Diaper Dilema

We're back in 'sposies for a few days in attempt to get rid of a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad diaper rash. I suspect that whatever is causing the rash has been trapped in the cloth diapers, so we're doing a full purge and stripping: hot wash(es) with some bleach and Dawn to get rid of anything that might be stuck and sanitize the whole system. 

Hopefully the rash will clear up in a day or two and we can get back to cloth diapering. For now, we're using Luv's disposable diapers, and couldn't be more unhappy with them. We found ourselves at WalMart when in need of diapers, and Luv's is similar in price to Target's up&up, so we chose to try them out. Never before have we had leakage issues in disposables (and really not in cloth either, once we figured out the proper fit), but I can't seem to change him fast enough to keep all the mess in these flimsy, poorly-made disposables. I can't wait to get him back into cloth!

Cloth Diapering (Again)

After adjusting to life in Kansas, we're finally back in cloth diapers. [While we were traveling, and staying with family, we used disposable diapers for convenience (and to cut down on laundry needs).] Our system is fairly simple, but works well for us:

The Stash:

• 14 One-Size bumGenius 4.0s
• 4 Small bumGenius 3.0s
• 4 Medium bumGenius 3.0s
• 4 Large bumGenius 3.0s
• 14 One-Size Inserts (for 4.0s)
• 20+ Diaper Doublers/Newborn Inserts

Accessories:

• 1 PlanetWise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag
• 2 Thirsties  Deluxe Diaper Duffles
• Target up&up Wipes

The Plan:

• Daytime/Normal Use: a 4.0 (snapped to the appropriate size),
  stuffed with 1 one-size insert and 1 doubler
• usually last 2-3 hours before needing to be changed
• Nighttime/Heavy Use: a 3.0 (in the appropriate size),
  stuffed with 1-2 doublers (2 at night)
• usually last all night without needing a change

• The PlanetWise bag serves as the main 'dirty diaper' storage,
  with the Diaper Duffles as supplements while the larger bag is washing. 
• Target wipes serve not only as cleaners, but also as a diaper liner. Left out to dry for an hour or so, the wipes become soft and stretchy - we simply lay them in the diaper to help catch the poo. [We were originally using Bummis Bio-Soft Liners, but have found that the Target wipes are softer, more durable and less expensive.]

While RJ's is the only bum needing diapering, we typically make it nearly two full days before we're down to the last 4 and need to wash. Since the type of diapers we're using can be machine washed and dried, it only takes a couple of hours to get everything ready to start again (if I stay on top of it, that is). Once we're diapering 2 bums, I anticipate needing to wash every evening to have enough to get us through the next day. Still, the cost of nightly laundering is much less than doubling our stash, and the diapers don't even need folding when they're done, so I can handle this extra task with ease.

The Cost:

• 4.0 Diapers @ $17.95 (x14)
• 3.0 Diapers @ $9.95 (x12)
• Diaper Inserts @ $0 (included with 3.0s & 4.0s)
• Large WetBag @ $29.99
• Small WetBag @ $6.25 (x2)

Total Up-Front Cost: under $400
(some diapers were purchased on sale)

Plus Target Wipes @ ~ $8/month (~ $100/year)

Compared to Disposable Diapers:

• One Child ~ $30/month (over $350/year)
• Two Children ~ $60/month (around $725/year)
• Calculated using Target Up&Up Diapers,
  which we were using before switching to cloth

Over all, we spent just about what a year of disposable would have cost, but our stash will last all through RJ's diapering needs and is large enough to accommodate both boys for the time they are in diapers together. Our only recurring cost is wipes, which is negligible in comparison. [For the first few weeks, Baby Boy will likely be in disposable newborn diapers while his cord heals and he grows into the smallest cloth diapers, but this should only cost us about $50, which is less than investing in newborn-sized cloth diapers.]

Note: 3.0s have the equivalent of the one-size insert sewn in, so only a doubler is needed in addition.

Things I Love: Cloth Diapers

Thanks to the advice of another blogging momma, we took the plunge a few months back and started cloth diapering with RJ. I can't imagine going back to disposable diapers - we're saving a lot of money, with almost no extra effort, and we're loving it.

All our diapers have been purchased from CottonBabies - a company based in my old home town, St. Louis. Not only are their products high quality, but their customer service is above and beyond. BumGenius, the brand we use, was invented by a mom who wanted something better for her child, and the simplicity of the design makes the whole process a breeze.

Stay tuned for a more in-depth Cloth Diapering post.

Note: These opinions are honest and true 

- I've received no compensation from the product manufacturers - 

they don't even know I'm 'reviewing' them.

Cloth Diapering - Take II

The flushable liners we were waiting on came in the mail today, so we've finally been able to start cloth diapering full-time. So far, so good. It takes a few tries to get the fit just right and avoid leaks, but we figured most of that out with the nighttime diapering over the last few days. Daddy's still a little nervous about the whole thing, but with a little more practice, we'll be on a roll.

Around our house is now often seen a fluffy bum:

Cloth Diapering - Take I

My recent order from Cotton Babies (see Cloth Diapering) arrived a couple of days ago - but with one thing missing: the flushable liners. Designed to make poop clean-up easier, I've been hesitant to use the diapers without them. They're on backorder, and should be on their way to us soon, but in the meantime we've decided to forge ahead - at least for nighttime. RJ is usually only wet when we get him up in the morning, so we should have less poop to deal with on overnights. So off we go, into the land of fluffy bums.

Cloth Diapering

Any way you look at it, I'm a Conservative. The way I vote, my family's budget, our wardrobes, and RJ's full name are all illustrations of the deep conservative streak that runs through me. So when the idea of cloth diapering was brought to my attention, my first thought wasn't in favor. That's something liberals do; I'd never want to be like them, so why would I want to diaper my child in such a way? Nearly all the information on cloth diapering is accompanied by some tree-hugging, earth-friendly, do-it-for-the-environment schpeal, and since I didn't want to deal with all that - or worse, become one of them - I put the whole thing off to the side, never to be thought of again. ...

... until I got re-acquainted with a friend from childhood (in actuality, her little sisters were my friends, she was just the bigger sister who I knew in passing). She also comes from a conservative family. And she cloth diapers her babies. Could there be more to this than liberal fanatics ranting about saving the planet? I was willing to hear what she had to say on the issue.

She won me over with the cost of diapering - cloth is significantly cheaper than disposables, even if you purchase the deluxe models and only wash once a week! But she also made some good points about the environmental impact - we are to be good stewards of what the Lord has given us, and washing diapers is much more steward-esq than throwing away a bundle that will take 500 years to degrade. I spent hours looking through the sites she sent me, and finally decided to take the plunge. 

Assisting my plunge are mid-range models of adorable absorbentness - and these are not your grandmother's cloth diapers. No folding, pinning, and covering with plastic pants. These all-in-one mess-holders are as easy to use as disposables, and much cuter. Not to mention the fact that they're much softer on baby's skin, meaning less irritation and rash - I can definitely go for that!

So far, my stash is made up of 3 bumGenius 3.0s and 8 bumGenius 4.0s. Since RJ is moving into the toddler stage, we're changing less often in a day, and I plan to wash every other day (or every day, if needed), so I don't anticipate the need for additional supply until Baby is born.

Included in my order from CottonBabies was a roll of 100 flushable liners (so we can just dump the poop in the toilet and not have to touch it - yuck!), an extra set of 3 bumper inserts for overnights, and a travel-size wet bag for when we're changing on-the-go. Since my order was over $100, they threw in a free pair of babylegs (leggings for babies!) as well. All in all, about $175 left the bank account, equally what we'd spend in 6 months of diapering with disposables. I plan to reuse most of what we have now when Baby gets here (the 3.0s are Medium, so we'll have to wait a bit to get to those), meaning years of worth for a small fraction of the cost. I know I'll need more for infant diapering (especially in the newborn stage), but even doubling what we've already spent won't even come close to what disposables would cost.