Cloth Diapering Update

Since a few of you have asked, I thought I'd put a little something together about our cloth diapering adventures thus far. 

I really can't say enough about how well cloth diapering has gone for us. I entered the process with an open mind. While I wouldn't say I was convinced it was the perfect choice for us, I was 100% committed to giving it a solid try. I loved the idea of saving money and avoiding midnight runs to Target for diapers. And of course, there's the perk of feeling like we are doing a small part to live a greener lifestyle. (Please note- I have not done the actual "disposable diaper waste vs. water waste from laundering cloth diapers" math- although I would be very curious.)

Just to clear the air, we still use disposable diapers here and there- when we are travelling, when Calvin is with a sitter, when the cloth diapers are in the wash, when we feel like it. However, I would say that Cal is in cloth diapers at least 80% of the time

We waited to start cloth diapering until Cal was about 2 months old. We could have started a little earlier but Cal was still only 8 pounds at two months and the one-size-fits-all diapers we use could barely make a seal around his scrawny little legs. Now, 15 pounds and a few snap adjustments later, the diapers still fit great! We are still using the original 18 diapers we started with.

We are pretty particular and methodical about our wash routine- which keeps the diapers clean and our home smelling (mostly) fresh.

Here's our routine...

Wet diapers go in a waterproof bag. 

Diapers with "solids" get a quick spray and then hang out in a second waterproof bag until laundry day. 

Every two-three days we wash the diapers with a small amount of Charlie's Soap and two good rinse cycles*. 

Everything goes in the dryer. (In the summer we try to use a drying rack outside in the fresh sunny sun whenever we can.) 

An hour later, we stuff the clean diapers with the clean inserts and start again! 

*Once a month we do an extra wash cycle with OxyClean to help keep the inserts white. 

*Every two months or so we "strip" the diaper inserts using a small amount of bleach and blue Dawn dish soap (apparently there is some magical ingredient that can only be found in BLUE Dawn dish soap). Rinse. Rinse. Rinse. Dry. This extra routine keeps the diaper inserts smelling fresh and washes out extra laundry soap that may have built up on the inserts over time.

That's it folks! 

(Disclaimer: It is a total coincidence that I am publishing this post on Earth Day. While I would like to say I planned it- this post has been sitting in my draft list for months. No guilt trips or political agenda here!)

Baby Got Back

We pulled the trigger. 

Cal's skinny butt is now sporting some pretty fancy cloth diapers, 

which give the illusion that he has some major junk in the trunk.

Cheers to another parenting adventure! 

Taking the Plunge

It's one of the most intimidating challenges we have decided to undergo...

CLOTH DIAPERS!!

Think we are crazy? I do too! I blame mamas like Kirsten and Marlen for making it seem doable and thus getting me a teeny tiny bit interested. And by interested I mean totally serious. I'm talking we just ordered a dozen of these cutie cloth diaper serious. It's hard to ignore the option when you hear about how much cash money you save in the long run. Plus, it feels great to know we are doing a little something green here and there. Lastly, baby butts look absolutely huge adorable in cloth diapers.

What kind of diapers are we going to use? At this point we have 6 Swaddlebee Econappi Cloth Diapers with a few extra inserts and 6 Champ 2.0 Go Green Pocket Diapers. We will definitely need more and will likely try out a few other brands and have a hodge-podge of a collection in the end. All other decisions about cloth diaper accessories (wet bags, wipes, detergent, diaper sprayers, etc) have not been made yet. We still have LOTS of research and advice seeking to do.

Will we be using cloth diapers 100% of the time? Doubtful. After receiving a lot of advice from friends and the big bad blog world, we will probably end up using disposable diapers for a month or two until the little one is big enough to properly fit into the cloth diapers. From there, we will definitely be using them when we are home and plan to be pretty flexible with vacations, baby sitters, or time crunches. I'm guessing there will be a small stack of disposables readily available at all times. At the same time, I do really hope that cloth diapering is a success for us. We are ready to do what we need to in order to make it work!

Could we totally regret this poopy parenting decision? Absolutely! Could we end up being totally thrilled with this decision? Of course! .. and that's definitely worth the risk. I'd love any pointers or advice if you've got it! If you want to tell us we are crazy- that's okay too :)

Wish us luck!

Sidenote- the pink diapers were purchased before we knew we were having a boy. They will have to work as nighttime diapers :)