Friday, January 15, 2010

More than you've ever wanted to read about diapers

Fuzzi Bunz & Bumgenius pocket diapers

Cloth diapers are seriously addictive! I'm not exactly sure why they are so addictive, but I love them and there are a LOT of other people out there who love them too. I'm sure that there are even more people out there who do NOT love them, but those peeps are crazy! :o) I thought I'd check in and give you the 411 on how things are going for us. I must say that I adore my Fuzzi Bunz! We have been using them full time during the day and we've had absolutely NO leaks. They are easy to wash, easy to use (Dan even used and washed them while I was in CA) and work so well! If you are contemplating trying out cloth diapers I would highly recommend Fuzzi Bunz one size pocket diapers with snaps.

Now on to the addiction part......in addition to our 20 Fuzzi Bunz, 18 cotton prefolds, 3 wool diaper covers and 2 wool soakers, we have now added 10 Bumgenius one size pocket diapers with aplix (velcro), 3 Thirsties AIO (all in one) diapers with aplix, 2 Sposoeasy AIO with snaps and aplix, 1 Blueberry AIO with snaps, and a Prorap cover!!! We bought the Bumgenius diapers off craigslist for a great deal, but I'm contemplating selling a couple of them and my Little Beetle one size wool covers.....selling them will help fund future cloth diaper purchases! I got the AIO diapers brand new online for less than people sell used diapers for.....gotta love after Christmas sales!

I used a prefold with my Aristrcrats wool soaker last night for the first time and other than it being bulky (I also used a fleece/hemp doubler) it worked really well! No leaks! The only issue we had was that Charlotte pooped during the night (we didn't find out about it until morning) which she doesn't normally do.....maybe the prefold was comfortable enough for it not to feel yuckie??? Hopefully night pooping doesn't become a trend!

So far, cloth diapering is really easy. Yes, it is more laundry than I used to do, but it's fun laundry that I don't actually have to fold or put away. It's also more fun to do diaper changes. I get colorful, soft diapers to work with and Charlotte and I discuss which color she wants to wear and we count as we snap it up. I've been hanging all of my diapers with PUL (waterproof) covers out to dry (in my house until it's warmer) which takes about 2 hours and saves on electricity running the dryer. My AIO diapers take about 12 hours to air dry but it's not a big deal because my stash is large enough that I have other options while they are out of rotation.

Cloth diapers are SO much better for bum health! You can't use diaper cream while using cloth diapers, but you don't need to.....better air circulation through natural fibers helps to heal diaper rash quickly and without the aid of unnatural creams. Charlotte has been having some bad diaper rash (I think she's getting her 2 year molars) and we've seen a huge difference in using cloth versus using disposables and having to load rash cream on at every diaper change......when she does have a rash it stays dry and clears up a lot faster with cloth. And of course, the bottom line for me is that we're saving money! Every cloth diaper I use in a day is one less disposable diaper I have to buy and throw away.

Okay, so one-ish final note. I am not trying to convert anyone to cloth diapers. I don't think my way is better than another way....although I'm having a lot of fun diapering.....are you? :o) I just want to chronicle my journey in case someone out there is interested in cloth diapering. I find that the most informative and useful info. out there is from other mamas who are doing cloth. Maybe my blog will be informative and useful for someone else! Goodness knows I wouldn't be using cloth diapers if it wasn't for first hand accounts from other mamas. I also want to tell you that -honestly- it is EASY to cloth diaper. YOU can do it! If you've been wanting to try it out......do it.....it's pretty cool.

This is part of the above ish. I like to compare cloth diapers vs. disposables to buying vs. renting. Lot's of people like to rent, but the benefits of buying a house are tremendous. When you buy a home you are paying monthly for something that is an investment and it's yours! You have the potential of making lot's of money on it sometime in the future if you sell. When you rent, generally the cost is less every month but after 30 years you have nothing to show for it. You've been paying and paying and paying and still have to keep paying because you need a place to live. When you buy disposable diapers you're paying just a little bit every month.....but $39 each month adds up to $468 a year and $1400 over the course of 3 years until they are out of diapers. Add in the cost of more than one kid and we're talking about a significant amount of money. Even if you buy the most expensive AIO (easiest) diapers and you get 20 of them (enough to diaper full time) it will only cost you around $440! And you OWN them. But you don't have to buy the most expensive, in fact you can start out buying used.....85% of my stash was bought off craigslist which lowers the initial investment considerably. There is a great market for used cloth diapers where even diapers in just okay condition will get you $5. You could sell your used cloth diapers and get at least $100 back if not more if your diapers are in excellent condition. That makes your total investment in cloth less than $350.....which is far less than disposables!! Marinate.

Don't even get me started on the environment benefits! :o)

So, those are my thoughts so far. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that 99% of the 10 people who read my blog didn't actually finish reading this whole blog. I don't blame them! lol Gold star for those of you who are reading this!! If you have any questions about cloth diapering please feel free to ask. And if you just want to chat about cloth diapers.....message me, it's currently one of my favorite topics of conversation!

Thirsties, Sposoeasy & Blueberry AIO diapers

1 comment:

Becky said...

I read the whole thing! :) Though I don't have nearly the paience to work with cloth diapers, I have total respect and admiration for those who do. And it's fun to see you love something and share your joy and enthusiasm! I don't think I've ever not finished reading any of your posts. :)

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