Cloth Diaper Stash 1.0: Update!

Orders have arrived and we've reached the point where it's time to take stock of what we have before moving on to cloth diaper prep for Cozy Baby #2 - Look forward to those details in a future post!

Before we begin washing and organizing, it's important to us that we're sure we have what we need - as you review this list, you'll likely notice that we haven't gone for a 100% "crunchy" approach, and we've decided against DIY options for now.  We still need to figure out wipes and a few other details as well, but we're well on our way to finalizing Cozy Baby #2's first stash.

Our current stash stands at more than 20 diapers, a combination of pocket diapers and prefolds with covers.  We have a TON of inserts, snappi fasteners, diaper rash cream safe for cloth diapers, our diaper pail is figured out, and we've decided to try out flush-able liners in place of a diaper sprayer for now.  For washing, Cozy Hubby insisted on a store-bought detergent, so we've opted to purchase the Baby ECOS plant-based laundry detergent (Cozy Hubby also insisted on liquid over powder, but we'll see how that goes). 

When added, our total cost for this "starter stash" has hit the $200 mark, factoring in the accessories.  Several of the diapers were also gifted to us, which helped out on savings (thanks, Dad!).

What I think is important for new parents considering cloth diapers is that while a lot does go into the preparation and the up-front cost is higher than with disposables, the end result is going to be worth it.  You also don't have to purchase every single accessory under the sun - to be honest, I don't even have a changing table (we never used the one we had with Cozy Baby #1 and it felt silly to purchase one this time around),  so we're not going over-board on fancy gadgets and name brand products.  

Why only Pockets and Prefolds?

As we reviewed all of the options available, Cozy Hubby and I decided that pockets and prefolds would be the best options for us.

• Flats: I never considered flats over prefolds - the cost comparison between the two didn't show a huge difference, and I felt that prefolds would work better for us if ever needed to use them as inserts for our pocket diapers.
• All-In-One's: We opted to pass on AIO's for a few reasons.  First, the cost.  Most of the brands we considered cost $15-$25 per diaper, where pocket diapers of equal quality were in the $10-$15 range and came with two inserts each (on average).  The second factor was dry-time.  Given that we're likely to start off with a stash around 20 diapers, we wanted to make sure that our wash and dry times weren't excessive.  We'll have to wash frequently, and with the goal of air-drying our stash, AIO's take the longest due to the multiple, thick layers of fabric.
• All-In-Two's: I noticed that some diapers advertised as AIO's were actually "all-in-twos," meaning that the absorbent layer of the diaper was detachable.  This would address my concerns about AIO dry-time, but not the cost.  These were in the same price range as traditional AIO's, so not something I wanted to invest in quite yet.