Cloth

I was sitting in the library at church yesterday and there was a box that used to hold Luv's Diapers in it. I sat there staring and it hit me, we have not had to buy diapers in what feels like forever! It is so nice to not have to spend so much money every month on them anymore. I then made the comment to Chris that I don't understand why I didn't do this sooner, and I also don't understand why more people do not cloth diaper.
His response was pretty simple, because it seems daunting and intimidating. It was at first, I did a lot of research and talked to a lot of people about the different ways to cloth diaper, there are so many choices out there. But now, now that I figured it out, I think everyone should try it! Especially on a tight budget or if you have multiple kids in diapers.
We have settled into a nice little routine, we use cloth wipes, I do diaper laundry every other day which has actually helped me keep up on all our other laundry. This would however be impossible without your own washer and dryer. Seriously though, if you are reading this, and want any information about cloth diapering I think I have been bitten by the cloth diaper bug. I would love to help you, I now understand why this becomes such an exciting thing to share. It is because it is not that hard, and it is super duper helpful budget wise.

Cloth Success

We have successfully made the switch to cloth!

I am not overwhelmed, it is not hard,

and has been working very well.

We use the flip diapers

with Flip Inserts, flats, or prefolds

(usually just inserts or flats)

Matthew doesn't like Thirsties covers- they don't fit him well

I wash a load of diapers every 2 days

sometimes I can push it further

I try not to though because if I wash every 2 days 

we don't have a stink problem

Not buying disposable diapers is great!

(although we still put him in a disposable at night - 1 a day is not much though)

Next is switching to cloth wipes,

just a matter of changing our habits.

A Cloth Diapers Best Friend

Okay so I was having problems with the stinky messy diapers, but we have a solution!

I love these things, they make poopy diapers way less messy, and very simple and easy to clean up. We simply put a liner in with each diaper change, if he poops all we do is lift the liner out and throw it in the toilet. I let it sit in the toilet for a few minutes so it goes down easier, and the diaper is almost like a simple wet one, no toilet dunking, no spraying off, no extra mess! Love these and I think they are a cloth diaper must!

Cloth Again..

Okay so Chris started the cloth again... I told him and my friend Liz about what was bothering me (smell and mess). Well Chris being the logical husband he is was like "that is why we have the flush-able liners!"  I think I said something like, "but what if they don't hold everything?"... Apparently he doesn't think my argument is a good one :) I must say they did hold the mess he made before nap... so maybe the flush-able liners are going to be just the trick I need. We shall see I guess.

A Cloth Update

Well.... we had one good day and then it took me a few days to wash them. It has taken me even longer to start using them again. Mostly because Matthew has been creating some really GROSS diapers, and I cannot imagine having to smell that mess for longer, or having to rinse it out. My tummy is already queasy, it doesn't need any extra help...

Oh and my computer is driving me crazy... I think I need to steal Chris's nice new one... 

Day One of Cloth

Well we have officially made it through our first 24 hours of cloth diapers. So here are my thoughts so far:

Overall
1. It is completely possible to cloth diaper
2. I am not a fan of poopy cloth diapers (disposable gloves are a must for me at this point)
3. Even Chris seems to be okay with the process
4. After we get used to using them I think diaper changes will be quicker

Flips
cons:
1. They are hard to get put together on a wiggly baby and still get the insert in the right spot, I wish they had snaps to hold the inserts in place.
2. Well so far that is my only complaint I guess.

pros:
1. It is really nice to be able to reuse the cover when the diapers are just wet.
2. After one day we have not had any leaks
3. Fairly inexpensive as far as cloth diapers go

What Was I Thinking?

Well we got our first stash of cloth diapers, then I had to wait for the soap to get here. I guess we will start trying them next week. Now that they are actually here, I am wondering if I am truly crazy... not sure that I really want to deal with the mess. Oh well if I never try I will never know... Good thing I have disposable gloves... maybe I should buy a mask too :)
Have a great weekend everyone! We sure will, because my cousin Bryan is getting married! I sure do love a good wedding :)

Going Cloth!

I am embarking on a new path. The path of the cloth diaper. This is a rather intimidating task, and there are so many choices and opinions about cloth diapers out there. I love that anyone who uses cloth diapers love to share their information and their wisdom which has made me feel more confident about the switch. I also love that it is possible to try different brands and sell them if they don't work for us. I also love that in the long run it will save us money. As long as we can get it all figured out. I may be blogging about this switch a bit. With Chris in school and us living off the small income I can make, I am just looking for a more economical way to live. 

Pro's of the cloth diaper (in my opinion):


1. When I was talking to one of my good friends about her cloth diapers, she brought up a good point. If there is ever a disaster (family or natural, money or otherwise) she will not have to worry about where to get diapers ect. They are covered no matter what. I thought that was also a good point and a good reason that every parent should at least have a stash of cloth (even cheap pre-folds and pins).
2. Initial upfront investment (however they last through multiple children so the savings will keep adding up).
3. Less garbage!
4. Do not have to worry about buying diapers all the time. If your short of cash, you can buy food instead of diapers.
5. I am simply a fan of buying reusable items, making money stretch and last. I guess the financial aspect is the biggest pull for me, however there does seem to be a nice social aspect with lots of support. It is nice to be part of a group with young children to talk about everything to do with children from cloth diapers and beyond.


Cons (in my opinion):


1. The mess and extra laundry. I am not so worried about the wet diapers, but am definitely not real excited about poopy messes (*there are creative ways to make them easier with cloth though).
2. Traveling with cloth seems difficult. (*Flip diapers have disposable inserts for when you are traveling or out and about and covers wipe clean, or you can just use disposables)
3. They are just so expensive to get started
4. They seem bulky (especially on younger babies) 
5. They can be intimidating for others to use when babysitting ect.. 


All in all I think the pros do outweigh the cons for me. I can find ways to deal with the cons that seem reasonable for me. All of my research has led me to believe it is at least worth a try, so I spent a little over $50.00 and am going to give it a shot. Wish me Luck!