I’ll be the first to admit that cloth diapers can seem overwhelming at first. They aren’t part of everyday life for most people making them a bit foreign. But I promise you, once you actually start using cloth diapers they will make so much more sense. I’m going to explain two styles here, Pocket and All in Two, and discuss what each feature is for.
A cloth diaper can totally be more than one thing. You can mix and match inserts. Use covers more than once if you want. If they don’t smell or have poo on them you are fine. Don’t get hung up on ‘rules’ you may have heard. These are just diapers. No need to overcomplicate them. Do what works for you.
The reusable cloth diaper I’m sharing here is from Little Fanny Pants Diapers. It is what is know as a Pocket/All in Two.
Pocket Diaper
Basically, it’s a pocket cloth diaper if you stuff the insert inside and behind the stay dry lining.
You’ll only be able to use the cover once. But you’ll be able to take advantage of the stay dry lining if your kiddo requires it. Some pocket diapers only have openings in the back and others have two openings (one in the front and one in the back). This is for ease of washing. The insert agitates out easily in the wash. I hate fishing inserts out of diapers so this is a feature I love. The addition of the waterproof tummy panel helps to stop wicking and leaks at the front of the diaper. This is a great feature if your baby is on their tummy a lot.
All in Two Diaper
If you snap it in or just lie it in on TOP of the stay dry lining, it’s an all in two.
The idea of an all in two is that you change out inserts and reuse the cover until it either smells or baby poos in it. Some people will only use all in twos that have no lining and a wipeable interior. I personally had no issues at all using covers as all in twos if they had a lining. I would just lay it out and use it at the next change. Same rules applies. If it smells or has poo, then it goes in the wet bag. I usually got around 3 wearings out of my diapers that were like this.
Don’t get too hung up on the number of snaps you see. Each gives you an opportunity to get a perfect fit on your baby. Crossover snaps let you make the waist of the diaper smaller. Great for younger babies and those that are on the small side. Hip snaps prevent wing droop. Droop just sounds bad, doesn’t it. It means the the sides of the diaper aren’t held up properly and drop below the waist. This leads to leaks.
The snaps you see in rows on the outside of the diaper allow you to have a diaper that can be adjusted to fit from birth to potty training. These types of diapers are called One Size.
If you have more questions about this style of cloth diaper, ask away! I’m happy to help.
Make sure you also check out the newest print and solid from Little Fanny Pants Diapers, Morning Glory, Orchid, and limited quantities of Sea Breeze!
Jenn is a long-time cloth diaper educator and a passionate small business advocate. She has worked in the reusable diaper industry for over a decade, helping millions of families via her websites All About Cloth Diapers, Thinking About Cloth Diapers and Cloth Diaper Geek as well as hundreds of small businesses during that time. Her goal always to provide simple, reliable information.
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