Cloth Diapers

Holy moly, do I love my cloth diapers. I never thought I’d be saying that but years ago, as a nanny, a family I worked for turned me onto them. It was surprisingly easy. I didn’t do any of the washing but laundry is my secret dirty pleasure, pun intended.

Years later when I was pregnant with Teddy, I decided to do a little (a whole lot) more research on the subject. Marty was out of town on business so it was the perfect chance to buckle down and figure it all out. What seemed so straightforward, turned out to be a ton of decisions. Pockets, liners, all in ones, etc. Just how was I going to know what was right for me? After nearly going blind from reading article after article, I decided that the All in One style and the Bumgenius brand was right for me.

The upfront cost was extremely intimidating. I knew it was going to be expensive but I figured there had to be a was to get them cheaper, so I turned to Craigslist. I found 2 women that were selling 15 diapers each, for about 5-1 dollars a diaper. The best part was one woman had all snaps and the other Velcro. Since my husband wasn’t completely sold on the idea of cloth diapering, I figured Velcro would be the easier one for him to grasp. His friends at work had told him how hard cloth diapering would be…..none of them had ever used a cloth diaper but apparently knew more than me, who had used them and done days worth of research. Word of the wise, never piss off a pregnant woman who has finally made up her mind. I digress.

I turned to Fluff University for my wash routine. What I thought would be the most challenging part, turned out to be the easiest. All I did was look up my washer and it gave me a specific routine to follow. I then printed it out, laminated it and used Velcro to place it right on the washer for myself or anyone else willing to help. In the winter we dry them in the dryer but in the summer, I love to hang dry.

If you’re thinking about using cloth diapers, go for it! We have a pretty simple routine of washing every 2 days. I have 2 wet bags that I rotate and a simple step trash can from Target. Also, if you’re thinking about going down the cloth route, think about cloth wipes as well. I use disposable wipes for poop but with pee, I use a flannel wipe. My cousin made them for me from thin flannel fabric but into squares and surged the edges. I use the Honest Company bottom spray diluted with water. We’ve never had an issue with redness, blowouts, or diaper rash. Knock on wood!

Some of my favorite hints about using cloth diapers is.

• Better for the environment. Also, if you go with a diaper service it’s even better because their wash routines are perfected.
• Better for your babies skin. Can you image the chemicals that are right next to your new babies delicate areas?
• Cheaper. Cheaper. Cheaper. And even cheaper if you buy them used and/or use them for multiple kids. Also, you can sell your used ones or better yet, donate them!
• You always have diapers. No running to the store at 11 pm on a Tuesday because you just realized you’re almost out. Throw in a load of laundry and boom, you’re done!

Best of luck! Let me know how your CD adventure goes!