I’ve been getting a few questions inquiring about how our cloth diapering is going. Based on the advice of several cloth diapering mamas and my own research, we’ve decided to wait until Aliyah is 2 months old to transitions to cloth diapers. We are currently going back and forth between Pampers Swaddlers disposables and Huggies - and while I am really looking forward to making the change, I am happy with our decision to go this route for three reasons.1. The pampers have a strip that turns blue when she is wet - as we learn her potty habits, having this little sensor has been helpful. However, with the controversy over the Pampers dry max we have also been using Huggies.
2. The cloth diapers I have are just a little too big for her.
3. Waiting a couple months will give her system time to regulate and time for us to adjust to her diapering needs - we would be going through SO many cloth diapers right now, trying to get used to caring for a newborn, adjusting to using cloth diapers, and handling the insane amount of laundry just seemed like too much in the beginning.
With that said, I wanted to walk through what our cloth diapering strategy will be once we switch. There are so many different types of cloth diapers available, and we really wanted to try a few different kinds, but we ended up with Gdiapers because they were the most affordable and practical for the needs of our family.
Gdiapers - These are awesome “hybrid” diapers as they feature a biodegradable insert that can be flushed or thrown away (and decomposes in 100 days). These are great when you’re out and about and don’t want to worry with carrying home soiled cloth diapers or an easier solution for those who are babysitting, grandparents, etc. In addition to the bio inserts, you can also use prefold cloth diapers as an insert to save on the cost when you are close to home. The outside cover of a gdiaper can be reused over several diaper changes.
So why go through all the trouble of cloth diapers when disposables seem so easy?
Well, for one - the cost savings with cloth diapers is HUGE. Disposable diapers cost $1200- $3000 more for the same amount of use vs. cloth - and if you reuse cloth diapers for a second child, the savings increases even more. That’s a pretty significant savings for us.
Secondly - the environmental impacts of disposable diapers is staggering. A single disposable diaper takes 300-500 years to decompose in a landfill. When you think about just how many disposable diapers are being put into our landfills, it’s the least we can do to try and reduce our family’s impact.
And two other factors that pushed us towards using cloth - cloth diapered babies on average are potty trained almost a year earlier than babies who use disposables and have significantly less diaper rash.
Add that all up, and cloth diapers seemed like a no brainer for us. Once we begin using them, I plan to post on how we care and clean them and hopefully tell you that these diapers work great! And again if any of you out there are using cloth, I’d love to hear your suggestions and tips too!
I only have 2 things to add, as we don't CD.
ReplyDelete1) I'm interested to know who came up with the 3K number for sposies. That number is seriously laughable. We buy Huggies, and based on our current diapering needs, I did a quick estimate, and its a bit under $1K for a year. We do buy the biggest cases (cheaper per dipe) and buy them at the cheapest place out there (Diapers.com), so that saves a few cents per dipe, but we buy the "expensive" Huggies type. I seriously can't fathom what people would be buying that would triple their diaper cost per year for one baby. Anyway. That wasn't meant to be snarky or argumentative, I'm just saying. :)
2) I have a theory on at least part of the diaper rash thing. I am CONVINCED a ton of babies are allergic to baby wipes (even the "sensitive/hypoallergenic/fragrance free/alcohol free/dr. recommended" kind, and that even doctors don't know whats causing it. You may have heard this story, but Oliver spent 3-5 weeks, I don't remember now for sure, with the most horrific looking bum you could possibly imagine. It was covered in yeast infections and chemical burns. Yes, actual chemical burns. (It was awful.) We went to the pediatrician 3 x and got something like 4-6 RX powders/creams, and tried OTC and homeopathic treatments of all sorts, and NOTHING got rid of it...until we ditched the "sensitive" wipes COMPLETELY and started using plain water on washrags. He was like a new child after that. This is now one of my "mommy radar" things I pretty much shout from the rooftops if I hear of a kid having a diaper rash. So far, the couple people I've told this to and still have regular contact with, tried the switch and it worked, too. Kids are often times allergic to ingredients in diaper creams, too. I still recommend California Baby products. They're great.
We may or may not be up for CDing our next child, while he or she is EBF, that is. I am SO not down with the thought of dealing with poo that is anything other than 100% breastmilk poo. hee hee.
ReplyDeleteI think you're smart for waiting a bit to let life settle without adding poopy diaper laundry on top of it. :)
We have been using BumGenius 3.0 since about 2 months, and love it. My favorite part is putting on a soft, clean cloth diaper on my baby's butt. I mean, it's GOT to feel good, right? We are venturing into the world of solids and solid poops, but so far still good :) We used disposables when we were home and he would 'blowout' every time he pooped- needing a complete outfit change. It's much easier to clean poo out of diapers than clothes! Keep us updated!
ReplyDeleteOOPS!! I wrote it wrong and will go fix that right now - I meant to say how much you can save with cloth vs sposies. Thanks Dena!!! "disposable diapers cost you $1200- $3000 more for the same amount of use vs. cloth - and if you reuse cloth diapers for a second child, the savings increases even more." (found info on the fuzzibunz website - a cloth diaper site, so maybe a little bias anyway)
ReplyDeleteGREAT tip about the wipes!! Poor Oliver - that sounds like such an awful experience! I will definitely share that with anyone I know that is struggling with diaper rash!
KATHERINE - we are having the same issue with blowouts... yuck!! hopefully cloth will help :) A few of my friends are using bumgenius and love it too!!
We have been using Bum Genius for almost 2 years now and love them. Honestly as they go to solids it is actually easier to change (most of them just plop right in :) ). We also make our own wipes and that saves money as well. I have to say that I love the fact that we spend $300 right off the bat and that is all we spend on diapers! Plus once we have more kids we can reuse them. At times they are a little grosser, but well worth it for my little ones' tush to be comfy (and he never has diaper rash).
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