Confession: I love cloth diapering. So much in fact, that I am going to be a teensy weensy bit sad when my little man is potty trained. They’re just so blasted cute and there’s something so “right” about a padded, cloth covered bum.
And yes, I have cloth diapered almost continuously for the last 5 years! I had a brief 3 month break before baby number three came along (pictured above in all his kissable chubby goodness!)
When I started my cloth diapering journey, I went about it all wrong and just about threw in the towel….er…diaper wipe. When my oldest daughter was about 6 months old, we realized that: A) buying disposables was breaking the bank, B) we wanted something that might help with her sensitive skin and chronic diaper rash, and C) we had started reading more about “all that hippy-natural-living-no toxin stuff” as my hubby called it, and after reading about some of the toxins in commercial, disposable diapers, it got me thinking.
So, I did virtually no research (mistake #1) and spent $100 on ebay to buy some cloth diapers from a WAHM (Work At Home Mom). I had no clue what I was buying, how to use them, what I wanted, what kind of sizes I should get, how many I’d need, or the function of various style and cuts (mistakes #2-7). Basically, I paid $100 for a cloth diaper education, because, all though the quality was decent, my ebay “find” turned out to be a flop and they were NOT what I wanted. I muddled through with them for awhile, but finally, Rusty and I both knew that it was worth it to get what we wanted, knowing that they would be put to use over the next few years (and kids!).
I know that can all sound overwhelming, and I’m not going to recreate the wheel by explaining all of the different options. There are some great blogs out there that have everything spelled out neatly and clearly. Here are some of my favorites:
So You Want To Use Cloth Diapers (she gives a GREAT explanation on the various types of diapers, styles, etc)
I’ve now cloth diapered 3 munchkins, and here are some things that I learned along the way: (keep in mind, several of these tips are personal preference, so I’m sharing MY experience, but I’d love to hear about yours – so feel free to leave some advice in the comments!)
1. It’s worth the money. First, the upfront cost can be daunting, but you can actually cloth diaper a baby from newborn-18 pounds (which is usually around 9 months old) for under $240 (My favorites – 6 size 1 Thirsties Duo Wraps at $12.75 each and 20 size 2 Hemp Prefolds at $8 each). Depending on the size of your child as well as how often you plan to launder your diapers, you may need to adjust the sizes or quantities a little earlier or later, but if you stick with the brand I’ve mentioned, you can cloth diaper from 18 pounds until they’re potty trained for under $200 ( 6 size 2 Thirsties Duo Wraps at $12.75 each, and 15 size 2 Hemp Prefolds at $8 each)
The savings are incredible. Mint.com estimates that you’ll spend $800 in the first YEAR of your child’s life when using disposable diapers. Good grief! Your diapers will pay for themselves almost twice before the age of one AND if you have more children, you’re already set! An exponential savings! source
2. It’s worth the hassle. Yes, cloth diapers do take some more planning and thinking ahead, but take a look at this…I think it’s worth it to protect my children:
“Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S..1
Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) – a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.2
Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome by increasing absorbency and improving the environment for the growth of toxin-producing bacteria.3
In May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis.18
3. Get exactly what you want. Whether you plan to have 1 child or 10, you are going to be using and changing these every few HOURS, for MONTHS. Don’t settle on something you saw on sale that saved you $20. Get what you want and what fits the routine and flow of your family life. If you’re busy and on the go, you might want to consider stocking your diaper stash with All In Ones (AIOs) like these or these, or pocket diapers such as these. These are typically a slimmer fitting diaper, and they are self contained (no extra pieces floating around – read: easier for a dad to use!) and make packing them for a babysitter, a day excursion or a vacation a little easier. On the other hand, if you’re home most days (and also for a cheaper version) then look into diaper wraps and prefolds. (note: you can travel with ANY cloth diaper style, these are just my personal preferences)
4. If you’re going to use cloth diapers, you can use cloth wipes too! Another Confession: I didn’t want to use cloth wipes and stubbornly held out until baby #3. I’m a tough sell and kept telling myself that I was only spending around $8 per month buying commercial, disposable wipes, and I didn’t want to fuss with cloth ones. And then…one day…I got my hands on these organic wipes. They’re INCREDIBLY soft and luxurious….an odd word to describe baby-toilet paper, I know. But they are so thick and absorbent that I have yet to use more than ONE wipe in a changing session – and my son is almost 30 pounds!!! NO JOKE! You know those diaper changes where you end up using 6 or 8 disposable wipes. I never realized how much smearing and how little wiping disposable wipes actually did. It’s amazing and I’m already washing diapers, so I don’t even notice the few extra squares of laundry.
5. Accessorize! And by that, I mean get the cloth diapering accessories you’ll need. For me, that includes:
wet bags – one for the diaper bag and one for home or when we’re travelling for a few days and I need to store more than 2-3 dirty diapers.
diaper pail – just a small trash can with a lid works great!
a pail liner – these are great and can be laundered right along with your diapers. I like having 2 on hand – one to have as a back-up while the other is being washed.
cloth diaper spray – in all honesty, it’s most convenient for the diaper bag, which is where my bottle lives. You can find some great all natural wipe solution recipes, but truth be told, when diapering at home, plain old water works great!
diaper rash cream – do NOT use regular diaper rash cream on cloth diapers!!! The oils (petroleum derived, no less) as well as some of the additives will coat your cloth diaper and it will start repelling moisture (and it will make your diapers stink after a few days because it’s trapping in bacteria, because it never fully washes out). There are a few cloth diaper-safe diaper creams out there, but Thirsties gets my vote! Fortunately, when using cloth, your little one is MUCH less likely to get diaper rash, but my three always had troubles when they were teething, so it’s nice to have something on hand.
Detergent – the right detergent will make or brake your experience. I have used several all-natural brands and don’t have any major complaints about any of them. However, Thirsties again gets my vote on their pre-wash and super-wash. You will know that your diapers are clean when they come out of the washing machine and there is NO odor trace what so ever. Sometimes for a particularly soiled load, I would need to add in an extra rinse, or sometimes an entire wash. I have yet to have this issue with Thirsties – so far so good!
6. Start out with a few different brands and styles and use them as your baby’s overnight diaper. If you aren’t ready to replace your entire diapering routine with cloth (it’s a big decision, I know!), then start with a few and use them overnight, and slowly add to your stash. I did this to start figuring out which brands were my favorites, before I was ready to commit and buy multiple diapers. First, the overnight test is the hardest and will almost always require some extra stuffing with inserts (doublers, etc) because your baby will have this one on for sometimes as long as 10-12 hours! If the diaper can last that long, you’re on the right track! Also, it helps you see what cuts and brands fit your child the best. Some brands are more forgiving than others, and some offer a one-size diaper that fits from birth to potty. These can save a HUGE amount of money, but depending on the shape of your child, it may or may not give you the best fit. Buying one to use for over-nights or as an occasional “test” diaper is a great way to see what you prefer. And second, if using cloth diapers as your child’s overnight diaper is the ONLY cloth diapering you do, that’s a HUGE step in protecting your child from toxins and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Their night time diaper sits on them, saturated and clinging, for sometimes as much as 50% of their day! By using cloth at night, you’re already reducing their exposure exponentially!
One last thing to keep in mind…
It is POSSIBLE. We travel A LOT. Meaning, I feel like we live out of our van some weeks, and so for the longest time (even after buying and using cloth diapers at home) I would always use disposables for travelling (and sometimes even trips to the grocery store because I was a paranoid first-time-mom-first-time-cloth-diaperer!) If you are prepared with a sufficient stash and the needed accessories and wet bags, you will have NO problems travelling (even long distances/vacations) and cloth diapering. Yes, it does take some strategy and preplanning. Yes, there have been times when I was up late, throwing over a load of diapers in the dryer (so that my little man wouldn’t be stuck in his birthday suit while the diapers dried the next morning), and yes, I have had crazy weeks where I give in and buy disposables. However, you did read that part about spending $800 on disposables in the first year, right? That’s some great motivation, right there! More than anything, knowing that my children are safer is worth all of the washing and folding.
Do you cloth diaper? What other tricks of the trade do you recommend?
DISCLAIMER: Thirsties did not compensate me in any way to sing their praises. They are by far my preferred diaper brand (and you’ll see them at the top of almost every cloth diaper review site) which is why we chose to sell them in our Market, for which I unashamedly gave you many opportunties to shop at. For example, you could go there now and check it out – www.cheekybumsmarket.com – and we have more than just cloth diapers!
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This post was linked to Fat Tuesdays at Real Food Forager, WLWW at Women Living Well, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways at Frugally Sustainable, Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist, Homesteader Blog Carnival at The Morris Tribe, Homestead Blog Hop at The Prairies Homestead, Welcome Home Link Ups at Raising Arrows, Mentoring Mamas Monday at Simply Living for Him, Seasonal Celebrations at Natural Mother’s Network, Sunday School Blog Hop at Butter Believer
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