So, I've been researching cloth diapering for over a year now, and I thought I'd share where we are with that. First, I had no idea cloth diapering would be so complicated! There are a tons of different kinds to buy and methods to use, depending on your baby's age and shape, your washer model, your budget, etc. Then when you buy them you wash them a few times to make them absorbent. Then you keep them in a diaper pail (usually with no lid) and wash them every 2-3 days. Washing is a complicated process -- most people recommend a cold rinse/soak, a hot wash with a little detergent, and then 1-2 rinses after that. Then, with the kind I want to get, you air dry them, which apparently takes a long time. There are special diaper creams to use and you have to buy pants a size bigger. Every now and then you have to "strip" the diapers to make them less smelly and more absorbent.
But I still want to do it. I've always hated the thought of all those bazillions of nasty disposable diapers filling up our landfills and not biodegrading, ever. Multiply that times all the babies in the US - It's disgusting! It's important to me to cloth diaper, even though opponents say that when you account for the water, electricity, and detergent you use, it's not more planet friendly. I think it still is! And it can be cheaper, too!
The diaper I have settled on, at least for a starting place, is the Bum Genius 3.0. It's an all in one diaper which means it goes on like a disposable. For exhausted, sleep deprived mamas dealing with working full time and trying to finalize an adoption while dealing with a baby that may have some colic or other special needs (from drug exposure), I think we need a simple option like this! However, we understand that her daycare may refuse to cloth diaper. I don't like that thought, but I can't do anything about it, so we may have to buy Earth's Best disposables (the greenest disposables I've found that aren't super duper expensive) for daycare. Also, for the first few weeks, when we are staying in a Nevada hotel room with a newborn, waiting for the Interstate Compact to come through, there is NO WAY we can handle cloth diapers! So we will use disposables then. We need to not push ourselves over the edge! But I hope it doesn't last long before we can handle cloth! It makes me feel like we are really doing something tangible to help the environment.
4 comments:
Awesome! We've decided to cloth diaper too. We've settled on the Bum Genius 3.0 one size and the GroBaby. So far I've bought the GroBaby's off Craigslist and the Bum Genius from www.nickisdiapers.com. They have a gently used section (aka returns) and they were a REALLY good deal. Have you been to Diaperpin.com? They have great review and info on sales.
I use Bum Genius and I have to say, I am disappointed with the velcro. It is starting to fall apart and Linnea is only 7 months old. It's also annoying that you have to wash the cover and insert every time they are soiled. I like just regular cloth with a plastic cover. That way you can keep using the cover all day. Also, you should check out Elimination Communication. Email me for more info. It cuts down on your diaper washings and I am totally hooked!
I cant believe how complicated cloth diapers have got!
I used cloth on my first 8 yrs ago and the same ones for my MB.
We use the plain white terry squares which are so easy to wash and dry so fast with a waterproof cover over the top. Soak em in a bucket, chuck em in the washer on a cold cycle with eucalyptus and they come out lovely :)
I'd love to go the Bum Genius route I've heard so many good things about them but we cant afford them (and we have 3 dozen white terry squares already!)
wrylymorgan from BBC here.
First, CONGRATULATIONS!
Second, BG 3.0 are good diapers; we have about six and use them often at night. That said, I'd go with a mix. We have a ton of grobaby/grovia, and they are just awesome; they're really our go-to diaper. We have a ton Kawaii Baby (pure and natural and heavy duty and heavy wetter) and the day care loves these, as do we. The heavy duty really are comparable to 3.0s.
We have a few other brands, but if I had it to do again, I'd do grobaby/grovia and Kawaii Heavy Duty and/or BG 3.0.
It's not as hard as you might think. Good luck!
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