Cloth Diaper Update

So, back when I was pregnant with Lizzie, I decided that we would give cloth diapering a try.

The response from our family, friends and if truth be told, my husband? Not good. Everyone thought we were crazy, the older family members assumed we were talking prefolds (which people still use, just not these people!) and my husband thought it sounded disgusting.

Well, we purchased our diapers- and we actually had a pretty good stash. We knew the diapers that we would use in the long run would be too big from the get go, but I didn't want to do disposables for 2 months (or longer depending on her weight and build) and then start the cloth process. My thoughts were two-fold: first, why put her super sensitive skin through 2+ months of chemicals (we had the most diaper rash in the first 12 weeks with Henry) and two, I knew if we got hooked on the disposables again we would stay with them because, well, they are easy.

So after we got home from the hospital and got through the "tar" phase we started the cloth diapers.

The diapers we thought we would love the most, Lil Joeys Rumparooz (the small version of the diaper we love) are actually the hardest to use. They are tiny (which is great fit wise) but they don't last longer than about 2 hours (less if she pees a ton or has a mini blow out) and they leak around the legs in that amount of time. But I will say they are ADORABLE and they are easy.

The diapers that I have really grown to love are actually the fitted diapers. We have a number of fitteds- including kissaluvs, thirsties and Bumbees. I like them all, but I love the kissas the best. They are super absorbant, easy to put on and really soft. These diapers do require a cover and we have three kinds- wool, fleece and thirsties adjustable. I love that the fleece and wool are so absorbent (she can go 8+ hours and the inside diaper is soaked, but not even a trace of moisture from the outside) but they are HOT and come summer, she will hate them. The thirsties are cute and easy. They come in all colors, are fitted through 9 months and have a velcro closure, which bryan likes.

Now, lets talk about washing the diapers. This was one of the things that I was the most concerned with, I mean, poopy diapers are not ideal to deal with, and diaper pails stink like crazy, so won't a pile of un-washed diapers? The short answer is, yes, they do stink, but with specially made wet bags, the smell is contained and special stain remover and detergent makes the stains disappear and makes the whole house smell good (our favorite is a handmade soap called Monkey Farts- it smells tropical, I love it!)

So washing, we wash the diapers every day, if not two times a day (depending on number of diapers changed) and it is easy, we make it work as a part of our schedule. The diapers don't get washed with other clothing, so it generally amounts to one full load on hot/cold, double rinse. EASY!

So, here is my final thought on cloth- if you can, cloth is the way to go. It is so much better for the baby, the environment, your pocketbook (ok, well in the long run. Happy B?) and lets face it, the diapers are cute!