So, George and I had decided that with Baby #2 we were going to try cloth diapers. By that, I mean that I decided and George didn't disagree, so that's what we're doing! :) Apple has very sensitive skin and I expect this baby to as well. I think that going with diapers without chemicals (chemicals on your most delicate area, 24 hours a day, for 2+ years of your life? Eesh!) in them would be a benefit to new baby, so we decided to go for it.
My cloth diaper journey begins. I start looking online for information on what in the world I'm doing, because let's be honest. To most of us, cloth sounds scary and crazy. When you start researching, it gets even more confusing. What in the world are all-in-ones, pocket diapers, inserts, covers, one-size, prefolds, and on and on. It's a little overwhelming. I talked to a mom at our church who cloth diapers and got some basic information from her. Slowly, I start to figure some stuff out, but it's still overwhelming.
Enter Cottonbabies. Cottonbabies is a cloth diapering store (with lots of other stuff as well) and they have a cloth diapering 101 class. I attend the class (the only one without a husband attending and who already has a child) and learn some more. I come to the decision that I want to try cloth out with Apple. That way, I can figure out what I'm doing before a newborn comes into the picture. So I buy some Fuzzibunz One-Size Diapers and some cloth wipes. Apple has now been wearing cloth for one week today. I really like putting cloth on her. I feel good about my decision. Here are some of my previous concerns on cloth diapering (now that I'm SO experienced. Ha!) and I'll be truthful!
1. I was concerned about leaking. It seems I've always read about cloth diapers leaking. This hasn't been a problem for us at all. Even with the 12 hours overnight. Maybe it's because Apple is an older baby, but when the diapers fit right, it's not an issue.
2. Ugh! Is my house going to smell all the time? Nope. Our house smells less now that it did with disposables. To be fair, if I would have taken out the disposables every day or every other day (like I do with cloth), I think the smells would have been MUCH less. The other thing I wasn't expecting (which might not be a good thing) is that her stinkies are a little harder to detect by smell in cloth.
3. How do I know what will work for my baby? I tried Fuzzibunz and happened to love how easy they were. George thinks they're easy too. I've recently added to our collection with BumGenius 3.0 One size. They're doing just fine too. You just have to try.
4. How do I clean the diapers? Thankfully the diapers come with something that says how to wash the diapers. And once you get into a routine, it's not that hard.
5. Will I be grossed out by cleaning poop? I'm grossed out because about once every two months, I have to fish Apple's poop out of the bathtub. That's gross. Getting the poop out of the diapers is easy.
6. Will diaper rash (which Apple gets FREQUENTLY) get worse or better? Neither, so far. Last week, we had 2 days where she had diaper rash from her stinkies, but I guarantee she would have gotten the same rash wearing disposables.
I've also discovered some other things (these are more on the negative side)
1. A lot of moms who cloth say, "Oh, it's just as easy as disposables." I don't think so. Maybe I'll think that later, but it does take a little longer to change the cloth.
2. It is extra work. We're doing an additional load of laundry every other day. It isn't hard work, but it IS extra work.
3. I haven't completely figured out how to use the diaper sprayer (attached to the toilet) without spraying myself.
4. I'm scared to use prefolds. One-size doesn't fit as well on skinny newborn legs, so in the beginning with new baby, we will be using prefolds and covers. Hopefully, I'll figure it out quickly!
5. George and I both aren't huge fans of cloth wipes. They are necessary, because you keep them with your diapers. You can't store disposable wipes in your diaper pail because you can't wash them. So, if you use disposable wipes, you have to throw them in the trash and now your house stinks. But, I do think disposable wipes are way more convenient than cloth wipes. (We're still sticking with the cloth)
6. You save a lot of money in the long run (ESPECIALLY if you plan on having more kids), but the start up cost is a lot. Individual cloth diapers are pricey. They pay themselves off easily, but they are pricey.
7. You get some looks when you drop your child off with someone (like church nursery, gym nursery, a babysitter, etc.). I've gotten three kinds of looks. Thankfully, the most normal reaction is just a, "Okay. Sure." Then, a lot of the younger generation looks at you like you're crazy. But my favorite look is from the older generation. At our church VBS, two older ladies watched Apple. I took her the first night, told them I was cloth diapering, showed them the diapers, and they were flabbergasted. Both of them had this look like, "This is not cloth diapering. WE cloth diapered. It was a lot more complicated and involved pins. This is just a washable diaper." :)
So far, we think it's worth it to cloth. I wish I would have considered it with Apple earlier, but it didn't even cross my mind as an option. It's also definitely not for everyone! And it's not what most people think anymore. Hopefully, we'll continue to have a good experience with it when new baby gets here!
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