I started using cloth diapers at the end of last year - only because I realized that J2's eczema resulted directly from the Pampers we were using. I had gotten some Seventh Generation diapers on closeout ($5 per package - usually around $15 I think) and while using them his rash completely went away. It was truly a light bulb moment. Anyway, mom helped me with my initial stash and we were off and running. I decided to get some for J1 as well since I would be doing the laundry anyway and I had heard that cloth diapers made kids want to Potty Train earlier. Well, that didn't work for J1 as he likes wearing the "colored diapers" as he calls them. We are still working on that particular parenting landmine but that is another post.
It turns out I really like using cloth. It is nice not to be buying disposable diapers every week and stressing about coupons and finding sales. I like not putting the huge amount of disposables into landfills. It is mind boggling to think of how many diapers I was going through and then to multiply that by - well, by some huge, unfathomable number - which equals all other parents doing the same thing. It is sort of horrifying. I didn't really think of that before I started cloth so I am not judging, just explaining where I am now. I do still use disposables - when I am going to be gone all day, vacations, when other people are watching the kids - but it is just a small fraction of what I was using. And the washing doesn't bother me either. People make comments about the laundry being a deterrent to cloth but I don't really get that. Diapers do need to have a few extra cycles but all that requires is pushing buttons - it is still only one load. Although, if you didn't have your own washer & dryer, I wouldn't do it either - laundromat, ugh! And for me at least, folding clothes is an excuse to hide in my bedroom, watch some shows the mister doesn't like, and let him parent for awhile. Who doesn't want that??
My stash
My friend Mo is using cloth and started when LJ was born. I think that is impressive because I never even considered it when J1 was born. I'm not sure why though. I was doing other crunch-ish things - baby wearing, making his baby food, only breast feeding, that sort of thing. A couple of moms in my baby group were using cloth and the leader was an advocate as well but I just couldn't make the leap. Now I wish I had but, hindsight and all that. My sister even used cloth, I'm pretty sure just with her third. I *think* she mainly did because the had just moved to Unalaska (see her blog at right - she is one of my two followers lol) and they were majorly expensive there. I could be wrong about the reason but she will correct me if I am - she loves a chance to correct me on something. :)
For cloth, we use primarily pocket diapers. Mostly we have Fuzzi Bunz (http://www.fuzzibunz.com/) but not the one size or anything, just normal sized ones. I also have a few of the aforementioned Bum Genius (http://www.bumgenius.com/) 3.0 and 2.0. They both work great but I am not crazy about the Velcro. I much prefer snaps. I have a few other pockets thrown in just because they were a good deal or I wanted to try them out. I also got some overnight diapers for J1 because you really need something great for overnight. I ended up with some Very Baby Simply Nights made by Tallulah Baby (http://tallulahbaby.com/simply-nights-cloth-diapers/) and they are great! I struggled with this purchase because they were fairly expensive - around $30 each!! My break even point for J1 was about 6 months of not buying disposable overnight diapers and I just hit that mark this month. Plus I can use them for J2 when the time comes so it was a purchase that did pay off in the end. Thank God! My favorite WAHM (work at home mom) diapers are Chunky Monkey (http://hyenacart.com/chunkymonkeydiapers/) because they are so trim and she has super cute fabrics. Even though I don't *need* anymore diapers, I frequently check her site for clearance items or new cute fabrics. Here are some of my favorite CM ones (Chunky Monkey not Creative Memories) plus one Happy Heiny (the Hawaiian print one).
2 Boys in matching Fuzzi Bunz
J2 in his giraffe diaper - just *had* to buy this one!
I bought this one in honor of my sister.
I had other things I was going to talk about in this post but it is too long already so I will post about what other cloth things are available another day. It really is interesting and pretty cool. Some stuff is a bit disturbing too - at least to me, but I'll let you decide.
And you wondered how people became obsessed... ;)
ReplyDeleteHere's a secret about the BG's at Target....there are about 3 Targets at any one time that have them in store and they are *always* on closeout. I'm not sure how they decide which stores get them, but they cycle around...you just have to be lucky.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I've found that the cheapest places to get BG's are from Target online (and they are 3.0's, not 2.0's as advertised). There isn't that great of a selection of colors, though....
haha LOVE the Sock Monkey diaper! I did use cloth with the 3rd. We'd moved, we had FREE electricity, I wasn't working and diapers were very expensive...so all of the above, maybe not thinking about landfills too much (my bad) but that was a very snowy year and less trips to the store helped too! Too many kids, too much snow and a regular car....and YAY! SHE was potty trained on her 2nd b-day....but that's just a girl thing, the middle one was 3.5!
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