I've jumped over the fence and back and landed in the middle. I'm seriously considering cloth diapering now.
why the change of heart? disposable diapers have at long last joined the monthly budget category (we were very blessed by an overwhelming amount of diapers when A was born) and it's really not my favorite, the cheapskate side of me just can't imagine maintaining that for the long haul especially as we entertain ideas of adding more kiddos to the brood. after talking to some Momma's who do cloth and hearing how easy it is I've begun to give it another chance in my mind, and with offers like this and this, how could you not?
so my question to fellow cloth diapering mommies is this, what brand do you use and why? and how did you decide to make the switch or start off with cloth? feedback is helpful at this point so bring it.
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11 comments:
I'm definitely doing cloth. But given that I don't have a baby to cloth diaper yet I can't really give you my personal experience :) But I'll let you know once I start (thought you could be ahead of the game)?
My reasons were cost, environmental friendliness, and from what I hear possible less diaper rash and blowouts. Plus, you can reuse them for multiple kiddos down the road (definitely cost factor there again).
The brands I'm getting are fuzzibunz and bum genius just because I've heard the most raves about those, too (as far as ease goes) but again - no personal experience yet.
P.S. I'd be more than happy to pass along more info that I've collected from other moms if you're interested.
Great idea! I switched to Fuzzi Bunz and loved them! I bought my "lots" on Ebay and got an awesome deal for them. I wouldn't buy them used, because you can't guarantee how they were cared for (certain detergents build up and affect the absorbency of the pads etc)...though I was grateful to sell them on craigslist and actually make a profit! :)
I am doing cloth right now for the first time and it really has not been a big deal like I thought it would be...especially since you can buy rice paper liners that catch the brunt of the poo, which are flushable, so you can drop that in the toilet. I'm just doing plain old prefolds with covers. If a prefold gets a stain, I lay it out in the sun to 'bleach'. My baby's bum has stayed rash-free, and I LOVE cloth wipes over disposable--so much gentler on baby, and they clean better too. I'd be happy to show you what I do if you want to see firsthand.
I switched to cloth about a year ago and plan to stick with it. My sister, Heather, as well as several friends have used them for years but I always held off because I didn't want to do yet more laundry. Last year when I told Keith how much we could save if we switched, he sent me to the computer to order! :-)
Here's how I weighed the issue:
Pros--saves money (depending on the types of diapers you buy and how many kids you use them on) and easier on a baby's bum.
Cons - takes more time (b/c of washing, folding and stuffing) and I'm not sure how much money I've saved b/c of the cost of detergent and water for washing and all the accessories you need (e.g., liners, bags). Also, it makes the child's bottom bigger, so I have to keep more shorts and pants on hand for K2; half fit him in a disposable diaper (which he still wears to church on Sunday and at night) and half fit when he's wearing a cloth diaper.
When I started, I bought a sample pack containing a one-size from Fuzzibunz, Bum Genius, Happy Heiny and some other brand. Without a doubt, the Fuzzibunz was the BEST. In fact, I bought nine more. They are cut leaner then the others, come with elastic replacements, and I've had zero leaking issues with them.
I borrowed some Happy Heiny size medium and large and they've been nice.
More recently, I bought a Thirsties duo wrap and medium-sized Chinese pre-folds. The price point ($4.50 per diaper) was much lower than buying more Fuzzibunz ($19.95 per diaper). The only downside is that the fit is pretty bulky.
Other costs to consider: wet/dry bags (I use the large one from Planet Wise at home, and a smaller one on the road); liners (I use GroVia); wipes (whether disposable or cloth).
I meant to add this conclusion: cloth diapering is great and I'm glad I'm doing it, but I'm just not sure how much money is actually saved and if it's worth the extra time and energy.
I'm doing cloth this time around, too! I'm using gdiapers and gcloth and gflappers, since I already had most of the gdiaper covers since we used the flushables with Lucy.
I have a diaper sprayer, and I hear that's key to successful cloth diapering. When I started reading about it, the wash/cleanup routine didn't seem any harder than what I was already doing, and since that had been my main reason for not doing it before, I decided to just go for it!
I feel like I have way too much to say here, so I"ll try to give you the big points, but I am always open to having discussions about cloth diapering if you want.
I switched to cloth when Eden was 6 months old. I did a LOT of research before shoveling out the $$ it takes to start up, so I know a LOT about many different kinds of diapers. Choosing your favorite diaper is not easy. People can tell you which ones they like best and why but the best way to know what you will like is to try them yourself. All brands have their own 'fit' and it takes some trial and error to figure out which work best for your baby (short or tall, big thighs, skinny things, big waist, little waist)
The best way to figure out what you like is to buy off one of the websites that have a 15 day wash and wear trial. Basically, you buy whatever diapers you want to try and for 15 days you can use them. Then, you send back the ones you didn't like for FULL STORE CREDIT (awesome!) and get your favorite. I like to buy from Nickisdiapers.com. If you decide CD isn't for you, they sell a lot of other things not related to CD, so you won't be forfeiting your $$ (think diaper bags, car seats, health products, etc.)
One big thing to consider is your time. Some people say it's no big deal, but if you are a busy person it really will be apparent how much time you spend. Since I am a SAHM, I don't think it's a big deal at all. I have all day. Diaper changes will take a little longer, and if you get the modern cloth diapers, your wash routine can get pretty complicated, which brings me to my #1 warning...
Caring for you Cloth is the biggest adjustment of all. It will take you a while to figure out which detergent, how much detergent, how much water, which cycles to run, etc. This was the only shock to me. I spent so much time researching I thought I had everything figured out, but it took me a long 3 months to figure out how to get my diapers as clean as possible (this is especially relevant if you have a front-loading HE machine.)
Lastly, I use OS Fuzzibunz, Best Bottoms and OS Charlie Bananas. I like FB and CB because they look comfy, I can adjust absorbency, and there aren't a million snaps in the front when one needs to adjust to larger sizes. I like the best bottoms when out an about because they are the thinnest option I have seen (aside fron Gdiapers which I won't go into) so they look the best under her clothes, and they are a hybrid diaper so they take the least amount of space in diaper bags.
Hope you enjoy cloth, and if you ever want to look at/try out my diapers to get an idea let me know.
Aria
I would have loved to use Cloth! I'm a big advocate. However, I've heard from a few ladies in a mom's group I'm in, that front loader washers are kinda tough to use with cloth. Just something to think about. But if you don't have a front loader, then GO FOR IT!!
(or find someone who's figured out how to use the front loader well with cloth).
We have been cloth diapering our soon to be one year old coming up on three months. Best decision hands down that we have ever made. I have had a lot of people ask us millions of cloth questions and I decide to blog about them. http://toddgretchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/two-months-into-fluff.html
Hope that answers some of your questions. Welcome to the world of Cloth Diapering!!
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