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Beyond the Forums
Meet Kinga Urban
Many of our forum members have been cloth diapering for years and and their knowledge is invaluable to the cloth diapering community. We start this biweekly series by interviewing long time Diaper Pin forum member Kinga Urban. Kinga is a WAHM to 5 children, 3 still in diapers, and she likes camping, reading, and learning new things. She is interested in natural fibers, especially wool.
How many changes do you do a day?
We do about 25 changes a day. My youngest daughter is 5 months old so she requires the most changes, somewhere between 12 to 14 changes a day. My two year old son requires about 7 to 9 changes, and the 3 and 1/2 year old son who is in the process of potty training, requires around 3 to 5 changes.
How often do you wash?
Now with three in diapers we wash almost every day. If we skip a day, it is difficult to catch up, especially since diapers are not the only laundry we do. Sometimes it seems like our washing machine never stops running.
How has adding a second and then third in cloth changed your diapering routine and washing routine?
It mainly changed in three ways.
First of all, it changed my choice of diapers. When I had one in diapers, I was usually the happy mama who was doing most of the diaper changes…however when number 2 and 3 came along, I had to call in the reserves (i.e. my husband and older daughter). This had a big impact on my cloth diapering choices. I was no longer the only one who was doing the changes…my diapers had to be family member friendly. So I needed to look for some easy-to-use diapers. My husband is usually changing the boys in the morning while I am changing our daughter. Quick changes are a must. Fitteds and all-in-ones are my husband’s first choice.
More kids in diapers means more diapers, which leads to the need for more storage space. We had to accommodate our changing station to make it work well for three in diapers. Each child has its own storage area, be it dresser, drawer, or shelf. We also have one extra portable changing pad in case two of the kids need to be changed at the same time.
I have always chosen diapers that are made from natural fibers. Now having 3 in diapers made me realize that sticking with easy to wash cotton and breathable wool covers was the best choice I made. With three in diapers I don’t really have time for complicated washing routines and rashes that can be caused by synthetic materials. This saves me time and trouble.
How do the stashes differ for each child or do you find it easier to use the same thing for all 3?
They actually do differ for each child. All of my children are different ages so they are built differently, weigh different amounts, and are in different cloth diapering stages. Something that fits one doesn’t automatically fit the other. It is easier for me to use different diapers on each of my kids. I want them to fit well. For example with my daughter I use a lot of pre-fold and pre-fitted diapers, with my middle son fitteds and AIO, with the older one fitteds and trainers. For all of them I use mostly wool as a covers. Each child in the diaper station has their own designated space for their diapers/covers. This makes it easy for others to locate the right diapers for each child. There are times when we use the same diapers for all of them. Going out would be one of these times. This gives us the luxury of not worrying who will need how many changes when we are gone. We don’t have to guess the right size for each child, and have all of the diapers that would fit everyone. This would usually be the one sized cotton AIO.
Are there diapers in your stash that fit all 3 children well, or at least 2 of them?
Yes. Flats, some prefolds, sized and one-size AIOs fit. If not three of them, then at least two of them.
What diapers would you recommend to someone else diapering multiple children at the same time.
Diapers that are first of all easy to wash and keep clean. Cotton would be a great choice here. It washes easily and it doesn’t hold stink like synthetic materials often do. Saving time on complicated wash routines with multiple children is a plus. Cotton flats, prefolds, fitteds, AIOs and trainers are all great choices.
Versatile flats are very economical and fit wide ranges of weight. Easy to wash and they dry really fast.
Convenient one sized and sized AIOs. They are usually a little more expensive but can be a life saver when others do diaper changes. They are easy and fast to change.
For diaper covers, I recommend wool. Very breathable and comfortable. Great choice for night and day. In addition it can be used as a clothing and it does not require frequent washing like PUL.
Any other tips for moms with multiple kiddos in diapers?
Cloth diapering more than one child at the same time can be more challenging. There is more laundry, changes and diaper involved but once you will figure out your routine, it is totally manageable.
What kind of diaper bag do you use and what is typically kept in it?
I use a regular backpack, and pack it pretty much every time we go out. The items that are kept in it are usually a few flats, one sized AIOs, and some trainers. In addition, I keep wipes, a spray bottle with solution, flushable liners, changing pad, and a wet bag for the dirty diapers. As I mentioned before, I try to take diapers that would fit all kids, then I don’t need to try to predict who will need how many changes.
How has diapering changed from the first to now the 3rd child?
It changed in having more diapers which required additional storage space. More diaper changes produced a bigger pile of laundry. Investing in two big pail liners was a must for us.
Kinga has provided us with an entire gallery of her cloth diapering setup, including closeups of many of her drawers. She has also included a few pictures of her adorable daughter wearing some different natural cotton and wool diaper items.
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