I love cloth diapers.
I love what they do for the environment. I love how much money they save us. I love how seriously cute they look on my daughter. I love how comfortable they are. Well, I assume they are. I haven't actually tried them, but I know I'd rather have cloth on my bottom as opposed to whatever disposables are made of. Wouldn't you?
They have been an adventure. A fun one, though!
I hope that you all consider cloth diapering at some point in your own parenting adventure. Just send me an e-mail and I'll bombard you with a million online articles and resources. I think I spent months researching.
Tips and Tricks:
Buy a variety to start out with. I had a friend only buy one brand and she ended up giving up on them because, just one reason why, they leaked with her son.
I started out with about 6-8 different brands/types of diapers. It was nice to be able to figure out what kind we liked (AIO, pockets, prefolds, snaps, velcros, etc) and what kind fit our daughter the best.
You see, some babies fit better in different diapers because of their weight, height, rolls, etc. that's why I personally believe that it's important to start out with a few different ones. Not that I'm saying my friend was wrong in doing so, but she may have been able to find a brand that worked for her.
Don't be afraid to buy second hand! Almost all of mine are second hand and they are working just as well as the new ones I bought. As long as you check the elasticity of them and the overall quality, you'll be fine! Just strip them and/or wash them thoroughly before you use them. And, obviously, if it looks gross, don't buy it.
Dry your diapers outside. It gets rid of all stains (no joke), kills a lot of ammonia built up, and saves you money on running the dryer. Plus, hanging clothes up on the line is pretty dang relaxing. It's zen-like.
Save money! It may seem crazy expensive when you first buy diapers, but if you think about how many disposables you will have to buy, it's WAY less expensive in the long run. Don't be afraid to save more money, though. For example, don't buy a fancy diaper pail. Just use a 5 gal. bucket with a wet bag liner. That's what we use and it's great! Plus, they're a lot easier to clean when the time comes. Hose anyone?
Use the diapers to your cuteness advantage. Disposable diapers ain't got nothin' on these cute bottoms. Am-I-right?
Save money! It may seem crazy expensive when you first buy diapers, but if you think about how many disposables you will have to buy, it's WAY less expensive in the long run. Don't be afraid to save more money, though. For example, don't buy a fancy diaper pail. Just use a 5 gal. bucket with a wet bag liner. That's what we use and it's great! Plus, they're a lot easier to clean when the time comes. Hose anyone?
Use the diapers to your cuteness advantage. Disposable diapers ain't got nothin' on these cute bottoms. Am-I-right?
I know a few people who went with cloth diapers and have had nothing but great things to say about them. I'm definitely considering it for when we have babies!
ReplyDeleteI already know we're going to cloth diaper when we have kids...guess who I'll be hitting up for advice/recommendations?? ;)
ReplyDeleteQuestion: I think I heard/read that you can buy disposable liners? The last person I knew who cloth-diapered washed the inserts, and I'm assuming that's what most people do. However, I agree that cloth diapers look WAY more comfy!
ReplyDelete