I didn't set out to be one of "those" moms. You know, the weird ones that cloth diaper, make their own formula and baby food, drive a Smart car ,etc. OK, well, so far I'm holding out on the Smart car. They are just too small!
My son (now 5) was fed conventional store bought formula, wore disposable diapers, used disposable wipes, ate all the nasty-tasting store bought baby food, and was in every way the "conventional" baby. Not so with my baby girl. And not because I woke up one day and decided we were going to be more green. It actually went a lot like this:
Last October my husband lost his job when I was 28 weeks pregnant. [Can you say EEEEK!!] So, while he was looking for another job, I began researching ways to cut down on expenses for the coming baby. We went from "We really don't have the money for this" to "We
DON'T have the money for this." I knew very little about cloth diapering. I, like most of my friends, thought it was too expensive. I might as well use disposables if I wasn't looking to be "green."
Wow! Was I wrong! I found that while disposable diapers cost around $1000 for just the first year of diapering, many of the more budget conscience forum moms cited a cost of $300-$400 for birth through potty-training. And then they could reuse most of those diapers on the next child too, making it even cheaper.
Through a God-provided miracle, my husband did end up getting a job that started a week after baby Aarilyn was born. Even with my husband's new job, we decided to continue with our plan to cloth diaper. Money saved never hurt anyone. :D
The dreaded Diaper Duty...
I have had several friends comment that they couldn't cloth diaper because it is so
a) expensive or
b) difficult. It doesn't have to be! I've spent exactly $274 and I wash one extra load of laundry (diapers) every second day.
So, How?
I use what the cloth diapering world calls flats (washable diaper inserts), some pre-folds (also washable inserts), and a conglomeration of second-hand pocket diapers and some new inexpensive covers. I actually don't like the pockets much and only use them at night because they can hold a doubled up diaper to get her through the entire night without leaking. However, it would be no hardship to use only regular covers and flats. That is what I prefer. Here is a breakdown of what I've spent:
$48 - second-hand pocket diapers - I think I have 8 of them
$40 - 24 indian pre-fold diapers
$42 - 8 tiny diaper covers for the newborn stage - up through about 12 or 15 lbs
$67 - 7 regular one-size diaper covers, 3 rolls of flush-able liners, and two wet bags (to put the dirty diapers
in for washing later)
$13 - 12 pk. flour sack towels from Sam's..these serve as my favorite flats and they are big
$13 - 24 12"x12" washcloths (also Sam-'s)...these have replaced wipes...Just wet, wipe, wash/dry, repeat
$9 - 10 flour sack towels from Walmart....more flats, though not as well liked
$42 - 2 Thirsties Duo Size One diaper covers, and 2 Small Dappi Diaper covers
I usually keep a package of disposable, flush-able wipes with me just in case I have to change her somewhere without nearby access to water.
Most cloth diapering sites recommend washing every 2-4 days. I wash diapers every other day. Even with my frequent wash schedule, I spend maybe $5 more on my water bill every month, about $10 more in detergent every few months or so. Many moms use the same laundry detergent for the diapers as they use for the rest of their clothes. This was my choice for simplicity sake. However, finding a detergent that no-one in the family is allergic to was a challenge. I finally found Tide Liquid to work for us after having tried at least 6 other detergents.
Important note: Do not use fabric softeners in washing or drying your diapers. Fabric softeners put a barrier/film of chemicals on your diapers, making them unable to absorb. I throw in
a dryer ball, which acts as a non-chemical fabric softener. Some insist on using detergent specifically made with cloth diapering in mind. I have not found that to be necessary. You can use anything that will get them clean. I use Oxi-Clean and Tide Liquid on my diapers in a long wash cycle (HE washer) and then do one, sometimes two rinse cycles. I hang up the covers and toss the rest in the dryer on a regular dry cycle, spend 5 minutes folding and putting away, and I'm done. So far, it has worked quite well. My hubby even likes it. He changes diaper too. He also LOVES the money we don't spend on diapers every couple of weeks.
Here is a list of links to help you:
My favorite flats are the 30" X 30" Bakers brand flour sack towels
from Sam's.
Inexpensive diaper covers:
http://www.assuntastore.com/
I like these because a) they are inexpensive compared all others I have found, b) they have double-gusset leg openings, so they are less likely to leak, c) they have the tiny covers for the little bitty newborns through about 12 lbs. (most one-size options say they work for newborns, but they are truly too big in actuality, so its nice to have something that actually does fit those first several weeks) and d) they're cute!! I promise I'm not in any way affiliated with this company. I just REALLY like their diaper covers!
All about cloth diapering:
http://www.diaperswappers.com/
This forum has everything you would ever want to know about cloth diapers, plus some!
More Info:
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/home.php
This site is actually a store that sells cloth diapering supplies. I never bought from them, but I did learn a lot about how cloth diapering works, sizing, etc.
You can also make your own cloth diapers, both the inserts and covers:
http://clothdiapermakers.com/diaper-making-fabric-notions
http://www.diapersewingsupplies.com/
I did consider this option, but wasn't brave enough to try it!
Trouble-shooting when your diapers may not be getting clean enough:
http://www.cloththatcounts.com/?p=997
I read this thoroughly a few times before starting our wash routine to try and avoid the pitfalls. So far, so good!
I am by no means an expert on cloth diapering. I do enjoy saving the money and being just a bit more of a "earth-friendly" household. If you choose not to cloth diaper, that is your choice and I'm certainly not bashing it. I didn't cloth diaper my son. However, if you are in need of cutting some expenses or just really want to be a bit 'greener' in you living, here is one way a household with babies can do it!
Happy Diaper Duty! :-)
