Cloth diapers: Prefolds or fitteds and covers

One cloth diaper option is using either prefolds or fitteds with covers.

Prefolds are rectangular diapers that have more absorbency in the middle and less layers along the sides. (Flat diapers are one-layer diapers that don't have the thick middle.) With either one, you would use either diaper pins or a Snappi to fasten the diaper. There are several folds to use to get the best fit for your baby.
Fitted diapers are diapers that are cut and sewn into a shape that requires no folding, they resemble a diaper and some even have either velcro or snap closures. These types of diapers can be made out of several types of material. Hemp, Indian or Chinese cotton, or bamboo are some options. With the cotton, you can choose natural, bleached, dyed or even patterned. I don't, nor can I find many who do, recommend using the brand you can get from many grocery stores simply because they are not as absorbent or high quality as the others I have listed here.
No matter which you choose, unless you buy used, you'll have to do a number of pre-washes before use to strip the natural oils from the fabric and 'quilt' them up. The more you wash them, the more absorbent they become.
All three kinds would require a cover to make them waterproof.
Covers are generally waterproof or water resistant. PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) is fairly waterproof, but will wick or leak if the diaper gets too wet. Fleece is another option but will wick if compressed. Wool is wonderful because it's breathable, absorbent, and easy to care for.
These covers are either closed by velcro or snaps, and some can be pulled on, reminiscent of the old style plastic pants.

When choosing this type of diapering system, you will need less covers than you will need inner diapers (prefolds or fitteds) because you will be able to reuse the covers without washing as long as no feces get on them. The inner diaper will catch it most of the time, and while the cover may get wet with urine, you would simply set the just used cover aside to air dry, use a new cover in the meantime and swap them out as needed. How many you will need varies depending on the age of your baby and how often you wish to wash. For a newborn, washing every 24-36 hours I recommend at least 2 dozen inner diapers and 6 covers.

Why I chose cloth diapers

I used disposables with my older two children (now 6 and 4). Their bottoms would be hot and red, and sometimes broke out in serious rashes that I felt terrible about, convinced I was doing something wrong. I would change them more often, but that wouldn't help either.

When I was pregnant with X, I got 'crunchified'. I immersed myself in topics like breastfeeding, babywearing, natural birth options, and circumcision (or lack thereof). The one thing I was stumped on was cloth diapers.

I had seen a few posts concerning them but didn't really know what the big deal was. Until I saw posts about chemical burns and male infertility and testicular cancer associated with disposable diapers. The amount of chemicals that we're putting in, on and around our babies, it's no wonder that we're seeing more of things like this.

Still, I was lost when it came to CD'ing and what I would need to start. When I thought of cloth diapers, I thought of prefolds, pins and plastic pants. I did my research and found some options that would work for us. There's a lot of options for different lifestyles.

Baby Massage

Infant or Pediatric massage is “A special massage geared for a newborn baby through the first several years of his or her life.” (Mitchell). The history of infant massage dates back to ancient times although it is still fairly new to our American culture. There are many benefits to infant massage and almost no negatives to be found.

Until the surge of popularity of more natural childbirth techniques such as the use of midwives, infant massage was not much used in our Western culture. “Infant massage was introduced formally into the United States in 1978 when Vimala Schneider McClure, a yoga practitioner who served in an orphanage in Northern India, developed a training program for instructors at the request of childbirth educators.” (Spehar, 2001). Prior to that, infant massage has been popular for centuries in India and the Asian and Pacific Island cultures where the benefits of nurturing touch have long been recognized. It was often part of the daily ritual for baby to have a massage as a part of their bath time routine.

The benefits of infant massage are numerous in every way from emotional to physical. “…including helping to promote relaxation; improving sensory integration; helping aid deeper and longer sleep; encouraging mid-line orientation; assisting in bonding and attachment; helping improve state regulation; assisting in vocalization; stimulating the circulatory and GI systems; assisting in pain relief; and enhancing neurological development.” (Mathias, 2003). Infant massage has been proven to help develop deeper bonds between the caregiver and the infant as well as greatly increase development in babies that were born prematurely or who were exposed to drug abuse in the womb.

One study done on twenty preterm neonates found that utilizing infant massage practices for three, fifteen minute segments a day for ten days showed an average of a forty-seven percent increase in weight gain in the massaged babies over babies who were not exposed to these infant massage techniques. They also found that these babies were more active and alert than their un-massaged counterparts and that they developed motor skills faster. In addition to this the average hospital stay was roughly six days shorter which leads to a monetary savings for both the parents and the hospitals involved. (Field PhD, Schanberg MD, PhD, Scafidi MS, Bauer MD, Vega-Lahr MS, Garcia BS, Nystrom MD, & Kuhn PhD, 1986)

The benefits of infant massage do not stop at the babies involved. It has been found that the caregivers administering the massages can benefit greatly as well. The most obvious advantage is that a less fussy baby equals more relaxed parents. Practicing infant massage helps parents be more in tune with their babies needs and wants and makes it easier to determine what baby is asking for with less effort. Many parents notice an increase in confidence of their own abilities after becoming involved in infant massage and seeing the positive results that are direct responses to something that they have done with their own hands. Mothers suffering from postpartum depression can also greatly profit from providing infant massage due to the increased ease of bonding that is the automatic result of increased touch between mother and child. Massage also helps release oxytocin (also known as the cuddle hormone) which is another way to help amplify the bond between mother and baby. (Infant Massage USA, 2006)

While the superficial benefits of massage have long been known in our country, we are still finding more and more deeper ways that this ancient art can help in people’s lives. Infant massage is unquestionably advantageous with the only argument against it being that some babies may not like it. Our culture is drastically behind on some of these simple, obvious and wonderful practices that are second nature to those civilizations around us, little by little we are beginning to catch up. This art is growing everyday and, optimistically, soon it will be an automatic and integral part of raising a baby.

References:

Field PhD, T. M., Schanberg MD, PhD, S. M., Scafidi MS, F. S., Bauer MD, C. R., Vega-Lahr

MS, N., Garcia BS, R., Nystrom MD, J., & Kuhn PhD, C. M. (1986). Tactile/kinesthetic

stimulation effects on preterm neonates. Pediatrics, 77(5), Retrieved from

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/77/5/654

Infant Massage USA. (2006). Benefits of infant massage for parents. Retrieved from

http://www.infantmassageusa.org/learn-to-massage-your-baby/benefits-of-infant-massage/

Mathias, M. (2003, November). Infant massage - everyone benefits. Massage Today, 03(11),

Retrieved from http://www.massagetoday.com/archives/2003/11/05.html

Mitchell, M. (n.d.). Massage therapies. Retrieved from

http://thesehealinghands.net/definitionsofservices.html

Spehar, J. (2001). Infant Massage. Encyclopedia of alternative medicine. Retrieved from

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g2603/is_0004/ai_2603000452/