Cloth Diapers

So, being the semi-hippie that I am, I convinced Matt long before Steve was born that we should try to use cloth diapers. The initial cost is more than disposables, but in the long run, especially if you pick the right ones, they save money. Think about this: in the 3 weeks since Steve was born, we went through 3 packages of newborn diapers, and probably the equivalent of 3 packages of size 1/2 diapers. At $10 a package, that's $60 in just 3 weeks. While I understand he will go through fewer diapers as he gets a little older, that's still a lot of money. And a lot of trash that won't ever bio-degrade in the landfill.

A friend of mine from high school had a huge pile of diapers that she wasn't able to use because she had twins. They very generously sent the diapers our way, with payment deferred until Matt's job situation gets worked out. Then, to make sure we weren't doing laundry every day, Nana rounded out our collection.

Because of Steve's circumcision issue, we weren't able to start with the cloth diapers right away. With the cloth diapers you can't use any ointments or creams. Also, he was a little too small for them, even though part of the diapers we have are adjustable to fit between 8 and 35 pounds. So we waited until last Thursday, which was also the day we conveniently ran out of disposables.

While I am doing more laundry that before, it really isn't that bad. We have enough diapers and inserts to get us through about 3 days before we have to wash diapers. Matt's even got the hang of them, but he's a smart cookie, so I shouldn't be surprised.

So, many of you might be thinking what do these things look like. Here is Steve modeling his two types.

The ones with the velcro across the front are BumGenius. They are the ones that with the adjustment of 3 simple snaps will hopefully fit Steve up to 35 pounds. The ones with the white snaps are FuzziBunz. We have smalls and mediums. There are many snaps, so it isn't like Steve will outgrow them in a couple of months.

Both types have a pocket in the back where you insert a cloth pad. We've got 2 different kinds of pads: thin ones that I use during the day, and longer, adjustable thick ones for night. There have been a couple of times when Steve has leaked quicker than I expected, and that's probably more because I didn't make sure he was covered on all sides than the diaper's fault. I do make sure to stuff the diapers immediately after washing because it is not fun trying to stuff them when Steve is on the changing pad screaming (and possibly getting ready to spray everything!).

All in all, I'm very pleased with our choice to do this. We are using more water, but at least there won't be pounds of disposables sitting in a landfill because of us. That being said, we're taking a big road trip this weekend to Cleveland. My very good friends Nicole and Steve are getting married and it's going to be a big Barnhart reunion. I don't want to tote dirty diapers across 3 states and back, so I'm going to get some disposables. Don't hate me.