Day to day with cloth diapers

To catch up on all my cloth diapering thoughts...start here.

When I first started thinking about cloth diapers, it was a little much for me to wrap my mind around. I understood how they did their...um...diaper part...but as for the cleaning, storing, traveling, I didn't know how it worked. So let me show you how I use my beloved BumGenius from day to day.

I keep clean diapers stuffed, folded, and ready to use right on the changing table. This ensures that both the Daddy and I have access whenever it's diaper changing time! (and the colors make me SO happy!)

After a diaper is changed, the dirty one is deposited in the bin which resides in the bathroom closest to the nursery. I pull out the insert and toss both pieces into the bin. (I have the Dekor Plus.)

If it's a poopy diaper, I pull out the insert, then spray the cover off with the diaper sprayer (Best. Invention. Ever.)Then the pieces go into the bin.

(This handy gadget works just like the sprayer in your kitchen sink...but it attaches to the toilet and sprays the poo right into the bowl.  No dunking or swishing or soaking!)

When I'm down to a day's worth of clean diapers (which is 7-8 for us) I start washing the dirties. I pull the bag out of the bin and dump everything in the washer. Then it's a cold, soap-less wash, a hot soapy wash, and an extra rinse. (This process takes about an hour and a half, with my washing machine.)

 

Then the inserts go in the dryer and the the covers line dry. If its sunny out, I love to dry them in the sun! (Gotta love a little sun bleaching!) When it's rainy, I leave them to dry overnight.

Once everything is dry, I end up with these two piles. It takes about ten (distracted) minutes to get everything stuffed and looking neat and tidy.

 

And then we've got clean diapers again!

My love affair with cloth diapers, Part 3

To catch up, read My love affair with cloth diapers, Part 1 and Part 2.

After lots of internal debate and research, I decided to go with BumGenius 4.0 diapers. And I haven't regretted it for an instant! Originally I chose this brand for a few key reasons:

*Adjustable sizing means I won't have to worry about purchasing any more cloth diapers as Emerson grows. One set will get us through until she's potty trained. Simple!

*This brand was the most commonly recommended by the people I know. And nobody had anything bad to say. Real parents and real babies love these diapers!

*BumGenius 4.0 are available online from Target and Babies R Us, the two places we registered. Why not give someone else the chance to buy them for us?!?

We've been using our 24 cloth diapers since Emerson was about 5 weeks old. Her daddy, grandmas, and aunties can change them easily, and I am completely happy with how they've washed and worn so far. And is this not the cutest little bum you ever did see?

Next up: a day in the life of a cloth diapering mama, complete with pictures!  Read Day to day with cloth diapers.

My love affair with cloth diapers, Part 2

Read the background on why I chose cloth diapers here.

I remember when my baby sister was in cloth diapers 20 years ago. My mom used the Gerber pre-folds (cotton rectangles with a thicker, more absorbent center strip), diaper pins, and clear plastic pants. When baby pooped, the diaper was soaked in the toilet, wrung out, and tossed in the diaper pail until laundry time. This is what many people envision when they hear, "cloth diapers," but trust me when I say that the industry has come a long way since then!

In fact, there are so many options that my initial research was completely overwhelming! I read about pre-folds and pocket diapers, AIOs and PUL, swishing, dunking, swirling and spraying. I wasn't sure what all these things were or how they would play out in real life. (heres a great reference for cloth diapering lingo.)

When I googled "cloth diapers," I found a system called G Diapers. The first thing I noticed was that they are absolutely adorable!  This 3 piece system has a cute and colorful cover (the diaper looking part that you see when baby is wearing it), the plastic liner that makes it waterproof, and the inserts (the absorbant part) which come in reusable cloth style, or the biodegradable, flushable, disposable version.  These diapers come in different sizes that fit according to your baby's weight. G Diapers were my favorite from the beginning!  But as any good consumer, I continued to research the options...

The next cloth diaper brand I discovered was BumGenius (on the linked page, scroll down for a great visual aid for how the diapers work).  My sister was nannying for a family that used this brand, and as I asked around I realized that several other friends used them. BumGenius 4.0 diapers have two pieces--the pocket diaper cover, and the insert that fits inside the pocket.   These are a one-size diaper...they have snaps making it an adjustable rise, and they claimed to fit babies from 7 to 35 pounds!

These two brands are NOT the only options out there, but they were the two brands that most appealed to me as I researched cloth diapering.  Armed with this information, and only three months pregnant, I took some time to think through the options and keep an ear open for reccommendations.


Do you remember the old fashioned cloth diapers?  Have you seen or used any cloth diapering options today?  Check out the links and see for yourself how easy (and cute!!!) cloth can be! :)

Find our which brand our family chose in My love affair with cloth diapers, Part 3.  Or see how it all works in Day to day with cloth.

My love affair with cloth diapers, Part 1

That's right...Part 1. I have so much to say I couldn't fit it in one post. :)

Before I was even pregnant, I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers with my baby. And it wasn't even a financial decision. The huge amount of waste created by disposable diapers is something I cannot ignore. I think it has a lot to do with the time I've spent in Latin America. Trash, and the way it's handled, is different in third world and developing countries. Litter is everywhere, and something I saw all over--in parks and ditches, on the side of the road and on the beach--was disposable diapers.

In fact, toward the end of my four and a half months studying in Central America, my group visited a dump. There were countless families living IN the dump, making a "living" by collecting recyclables that had been thrown away and selling them. Years later I can still smell the stench of that place. In my mind's eye I can see the endless expanse of refuse, and the innumerable amount of disposable diapers contributing to one of the saddest sights I have ever seen.

Here at home, our trash is better hidden from us, and after enough time passes its easy to forget what happens when my husband wheels that grey can out to the curb every Tuesday. But somehow the emotion connected to disposable diapers has never worn off for me.

Let me be clear that if you're a disposable diaper parent, I'm not judging. There are a lot of ways I could further reduce my own environmental impact. However, of you ask me about my cloth diapers, I'm liable to talk your ear off...and if you express an interest in using them I might actually jump up and down.

I've been pleased to find out that cloth diapering is actually easier than I thought! And I have become a total cloth diaper snob:) On the occasions that Emerson has been in a disposable, (and yes, that happens occasionally), I hate how they smell and the way her poor bum looks afterward.

In this series I plan to describe my cloth diapering journey, and hopefully help someone that wants to cloth diaper but is not sure where to start.

So, what are your thoughts on cloth vs. disposable? Why would you consider (or NEVER consider) cloth diapering? What questions do you have about the actual day in and day out process of using cloth? Leave me your comments and questions and I'll address as many as I can!

Want more on cloth diapers?  Read about my love affair...Part 2 and Part 3.  Or see how it all works Day to day with cloth.