What we did ourselves, how it worked, and why you should too...
In this part review, part advice post, regarding cloth diapering; I'm going to tell you what I loved, what I didn't, how I cheated and so much more...
Loved.
I loved that I never really had to panic and rush out and buy diapers in the middle of the night. i loved that I never had to budget diaper money into our weekly expenses. I love that I mixed in the dirty diapers with our regular laundry thus not really creating any new water waste. Which is a big deal in the desert. I love that nothing but soft, clean, chemical free fabric is on my baby's bum. I love that cloth diapers are so much freaking cuter than those paper disposables. I love that cloth diapering is popular because there are so many choices and so many well designed options out there.
Hated.
I hate/hated folding and sorting all these different styles. I have 'laxed off lately and just shove them all in the drawer now, but before, each style and type was used at a different part of the day and separated in the draw, not worth the effort mamas! I hate when {even though rare} she would poop in her diapers. I hate spraying diapers out in the front yard which is where I pre-rinse the poopy ones. I hate line drying all of the diapers while my hands are full, even though, as you'll read later that's a huge help to keeping them last longer.
Cheated.
I cheated by doing a combination of cloth diapering and Elimination Communication {references
here and
here}. When Cupcake was about 3 months old or a bit earlier, I read about it and started doing it. I'm a little lazy. So, I don't worry sooo much about pee but we got really good at it and she pretty much only poops in the toilet, which is so nice, and makes cloth diapering so much easier! I also cheated a few times with disposable, but only really good environmentally friendly ones,
seven generation was used the first week or so. I wanted to avoid using cloth with the notorious
meconium poop and also once while we were traveling because my access to a working washer and dryer was limited. Otherwise, we are a pretty well working cloth diapering family, below are my reviews and suggestions for each style diaper we use.
Gdiapers are really great for several reasons, the first being the flexibility, at first I was a little nervous about cloth diapering and these allow you to swap out biodegradable liners with the cloth liners. Which we took advantage of while traveling. The disposable liners are actually flush-able. Anyway, the problem with these, which may be my fault, is the Velcro is wearing out quicker than I'd like. I did put them in the dryer because like I said earlier I don't like going outside one handed to hang up diapers. For the cost to quantity ratio, these are a great deal, because you don't need many shells, just a few to swap the liners in and out of. The liners are holding up great and these are my husband's favorite type because he doesn't have to carry a set of bulky diapers when heading out and about.
These are so soft! I love the whole set up of how it's an all in one and you can adjust the sizes with the snaps so they fit from very little to pretty big. These were my favorite until I bought the next ones I'm about to talk about. I don't like how the velcro folds in on the tabs when being washed because now, they're slightly stiff and wearing out more than I'd like. They're is also no organic option, unfortunately, because I think that's so important. These are still the only diapers I use at bedtime because none of the other diapers are as absorbent as these ones. They are a little pricey since you have to change the whole diaper about $30 for one. I got a few as gifts and then with some baby shower money. They are definitely worth the investment for a few, because seriously they're so absorbent.
These are my NEW favorite! I just invested in these with some of Sonja's birthday money. They are organic! They are also an all in one. I bought them at
Zoolikins and they were $25. They are all the benefits of the totsbots above, but without the velcro issues, I love the snaps I just think they're going to last a lot longer. I'm also stoked that the part touching my daughter is organic cotton, not only because it's on her bottom all day, but because I know that that in itself is less impact on the environment. Also, they were the same price or cheaper {than what I paid} for the totsbots. They're both great!
So this one was on sale and I'm really glad I got it. It's like the same as the totsbots, but not quite as well made, as soft or as absorbent BUT it was only $10 and in cloth diaper land that's practically free. I like the shell of this one, the design is cute and the actual material feels almost silky. When I say not as good as the totsbots I mean, almost as good. Really great option for those on a budget.
Finally, the snap-ez. I found a stash of these on craigslist 15 for $60, so a really great deal! They were the large size. So, Cupcake is still just starting to fit into them now. They work well, but I don't love how I have to remember to pull out the insert before washing and drying. Also, the fact that you have to change the whole set out is kind of annoying (similar to the gdiapers, but those keep the exterior shell, these don't). I do really like these, though; if she poops in them, because there is only one main piece to spray out, as opposed to the gdiaper which has three parts, that can all get dirty. I do like the snap system too and I think they're cute and basic. They're unisex which is nice, because you can use them for multiple babies. Cupcake is the third baby to use these ones, as you can tell the hemp inserts are well worn but absorb just the same, probably better since they're broken in.
I haven't had any washer or dryer problems so far, I use seven generations detergent or the most eco friendly I can find at Costco. I will, also, once and a while, do a bleach or vinegar rise just to get a good clean. Otherwise, I can't think of much else you might need to know, if you have questions or comments leave some below.
