Monday, August 13, 2012

Why Cloth Diapering?

When I started cloth diapering, I had no one to ask all those little questions that I needed to know the answers to! So I scoured the internet and now that I've been cloth diapering for 5 months, I think I pretty much have it down! This is what I've learned!
People ask me all the time "Why would you want to cloth diaper?" Well here it is!



WHY CLOTH DIAPERING?
PROS:
1. It's so darn cute! I love all the pattens and styles and different choices. Really, there’s cloth diapering solutions for any family
2. less landfill waste. We're still using disposable wipes because we were given a Costco box and have yet to get through it. We use baby washcloths when out and about but truthfully, you use less wipes too.
3. My daughter very much prefers them. When we put disposables on her before we switched to cloth, she would fuss as soon as she was wet. Now if we put one on her, she screams the second she pees. I would prefer them too if it was me.
4. Money savings. I've spent $375 not including the first six weeks when I didn't use cloth (My daughter  is set until potty training and I can diaper at least 2 more children with what I have.) An average pack of 36 diapers is $9. On average, you change 6 diapers a day. More when newborn and less later on. So a package lasts < 1 week. So on average, diapering a baby in disposables for two years is going to cost upwards of $1000. Utilities may go up a dollar or two a month but most people don't notice an increase, I didn't.
5. Resale! If you buy new, you can sell them to other moms for about half what you paid. Or you can buy used (that's mostly what I've done) and save half or more.
6. No running to the store in bad weather for diapers
7. Less blow outs. I'm not going to tell you that you're never going to have poop go out both legs but I've has significantly less blow outs since we switched.
8. If you're going to breastfeed, you don't even need to rinse the diapers before you wash. It rinses off so easily that you can just throw it into the washer until they start solids. Then you can usually dump it in the toilet.
9. There's a ridiculous amount of support on the internet. Between forums and websites that review different types, there's always an answer to your question, even if you didn't know the right thing to ask.
10. They're not your mother's diapers anymore. There's so many options to chose from that can fit any budget or lifestyle. Something you might love might not work for me at all or vice-versa. Also, you might think you'll love something that you'll hate. My husband loved prefolds and covers for when she was little and I thought he would hate them for sure. I love it because it's a puzzle and sometimes you need to investigate to find out what works best for your family.
11. There’s no real scientific evidence that the chemicals in disposables are harmful but I’d prefer to just not even worry about it.
12. Less allergens. There is plenty of scientific evidence that many of the chemicals (especially perfumes) are irritating to the baby’s backside. My daughter had HORRIBLE rashes from disposables and has had very little redness with cloth.
CONS:
1. It's CONFUSING! There's so many brands and types that getting started is intimidating. AND each type/brand has its own pros and cons. I can answer any questions that you have, I really do love talking about it!
2. Mess. It tends to be a bit messier. You don't have the neat little package to throw away in the trash. This bothers some people but I never really cared.
3. Smell. This bothers my husband quite a bit but again, I don't really care. It's human waste, you're going to smell something sooner or later. If you use an open pail, it smells a little bit all the time. Nothing an air freshener can't help or just closing the door. If you use a closed pail with a lid, when you go to wash, it's going to smell like ammonia from the pee sitting around a couple days. We use a lid because it bothers my husband.
4. People will tell you that you never need to worry about running out of diapers. Yes and no. You need to make sure you have enough to get you through at least a wash/dry cycle. This is usually only one or two diapers if you use the dryer but it is something that bears mentioning.
5. Initial expense. I had a good friend lend me her newborn diapers as well as another good friend give me a bunch. Between those two and craigslist, I was able to get started for next to nothing. I also got to try out some different brands and decide what I wanted to get more of. I suggest doing a diaper trial for newborn, they get good reviews and are super cheap. Check out jilliansdrawers.com
6. Getting a laundry routine down is a little difficult at first. Now, I don't even think about it. I'm just so used to it that it's not a problem. I pull the inserts out of all my pockets, make sure the laundry tabs are down on all of the velcro to avoid diaper chains and wash the diapers on warm/cold with an extra rinse to make sure all of the soap is out. You use about 1/3 what you would normally use (the free and clear detergents are best for CD). I usually do that after she has gone to bed. In the morning during her nap I hang them on the line. When my husband gets home from work, I pull them off the line and stuff the pockets. It all sounds simple but it took some trial and error. There's big nonos that you need to avoid that aren't totally obvious like no fabric softener, bleach or sanitary wash. See? Confusing!
7. PRO/CON It's addicting! There's a huge community of moms that are completely addicted to buying cloth diapers. My husband thinks I'm bad but there's women who spend several thousand dollars without even thinking about it. You many not get addicted but there are certain brands that when I see them come up on the swap, if they're under 50% of retail, I buy them.

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