Yep! I'm officially crazy! :) I really miss it. I started cloth when Andrew was 9 months old (see pic above -- this was Andrew's debut in cloth) and continued for 7 months. I only quit because I was sick of coming home from work to three (on average) poopy diapers that DH wouldn't even flip the poo into the toilet from. Also, DH had unhooked the hot water from our washer as a "green-saving" feature and I think that wasn't helping as far as stink problems (I tried stripping my diapers and using more and less detergent -- basically everything that is suggested; needless to say, even people who wash in hot water get stink issues).
I sold my entire stash of BumGenius 3.0 one size diapers (24) and was happy to get half of what I paid for them.
A few weeks ago, I started thinking about cloth again -- I have a lot of friends who do it -- and I figured hey, why not? I'll start cloth when Baby E is big enough to fit into them (generally speaking, around 8 lbs. -- I'll use Pampers Swaddlers for the early days because those were the only NB diapers I liked for Andrew -- the others all leaked).
Anyway, this time I am going with a one-size snap diaper, because I wasn't a huge fan of the Velcro (correct term is "applix" since velcro is a brand name, but WTH -- I don't care -- it's Velcro). Even if I always made sure the Velcro was on the laundry tabs when I threw them in the dryer, I would still get diaper chains. I should mention that from June through October, I hung my stash on the line every time because that's what I prefer, but in the winter, it's an impossible feat in Wisconsin.
So, this time I ordered 24 of the Knickernappies because I asked around and figured out what would work for skinnier babies (skinny thighs and little butts, like Andrew's -- I am betting Baby E will also be that way, considering that's how I was as a baby/toddler). They are such CUTE diapers! Here's my friend's store: Cotton Tails If you scroll down, you will see all the colors. She has 10% off the Knickernappies (only through Friday this week, if you are interested) and I also got another 10% off because it was my first order and I am a member of a certain mommy board. I am a fan of the one-size diapers because they grow with the baby (8 - 40 lbs.) and will go from newborn to potty training. If you multiply out the cost of disposables and compare it to cloth, cloth is a better deal. And they're so cute! I ordered 6 different colors -- 4 of each in the chocolate, butter, raspberry, spring green, turquoise, and violet. So, my total cost is $388.58. Of course, there is the cost of laundering the diapers, but because I have a high efficiency washer, it is honestly pennies per load. Pretty awesome.
DH is going to help out a lot more this time with the diapers (all he needs to do is flick the poo in the toilet -- I will rinse the diapers when I get home from work), and he will also re-hook up the hot water (if I remember correctly, the process is cold pre-rinse, hot wash, followed by a 2nd cold rinse).
Now the fun part begins: waiting for my fluffy mail!
9 comments:
we got back into cloth a couple weeks ago after an extended vacation from it. Much nicer on the pocket book! I really do like it.
Adding baking soda to our first rinse has helped with the stink. I also prefer Charlies Soap for detergent too.
I LOVED prefolds, snappis, and covers for when Keegan was a itty bitty. Mostly because they're so inexpensive and you know how many you go through a day with a newborn. Also because they're easy to 'customize' the fit with.
Hooray for cloth!!!
Cloth rocks! Good for you!
I am so scared to make that leap into cloth, can I do both? Would it be worth it?
DS just poops so much still (especially on antibiotics). We probably go through 12 or more diapers in a 24 hour period. That being the case, how many would I order? Do I use the same cover all day long as long as it stays dry and clean? or do I change everything?
I guess it's just overwhelming when you don't knwo what your doing. Any advise would be great.
Way super cute diapers though!
Oh and how often would I do laundary, daily? (I hope that's what is recommended - unless there is a better way)
Birdee: From everything I have read, a minimum of 24 diapers is recommended. That's how many I had last time and that's how many I'm going with this time. Most people do diaper laundry every 2-3 days; I did it every 3 and was just fine -- I would do it when I was down to 3-4 diapers so that way he'd have something to wear while I did wash and hung it out on the line, etc. If your little guy is going through 12 diapers a day, I'd do laundry every other day. You could get maybe 30 diapers instead of 24 . . . but honestly, he's getting closer to an age where he'll start needing less diapers in a day.
There are SO many options out there. I choose to go with pocket diapers -- basically you stuff the insert in each diaper (I do it ahead of time, after my laundry is all done) and when it gets peed/pooped on, you put on a new diaper. The kind you are talking about would be fitted diapers/prefolds + covers. I didn't go that route, simply because it's an extra step. You put the prefold on and then a cover over it -- I don't think DH would like to do all those steps, then put pants on the baby or whatever (he likes to do things quickly and wouldn't even take the time to snap onesies, if you get my drift).
With cloth, you can jump in anytime! I started at 9 months last time -- many mothers don't learn about cloth until their babies are a few months old. Baby B is still young enough where you would reap the savings (even with the cost of energy for doing laundry, you still win in the end, especially if you're going to use the diapers over for another baby or if you're going to sell the diapers when you're done).
I'll provide you with some links so you can do your own research as to what kind of diaper you would like to try. Many moms have a combination of different types (most of my friends who cloth diaper do). I choose to stick to the same because I am anal and like them all to match (I like to sit in front of the t.v. stuffing my diapers and not have to pay attention to putting the right insert into the right diaper). Most cloth diaper retailers will allow you to try diapers and return them within 2 weeks if you don't like them. You can find many used diapers online as well -- just make sure that they are fully disclosing the condition of the diapers so you don't end up with something that has worn elastic or applix on it. The "easiest" diapers to use would be all-in-ones, but most people don't like them because they take longer to dry. Pockets are the closest thing to all-in-ones; you just have to stuff them (it's actually fun). There's quite a wide range of prices -- "upper end" diapers like Minkies, Applebottoms, Blueberries, or anything organic are going to cost you more. You want to read reviews to see what other moms like the best. More money doesn't always mean better (Happy Heinys are a brand that a lot of people like; however, they're a little bigger so they're not the best for someone like me who has skinny babies).
Now for the links (I apologize ahead of time if these don't hyperlink -- Blogger can be bad about that):
http://www.diaperjungle.com/cloth-diaper-guide.html
http://www.momadvice.com/parenting/cloth_diapers.aspx
http://clothdiapers.thefunnyemu.com/what.html
I love love love little fluffy butts! Andrew looked just darling in his cloth diaper. Good luck with it, and I hope it works well for you!
I had originally wanted to do cloth diapering but life got in the way and I sorta forgot all about it. Now you have me contemplating it again!
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