I was getting Lil' J dressed for bed after a bath, and stuffing one of her Fuzzibunz pocket diapers. We have a handful of those for night time.
As I pushed a cloth insert through the middle of the diaper I heard her giggle. I looked down at her smiling but I didn't know what was so funny. I continued stuffing the diaper with a second cloth insert and realized what was making her laugh. My hand stuck inside the diaper made it look like it had a life of it's own and she apparently thought that was hilarious.
Now the diaper tickles her each night after her bath before bed... Well, on the nights mommy puts her to bed. It never fails to get her going. I recently captured it on video.
It's not possible for me to watch this and not laugh myself.
Showing posts with label cloth diaper experiment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cloth diaper experiment. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Cloth Diaper Breakthrough
Yesterday I was talking to a woman when I noticed a stack of cloth diapers beside her. I asked her if she cloth diapered and she told me she did. I told her I did as well and it opened up a whole slew of other conversations.
I'm finding the same thing happens at church and yoga class when another fellow cloth diapering mama, or a perspective cloth diapering mother notices one another. It's a sort of instant comrade among women.
A few people have recently asked me if we're still cloth diapering. I guess because I don't mention it as often, or post a gazillion pictures of her in solely a diaper, people aren't sure if I gave up.
Surprisingly I didn't.
I say surprisingly, because really, it's a big surprise, mostly to me.
What started as an experiment has become a lifestyle for us.
My mother-in-law came to visit us last month and happily changed Lil' J's cloth diapers, and told me something I didn't know--My husband wore cloth diapers. Who would have thought? I believe she made have even made them, if I'm remembering correctly. Now I'm not that domestic (yet) but I am doing a lot more laundry now, which is a big step in my domestic diva development.
My husband (the champ) is cloth diapering our daughter right along side of me and we've come to find a few things that are making the experience much easier for us.
For one, the smell I mentioned in my frustrated post about in my temporary break up with cloth diapers post, has been eliminated by using some stuff called BioKleen in the wash during the pre-rinse cycle.
That's the other thing. I gave in and added a rinse cycle before the wash like many recommended. It's helped with the smell tremendously. Actually there is none now!
We have enough diapers to get us through 3-4 days but we usually wash every 2-3, or once the pail is full. My line drying stint is over. I gave that up after one try, and we've just decided to eat the extra water costs. Our bill seems to have leveled out to be about $15-$20 more than we were spending before and we are doing 12-18 extra loads of laundry a month so it's more work, and we're not saving tons and tons of money, but it's second nature to us now.
My daughter's poop has gotten more solid so I followed some friends' recommendations and bought flushable (like, won't flood your toilet flushable, I've tried it and they are SUPER thin) liners to go in her diapers. Problem is, I put them in when she pees and forget them before she poops. We're still trying to get the hang of them and remember to put them in every diaper change. I'm also going to invest in a diaper sprayer to spray off pop in the toilet. And we got some wool dryer balls courtesy of The Willow Store has cut back on our drying time, and saved energy as well.
To be honest, I didn't think we'd still cloth be diapering. My daughter didn't get rashes with Pampers. We weren't spending a lot on disposables, I'm not the most eco-conscious person around and I don't think using cloth diapers make us "better" than anyone else. I will say that if I can do it, just about anyone can! The first month was rough to get used to our system, but now, it's second nature. It really doesn't take any thought to using cloth diapers 24/7 just like we did with disposables. In fact, it seems just as easy. NO LIE! But remember, this was after 2-3 months. If you're considering them check out my article 7 Reasons to try cloth diapers on Baby Center.
I've been using Sprout Change diapers as well as FuzziBunz and gDiapers mostly. I also have a couple random other brands but those three are my favorite so far, for sure (in that order).
I like spreading the word about Sprout Change because they're an up and coming, mom-owned and operated cloth diaper company. I think the mechanics of their one-sized diapers are most efficient and I love that they are the only reversible cloth diaper out there!
I intend to cloth diaper our next child, and hope to use many of the diapers we have now. The bad thing is, many of the Sprout Change diaper covers I have now are purple and pink in assortment. The SweatPea, Smoothie, Grapefruit, they are all irresistible. I have a few gender neutral ones but will want to grab a few more. They're about to release a great new batch of gender neutral colors in a highly requested chocolate brown on one side. Since I have enough inserts I'll be splurging on some more covers and I'll be sure to get some of these that can go with a lot, and lucky you can win one!
Sprout Change is looking for name ideas for their new diaper covers. They're reversible, so one side is the chocolate brown and the other is each of the above colors. Leave a comment with a name idea for one of these new diaper shells and one *UPDATE*... THREE winnerS will get a free Sprout Change Shell (one winner for each new color)! Try to keep it food/health related like their other colors if you can. Here's an example... For number 3 my suggestion is Vanilla Bean.
I'm finding the same thing happens at church and yoga class when another fellow cloth diapering mama, or a perspective cloth diapering mother notices one another. It's a sort of instant comrade among women.
A few people have recently asked me if we're still cloth diapering. I guess because I don't mention it as often, or post a gazillion pictures of her in solely a diaper, people aren't sure if I gave up.
Surprisingly I didn't.
I say surprisingly, because really, it's a big surprise, mostly to me.
What started as an experiment has become a lifestyle for us.
My husband (the champ) is cloth diapering our daughter right along side of me and we've come to find a few things that are making the experience much easier for us.
For one, the smell I mentioned in my frustrated post about in my temporary break up with cloth diapers post, has been eliminated by using some stuff called BioKleen in the wash during the pre-rinse cycle.
That's the other thing. I gave in and added a rinse cycle before the wash like many recommended. It's helped with the smell tremendously. Actually there is none now!
We have enough diapers to get us through 3-4 days but we usually wash every 2-3, or once the pail is full. My line drying stint is over. I gave that up after one try, and we've just decided to eat the extra water costs. Our bill seems to have leveled out to be about $15-$20 more than we were spending before and we are doing 12-18 extra loads of laundry a month so it's more work, and we're not saving tons and tons of money, but it's second nature to us now.
My daughter's poop has gotten more solid so I followed some friends' recommendations and bought flushable (like, won't flood your toilet flushable, I've tried it and they are SUPER thin) liners to go in her diapers. Problem is, I put them in when she pees and forget them before she poops. We're still trying to get the hang of them and remember to put them in every diaper change. I'm also going to invest in a diaper sprayer to spray off pop in the toilet. And we got some wool dryer balls courtesy of The Willow Store has cut back on our drying time, and saved energy as well.
I've been using Sprout Change diapers as well as FuzziBunz and gDiapers mostly. I also have a couple random other brands but those three are my favorite so far, for sure (in that order).
I like spreading the word about Sprout Change because they're an up and coming, mom-owned and operated cloth diaper company. I think the mechanics of their one-sized diapers are most efficient and I love that they are the only reversible cloth diaper out there!
I intend to cloth diaper our next child, and hope to use many of the diapers we have now. The bad thing is, many of the Sprout Change diaper covers I have now are purple and pink in assortment. The SweatPea, Smoothie, Grapefruit, they are all irresistible. I have a few gender neutral ones but will want to grab a few more. They're about to release a great new batch of gender neutral colors in a highly requested chocolate brown on one side. Since I have enough inserts I'll be splurging on some more covers and I'll be sure to get some of these that can go with a lot, and lucky you can win one!
Winner will be announced on my Facebook Page next Thursday the 14th (contest ends Wednesday at midinght!)
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
My Break Up With Cloth Diapers
When I came home from work the second thing I noticed was my daughter wearing a disposable diaper. I asked my husband why she wasn't in a cloth diaper (in a loving, non-accusatory way) and he told me it was because they needed to be washed. Which brings us back to the first thing I noticed--The smell.
Instead of mahogany and leather bound books, my house smelled of dirty diapers.
My husband did the laundry while I nursed and reunited with our daughter. But when I went to pull a diaper out of the dryer, the smell hit me like a ton of bricks.
I sat there for a second wondering if my husband remembered you're supposed to wash the diapers first before putting them in the dryer. But they were clean. They just didn't smell like it.
I took my question to Google. How to wash cloth diapers. Simple enough, right? WRONG!
If you want to scare someone out of trying cloth diapers show them this site. I read that from the get go and saw I was doing it all wrong. According to that website I was supposed to wash my BRAND NEW diapers 5 to 10 times before using. Yea, that didn't happen.
So I took my question to twitter. And you know how simple questions can go controversial, but I tried to keep it friendly. Just thanked everyone for their suggestions, or letting me know their washing routine.
Most people told me they wash first on a cold cycle then again on a hot cycle before drying. Are you kidding me?
I told my husband we should add an extra wash cycle to our diapers and he laughed at me.
"Do you know how much our water bill went up last month?" He asked me.
I shook my head.
"Twenty dollars."
That's not how much our water bill was total, that's how much it went up in our month of using cloth diapers. Needless to say this was an all time high. And I'm not a math whiz but based on my quick calculations I guessed if we washed the diapers an extra time per load, it would probably go up an extra $20 and therefor cost us $40 a month just to wash cloth diapers.
Not cool.
So adding an extra wash cycle was out of the question.
I try to follow the yellow let it mellow, brown flush it down rule--you know--to conserve water. But this would cancel out my efforts.
The next common response I got was that I was using too much detergent. Wanna bet? I hardly put any in. I heard time and time again not to put the average amount in because it would cause detergent build up on the diapers. So I put about 1/4 of the recommended amount in the load to be safe.
One person told me maybe that probably wasn't enough. I can't win!
People kept telling me time and time again to buy some Rockin' Green Soap. Everyone raves about no stinky diapers with this stuff. What is it? It's a $14+ bag of detergent that is ya know--Natural, green, biodegradable, probably even edible, I dunno. But it was hard for me to bring myself to spend that much on detergent. I was ready to give in, but just to be sure, I asked one of my friends who swears by the stuff if she uses it in one wash cycle.
Nope.
*crickets*
No? You're telling me I'd still have to wash my diapers twice, PLUS by this extra fancy soap?
Shouldn't something that's natural cost less, not more? And can't I just use something around the house to make them smell better?
As a matter of fact, you can. --At least that was a crowd of twitter friends told me. Using vinegar in the wash can help take the smell of ammonia out.
And then there's always good old fashioned sunshine. Which I already know works wonders on stains.
My husband bought me clothespins--For the diapers, not my nose--And I strung the diapers up along my clothesline outside on my porch. Yes, we looked a little um... tacky. But I was saving energy dangit, and trying to defunk my diapers!
I left them out on my porch while I went to work, and brought them in that night. They were slightly stiff, so I fluffed them in the dryer for a few minutes and took them out. Not only did they look brand new, they smelled that way too!
It was glorious. No fancy detergent needed. No extra wash cycle required, and I can save my vinegar for... Whatever I may need vinegar for in the future.
I've decided I'm going to do this to my diapers every few weeks, or once a month or whenever I notice they're getting a little stinky. I think it beats using twice as much water per load.
A lady at church told me she makes her own detergent using Carlie's soap, I believe. So I think I'm going to do that next time to save myself money on detergent, while also using something that is not going to make the diapers stink or become less absorbent. I came to this conclusion after seeing this detergent chart.
I've also started putting my diapers on a medium or small load instead of large to save more water. They're still getting clean so I guess it's ok for now. Another thing I'm doing is washing every third day instead of every other day. That's cut down on some of the water usage too.
So the cloth diapers and I hit a rough patch. I'll admit, we broke up for a few days. But I missed them right away. Especially after Lil' J had her first blowout in a month. She then had blow out after blowout during her stint back in disposables. The cloth diapers and I have worked through our problems and I think we're going to make it.
Funny thing though... There was a stack of dirty pampers diapers in the bathroom upstairs (the pail is reserved for the cloth ones.) Once we threw those out, our house no longer smelled of dirty diapers.
Ironic.
Instead of mahogany and leather bound books, my house smelled of dirty diapers.
My husband did the laundry while I nursed and reunited with our daughter. But when I went to pull a diaper out of the dryer, the smell hit me like a ton of bricks.
I sat there for a second wondering if my husband remembered you're supposed to wash the diapers first before putting them in the dryer. But they were clean. They just didn't smell like it.
I took my question to Google. How to wash cloth diapers. Simple enough, right? WRONG!
If you want to scare someone out of trying cloth diapers show them this site. I read that from the get go and saw I was doing it all wrong. According to that website I was supposed to wash my BRAND NEW diapers 5 to 10 times before using. Yea, that didn't happen.
So I took my question to twitter. And you know how simple questions can go controversial, but I tried to keep it friendly. Just thanked everyone for their suggestions, or letting me know their washing routine.
Most people told me they wash first on a cold cycle then again on a hot cycle before drying. Are you kidding me?
I told my husband we should add an extra wash cycle to our diapers and he laughed at me.
"Do you know how much our water bill went up last month?" He asked me.
I shook my head.
"Twenty dollars."
That's not how much our water bill was total, that's how much it went up in our month of using cloth diapers. Needless to say this was an all time high. And I'm not a math whiz but based on my quick calculations I guessed if we washed the diapers an extra time per load, it would probably go up an extra $20 and therefor cost us $40 a month just to wash cloth diapers.
Not cool.
So adding an extra wash cycle was out of the question.
I try to follow the yellow let it mellow, brown flush it down rule--you know--to conserve water. But this would cancel out my efforts.
The next common response I got was that I was using too much detergent. Wanna bet? I hardly put any in. I heard time and time again not to put the average amount in because it would cause detergent build up on the diapers. So I put about 1/4 of the recommended amount in the load to be safe.
One person told me maybe that probably wasn't enough. I can't win!
People kept telling me time and time again to buy some Rockin' Green Soap. Everyone raves about no stinky diapers with this stuff. What is it? It's a $14+ bag of detergent that is ya know--Natural, green, biodegradable, probably even edible, I dunno. But it was hard for me to bring myself to spend that much on detergent. I was ready to give in, but just to be sure, I asked one of my friends who swears by the stuff if she uses it in one wash cycle.
Nope.
*crickets*
No? You're telling me I'd still have to wash my diapers twice, PLUS by this extra fancy soap?
Shouldn't something that's natural cost less, not more? And can't I just use something around the house to make them smell better?
As a matter of fact, you can. --At least that was a crowd of twitter friends told me. Using vinegar in the wash can help take the smell of ammonia out.
And then there's always good old fashioned sunshine. Which I already know works wonders on stains.
My husband bought me clothespins--For the diapers, not my nose--And I strung the diapers up along my clothesline outside on my porch. Yes, we looked a little um... tacky. But I was saving energy dangit, and trying to defunk my diapers!
It was glorious. No fancy detergent needed. No extra wash cycle required, and I can save my vinegar for... Whatever I may need vinegar for in the future.
I've decided I'm going to do this to my diapers every few weeks, or once a month or whenever I notice they're getting a little stinky. I think it beats using twice as much water per load.
A lady at church told me she makes her own detergent using Carlie's soap, I believe. So I think I'm going to do that next time to save myself money on detergent, while also using something that is not going to make the diapers stink or become less absorbent. I came to this conclusion after seeing this detergent chart.
I've also started putting my diapers on a medium or small load instead of large to save more water. They're still getting clean so I guess it's ok for now. Another thing I'm doing is washing every third day instead of every other day. That's cut down on some of the water usage too.
So the cloth diapers and I hit a rough patch. I'll admit, we broke up for a few days. But I missed them right away. Especially after Lil' J had her first blowout in a month. She then had blow out after blowout during her stint back in disposables. The cloth diapers and I have worked through our problems and I think we're going to make it.
Funny thing though... There was a stack of dirty pampers diapers in the bathroom upstairs (the pail is reserved for the cloth ones.) Once we threw those out, our house no longer smelled of dirty diapers.
Ironic.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Sprout Change Giveaway for Cloth Diaper Skeptics
After all of the comments were in, and I sorted through the non-entries we have 47 cloth diaper "skeptics" going for the Sprout Change Super Saver Starter Kit which I'm buying for them!
I'll draw a winner from the top 5 entries with the most votes. So look below, and vote for up to your five favorite. If your name is below, tell your friends to come vote for you! Polls clost November 14th at midnight! Good Luck!
1. Carly:
I'm in!
I'd love to be a cloth diaper mommy, because I think the new cloth diapers are pretty cute and we'd like to cut back on the number of dirty diapers we're putting in the trash (especially since we share our trash can with another family).
That being said, I'm a little skeptical about how clean cloth diapers can really be. If it ends up being stained, stinky business, I don't think I'll be able to stick with it for long!
2. Tricia
We have no cloth diapers. I thought about using them, but let myself get swayed by several things:
A. My husband told me he thought it would be too much work and he was squeamish about it.
B. My mom scared me with horror stories of using old-style cloth diapers with me and what a disaster that was.
C. My coworker told me that she used cloth diapers, but she had a diaper service, and couldn't IMAGINE having to was them all herself.
D. My washing machine started to sound like an airplane engine right before take-off (Never a good sound for a washing machine to make!!).
However, the more I read about them, the more convinced I am that I should have stuck with my original thoughts and given them a try.
OH yeah - and my husband promised to get me a new washing machine for Christmas. :)
3. Ro
Ive been following along on yrou journey- and this is why I want to try.
My Daughter is about to turn one and its been on my mind since day 1. If its one sized fits all it will be good for her too. Also she is pretty much past the "blow out" stage thanks to now eating a good amount of real food.
We do laundry everyday now anyways- thanks to my my "towel habit".
Nothing grosses me out... I got my poop initiation early.
I live in a townhome and have to pass my garbage can between garbage pick up days and those diapers smell AWFUL! not dealing with that would be awesome!
The environmental part- 10 thumbs up.
E is watched by my Mom during the day who also does alot of laundry( thats where I got the towel habit from) and she wanted us to do cloth from day one as well.
So PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE Pretty PLEASE ME! lol
I would like microfleece
4. Mrs. V
My husband and I have debated about cloth diapering since we found out we were pregnant. I've spent hours and hours googling brands and AIO's and inserts. Right before we decided to purchase the diapers, my husband got laid off and I let my family talk us out of cloth diapering. For one, we don't have the money. And also, we were able to register for disposables. I really, really wish that we could cloth diaper. Hopefully once my husband gets back to working full-time, it'll be in our budget again.
5. Camilla
Ehmmm, well, you pretty much pulled the rug out from under my comment for why I want to try cloth! You mentioned all my hesitations. And I do want to be more eco-friendly. With two kids in diapers (and another one coming at some point later), I am sick of having a trash can full of dirty diapers!
6. Jewels and Cyrus
I am skeptical, but part of me wants to try them with my 2 year old daughter and the baby I am pregnant with right now. I love there are options out there- I will definitely look into them as I want to "try before I buy" too.
7. Joanna
I've got 2 months before my first child is due (a boy!), and I think I have more cloth-diapering friends than friends that use sposies- but they're all SAHMs. I'm skeptical that, as a working mom, I'll be able to keep up with laundry- but I want to try! Your working-outside-the-home example has been encouraging!
8. MSLibLady
I wanted to cloth diaper badly with my son but got scared! I really want to try with my second baby, but again...I'm scared! I'm a wuss!
9. Ciarra M. Kohn
Reading this blog posting was sort of like an insight into my mind! I am 4 months pregnant and I also have 2 year old that is still in diapers, cloth seems like it might be so difficult sometimes, especially when I am already staring at a mountain of laundry to do. How do you keep up? I can't just stop there. My son and my new baby will both go to daycare and although I know it is state law that they have to use whatever is provided, I don't want to be the person that pulls out the 'law' card. How do I talk those around me into it being a good idea? I mean, that one can't be easy, like you said, it is one thing when it is your adorable little baby's poop, but when you have to deal with someone elses? Maybe I'm just making excuses! haha. I need these to try out! I need to stop talking my self out of it! haha.
10. Cindy
I'm skeptical of my own ability to keep up with the laundry it generates! But I do want to try it, as long as the dipes are not too expensive. Getting started is quite an outlay!
11. Celina
We really want to do cloth diapers with our second baby due in January. I'm kind of nervous about putting the money down and hating the new amount of tasks I'd need to add to our list. Washing, stuffing, stripping, etc...A trial sounds great for someone like me that needs just a peek into the cloth diapering world before we fully commit.
12. The Roli Poli'
I am a 23 yr old SAHM mom with 2 kids.. Husband is a fulltime college student so our budget is very tight. I am very thrifty and always am trying to find ways to save money. I buy generic diapers cuz I can't afford more but my kids are so sensitive its hard to find ones that don't give them rash.
My reservations of cloth have been the mess or convenience when on the go. The need of a cost effective way of diapering my children makes me willing to try but have never had the money for a trial run.
Having the chance to try them out would be an answer to my prayers (and make me VERY happy) because we want more kids and cloth can be re-used with each kid!
13. Whitney @ Diary of A Preppy Mom
I'm not a fan of baby's poo -
The scrubbing seems like to much to do,
but I'm willing to try them just like you,
because I'll do anything once for my little boo! :)
14. Stacy
I would love to try cloth, but we are going to start pottytraining soon and afraid my little princess is too old. I'd love to buy just one set of diapers that I could use for her and the next one-or 2 little ones!
15. Brooke
We are due in February and have discussed cloth diapering a lot lately. I have worked with animals for years... have a few of my own, and as far as poop goes (yes even the nasty and the worst of it) it is really no big deal. My main concern with the cloth diapering is the startup costs. Its such a big blow to start out with the cloth diapering despite the savings in the long run. and a winning the drawing on Nov 5th would be an amazing b-day present for this mama to be!
16. April
I have always told myself that I was going to 1. Breastfeed and 2. Use Cloth Diapers when I had a baby. Well, my little girl (4 months now) came as an unplanned surprise and as a single mother with limited income, I can't afford to invest in something that may not work for us(she is a pretty fussy baby as it is..)or that will end up costing more in the long run to wash them. I know some people that swear by them, and others that tried and it just didn't work. I actually asked for them as an early Christmas present from family, but they said they didn't want to get her diapers for Christmas haha which.. makes sense I guess. Whether I get them, or someone else does, by the reviews it sounds like someone is going to be a happy mom/dad!
P.S. Loving the leg warmers Lil' J!
17. cfmommy
For me there have been a number of things stopping me from trying cloth diapers. When my first baby was born almost 4 years ago, I started to change my mindset to being more "green"...organic foods, and chemical free cleaners and personal hygene products for her. By the time I started hearing more about cloth diapering my daughter was already 6 months and I was already 3 months pregnant with my second baby. At that point I was too chicken to try it because I didn't think I could handle washing the diapers of 2 babies and was terrified of the up-front costs of buying enough of them for both...and once baby #2 arrived and had chronic diarreah from birth (diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 7 months old) this solidified my not using them as there would be no way of keeping up with the washing when he was going through 12+ diapers a day for 7 months straight! Now that I have #3 (3 months old)and we know there is no CF I have been really wanting to give it a try, but again, the initial cost of getting started and the fear that I won't be able to handle cleaning the poop off of them keeps holding me back.
Steph Crosbie
scrosbie @ live.ca
18. micemilk
I'd love to be given a chance to try the sprout change diapers!
Here is why I'm a skeptic... I'm a totally a crunchy vegan organic mama, but my initial try with cloth diapers was a nightmare. I bought the plastic gerber covers and the cloth inserts that you fold and pin yourself. My husband was willing to try it out also. After 10 minutes on my boy, our bed was SOAKED. So I changed the sheets and gave up for the day. Well my husband threw the plastic covers in the laundry and lo and behold they melted, and that ended our trial. $30 bucks down the drain.
The cloth diapers they sell here in the city are just way too expensive and I can't afford to buy new ones all the time. My son was also almost 11 lbs when he was born, and has been off the charts with growth. It'd be a blessing to have something that could be easily adjusted to sustain his growth. I love this old planet and would like to do a better job taking care of it any way I can.
Gimme a chance!!!
19. Mrs. K
So sweet that you will buy it for one lucky reader. I can't benefit from it yet so don't sign me up for this one :). Ok about Lil J, I can't get enough of that jean jacket. I don't think I've ever seen one on a baby before. She's so fashionable. Or at least, her mommy is :)
20. Rachael
Top Ten reasons I want to win these diapers.
1. My husband says that cloth diapers are for "granola heads" and if I cloth diaper it will drive him bonkers.
2. We are just starting TTC, so I could start cloth diapering from the time the baby is born. They would be perfect in babies first pictures.
3. I have severe eczema and all of my nieces and nephews had allergic reactions to regular diapers... so why not avoid that?
4. Cloth diapers just look so much cuter in pictures, even if they do give a baby a bigger booty.
5. I researched the different styles and the all in two just looks the easiest and most convenient. GDiapers were my original plan, but Sprout change seem so much more cost efficient.
6. I plan on having a few kiddos in my lifetime, so they will get used for years to come, totally worth it!
7. My parents cloth diapered me and my sisters. They love to tell jokes about accidentally dying all of our diapers pink once and green another time. I would love to have similar stories with the inserts to share with my kiddos.
8. Currently two of my sisters are pregnant, and if I could show them how great cloth diapers are, they might be converted too... thus driving down the prices even more! (There are two more sisters TTC also... that's 4 ladies right there)
9. I worked at Babies'R'Us when I was in college, so I need to do something in the baby world that redeems me from selling items for ridiculously high prices (even if they were good quality).
10. I absolutely love this blog and check it on a daily basis. I've really seen through the "Cloth Diaper Experiment" that it is not a huge transition and that a husbands can be converted too.
21. Amie
I am skeptical because the only experience with cloth that I have was for my baby sister several years ago. We used the good old Gerber prefolds, pins, and rubber diaper covers. I hated helping out with changes as a little girl because I despised swishing the poopy diapers in the toilet. It seriously made me gag. I was also scared to death of the pins as I stuck myself several times and was terrified that I would accidently stick my sister. I am willing to give it a shot because it seems as if the whole cloth diaper experience has changed tremendously. If things have become as user friendly as they seem, I think even my husband would be willing to try this. I also love the idea of cloth being better for our daughter as well as the environment. And did I mention cute? I am loving the look of a cute, colorful, fluffy bum! I have been hesitant up until this point because of my former unpleasant experience with cloth as well as the cost involved with the initial start up. We are a one income family and things are very tight, so I would definitely have to commit in order to give it a shot. Winning this starter kit would be a huge blessing to help our family give cloth a chance and also help me to convince my husband that it is a worthy investment. Thanks for this generous opportunity...hopefully the winner will be converted to cloth! :)
22. Lara
Wow you are nice! I would love the Organic, Blueberry. I am not sure I can upfront the stash money that is my only issue.
lararapp@aol(Dot)com
23. beautylogicblog
huge skeptic. But maybe because I feel like it's way too much work. lol
24. Michelle
I have two friends over the past 3 years who have successfully cloth diapered so I am less of a skeptic than I used to be.
My main concerns are the initial investment, whether the diapers will hold up, and finding the time to wash them.
Spending all that money when you have a nursery, baby supplies, etc. to buy seems difficult and from what I've read you need a big stash.
I also am concerned after spending all that money will the diapers hold up until the baby is 2 1/2 or 3 and potty trained. I guess the cleaning poop part doesn't bother me because disposables or cloth you are going to be touching a lot of poop with a baby, it is just a fact of life.
Finding the time to wash them would be a struggle for me. I seem to always be 5-6 loads of laundry behind. I guess you just prioritize the diapers because you need them but extra laundry is hard (have a mentioned how much I need a new, quick, front loader)!
Getting to try for free or before you buy would be amazing.
Thanks!
25. Lindsey
Oh, this is so me. Wanting to try but oh-so-skeptical. I've wavered back and forth with my daughter but never did try them and now she's almost ready for potty training. But now I'm pregnant again and having a little boy this time. I'm seriously thinking I should try cloth diapers - because it's naturally better for babies. And saving money on diapers would be totally awesome!
But, being new to this and overwhelmed by the options out there - well, I've questioned it. Will cloth diapering take up hours of my days? Do I really want to have to wash cloth with poop on it (haha)? Honestly, I have an awesome washer and dryer for this with a sanitize setting and everything, so I have NO excuses. I think the worry about it taking up TIME is what I question most, but I've been assured that once you get into a routine it's just as easy as using disposables.
If I won this set of diapers, I would most definitely use them. I feel strongly that I should be cloth diapering and, like you, love the way they look! I would like to make up for my laziness (let's call it what it is) with my first little girl and do this for my little boy due in January. ♥
Thanks for considering me! :)
26. Cathy
I have an eighteen month old son and a 4 month old daughter, so the cost of diapers is adding up. We've never tried cloth diapers or have any in the house. I'm hesitant to try them, because of the cost and find out that we don't like them. I've been reading up on your cloth diaper experiment and interested in giving them a chance.
27. EMILY G.
i have no cloth diapers and i think thats mainly becuase of the initial investment and becuase of washing them (though in my head its probably more difficult than it really is..) i want to try them becuase i have a new baby due here in a few weeks, its better for the enviroment, and becuase well disposable diapers end up being super expensive for as long as you diaper, especially when your diapering more than one kid!! thanks for this oppritunity!!
28. Georges
Why have I been skeptical about cloth diapers? Well, you see, it all began when I was about 5 years old. I have 2 younger brothers and my chore was having to wash out their cloth diapers each time they needed to be changed. Changing "poopy" diapers was the last thing on my list back then, as it should be for any 5 year old. I guess now, after 25+years and having my own kid, I can give it another go! If I should be the lucky winner, I will give cloth diapers a try to see what I have been missing all these years! =)
29. falon
The number one reason why I have never tried cloth diapers (but really wanted to) is because I lived in an apartment and don't have my own personal washer and dryer. I have to share the coin operated ones with the other folks in my building. I personally feel that it would be gross to wash "poop" all day when other people unrelated to me have to use the same machines. I have now sinced moved to my own home with my own w/d and I'm ready to give cloth diapers a try with my 3 month old.
30. mo mcd
I'm a skeptic because I was the toilet swisher when my sister was a baby. (I was 7.) It just seems like too much work with a 2 year old and a 4 month old on my hands! But I'll try anything once . . . ;)
31. Jess
I am due with my first baby in January and my husband and I have been debating cloth vs. disposable. Right now we are leaning toward disposable just because it seems like they really can't be beat as far as convenience is concerned. However we are still open to cloth, so this would be perfect for us!
32. Margaret
I'm skeptical because I'm just not sure I can manage cloth diapers and pumping and working full time all simultaneously. I feel like disposables would just simplify and streamline that issue, but maybe I am wrong!
33. Jessica
I would LOVE to try cloth diapering...but as someone who is up to their elbows in baby poop all day long at work, I think I may just be too lazy NOT to use disposables with my own daughter. I've been following your family's cloth diaper journey and you guys make it seem so easy! However, I guess I'm just not sure if cloth diapering would work with OUR lifestyle, although I did get daddy on board should we have the opportunity to CD, and the amount of work that took should earn me a medal or something!
With the starter kit, it'd be an easy way to test the waters without making such a large financial commitment to something we may not like. I mean, I reuse almost everything that comes into our home, I recycle religiously, and I even cry when my SO throws a glass bottle in the garbage (although that could just be the pregnancy hormones), so I'm definitely a tree-hugging crunchy mama to be to some extent. So, I feel the next logical step in my green journey is cloth diapering...that is if I can get my lazy butt in gear and wrap my mind around rinsing poop out of cloth and putting it in my washing machine (I'll admit sometimes the gross-factor trumps my green efforts). :)
34. NKB
Lil J is soooo adorable and chunky!!! when are we ever going to know her name??? :( I've been following your blog for awhile and i love seeing new pics of your little girl.
35. WeeMasonMan's Mom
I really want to try cloth diapering but I'm worried I'll get too intimidated by all the "Work" - the spraying down, the extra rinsing, doing laundry every two days. I want to be environmentally friendly and I want to save the money but I'm afraid I'll be tied to my wash machine and go "Hmm, I don't feel like doing laundry AGAIN" and throw him in a disposable and next think you know, there is $200+ down the drain.
Best of intentions meets "I realize I'm lazy"
omgababy at gmail
36. HLA
I would love to try cloth diapers!
37. The Adventures of Princess Zaria
I almost tried cloth diapers when Princess Zaria was a baby. I chickened out. Thought it would be too much work. Eve thought about a diaper service. I give Kudos to moms who are more progresive than I was:)
38. Mama Campbell
I am a cloth diapering mommy & I'm trying hard to get my aunt Sandi to try it on two of my cousins (23 month old & 2 month old). She is having a hard time affording diapers & just doesn't have the start up funds to cloth diaper. She uses an XXL cloth diaper on her 7 y/o who has angelman syndrome and is severely disabled, so I know she could keep up with laundry. I wish I could help start her stash, but money is very very very tight for us w/my hubby being unemployed (and another reason I am SO grateful to have already been cloth diapering my 2...we could not afford disposables w/how little unemployment provides). I'm hoping to win her a few diapers to give to her for Christmas this year!
39. Jessica
It's not that I'm skeptical of cloth diapering ... I would love to do it! I just don't have the money to get started and buy a bunch of cloth diapers. So I've been trying to win giveaways so I can try them out!
Also, I'm truthfully scared. I don't know if I'd know how to "work" them. Some of them seem kind of complicated ... inserts? snaps? Yikes! I know that once I 'figure them out' I'll be fine ... but it's that initial "Oh My Goodness ... what do I do?" feeling that freaks me out!
40. amber325
I really want to try them! I get all ready to order my first few to try then someone GOES "OMG so much work.....nasty to share btwn kids.....eww you will touch poop??" So $$ how do they save money?? what about leaks?? AND OF COURSE I chicken out! I have a 25 month old and a 4 month old that I would LOVE to cloth diaper! I am willing to try it ...and want to learn about how great it is like lots of moms say!
My DH is on board....BUT I need to stick with them when we try...:)
-amber noll
41. Catherine Agnes
I want to cloth diaper, I really do, but I'm intimidated by the huge range of options out there! How on earth am I supposed to know where to start? My husband and I are both in school so we can't really afford to invest in cloth diapers and then find that they don't work for us. I would love to win this starter set.
42. superkmom17
I would absolutely love to try cloth diapers but for us money is an issue and I know it will save in the long run but up front we have to be frugal. My hubby is in the military and we are wanting another baby soon. We have a 5 year old and a 1 year old right now! I am hoping to try them on my 1 year old and get in a groove with them before we have another baby! I know it would help the environment which is a plus but yes I am kind of grossed out with the poop that I have to clean instead of just throwing it in the trash. I also know we had issues with my son and daughter being allergic to most diapers which I know cloth would help but I am so scared to be in town with daughter in a cloth diaper... not sure what to do! Hopefully you can help us to learn to use them and maybe convert! Thanks for the opportunity
Kayla
43. Marlese
We are expecting our first child & I wanted to cloth diaper - but all my friends, family (husband included) think it's a bad idea. Too stinky, messy, difficult, expensive - now I'm not so sure. Plus I'm overwelmed with all the choices out there - how do you decide what to try without making an investment & losing money?
Having a baby is going to be busy enough & have added expenses, is it too much to cloth diaper too?!
44. Nikki Saull
We would Love to win this wonderful gift for our little Lilliana! She is seven weeks old and exclusively BF... I have wanted to begin cloth diapering since her birth not only because they are so darn cute, but also so much better for the environment the thought of one of those little Pampers sitting in the landfill for 500yrs is pretty heart-wrenching!
Why i'm a skeptic...
Of course the whole cleaning poo thing isn't too appealing... Then there is the extra loads of laundry... AND THE STARTUP COST IS OVERWHELMING for a lower income family like us... All the choices of cloth diaper brands and styles are a bit mindboggling as well... I personally only know one other mommy who uses cloth diapers so there isn't much support around here...
I am so excited about the idea of cloth diapering Lilliana that i have already been preaching the benefits to the whole family and have them all convinced that cloth diapering will be a great decision for our family and for the planet.But they all say the same thing... How are you gonna afford the startup??? I am apparently left just begging to the Cloth Diaper Fairies to leave some at my doorstep, but i doubt that will happen :) SO maybe you can help us help the planet and put some cutness on another precious booty... :)
45. Krystyn
I'm skeptical, because I'm working on baby #3..and I'm not sure if I can do it.
But, I know so many people that do and love it so much. I think I would most have to convince hubby, who is the guy that completely disrobed when first spit up on (he's improved), and then dealt with the kiddo.
I'd love to not throw away a zillion diapers a day. And, I'd love to be able to convince my daycare that it's doable.
46. Pink Nothings
they just seem so time consuming.
47. 2nd1st_timemom
I want these diapers!!! lol...I would not call myself a skeptical. They're dispers and they do what diapers do..Duh!! My reluctance has more to do with money and my lack of money. Im being honest. In the begining cloth is expensive even if you have in the long run. I have a 3yo and I didnt use cloth with him. It was never an option. In my head cloth was dirty and nothing like the actual cloth diapers of today. Anyway, I know the expense of disposible diapers and they are very expensive!!
Anyway, I dont have money to waste. I would like to try out different disper systems to figure out which is right for me but I dont have the money to do so. Also, what if cloth isnt a convenience? I need for the select few that I choose to care for my child to be confortable with cloth. Well, what brand and type of cloth diaper is going to give me that?
I keep having this dream that I have my baby and I only have one cloth diaper because its all that I can afford. In the dream the baby keeps pooping and peeing and I keep trying to keep that lone diaper clean but its a losing batttle. Dont get me wrong Im not poor and there are those worse off than I am but money is a big issue for me right now and I have a family that is depending on me to not waste it.
I will end this now in the words of Meredith Grey (Grey's Anatomy) "Pick me! Choose ME!!!"
I'll draw a winner from the top 5 entries with the most votes. So look below, and vote for up to your five favorite. If your name is below, tell your friends to come vote for you! Polls clost November 14th at midnight! Good Luck!
1. Carly:
I'm in!
I'd love to be a cloth diaper mommy, because I think the new cloth diapers are pretty cute and we'd like to cut back on the number of dirty diapers we're putting in the trash (especially since we share our trash can with another family).
That being said, I'm a little skeptical about how clean cloth diapers can really be. If it ends up being stained, stinky business, I don't think I'll be able to stick with it for long!
2. Tricia
We have no cloth diapers. I thought about using them, but let myself get swayed by several things:
A. My husband told me he thought it would be too much work and he was squeamish about it.
B. My mom scared me with horror stories of using old-style cloth diapers with me and what a disaster that was.
C. My coworker told me that she used cloth diapers, but she had a diaper service, and couldn't IMAGINE having to was them all herself.
D. My washing machine started to sound like an airplane engine right before take-off (Never a good sound for a washing machine to make!!).
However, the more I read about them, the more convinced I am that I should have stuck with my original thoughts and given them a try.
OH yeah - and my husband promised to get me a new washing machine for Christmas. :)
3. Ro
Ive been following along on yrou journey- and this is why I want to try.
My Daughter is about to turn one and its been on my mind since day 1. If its one sized fits all it will be good for her too. Also she is pretty much past the "blow out" stage thanks to now eating a good amount of real food.
We do laundry everyday now anyways- thanks to my my "towel habit".
Nothing grosses me out... I got my poop initiation early.
I live in a townhome and have to pass my garbage can between garbage pick up days and those diapers smell AWFUL! not dealing with that would be awesome!
The environmental part- 10 thumbs up.
E is watched by my Mom during the day who also does alot of laundry( thats where I got the towel habit from) and she wanted us to do cloth from day one as well.
So PLEASEEEEEEEEEEE Pretty PLEASE ME! lol
I would like microfleece
4. Mrs. V
My husband and I have debated about cloth diapering since we found out we were pregnant. I've spent hours and hours googling brands and AIO's and inserts. Right before we decided to purchase the diapers, my husband got laid off and I let my family talk us out of cloth diapering. For one, we don't have the money. And also, we were able to register for disposables. I really, really wish that we could cloth diaper. Hopefully once my husband gets back to working full-time, it'll be in our budget again.
5. Camilla
Ehmmm, well, you pretty much pulled the rug out from under my comment for why I want to try cloth! You mentioned all my hesitations. And I do want to be more eco-friendly. With two kids in diapers (and another one coming at some point later), I am sick of having a trash can full of dirty diapers!
6. Jewels and Cyrus
I am skeptical, but part of me wants to try them with my 2 year old daughter and the baby I am pregnant with right now. I love there are options out there- I will definitely look into them as I want to "try before I buy" too.
7. Joanna
I've got 2 months before my first child is due (a boy!), and I think I have more cloth-diapering friends than friends that use sposies- but they're all SAHMs. I'm skeptical that, as a working mom, I'll be able to keep up with laundry- but I want to try! Your working-outside-the-home example has been encouraging!
8. MSLibLady
I wanted to cloth diaper badly with my son but got scared! I really want to try with my second baby, but again...I'm scared! I'm a wuss!
9. Ciarra M. Kohn
Reading this blog posting was sort of like an insight into my mind! I am 4 months pregnant and I also have 2 year old that is still in diapers, cloth seems like it might be so difficult sometimes, especially when I am already staring at a mountain of laundry to do. How do you keep up? I can't just stop there. My son and my new baby will both go to daycare and although I know it is state law that they have to use whatever is provided, I don't want to be the person that pulls out the 'law' card. How do I talk those around me into it being a good idea? I mean, that one can't be easy, like you said, it is one thing when it is your adorable little baby's poop, but when you have to deal with someone elses? Maybe I'm just making excuses! haha. I need these to try out! I need to stop talking my self out of it! haha.
10. Cindy
I'm skeptical of my own ability to keep up with the laundry it generates! But I do want to try it, as long as the dipes are not too expensive. Getting started is quite an outlay!
11. Celina
We really want to do cloth diapers with our second baby due in January. I'm kind of nervous about putting the money down and hating the new amount of tasks I'd need to add to our list. Washing, stuffing, stripping, etc...A trial sounds great for someone like me that needs just a peek into the cloth diapering world before we fully commit.
12. The Roli Poli'
I am a 23 yr old SAHM mom with 2 kids.. Husband is a fulltime college student so our budget is very tight. I am very thrifty and always am trying to find ways to save money. I buy generic diapers cuz I can't afford more but my kids are so sensitive its hard to find ones that don't give them rash.
My reservations of cloth have been the mess or convenience when on the go. The need of a cost effective way of diapering my children makes me willing to try but have never had the money for a trial run.
Having the chance to try them out would be an answer to my prayers (and make me VERY happy) because we want more kids and cloth can be re-used with each kid!
13. Whitney @ Diary of A Preppy Mom
I'm not a fan of baby's poo -
The scrubbing seems like to much to do,
but I'm willing to try them just like you,
because I'll do anything once for my little boo! :)
14. Stacy
I would love to try cloth, but we are going to start pottytraining soon and afraid my little princess is too old. I'd love to buy just one set of diapers that I could use for her and the next one-or 2 little ones!
15. Brooke
We are due in February and have discussed cloth diapering a lot lately. I have worked with animals for years... have a few of my own, and as far as poop goes (yes even the nasty and the worst of it) it is really no big deal. My main concern with the cloth diapering is the startup costs. Its such a big blow to start out with the cloth diapering despite the savings in the long run. and a winning the drawing on Nov 5th would be an amazing b-day present for this mama to be!
16. April
I have always told myself that I was going to 1. Breastfeed and 2. Use Cloth Diapers when I had a baby. Well, my little girl (4 months now) came as an unplanned surprise and as a single mother with limited income, I can't afford to invest in something that may not work for us(she is a pretty fussy baby as it is..)or that will end up costing more in the long run to wash them. I know some people that swear by them, and others that tried and it just didn't work. I actually asked for them as an early Christmas present from family, but they said they didn't want to get her diapers for Christmas haha which.. makes sense I guess. Whether I get them, or someone else does, by the reviews it sounds like someone is going to be a happy mom/dad!
P.S. Loving the leg warmers Lil' J!
17. cfmommy
For me there have been a number of things stopping me from trying cloth diapers. When my first baby was born almost 4 years ago, I started to change my mindset to being more "green"...organic foods, and chemical free cleaners and personal hygene products for her. By the time I started hearing more about cloth diapering my daughter was already 6 months and I was already 3 months pregnant with my second baby. At that point I was too chicken to try it because I didn't think I could handle washing the diapers of 2 babies and was terrified of the up-front costs of buying enough of them for both...and once baby #2 arrived and had chronic diarreah from birth (diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 7 months old) this solidified my not using them as there would be no way of keeping up with the washing when he was going through 12+ diapers a day for 7 months straight! Now that I have #3 (3 months old)and we know there is no CF I have been really wanting to give it a try, but again, the initial cost of getting started and the fear that I won't be able to handle cleaning the poop off of them keeps holding me back.
Steph Crosbie
scrosbie @ live.ca
18. micemilk
I'd love to be given a chance to try the sprout change diapers!
Here is why I'm a skeptic... I'm a totally a crunchy vegan organic mama, but my initial try with cloth diapers was a nightmare. I bought the plastic gerber covers and the cloth inserts that you fold and pin yourself. My husband was willing to try it out also. After 10 minutes on my boy, our bed was SOAKED. So I changed the sheets and gave up for the day. Well my husband threw the plastic covers in the laundry and lo and behold they melted, and that ended our trial. $30 bucks down the drain.
The cloth diapers they sell here in the city are just way too expensive and I can't afford to buy new ones all the time. My son was also almost 11 lbs when he was born, and has been off the charts with growth. It'd be a blessing to have something that could be easily adjusted to sustain his growth. I love this old planet and would like to do a better job taking care of it any way I can.
Gimme a chance!!!
19. Mrs. K
So sweet that you will buy it for one lucky reader. I can't benefit from it yet so don't sign me up for this one :). Ok about Lil J, I can't get enough of that jean jacket. I don't think I've ever seen one on a baby before. She's so fashionable. Or at least, her mommy is :)
20. Rachael
Top Ten reasons I want to win these diapers.
1. My husband says that cloth diapers are for "granola heads" and if I cloth diaper it will drive him bonkers.
2. We are just starting TTC, so I could start cloth diapering from the time the baby is born. They would be perfect in babies first pictures.
3. I have severe eczema and all of my nieces and nephews had allergic reactions to regular diapers... so why not avoid that?
4. Cloth diapers just look so much cuter in pictures, even if they do give a baby a bigger booty.
5. I researched the different styles and the all in two just looks the easiest and most convenient. GDiapers were my original plan, but Sprout change seem so much more cost efficient.
6. I plan on having a few kiddos in my lifetime, so they will get used for years to come, totally worth it!
7. My parents cloth diapered me and my sisters. They love to tell jokes about accidentally dying all of our diapers pink once and green another time. I would love to have similar stories with the inserts to share with my kiddos.
8. Currently two of my sisters are pregnant, and if I could show them how great cloth diapers are, they might be converted too... thus driving down the prices even more! (There are two more sisters TTC also... that's 4 ladies right there)
9. I worked at Babies'R'Us when I was in college, so I need to do something in the baby world that redeems me from selling items for ridiculously high prices (even if they were good quality).
10. I absolutely love this blog and check it on a daily basis. I've really seen through the "Cloth Diaper Experiment" that it is not a huge transition and that a husbands can be converted too.
21. Amie
I am skeptical because the only experience with cloth that I have was for my baby sister several years ago. We used the good old Gerber prefolds, pins, and rubber diaper covers. I hated helping out with changes as a little girl because I despised swishing the poopy diapers in the toilet. It seriously made me gag. I was also scared to death of the pins as I stuck myself several times and was terrified that I would accidently stick my sister. I am willing to give it a shot because it seems as if the whole cloth diaper experience has changed tremendously. If things have become as user friendly as they seem, I think even my husband would be willing to try this. I also love the idea of cloth being better for our daughter as well as the environment. And did I mention cute? I am loving the look of a cute, colorful, fluffy bum! I have been hesitant up until this point because of my former unpleasant experience with cloth as well as the cost involved with the initial start up. We are a one income family and things are very tight, so I would definitely have to commit in order to give it a shot. Winning this starter kit would be a huge blessing to help our family give cloth a chance and also help me to convince my husband that it is a worthy investment. Thanks for this generous opportunity...hopefully the winner will be converted to cloth! :)
22. Lara
Wow you are nice! I would love the Organic, Blueberry. I am not sure I can upfront the stash money that is my only issue.
lararapp@aol(Dot)com
23. beautylogicblog
huge skeptic. But maybe because I feel like it's way too much work. lol
24. Michelle
I have two friends over the past 3 years who have successfully cloth diapered so I am less of a skeptic than I used to be.
My main concerns are the initial investment, whether the diapers will hold up, and finding the time to wash them.
Spending all that money when you have a nursery, baby supplies, etc. to buy seems difficult and from what I've read you need a big stash.
I also am concerned after spending all that money will the diapers hold up until the baby is 2 1/2 or 3 and potty trained. I guess the cleaning poop part doesn't bother me because disposables or cloth you are going to be touching a lot of poop with a baby, it is just a fact of life.
Finding the time to wash them would be a struggle for me. I seem to always be 5-6 loads of laundry behind. I guess you just prioritize the diapers because you need them but extra laundry is hard (have a mentioned how much I need a new, quick, front loader)!
Getting to try for free or before you buy would be amazing.
Thanks!
25. Lindsey
Oh, this is so me. Wanting to try but oh-so-skeptical. I've wavered back and forth with my daughter but never did try them and now she's almost ready for potty training. But now I'm pregnant again and having a little boy this time. I'm seriously thinking I should try cloth diapers - because it's naturally better for babies. And saving money on diapers would be totally awesome!
But, being new to this and overwhelmed by the options out there - well, I've questioned it. Will cloth diapering take up hours of my days? Do I really want to have to wash cloth with poop on it (haha)? Honestly, I have an awesome washer and dryer for this with a sanitize setting and everything, so I have NO excuses. I think the worry about it taking up TIME is what I question most, but I've been assured that once you get into a routine it's just as easy as using disposables.
If I won this set of diapers, I would most definitely use them. I feel strongly that I should be cloth diapering and, like you, love the way they look! I would like to make up for my laziness (let's call it what it is) with my first little girl and do this for my little boy due in January. ♥
Thanks for considering me! :)
26. Cathy
I have an eighteen month old son and a 4 month old daughter, so the cost of diapers is adding up. We've never tried cloth diapers or have any in the house. I'm hesitant to try them, because of the cost and find out that we don't like them. I've been reading up on your cloth diaper experiment and interested in giving them a chance.
27. EMILY G.
i have no cloth diapers and i think thats mainly becuase of the initial investment and becuase of washing them (though in my head its probably more difficult than it really is..) i want to try them becuase i have a new baby due here in a few weeks, its better for the enviroment, and becuase well disposable diapers end up being super expensive for as long as you diaper, especially when your diapering more than one kid!! thanks for this oppritunity!!
28. Georges
Why have I been skeptical about cloth diapers? Well, you see, it all began when I was about 5 years old. I have 2 younger brothers and my chore was having to wash out their cloth diapers each time they needed to be changed. Changing "poopy" diapers was the last thing on my list back then, as it should be for any 5 year old. I guess now, after 25+years and having my own kid, I can give it another go! If I should be the lucky winner, I will give cloth diapers a try to see what I have been missing all these years! =)
29. falon
The number one reason why I have never tried cloth diapers (but really wanted to) is because I lived in an apartment and don't have my own personal washer and dryer. I have to share the coin operated ones with the other folks in my building. I personally feel that it would be gross to wash "poop" all day when other people unrelated to me have to use the same machines. I have now sinced moved to my own home with my own w/d and I'm ready to give cloth diapers a try with my 3 month old.
30. mo mcd
I'm a skeptic because I was the toilet swisher when my sister was a baby. (I was 7.) It just seems like too much work with a 2 year old and a 4 month old on my hands! But I'll try anything once . . . ;)
31. Jess
I am due with my first baby in January and my husband and I have been debating cloth vs. disposable. Right now we are leaning toward disposable just because it seems like they really can't be beat as far as convenience is concerned. However we are still open to cloth, so this would be perfect for us!
32. Margaret
I'm skeptical because I'm just not sure I can manage cloth diapers and pumping and working full time all simultaneously. I feel like disposables would just simplify and streamline that issue, but maybe I am wrong!
33. Jessica
I would LOVE to try cloth diapering...but as someone who is up to their elbows in baby poop all day long at work, I think I may just be too lazy NOT to use disposables with my own daughter. I've been following your family's cloth diaper journey and you guys make it seem so easy! However, I guess I'm just not sure if cloth diapering would work with OUR lifestyle, although I did get daddy on board should we have the opportunity to CD, and the amount of work that took should earn me a medal or something!
With the starter kit, it'd be an easy way to test the waters without making such a large financial commitment to something we may not like. I mean, I reuse almost everything that comes into our home, I recycle religiously, and I even cry when my SO throws a glass bottle in the garbage (although that could just be the pregnancy hormones), so I'm definitely a tree-hugging crunchy mama to be to some extent. So, I feel the next logical step in my green journey is cloth diapering...that is if I can get my lazy butt in gear and wrap my mind around rinsing poop out of cloth and putting it in my washing machine (I'll admit sometimes the gross-factor trumps my green efforts). :)
34. NKB
Lil J is soooo adorable and chunky!!! when are we ever going to know her name??? :( I've been following your blog for awhile and i love seeing new pics of your little girl.
35. WeeMasonMan's Mom
I really want to try cloth diapering but I'm worried I'll get too intimidated by all the "Work" - the spraying down, the extra rinsing, doing laundry every two days. I want to be environmentally friendly and I want to save the money but I'm afraid I'll be tied to my wash machine and go "Hmm, I don't feel like doing laundry AGAIN" and throw him in a disposable and next think you know, there is $200+ down the drain.
Best of intentions meets "I realize I'm lazy"
omgababy at gmail
36. HLA
I would love to try cloth diapers!
37. The Adventures of Princess Zaria
I almost tried cloth diapers when Princess Zaria was a baby. I chickened out. Thought it would be too much work. Eve thought about a diaper service. I give Kudos to moms who are more progresive than I was:)
38. Mama Campbell
I am a cloth diapering mommy & I'm trying hard to get my aunt Sandi to try it on two of my cousins (23 month old & 2 month old). She is having a hard time affording diapers & just doesn't have the start up funds to cloth diaper. She uses an XXL cloth diaper on her 7 y/o who has angelman syndrome and is severely disabled, so I know she could keep up with laundry. I wish I could help start her stash, but money is very very very tight for us w/my hubby being unemployed (and another reason I am SO grateful to have already been cloth diapering my 2...we could not afford disposables w/how little unemployment provides). I'm hoping to win her a few diapers to give to her for Christmas this year!
39. Jessica
It's not that I'm skeptical of cloth diapering ... I would love to do it! I just don't have the money to get started and buy a bunch of cloth diapers. So I've been trying to win giveaways so I can try them out!
Also, I'm truthfully scared. I don't know if I'd know how to "work" them. Some of them seem kind of complicated ... inserts? snaps? Yikes! I know that once I 'figure them out' I'll be fine ... but it's that initial "Oh My Goodness ... what do I do?" feeling that freaks me out!
40. amber325
I really want to try them! I get all ready to order my first few to try then someone GOES "OMG so much work.....nasty to share btwn kids.....eww you will touch poop??" So $$ how do they save money?? what about leaks?? AND OF COURSE I chicken out! I have a 25 month old and a 4 month old that I would LOVE to cloth diaper! I am willing to try it ...and want to learn about how great it is like lots of moms say!
My DH is on board....BUT I need to stick with them when we try...:)
-amber noll
41. Catherine Agnes
I want to cloth diaper, I really do, but I'm intimidated by the huge range of options out there! How on earth am I supposed to know where to start? My husband and I are both in school so we can't really afford to invest in cloth diapers and then find that they don't work for us. I would love to win this starter set.
42. superkmom17
I would absolutely love to try cloth diapers but for us money is an issue and I know it will save in the long run but up front we have to be frugal. My hubby is in the military and we are wanting another baby soon. We have a 5 year old and a 1 year old right now! I am hoping to try them on my 1 year old and get in a groove with them before we have another baby! I know it would help the environment which is a plus but yes I am kind of grossed out with the poop that I have to clean instead of just throwing it in the trash. I also know we had issues with my son and daughter being allergic to most diapers which I know cloth would help but I am so scared to be in town with daughter in a cloth diaper... not sure what to do! Hopefully you can help us to learn to use them and maybe convert! Thanks for the opportunity
Kayla
43. Marlese
We are expecting our first child & I wanted to cloth diaper - but all my friends, family (husband included) think it's a bad idea. Too stinky, messy, difficult, expensive - now I'm not so sure. Plus I'm overwelmed with all the choices out there - how do you decide what to try without making an investment & losing money?
Having a baby is going to be busy enough & have added expenses, is it too much to cloth diaper too?!
44. Nikki Saull
We would Love to win this wonderful gift for our little Lilliana! She is seven weeks old and exclusively BF... I have wanted to begin cloth diapering since her birth not only because they are so darn cute, but also so much better for the environment the thought of one of those little Pampers sitting in the landfill for 500yrs is pretty heart-wrenching!
Why i'm a skeptic...
Of course the whole cleaning poo thing isn't too appealing... Then there is the extra loads of laundry... AND THE STARTUP COST IS OVERWHELMING for a lower income family like us... All the choices of cloth diaper brands and styles are a bit mindboggling as well... I personally only know one other mommy who uses cloth diapers so there isn't much support around here...
I am so excited about the idea of cloth diapering Lilliana that i have already been preaching the benefits to the whole family and have them all convinced that cloth diapering will be a great decision for our family and for the planet.But they all say the same thing... How are you gonna afford the startup??? I am apparently left just begging to the Cloth Diaper Fairies to leave some at my doorstep, but i doubt that will happen :) SO maybe you can help us help the planet and put some cutness on another precious booty... :)
45. Krystyn
I'm skeptical, because I'm working on baby #3..and I'm not sure if I can do it.
But, I know so many people that do and love it so much. I think I would most have to convince hubby, who is the guy that completely disrobed when first spit up on (he's improved), and then dealt with the kiddo.
I'd love to not throw away a zillion diapers a day. And, I'd love to be able to convince my daycare that it's doable.
46. Pink Nothings
they just seem so time consuming.
47. 2nd1st_timemom
I want these diapers!!! lol...I would not call myself a skeptical. They're dispers and they do what diapers do..Duh!! My reluctance has more to do with money and my lack of money. Im being honest. In the begining cloth is expensive even if you have in the long run. I have a 3yo and I didnt use cloth with him. It was never an option. In my head cloth was dirty and nothing like the actual cloth diapers of today. Anyway, I know the expense of disposible diapers and they are very expensive!!
Anyway, I dont have money to waste. I would like to try out different disper systems to figure out which is right for me but I dont have the money to do so. Also, what if cloth isnt a convenience? I need for the select few that I choose to care for my child to be confortable with cloth. Well, what brand and type of cloth diaper is going to give me that?
I keep having this dream that I have my baby and I only have one cloth diaper because its all that I can afford. In the dream the baby keeps pooping and peeing and I keep trying to keep that lone diaper clean but its a losing batttle. Dont get me wrong Im not poor and there are those worse off than I am but money is a big issue for me right now and I have a family that is depending on me to not waste it.
I will end this now in the words of Meredith Grey (Grey's Anatomy) "Pick me! Choose ME!!!"
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Try Cloth Diapers Before You Buy
Are you a cloth diaper skeptic like I am was?
Not sure if cloth diapers are worth the time and not sure if $40 a month is worth the savings?
Not sure if poop is too darn gross to mess with?
Not convinced cloth is that much better than Pampers?
Think cloth diapers are for crunchy weirdos but there's a possibility there's a sleeping crunchy woman inside of you?
Well I used to pretty much feel that way about cloth diapers. There's nothing wrong with going on and doing what you're doing. BUT... If you're willing to awaken that dormant cloth diaper curious woman inside of you and see if cloth diapers could be for you, than listen up!
I really have enjoyed using cloth diapers. So much so that I plan to keep using them. They're one sized and holing up very well, and since we're pretty much adjusted now and feeling a little "greener" for using less trash, we're going to keep it up!
I learned you really can't dog it 'til you try it, and things I thought I'd be totally grossed out about don't seem so gross now. Especially since it's coming from my adorable little baby. Now other people's poop... That's another story!
I totally get the hesitance though. I know how it feels to stare at a $20 diaper and think "what if I hate cloth? Then what am I going to do with it?" You don't want to buy a small stash only to find you hate it and have just wasted $100. I worried I wouldn't have time to sell them all and $20 a pop could buy a case of disposables. I GET IT!
So I wanted to let you know about a few things that could be helpful for you.
1. Jillians Drawers has a program where you can try a whole stash of different kinds of cloth diapers (so you can see which kind you like) for 21 days for only $10. You pay a deposit of about $145, then if you don't like them, send them all back, stains and all and you're refunded $135. You get cash back, not a store credit!
2. Diaper Junction also has a "test drive" program where you can try any of their cloth diaper sets for 30 days risk free. Send them back and get refunded!
3. I'll buy you a starter kit! That's right. Well, for one of you. I'm not rich like Oprah (yet) so I can't give all of my readers a car, or a cloth diaper starter kit for that matter. But I am such a big fan of Sprout Change that I'm going to buy one of my readers who doesn't have ANY cloth diapers a super saver starter kit. You can choose the color and if you want microfleece or organic hemp.
All you have to do is leave a comment telling me why you are skeptical of cloth diapers but why you're willing to try.
I'll post all of the answers in a week (Friday November 5th), and let people vote for their favorite answer. Answers with the top 5 most votes I'll put in a drawing and let Lil' J pull the winner from a hat!
Oh, and promise me if you don't like them that you'll pass them on to someone else who is willing to try cloth but doesn't have any.
Easy enough right? So go ahead, tell me why you want to win! Already have cloth diaper and bummed you can't enter? Help spread the word. The more people who use cloth the less expensive it'll become (or that's my hypothesis at least.) Tell your skeptic friends about the giveaway!
Not sure if cloth diapers are worth the time and not sure if $40 a month is worth the savings?
Not sure if poop is too darn gross to mess with?
Not convinced cloth is that much better than Pampers?
Think cloth diapers are for crunchy weirdos but there's a possibility there's a sleeping crunchy woman inside of you?
Well I used to pretty much feel that way about cloth diapers. There's nothing wrong with going on and doing what you're doing. BUT... If you're willing to awaken that dormant cloth diaper curious woman inside of you and see if cloth diapers could be for you, than listen up!
I really have enjoyed using cloth diapers. So much so that I plan to keep using them. They're one sized and holing up very well, and since we're pretty much adjusted now and feeling a little "greener" for using less trash, we're going to keep it up!
I totally get the hesitance though. I know how it feels to stare at a $20 diaper and think "what if I hate cloth? Then what am I going to do with it?" You don't want to buy a small stash only to find you hate it and have just wasted $100. I worried I wouldn't have time to sell them all and $20 a pop could buy a case of disposables. I GET IT!
So I wanted to let you know about a few things that could be helpful for you.
1. Jillians Drawers has a program where you can try a whole stash of different kinds of cloth diapers (so you can see which kind you like) for 21 days for only $10. You pay a deposit of about $145, then if you don't like them, send them all back, stains and all and you're refunded $135. You get cash back, not a store credit!
2. Diaper Junction also has a "test drive" program where you can try any of their cloth diaper sets for 30 days risk free. Send them back and get refunded!
3. I'll buy you a starter kit! That's right. Well, for one of you. I'm not rich like Oprah (yet) so I can't give all of my readers a car, or a cloth diaper starter kit for that matter. But I am such a big fan of Sprout Change that I'm going to buy one of my readers who doesn't have ANY cloth diapers a super saver starter kit. You can choose the color and if you want microfleece or organic hemp.
All you have to do is leave a comment telling me why you are skeptical of cloth diapers but why you're willing to try.
I'll post all of the answers in a week (Friday November 5th), and let people vote for their favorite answer. Answers with the top 5 most votes I'll put in a drawing and let Lil' J pull the winner from a hat!
Oh, and promise me if you don't like them that you'll pass them on to someone else who is willing to try cloth but doesn't have any.
Easy enough right? So go ahead, tell me why you want to win! Already have cloth diaper and bummed you can't enter? Help spread the word. The more people who use cloth the less expensive it'll become (or that's my hypothesis at least.) Tell your skeptic friends about the giveaway!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Butt Wipes
So I came across a friend's blog post on the concept of cloth wipes. The first thing I thought after "eeew" and "what the...?" was "People buy these things?"
Then, out of curiosity I searched on Etsy and stuff and sure enough, came across all sorts of pretty cloth wipes.
"Why would you buy pretty wipes?" I asked myself. Quite frankly that's the last thing I'd want to do. And nice wipes are... Ok nice. But seriously, they're touching your baby's butt for a couple of seconds every few diaper changes, are they really necessary?
So then I looked at my situation. Wipes aren't expensive. I always get the cheapo ones for a dollar at my grocery store. Or heck--They have wipes at the dollar tree. But the one thing that's a pain in the butt is having to throw the wipes away in a separate bin than our cloth diapers.
Gee, wouldn't it be nice to have them all go in the same place? Actually, half the time they do. Last time I did laundry, I pulled out half a dozen wipes from the washing machine along with the cloth diapers. I guess my husband didn't feel like taking the extra five seconds to throw the wipes in the trash can. They surprisingly held up well and were very clean.
So here I am considering cloth wipes. I sure as heck don't want to spend twice as much as a bag of disposable wipes for one wipe on a pretty wipe to wipe my daughter's crap with. If anything, I'd want to wipe it with something ugly.
I read that some people use baby washcloths and guess what I found during our last trip to the dollar tree? Yep. Baby washcloths. Four for a buck! So I stocked up and got four boxes.
I decided to use those, and other things around the house to make cloth wipes. They're not bad, pretty, and colorful. I thought of sewing some fabric on the other sides to make them fancy like the ones I saw on etsy but again, I thought that would just be ridiculous.
These colorful washcloths still wasn't enough to make me excited to use cloth wipes. I needed something ugly, something that screams "wipe me on your butt."
Just when I thought that, I had, an idea.
If you know my family you know we're big BYU fans. We're teaching Lil' J young. Yes, the poor cougs are having a bad season this year but we still stand behind them.
So in order to pay homage to our team and get rid of some useless fabric I have lying around, plus wipe my baby's butt with something deserving of that duty, I thought I'd make appropriate baby butt wipes...
Why do I even have this disgraceful color around my house? You ask. Well, I bought it to make these. Now, since my craft is on hold, and since we live in a different state. There's not much use for it. Using it to make butt wipes seems much more appropriate anyway.
So I got to work. I cut up a receiving blanket/ burp cloth I didn't need. I cut both pieces of fabric to be the same general size as the baby wash cloths (about 6in by 6in).
Then I read this and that tutorial to figure out how to fold them to put them in a wipes container so they'd pop up. (I was so excited, and since I only have the $1 refills around the house I went out and bought a box of Huggies wipes just to make this).
I mixed a little bit of this and a little bit of that with water to make the wipes solution. (If you're really curious here's what it was: 1TBS baby wash, 3 drops lemon essential oil and 3 drops lavender essential oil, 1 cup warm water).
Poured half in the bottom, set the wipes in, and poured the other half on the top and TA DAA!
The perfect butt wipes.
My husband even gets a kick out of using them. It was the perfect way to convert the family to cloth wipes.
Then, out of curiosity I searched on Etsy and stuff and sure enough, came across all sorts of pretty cloth wipes.
 |
| $85 Source |
So then I looked at my situation. Wipes aren't expensive. I always get the cheapo ones for a dollar at my grocery store. Or heck--They have wipes at the dollar tree. But the one thing that's a pain in the butt is having to throw the wipes away in a separate bin than our cloth diapers.
Gee, wouldn't it be nice to have them all go in the same place? Actually, half the time they do. Last time I did laundry, I pulled out half a dozen wipes from the washing machine along with the cloth diapers. I guess my husband didn't feel like taking the extra five seconds to throw the wipes in the trash can. They surprisingly held up well and were very clean.
So here I am considering cloth wipes. I sure as heck don't want to spend twice as much as a bag of disposable wipes for one wipe on a pretty wipe to wipe my daughter's crap with. If anything, I'd want to wipe it with something ugly.
I read that some people use baby washcloths and guess what I found during our last trip to the dollar tree? Yep. Baby washcloths. Four for a buck! So I stocked up and got four boxes.
I decided to use those, and other things around the house to make cloth wipes. They're not bad, pretty, and colorful. I thought of sewing some fabric on the other sides to make them fancy like the ones I saw on etsy but again, I thought that would just be ridiculous.These colorful washcloths still wasn't enough to make me excited to use cloth wipes. I needed something ugly, something that screams "wipe me on your butt."
Just when I thought that, I had, an idea.
If you know my family you know we're big BYU fans. We're teaching Lil' J young. Yes, the poor cougs are having a bad season this year but we still stand behind them.
So in order to pay homage to our team and get rid of some useless fabric I have lying around, plus wipe my baby's butt with something deserving of that duty, I thought I'd make appropriate baby butt wipes...
Out of Ute fabric.
So I got to work. I cut up a receiving blanket/ burp cloth I didn't need. I cut both pieces of fabric to be the same general size as the baby wash cloths (about 6in by 6in).
I zigzag stitched them back to back. Oh, it was crooked and stuff but really--They're butt wipes, it doesn't matter. In fact, Lil' J sat on my lap the whole time, and we made six of them!
Poured half in the bottom, set the wipes in, and poured the other half on the top and TA DAA!
My husband even gets a kick out of using them. It was the perfect way to convert the family to cloth wipes.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sprout Change Cloth Diaper Review and Say What?--GIVEAWAY!
If you've been following my blog the past few weeks you know I took the plunge and tried cloth diapers. I mostly used Sprout Change. To be honest, my husband has had to work with them more than I have but we've talked about and both gotten a feel for them now and I can give my honest opinion on this whole cloth diaper thing.
First of all, like I explained in my initial Cloth Diaper Experiment post--I'm not one of those people who is going to make people feel bad for using disposables. That's not my personality, and quite frankly I'm not trying cloth because I'm scared of Pampers harming my baby. Sure, that's a possibility, but it's also possible that my toaster will burn my house down. I wanted to give it a try because I figured if it was as easy as everyone says it would be a great way to save a few extra bucks a month, and keep extra trash from hitting the landfills. I also was thinking it would be more comfortable on my baby's bum and prevent diaper rash (although she's never had it *knock on wood*).
I was sent Sprout Change Cloth Diapers, the All in Two Super Saver kits.
I had organic hemp/cotton and stay dry microfleece (fleece on top, microfiber underneath) inserts to use in the covers.
Here's what I like about them:
1.They're one size. TRULY. There's elastic around the legs, and the back, which you can adjust while the baby's wearing it (here's my video demonstration of how that works). It was easy to fit wide around her thunder thighs, but taken in a little around her belly. It's nice because you set it once, and don't need to change it for months.
I know people who are used to multiple snap diapers for one size say adjusting the elastic is a pain but for me, it makes it faster for every diaper change after the one adjustment every few months. You don't have to line up a gazillion snaps every diaper change. I won't need to buy more covers because these are suppose to last until she's potty trained, or 40lbs.
What's cooler? They now have snap extenders if your baby gets bigger than that! No need to buy more for every time your child moves up a size.
2. The covers are reversible. It's the ONLY reversible diaper on the market. I have 8 covers aka shells, but if you count the other side with different colors that's 16 shells! Depending on the way you put it on the snaps close on the side or on the front. I prefer the front snaps, which close like I'm used to with disposables but different cloth diaper people have different preferences.
3. They aren't super bulky. I don't have a huge stash of diapers but compared to the others I do have (Fuzzibunz, gDiapers, Nifty Nappy) these are the least bulky of the bunch, which is nice because a lot of time her diaper is covered with adorable clothes.
4. Easy to use! I love this all in two system. During each diaper change I don't have to take the shell all of the way off. I just grab the insert, roll it up, and toss it in our diaper pail. Then place a new insert down. If poop does get on the shell, I toss the whole diaper in, but that usually happens just once a day. It's easy when we're out too because I don't need a ton of huge diapers to carry around, just an extra shell and a couple of inserts.
I have gDiapers too but think these are easier because they don't have an extra layer of plastic inside like the gDiapers do. These are EASY! Perfect for a first time cloth diaper person for myself. Did I mention they're easy?
5. Very Effective: They're waterproof, so we didn't have any blowouts like we did/do with disposables. She takes a big crap every morning and these always contain it. (I really need to start taking her to the toilet). Did you watch my waterproof demonstration?
6. The price is right! The all in two system is one I wanted to go for, because the all in ones are more expensive for me to buy a whole new diaper and throw it in the pail after every use. With these all you need are a few shells and additional inserts for however many changes you think you'll have. The inserts are only $5-$7, as opposed to diapers from $16+. Plus, like I mentioned before, they're one size!
7. The stuff is interchangeable. Since we've decided to stick with cloth diapers (can you believe it?) the diapers we already have can be intertwined with stuff we get. The inserts can be used in pocket diapers, the covers can be used with prefolds. I can even use the biodegradable inserts I have for my gDiapers in these!
8. Mom made: I bought a cheapo $5 diaper off ebay then felt a bit guilty after when I realized it was from China. Sprout Change diapers are handmade my mamas like you, right here in the US. I feel right supporting them, versus "The Man".
Some problems I had:
I adjusted the elastic too tight around my baby's thighs (thinking oh she's only 3 months, I can make these tight) but they were too tight so I had to go back and readjust all of them all over again. My advice would be give one shell a try at one size for a few changes and make sure that's working before adjusting them all to save you some time.
For naptime, sometimes we'll stuff the sprout change inserts in a pocket diaper to absorb more while she sleeps (she pees a lot aka "a heavy wetter"). At first she went through a nap strike when we switched to cloth. Now she can sleep longer in her Sprout Change diapers now that she's adjusted (or maybe she was starting to teethe?) Either way, I may try an experiment with two of the hemp inserts to see if those work better for nap time, or lay fleece inside too, we'll see!
Cloth diapers as a whole:
In the beginning we all had to get used to more diaper changes. Lil' J wasn't used to feeling the cloth and wetness like you can feel (which is why cloth diaper users tend to have less diaper rash--because you have to change them more frequently than disposables) so we've had to adjust to more diaper changes. This isn't necessarily a problem with the brand as much as it is with the adjustment period.
Despite what people say, it IS more work than before, nevertheless, after two weeks I feel pretty adjusted. We still use disposables at night, but I don't mind because we were gifted SO MANY diapers that we have a lot to use still. By time time we're running low I'll probably look into tips for overnight diaper usage.
Even though it is more work, it's not as much work as I expected. Washing them is a piece of cake as I just dump the pail of diapers into the wash. Drying them is easy, and then it's not like I have to fold them or hang them.
I'm helping the environment a little by using less trash, and since I am using more energy to wash and dry the diapers I'm going to start line-drying the inserts to save energy too! This cloth diaper experiment has really inspired me to take a look at my life and see where I can cut corners and be a little greener while saving a little bit of $green$ too.--Even though that TOTALLY wasn't me. I guess knowing my daughter and granddaughters will be growing up in this world I'll leave behind makes me think a little more about what I'm doing.
It's not over though, keep following to see more of my cloth diaper findings and tips (I just bought some flushie liners to put over the inserts to hopefully avoid more poop, as well as a cloth diaper safe version of "shout") my cloth wipe attempt is next!
Oh, and speaking of following. Each of my blog followers, old or new (or confirmed email subscribers) who comments on this post before October 27th will be entered to win a Sprout Change Super Saver Starter Kit! It comes with one shell and three inserts. You can choose stay dry or organic. I won't tell you more cause you can read about it on their site. You can also learn more by watching my MomTV show TUESDAY 10/19 at 1pm EST (time change) where Catherine, the owner of The Willow Store will be on to talk about Sprout change. Attendees will be given a code word to get an extra entry to this giveaway!
You can get an extra entry if you follow @TheWillowStore on Twitter or fan The Willow Store on Facebook. Random.org will choose the winner. Good Luck!
*Thanks to The Willow Store for sponsoring this review and giveaway
Winner of the Cutie pa tutu: #38 Alice Anne
Winner of $75 to CSN Stores: #59 ShoeStringLiving
I'll email you all, and you'll all have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize! Congrats!
I was sent Sprout Change Cloth Diapers, the All in Two Super Saver kits.
I had organic hemp/cotton and stay dry microfleece (fleece on top, microfiber underneath) inserts to use in the covers.
Here's what I like about them:
1.They're one size. TRULY. There's elastic around the legs, and the back, which you can adjust while the baby's wearing it (here's my video demonstration of how that works). It was easy to fit wide around her thunder thighs, but taken in a little around her belly. It's nice because you set it once, and don't need to change it for months.
I know people who are used to multiple snap diapers for one size say adjusting the elastic is a pain but for me, it makes it faster for every diaper change after the one adjustment every few months. You don't have to line up a gazillion snaps every diaper change. I won't need to buy more covers because these are suppose to last until she's potty trained, or 40lbs.
What's cooler? They now have snap extenders if your baby gets bigger than that! No need to buy more for every time your child moves up a size.
3. They aren't super bulky. I don't have a huge stash of diapers but compared to the others I do have (Fuzzibunz, gDiapers, Nifty Nappy) these are the least bulky of the bunch, which is nice because a lot of time her diaper is covered with adorable clothes.
4. Easy to use! I love this all in two system. During each diaper change I don't have to take the shell all of the way off. I just grab the insert, roll it up, and toss it in our diaper pail. Then place a new insert down. If poop does get on the shell, I toss the whole diaper in, but that usually happens just once a day. It's easy when we're out too because I don't need a ton of huge diapers to carry around, just an extra shell and a couple of inserts.
I have gDiapers too but think these are easier because they don't have an extra layer of plastic inside like the gDiapers do. These are EASY! Perfect for a first time cloth diaper person for myself. Did I mention they're easy?
5. Very Effective: They're waterproof, so we didn't have any blowouts like we did/do with disposables. She takes a big crap every morning and these always contain it. (I really need to start taking her to the toilet). Did you watch my waterproof demonstration?
7. The stuff is interchangeable. Since we've decided to stick with cloth diapers (can you believe it?) the diapers we already have can be intertwined with stuff we get. The inserts can be used in pocket diapers, the covers can be used with prefolds. I can even use the biodegradable inserts I have for my gDiapers in these!
8. Mom made: I bought a cheapo $5 diaper off ebay then felt a bit guilty after when I realized it was from China. Sprout Change diapers are handmade my mamas like you, right here in the US. I feel right supporting them, versus "The Man".
I adjusted the elastic too tight around my baby's thighs (thinking oh she's only 3 months, I can make these tight) but they were too tight so I had to go back and readjust all of them all over again. My advice would be give one shell a try at one size for a few changes and make sure that's working before adjusting them all to save you some time.
For naptime, sometimes we'll stuff the sprout change inserts in a pocket diaper to absorb more while she sleeps (she pees a lot aka "a heavy wetter"). At first she went through a nap strike when we switched to cloth. Now she can sleep longer in her Sprout Change diapers now that she's adjusted (or maybe she was starting to teethe?) Either way, I may try an experiment with two of the hemp inserts to see if those work better for nap time, or lay fleece inside too, we'll see!
Cloth diapers as a whole:
In the beginning we all had to get used to more diaper changes. Lil' J wasn't used to feeling the cloth and wetness like you can feel (which is why cloth diaper users tend to have less diaper rash--because you have to change them more frequently than disposables) so we've had to adjust to more diaper changes. This isn't necessarily a problem with the brand as much as it is with the adjustment period.
Despite what people say, it IS more work than before, nevertheless, after two weeks I feel pretty adjusted. We still use disposables at night, but I don't mind because we were gifted SO MANY diapers that we have a lot to use still. By time time we're running low I'll probably look into tips for overnight diaper usage.
Even though it is more work, it's not as much work as I expected. Washing them is a piece of cake as I just dump the pail of diapers into the wash. Drying them is easy, and then it's not like I have to fold them or hang them.
I'm helping the environment a little by using less trash, and since I am using more energy to wash and dry the diapers I'm going to start line-drying the inserts to save energy too! This cloth diaper experiment has really inspired me to take a look at my life and see where I can cut corners and be a little greener while saving a little bit of $green$ too.--Even though that TOTALLY wasn't me. I guess knowing my daughter and granddaughters will be growing up in this world I'll leave behind makes me think a little more about what I'm doing.
Oh, and speaking of following. Each of my blog followers, old or new (or confirmed email subscribers) who comments on this post before October 27th will be entered to win a Sprout Change Super Saver Starter Kit! It comes with one shell and three inserts. You can choose stay dry or organic. I won't tell you more cause you can read about it on their site. You can also learn more by watching my MomTV show TUESDAY 10/19 at 1pm EST (time change) where Catherine, the owner of The Willow Store will be on to talk about Sprout change. Attendees will be given a code word to get an extra entry to this giveaway!
*Thanks to The Willow Store for sponsoring this review and giveaway
***
Winner of the Sound Beginnings Prenatal Music Belt: #12 Mama CampbellWinner of the Cutie pa tutu: #38 Alice Anne
Winner of $75 to CSN Stores: #59 ShoeStringLiving
I'll email you all, and you'll all have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize! Congrats!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
"Do These Pants Make My Butt Look Big?"-- "No, But Your Diaper Does": Cloth Diaper Experiment Week 2
Call me vain, but one of my concerns with putting Little J in cloth diapers was them not fitting under her adorable clothes.
Now thank goodness, 95% of her wardrobe is made up of dresses, so it's not a huge deal that her bum is now the size of a grapefruit--A big one--Thanks to her cloth diapers. I just have to be sure that what little part of her diaper that is showing, matches her ensemble.
Some say this is a misconception but I'm here to tell the truth... Cloth diapers DO make babies butts bigger! But to me this is a big fat "DUH!"
Luckily, with Little J's Sprout Change diapers, we haven't had a big problem with getting her clothes on, UNLESS I double up the layers of inserts. When I add an extra piece of cloth in there her booty is a balloon.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you like that sort of look. Some people like big butts. I, by habit, find myself spanking her bum all day just because it's fun to hear and it's soft--I dunno, it's a strange obsession. If she was standing and were to fall she'd have a lot of cushion to soften her fall, that's for sure.
But back to the dilemma-- Cloth diapers and clothes.
I was watching Lil' J on my day off and her daddy had to work. It was my second full day of being with her and changing her new diapers all day, while he's used them full time for the past week. I must say I have a whole new level of respect for my husband because I was changing her diaper what felt like every hour!
Every time she'd get wet she'd get cranky and fussy (which could be tied in with teething but really, wouldn't you if you're sitting in your own puddle?), and I was curious if adding an extra layer of microfiber would help her sleep and maybe not feel it at much.
I have 10 Bum Genius inserts I bought originally thinking I'd use them in my gDiapers, before I learned that you can't put microfiber right against your baby's bum (it over-dries their skin) so I took one out, and placed it under her organic Sprout Change insert and voilà ! A big absorbent butt!... I mean diaper.
When I was performing this experiment it kinda reminded me of that scene from Teen Mom where Farrah forgot diapers for Sophia when they were at the car cleaners, so she asked for towels and she wrapped a bunch of hand towels around her daughter's butt and tried to put her pants back on.
It worked-- For both of us. Little J was able to take a long nap and when she woke up both layers were soaked! But it didn't leak from the waterproof cover and I guess she didn't feel it as much. Or maybe she was just really tired. The downside was the appearance, but we were just hanging out all day so no one saw her lowriding her pants.
I pulled her bottoms up as much as I could but the crotch of the pants stopped short, stuck on her diaper.
Same goes when she wears her FuzziBunz... Her Bunz are HUGE!
She's already a big girl wearing 6-9 month clothes at 3 months, but I guess cloth diapers may mean we'll need an even bigger size for some things.
Luckily she won't need to wear so many cloth layers unless she's napping (if we want her to nap more than 15 minutes). Other than nap time her Sprout Change diapers are nice, slim and sleek, like her disposables would be. Some other diapers I have (like gDiapers and most all in ones) are a little bigger, and check out this one...
...To be used when we visit Utah in the winter.
I'm not sure why this even bothers me. Maybe because I'm a woman and I know no woman wants a humongous butt. I, personally could use a little more junk in my trunk, and sometimes I'm in a hurry to the bathroom. Do they make cloth diapers for women?
Three people who comment on this post before October 25th at 11:59pm will win 250 business cards from PrintRunner.com. The cards can be full color, black & white, printing on one side or two sides, glossy or matte - it's up to you to choose! Follow @printrunner on twitter for an extra entry.
Three people who comment on this post before October 25th at 11:59pm will win 250 business cards from PrintRunner.com. The cards can be full color, black & white, printing on one side or two sides, glossy or matte - it's up to you to choose! Follow @printrunner on twitter for an extra entry.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
They Weren't Lying, These ARE Waterproof-- Cloth Diaper Experiment Day 5
I must admit, one thing that definitely has cloth diapers ranking over disposables in my book is the fact that we have not had one blow out since the switch.
We've had a couple of close calls. See, before, with disposables every morning following her morning feed fest she poops a TON. She doesn't poop while she sleeps, so I guess it gets all stockpiled up for her morning dump. We're usually downstairs watching Say Yes to the Dress before my evening news shift. I'll start to hear the thunder from down under and next thing I know, my thighs are all wet and the poop came from her diaper. Either out through her legs or up her back or stomach. It's gross. And if I may have been worried about cloth diapers being gross before, but, really--this isn't much different.
Every morning with my Sprout Change diapers we've gone through the same morning routine. Go downstairs, I make my oatmeal, we watch Say Yes to the Dress, (and you think by now I'd take her to the toilet since I'm know what's next) but today--and the rest of the week for that matter--when I've heard the squirts and farts nothing comes out!
We've had a couple of close calls. See, before, with disposables every morning following her morning feed fest she poops a TON. She doesn't poop while she sleeps, so I guess it gets all stockpiled up for her morning dump. We're usually downstairs watching Say Yes to the Dress before my evening news shift. I'll start to hear the thunder from down under and next thing I know, my thighs are all wet and the poop came from her diaper. Either out through her legs or up her back or stomach. It's gross. And if I may have been worried about cloth diapers being gross before, but, really--this isn't much different.
Every morning with my Sprout Change diapers we've gone through the same morning routine. Go downstairs, I make my oatmeal, we watch Say Yes to the Dress, (and you think by now I'd take her to the toilet since I'm know what's next) but today--and the rest of the week for that matter--when I've heard the squirts and farts nothing comes out!
We have close calls at times, with it going up the font of her diaper or the back of her diaper but it always stays inside the diaper. *knock on wood*
Sometimes a little poop gets on the shell but that's it. It's doesn't escape. So just for fun (I know, I'm a little weird) I decided to see if these Sprout Change covers really were waterproof. So I did an experiment. I was so impressed with the results I didn't think anyone would believe me if I just told you so I decided to reenact it for you via video!
Today Little J has been in a MUCH better mood. She was so happy this morning even after I put her cloth diaper on and my husband says she was happy all day. We think she's finally getting used to them (or maybe she was just missing me after we had a weekend together, I'm still not sure which theory is true). I also left out the FuzziBunz all in one pocket diaper Gina aka The Feminist Breeder gave me at BlogHer for my husband to try during her nap today and guess what?... He said it worked GREAT! She hasn't been able to sleep long in her diapers because the wetness keeps waking her up. My husband said she napped for two hours today! That's the first long nap she's had since being in cloth diapers.
He said the diaper weighed a ton when she woke up from the nap but it didn't feel wet. So he threw it in the pail and we'll wash it tomorrow with the rest of our Sprout Change diapers. So, now I'm thinking I should buy one or two more FuzziBunz diapers to use during nap time so we can wash them every 2-3 days. He asked how much they cost and when I told him $20+ shipping he said "No way!" It is hard buying one diaper for the cost of an entire bag but we just have to remember that we can wash and reuse, over and over and over for years... And hopefully two (or three?) kids! You can't do that with a pack of diapers.
So I'm trying to decide if I want to buy a brand new pink one, or get a used one from someone. I know... It sounds gross. But you can strip them so they're all clean, and some people only use them a time or two. It may sound yucky but if I really want to try to be more green I should consider this. I mean really, what's better for the environment? I can save one more cloth diaper from being bought brand new and eventually ending up in a landfill.
Now I just have to find someone who isn't charging $15 for a used diaper. I mean come on people, just it looks clean doesn't mean you can charge $17 for something you paid $20 for. Not fair! I have to be REALLY trusting if I'm buying a diaper your kid crapped in. Plus, whose saying you didn't clean your toilets with it... Just saying. Give me a deal people!
More on my recycling cloth diapers experiment later!
He said the diaper weighed a ton when she woke up from the nap but it didn't feel wet. So he threw it in the pail and we'll wash it tomorrow with the rest of our Sprout Change diapers. So, now I'm thinking I should buy one or two more FuzziBunz diapers to use during nap time so we can wash them every 2-3 days. He asked how much they cost and when I told him $20+ shipping he said "No way!" It is hard buying one diaper for the cost of an entire bag but we just have to remember that we can wash and reuse, over and over and over for years... And hopefully two (or three?) kids! You can't do that with a pack of diapers.
So I'm trying to decide if I want to buy a brand new pink one, or get a used one from someone. I know... It sounds gross. But you can strip them so they're all clean, and some people only use them a time or two. It may sound yucky but if I really want to try to be more green I should consider this. I mean really, what's better for the environment? I can save one more cloth diaper from being bought brand new and eventually ending up in a landfill.
Now I just have to find someone who isn't charging $15 for a used diaper. I mean come on people, just it looks clean doesn't mean you can charge $17 for something you paid $20 for. Not fair! I have to be REALLY trusting if I'm buying a diaper your kid crapped in. Plus, whose saying you didn't clean your toilets with it... Just saying. Give me a deal people!
More on my recycling cloth diapers experiment later!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Still Skeptical: The Cloth Diaper Experiment Day 4
My husband and I are getting the hang of these things now. Lil' J still seems to be her happy cheering self around me so I'm chalking up her misbehavior to missing me while I'm at work.
My husband is still convinced it's the cloth diapers that are keeping her from taking long naps so tomorrow we may try a FuzziBunz all-in-one pocket diaper we have because some commenters suggested pocket diapers for naps. I may also buy some soft sleeves by Sprout Change to add an extra layer of absorbency. You can use these with any other system of diaper you already have so I think this may make it less expensive overall since I won't be buying an entirely different diaper and cover etc. It'll only be $4.95 versus $20+ for each additional diaper.
It is a little discouraging think about all of the different things you need for different scenarios. So, I'm with one commenter on my last post--I'm still not totally convinced cloth diapers are as economical as people say. Especially when you consider the special detergents you need (I still use Tide despite some people who suggest a special, more expensive kind). If you want stain remover you need a special kind for that. Buying a diaper sprayer, a diaper pail (I didn't though, I'm just using what I have). Then when you consider doing an extra load of laundry every-other day (I could go longer but I hear it's not best to let the diapers sit more than 2-3 days). That's 15 extra loads of washing and drying a month. You're using hot water in the wash, then some suggest running an extra rinse cycle... It's a lot of water and energy you're using.
A friend of mine buys 200 diapers at Costco averaging $.14 a diaper. That's hard to beat. Then on the other end of things, some people get "addicted" to cloth diapers and are always buying more and more cloth diapers and while having a minimum stash I think is awesome, and cost effective--having dozens of brand new, different brands and styles seems to defeat the point... To me. I'm NOT going to go crazy with cloth diapers. Mark my words. We have enough. And if I want to save money, I must not go crazy.
Using the Sprout Change diapers for a second child I'm sure will make up the difference in costs, and I'm going to look into buying an indoor drying rack that I can set out on my porch, or use inside to dry the diapers after they've washed. I figure that's more green, and more economical. It also would keep from the wearing on the elastic--Which one of my commenters mentioned can happen with continued dryer use. Lucky for me though, the Sprout Change diapers have a lifetime warranty on the snaps and a year warranty on everything else!
I have been using my diaper champ as a diaper pail instead of buying a new pail to put them in. I've been reusing a plastic bag after dumping the diapers in the washer, but the bag is beginning to stink so I'm thinking of buying a cloth bag to put in the champ, that I can throw in the wash with the diapers.
So if money is your main and only motivation for trying cloth diapers, you may want to check your numbers and make sure it would work out for you. If you're planning on having more than one child and using the same diapers more than once like I hope to if these work out--That for sure will save ya some dough, probably about $40 a month.
There are other reasons for liking them though besides possible savings and that's what I'm trying to focus on now.
My husband isn't skipping a beat with the diapers. Tonight when he brought my daughter up to work for my break, she was in a cloth diaper, and he brought extra to change her while he was there. He just put the dirty one in a plastic bag, and did diaper laundry when he got home. I told him I'd do it but he said he would. And he did!
I noticed a couple of the inserts did have poop stains on them (see, breastfeed baby poop CAN STAIN!) these were ones that weren't rinsed, just thrown in the pail then washed. They're faint, but I don't mind because it's just the inserts (not the cute, reversible cover), and I can always sun them later if I want to get the stains out. A commenter on my last post also mentioned a diaper-friendly stain remover I may try.
So day 4 of my adventure is down. What's next? Who knows!
Everyone else gets $2 off your order from their shop my mentioning my blog! :)
My husband is still convinced it's the cloth diapers that are keeping her from taking long naps so tomorrow we may try a FuzziBunz all-in-one pocket diaper we have because some commenters suggested pocket diapers for naps. I may also buy some soft sleeves by Sprout Change to add an extra layer of absorbency. You can use these with any other system of diaper you already have so I think this may make it less expensive overall since I won't be buying an entirely different diaper and cover etc. It'll only be $4.95 versus $20+ for each additional diaper.
It is a little discouraging think about all of the different things you need for different scenarios. So, I'm with one commenter on my last post--I'm still not totally convinced cloth diapers are as economical as people say. Especially when you consider the special detergents you need (I still use Tide despite some people who suggest a special, more expensive kind). If you want stain remover you need a special kind for that. Buying a diaper sprayer, a diaper pail (I didn't though, I'm just using what I have). Then when you consider doing an extra load of laundry every-other day (I could go longer but I hear it's not best to let the diapers sit more than 2-3 days). That's 15 extra loads of washing and drying a month. You're using hot water in the wash, then some suggest running an extra rinse cycle... It's a lot of water and energy you're using.
A friend of mine buys 200 diapers at Costco averaging $.14 a diaper. That's hard to beat. Then on the other end of things, some people get "addicted" to cloth diapers and are always buying more and more cloth diapers and while having a minimum stash I think is awesome, and cost effective--having dozens of brand new, different brands and styles seems to defeat the point... To me. I'm NOT going to go crazy with cloth diapers. Mark my words. We have enough. And if I want to save money, I must not go crazy.
Using the Sprout Change diapers for a second child I'm sure will make up the difference in costs, and I'm going to look into buying an indoor drying rack that I can set out on my porch, or use inside to dry the diapers after they've washed. I figure that's more green, and more economical. It also would keep from the wearing on the elastic--Which one of my commenters mentioned can happen with continued dryer use. Lucky for me though, the Sprout Change diapers have a lifetime warranty on the snaps and a year warranty on everything else!
I have been using my diaper champ as a diaper pail instead of buying a new pail to put them in. I've been reusing a plastic bag after dumping the diapers in the washer, but the bag is beginning to stink so I'm thinking of buying a cloth bag to put in the champ, that I can throw in the wash with the diapers.
So if money is your main and only motivation for trying cloth diapers, you may want to check your numbers and make sure it would work out for you. If you're planning on having more than one child and using the same diapers more than once like I hope to if these work out--That for sure will save ya some dough, probably about $40 a month.
There are other reasons for liking them though besides possible savings and that's what I'm trying to focus on now.
I noticed a couple of the inserts did have poop stains on them (see, breastfeed baby poop CAN STAIN!) these were ones that weren't rinsed, just thrown in the pail then washed. They're faint, but I don't mind because it's just the inserts (not the cute, reversible cover), and I can always sun them later if I want to get the stains out. A commenter on my last post also mentioned a diaper-friendly stain remover I may try.
So day 4 of my adventure is down. What's next? Who knows!
***
Winner of the bumblebee costume from Flowers and Beyond: #27 Emily. I'll email you and you'll have 48 hours to respond!Everyone else gets $2 off your order from their shop my mentioning my blog! :)
Friday, October 8, 2010
Washing My Cloth Diapers: Experiment Day 3
I know you're probably just dying to know if the poop stains came out. I was nervous and excited to take my diapers out of the wash--Specifically the shells, and see how they turned out with the poop stains. Like I mentioned in my last post about the experiment, poop has stained a few of Lil' J's cute outfits, from previous blowouts, so I've been skeptical about them coming out of her diapers.
I pulled the out of the wash last night and here's how they looked:
Like new! I did spray a squirt of shout on them but I've been told that can mess up the waterproofness of the covers, so I'm going to resist next time and see if they'll still get cleaned.
I also didn't know (probably because my husband has been doing the laundry) that warm/hot water sets the stains, so from now on I'll rinse with cold first. But I don't think I'll need to worry about poop staining until she begins cereal/solids starting next month.
People don't seem to agree whether or not sun will fade the colors on the diapers or not. But everyone does seem to agree that the sun will lift any stains in the diapers.
Today was Day 3 of wearing the cloth diapers. I woke up before my daughter, got ready and left for work, only to find that I didn't have to be there until that afternoon.
When I got back home my husband had put Lil' J's first diaper on for the day--Backwards.
I had laid it out for him with the insert already placed in it but he didn't remember which side was front (even though there's a tag in the back). I reminded him of that and fixed it.
I just made this video to show how the Sprout Change cloth diapering system works. Since someone asked about what was what with the inserts and the covers:
I can say these diapers have been very husband-friendly so far. Which is nice because since I'm working, he's gotta do a lot of the changing. These also are very daycare-friendly too since the center can just put the cloth inserts in a bag you leave and you deal with the washing later. They aren't doing much more than they'd normally do with disposables. And I know in daycare they change diapers a lot (having worked in one I remember the requirements).
Using the diapers today started out not so fun. Lil' J has still been fussy during diaper changes and she doesn't have a rash or anything so I've been at a loss. I called home during a break and my husband told me she was still acting that way so I sent a tweet asking if there's an "adjustment phase" to cloth diapers.
Some people suggested that she may be upset because she feels "more wet" in cloth diapers than she did in disposables. So I told my husband to change her more frequently--We have enough inserts--and to see if that helped.
It did for the most part.
When I got home from work tonight I asked him how it went.
"I like these diapers a lot," he said. "I hated them at first, but now I actually like them."
He then went on to praise me for breastfeeding and said "If we keep using these, and you keep breastfeeding we can save a lot of money." True true.
I'm already thinking what I want to splurge on as a reward for my pumping and laundry efforts.
My husband likes the microfiber/cotton inserts better than the organic ones because they seem to be more absorbent. And poop only got on one of the shells today. I forgot to tell him not to spray Shout or anything on it like we do for clothes so out of habit he did. Next time we'll both have to resist that.
What he told me he DOESN'T like is the fact that she doesn't nap as long... Which he's convinced is because she pees and feels wet while she's sleeping and wakes up. He said today she only took 20-30 minute naps when normally she'll sleep for an hour or two. I'm not sure what we'll do about that. Maybe after the next wash they'll be more absorbent?
Lil' J doesn't seem to be as ornery now, perhaps cause we're changing her more. Or maybe she is starting a teething phase. She's drooling a lot and chewing on her hands. A commenter mentioned that and it reminded me that she's coming up on that age. (Yay--Breastfeeding's about to get real fun).
We all seem to be getting used to cloth diapers now--My husband, Lil' J and I. Poop doesn't seem as gross to me now. I guess because it's like "Eww... But I can wash my hands" I mean, it's not like I'm eating it.
I'm still anxious to see how our energy bill will be next month. A commenter suggested a diaper service but I'm sure that would be much more expensive for us. Especially considering we already have cloth diapers, and a washer and dryer.
I know I'm helping the environment a bit by not creating as much waste, but I'm still curious about the energy usage. I may try stringing a clothes line across my balcony and hanging the diapers to dry to do be a bit "greener."
Wow. I feel like I've just traveled back in time. What will I do next?
I pulled the out of the wash last night and here's how they looked:
I also didn't know (probably because my husband has been doing the laundry) that warm/hot water sets the stains, so from now on I'll rinse with cold first. But I don't think I'll need to worry about poop staining until she begins cereal/solids starting next month.
People don't seem to agree whether or not sun will fade the colors on the diapers or not. But everyone does seem to agree that the sun will lift any stains in the diapers.
Today was Day 3 of wearing the cloth diapers. I woke up before my daughter, got ready and left for work, only to find that I didn't have to be there until that afternoon.
When I got back home my husband had put Lil' J's first diaper on for the day--Backwards.
I had laid it out for him with the insert already placed in it but he didn't remember which side was front (even though there's a tag in the back). I reminded him of that and fixed it.
I just made this video to show how the Sprout Change cloth diapering system works. Since someone asked about what was what with the inserts and the covers:
Using the diapers today started out not so fun. Lil' J has still been fussy during diaper changes and she doesn't have a rash or anything so I've been at a loss. I called home during a break and my husband told me she was still acting that way so I sent a tweet asking if there's an "adjustment phase" to cloth diapers.
Some people suggested that she may be upset because she feels "more wet" in cloth diapers than she did in disposables. So I told my husband to change her more frequently--We have enough inserts--and to see if that helped.
It did for the most part.
When I got home from work tonight I asked him how it went.
"I like these diapers a lot," he said. "I hated them at first, but now I actually like them."
He then went on to praise me for breastfeeding and said "If we keep using these, and you keep breastfeeding we can save a lot of money." True true.
I'm already thinking what I want to splurge on as a reward for my pumping and laundry efforts.
My husband likes the microfiber/cotton inserts better than the organic ones because they seem to be more absorbent. And poop only got on one of the shells today. I forgot to tell him not to spray Shout or anything on it like we do for clothes so out of habit he did. Next time we'll both have to resist that.
What he told me he DOESN'T like is the fact that she doesn't nap as long... Which he's convinced is because she pees and feels wet while she's sleeping and wakes up. He said today she only took 20-30 minute naps when normally she'll sleep for an hour or two. I'm not sure what we'll do about that. Maybe after the next wash they'll be more absorbent?
Lil' J doesn't seem to be as ornery now, perhaps cause we're changing her more. Or maybe she is starting a teething phase. She's drooling a lot and chewing on her hands. A commenter mentioned that and it reminded me that she's coming up on that age. (Yay--Breastfeeding's about to get real fun).
We all seem to be getting used to cloth diapers now--My husband, Lil' J and I. Poop doesn't seem as gross to me now. I guess because it's like "Eww... But I can wash my hands" I mean, it's not like I'm eating it.
I'm still anxious to see how our energy bill will be next month. A commenter suggested a diaper service but I'm sure that would be much more expensive for us. Especially considering we already have cloth diapers, and a washer and dryer.
I know I'm helping the environment a bit by not creating as much waste, but I'm still curious about the energy usage. I may try stringing a clothes line across my balcony and hanging the diapers to dry to do be a bit "greener."
Wow. I feel like I've just traveled back in time. What will I do next?
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Cloth Diaper Experiment Day 2: Daddy's Turn
Last night I decided I wouldn't chance it and put a disposable on Lil' J before bed. I've heard seasoned clothdiaperers say they use disposables at night so I didn't want to chance it on the first day.
So this morning I prepped the Sprout Change diaper covers with the inserts and gave my husband a cloth diaper review (which took like 10 seconds) I showed him the microfiber side that's supposed to face down in the diaper as to not dry out her little bum. He promised to use them throughout the day.
When I called home and asked how it was going, he said fine, but expressed a concern I noticed the night before.
"She used to love hanging out on the diaper changer, getting dressed, and getting her diaper changed but she just keeps crying today." He said. "Maybe she just needs to get used to them, I don't know."
I felt so bad hearing that and I had an idea of what the problem was.
I ran home for my lunch break and quickly adjusted her diapers from the fourth hole from the end around the legs to the 2nd hole from the end, giving her chubby thighs lots more breathing room (here's a video demonstration we did on how this works). Originally, I wanted to make sure poop wouldn't come through the sides but when I would change her I noticed marks around her fat thighs. She would also cry during diaper changes which she NEVER did before. In fact, that was usually when she was happiest.
After adjusting the tension she was almost back to her happy self again, and I was able to give a sigh of relief. And the poop and pee still hasn't managed to make its way through yet. She still seems not "herself" today, and I'm not sure if it's because she's adjusting to the cloth diapers, or if perhaps she's getting sick and it's just a coincidence she's acting this way, but she seems to be more fussy these past couple of days, when she's normally very cheery and giggly. I'm not sure if perhaps there's a learning curve for babies too in getting used to them?
My husband was able to change the rest of her diapers no problem, and he didn't complain about it like I expected he would. Once he saw how I fit the inserts in, and folded one end a little, he got it down, and is feeling as comfortable with these as he does with disposables.
My husband said he did change some poopy diapers, but none of them got on the cover. That explosion was saved for me.
Not long after I got home I hear a rumble from her bumble, and sure enough, that one got on the side of the cover.
This time I took my friend Jess's advice and grabbed the insert and took it in the shower. If I had a detachable shower head it would have sprayed it with that, but I don't. Instead I held the cloth insert up to the shower and watched as the shower floor turned breastmilk-poo yellow. I tossed it to the floor, squished it a little, rinsed again, then just gave up and threw it in our pail.
My reaction to the cover caught me off guard. Something in my brain snapped. I grabbed it, took it to the bathroom sink, and scrubbed it with my thumbs. You read right. Me. Ms. Eeew Poop is Nasty.
I don't know what got into me. My desire to preserve cuteness must overpower my distaste for grossness.
The inserts I don't care about as much as the covers. Cause let's face it, these are cute.
So now it's time to wash (I already washed my hands). People keep telling me breastfeed baby poop is water soluble and I don't need to rinse them first but I'm not sure I totally believe that because I've had some of Lil' J's cute outfits get stained with poop from previous blowouts. And ok, I give her a lick of my food from time to time, but that's not making it to her poop! All she's getting is mama's milk. So... I'm not sure if this problem was because the poop dried first or what, and since I'm trying not to wash EVER day, I thought I'd give them a quick rinse before the wash, and hopefully the stains will come out.
If not, people suggest setting them in the sun. We live in a townhome and don't have a huge yard to line dry all her diapers, but I can set them on the porch so they can be sun bleached. But will that bleach the cute colors too? And can I set them out after drying them or must the stain be wet to be sunned out?
Other than that, we're both trying to find an easy way to tell if the diapers are wet without taking them all the way off. That seemed easier with disposables.
So many questions I guess I'll learn through trial and error during this experiment.
BEWARE: I'm about to show poopy diapers!!! I know it's a tad bit weird but this is an experiment, I'm putting it all out there, and sometimes photos speak louder than words.
So here's how they look now. I'm about to spray a tad of shout on them and put them in a regular cycle on hot water using Tide powder detergent (I asked around and people agree this works fine I made sure it DIDN'T have fabric softner, which I guess can cause build up on the inserts and in turn make them not absorb aka work well.) That's another frustrating thing I'm finding with cloth diapers. You can't just throw them in the wash like you would any other wash, you have to pay attention to the detergent and cleaner you use on it or it can do this or that to the diapers. I suppose once you have a system down it's not so hard but in the beginning I'm getting a headache reading all of the rules about what to put, and not to put on the diapers.
Anyway, here's hoping they're nice and clean tomorrow! You can bet I'll let you know!
So this morning I prepped the Sprout Change diaper covers with the inserts and gave my husband a cloth diaper review (which took like 10 seconds) I showed him the microfiber side that's supposed to face down in the diaper as to not dry out her little bum. He promised to use them throughout the day.
When I called home and asked how it was going, he said fine, but expressed a concern I noticed the night before.
"She used to love hanging out on the diaper changer, getting dressed, and getting her diaper changed but she just keeps crying today." He said. "Maybe she just needs to get used to them, I don't know."
I felt so bad hearing that and I had an idea of what the problem was.
I ran home for my lunch break and quickly adjusted her diapers from the fourth hole from the end around the legs to the 2nd hole from the end, giving her chubby thighs lots more breathing room (here's a video demonstration we did on how this works). Originally, I wanted to make sure poop wouldn't come through the sides but when I would change her I noticed marks around her fat thighs. She would also cry during diaper changes which she NEVER did before. In fact, that was usually when she was happiest.
My husband was able to change the rest of her diapers no problem, and he didn't complain about it like I expected he would. Once he saw how I fit the inserts in, and folded one end a little, he got it down, and is feeling as comfortable with these as he does with disposables.
Not long after I got home I hear a rumble from her bumble, and sure enough, that one got on the side of the cover.
This time I took my friend Jess's advice and grabbed the insert and took it in the shower. If I had a detachable shower head it would have sprayed it with that, but I don't. Instead I held the cloth insert up to the shower and watched as the shower floor turned breastmilk-poo yellow. I tossed it to the floor, squished it a little, rinsed again, then just gave up and threw it in our pail.
My reaction to the cover caught me off guard. Something in my brain snapped. I grabbed it, took it to the bathroom sink, and scrubbed it with my thumbs. You read right. Me. Ms. Eeew Poop is Nasty.
I don't know what got into me. My desire to preserve cuteness must overpower my distaste for grossness.
The inserts I don't care about as much as the covers. Cause let's face it, these are cute.
So now it's time to wash (I already washed my hands). People keep telling me breastfeed baby poop is water soluble and I don't need to rinse them first but I'm not sure I totally believe that because I've had some of Lil' J's cute outfits get stained with poop from previous blowouts. And ok, I give her a lick of my food from time to time, but that's not making it to her poop! All she's getting is mama's milk. So... I'm not sure if this problem was because the poop dried first or what, and since I'm trying not to wash EVER day, I thought I'd give them a quick rinse before the wash, and hopefully the stains will come out.
If not, people suggest setting them in the sun. We live in a townhome and don't have a huge yard to line dry all her diapers, but I can set them on the porch so they can be sun bleached. But will that bleach the cute colors too? And can I set them out after drying them or must the stain be wet to be sunned out?
Other than that, we're both trying to find an easy way to tell if the diapers are wet without taking them all the way off. That seemed easier with disposables.
So many questions I guess I'll learn through trial and error during this experiment.
BEWARE: I'm about to show poopy diapers!!! I know it's a tad bit weird but this is an experiment, I'm putting it all out there, and sometimes photos speak louder than words.
Anyway, here's hoping they're nice and clean tomorrow! You can bet I'll let you know!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Cloth Diaper Experiment: I Put Them on Her BUTT!
This morning I sat on my bed and nursed my daughter. I felt something slightly wet on my thighs and realized her diaper was leaking.
Yuck. I thought. Well, maybe it's a good thing I'm switching to cloth.
I had put cloth diaper covers over my baby quite a few times to see how they looked, and measure them for size. I also had tried the flushie liners in the gDiapers to get a feel for a different type of diaper, and to get used to dealing more with poop. But I had never actually full on put a cloth diaper on my daughter's bottom and let her go to the bathroom in it.
Just a few months ago I blew my nose in a wash cloth because I couldn't find a tissue, but then didn't have the nerve to wash the wash cloth. Instead, I threw it away (eco-fail, I KNOW!). I'm definitely not one who is good at dealing with bodily fluids, so I've been a little chicken to give these a try--to say the lease. Nevertheless, today was the day I set to do it! ALL DAY, no matter what.
I grabbed the white Sprout Change diaper cover/shell first, stuck an organic insert under her bottom and buttoned her up. The inserts did seem to get a little smaller after washing and drying them a few times. Before they would have been hanging over the edge. Now I only fold them over a little.
I ended up only doing the wash/dry cycle twice. They may not be to their maximum absorbency yet, but I guess they'll get there soon enough.
Getting the diaper on was easy. It actually didn't take much longer to put the diaper on than it does for me to put on a disposible, which was a plus.
Then I got her dressed for the day. I put her in a onesie dress from Piggies and Paws and worried it wouldn't snap close over her fluffy bottom. But it did!
I went downstairs and set up my webcam for my MomTV webshow. Not long after I stared broadcasting I her the dreaded sound "BRRRMMMMPP!!!" The dreaded first crap in the cloth! I knew I'd have to experience it sooner or later. Now was my chance.
I waited until my show was over, but luckily it was only another 20 minutes or so until I got to change her, and she was glad to get out of the mess! The first thing I noticed was how soaked the insert was. So she was definitely feeling the wetness. Which I guess is good for both of us. One of the main reasons babies get diaper rash with disposibles is because the diapers aren't changed often enough. With cloth you really HAVE to change it when it's wet. Which I suppose is a good thing. And there's not much guessing. You know it's wet.
Second thing I noticed was the poop didn't contain itself to the insert. This I was bummed about because I only have 8 reversible shells and I'm hoping to use only 3-4 a day so I can go a day without washing. Seeing that the shell got poop on it too made be worry I'd have to change the shell every diaper change.
Now, I had read some of the comments in my last post suggesting I hang on to the insert and flush it in the toilet. I opted not to do this because we have toilet cleaner in there, and I'm not sure it's a good idea to mix that with the diapers. They'd probably turn blue.
So what did I do? I threw it in the bathroom sink, turned the water on and poked it. Yes, with my finger. I know. Ew.
I have no idea what I was thinking but I was hoping if I ran enough hot water on it for a few minutes the poop wouldn't stain. And all I could think was 'please don't stain the pretty shell, please don't stain the pretty shell!!'.
Meanwhile my daughter is kicking laughing, and I'm praying she won't pee or poop again before I get another diaper on her.
I let the water run (I know, not so green. I'm thinking about getting a toilet sprayer soon) while I grab another diaper. This time I try the microfleece. (Which is like microfiber stuff on one side, and cotton stuff on the side that goes up against her butt). Maybe it's more absorbent? And a pink cover.
I'm in a hurry now. We're getting ready to drive up to Ikea, then go to a friends house. When I packed my diaper bag I added 3 more covers, about 6 inserts and a couple of plastic grocery bags to stuff the wet diapers in. Hey, I put my dog's poop in them, I figure they'd work for people poop too.
I know I was overpacking but you just never know! I purposely didn't pack any disposables because I wanted to force myself to go through this the whole day using only cloth (of course I already had a few stuffed at the bottom of my bag from before though).
We made it to Ikea, shopped, and when we left I nursed and changed her in the car. She was wet, and only pooped a little. The shell didn't even get wet. It was perfect! I pulled the insert out, and since I don't have a wetbag (a bag people use to keep wet cloth diapers in while they're out) I just stuffed it in my grocery bags, and set it in my car. Adding another cloth insert was a piece of cake, and her bottom never had to come out of the diaper shell the whole time. Snapping it back up was easy peasy and we were set to go.
I think I could argue cloth diaper changes (at least with this system) are faster than disposable changes. Of course I haven't gotten to the washing yet, but I'm just talking about the changes now.
We drove down to my friends house to play dressup and take pictures. I told her about cloth diapers and showed them how they worked. I'm not sure if she's a believer yet--Heck, I'm not sure I am yet--but she seemed intrigued like I've been. It was different being on the other side of the fence. Being the one telling someone why they're cool, and I'm not crazy.
I changed my daughter again while I was at my friend's house, and again, she didn't wet the shell so we were getting back on schedule to how long they're suppose to last.
I bagged the insert and put it in my plastic grocery bag. ... Who needs a wet bag when you've got grocery bags?
When I got home I told my husband how the experiment was going.
"We haven't used disposables all day," I told him proudly.
"Oh yea? You've been using cloth?" He asked.
"Yea," I beamed.
"Where'd you put the diapers when you were out?"
"In these bags." I held up my makeshift wetbags.
"That stinks." He lied about the smell.
I say he lied because they didn't stink. They weren't even poopy.
"It's just pee," I told him.
"Well pee stinks."
I put them to my nose to make sure I wasn't loosing my mind. "Whatever, you can't even smell them, put them in there," I pointed to our diaper champ, which was now being used to hold these cloth diapers.
He opened the container and looked inside. I was waiting for him to smell the big poopy diaper from earlier.
"So you want to put the diapers in here?" He asked.
Yay! I thought. He didn't smell it!
"Yep! That's where we'll put them" (see where I'm going with this?) "So tomorrow, when you change her, you just take this part out of the diaper, stick it in the pail, and put a new one under her." I instructed.
"How many of these do we have?" He seemed to be going along with this.
"Thirty."
"Cool."
Cool? Is he being serious right now? He's really on board! That was easy!
Then the light went off. I could see it on his face.
"This is going to effect me more than you." He realized.
This is true, but I had to make it not seem that bad.
"Yea, but I'll get a hose for the toilet and you can just spray it and set it in the diaper champ. I'll wash them when I get home."
This seemed to satisfy him, and he agreed to doing a diaper changing lesson later.
So day 1 in the diapers has been a success. We only needed two covers and about a third of the inserts. I am interested in seeing if the poop comes out of the white shell since it got all in the sides. I'm tempted to try spraying Shout on it before washing but people seem to be very picky about what products they suggest using on cloth diapers so I need to look into that a little more.
I think I'll get a toilet sprayer (it looks like the hose on your kitchen sink) off ebay for like $20 this week. A few commenters mentioned it in my last post. I hear it's nice once the baby begins solids, which we'll be doing in a month (cereal). It could maybe also help with giving the diapers and extra rinse.
I'm also trying to decide if the cloth diapers make my daughter's butt too hot. We DO live in Texas, and it's adding quite a bit of fabric down there. She never had rash before, and I haven't noticed any now, but I'm keeping my eyes open to any developments. I bet it's nice and comfy, especially in the winter, but I am sorta wondering if it's a little uncomfortable in the summer. I dunno.
Overall, day 1 of wearing the cloth diapers went well. I didn't experience much poop besides the first change. Baptism by fire I guess. Tomorrow is daddy's turn!
Yuck. I thought. Well, maybe it's a good thing I'm switching to cloth.
I had put cloth diaper covers over my baby quite a few times to see how they looked, and measure them for size. I also had tried the flushie liners in the gDiapers to get a feel for a different type of diaper, and to get used to dealing more with poop. But I had never actually full on put a cloth diaper on my daughter's bottom and let her go to the bathroom in it.
Just a few months ago I blew my nose in a wash cloth because I couldn't find a tissue, but then didn't have the nerve to wash the wash cloth. Instead, I threw it away (eco-fail, I KNOW!). I'm definitely not one who is good at dealing with bodily fluids, so I've been a little chicken to give these a try--to say the lease. Nevertheless, today was the day I set to do it! ALL DAY, no matter what.
I grabbed the white Sprout Change diaper cover/shell first, stuck an organic insert under her bottom and buttoned her up. The inserts did seem to get a little smaller after washing and drying them a few times. Before they would have been hanging over the edge. Now I only fold them over a little.
I ended up only doing the wash/dry cycle twice. They may not be to their maximum absorbency yet, but I guess they'll get there soon enough.
Then I got her dressed for the day. I put her in a onesie dress from Piggies and Paws and worried it wouldn't snap close over her fluffy bottom. But it did!
I went downstairs and set up my webcam for my MomTV webshow. Not long after I stared broadcasting I her the dreaded sound "BRRRMMMMPP!!!" The dreaded first crap in the cloth! I knew I'd have to experience it sooner or later. Now was my chance.
I waited until my show was over, but luckily it was only another 20 minutes or so until I got to change her, and she was glad to get out of the mess! The first thing I noticed was how soaked the insert was. So she was definitely feeling the wetness. Which I guess is good for both of us. One of the main reasons babies get diaper rash with disposibles is because the diapers aren't changed often enough. With cloth you really HAVE to change it when it's wet. Which I suppose is a good thing. And there's not much guessing. You know it's wet.
Second thing I noticed was the poop didn't contain itself to the insert. This I was bummed about because I only have 8 reversible shells and I'm hoping to use only 3-4 a day so I can go a day without washing. Seeing that the shell got poop on it too made be worry I'd have to change the shell every diaper change.
Now, I had read some of the comments in my last post suggesting I hang on to the insert and flush it in the toilet. I opted not to do this because we have toilet cleaner in there, and I'm not sure it's a good idea to mix that with the diapers. They'd probably turn blue.
So what did I do? I threw it in the bathroom sink, turned the water on and poked it. Yes, with my finger. I know. Ew.
I have no idea what I was thinking but I was hoping if I ran enough hot water on it for a few minutes the poop wouldn't stain. And all I could think was 'please don't stain the pretty shell, please don't stain the pretty shell!!'.
Meanwhile my daughter is kicking laughing, and I'm praying she won't pee or poop again before I get another diaper on her.
I let the water run (I know, not so green. I'm thinking about getting a toilet sprayer soon) while I grab another diaper. This time I try the microfleece. (Which is like microfiber stuff on one side, and cotton stuff on the side that goes up against her butt). Maybe it's more absorbent? And a pink cover.
I'm in a hurry now. We're getting ready to drive up to Ikea, then go to a friends house. When I packed my diaper bag I added 3 more covers, about 6 inserts and a couple of plastic grocery bags to stuff the wet diapers in. Hey, I put my dog's poop in them, I figure they'd work for people poop too.
I know I was overpacking but you just never know! I purposely didn't pack any disposables because I wanted to force myself to go through this the whole day using only cloth (of course I already had a few stuffed at the bottom of my bag from before though).
We made it to Ikea, shopped, and when we left I nursed and changed her in the car. She was wet, and only pooped a little. The shell didn't even get wet. It was perfect! I pulled the insert out, and since I don't have a wetbag (a bag people use to keep wet cloth diapers in while they're out) I just stuffed it in my grocery bags, and set it in my car. Adding another cloth insert was a piece of cake, and her bottom never had to come out of the diaper shell the whole time. Snapping it back up was easy peasy and we were set to go.
I think I could argue cloth diaper changes (at least with this system) are faster than disposable changes. Of course I haven't gotten to the washing yet, but I'm just talking about the changes now.
We drove down to my friends house to play dressup and take pictures. I told her about cloth diapers and showed them how they worked. I'm not sure if she's a believer yet--Heck, I'm not sure I am yet--but she seemed intrigued like I've been. It was different being on the other side of the fence. Being the one telling someone why they're cool, and I'm not crazy.
I bagged the insert and put it in my plastic grocery bag. ... Who needs a wet bag when you've got grocery bags?
When I got home I told my husband how the experiment was going.
"We haven't used disposables all day," I told him proudly.
"Oh yea? You've been using cloth?" He asked.
"Yea," I beamed.
"Where'd you put the diapers when you were out?"
"In these bags." I held up my makeshift wetbags.
"That stinks." He lied about the smell.
I say he lied because they didn't stink. They weren't even poopy.
"It's just pee," I told him.
"Well pee stinks."
I put them to my nose to make sure I wasn't loosing my mind. "Whatever, you can't even smell them, put them in there," I pointed to our diaper champ, which was now being used to hold these cloth diapers.
He opened the container and looked inside. I was waiting for him to smell the big poopy diaper from earlier.
"So you want to put the diapers in here?" He asked.
Yay! I thought. He didn't smell it!
"Yep! That's where we'll put them" (see where I'm going with this?) "So tomorrow, when you change her, you just take this part out of the diaper, stick it in the pail, and put a new one under her." I instructed.
"How many of these do we have?" He seemed to be going along with this.
"Thirty."
"Cool."
Cool? Is he being serious right now? He's really on board! That was easy!
Then the light went off. I could see it on his face.
"This is going to effect me more than you." He realized.
This is true, but I had to make it not seem that bad.
"Yea, but I'll get a hose for the toilet and you can just spray it and set it in the diaper champ. I'll wash them when I get home."
This seemed to satisfy him, and he agreed to doing a diaper changing lesson later.
I think I'll get a toilet sprayer (it looks like the hose on your kitchen sink) off ebay for like $20 this week. A few commenters mentioned it in my last post. I hear it's nice once the baby begins solids, which we'll be doing in a month (cereal). It could maybe also help with giving the diapers and extra rinse.
I'm also trying to decide if the cloth diapers make my daughter's butt too hot. We DO live in Texas, and it's adding quite a bit of fabric down there. She never had rash before, and I haven't noticed any now, but I'm keeping my eyes open to any developments. I bet it's nice and comfy, especially in the winter, but I am sorta wondering if it's a little uncomfortable in the summer. I dunno.
Overall, day 1 of wearing the cloth diapers went well. I didn't experience much poop besides the first change. Baptism by fire I guess. Tomorrow is daddy's turn!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
