Cloth diapers. No, not the old throwbacks with pins and plastic pants. The NEW age of cloth diapering. It’s fantastic… and you can still use pins if you want, but you don’t have to. There are a million and one options. And I love it. Dillon loves it. Disposables don’t seem so convenient after a year and a half. They are a pain. Mountains of trash, diaper rash, running out… it’s a nightmare. Not to mention the fact that they just don’t fit!
We were having alot of diapering problems. The fit just wasn’t any good, sagging down to his chubby little knees. Not to mention his constant itching and the mother of all diaper rashes. No matter how often I changed him, the diaper sagged and he was itching. I changed brands, same problem. Creams, powders, different wipes, and he was still getting rashes. It was aweful for all of us…. to the point, I was considering potty training even though he isn’t ready for it. All that without considering the amount of money I was wasting on diapers, have already wasted on diapers, when there was another option!
I had considered cloth diapering before Dillon was born, but the number of options and ways to do it was so daunting, as was the idea of washing my own diapers. It was a scary thing, and I didn’t have anyone to clue me in on where to start with it. All in ones, all in two, tri-folds, flats, fitted, covers, styles, sizes, oh my! And, good lord, ONE diaper that costs $12?! Well… in retrospect, spending a couple hundred dollars to outfit Dillon for his entire diapering career doesn’t seem too bad anymore. Hindsight is always 20/20, right?
So, almost a year and a half of disposable diapers later, I took the leap and got my first set of cloth diapers. I got what was available locally at Babies R Us, because, well, they were available locally. I got myself a set of gdiapers. They are what is known as a one-in-two or a hybrid. I fell in love with cloth diapering from the very first day. The cloth is easy to clean, Dillon’s rash went away almost immediately, I feel like I can change him as often as I need to without worrying about how many diapers we are going through. If I start to run low, I put on a tiny load of wash, and voila, more diapers. Not to mention, no sag, and his little butt looks adorable.
Now a week of cloth diapers has gone by, a tiny load of laundry each night when I go to bed. No smell, no mountain of garbage, just a little garbage can with a lid as a diaper bin and a bottle of Totally Toddler to pretreat the dirties. A week later, and I’m sold, completely, on the convenience of cloth. He’s comfy, the itching at his winkie is over with. Even as heavy as he wets, there is no rash, though if I don’t get the pad just right, we sometimes have a bit of leaking, though it’s not a problem at all. I’ve still been using disposable wipes, though I’ve started to transition to washable wipes. When he’s dirty, I go wet a spare soaker and wipe his bum with it. I even got bum wash.
So, after a week of falling in love with cotton, I think the gdiapers aren’t quite right for us. Dillon is a very heavy wetter, and there are some bunching issues with the gdiaper soaker pads. It’s not a big issue at all, but I think there must be something better out there. I’m currently debating a few options to try next. Maybe the fitted or the prefolds with a cover. I like the idea of the fitted diapers, and there are many options out there for them. I can even get hand made diapers and covers.
With so many options, I’m taking my time and doing my research. I will probably go right ahead and try several options… though I think pocket diapers are a definite no, as are the all in ones. They don’t seem as convenient as the fitted ones, or even the pre-folds. Ah, the wide world of diapering… WHY DIDN’T ANYONE TELL ME HOW WONDERFUL CLOTH IS?!?!
Yay links! A bunch of places to look at, buy, or get information about cloth diapering. I would recommend cloth to anyone who has, or will have, a baby.
Green Mountain Diapers – Pre-folds, covers, fitted, and more, plus lots of info on diapering and tons of pictures. I am considering trying out their fitted diapers.
Real Nappies – They have some really nice and inexpensive trial packs of prefolds and covers, as well as birth to potty training sets. I’m considering a toddler pack.
Change-Diapers.com – This is a lovely blog that reviews various diapers and options, as well as a great source of information and give-aways.
Etsy – A wonderful place to find all sorts of handmade goodies, including, yes, diapers!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/73833076/set-of-6-fitted-diapers-size-large-snap – If anyone wants to buy me a present, this is what I want! Mwahahahaha
How to Cloth Diaper – A wonderful blog post on the blog A Nation of Moms, a wonderful resource for all things parenting.
Cloth Wipes Solution Recipes – A link to a page of recipes to make your own cloth wipes at home!
Monkey Man 