Alright, so I know everyone is curious. Why am I choosing to cloth diaper? Almost everyone in not only my family, but Chad's family as well looked at me like I was INSANE when I told them I was going to cloth diaper Hasting. There are a few reasons as to why we chose to cloth diaper Hasting:
1. MONEY!
2. Better on his booty
3. No need to add extra garbage in the landfills
4. They are super cute!
5. We can use them on future babies, saving even MORE money.
(1) The first reason we chose cloth is money. As a general rule, it is almost always cheaper to reuse than to buy new every time. This is no different with cloth diapers. Most parents go through 6 to 8 thousand diapers per child, from birth to about age three. If we take an average of what those diapers cost, that equates to between 2000 and 3000 dollars per baby. Once those children are potty trained those diapers are gone. They can't be re-used. So a significant chunk of our hard earned money has gone to buying what is essentially garbage. In comparison, enough cloth diapers to last for three years will usually cost between 3 to 8 hundred dollars. At a minimum that is about a 1200 dollar savings.
(2) Better on his BUTT!! What should be of serious concern to all parents are the toxic chemicals present in disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Trace quantities may even exist in the diapers themselves! Dioxin is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer related chemicals. Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. Disposable diapers also contain sodium polyacrylate. If you have ever seen the gel-like, super absorbant crystals in a disposable, then you have seen this first hand. Sodium polyacrylate is the same substance that was removed from tampons because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-term effects of this chemical being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards of two years. Studies have also been done to show that the chemical emissions from disposable diapers can cause respiratory problems in children. Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers.
(3) They look better! How can you pass up all the super cute designs & colors that cloth diapering has to offer? There are soooo many different colors and designs to choose from, you don't have to stick to the dreaded ugly white diaper all the time! These are just a FEW of what I have, it becomes such an addiction!
(5) Cloth diapers can be re-used for our future babies! We will NEVER have to buy diapers again (unless of course I see a cute cloth diaper that I can't pass up!) This to me is just to insane to pass up! No explanation needed!
I think the BIGGEST reason that people freak when it comes to considering the switch to cloth is they think it is confusing. I'll admit, I was a little baffled in the beginning, but after all the research I did online, and chatting with a few friends who CD, it all made so much more sense to me! I also took the opportunity to visit our local baby boutique and got a TON of help in getting all my questions answered that I was still confused about after all my reading!
The Different Types of Cloth Diapers:
The first concern that most mommies and/or daddies have is "there are so many different kinds of diapers, where do I start?" Well I started cloth diapering Hasting right after he turned a month old, and at first I started with pre-folds and covers.
Prefolds & Covers: This is one of the most popular options. These are multi-layered diapers, generally made out of 100% cotton gauze and are the most “old-fashioned” choice. Prefolds come in bleached or unbleached (abbreviated as BCPF or UBCPF). I’ve always gotten unbleached because I like the off-white color, they hide stains better, and I’ve heard that they’re softer. Prefolds need to be pinned, snappi’ed, or folded into a trim fitting wrap-style cover. Hemp prefolds are another variation and are more absorbent but much more expensive than cotton prefolds, but can be a good option for nighttime diapering (Babykicks, Polar Babies, and Mom and Me are some examples). I like prefolds because they store easily, dry quickly, fit a wide range of body types and sizes, don’t have elastic/snaps/velcro to wear out and are very absorbent. Covers go over the pre-fold and are waterproof & hold the moisture in. You can get them in any color or design and either with snaps, or with velcro.
This is a prefold and a cover:
Fitteds: This is another popular option. Fitted diapers have elastic at the legs and back and basically look like a disposable diaper (only much cuter, of course). They can have velcro or snap fasteners, plain or printed outers, and can be made from a variety of materials like organic cotton or hemp. There is a veritable smorgasbord of women making diapers from their homes catering to any size, shape, wetting ability, etc. of your child. They are often referred to as work-at-home-moms (WAHMs). I've never really gotten into fitted dipes, so I can't give any recommendations.
This is a fitted:
All in ones (AIOs)/ All in twos (AI2s): An AIO is generally viewed as a diaper that needs nothing else and is very similar to a disposable. The soaker is either sewn internally or externally (referred to as a quick dry soaker) and can close with snaps or Velcro (Velcro is a trademark but there are two other similar products: aplix (softer, long life, doesn’t roll in like touchtape can) or touchtape (stronger stick and available in a variety of colors) ).
An AIO does not require a cover. An AIO with an internal soaker will have a longer drying time because the air cannot circulate around the hidden material.An external soaker, referred to as a Quick Dry (QD) soaker, allows for air to circulate around the soaker when drying, therefore quicker dry time. The addition of a pocket to an AIO makes it a Stuffable AIO.
An AI2 has a snap in or lay in soaker . The name All in Two arose from the ability to get two uses out of each diaper. When your child pees, theoretically you can remove the soaker and replace it with another if the shell did not get wet. AI2s also have a much faster drying time because the soaker is external.
AIO/AI2:
Pockets: A pocket diaper usually does not require a cover. The exception would be a fitted that has a pocket. A pocket can be made with a PUL (polyurethane laminate) or fleece outer.
The outer can also be any material backed or lined in PUL. Minky is lusciously soft and many makers offer this fabric for their pocket diapers.
The inner material choices for a pocket include: microfleece, suedecloth, velour, athletic wicking material, minky, cotton or bamboo. Different materials will feel different on the baby when wet. Of the fabrics listed above, microfleece, suedecloth and athletic wicking material are considered “stay dry”. This means baby feels dry after a pee.
A pocket diaper is 2 layers of material sewn together on 3 sides leaving an opening for you to insert the amount of absorbent material you desire. The insert can range from a very trim microfiber towel to a bulkier infant prefold. Another popular insert material is hemp. Hemp is a natural fiber that is antimicrobial and extremely absorbent as well. Infant prefolds do double duty as an insert as well. Simply trifold the prefold and stuff the pocket. For added absorbency wrap the prefold around one of the above inserts.
It may all seem confusing, but once you really look at it and start it just comes naturally. I have 24 prefolds & 4 covers, and one AI2, a few AIOs, and a TON of pocket diapers!
Then there comes a ton of other questions about washing diapers, traveling with diapers, where do you put dirty diapers, etc? I have found a few sites to answer all these questions, as if I personally answered them this blog would just go ON & ON!
Personally, this is what I do:
I only wash Hasting's diapers twice a week, maybe three times a week. I use a specific detergent, which is a must. When he has a poopy diaper I spray it off with my diaper sprayer. After that I put it in my diaper pail, which is lined with a liner, & where it will be stored until I wash them. I also use cloth wipes and a cloth wipe solution because it makes it easier to just throw that in my pail as opposed to having to throw the disposables in the trash can. When I am traveling I use a wetbag to put Hasting's dirty diapers in, then when I get home they will either go in my pail or in the wash (if it's wash day). I usually use prefolds at night, unless I'm just feeling lazy. If that's the case I will use a pocket double-stuffed (which is common because Hasting is a heavy wetter).
Here are a few websites about cloth diapering to help answer the one million questions you may have:
Here are a few moments from when we made the switch to cloth & a few things I have :)
This is what I first started with!
Some of the Pockets!
My detergent & 2 of his covers!
The marvelous diaper sprayer!
Part of my stash!
2 pail liners, changing pad, wetbag, dryer balls, cloth wipes, 2 dipes, cloth wipe carrier
bumgenious inserts & kawaii bamboo inserts
Perfold & Cover
Hasting's FIRST time in cloth 2/5/12
cute booty!
All-in-ones
One of my wetbags!
Prefold with a snappi!
I hope this is helpful, or a least interesting to whoever reads. I absolutely love cloth diapering, and would NEVER go back to disposables, EVER. Although I spent roughly $700, you CAN get all you need for cloth diapering under $300!!!!!
This is all for now, I hope I caught your attention, and I hope this blog was worth it, because I have sat here typing for 2 HOURS!
Goodnight all
<3 LG
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