I made a decision to use cloth diapers on my baby girl after learning of the many benefits that cloth diapering offers. Not only does it cut down on the amount of diapers littering landfills, but the initial investment pays off in the long run. In one year, disposable diapers could cost you close to $2,000. When I researched cloth diapers, a certain brand kept appearing as superior. This brand is known as BumGenius.
There are many types of BumGenius diapers, but the type I chose are known as BumGenius 3.0. They are the newest ones as of August 2008, to date. BumGenius 3.0 diapers are awesome because they can be used from babies who are 7 pounds to babies who are 35 pounds. (My daughter was born at 7 pounds and 8 ounces…the BumGenius 3.0 diapers did fit her, but seemed a little huge on her tiny frame! However, they did the trick and were wonderful to use on her!) They can be used interchangeable between babies and kids who are learning how to potty train. At first, using BumGenius 3.0 diapers can seem extremely daunting, especially if you are a complete strange to cloth diapering. Sometimes all the options can easily discourage you from giving cloth diapering a try. But BumGenius 3.0 diapers make it very easy. I was nervous at first, but I have gotten the hang of it within the first month, and so can you.
The initial investment could be costly. It cost me around $500 to get the BumGenius 3.0 diapers and accessories to begin my cloth diapering adventure. BumGenius 3.0 diapers are amazing, and you will not believe the super absorbency until you see it for yourself. It is advisable to buy 18 – 24 cloth diapers. You can buy them here:
Each BumGenius 3.0 diapers comes with a new born insert and a regular insert. For maximum absorbency, I use both at a time. The way you use the BumGenius 3.0 diapers is by stuffing the newborn insert and regular insert inside the pocket after you adjust the snaps to the size that you find most comfortable on your baby. Adjust the inserts while stuffing in the pocket so that they cover every area vulerable to urine or a bowel movement. Once the BumGenius 3.0 diapers are stuffed correctly, you can put them on your baby as you would put a regular disposable diaper on. Fasten the the back Velcro to the frontal Velcro, and your baby is set. Putting together the BumGenius 3.0 diapers isn’t too hard. The tricky part is washing them.
You may want to buy extra liners of the regular and newborn kind to have extra on hand just in case of an emergency. If the baby urinates on the BumGenius 3.0 diapers, you don’t have to change out the whole diaper because the soft lining keeps the baby surprisingly dry, while the liners absorb the wetness.
Before you use BumGenius 3.0 diapers, it is advisable that you wash them to maximize absorbency and to clean out any residue from the packaging process. To wash them, you have to use a certain kind of detergent. Using just any type of detergent will ruin your cloth diapers, and the manufacturer will not give you a refund of any type if the BumGenius 3.0 diapers have been damaged by lack of following proper wash instructions. To find what kind of detergent to use, compare and contrast common detergents with specialized detergents. Pay attention to the detergents on the list that have four red stars, as these are the ones that will work BEST with your BumGenius 3.0 diapers.
http://www.diaperjungle.com/detergent-chart.html
The detergent that I have used with great success is Allen’s Naturally. It is a little expensive, but the larger size comes with a pump that dispenses the proper amount of detergent (which is a very SMALL amount). Allen’s Naturally detergent will go a long way, so it is worth the price. Every time I wish my BumGenius 3.0 diapers with Allen’s Naturally, they come out clean, white and absorbable. To buy Allen’s Naturally and see for yourself, go here:
If your baby is breast fed or formula fed, the poop contents do not have to be scraped, wiped or dunked off. You can simply throw it in the washing machine an the washing machine will take care of it. After obtaining the proper detergent, as we mentioned you must wash the diapers and liner first before using them. Before you do that, fold down the Velcro tabs to the little square of soft cloth near the Velcro tabs. These are the laundry tabs, and they help protect the velcro. You can wash them all together. To wash, you put the BumGenius 3.0 diapers in the washing machine, set the washing machine on a cold setting, and add the pre measured amount of detergent. Do a full wash and rinse cycle. After this is done, repeat the wash and rinse cycle, but instead of cold water, use warm/hot water. When this is done, repeat again, but this time using cold water again. This is to ensure that all traces of detergent are gone, as this can and will compromise the absorbency of the diapers.
For drying, you will want to either dry this on the lowest heat setting for a good period of time. Or you can hang them up and let them dry in the sun’s heat. Whatever you do, don’t expose your BumGenius 3.0 diapers to a super hot temperature in the dryer. And never use fabric softeners.
When you are using BumGenius 3.0 diapers, you might decide to do laundry every 2 to 3 days. If you do, you will need a place to store the BumGenius 3.0 diapers. You can either get a regular trash can type container and put the BumGenius 3.0 diapers in a plastic bag inside until laundry day, or you can purchase a bag specifically made for the purpose of holding wet/dirty cloth diapers. They even have some for on the go if you decide to cloth diaper not only at home, but when you’re out and about as well. You can find them here:
Using BumGenius 3.0 diapers will prevent diaper rash from forming on your baby, since the absorbable suede interior absorbs wetness and feels dry to the touch even after urination. It is important to note that you can not use any type of over the counter diaper rash creame when using BumGenius 3.0 diapers. The product will cover the fibers of the liner and make them useless and not absorbable. A product that I have used to treat irritations and diaper rash on my baby is a natural product sold by Montana’s Diaper. It comes in a tube and it very easy to use. Use one tube per child for health reasons.
There are many beautiful reasons for making an investment in BumGenius 3.0 diapers. The best part is that it can be used on any child up to 35 pounds. BumGenius 3.0 diapers can be used on more than one child, and will save you thousands over the years that the baby is using them. I know that doing research on BumGenius 3.0 diapers was confusing for me at first, but here I have compiled everything together that you need to know so that you can skip the whole trial and error process that I went through learning how to use BumGenius 3.0 diapers. I wish you many happy cloth diapering days!
