Cloth Diapering Part 1

I have been immersed in the world of cloth diapering for the past week and a half - what a whirlwind! There really is a learning curve when you decide to start cloth diapering. There is a whole set of terminology, there are so many different styles, options, systems to choose from, there are big name brands or smaller work-at-home-mom businesses you can support... In addition to all the confusing choices you have to make, you never know which one is going to work best for your child until you try it out, so technically its best to start slow, but to full-time cloth diaper you need a pretty good stash to avoid having to do laundry several times a day. If you're fighting recurring diaper rashes in the meantime, it's not easy to slap on a disposable diaper knowing that it is just going to make the rash worse, so you want to have enough in that regard... Phew! Goodness gracious!

WHY CLOTH DIAPER?

1. DIAPER RASHES: For us (yes, us, dear husband! haha), the decision to switch to cloth was initiated by mild, recurring diaper rashes. No matter how often we changed, we were constantly battling annoying rashes. Could it have been the brand or type of diaper? Could it have been the brand or type of wipes? Could a different rash cream have helped? Yes, yes, and yes; but I think we would have driven ourselves absolutely crazy experimenting with brand after brand. The simplest option in my eyes was to eliminate all of the variables and start with a fresh, clean, chemical-free slate.

2. SAVE $$$: The initial investment is pretty hefty for cloth diapering. You need quite a bit of gear to get started. But after your "stash" is built, the savings can be amazing. Here's an example of what's needed to get started:

• Pail liner or laundry wet bag
• Small wet bags for on-the-go
• Cloth-diaper-safe laundry detergent
• Optional laundry sanitizer
• At least 15-25 cloth diapers (give or take depending on how often you plan on doing laundry) 
• Extra inserts, doublers, liners
• Cloth wipes and wipe solution or oils (Cloth wipes sound gross but actually make more sense if cloth diapering. You don't have to separate two piles during your change, you just throw everything in the wet bag or pail together!)

Our "stash" so far... waiting on 3 or 4 more to come in! We have BumGenius 4.0, Charlie Banana, Happy Heinys, Bumpkins, Bummis, Thirsties, Kushies, gDiapers, and several from Etsy!

Goodbye cute baskets :(  ...but hello colorful stacks of diapers! :)

For now, we're hanging the pail liner. If it gets too heavy, we'll get a pail! :)

Because of the sensitive little booty we have on our hands, let's say we started using one of the brands that are free of dyes, fragrances, chemicals, chlorine, etc. That's $0.50 per diaper. If we are at 6 diapers per day, that's over $1000/year until potty training; not to mention the cost of endless diaper rash creams, wipes, etc. And if you reuse the diapers with additional children down the road...

Here's a good breakdown I found of the various options and their costs.

There's no place around here (that I know of) that sells any cloth diapering supplies, so I've had to order everything online. I haven't even received all of our gear in the mail yet, so we are currently part-time cloth diapering. That said, my experience with it thus far is limited and I'm sure in a few weeks my opinions on which brand I like best, etc., will change. And change. And perhaps change again. :)

3. THE SUPER CUTE-NESS!!! Oh my gosh - cloth diapers are so much cuter and photogenic than any disposable diaper. There are so many colors and patterns to choose from and also, they get the funniest "fluff butt" from all the extra padding. So adorable.

Grovia - All-In-One Diaper

Pocket Diaper purchased from Etsy shop Lil Impressions

Diaper cover purchased from Etsy shop Counting the Blessings

gDiaper from Diapers.com

If anyone out there wants to know more about cloth diapering and doesn't quite know where to begin, I found some great videos that help explain confusing cloth diapering - from the different styles to the laundering process. I'm trying to get John to watch and learn... ;)

Cloth Diapering for Beginners
All About Poop & Cloth Diapers :)
Types of Cloth Diapers
How to Wash Cloth Diapers

Once I've had some time to try out the different brands and to get the hang of cloth diapering, I'll be posting an update on what we like best, any tips I've come up with for the whole process, etc. Fingers crossed for a successful migration to cloth! (& a happy booty!)