Diapering Two: Increasing Your Stash

I knew when I found out that I was expecting, I knew that I would be diapering two kids at the same time…at least for a while.  (Elaine is 21 months old today and we are in the process of potty training, but she still wears diapers when we go out, and for naps and bedtime).  I figured that with two in diapers I would need to increase my stash some, but I didn’t really know what items I would be adding.

Pocket Diapers
Nolan is a super soaker.  He can pee through the prefold in an hour or less.  So prefolds are not the best choice for naptime or nighttime (even though he gets changed once at night when he gets up to eat).  Because of this, I have found myself adding more pocket diapers to my stash in order to have enough diapers for both kiddos. 

Confession: I am addicted to pocket diapers.  The are SO easy to use, wash, dry, and they are so effective at containing the mess.  When Elaine was a newborn we primarily used prefolds and covers, with six pocket diapers.  While I did get out the prefolds with Nolan, they are definitely not my first choice diaper.  Since I have so much more to do and pay attention to with two kids, it is much better to have a fast and easy diaper change.

Wet Bags
I have also added some accessories.  With only one kid in diapers I could get away with just one pail liner.  Now that there are two kids, I don’t always get the diaper laundry put away as quickly.  And I am changing more diapers, more often.  And those dirty diapers need a place to go. 

We now have two pail liners, three hanging wet bags, and two medium wet bags (for the diaper bag), and two wipes wet bags in our stash.  This allows me to always have a clean wet bag ready to go.

Cloth Wipes
The other thing I found myself running short on was cloth wipes.  I didn’t use cloth wipes when Elaine was a newborn, so I didn’t realize how many wipes I would need…especially for two kids.  I added the Planet Wise printed wipes to my stash.  All of my other wipes are two layers thick, so I didn’t expect great things from these “one-ply” polka dot wipes.  However, I found myself pleasantly surprised.  They take up less bulk in my diaper bag when I need to carry twice as many wipes.

Energy
Well…I have a hard time adding more of this!  I don’t have a dryer, so all of my diapers are washed, then hung out to dry, then pulled in off the line, then stuffed and put away.  I do this about every 36 hours right now.  Here is a picture of my clothesline laden with the diapers for two kids for a day and a half:

Yes…I often wish that energy was something I could buy at Doable Diapers!

So if you find yourself preparing to diaper two little ones, take into consideration the things you may need to add to your stash! I wish I had planned ahead so I would have been more prepared.