My first post will be about something that most moms don't think about because it can be scary.... Cloth diapers. Now this post will be long BUT you won't have to go through multiple websites and videos to get an explanation. First I'll go through pros of cloth diapers then I'll go through types and what all those confusing words like aplix, mean.
To be honest, my son is 15 months old and I'm just starting out with this whole thing. I thought about it right after he was born but then I decided not to because seeing all the types and brands of diapers was confusing. Also I thought it was going to be really hard to keep up with and REALLY expensive.
There are a couple reasons that I finally decided to do it.
1. Money- While cloth diapering does seem expensive when you're starting out it will be cheaper in the long run, especially if you plan on having another baby. Yeah, you're going to have to buy the diapers, inserts, diaper sprayer, wet bag, pail liner, cloth diaper safe diaper cream, and whatever other accessories you may need/want. BUT in the long run you will be saving money. You can click this link > Diaper Calculator and find out how much you're spending on disposable diapers, compared to how much you'll spend on cloth and then it shows you how much you save in your baby diapering lifetime. For my family we're saving 3,000 by cloth diapering our son and a future baby, that's a lot of money to saved!
2. It's better for your baby- Do you know how many toxic chemicals are in diapers? 4+... that's too many for me. I had no idea that there were chemicals in my sons diapers that could possibly harm him. If you go here > Harmful chemicals in diapers?! you can read all about what chemicals are touching your baby's bottom and how/why they can cause harm. Also a lot of people that cloth diaper say that their babies get less rashes, seem more comfortable, and are easier to potty train.
3. It's better for the environment- 80% of the world uses disposable diapers, about 18 BILLION diapers a year. Did you know that it takes several hundred (250-500) years for a disposable diaper to break up and biodegrade? You may be saying "eh, who cares" but just think of how much plastic and wood it takes to make those diapers. 82,000 tons of plastic and 250,000 trees in just a year! When our great great great so on and so on grandchildren are here, chances are that the diapers from our children will still be in landfills.
3 great reasons to cloth diaper. Save money, the environment, and your babies bottoms.
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If you have decided that cloth diapering is something you'd like to try out, there are many types and brands. Cloth diapering isn't like what your great grandparents used to deal with anymore. There still are prefold diapers but there are so many more you can go with, you have so many choices!
What I find to be the most money saving is "one size" diapers. These diapers fit 8-35 lbs depending on the brand. They have snaps that you can size to your child's height and weight.
Next you'll have to decide what type of diaper you want. I'll explain each so you won't have to google lol.
Pocket diapers are one type, these diapers have an insert that you stuff the diaper with. People that use them say they are easier to get clean and faster to dry because the insert that soaks up all the urine comes out of the diaper for better washing.
All in Ones or AIO, these diapers have the insert already in the diaper. It doesn't come out. People say these are easier, faster, and a lot of people that have other watch their kids (dads, day cares, ect) prefer them because they're more like disposables. Keep in mind though, when they get stinky it's harder to get out because it's not just a liner, also they take longer to dry.
Hybrids or All in Twos. These diapers are what I chose to go with because they seemed the easiest for my husband. They come with a diaper shell and a snap in insert. Most diaper changes you'll be able to just take out the liner, wipe down the inside of the shell, and snap another insert in. Some hybrid diapers even have biodegradable disposable liners that you can put in if you're going out for a longer period of time or for someone who's watching your little one.
So the big question after you choose a type of diaper is "what closure do I go with?" Well there's two choices, snaps or aplix/hook and loop. People say snap closures last longer but they are also a little bit more time consuming since you have to line up the snaps, and for a half asleep mommy or daddy that can be harder. The next choice you have is aplix/hook and loop, which is basically velcro like. These can cause diapers to get stuck together in the washer/dryer creating a diaper chain but a lot of companies have started putting laundry tabs on them to help prevent that. People say that these aplix straps can wear down after time but again, some companies have come up with solutions for this. This is what we went with because they are easier and more like disposables.
Now you'll have to choose an insert... Microfiber, hemp, organic cotton, ect. I chose to go with organic cotton because reviews said that while they are more expensive, they're easier to clean and get the stinky stains out. In my mind that means they should last a bit longer and save us more money. Hemp is supposed to be more absorbent and a lot of people use them for nighttime diapers. You can buy doublers for heavy wetters.
You'll probably have to switch your detergent too because certain ones are not safe for the cloth diapers and will cause them to wear faster. here is a list of safe detergents- safe detergents for cloth diapers
Okay so now we're on to the accessories. There are so many including cloth wipes, which were not for me. But some of the things that I did get I'll list and tell you why they're great.
First off you'll need a wet bag and a pail liner, don't confuse the two, you'll need both. A wet bag is for diaper bags and outings. It's a zippered bag that has a waterproof lining so you can put all your dirty diapers in it while you're out. A pail liner is basically a waterproof trash bag for you to put your dirty diapers in. You wash it when you wash your diapers.
You'll also need a safe diaper rash cream, other creams will stain your cloth diapers. They come in creams, sticks, and even sprays.
This next one is a great accessory. Now when your baby poops you have to get the bowel movements out of the diaper and into the toilet. Usually you'd just flip the diaper and shake hoping you get the poopy out, or you can buy rice paper liners that you pick out of the diaper and flush in the toilet. Well they have this nifty thing called a diaper sprayer. It looks like a sink sprayer, same concept BUT it attaches to your toilet and you can spray off your diaper/inserts before you put them in your dirty diaper pail.
I hope that I answered most of your questions about cloth diapering. If you're still thinking it's too expensive and you can't pay $250+ all at once for diapers and all the accessories, please head over to my favorite cloth diaper buying site. You can put items in your cart and when you go to checkout it'll ask if you have a code. Put in "layaway" and you'll only have to put down 30%. You'll get to pay the total over 3 months. It's an awesome program and they have great sales on popular brands. GoGo Natural layaway program
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