Cloth Diaper Jargon

I had a friend contact me about cloth diapers and decided to write a post with all the basic terms. I wish I had found something like this when I was just starting my cloth diaper research. There are so many terms and options that you really don't know where to start. SO, below is a list of terms you'll run into and what they mean with added links to the actual products so you can see them. I am a visual learner, so I need the pictures to understand it all. The links I used are from the Nurtured Family store located in Houston, TX. I SO wish I had a store like this near me. They are great resources for 'alternative' baby items. I say alternative because what they specialize in is not the norm in our society today. Is there more to life than bottle feeding? YES! Is there a better way to diaper than buying box after box of disposable diapers? YES! It's only weird if you don't know anything about it. Trust me, I thought it was weird at first, too.

So learn something new today! Check out cloth diapering!

Here is your cheat sheet:


AIO - All in one; a fitted diaper with inserts sewn into the diaper
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/all-in-one-AIO-cloth-diapers.aspx

cover - what you put over a flat or fitted diaper; waterproof; fitted diapers are made with a waterproof outer layer; you don't need to add a cover if you have fitted diaper; ex Thirsties
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/diaper-covers.aspx


doubler - an additional insert, to 'double' the absorption
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/diaper-inserts-and-liners.aspx

fitted diaper - looks like a disposable diaper; no need to fold or add your own fasteners; they either have Velcro (hook and loop) or snaps to fasten; ex Fuzzibunz, Bumgenius, etc.


flat - what we think of as 'burp cloths'; you have to fold them and fasten them with your own fasteners and add a waterproof cover
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/prefolds-and-prefold-cloth-diapers.aspx

hook and loop - another word for Velcro

hybrid - a diapering system that you can use disposable inserts or reusable inserts; ex gDiapers, Flip diapers
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/hybrid-cloth-diapers.aspx

insert  - strip of fabric you 'insert' into a pocket diaper for absorption
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/diaper-inserts-and-liners.aspx

nappy - English (British English, not American English) term for a diaper; flat or prefolds are sometimes called nappys

one size - diapers that can be adjusted for your growing baby; usually start around 10 lb and go to about 35 lb depending on the brand
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/one-size-cloth-diapers.aspx

pocket - type of fitted diaper with a 'pocket' to put inserts/doublers in
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/pocket-diapers.aspx


prefold - the 'old school' diapers your grandmother is familiar with; fastened with safety pins back in the day, but now fastened with much safer plastic fasteners; a cover is usually added for waterproof-ness
http://www.nurturedfamily.com/prefolds-and-prefold-cloth-diapers.aspx

PUL - Polyurethane laminate; the material most covers are made of to be waterproof, yet breathable

Snappi - brand of prefold/flat diaper fastener

wet bag -  a waterproof bag to keep clean cloth diapers until you are ready to put them on baby or wet/soiled diapers until you are ready to wash them


The following are materials used in cloth diapering:
fleece
hemp
wool
bamboo
microfiber
minky

Wool is going to be the most expensive material, but very absorbent. Wool is most commonly used for covers and most people use wool at nighttime. Hemp is also used mostly for nighttime.

Fleece and microfiber are used in most cloth diapers; fleece being the diaper lining and microfiber being the inserts.

Have I missed something? Please let me know. I don't consider myself an expert by any means, but this should help you out a little bit.


Enjoy!

The Turners