inserts to supplement my purchased ones.  This cost me nothing but my time.
• So far, until I make some more inserts, this brings my total to 12 one size covers (half snap closure, half velcro closure), 2 small covers (both velcro), 11 one size stay-dry inserts, 16 newborn stay-dry inserts/doublers, 3 cotton pre-fold inserts, and 2 one-size cotton inserts.

How I use them:

Newborn Stage:

I have only the experience of using them on a toddler right now, so I will have to give an update on the "newborn" use later.  I can tell you that I just purchased some disposable newborn diapers since you need the baby to weigh about 9-10 lbs or have chubby thighs  to fit the size small cloth diapers.  Also, the umbilical cord may be an issue when using cloth unless you specifically purchase newborn cloth diapers - I felt they were not really the best investment since that time frame is brief in most cases.  So, until baby brother is big enough, we are going paper on him (I don't expect that to be much more then one month...).  

Toddler Stage:

Kendra uses paper when we are out and about, on vacation, or for the babysitters (although grandmas and aunties are getting the hang of the cloth).  We will probably always have a few paper diapers around for those purposes, as well as for instances of extreme diarrhea, or need for heavy bottom ointment/creme use.  Otherwise, we use them all day until they are gone, and then I wash and repeat!  (Right now, I get 2 days worth with just one baby before washing).

A note on Liners:

Liners look and feel like dryer sheets, they are used on top of the insert to catch solids, allowing liquids to pass through to the absorbent layer.  They are usually disposable.  I use liners in Kendra's diapers.  When she poos, I drop them with the poo and all into the toilet and flush it.  I don't need to rinse her diapers that way.  The liners are re-usable and biodegradable, so I rinse them if they were just wet on, and use them again until they get soiled.  They cost $0.05/ea, so I usually spend about a dime per day on them.  I consider this a very reasonable price to not touch poo.  I don't plan to use liners with Baby brother until he starts solid food.  I buy my liners at walmart, made by Mabu Baby. (You can wash these liners with your diapers, but they will eventually fall to pieces and you will get less uses than if you rinse them by hand.  They air dry in a few minutes.)

A note on wipes:

On Kendra, we use disposable wipes with her poo.  I flush them with the liners.  I am planning to try going cloth (homemade flannel ones) exclusively with baby brother until the solid foods start.  You can pre-wet them in the morning, or right before a diaper change - either way...

I will keep disposable around for out and about and vacations.

Pail Liners:

I have 2 re-usable PUL liners - one in the wash, one in the pail always!

Pail Smells:

I put a drop or two of peppermint or tea tree oil on a small cloth and leave it hanging inside the edge of the pail.  When the lid closes, it keeps it firmly in place and the smell masks other odors pretty well.  Then I reapply when needed.  I don't wash this cloth with my diapers since the oils can interfere with absorbency of the inserts.

And now, for the how-to on diaper changing with cloth:

 Scenario #1

• Remove diaper
• Place wet liners in small bin to be rinsed together before bedtime (if using liner)
• Place wet insert in either diaper pail or wet bag (if not at home). (I grab by a usually dry corner)
• Is cover wet around legs?  
• Yes - put cover in diaper pail/wet bag
• No - place insert & liner in cover
• Put back on baby

OR

• Cover is not soiled/wet, set aside to re-stuff and use a pre-stuffed one for this change
• After baby has diaper back on, re-stuff cover you just removed and have ready for next change

Either way, the stuffing of inserts becomes such second nature to you that it takes a few seconds.  I could see nighttime being the time to use the pre-stuff method as it is usually dark in the room, also the time to use velcro instead of snaps...

Since Newborns have much more frequent bowel movements, I will probably just pre-stuff them with the assumption that they will almost always be soiled.

Scenario #2

• Remove diaper
• Place soiled liners in toilet (along with wipes if disposable)
• Place wet insert in either diaper pail or wet bag
• Cover is usually soiled also, place in pail or bag
• Replace with clean diaper & insert/liners

I have had 1 time where the #2 was a complete blow-out and since I am dealing with toddler poo, it was not something you would just toss into the pail.  I donned the yellow gloves and rinsed the diaper in the sink, (it's quick and easy to sanitize the sink and wipe it out when done, but some prefer to use the bath tub.) then placed it in the pail.  Since this happens so rarely, I do not feel the need to splurge on the diaper sprayer for the toilet ($40).  I have heard mixed reviews about those - overspray can be an issue.  Newborn poo is very water soluble (except miconium), so, laundering daily will remove the need for pre-rinsing in the toilet/sink/tub.

Scenario #3

• Place child, clothing & diaper in the bath tub and swirl with warm soapy water.
• Rinse and repeat

JUST KIDDING!  You know what I mean though...every once in awhile you will just have those disasters...no matter what diapering method you use.  It is a right of passage in parenting - LOL!

Washing Cloth Diapers/Wipes/Pail Liners/Wet Bags

I do use recommended detergent (Country Save from Amazon.com), because it is cheap, (.07 cents per load) and because I don't really want to strip my diapers that often.  Whatever you use, it should be free of enzymes, dyes, fragrances & optical brighteners.  Those ingredients are made to NOT rinse out of your fabrics, therefore leaving a waterproof residue in your diapers that hinders their ability to absorb baby's fluids.  I use it on all my clothes and I am happy with how it cleans.  You can also check out the web for safe homemade diaper detergent recipes if you want to save even more!

• Remove entire liner & contents from pail (I put my wet bag and used diapers in the pail when I come home from shopping.)
• Dump into washer, turn pail liner inside out and put in washer
• Pre-rinse on largest capacity, using COLD water
• Put in detergent (I use half the recommended amount in my top loader), set to HOT water and wash on heavy/cotton
• Use and extra rinse cycle
• Dry
• Once per month, add 1/4 cup bleach to wash cycle

I have never used the dryer on my stay-dry inserts or covers.  It prolongs the life, and they dry quickly on the line or overnight on hangers inside.  The covers may melt if dried in the dryer.  If you dry your cotton inserts on the line they are stiff - so I usually throw those in with another load of clothes in the dryer.

Once a month I bleach my pail to remove any ammonia gas residue smells.

That's it for now!  Hope it helps!