Going Crazy With Cloth

Yesterday morning my when I got up my husband looked at me and said "You've lost your mind. You've completely lost your mind." That's his initial assessment of my new venture at giving cloth diapers a try.

I've had some old flat diapers and covers around for some time, but could never get them to fit right. Then, thanks to Jenni's post last week, I purchased some Cloth-eez prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers (www.greenmountaindiapers.com).

I mainly did it to have a backup around when we run out of disposables, since we are 20 miles from the nearest place to buy diapers, and it's just not practical to run to town if you suddenly realize that you've put the last diaper on the baby and there are none in any cupboard or diaper bag. But since trying them out on Miles, I may just have to switch completely. These diaper service quality prefolds are made wider and shorter than the traditional prefold cloth diapers, and much thicker, softer, and more absorbent than my old cheap flat ones. They can be pinned, snappied, or just folded and put inside a diaper wrap.

I used a Bummis wrap with the diaper folded inside, and I couldn't believe how well they worked together. No leaks!

Washing was no big deal, and the diapers came out super soft and fresh-smelling. Plus, Miles came and wanted changed when he was wet. How cool is that?!?! Cloth diapers may be my new potty training secret (maybe I should put them on Ian!!).

The only drawback was that the size I got was too large for Miles: I had to fold them under to get them to fit in the wrap, and that makes some extra bulk in the front. But he'll grow into them. So I ordered a second dozen in a smaller size for everyday use now, and maybe we can try the big ones at night. I may just become an avid cloth user yet!

I did some web research, and was amazed at all the cloth diaper options out there. I haven't tried all the types, but I really like these prefolds with wraps, and it turns out they are one of the most economical ways to diaper. They cost about $30 a dozen, depending on what size you buy, and the wraps are about $10 each - plus they come in cute patterns and colors! I figure I'll need about 3 dozen diapers and 5 wraps, which brings the total cost to around $140, plus tax and shipping. That's 6 boxes of disposable diapers. We buy one box (Huggies 88 count , size 4, about $25 at Walmart) about every 2 weeks. In 3 months, the cloth diapers will pay for themselves, and after that, they'll save us $50 a month. That's $600 a year! If we have another baby, we'll be able to use them for him/her too. Of course, we'd have to invest in the newborn size at that point, but in the long run it would still be much cheaper. I'm also going to try cloth wipes, using my terry baby washcloths, washing them with the diapers, and making my own wipes solution (Lavender Chamomile, smells wonderful and works great!). That saves another $10 a month or so.

Of course, I had tons of questions regarding switching to cloth. Here are a few of my observations.

Aren't disposables more convenient? Yes, a little.

Don't they leak? Not if they fit right - I have yet to have a leak on Miles!

Is the extra laundry a hassle? No, not really. I do laundry all the time anyway. What's another load every other day?

Does the diaper pail smell nasty? No - I'm using the "dry pail" method, rinsing poopy diapers off first, and sprinkling with baking soda - no odors yet!

Will it work for us? I'll never know until I've really tried it! My plan at present is to use cloth at home, but keep a few disposables around for trips and such. I'm currently still using disposables at night, but as soon as the smaller size comes I hope to switch at night too. I figure if I spend the money, I'm obligated to at least use the diapers until they pay for themselves. After that, I'm saving money. In the meantime, I'm not filling up landfills with diapers. I"m putting only 100% soft cotton (no chemicals) against my baby's bottom, and he's learning to recognize when he's wet.

Is it worth the extra effort? Have I lost my mind? What will we do with the $700 I'm saving a year? I"ll keep you updated.