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Not Your Momma's Cloth Diapering

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Say what? Yeah, you read that right. Cloth Diapering. With Mari, we went the gDiaper route. While we felt very eco-friendly and awesome for using them (especially because she didn't have diaper rash!), they were a bit of a chore to clean up. It wasn't that often that we had to clean up the outer layer, but the liners always had to be cleaned. So much so that we had a special cleaning toothbrush and cleaning container next to the sink, just to clean them before we would put them in Jacki's Super Soak solution. I quickly grew tired of pruny, wrinkly hands from the cleaning. Plus, we hadn't yet discovered the awesomeness that is the Bum Genius Diaper Sprayer.

Around 9 months, Mari had her first diaper rash and we didn't have immediate access to the refills for the gDiapers. She had demonstrated that she was highly allergic to Huggies and Pampers disposable diapers. I was at my wits end and had read the amazing breathability of cloth diapers. While it was the weekend and we let her run around naked for a while (try containing a very active & walking 9 month old to a small blanket for "accidents"), we set off in search of some cloth diapers. I bought 3 Bum Genius diapers and said a prayer for them to work. I remember the sticker shock value of them, but quickly dismissed it when I was faced with a very happy baby (with a much less angry heiny!). I was sold!

I never bought more than those initial three. When she outgrew the size medium gDiapers, we didn't buy the large. Instead, we went the 7th Generation disposable route for other reasons too long to explain here, BUT! with Tesla, I was adamant about wanting to go the cloth route. Here are a few of my reasons:

  1. They definitely breathe better than disposables.
  2. They have a better fit and less blowouts than the disposables and/or gDiapers.
  3. There isn't a stinky diaper pail smell, just the regular odors of a bathroom. (light a match)
  4. Better for the environment because they don't take forever to decompose and with a high end washer, you will use less water for cleaning them, especially if you use the Super Stainer Soak.
  5. Less expensive than disposables in the long run.
  6. A better fit, in my opinion.
  7. Way cuter than regular diapers. A must in the summer months when she would run around with a diaper and a tank top.
Some people don't like the idea of trying them. I get where they are coming from. I understand convenience and ease of use. I totally get that. Will you have to spend a bit more time than you would with disposable diapers? Yes, a bit more, but not much. I'd have to launder the cloth diapers and prep them for the next day. Instead of carrying  around those tiny plastic bags for the disposable diapers, I will use a travel wet bag (for all diapers) or a wet pail for home (for the pee diapers). The extra time is worth it for me. Even more so because the daycare Tesla will be attending not only allows for us to use cloth, but they are eager to learn what to do. I can't tell you how much it means to have their support in this matter. I know daycares will allow it, but whether they like it and are receptive to it is something else entirely. 

There you have it. At this very moment, we have 6 cloth diapers that we can use out of the gate with Tesla. The three Bum Genius that are one size, two Charlie Banana diapers (turquoise & black in the above pic) because they are also a one size fits all pocket diaper (8lbs-35lb), and one extra small Fuzzibunz green pocket diaper (the top center one in the pic). I love that the Bum Genius and Charlie Banana are one size and will grow with the baby. I really like that the Charlie Banana ones have an elastic that adjust the size, plus the snaps are better than the velcro on the BG, because sometimes the velcro can get compromised. 

My fabulous besties & sister are throwing me a baby shower later on this month--Burleseque themed no less (wahoo!!). Since this is our second child, I wanted to do something a bit unconventional (more of a girls night instead of a sit down and have cake shower) and out of the norm. This is a great opportunity to spend some time with my girls and learn a new skill, maybe! As far as gifts, there isn't a whole lot we need since we saved everything from Mari, but we have requested cloth diapers and sensitive skin wipes*. I created an Amazon registry to give my loved ones an idea about the cloth diapering world since more than a few of them think I'm out of my mind for wanting to venture down that path. For all they know, I would be using safety pins and traditional cloth pads from back in the day. (I remember cleaning a few of those diapers as a kid.) I also threw in a couple of more conventional gifts on the registry so as to not scare them off entirely! I will be sure to post about the shower at that time. Until then...

If you are interested, you should check out Amazon to read reviews on some of the cloth diapers out there or visit Diapers.com to read some reviews. If you like what you see, and you want to take the plunge, use the code GUAP0228 to receive 15% off your first order at Diapers.com.

If you cloth diaper, what are some of your favorite reasons? What is your favorite brand? Do you use a super stainer soak? How does your husband feel about the cloth diapers or if you are male, how do you feel about them as opposed to disposable diapers?

*We do have some reusable cloth wipes, but I do prefer the wet wipes that we can warm. Babies seem to prefer a warm wet wipe, plus, I can get a more concise clean with the disposable ones than I can with the cloth. Otherwise, I'd need a warm water bucket nearby, which, if that were the case, I'd be wasting too much water and almost be bathing my child after each bowel movement. That's just a reflection of my own inefficiency.

**In no way was  I compensated for my review on any specific cloth diapers. These reviews are my own.**

3 comments:

Roxy said...

I love using cloth. It make me feel good and it make the kids feel good. I was behind on laundry and put a sposie on my 15 month old and she gave me a discussed look and tried to pull it down. No stain soak. I shake the inserts out and dump everything in a bucket. For poo, I dump everything I can in the toilet then if there is a bunch stuck on I rinse them in the mud sink and then drop it in the bucket.
We used mostly pockets with Liam and I was very happy. Fuzzi bunz was the fav. With Ella we mostly use prefolds. I've become a huge fan of the simplicity. I use a pocket at night.
I had to hide the sposies from dh ;). He was supportive of cloth but would use the sposie if it was within reach. A few days ago he put a pre fold on Ella for the first time. She's 15 months. I think he was quite proud of himself. He doesn't do any laundry, but I made him scrub out one diaper bc he didn't put a liner in during a particularly gross stage. I think I gained more respect. I love it, kids love it and dh supports it!

Maggie said...

I do it for the environment. If I'm not around to change the diaper, he will use a disposable. I didn't really push the CD on him. I take comfort in knowing I'm decreasing my baby's carbon footprint. I don't CD if we are out for an extended period of time or at night. Just recently, I've gone out on longer errands with cloth. I keep the wet bag and the diaper changing in the trunk.
I'm glad your day care is going to work with you on cloth!

Jacki said...

My husband jumped right on board, and since we didn't have any disposables in the house, and he had no idea what to buy at the store, he learned and now is a pro! There has been no "dad issue". In fact, he watched a *funny* video of dads gagging over changing diapers and he was SO ANGRY at those dads for being such wimps! He vowed to NEVER be that dad, and would be embarrassed to even act like that. So, we've had no problems like that.

I made the majority of our diapers and it saved a ton of money. I had no idea what I was doing: I just looked around on the internet for tutorials and free patterns and used those until I managed a pattern I liked best. It's dumb-labor sewing: I moved my machine into the living room and watched tv while sewing, and just churned them out assembly-line style.

No problems with washing or staining. All used diapers go into a dry pail in the bathroom. Wash day is Monday. Since William has been potty-trained I only have to wash once per week.Rinse once on cold, wash on hot, one extra rinse w/ vinegar. Viola! I use no special laundry soap: whatever I can buy for $1 at the Dollar Store.

Easy-peasy! I find the cloth diapers are much more absorbent at night than disposables, and when people are switching to cloth I recommend they start with night time.

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