Fluffy bum!

Beni rockin a Thirsties Fitted and Cover

Yes, people, I'm talking about cloth diapers!  You'll find pictures of my daughter in her cloth diapers throughout this post because if there is one very good reason to use them, it is the fact that they are SO FREAKING CUTE! Don't ya think?

But, the main reason we chose to use cloth diapers, I think, is because of the horror stories we had heard about getting your hands on disposable diapers while living abroad.  I like to make eco-friendly choices as much as I can, so when we do use disposables, we always use earth-friendly brands, and none of those are available where we live. 

Bummis prefold under a Thirsties cover

But not just that, from the stories we had heard from a few other parents, just as with almost everything else, you can't count on the store having diapers when you need them.  Or they have them, but not in the right size.  Or they have diapers, but not the brand you like.  Everything is imported to Angola, and when you drive by the port you can see loads of cargo ships...they litter the port, and they sometimes sit there for months on end waiting to get through the red tape to offload their goods.  So you can imagine, the diapers you like, in the size you need, might be stuck on a ship!  Hence, pretty easy choice to go ahead and take the plunge with cloth.

And aren't I glad we did!  I just love, again, how cute they are.  I love that my baby has soft cloth against her girly bits instead of....well, everything that a disposable is made of.  I love that I am only ever about 5 hours away from a whole load of clean diapers (that's wash and dry time all together). I love that I don't have to leave the house to get clean diapers.

Bummis swim diaper

I love knowing that we're only making a small contribution to the millions of diapers that fill landfills the world over (we do use disposables sometimes- like when we travel around the world and it literally takes us three days to reach our destination.).  I love that even though I have gone a bit overboard with buying cute diapers instead of just what we need, we are still saving money over the cost of disposables.  I love that cloth is better for my baby, for the earth, and as far as I'm concerned, better for me and my pocketbook!  

So I have to tell you first where we bought the majority of our diapers.  I wouldn't have been able to make any decisions about what to use or buy without the help of Kellie, owner of EcoBuns.  I found her store via the Internet, and then found all the help I needed at her store in the form of herself!  The first time I went to visit she talked to me for over an hour about all the different kinds of diapers, how they all work, what is better about one over the other, etc.  She was AWESOME, and brought my level of confusion about cloth diapers from a 10 to a 1.  EcoBuns is online and has a lovely little store in Holland, Michigan- and they carry a lot more than diapers.  If you go, know your spending limit and bring an iron will because I promise you, you will leave wanting WAY MORE than you ever thought possible!  

Bummis prefold under my favorite Thirsties cover!

We ended up buying Bummis organic prefolds  and a few Bummis covers, as well as a few Thirsties covers and Thirsties fitteds to use when Beni was itty-bitty (0-6 mos).  My husband and I both really, really loved the Bummis prefolds.  They were easy to use, easy to wash, easy to pack and did a good job of containing whatever Beni produced- not to mention also doubling as burp rags, nursing covers, and the list of other functions could go on.  We loved the Thirsties covers the best, because they fit Beni better and didn't let ANYTHING leak. All of these diapers were also very easy on the pocketbook.


We made a larger investment in BumGenius Organic All-in-ones.  These diapers are definitely more expensive, but, they are worth it.  They have been our night time diaper from day one because they could hold more than a prefold.  They are SO easy to use, as using them is exactly like using a disposable, just put it on and go.  No pining, just one piece, no stuffing anything...couldn't be easier.  This is the diaper that Beni wears most of the time now.  They come in nice solid colors, and just recently in some cute prints as well.

Bummis Tots Bots Easy Fit diaper

We also have some Bummis Tots Bots Easy Fit diapers, which are also an all-in-one system, and super easy to use.  They come in RIDICULOUSLY cute patterns- which is the main reason I HAD to get my hands on a few.  The mushroom one is my favorite.    

The Happy Heinys Cow Print

We had a few Happy Heinys pockets as well, but we ended up selling those as they just didn't fit Beni.  I'm pretty sure this happens with disposable diapers as well- they just all have their own fit.  And some fit your baby, and some don't.  I bought the Happy Heinys

So those are our diapers. I love them.  I think Beni likes them too.  And honestly, my husband finds disposables harder to use than cloth, because, cloth is basically all he knows.  So he loves them too!

Cloth diapering was the right choice for us because of our circumstances and our preferences.... was it yours, too?  How do you feel about cloth diapers?  Love them?  What's your favorite?  Hate them?  Why?  Thinking about trying cloth with your next baby?  If you're in Holland, Michigan or within a reasonable driving distance- visit EcoBuns!  I promise you won't regret it!