Step #1 - Cloth diapers

With soon to be TWO kids in diapers, I knew we had to find something better. With just one kid (a toddler at that) we were throwing out at least two to three bags of just dirty diapers a week! Now, I know that newborns gotta do their business 8-12 times a day so I shuddered to think about how many diapers we were going to go through. Not to mention, Asher must have a small bladder because he still goes through probably 8 a day. With no end of using diapers in sight, I started looking into to cloth diapers. I don't know too many people who use them but the ones that do say that they LOVE them! They gush about the ease, the comfort and the overall eco and economical benefits. How could I not at least research it?



I know Cody is getting tired of me talking about cloth diapers, but since it is such an investment, I had to make sure he was on board too, which luckily, he is! The thing is, there are so many types for cloth diapers out there. I had NO idea just how many options there were. I assumed people used the pre-fold type cloth diapers like the burp rags I used for Alien #1 (Asher). And while some people use those and apparently they are a great idea for a back up system, there are actually cloth diapers that come really close to working the exact same way as a disposable! I was pretty surprised. I started looking for about a month before I ordered my first order. It took me just that long to look at all of the reviews and weigh all the pros and cons of each diaper. Not to mention figure out how many diapers I needed for my two aliens.



So, first came the pre-folds. They seem to me like rectangular pieces of cloth. Some of them are divided into thirds with the middle section being thicker so that they absorb more. Some of them have to be fold or used with an insert to achieve thickness in the center third. You have to use diaper pins, snappis (cool little snag type closures) or a water-proof diaper cover to secure them. Pre-folds are not waterproof by themselves. I found most people use a diaper cover to avoid leaks. I ordered 12 of these as a "backup" since they seem to fit most babies"



Then there were the fitted. They were more contoured, almost like a disposable diaper, around the legs for more ease and possibly comfort. Again you have to use either diaper pins, snappis or a diaper cover to secure these. A cover is also used with these to prevent leaks. I decided against these, for now, due to the fact that they are the same as the pre-folds except fitted so you don't have the range of size with them. For me it was a money-saving issue.



Then came the pockets. These are cool little diapers with a pocket sewn into a (usually) waterproof cover. You simply tuck an insert into the pocket and then take it out when it gets dirty. Simple really. One brand I found doesn't even require you to take out the insert. You just take off the diaper and throw it in the diaper pail. Super simple.



Another kind is the one size. It comes with a whole bunch of snaps on the front. You set it on the lowest for newborns, the middle of infants and the top row for toddlers. Most brands say that they work for 7lbs-35lbs. I'll test that theory on Alien #2 (Augustine) when she gets here. Most of the diapers that I ordered fall into this catagory due to the cost effectiveness. You can use them on multiple kids. All you have to do is adjust the snaps. Also, I found that you can find the one sized diapers in pockets, All In Ones (AIOs) and the fitted diapers. I went with the one-size pockets for the most part. In fact the bulk of what I ordered comes from a company called The Natural Baby Co. called Gro Baby diapers. This is a system where you get a waterproof, organic shell and then you snap in the soakers and boosters (made from organic cotton). You can use 2-4 shells in the course of a day. I like that. The other system I ordered is called Smartipants. They're the ones that the insert comes out in the wash. They sound easy enough. They're usually waterproof.

And the final kind are the All In Ones (AIOs). Now some people swear by these and I would like to try them but they are usually made for a certain size and they're rather expensive so I chose to save trying them for another time. They are as close to disposable diapers as you can get and still be in cloth. They seem to be the easiest option, but also the most expensive.

Confused yet? I know I am! I still am and I already ordered my first batch. The thing I had to do was look at what was best for my budget and for my family. Since I have two little aliens I needed something that would work with both of them, so I chose mainly pocket one-size diapers. So you ordered your diapers. You're done, right? Wrong. There's cloth wipes, the diaper pail, the wet bags for your diaper bags, the liners for your diaper pail. And oh so much more that I am just now beginning to see what I got myself into.

Wipes. They are essential to every diapering mom and pop out there. If you're going to do cloth diapers because you want to save money and for the environment, it kind of defeats the purpose if you use disposable wipes instead of cloth. So I ordered the cloth wipes as well. I've been told you just use a commercial wipe container or a diaper warmer and use one of the many wipe solutions you can find online to wet the wipes. Some companies even make spray cleaners for wipes. I think what I've decided to do is make my own solution for home but throw one of the spray bottles in the diaper bag.

The diaper pail is a must have for any kind of diapering. Some sites said you could use a wet pail (one in which you fill with water) but that just didn't seem safe with a toddler running around here so I'm going with what they call a dry pail. This is where the liner comes in. If the baby has gone #2 in the diaper you can either swish it around in the toilet or buy a mini sprayer which just sprays the mess off of the diaper and into the toilet. The diaper then goes into the diaper pail. If the baby has just gone #1 in the diaper, then you can just throw it in the pail. At least I hope that's how it works. We'll see. I also ordered some diaper pail smelly good things. I think that might be important. I plan on doing a load every other day, so hopefully the smell won't be too bad.

A wet bag is a small or medium tote bag you take with you when out and about. Simple enough. Again, we'll see.

And I guess you can't use just any ol' kind of rash cream because it will break down the integrity of the diaper. The creams that are safe seem a little steep price wise so I'm going to look into making my own.

So, after spending around $700 in diapers and the accessories, I find myself asking if it's worth it? And the honest truth...YES! Absolutely. If I try it and decide for some reason that it's not right for my family, then alright, but I don't think that will be the case. So my reasons for giving cloth diapers a chance:

1.) Cost effective. Although at first they seem like a large investment in the beginning, I'll actually be saving tons of money by spending $700 for the amount of diapers and accessories I need for two aliens for their diapering lives and spending thousands of dollars in disposables for each kid. Not to mention is Cody and I do have other children, chances are we can use the diapers again.

2.) Environmentally friendly. The average kid goes through 7,000 diapers between birth and potty-training. By using cloth, that means I'm not throwing that many diapers in our landfills. Some sites that I came across even said that it can take up to 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose completely. Gross. The same can be said for using cloth wipes. Also, by using products that are organic (such as the Gro Baby system) I'm helping out the growers of the pesticide free fabrics.

3.) Comfort. I want my aliens to be comfortable. Cloth diapers, for the most part, contain none of the harmful chemicals that you see in disposable diapers. Plus, which is more comfortable when put next to your skin? Soft fabric or paper? I'm going to go with the fabric.

4.) Faster potty-training. From what I understand from people that have used cloth diapers on the kiddos and from some of the sites I visited, potty training comes easier to those who were diapered in cloth and sometimes kids are ready up to six months sooner since there really is nothing to wick the moisture away. The feel wet. Most of them don't like it, so they learn to not feel that way. I like it.

Those are the main reasons. I'm sure I'll come across more pros and cons as I go along, but for now I think I have a good basis.

So, as soon as I get my stash of diapers, which should be on Tuesday, I'll start posting my reviews on them.

By the way, if you're looking into cloth diapers, you should check out www.diaperjunction.com. They are so friendly if you have to talk to them personally and they have some really good package deals to help you out cost wise. I think I'll be using them to get all of my cloth diapering needs met from now on. They also have a blog and some really helpful advice about how to launder and start your own stash of cloth diapers.

I really wish I would've started cloth diapering when Alien#1 was born. Oh well. You live, you learn.