What's the deal with fitted diapers?

What is it?
A fitted diaper is a diaper made with absorbent fabric sewn together into a diaper shape, but not covered with a waterproof shell. You must add a separate cover to create a completely waterproof diaper. Because the entire diaper is absorbent and not just the insert or soaker, it generally is one of the most absorbent types of diapers available.  Fitted diapers may be all one piece, where all of the absorbency is sewn in, or it may come with a separate soaker that needs to be snapped or laid in. Sometimes the soakers are multiple layers that can have layers added or removed to create custom absorbency. Fitted diapers are very popular as a nighttime solution when paired with a PUL or wool cover. Around the house, some parents use fitted diapers without covers during the day and simply change the diaper when the outside gets damp. This allows the child to have a high amount of air circulation and is great for preventing diaper rash or helping clear up existing rashes.

Fitteds, especially those that are WAHM (work-at-home-mom) made, are often made with cute or even hard-to-find fabric prints.  Sometimes these prints or diapers even become collectible and are sold and resold at much higher prices than the original diaper was sold for by the diaper maker. A common question with fitteds that use prints is...why? Why have a cute diaper that has to be covered up with a separate cover? The answer is simple: because it's cute - the same reason one might wear cute underwear they cover with clothes! Additionally, since many parents use them coverless during the day at home, they get to enjoy the prints during that time. 

What do they look like?

 SBish snapless fitted

Thirsties Fab fitted

Tangerine Baby fitted; inside showing two-layer snap-in soaker

Tangerine Baby fitted

Tetro fitted with tie closure

What size do they come in? How do they close?

These can be sized or one-size and may close with snaps or velcro, though most close with snaps. Some are also snapless, meaning they need pins or a Snappi to close. A few rare brands close with ties.

What are the pros and cons?
Pros
Very absorbent, very breathable, often made with very cute fabric, often have a high resale value

Cons
Need a separate cover, can be bulky, can be pricey

How do I care for my fitted diapers?
Most fitted diapers are made of natural fibers and need to be washed 5-6 times prior to use.  After prepping, wash using your normal cloth diaper wash routine. Be sure to attach the laundry tabs for velcro diapers. 

What are common brands of fitted diapers?
Goodmama
Twinkie Tush
BagShotRowBamboo
Monkey Snuggles
BuBuBeBe
SBish
Kissaluvs
Thirsties Fab Fitteds

It's Friday, which means it's Goodmama Day.

If you are visiting the board on a Friday, you might notice that it turns to madness...all surrounding the mysterious acronym "GM." What does GM mean and what is happening on the board??? Check out these posts for all the information you could want!

What's the deal with GMs

Stalking Rules

Stalking a Goodmama Diaper

Having someone on the board stalk a Goodmama diaper for you (or a Twinkie Tush or any other number of popular brands) is a popular sport - and it really is a sport!

Thanks to pixy_stix for putting together these guidelines about stalking for another person:

If you have someone stalking for you, a few rules:

1. Even if you change your mind and don't want that diaper, you still have to pay for it if you asked people to stalk for you.  If you end up with 4, you have to pay for 4 and find homes for them on your own.
2. Please pay promptly.  I try to get tallies to everyone immediately after stocking ends.
3. Remember to add shipping + paypal fees when paying your stalker. (heh, that sounds funny)  I charge a flat $5 that tends to cover all costs.
4. Before stocking, work out with your stalker on how the item will be shipped (to the stalker first, change the address to you, etc.).  Keep in mind that Goodmama will not change the address, so the diaper *has* to be shipped to the stalker first.

Need help scoring a Goodmama diaper for yourself or someone else? Check out the tips for stalking here (a few questions down the page).

What's the Deal with Goodmama?

**UPDATE** Interestingly enough, much of the "luster" has gone out of this brand. They aren't nearly as collectible and aren't getting the same resale value as they once were. Other brands have taken their place, so the information is still relevant, but you're not nearly as likely to hear about Goodmamas any more. 

This is a question that gets asked ALL the time. They're expensive fitted diapers that require a cover to cover up all those cute prints, right? Well, pretty much. But it's a little more complicated than that.

Thanks so much to pixy_stix for putting together this "Guide to Goodmama"!

NOTE: This is specifically for Goodmama, but most can be applicable to any other "stalked" diaper or product as well. 

Are they really that great?
They're ok. GMs fit some babies better than others, some people like the quality better than others, there's a competitive buy/sell/trade market for them, and all put together that's why there's a craze for them. [That is, just like any other diaper, some people swear by them, some people are "eh" about them, and some people dislike them!]

Other fitteds work just as well, they're just not as popular.

They're fitteds? Why are you buying cute prints if you're going to cover them up? (Several answers!)
Yes, they're fitteds and you will need a cover. However, some people like to let their babies run around coverless to let the butt breathe. Others liken it to the reason why we buy pretty underwear, because we like to.

We use fitteds because they are breathable & absorbent! It doesn't matter if they have prints (like GMs) or if they don't (like the sbish) we would still use fitteds either way. The prints are just fun for me. Also, I figure DD will like them once she gets older - just like my step son likes to wear batman & toy story undies rather than plain white. That's my reasoning for the cute designs! :)

Why are GM fitteds more expensive than other diapers?
Fitteds in general are made entirely of natural fibers, which are more expensive than synthetic fibers. They are also hand made by WAHMs making fair wages. So time and labor are factored into the price. The prices of GMs are higher than other brands because of the high demand for them.

How can you justify spending so much on one diaper?!
Goodmamas (currently) have a high resale value.

How do I know the name of previous prints? How do you guys come up with print names for your GM ISO lists?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12463215@N00/
http://gmlist.livejournal.com/

When does Goodmama stock?
She stocks every Friday. It’s usually around 11am Mountain time, but not always.

Where does the stocking take place?
http://shop.thegoodmama.com

Where and when are the previews?
Previews usually happen every Thursday, but not always. They can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/goodmamadiapers

How do I get one on stocking day?
* Go to the website (http://shop.thegoodmama.com/) and set up an account.
* Before stocking starts, make sure you are logged in to your account.
* Go to the 'diapers' page.
* Use your F5 key or 'refresh' icon on your browser to keep updating the available dipes until the one you want shows with 'add to cart'
* Once added to your cart, check out as fast as you can if paying via credit card or at least get to paypal so it does not get taken from your cart on the goodmama site.

Do I have to check out right away?
Yes. Very very quickly. The diaper is not yours until you have finished paying. If you leave it in your cart and someone else pays before you, you will loose it.

Do I have to pay separate shipping for each?
Yep. There are several cotton velours stocked on the page already. If you want some of those, load up your cart with them first and then when the print you want comes up, check out immediately.

How does it work when one person stalks for another person? Why do people do that?
GMs sell out in literally seconds, and people who have faster internet connections have better luck scoring them. Also, GM stalking happens somewhat unannounced, and sometimes a person has a thing or two to do on a Friday and can't sit around on their computer hitting refresh for hours on end. For these reasons, sometimes, one person will pitch in and stalk for another.

Check out this post for more information on stalking. 

If I have someone stalk for me can gm ship it directly to me? Or does it have to go to the other person first?
Goodmama cannot change shipping addresses. There are a lot of people stalking for eachother. If they let address changes happen, it would be a logistical nightmare. For this reason, you will have to have the mama who stalked for you ship the diaper to you when they recieve it. Be prepared to pay extra to cover the shipping to you and paypal fees so that your "stalker" isn't out money.

How long does it take to get my Goodmama?
4-6 weeks from stocking date. Some “stragglers” (already made diapers from previous stockings) can ship earlier than 4-6 weeks.