Jas and I had very big intentions of only clothing diapering before Elise was born. We were all about it. Well, Elise was born and reality set in. The sleepless nights, the many loads of laundry already, etc...it all just piled up (literally) to us foregoing the cloth diapering that we had set our hopes on.
Then came Mr. Major Rash (poor baby). Still not quite sure of the culprit (squash? new diapers?...ironic) but we were faced with trying to rid our girl of the rash. Cloth diapers were softer on the tush, so we gave them a whirl.
That being said, here's my opinion on the whole cloth diapering shabang...
(based on our experience with BumGenius cloth diapers)
Pros:
* obviously, they're economical and far better for the environment...love that aspect.
* soft on the tushy (good material)
* a lot less expensive!
* can grow with the baby (due to the clever snaps)
* cute colors
Cons:
* non-absorbent (I realize maybe the whole point is just to change the diaper more often and keep them dry/clean, but hey, they're still not very absorbent)
* require more loads of laundry and cleaning
* not as easily portable as disposables (and you have to roll up the cotton pad when you're out to save and bring home to wash...which means STINKIN' up the diaper bag! We do have a cool lil bag for them....but still.)
Our consensus:
* I think starting now we'll be doing a mixture of both. When we're at home and don't have big plans of being out and about, the cloth diapers seem ideal. However, when we're out, disposables may be the way to go due to their convenience. Makes some sense, right?
That's our experience so far...we'll see how this combo method goes! Dealing with what ends up in a diaper is not for the light-hearted, so these things are important, ya know? ;)
And because this post wouldn't be complete without some pics of a little cloth diaper-toting tot, here ya go...
Fairly sure every cloth diaperer I know does it different and I only know like one who CD's 100% of the time. Who can???
ReplyDeleteWe've cloth diapered with all of ours. We start after the first 6 weeks or so due to the newborn "fog" you tend to be in. :) And because Isaac got blisters (BLISTERS!) if we used them at night, we've always done 'sposies overnight. So we buy a pack of diapers about once a month, and more if we're traveling as I only bring cloth if we're going to swim. :)
As for the non-absorbency...what kind of detergent are you using? I've never had a problem with them not absorbing just like disposables. And have heard detergents are usually the culprit? However, Elise may be like Isaiah and be a "heavy wetter" in that case it seemed like he could pee through anything!!!
As for "storing" a CD when you're out...don'tcha just love discovering one a couple days after? Niiiiiiice.
All in all for something they'll just pee and poop on, I say spend as less as you can! Otherwise you might as well be strapping paper money to their bums! :)
Yay for cute pics. I love how CD can make an outfit cute and can make an outfit thats sliiiightly too big, fit just nice because of the extra padding ;)
Keep at it Mama! The early years of parenting are mostly an exercise in dealing with bodily fluids anyway...might as well save a buck along the way!
Oh my word.....I am in love with her sweet face! IN LOVE! She is so pretty! Those eyes....oh. my. word! Oh....yeah and your diaper plan sounds good too. (((((HUGS))))))
ReplyDeleteGood to hear your thoughts on them! We've bought a few different brands to give a shot, so I'll let you know what we think. Sharon makes a great point about the detergent -- that was a big thing they taught us at the class we attended (yes, we went to a cloth diapering class at a local baby store. dorks!). We purchased Charlie's Soap to wash them in, and another very popular brand for CD is called Rockin Green. They told us if they ever start becoming less absorbent that 99% of the time its due to soap buildup. I have some handy instructions if you ever need more details! Also wondering, do you take the cloth pad out when you change the diapers? Most people I know or have read about leave the absorbency pad inside and just use a whole new diaper each time. Also leave them in for washing and they all come out on their own in the washing machine. PS - don't forget the sun is the best bleach! If there are any stains, set them in direct sunlight to bleach and dry (not the machine, it will set the stain).
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