My Take on Cloth Diapers

As we prepared for the arrival of our little Audie, we quickly realized that due to our change in income (which is almost half of what it used to be now that I am no longer working) using cloth diapers was the right choice for us. As I did research, I was also further convinced by, what I consider, to be the other advantages of cloth diapers. I will not take much time in going into too many of the details simply because others out there have already done it. So, here is my run-down on cloth diapers:

Here is the article that started it all for me: http://simplemom.net/tools/cloth-diapering/

These are the two websites where I bought the diapers because they were running a good promotion: http://www.diapers.com/ and http://www.diaperjunction.com/

These are the diapers I use: http://www.diapers.com/buy?freetext=flip%20diapers and here is their official website: http://www.flipdiapers.com/index.php

Here is a link to their FAQs which I thought was helpful: http://www.flipdiapers.com/customersupport.php#faq

These are the wipes I use: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-kicks-Pack-Wipes-Colors/dp/B0032AMM9M (to start out, I bought two sets so a total of 20 wipes - I am pretty confident that this will be plenty since I should only need to use one or two wipes when there is a poopy diaper.) Some people use a spray bottle with a solution of baby wash, baby oil, and water to spray the wipe right before using it, and others pre-soak the wipes in a solution (or just water) and keep them in a regular wipes container. I did this at the beginning, but now that Audie is only pooping once or twice a day, I keep the wipes dry and wet them when I need them. Also, some people use disposable wipes when they are not at home, but like everything else disposable, I try not to do that in order to save money. So, I take pre-soaked wipes with me in a travel-sized wipes container.

This is the wet bag I use: http://www.diapers.com/p/FuzziBunz-Hanging-Diaper-Pail-White-67003

This is the smaller wet bag that I keep in the diaper bag for when we are out and about: http://www.diaperjunction.com/diaper-rite-cloth-diaper-wet-bag.html

This is the laundry detergent I use now for ALL of our laundry: http://www.amazon.com/Charlies-Soap-Powder-2-64-Loads/dp/B0018B15FE and here is their official site: http://www.charliesoap.com/ (You have to use a natural detergent with little-to-no chemicals otherwise a residue will develop on the diapers and they would no longer be absorbent)

The process: Wet diapers go directly into the wet bag until laundry day. Poopy diapers and wipes get rinsed off in the sink (since we pretty much only use this sink for rinsing out diapers, it gets cleaned and disinfected about once a week). Some people install a kitchen sprayer to the back of their toilet and rinse the diapers that way. (Keep in mind, the "rinsing" is mostly for a younger baby's diaper since the poop is still "loose." When the child gets older and the poop becomes more solid, you can just dump it in the toilet.) Pretty much everything rinses easily off of the liners, and then the liners go into the wet bag until laundry day. Some people I guess think it's gross because they think poop and whatever else gets in the washing machine, but instead, everything gets rinsed in either the toilet or sink and a mostly clean diaper goes into the wash. Some people also think that since you may be doing more laundry and using more water, that cloth diapers aren't as practical as they sound because your water bill may go up. Even if your water bill goes up, you are still saving THOUSANDS of dollars PER CHILD (keep in mind that ALL cloth diapering supplies you buy can be reused with each baby that comes along - if the diapers are taken care of properly of course). And in an effort to save even more money, I try to line dry everything as often as possible.

Benefits of using cloth:

The cost - I've already mentioned that.

The fabric - soft organic cotton (or hemp, or other all-natural fibers depending on what brand you use) instead of disposables that are filled with chemicals

Less chance of diaper rash - while a rash may appear at some time (if the baby is sick or on medication), if the diaper is being changed regularly, your child is far less likely to develop a diaper rash due to the above point "the fabric"

Environmentally friendly - less waste and especially important...less waste filled with human feces that is sitting in a landfill somewhere

The look - cloth diapers look adorable! And depending on the brands/styles, they come in TONS of different colors and prints!

Here is another great link about why I chose cloth diapers. Seriously, why aren't more people doing this? :) http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

If you are curious about cloth diapers, I hope this helps to gives you a better idea of what cloth diapering is all about. There is a TON of information and a TON of different products and brands out there. The key is to do your research and make an educated decision for what is best for your family. Disposables are not your only option! Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions at all!