Fuzzi Bunz: I'll be the first to admit the thought of cloth diapering seemed a little "hippy" to me, and a lot of work when I first found out I was pregnant and began getting all the necessities for our new arrival. Who wants all that work when you have a newborn? When my daughter turned about ten months old, I was a little more than disgusted with the price of disposable diapers rising, as well as reading some of the icky things IN them (the absorbant gel, the non-biodegradable material, etc.) and decided to give cloth diapers a try.

I read some fantastic reviews about Fuzzi Bunz, and after visiting their site and learning more about them and how easy they were, how similar to disposables they were, and how easy they were to care for, I decided to order four of them. Give them a little "test run." I was so impressed at how incredibly SOFT they were right out of the package! Super soft fleece has GOT to feel better on the bum than crunchy old paper! From the moment I put them on my daughter Sydney, she just seemed so much happier in them. And we haven't looked back. I still use disposables for day-long outings but otherwise we are sticking strictly to Fuzzi Bunz! Immediately I ordered about 12 more pairs.

Care: Easy. They recommend using a "natural" detergent and washing the diapers and inserts on the hot cycle. I finally found a detergent locally that was recommended (some detergents leave funky build-up on the dipes and can cause them to not absorb as readily) and it turned out to work well for our entire family laundry needs (Ecover, found at Whole Foods). A cap full of it (which is less than the manufacturer recommends, but you don't need to use a full 2 cap fulls!), and a scoop of OxyClean Free in the wash with the diapers, and they come out clean and fresh!

Accessories: You need inserts with these diapers, as they are what is known as a Pocket Diaper. The best thing about a pocket diaper, in my opinion, is the fact you can customize the absorbancy. During the day my daughter wets A LOT. So I put thicker insert during the day. At night, not so much. The same insert (Thirsties Microterry Inserts) I use during the day is the same one I use at night, for the WHOLE night. I keep a wet/dry sack on the door of the nursery and dump the diapers in there when they are wet, and dump solid poo in the toilet, then into the sack. I wash them every day or every other day (depends how "dirty" of a day we've had). The poo that doesn't peel off into the toilet can be blasted off with a mini-shower (easy to install, hangs right on the side of the toilet).

Cost: While initially the cost frightens a lot of people (at roughly $17 per pair, usually includes an insert) think about the long term affordability. I have about 15 pairs of Fuzzi Bunz. At $17 per pair that is $255, though keep in mind most stores provide a volume discount. At about 10 months my daughter was using about 7 diapers a day, including her overnight one. A large box of Pampers Cruisers Size 4 which is 140 count, at Sam's Club is $34.88. 140 diapers will last Sydney about 20 days. In 160 days (5 1/3 months) we'll have paid $250 for disposable diapers. So... in a little over 5 months, Fuzzi Bunz pay for themselves. And to give you a little perspective, Sydney has been in the Medium for about 6 months. They still have one snap to go for adjustment (oh, didn't I mention they are multi-sized for customization??) so by my estiamte we still have another 3 months use out of them.

Cons: They can get addicting at first. It takes a little trial-and-error to find what works best for you and your baby. Inserts can vary, and what works for your friend might not work as well for you, likewise if you have a boy and friend has a girl. But once you find out what works for you, it's all over. Most inserts come in varying sizes, but personally I think a lot of the "medium" inserts would work fine for the "large" Fuzzi Bunz. It's just a matter of width/length.

Pros: As mentioned above, most online retailers will provide you with a volume discount, usually off the purchase of 3 or more. There is one retailer I've found (Wildflower Diapers) that allows a layaway of diapers. Rest assured that I will be giving this a try when we need to move to large FB's! And the biggest "pro".... they are just so darn cute!!