I have a bunch of posts in the "draft" form, but can't ever get the time or energy to finish one!
So I thought....I think I will start with a brand new topic!
Cloth diapering!
So this is my first go round on using cloth diapers and it has been a success for our family.
I have been a member of an online Mom's group since Addison was born. I have learned so much from these ladies and it has definitely made me aware of lots of other things that I might never have even considered. Many of my online friends are already cloth diapering and making it look very easy.
My goals were first to eliminate the amount of diapers that we would be throwing into the landfill. Second, I wanted to try to save a little cash since disposable diapers themselves are pretty expensive.
I started with some serious research to convince myself and my husband that this was worth the endeavor! I have a very skeptical husband. He is pretty old school and when I started bringing this up to his a year ago he said no way. Especially when I told him the initial cost. (I think he about croaked!) The ONLY way I know to make him listen is to mention saving $$$ in the long run. That he hears!!!
So I thought....I think I will start with a brand new topic!
Cloth diapering!
So this is my first go round on using cloth diapers and it has been a success for our family.
I have been a member of an online Mom's group since Addison was born. I have learned so much from these ladies and it has definitely made me aware of lots of other things that I might never have even considered. Many of my online friends are already cloth diapering and making it look very easy.
My goals were first to eliminate the amount of diapers that we would be throwing into the landfill. Second, I wanted to try to save a little cash since disposable diapers themselves are pretty expensive.
I started with some serious research to convince myself and my husband that this was worth the endeavor! I have a very skeptical husband. He is pretty old school and when I started bringing this up to his a year ago he said no way. Especially when I told him the initial cost. (I think he about croaked!) The ONLY way I know to make him listen is to mention saving $$$ in the long run. That he hears!!!
I first looked into the different types of cloth diapers and the expenses behind all of them. There are a few basic differences in the type of cloth diaper available: prefolds, flatfolds, contour, fitted, pocket and All-in-ones.
The prefolds and flatfolds are the original cloth diaper where the diaper is made up of absorbent material that you have to fold around the baby and pin either with diaper pins or Snappies (a plastic accessory to hold the diaper closed).
The contour diaper is essentially the same except for it is already shaped like the baby. This option is still very available and the cheapest option. However you will need to purchase the diaper, a cover (to keep the diaper from leaking everywhere) and either pins or Snappies to keep them closed. This is an option for some, but not for me. I just didn't want to invest in all of those things. (I am also looking for a simple to use option for the husband who doesn't want any part of this!)
Fitted diapers are diapers that are already sewn to fit snugly around a baby in various sizes and are made with their own closures. These diapers also need covers. They are supposed to be the best for minimizing blow-outs because they have the best "fit" of all the diapers. I looked closely into this option as well. I found though that I was going to be spending much more on the diaper and the covers. They were more expensive than the prefolds.
Pocket diapers are diapers that are have an waterproof outer cover and an inner liner that pulls moisture away or wicks moisture from the baby. This inner liner is removable to help wash and dry the diapers quicker. They are made with elastic around the legs and back and have snaps or Velcro to close them. There are some pocket diapers that are made in different sizes so you can change them as the baby grows. There are also "One Size" pockets diapers that can be adjusted as the baby grows. This is an expensive option, but if we used these diapers for 18 months would still be saving us more $$ than using disposables. I also knew that this might be the only option that my husband would even think of trying!!
All-in-one diapers are made with the same outer waterproof cover and an absorbent inner layer. However there is nothing to take apart. They are literally "all-in-one". The downfalls with these diapers are they are expensive and they take a lot longer to dry.
Second there were also other expenses to consider. The diapers have to be washed with certain soaps so they continue to absorb as they should. There are also dry pail liners, a dry pail, wet bag to carry in your diaper bag, oil to help with smell for the dry pail, etc. It can can get expensive so it is important to know exactly what you want to do before you dive in head first!!
There is a fantastic store in Des Moines called Little Padded Seats where I have purchased all my diapers. They also provide classes to help you learn about the diapers and make an educated decision.
Next we purchased 7 pocket diapers (they were buy six and get one free) and the other accessories we would need. That was enough for one day of diapers. We decided to wait until Lauren was about a week old and her poop was a little more "normal" and then dove in! We alternated cloth with disposables for a few weeks. Then we just continued to add to the stash. We have anywhere from 16 to 20 diapers to use and that will get us through two plus days before we need to wash them. Here is a picture below of Lauren wearing one diaper plus our entire stash. (We went with plain colors with hopes we can use them again for a boy or a girl. There are many, many super cute patterns out there though to choose from!)
This is just my personal experience with cloth diapering, but even my husband will admit that it has been great for our family and very easy to do. He swore off changing, washing, drying and folding them, but now he does them all and admits it is pretty easy. There is a lot more to cloth diapering and I could go into more, but I am hoping this is just enough information to pass on to help others start thinking about cloth diapering in the future!!
Pocket diapers are diapers that are have an waterproof outer cover and an inner liner that pulls moisture away or wicks moisture from the baby. This inner liner is removable to help wash and dry the diapers quicker. They are made with elastic around the legs and back and have snaps or Velcro to close them. There are some pocket diapers that are made in different sizes so you can change them as the baby grows. There are also "One Size" pockets diapers that can be adjusted as the baby grows. This is an expensive option, but if we used these diapers for 18 months would still be saving us more $$ than using disposables. I also knew that this might be the only option that my husband would even think of trying!!
All-in-one diapers are made with the same outer waterproof cover and an absorbent inner layer. However there is nothing to take apart. They are literally "all-in-one". The downfalls with these diapers are they are expensive and they take a lot longer to dry.
Second there were also other expenses to consider. The diapers have to be washed with certain soaps so they continue to absorb as they should. There are also dry pail liners, a dry pail, wet bag to carry in your diaper bag, oil to help with smell for the dry pail, etc. It can can get expensive so it is important to know exactly what you want to do before you dive in head first!!
There is a fantastic store in Des Moines called Little Padded Seats where I have purchased all my diapers. They also provide classes to help you learn about the diapers and make an educated decision.
Next we purchased 7 pocket diapers (they were buy six and get one free) and the other accessories we would need. That was enough for one day of diapers. We decided to wait until Lauren was about a week old and her poop was a little more "normal" and then dove in! We alternated cloth with disposables for a few weeks. Then we just continued to add to the stash. We have anywhere from 16 to 20 diapers to use and that will get us through two plus days before we need to wash them. Here is a picture below of Lauren wearing one diaper plus our entire stash. (We went with plain colors with hopes we can use them again for a boy or a girl. There are many, many super cute patterns out there though to choose from!)
This is just my personal experience with cloth diapering, but even my husband will admit that it has been great for our family and very easy to do. He swore off changing, washing, drying and folding them, but now he does them all and admits it is pretty easy. There is a lot more to cloth diapering and I could go into more, but I am hoping this is just enough information to pass on to help others start thinking about cloth diapering in the future!!
1 comment:
Evie we love our cloth diapers too! We have used them since Quint was a few weeks old. We have the one-size pocket diapers and have been using the same ones for over two years now.
Way to "go green!"
Jen
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