When I decided to buy cloth, I was so overwhelmed with the vast amount of information on the Internet and feared buying the wrong products. So, I spent hours researching before making a move. We have used, or are currently using, all of the diapering options outlined below (except the flat prefold diaper). If you already have children in this world, or are working you probably don’t have the time to pick through the thousands of resources on the Internet... so here it is, plain, simple and thorough.

All-In-Ones (AIO)

This style diaper is typically made of an outer waterproof shell, and 3-5 layers of absorbent material, topped with a thin fleece layer all sewn together. The diaper is laundered as one single unit. It typically comes in sizes xs/newborn or preemie to large/potty training.

• Pros: This is by far the easiest solution to cloth diapering. They work exactly like a disposable as far as ease of use. They come in cute colors and patterns, and are just washed and dried as-is in the laundry.
• Cons: These can run anywhere from $18.00-$27.00 each diaper. The drying time is dramatically increased which increases the risk of mildew/mold if it is not done correctly. Lastly, you have to continue buying diapers from sizes newborn to toddler.
• Where to buy: www.cottonbabies.com, www.diaperpin.com has a directory of homemade diapers by work at home moms (WAHM), www.greenmountaindiapers.com, www.wildflowerdiapers.com

Pocket Diaper

This diaper usually consists of two parts. The outer shell made of waterproof material and an inner fleece layer are sewn together with an opening at one end. An absorbent layer is placed inside the opening, to the desired thickness. Typically the absorbent insert is made of a cotton terry or a hemp blend.

• Pros: Adding additional layers inside the pockets can increase the diaper’s absorbency (which is great for nighttime). These dry really well in the sun, and more quickly than AIO’s in the dryer, because of the separate layers. Cotton Babies and Happy Heiny make a one-size pocket diaper that grows with your child from 7 pounds to 35 pounds (resulting in significant savings). These also come in cute colors and patterns.
• Cons: The diapers are expensive, running around 16-18 dollars apiece. You have to assemble these diapers prior to each use and can only be used once before washing (although in a pinch you could dry the shell in the sun).
• Where to buy: bumGenius (www.cottonbabies.com), Fuzzi Bunz(www.fuzzibunzworld.com), and Happy Heiney (www.happyheinys.com)

Diaper Cover and Insert

This style of diapering varies widely due to the vast array of fabrics used. Generally a waterproof or water resistant cover is filled by the user with a prefold or fitted diaper. Prefolds are known to many as spit-up-rags. They fold twice over themselves to offer 4 to 5 layers of absorbent material. Usually these are made of cotton or cotton hemp blends. The diaper covers come most commonly as a waterproof plastic like material, bamboo, or wool. The fitted diaper inserts work very similar to prefolds except they are shaped to fit the bottom and have more size choices. There are a few prefold styles including the Chinese and Indian. I found the Chinese prefolds to stand up to many washes and become softer with each use. I would