I don't remember what prompted me to look into cloth diapering. I don't even know what possessed me to tell Sky, "I want to try cloth diapering." But the fact of the matter is, I said it. Sky researched it (He always has to research stuffs...its nice. Saves me the work.) and eventually came on board with my "wacky" idea. The benefits of cloth diapering far outweighed the the benefits of disposable diapers. Although disposable diapers are very convenient, I wasn't happy with the thought of filling up a landfill somewhere with all the diapers. Not only are cloth diapers a greener option, the amount of money saved in the long run was enticing. Who doesn't want to save $1500-$2500?!
The world of cloth diapering is overwhelming! I'm not going to lie...I think I put off buying diapers a little because of how overwhelming it is. I still haven't figured everything out, and I certainly don't pretend I'm an authority. We started off with gDiapers (www.gdiapers.com). I ordered the newborn bundle.
www.gdiapers.com
These were very cute! I liked the idea that they secured in the back. The disposable inserts sounded like a nice way to ease into the world of cloth. I figured if I could handle these, I could definitely handle going fully cloth. There were 12 newborn g's and 6 small g's. Inside each gPant was a snap in liner that you would stuff with a disposable insert (or a gCloth insert). When the baby did her business, all you had to do was change out the insert, or if it was a dirty diaper; unsnap the liner from the pant, dump the insert, and put a fresh diaper on the baby. The gPants and snap in liners are machine washable, so they went into the washing machine on laundry day. Sometimes, I would have to rinse out the poo from the liners; especially since that breast fed baby poo is so watery. Overall, I was happy with the gDiapers.
The cost of the disposable inserts is comparable with disposable diapers. Not exactly saving money this way. I should have looked into the gCloth inserts, but by this time, I was ready for a "real" cloth diaper. I had already purchased a handful of pocket diapers that I had found on sale online. Then someone had mentioned Diaper Swappers to me. It didn't take long before I was buying and selling (gDiaper Newborns) on there. For all you cloth diaper mamas or you mamas who are interested in cloth diapering, I highly suggest checking out the boards and forums on Diaper Swappers. There are lots of ladies with great advice and they are super helpful!
So, there I was...ready to start our first day of cloth diapering. It was a Saturday and I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I had only ever had experience with disposable diapers. And while I loved the cute prints of the cloth diapers that I had already purchased, I wasn't so sure I would actually be able to go through with it. But then I figured I had to. I had already bought some diapers and invested money in this. I chose a cute little Rumparooz diaper. This one had an aplix (velcro) closure as opposed to snaps. The diaper had been prepped and stuffed and was ready to go. I have to admit, she looked pretty cute in it!
The diapers I chose to go with are called pocket diapers. Just like clothing, there are different brands of diapers. I bought a variety of brands to see which ones I liked the best. Some of the brands I had purchased were: Rumparooz, Kawaii Baby, Maude Mama, Fuzzibunz, BumCheeks, Grovia, and Flip. Out of these, think the Rumparooz, Kawaii, BumCheeks, Grovia and Flip are my favorites.
All the diapers I use have microfiber inserts, with the exception of the BumCheeks and Fuzzibunz. The Fuzzibunz diaper came with minky inserts and the BumCheeks have bamboo inserts. The BumCheeks have become my go-to diaper when it comes to overnight diapers. Austyn has gone almost 12 hours in a BumCheeks with no leaks! And this kid of mine pees a LOT!
The Grovias are very trim. These are considered AIOs - All In One diapers. This means the insert is attached, everything is in the diaper, no stuffing or folding required. These are super trim compared to some of the other diapers. When Austyn is in her night time diaper, you know it! Fluff butt is too cute!
I could write so much more about the different diapers that I have, but then this post would become like my birth story and it'd be fifteen posts long. LOL! I will however, start talking about my opinions on cloth diapers.
I LOVE THEM.
Seriously, I love them. I really wish I hadn't been so chicken shit and bought a bunch before I had Austyn so that I could have her in cloth all day long, every day. They're super adorable, super green, and just plain super! They hold in a poosplosion like nobody's business! I can't count how many times Austyn has had a blowout in a disposable diaper...I'm talking up her back and out the leg holes! She hasn't had a single blowout in a cloth diaper. It's all contained! Even the watery breast fed poo. Granted, Sky prefers us to tag team the poosplosions (He holds her legs and I get to wipe her down.). This is probably my favorite thing about cloth diapers aside from their cuteness. There's nothing worse than looking down at your lap because it's suddenly warm and then realize it's poo. Poor Sky. She always seems to poo on him!
What I don't like - the extra fluff butt calls for her to wear clothing that's slightly bigger so that it will fit over the fluff butt. Pocket diapers can also be a pain in the hind end to stuff...And worrying about matching the insert with the right diaper...Oh brother! And let's not get into how you can't wash hemp diapers and hemp liners with microfiber because the natural hemp oils will render the microfiber useless.
For mamas who are interested in cloth diapering, I say just try it. There are cheaper options than pocket diapers...and if you scour Craigslist, eBay, Diaper Swappers, and other boards, you can find some previously loved diapers for cheap. I just picked up a giraffe print one off of Diaper Swappers for cheap the other day. This summer, I plan to master prefolds and flats. Just don't ask me about them yet, because I'm still learning!
I apologize if this post isn't quite as entertaining as the rest. I just wasn't sure where I was going with this post other than talk about cloth diapers. If there's something specific you want to know more about, then please leave a comment and I'll address it in my next posting.
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