The Great Diaper Debacle
When I first heard about the option of cloth diapering, I was an immediate fan.
It’s better for the environment, it’s less expensive (disposables are no joke), and it feels better for the baby. From all around, it sounded like a win-win-win situation.
I mentioned it to my mom and she was all about it –usually she’ll go ahead and tell me when I have crazy idea- because I wore cloth diapers when I was a baby, too. From all of the things I’ve heard about it, I was totally on board, especially from moms I’ve talked to who cloth diaper their children. They’re serious fanatics about it.
So I started to read more about it to get more info,
and I became overwhelmed and well, a little grossed out.
There are SO many options out there. It’s kind of insane. The different brands, the pre-folds, the inserts, the covers… with all of the other books I’m reading, it was enough to make my brain explode. It made it seem like a LOT of extra work, and from what I’m expecting, a new baby already is a lot of work and responsibility… why add more chores to the mix?
Also, I started to think about actually cleaning the diapers. Something about having dirty diapers sitting around in a bag inside of a pail (even for just one day) raised a major sanitary red flag to me, and also the thought of washing said diapers in the same washer with our other clothes. [I know the washer sanitizes the bin too, but just thinking about our clothes going into the same machine gave me the heeby jeebies.] What was a going to do when we were out and about and the baby would inevitably have a dirty diaper to change? I’m not sure how I feel about walking around with all of that in a baggie in my purse, ya know?
I was really excited to ask Sabrina about cloth diapering last night, because I feel like it’s one of the things you can read about, but don’t truly understand until you talk to someone, actually see the diapers, and learn what the tricks are. [I wanted to ask my madre for more tips, and while she knows how to use them, she had a diaper service so didn’t have to worry about washing them.]
These are the diapers she has:
The Bum Genius organic.
I love the fact that they have so many adjustable snaps (so they’ll fit the baby for a long time), and they have the cover attached to the insert, so there’s not the extra task of stuffing the diapers. That right there made the entire cloth diapering thing seem much easier. So apparently I put the diaper in the washer on rinse cycle, run a hot cycle, then rinse again or something like that? Obviously I need to do more research.
I’m still not sure about:
What to do about having the diapers sit around until I wash them. [I’d imagine I’d have to do a diaper load every day?]
What to do with the diaper if you’re out and about.
How many to buy before the baby arrives. [What if the brand I like doesn’t agree with the baby for whatever reason?]
Some solutions we’ve discovered:
Using our old washer for diapers only. [We have an extra hook-up in the garage, so we’ll wash the diapers in there and all of our other clothes in our regular washer]
Using bleach-free disposables for a few weeks after the baby arrives to get into a groove before we start cloth diapering. We’ll probably use disposables for traveling, too.
It’s nice to have so many resources in the blog world, and I still have so much to soak up (pun?) and learn 😉
Did you or do you plan to cloth diaper? Any awesome tips or resources I should check out?
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Sherry at younghouselove.com has written a few posts about cloth diapering that I thought were very informative! My kid is 9 years old so I’m not really well versed in it all, but it seems like it can save you lots of money if you’re able to do it. I’m with you, though – I don’t know if I could ever get past putting dirty diapers in the washing machine, even though it’s supposedly fine.
I was going to suggest checking out younghouselove.com as well. her posts address many of the issues you’re struggling with and make cloth diapering seem not so bad 🙂
I’m really in place to give advice in this area, because I haven’t had children yet and won’t be for a few years or so. But you mentioned the cost of disposibles…how with having cloth diapers and running two washers effect your water/energy bill? Just a question 🙂 I’m anxious to see what you guys decide to do!
i’ve thought about that too- i have no idea. our water and electric bills are already pretty hefty, too
Hubby and I spent a bit of time researching cloth, but factoring in the extra water & laundry consumption and pain in the butt factor, we decided that not much about babies is environmentally friendly, so we took the easy route with disposables.
We plan on doing the same thing, and we also registered for the same BumGenius diapers. I’m most nervous about how to handle cloth diapers when we’re traveling. But I guess that’s what disposables are for. Good luck 🙂
Like you, I was immediately drawn to the cloth diapers, but then upon further research I was none too thrilled about 1) poopies in my washing machine 2) rolling around town with a bunch of nasty nappies 3) Which diaper system to choose.
I believe we are going to start with Pampers Swaddlers because all of my friends with newish babies (and their sanity too!) said they are great for newborns. After I get the hang of actually changing ANY kind of diaper, and understanding how I feel as a new mom, and what my little man is like, then I will see if I need to make a decision to transition into cloth, etc. Like you said – why add more work for the very beginning?
From what I understand, I will be lucky to get a shower and wash my own clothes for those first few weeks 🙂
Also – Congrats again, Gina! Your bump is adorable.
I’m really not one to be doling out advice, since I have no plans for children in the next oh…five years. However, I read this girl’s blog, and she really did her research on cloth diapering:
http://julia-transition.blogspot.com/search/label/cloth%20diapers
I’m just now 17 wks pregnant and I’ve had Julia’s blog posts on CDing in my favorites since she wrote them because I knew they’d be a great resource. She’s also super nice and answers any questions via email. She provides lots of links that helped with her research so I second using her for additional info you’ll need.
I used cloth diapers. I was all about it…it was best for my baby and I was going to save a lot of money. I wanted to do what was best for the environment, and my daughter. I thought that only ‘lazy’ people cloth diapered. (i know, i know). This is my story:
I had a diaper pail in the baby’s room that I filled with water and organic soap. I used organic disposable liners that I threw out every diaper change, and then I would put the diaper into the pail. I would then take the diapers to the wash and prewash them. Then wash. Then extra spin.
I had to change my baby every 2-3 hours, as cloth does not absorb as well as disposables. This meant that
I was going through approximately 14 diapers in a 24 hour period, therefore one load of diapers every day. When I went out I would use cloth, but I found it very inconvenient, especially not being able to soak them after changing. I tried a ‘dry’ diaper pail, but the smell at the end of the day was too overwhelming for me.
Needless to say, I switched to disposables after three months. I was constantly doing laundry, between diapers, bedding, towels and clothes, and the time, effort, increase to my power and water bill did not seem worth it. It is very expensive to start cloth diapering, and I found that I had to try about a dozen diaper rash creams. Once I switched to huggies pure and natural, the rash cleared up.
I will probably cloth diaper with my next one, as I have two rolls of liners to use up, but I can honestly say that I am a fan of the disposables.
Feel free to go with whatever option you feel best about. There are plenty of “good for the earth” disposables out there. I did the cloth inserts with my youngest from 1-2, but now I use the same covers (flip from cottonbabies.com) and put a gdiaper disposable insert in them, their biodegradable. You can flush them in your toilet, toss, or put the pee ones in your compost! Best of both worlds. The cheapest I’ve found is diapers.com. I used regular disposables until 1 month. It is so hectic as is. There are tons of choices, you’ll find one you love! cottonbabies.com has a sample back you can buy.
I’m with you on this one! One million percent overwhelmed! But I’m going to try it too. I bought three different brands – 6 of each, for 18 total. Hopefully he likes one of them! 🙂
Hi! I did not cloth diaper, but currently providing home daycare and one of my babies-well now he is 18 mo- is in cloth diapers. It is really easy!! They have a lined bag and we just toss the diapers in. They do wash every couple days. There are paper like inserts available to dispose of poo if you want, too. (Just dispose of like a diaper, which leaves the cloth diaper cleaner.) I would do it myself if I did not have a daycare. I think if the pros outweigh the cons for you it will be a piece of cake! I personally would jump in and try it from the beginning- sometimes hard to switch gears once used to something. Good luck!! 🙂
I know people that use cloth diapers rave about them! Honestly, I haven’t looked into it much because we’re going to use disposable.
I have heard, though, that the amount of money you spend in water/electricity from all the washing seems to take away the financial benefit of using cloth over disposable. But like I said, I haven’t done much research.
I’m not married (or even dating anyone!) so I don’t have kids anywhere in my near future… but I’m looking forward to reading the responses to this post. I’ve always felt like cloth diapering is something that I want to do in the future, but there are just so many pro’s and con’s. I guess it’s a good thing I’ve got a while to think about it. 😉
I’m not a mom, but both my sisters had babies – one went the disposable route and one did cloth diapers. What I learned: I would DEFINITELY go with cloth diapers. No doubt about it. My sister bought ones similar to what you posted. You wash them with a special anti-bacteria detergent. You mentioned having to do laundry every day if you had them, and you might have to – but you probably will anyways now! And for your concern about them sitting around in a bag/laundry bin – they’d only be sitting there for the day until you did laundry. The disposables sit in your trash all week until you put them out/have trash picked up. And for your concern of having poop in your washing machine – again, you’re going to anyways 🙂 Babies have blow outs, and from what I’ve heard, they “creep up the back” a lot more with disposables b/c they don’t fit as snuggly. Anyways, just my two cents. Good luck!
I agree with your diaper blowout assessment! Blowouts are gross/messy no matter what, but we only have the up-the-back situations when we use disposables, never with cloth. You do have to change cloth more often when it comes to pee, because they get wet more quickly, but when you’re at home its not any more work. Putting your baby on the changing table is usually a pleasant experience when they’re young anyway, b/c it is an opportunity to be up close and bond…we used to put her there to interact with us anyway, so diapering was kind of a fun time 🙂
I’ve heard of people using an attachment on their toilet – a sprayer thing – that they use to spray down the diaper before they put them in the laundry. I imagine this being a lot more sanitary and pleasant, so this is what I plan on doing.
My cousin just had a baby in April and uses cloth diapers. I think they may even be bum genius! I will connect you with her on Facebook now. 🙂
Good luck in your research!
This may be an unpopular opinion, but please don’t feel compelled to do something you don’t want to do because it seems “cool” based on what you’ve seen on blogs. I know there is environmental impact, but I would rather reduce elsewhere, because motherhood is overwhelming even without these sorts of comparisons. Of course, good that you researched, so that you can make the best decisions for YOU.
I do not yet have children. However, one of my best friends uses Bum Genius diapers and LOVES them. She had to use disposables for the first month or so, though, because her baby was too small for Bum Genius diapers. She uses disposables when they travel.
You’d be able to wash the diapers in a separate washer? Sounds perfect!
We went through this same debate, and in the end opted for a cloth diapering service which we love! (Luludew in Los Angeles). We used disposables for the first month or so (b/c they were smaller and didn’t rub on her cord or healing belly button), and still use them when we travel or when we’re going to be away for the whole day. But honestly, cloth is just as easy, and there is really no smell from the diaper pail! My friends who use disposables and have diaper genies or other pails have very smelly nurseries — ours doesn’t smell one bit because the pail liner is also cloth so everything breathes. The diaper service is only $20/week, which is the same or less than disposables, and you don’t have to do any of the dirty work yourself — I highly recommend it if there’s one in your area. For covers, we use GroVia and SoftBums. Good luck with your diaper research, and if you do go for cloth I think you’ll like it!
We are expecting our bumgenius diapers to arrive in the mext few days. I was hesitant and we have used disposables up until now (she is 10 pounds), and decided to take the leap. I loved younghouselove’s posts about it and that played a big part in my decision. Such a thorough and honest explanat ion. We decided to get the diaper sprayer to get rid of the poops upon changing. I am hoping it helps with the clean and smell factors. We figure we will probbaly just use disposables for baby sitters and travelling. You will decide whatever is right for you and your baby qnd all will be right in the world. Good luck!
PS Your baby bump is darling!
I don’t have kids but I found these posts over at Bonzai Aphrodite very informative and interesting. Good luck in your decision!
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2010/07/diapering-the-bonzai-bum-part-i/
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2010/07/diapering-the-bonzai-bum-part-ii/
I just started to read your blog a couple months ago and had to step out of lurking to comment 🙂 I started using cloth diapers on my son when he was 4 months old and can’t imagine going back. We’ve tried a few kind but mainly have Fuzzi Bunz one size which are super soft, cute and great because I plan to use them on other kids and was able to use them for my toddler before he was potty trained. Here’s our basic system: diapers are stored on the changing table and when one comes off of him, if it’s just pee we take the insert out and both go into a wet bag (Planet Wise are great!) in his bathroom. If it’s poop, we take the insert out, and rinse off the diaper with a diaper sprayer (we have the BumGenius one, also great) and then everything goes in the wet bag. I wash diapers every other day and he’s 13 months old now. I have no problem washing them in the same washer as everything else. It always comes out clean. A couple good resources are Kelly’s Closet and The Cloth Diaper Whisperer blog, which has tons of tips on washing. Good luck – it has been a great experience for us.
I am all for cloth diapering too, and plan to as well as long as my reluctant hubby jumps on board.
A co-worker of mine sent me this link the other day. Bum Genuis is having a Buy 5, Get 1 FREE until August 31st. I’m debating between Bum Genius and Fuzzi Bunz, which are also on sale now too (I posted that link below as well) 🙂
http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=2650
http://www.fuzzibunzretailers.com/PromotionForm.php (Buy 6, get 2 Free from Fuzzi Bunz)
I love my FuzziBunz! But have never used Bum Genius
I’m so glad you posted about this, and am interested to see everyone’s responses! I’m due a couple of weeks before you, end of December, and I have been waffling on this issue as well. My mom cloth diapered me, and she said that she washed everyday, which I think is sort of what you end up doing. If you can dry them outside it will take a huge part of the energy consumption down, too. Based on my research so far, and what I’ve read here, I will probably start with nature-friendly disposables at first, and then try cloth once we get the hang of things (if that ever happens!).
I’ve wondered about the same thing with cloth diapers. I want to use them, I *think*, but am really eager to hear any answers to the questions you have. All this is extremely premature, because I’m not even trying to have a baby just yet. 😉
P.S. I hate I didn’t get to introduce myself at HLS. I was looking forward to meeting you, but I’m a little shy about interrupting you when you were talking to other bloggers.
i nanny for my nephew and he uses cloth diapers exclusively, including the type you mentioned. i find them really easy to use, honestly, and not at all dirty or gross. he’s also never once had a red bum, rash, etc. unlike every other (disposable-wearing) kid i’ve baby sat in the past. a breast fed baby’s poo doesn’t smell and isn’t gross. you just put the dirty diaper in a bag and wash them within the next day or so, no biggie. that’s probably about how often you’ll be doing baby laundry anyway. once he is on solids, they have a little hose they installed in the toilet that they will use to rinse them off but we haven’t had to use it yet. the changing table is right across from the bathroom, so it wouldn’t be a problem. if you are out and about, you just put the dirty diaper in one of the cloth bags and put it in your diaper bag.
anyway, i would recommend getting several different styles from craigslist, ebay, friends, etc. so you can figure out which ones work best for you and the baby. the ones you have pictured are fancy, but they take at least 2 days to dry. the prefolds, with the inserts held by a clip and then covered, are the best for keeping everything contained. i would recommend having more diapers on hand than you’ll think you’ll need and to not buy a whole fleet of one kind in case that style doesn’t work out for you.
honestly, at 22 i never thought i’d know so much about diapers but i can say that i will never use anything else on my future kids! cheaper, more environmentally friendly, don’t expose your kid to BPA and plastic toxins, don’t sit in a landfill for 100 years, and make it easier to potty train later on.
Gina,
Sherry at Young House Love wrote a few awesome posts that really convinced me cloth diapering is what I want to do (I’m due in Feb). It’s better for the baby and the environment, and I think even with extra laundry, cheaper in the long run. I’m planning to wash the diapers separately from clothing (i’ve also read you should always wash the baby’s clothing separately from your own as hair can become tangled with their clothes and cause a choking hazard? not sure how true that one is). I think once you have your kid, even if you do disposables, you are around poop so much that you become much less sensitive to it. Plus in the beginning (before solid food), it’s supposed to be much less stinky and gross. I agree with disposables for travel 🙂
I skipped the cloth because I just couldn’t deal with it. I don’t do laundry everyday and didn’t when my son was an infant. I went with the Huggies made with organic cotton. I am completely grossed out by my son’s accidents in his underwear now that we are potty training and those aren’t messes of a breast fed baby… uck!
You have to do whats best for you but since you asked for opinions– no matter how ‘easy’ cloth diapers are, I cannot imagine being home with a 2 day old and having to think about laundry on top of learning how to breastfeed, sleep deprivation, healing from delivery, and all the other first time momma worries. My son is six months old now. The first month or so we were changing him every 2 hours. That have obviously declined over time, but that’s a lot of laundry every day.
I cloth diapered with the Bum Genius. It really was fine. We had a kitchen trash container with a lid, and inside we had water-proof cloth diaper bags that had elastic around the top, just like a regular trash bag. Then, we would shake out any solids, and put the diaper in the hamper. When it was full or we were running low, once a day or every two days, we would wash the diapers in the laundry. I bought 24 diapers and that gave us a sufficient amount of time. Worst case scenario, we would put a disposable on him till the diapers were done. We totally cheated and dried the diapers in the dryer, but it was fine. Out and about, I just put the soiled diaper in a similar waterproof cloth bag that had a top that zipped shut and put it in the hamper when I got home. I actually preferred it, because I wasn’t putting a filthy diaper in my friends’ trash. Stinky stuff.
I planned to do it, bought the cloth and stuck with it for about 3 months. It was totally gross, and I hated having to do laundry every day or else have to wash them about 3 times to really get the smell out. If they aren’t washed correctly, even if they smell clean they can still have bacteria. Then they’ll really smell when they’re wet. I decided the most eco-friendly thing to do while staying sane was to use the disposables, and potty train very early. My first was totally potty trained by 2 years, and night trained by 2.5. My second is almost all the way trained at 18 months. They can do it. It is work, but most kids don’t train until 3, so that’s a whole year without changing diapers.
my SIL used cloth but used a DIAPER SERVICE. it was genius: they supplied the diapers, covers, *holding bin* and once a week picked up the old and dropped off new. we didn’t need to clean the diapers at all.
this service is available in toronto, but maybe something is available that is similar?
even though i’m a firm believer in cloth, i, too, would NOT want to clean and sanitize diapers. and they go through so many!
Andrea at Care to Eat wrote a good cloth diaper post a while back…
http://caretoeat.net/cloth-diaper-update-1/
I am a new mama to my sweet girl, Lucy, who is almost 4 months. We have been using cloth diapers since about three weeks after she was born. I can honestly say I absolutely love them. We use Fuzzibunz one-size diapers. They are a cloth diaper with insert, and you adjust them as the baby grows. We also use disposable rice paper liners (ordered from Amazon.com, brand ImseVimse) inside the diaper, which get flushed every time baby poops. This helps keep the diaper significantly less poopy, if you know what I mean. If she only pees in it, then it stays in the diaper and gets washed with the diapers, and is reused.
As for dirty diapers they all go into a waterproof bag, and get washed when we start to get low. The bag gets tossed in the wash with the diapers. I usually clean them every day and a half or so. We have about 25 diapers. When we are out I have smaller waterproof bags that I throw the diaper into. I can honestly say, when it is zipped I have never smelled a thing. I really think the disposable liners help a lot, since there is not as much poop sitting around.
When you wash the diapers, like another commenter mentioned, you do an extra rinse cycle before and after. I suggest for washing you get Charlie’s soap to do your diapers. Most store bough detergents have chemicals that coat the diaper, making it less absorbent.
As for taking more time to clean an extra load, I don’t mind it. The only thing that takes any time is stuffing the diapers with the pocket insert after they are cleaned. I usually pull up the basket of diapers and do it as I am watching TV with my feet up at the end of the day.
We also use reusable wipes with a homemade wipe solution. We have some cut up flannel that we use, then throw in with the dirty diapers. I have seen some people cut up a receiving blanket for this, it really is the perfect texture.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to e-mail me. I have only a few months experience of this, but am a huge fan of the cloth diaper. The few times that we have used disposables (we have some as backup in case I don’t get laundry done in time!) I am always relieved to go back to the cloth. The smell of the dirty disposable is far stronger, as well as being much more harsh on the baby’s skin.
I wanted to CD, but hubby was highly against it. So Seventh Generation it is! If you have an extra washer and hook up, I say go for it. What really made my husband lose it was the little hose hook up to the toilet. 😉
I know people already mentioned Young House Love, but here are links to 4 posts that talk about their experience with cloth diapers:
http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/08/the-much-requested-cloth-diaper-post/
http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/09/save-it-the-baby-edition/
http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/05/easy-upgrade-super-toilet/
http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/05/dog-days-cloth-dipes/
and links to 2 posts from Bower Power talking about it (and a few other things):
http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2011/04/doodie-duty/
http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/2010/06/post-pregnancy-must-haves/
I don’t even have kids, but I starred these posts because (I think) they are informative and may help me in the future!
We are going to cloth diap in Dec when baby arrives. I can’t stand the thought of putting the chemicals on my baby’s bottom! I mean, what makes pee turn into gel? And how is that safe? There are tons of resources and info out there! There are even local stores that can help you out, I went to a class at our local store and that is what helped me the most!
Water and energy – the disposable diaper factories use WAY more water and energy to make disposables than you would ever use at home. From what I hear, most people see little to no change on their bills. Most people also do a load every other day and the AZ sun is great for drying!
As far as a dirty washer, EBF or EFF babies poops are water soluable, so everything washes away.
Wetbags are the CD mama’s saviour, they keep in the smells, come in all sizes and cute patterns.
Some companies also make CD’s with disp liners (some even flushable), like Grovia. A lot of CD mama’s use those when travelling distance but most CD mama’s just use their normal diapers and a wetbag when they are going out and about around town.
I have bought the 1st 3-4 months of prefolds and covers on craigslist for $65, imagine what that would’ve cost in disposables! Then we will need to size up, so my craigslist hunt is on for the 2nd 1/2, but that is all I will need. I am also buying a variety, All In Ones, Pockets and Fitteds, and then will resell what I don’t like and buy what I do like after I have some experience. All of them fit differently, so you don’t want to invest in one brand (like jeans that fit your bottom may not fit mine).
OMG and Cloth Diapers are SOOOOO cute! Have you seen all the patterns??? And the custom diapers you can have made on etsy!
I use TheBump.com Cloth Diapering board for a lot of info.
Here are some other useful links, but honestly, if you know a CD mom or have a store in the area, the class really clarified everything for me!
http://jilliansdrawers.com/ – they offer a trial pack, so if you don’t want to fully commit, it is only $10 for 30 days and then you can decide what you like and don’t like.
http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/08/the-much-requested-cloth-diaper-post/
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?authkey=CL-Sw-kE&pli=1&key=0AjWZwjykgONndEtZOXNkaHVXUzRGWEdoLVlQQmFMMGc&hl=en&authkey=CL-Sw-kE#gid=37
Good luck with what you choose!
Long time reader, first time poster…
We use cloth diapers with our daughter (now 13 months) and we LOVE it. You really get into a groove with it and it is not anywhere near as much of a hassle as it might seem. We gave ourselves a pass at the beginning but ended up using the cloth right away. We used prefolds and covers at first (Thirsties covers…amazing, the double leg gusset means NO BLOWOUTS. Holla). Once she got too wiggly for the two-part system we switched to the Thirsties pocket diapers (which we stuff with an extra hemp doubler for naptime). The best thing about the pocket diapers is you can throw the whole shebang in the washer (you only have to spray off poop once they start eating things other than breastmilk) and the insert works its own way out. The Thirsties come in two sizes so they fit a long range of ages and weight. The snaps adjust as you go.
As for storage we just have a wet bag (two actually, one for when the other is in the washer) inside a metal garbage can with a pop-top lid. We keep it right by the toilet. That way we can just spray the diaper off (a diaper sprayer is a genius thing to have, a definite MUST) and plop it in. Then every other day we throw the whole thing in the washer. We do one cold cycle with no detergent, then one heavy duty cycle with a 2nd rinse on hot with detergent (we use Planet detergent and love it). We don’t live where it’s sunny but since you live in Arizona you will have the good fortune of being able to dry in the sun. Bleaching stains and all the jazz naturally.
When you go out just bring a travel wetbag (or a ziplock) and you put the wet one in that and take cake of it when you get home. Easy!
That was long, but what I’m saying it….DO IT! We use disposables (7gen or tushies) when we travel and I can say from personal experience that we love our cloth way more and have waaaaaaaay less blowouts. Plus. They look super cute…bonus!
Hope this helped!
-Kate
I think they would be a good option in the beginning.. however later when they start eating solid foods just do disposable… My twins have had disposable since the beginning (could you imagine washing pinning etc. for double…) I hate laundry as it is.. Ha! Anyway, I have never had any diaper rash issues or anything. bad for the environment.. maybe but I do my part in other aspects. poop is just not one I like to deal with. There are environment friendly disposable diapers diapers out there, but they are kind of expensive. You go through about 7 or more a day per babe.. and Blowouts are not the funnest.. Well worth the dollar;) But with whatever choice you make I’m with ya, every mom to their own;)
Actually you dont need pins. I use prefolds and just lay it in the cover and snap it up. Never had an issue at all!
A friend of mine did this, to come to realize that maybe they aren’t better for the environment because of all the extra laundry you have to do… I have no idea when we have babies I’ll be trying to figure out the best solution too because I originally liked the idea of cloth too – but it’s a lot more work… she showed me the whole process and it took awhile!! Awwh decisions!
every diaper your child uses will stay in the land fill for far longer than the child is alive. multiply that by several diapers per day, times millions of kids. the water used by a few more loads of laundry do not come close to that.
You can also try using a diaper sprayer, I know alot of woman use a large pail and have soapy water and put them in there to soak before putting in the wash! Also the disposable ones will make your garbage smell, we only get pick up once a week in mass so not sure if its the same there. I plan on using cloth I have crohn’s so used to the grossness of poo lol!
http://www.diapers.com/p/bumGenius-Diaper-Sprayer-6098
Both my younger siblings wore cloth diapers and I saw firsthand how they’re not so bad. 🙂
Kind of related note: how do you feel about the environmental impact the Keurig coffee machine you want will have? I like the convenience, but I’m not sure that the waste/shipping on all those little plastic packages is worth it.
You can buy a reusable pod to fill with your own coffee or tea, so I’d probably do it that way. I don’t like all the plastic containers either
I originally wanted a Keurig for this reason alone but after doing a lot of research I found mixed reviews but mostly that when using the reusuable pod you received quite a bit of leakage going on and thus not really functionable. Google it and take that into consideration for if/when you decide (or do not) to go that route. 😉
I’m not a mom, or anywhere close to being one, but I must say that I dont blame you for being creeped out about the cloth diapers. Gah!
I have cloth diapered both of my kids from day one. The only time they were is disposables was when we were on vacation. Before you decide to skip the cloth, you should check out a wet bag for when you are out and about: http://www.thestorkwearhouse.com/Bummis-Waterproof-Tote-Bag-p/bum-tote.htm . We had a large one for our diaper pail and a small one that went with us wherever we went. Another option for going out is to just do cloth at home. You will still save money. As for poop in the washer, check out a diaper sprayer: http://www.amazon.com/Generic-Cloth-Diaper-Sprayer-white/dp/B002BS1NPK (you can find them cheaper than this price). It connects to your toilet so that you can spray off the poop into the toilet before you put it in the pail. So there is really never any poop that goes into the wash. Especially if you breastfeed, the poop washes right out of the diapers with the sprayer. With a newborn, you can expect a ton of diaper changes a day, so your dipes aren’t going to be sitting around for long. In our case, my DH was on board from day one and I was the hesitant one. But after thinking about how the disposable diapers my kids would wear would still be in a landfill by the time their kids were babies, that was enough to convince me to at least try cloth. I highly recommend Motherease cloth diapers: http://www.mother-ease.com/ . While they are not the most stylish, they are a great price and are workhorses, especially if you plan on having more than one baby. I can count on one hand the number of times these leaked. They are awesome!
You have expressed so many of my own worries about cloth diapering!
Despite all of those worries, and working full-time as a high school teacher, I think I’m still going to go ahead with cloth. Here’s what convinced me:
-The Young House Love CD post: http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/08/the-much-requested-cloth-diaper-post/
-Information from The Bump CD Board: http://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/9544760/ShowForum.aspx (there’s an “FAQ” posting in the upper right hand corner of the board header that is super helpful!)
I may do a diaper trial from Jillian’s Drawers, but I’m leaning toward the BumGenius 4.0 All-in-Ones. My only hangup so far: making sure my day care provider will use cloth diapers! If not, I may go with a hybrid solution of cloth diapering at home, using all-natural disposables during the daycare days.
Hope you find what works for you!
The following idea may not be for you AT ALL but I thought of it when I read your post. There is something called “Elimination Communication,” where the mother basically becomes attuned to the child’s toilet urges, much like she might recognize a baby’s hunger cues. Most of the children in the world seem to be raised without any diapers whatsoever, in fact.
I found this article really interesting:
http://mothering.com/green-living/mothering-mindfulness-and-babys-bottom
An excerpt:
“Just as our babies know their own bodies, and their needs for food and breast, they also know the bodily sensations that go with the need to pee and poop, and they can, and usually do, communicate these needs. They tell us through body language, noises (from the bottom end as well as the top), fussiness, and also by the subtler, psychic communications that result from the intimate sharing of body space between mother and baby.”
There are also “elimination communication” forums on the same site:
http://www.mothering.com/community/f/227/elimination-communication
Good luck with whatever you choose!
Mellissa, I was just about to send her the same direction!! We EC and I couldn’t love it more, especially now as we do solids and the poops are getting, well, poopy. Into the toilet they go and everyone is more sanitary. The book diaper free baby is good, I am liking the look of EC Simplified, but haven’t read it yet. Also, look into the continuum concept. Really interesting stuff, and kinda up the same alley.
I use cloth for back up and it’s not hard! And you can sell used/unwanted diapers. Check out fluff swappers on Facebook.
We EC too and love it! My son is 14 months and i’d say 50% potty trained. Definitely read about it!
I would really like to use cloth diapers but I’m having a hard time convincing my husband. He says he’d rather get a second job to pay for diapers than deal with poop! I’ve seen to really good sources of information in the blog world. The first is a great Youtube post by Mama Natural http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujJ0s-6-xro and another was one from Young House Love http://www.younghouselove.com/2010/08/the-much-requested-cloth-diaper-post/ Hope these help!
We plan to cloth diaper our LO! We have months still to plan, but we have agreed from day 1 about it. My cousin cloth diapers after her son was always having allergic reactions. She uses Fuzzibunz and loves them because the side elastic adjusts for sizing. Can’t wait to read your posts in the future about diapers!
I thought about cloth diapering but my hubby nixed the idea immediately. He has never changed a diaper and is extremely grossed out about the idea (bad gag reflex). He said if I wanted help with the changes we better use disposables! Maybe with kid #2 though…I am due in October so we will see! To be honest, the idea of adding that much laundry to my to-do list during the first few months of my daughter’s life kind of freaks me out. Statistically babies go through 10-12 diapers a day when they are newborns…that’s A LOT of diapers!
Something I wonder about and haven’t been able to research is how would the extra water use affect the environment too? It just seems like so much extra laundry…
Good luck 🙂
My husband said the same, that he would have his own stash of disposables. Not even a few months in, and he’s a huge advocate of prefolds and covers—the “hardest” method. Things can change!! And the water is roughly the equilivant of having another potty trained person in your house, which you will eventually any ways!
Woo boy, I am a nanny for two 2 year old boys…and let me tell you, I don’t think I would have enjoyed these types of diapers. The amount of diarrhea just this past week would not have worked with those. That may be a TMI, but these disposable diapers probably would have made my job a lot harder!
I do not have children of my own nor do I plan on one for 2 years or so, but I myself am planning on using cloth diapers. The environmental impact is not the only benefit. Most disposable diapers (commercial ones at least) are full of harmful chemicals that you probably don’t want the she-nugget’s lady bits to be exposed to. I’m sure there are better organic options out there? This is a big decision! Good luck.