Cover Story

Several of my friends are on the cusp of having kids and being the environmentally friendly folks that you are, I hope that you’ll consider cloth diapers as an option for your beautiful baby’s productive little bottom. We use cloth diapers with Luke and are quite fond of them. I don’t feel the need to go into the cloth versus disposable debate. It’s a well-covered topic already; run a Google search and read to your heart’s content. I’ll just say that we made this particular choice to reduce landfill waste, save money, and spare Luke some diaper rash. Should you make a similar choice, I wanted to pass on some useful advice regarding diaper covers.

We were lucky enough to have an awesome friend offer to lend us her diaper collection while she’s between babies. We’ve since added to the stack some and between her diaper covers and our diaper covers we’ve used quite a few different kinds and learned this important piece of information: not all diaper covers are created equal. Bookmark this page and come back in a few years when your bouncing bundle of joy is on the way and you are registering for one of the gazillions of baby showers your family and friends will throw you for finally giving them what they always wanted -- a baby they can play with for ten minutes and then hand back to you while they go home to a clean house and a full night’s sleep.

	SnapiWrap   (1 of 5 stars) Don’t buy these.  They are terry cloth on the outside with a nylon liner, which will not only confuse every babysitter into putting them on inside out, but also my son can wet through them in right away.  He may as well not be wearing a diaper.  I have a few that I use as a last resort only, and always with the knowledge that when I change that diaper, I’ll be changing his entire outfit as well.
	Prorap Classic   (5 of 5 stars) These are great. They fit well, they don’t leak, they aren’t bulky, and they dry fast.  They also fit well for the entire time the baby is in the weight range for that size cover, rather than being too big or too small most of the time. They may not be as cute as other diaper covers, but there is nothing cute about a diaper breech.
	Bummis Whisper Wrap & Bummis Super Snap   (3 of 5 stars) They sell these at Mother and Baby Source in Davis.  (If you live around me and are expecting, you know this establishment well.)  They’re decent diaper covers.  They dry fast and fit well. They’re cut a little lower in front which is nice in the beginning before the umbilical cord stump falls off.  I think the Super Snaps have a more secure fit, but it’s nice to have both for when you’re in between the perfect snapping size. The size on these ones is not highly adjustable though. You’ll buy more of them in different sizes than something like the Prorap. Also, be careful of pinching baby’s skin when you fasten the snaps. I’ve also had problems with the velcro ones coming off of their own accord.
	Imse Vimse Bumpy Soft Cover   (4 of 5 stars) I love these. They’re soft, snug, and cute. Perhaps a little on the bulky side, but fit for a long time. They don’t dry out as fast as the Prorap and if the baby is really wet it will leach though, but they are good covers and I use them frequently.
	Cot’n Wrap   (1 of 5 stars) I don’t like these at all.  They take forever to dry and the velcro tabs always pop up and scratch Luke’s legs raw.  I had a couple that I used as a last resort and I apologized profusely every time I put them on him.

Night Time Diaper Covers and All-in-Ones

(Important note: Don’t bother using night time diapers until your kid isn’t pooping in the middle of the night anymore.)

Stacinator   (3 of 5 stars) These big bulky things are made of fleece and as supposed to keep your baby dry through the night. We use them with a regular diaper inside and then another absorbent liner on top of that and they do work, but they’re huge. Look into the Fuzzi Bunz instead.

Fuzzi Bunz   (4 of 5 stars) Another night time diaper, Fuzzi Bunz is a pocket diaper that comes with the absorbent liner you stick into the pocket (this is called an all-in-one). It fits a large size range and isn’t huge and bulky like the Stacinator.  The one draw back, they are pricey; they run about $20.  I have four nighttime diaper covers and one of them is a Fuzzi Bunz. If it’s clean, it’s the one I put on Luke.