This is my second post in the gMum Cloth Diapering Series. In my first post, Introduction: gMum Cloth Diapering Series I wrote about why I decided to use cloth diapers and how I came across the gDiaper brand. Now I will show you the different options gDiapers offer and what I use personally for my babies.
That is my naked baby boy! I could not get him to stop kicking those little legs! He needs his to get his gDiaper on ASAP. Can’t trust those little baby boys. 😉
gDiaper Basics
A gDiaper is a reusable cloth diaper cover with a liner that holds either a disposable or cloth insert. This hybrid diaper reduces laundering and waste disposal by reusing the outer cover throughout the day.
You will notice that my diapers are a little worn because they are currently being used for my second baby. They have already gotten a lot of use with my first and will be used throughout the diaper stage with my second as well.
The diaper cover is called a gPant. The left gPant above shows the outside with velcro straps and the right gPant shows the inside with orange snaps to hold the liner in place.
On good days, I only use 1 gPant for the entire day. Sometimes, I use up to 3 gPants if leaks occur but generally it is between 1-2 gPants. If your velcro starts collecting fuzz and becomes worn out from washing, the company will send you free replacement velcro to sew on yourself. I did this with a different gDiaper.
The liner is called a gPant pouch. It easily snaps into place with four snaps. You can reuse the liner over and over until baby poo gets on it. My mom likes to clean the liner with a wipe between each diaper change. I prefer to let it air dry if needed between diaper changes. I rotate between two diapers all day to make for faster diaper changes.
The gPant pouch is EXCELLENT for avoiding diaper explosions that go straight up a baby’s back! It does a wonderful job sealing in all liquids unlike a regular disposable diaper. Right now, I am in the process of waiting on my new pouches to come in the mail and have been stuck using disposables. (I started having problems with leaks. I will explain more on leak troubleshooting later in this series.) But, the disposables have been TERRIBLE. My poor baby now experiences 1-3 diaper explosions up his back daily. Somebody told me to move up a diaper size when this problem occurs but it did not help. I do buy the cheapest disposable diaper though… but I am not moving up two sizes because that is silly. I don’t want to put my baby in a diaper made for 22lb babies when he only weighs 15lbs!
Cloth Inserts. I wanted to use cloth diapers to save on money and emergency trips to the grocery store. gDiapers have their own cloth inserts made with four layers of fabric. There are two layers of microfleece to draw moisture away from the baby’s skin and two layers of hemp/cotton to trap in the wetness.
Disposable Inserts. I do not use the disposable inserts but they are cradle to cradle certified, meaning it is an environmentally friendly option. The pooped ones can be safely flushed down the toilet. The wet ones can be composted. Or you can toss them in the garbage because they decompose quickly. I do not recommend throwing them away because it is difficult for garbage to decompose when sealed up tight inside a plastic bag and tossed in a landfill. I may try using some of these inserts when my baby starts on solid foods but until then, I have no experience with these.
The cloth inserts fit nicely into the pouches. I have heard of people buying other cloth inserts/prefolds and using them in gDiapers but I decided to stick with the same brand.
Cloth Liners. When your baby starts eating solids (or if you ever introduce formula), the diapers need to be rinsed before washing. The cloth liners make it so you do not have to rinse your cloth insert. It is a thin liner that is placed on top of the cloth insert to catch poop. This liner can be safely flushed. I do not have any of these right now because my baby is only 3 months old. He will be breastfed only until he reaches 6 months. I used the gDiaper brand cloth liner and other brands too. I will definitely be using these again. It really saves time and makes cloth diapering super easy. There is no need to dunk a nasty poopy diaper in the toilet or utility sink and make a big mess.
gDiaper Size Chart
I used newborn disposable diapers because I did not want to invest in the newborn diaper size because it is such a short time period. The size chart above shows which inserts and pouches fit each gPant size. There are five gPant sizes: newborn, small, medium, large, and extra large. The inserts and pouches only come in two sizes: newborn/small and medium/large/extra large. This makes it is very convenient so you do not have to buy all new inserts and pouches when moving up a gPant size. You might not even need to buy the larger gPant sizes if your child potty trains quickly or simply weighs less. I predict that I will need to buy the larger sizes because my children typically fall in the 100th percentile for weight and height!
How many gDiapers do you need to buy?
It is really up to you many diapers you need to buy. It depends on how long you want the diapers to last in between washes. Maybe you want a bigger variety of colors. They also make cute patterned gPants too. But I kept it simple and bought 6 gPants (each come with one pouch), an extra 6 gPant pouches, and 24 cloth inserts.
Now, you should be clear on the basic parts of the hybrid gDiaper. It is simply a diaper cover with an insert. The choice is yours on whether you will choose disposable or cloth inserts. My next post will discuss laundering techniques for all cloth diapers to keep them as white and absorbent as possible.
