Diapers folks. Yep, we are using cloth DIAPERS. Now, before you all gag and wonder what in the world we are thinking, let me say that the cloth diapers these days are NOTHING like what I pictured when I first heard about them. I pictured the ones I used to play with that my mom had that you pinned on your dolly...the kind that now people use to make burp cloths.
Not the case. These new cloth diapers are actually pretty dang incredible. There are a million options out there, but we have heard great things about the Fuzzibunz.
They are one size, meaning you can use them from the time they are newborn (well, 7 pounds) until they are toddlers.
There are snaps in the front that allow you to adjust the sizing around the waist.
Adjustable elastic around the legs that let you loosen/tighten here as needed.
And really...the colors are just kind of adorable!
I first heard about cloth diapers a couple of years ago. I have a friend who used them with her boys, and she made an AMAZING blog post about it here. She also linked to the Styleberry Blog where I went and learned even more about the diapers themselves as well as the process. After reading these ladies experiences about them, and finding out how different they were...I was intrigued. And that was before babies were ever even discussed in this house!
I think the part that was most intriguing to me was you buy diapers once, and can use them with from newborn to toddler, never having to buy more! After we found out we were expecting, Tadd and I talked about the options, we were leaning towards cloth, but hadn't officially decided yet. The news about TWINS came, and we leaned even more towards cloth diapers.
I definitely liked not having to worry about buying diapers constantly - No monthly diaper cost, no late night runs to the store because there are no diapers left in the stash. I also like the idea of less blown out diapers - who wants that mess on a regular basis? Not to mention comfort for the babies - would you rather have a maxi pad stuck next to your bum or soft cuddly fleece?! Knowing how sensitive my skin is, and how allergic I am to everything known to mankind, there's always a risk that our boys will be sensitive little souls too, so less risk of diaper rash with cloth diapers was another big plus.
I had my worries too. Like dirty diapers. I have heard horror stories about cloth diapers - rinse them in the toilet, or a bucket of bleach on standby...NOT happening! Like the links to the other ladies' websites will tell you, dirty diapers - not a big deal. No worse than having blow outs on a regular basis. While the babies are on a liquid diet, you just throw the whole thing in the wash. Once they start eating more solids, you put a flushable liner inside that allows you to flush away the mess and you toss the rest in the washer.
Bottom line, more laundry. That's pretty much it. But like my friend told me - what's another couple of loads at this point?
And in case you still think we are crazy, after talking about all of these things - we did the math! We went to Wal Mart, Sam's Club, Diapers.com, Amazon...it was an extensive math process. On average, we figured
8 diapers per day (and yes we know in the beginning this is playing it safe)
365 days in one year....That's 2,920 diapers - for ONE baby.
Average cost per diaper...22 cents
That is $642.40 per year on diapers.
BUT, don't forget we are having TWO babies....TWINS! So that cost doubles. Almost $1300 on diapers in one year. And that was if we bought the cheaper brands. The Huggies (which I've heard leak less for boys..and gentler on sensitive skin...?!) put us closer to $1600 per year!!!
I don't know about anybody else, but to us that was a LOT of money. The idea of spending about $400-500 total on diapers up front and not having to add an extra $100 or more to our monthly budget is DEFINITELY appealing.
So, it's official. As of yesterday, we are a cloth diapering family. We purchased our first of many Fuzzibunz. But really...you have to admit they are pretty cute.
Can't you just picture a lil bum in these?!
And...in case you STILL think I'm crazy...Tadd volunteered to do the extra laundry if it meant saving us $1600 every year. :) And now that statement is in writing - I'm no dummy!
I have actually heard of these, and everything I have heard is wonderful! I'm not sure that I am brave enough to venture into a cloth diaper world but you'll have to let me know what you think, my opinion could be swayed.
ReplyDeleteMy one sister who uses cloth diapers gives this advice:
ReplyDelete"If you stay at home with your kids most of the time, my preferred diaper is the old Chinese prefold with a wrap over it. They are the easiest to clean and maintain, not to mention cheapest. Then have a stash of 12 (with twins, half for single) or so of the fancier diapers for when you go out and need more absorbency/odor control. I haven't used fuzzibunz, but I know that the meconium poop was really hard to clean out of the diapers! It came out, but I'd recommend just using disposables until the meconium is gone. With the prefolds, you can soak them in a diaper pail (not recommended with fancy diapers, though I'm not sure about Fuzzibunz) and the soaking in the pail really cuts down on how much time they need in the washing machine." She doesn't use inserts, which is why she soaks. She says to seriously consider the Chinese prefolds, "there's a reason the that tradition has lasted for such a long time." She buys an $11 box of laundry detergent specifically for the diapers and it lasts forever. Line drying is best for cloth diapers, and it helps them last longer. If you can't line dry outside you can get an attachment that hooks on to your shower curtain rod for line drying in the bathroom.
She really likes the Bum Genius snap diapers and has been using her current ones for 5 years with her three kids and the snaps are just starting to detach from the fabric - not too bad for 5 years. And the BG 4.0 has a super easy access to the elastic in the legs that you can replace super easily.
If you go with inserts the cheapest way to go is with fleece inserts. One of my neighbors switched from cloth diapers to disposable because she was buying disposable inserts and the overall cost was about the same as disposable diapers.
Good luck from both of us!
I think it's great that you guys are trying the cloth! Sadly it's like a toss up, either people feel it's the "thing" to do very proud. Or there are the ones who think it's gross and can't understand why people would do it.
ReplyDeleteI worked for a daycare center, and changing the bum of a baby or toddler in a cloth is really no different than changing a baby in huggies. Except the disposal part.
You made some very great points about the ups and downs of cloth diapers. I agree to a T, and I LOVED how you threw the math in! ; )
If I could go back I would really take a chance with the cloth. Who cares what anyone else thinks. Plus you really are the smart one! look at those numbers!
And then you end up changing 8 diapers a day (per child), and realize that you have actually saved more than you thought!
ReplyDeleteGreat choice.