Cloth Diapering - My Experience So Far

Early on in my pregnancy with #2 I decided I wanted to cloth diaper this time around. Why?  I'm not totally sure.  But I knew I wanted to.  I told my husband and he seemed ok with the idea.  Oddly enough it sounded like fun.  I wanted to save money.  I wanted to be more environmentally friendly.  And I wanted to do what I could for my child's health.  Of course I was very nervous.  I didn't know the first thing about cloth diapering.  I just envisioned the basic pre-folds and pins like I grew up with.  But after a little research I found there are so many more options today.  I read my cousin's wife's blog posts about her experiences with cloth diapering...and it seemed so easy.  I also took a cloth diapering 101 class at a local store (Hop Scotch).  That really taught me a lot about every kind of diaper and helped me decide which route I wanted to go.

I decided to try one size pocket diapers.  After reading reviews I went with some of the more popular brands - Fuzzibunz and Bum Genius.  And I splurged and got a few of the all-in-one Bum Genius just to see how I liked them.  So far I have been happy with these diapers.  But I think the Bum Genius works better for us.  Abram seems to leak less with them.  And they fit around his chubby legs better/without getting marks.

There are a lot of misconceptions about cloth diapering I think.  So I just wanted to say that it's really a great way to go for many reasons.  First, it's easy!  Really, it is.  A diaper change with a cloth diaper is the same as it is with a disposable.  Just take off the diaper, throw it in a wet bag and put on a new diaper.  It's actually quite nice when you're out and about.  You don't have to worry about finding a trash can or throwing away a diaper at someone else's house.  A pocket diaper is so simple.  Just put the insert in the pocket and it's all set.  Cloth diapers are also great financially.  You can go really cheap with the basic cotton diaper and some covers.  And probably only spend a couple hundred dollars total for several years of diapering a child (compared to the thousands you spend on disposables).  And depending on the brand you choose you can spend more or less.  And you can be gently used diapers to save money as well.  Our diapers were about $18 each.  And we bought new, name brand diapers.  Even with all of the wet bags, hemp inserts, diaper sprayer, etc. we have spent around $650.  FAR less than what we spent on disposables for Rebecca.  And hopefully these will last for any future children (if we are blessed with more).  I also love that it's better for my baby.  Like it or not there are nasty chemicals in disposable diapers.  Anyone that has ever had a diaper break open knows that.  Not sure what kind of goo is in there.  But it's nasty stuff.  I'd much rather have soft cotton against his skin.  And obviously it's much better for the environment.  I use cloth diapers and wipes.  So I don't throw anything in the trash.  Some people argue that you're using a lot more water having to do more laundry.  But that is far from the truth.  It actually takes the equivalent of 1 washer load of water to produce ONE disposable diaper.  So I can wash 30 diapers with the same amount of water it takes to make one diaper.  One of the best things about cloth diapers...no poop blow outs!!!  Seriously.  It is so wonderful not to have to panic every time I hear Abram do a big dirty diaper.  No figuring out how to get clothes off without getting poop everywhere.  No scrubbing clothes to get stains out.  It's really quite amazing.  And I haven't had a chance to experience it yet, but I've heard that using cloth diapers can make potty training easier.  Amazingly they are not bulky.  I haven't had any issues with clothes not fitting over them or having them look bulky/odd.  Finally the obvious...they are just so cute!!

So, what do I personally use for cloth diapering?  I have about 30 diapers (Abram is a heavy wetter and  needs changes fairly often).  I have heard anywhere from 18 - 30 is good.  Depending on the child and how often you want to do laundry.  I have to do laundry about every 2 days for him.  I'm guessing that will go down a bit as he gets older and goes longer stretches between wetting his diaper.  I currently dry the diapers most of the time due to time constraints/not wanting to run out.  But you can definitely line dry them (especially the covers).  And save more energy.  I have 5 wet bags.  I know it sounds like a lot, but it's not really.  You have to have 2 per spot where you deal with the diapers so you have one to use while the other is in the wash.  I have 2 large bags for the bathroom (where we deal with poopy diapers).  I have 2 medium bags for the changing table (for diapers that are just wet).  And I have 1 for the diaper bag.  I have 3 bummis, 1 Fuzzibunz and another that I'm not sure the brand (got it as a gift).  I think I like the Fuzzibunz bag the best.  No zipper on top (not that I ever zip them shut except in the diaper bag).  But it does have a zipper on the bottom which is nice when you're ready to do laundry.  I also have a Bum Genius diaper sprayer.  It hooks right to the toilet.  And is SO handy.  They are not necessary if you're trying to save money.  But I personally love having it.  Especially with the sticky/liquid breastfed poop.  And I have some hemp inserts to help keep Abram dry at night.  I also use cloth wipes.  I bought 1 pack, got one pack as a gift and made the rest.  And honestly I like my homemade wipes the best.  You can make a solution for them.  I just get them wet and keep a small stack ready for the day.  Then throw them right into the wet bag with the diapers when you change a diaper.  Some people use disposable/flushable liners in the diapers.  I bought one pack and tried them when we first started using cloth diapers.  I found them to be a nuisance personally.  They just got soaked immediately and stuck to Abram.

So, after a little over a month of cloth diapering do we have it all figured out?  Nope.  We are still having issues with leaks.  Especially at night.  Sometimes it's an absorbency issue.  Sometimes it's a fit issue.  So we're still experimenting with fit/size and trying different inserts.  Abram is right on the edge of being too big for the small setting and too small for the medium setting.  Trying to figure out which is best right now.  And we're trying a couple different hemp inserts as well.  I'll update more on that some day when we figure out what works best for our heavy wetter.

Overall I love cloth diapering.  It's so much easier than I thought it would be.  I think Justin would agree.  It takes about 1 diaper change to get the hang of it.  I highly recommend it!