I know a lot of people that cloth diaper their children. Probably more than the average American knows. I considered it for a brief moment (should I use cloth? nah.) before Charly was born but decided against it because I was going to be working and taking her with me and I just didn't see how that would jive. Then we never gave it a second thought.
And then, maybe two weeks ago, a friend posted on her blog that she was considering cloth diapering for her soon to be born child. And then the next day another friend posted on Facebook the details of her cloth diapering ventures, complete with sources to do research. And if that wasn't enough, another blog I love (Young House Love) wrote this post about cloth diapering their baby for the past year. It seemed the stars were aligning, especially when I learned that bum genius diapers (a very reputable brand that seemed like a great fit for me) was having a sale. And they never have sales.
These events, combined with the announcements that diaper prices will be rising due to the rising cost of oil (read more about that here) gave me good reason to reconsider cloth diapers. We are definitely looking for ways to save money now that we are a single income family.
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| Cloth diapers have come a long way- we don't use pins, rubber pants, and we never deal with leaks. I mean, look at all these cute colors! |
I did a lot of research about types of cloth diapers, brands, care of different fabrics, etc. This website had tons of great info including product reviews, description of types of cloth diapers and all sorts of other stuff. Definitely check it out if you are interested in cloth diapering.
Before I lose any of you with boring details, lets take a little tour of the diapers we are using. They are a far cry from the cloth diapers from your parents era.
These are bum genius one size diapers. They come packaged with two inserts- a newborn one (which can be used for extra absorption at night once you move on the the regular insert) and a regular one that expands to fit as your child grows, and the pocket diaper.
Here is what they look like all bundled up. You can opt to get velcro or snap closures. I've heard snaps hold up better in the laundry, and since we are going for longevity and hope to use them for future children we selected snaps.
It looks a little intimidating all unsnapped, but the top two rows are like the velcro on disposables. They tighten around the waist to ensure a snug fit. Right now for Charly we leave 3 open snaps in the center, so she still has plenty of room to grow.
The lower snaps adjust the rise of the diaper, so as she grows we'll unsnap them to make it bigger.
It has elastic around both leg holes and the back to keep things fitting snug. The inside is fleece, so its nice and soft on her skin.
The inserts go into a pocket that opens from the back end of the diaper.
We make our own laundry detergent to wash them in (since you need something with no additives that can affect the absorption). The premade stuff you can order can be expensive, but my friend Nica gave us this recipe using equal parts Borax, Washing (not baking) Soda and Oxygen Cleaner (baby version). You can find all three in the laundry aisle at Walmart. You only have to use 1 Tbsp. per load.
I've decided that rather than write a lengthy post about cloth diapers (because its been done and you can get all that info other places- and this post is already getting lengthy), I'll give you all a pro/con list of my experience so far. The lists will be based on what we have decided to use: one size pocket diapers with snaps
Pros:
Cheap!- our initial investment for 12 diapers will be around $160. We've already spent at least $150 on disposables (Huggies) in Charly's 4 months, and we were even given a whole bunch at showers. Now, we may find we need more than 12 (18 is the magic number for many) but since our diapers are one size and will fit Charly until she potty trains, it won't break the bank to buy a few more if we find we need them.
Cute!- They come in lots of fun colors and some come in patterns (our patterned one was dirty when I was taking pictures), and I'm totally the kind of person who gets excited about cute colorful things. And I love the fact that they are not adorned with Winnie the Pooh OR Mickey Mouse. Barf.
Eco-Friendly!- They keep disposables out of the landfill. This isn't enough to convince me by itself, but it speaks to my inner-hippie. Bonus!
Cons:
Bulky- They are definitely thicker than disposables. She was still squeaking by in 0-3 month clothes, and the extra cush of these dipes is pushing her into her 3-6 month batch. However, her little bum looks adorable in them, so not so much of a con.
Extra work- You do still have to wash them, and since Charly isn't breastfed we have to rinse them when she poops (rather than just throwing them in the wash, since breastmilk poop is water soluble) and will have to continue that when she starts solids. Some people might think its gross, but you are already dealing with poop to begin with. Its an extra few seconds. We plan on buying a diaper sprayer (or DIYing one) to help with that process. They attach to the toilet plumbing and look like a dish sprayer.
Utility costs increase- I'm sure as time goes on we'll notice a change in our utility costs, but what is a few extra loads a week? It certainly won't amount to the cost of disposables.
This is definitely not a comprehensive list. These are the main factors that we considered, and in the end the pros far outweigh the cons. Even Matt is on board! (although he said he won't clean the poopy ones, I think he'll cave)
And just look how cute her little cloth diapered bum is:
Cushy little booty.
And in case you didn't think anything could be cuter than the above picture- check out this one:
Yep, she's the cutest:)
