Thursday, September 24, 2009

{a NeW AdVeNtUrE} cloth diapers



I made the plunge this week and ventured into the world of cloth diapers. I've been putting this off for quite some time mainly because I was overwhelmed at the many selections and the various methods. Cloth diapers are a big investment (and well worth it) so I wanted to be certain I was choosing the right ones.

I found the most helpful information HERE in this article at Passionate Homemaking. If you aren't a reader of this blog, you should be! Its one of the best and most practical blogs with tips on living naturally and frugally- definitely one of my favorites.

I went with one size pocket diapers. Pocket Diapers are a cloth diaper of convenience and are extremely low maintenance. They are super easy to change and put on. "One size" means that they will last from infant to potty training which was another added bonus for me. "Pocket Diaper" basically means that there is a pocket in the diaper in which you insert a liner to absorb the tee tee and poo.

That is the short of it.

**Sidenote: There is lots of "lingo" involved in the cloth diaper world. The sheer amount of terminology and not knowing what it meant was enough to make me want to run away.**

I chose to try two different types of one size pocket diapers. Most women I've talked to who use cloth diapers have an assortment of them and tend to favor one. So based on my many conversations and research, I went with these two.

Fuzzi Buns One Size
Happy Heinys One Size Pocket with Snaps

I purchased the ones with snaps because I've heard from various mamas that they wear better and the majority of the diaper companies have a lifetime warranty on the snaps.


So far, its going great! I'm so happy that I made the switch! The laundry has been manageable and I don't seem to even feel the slightest burden of them being time consuming.

Ruthie has only leaked a few times mainly because I'm a newbie at positioning the liners. I double up on the liners for bedtime now and once I did that, she hasn't leaked once. This was shocking to me because even with a regular diaper she usually leaked overnight.

I bought 8 of each kind and had 6 given to me (of the exact same brand I purchased:) to I have a total of 22 to circulate. That is a lot actually and should give me a few days in between washing.

Of the two I purchased, I have to say I favor the Fuzzi Buns over the Happy Heinys thus far. The Happy Heinys has LOTS of snaps- almost too many. As Ruthie gets older, I can see where I would really love the Happy Heinys. Since it does have lots of snaps, I can adjust it to fit perfectly. I love the Fuzzi Buns because they have adjustable bands all over (like the jeans for toddlers) that you can make them fit exactly right too. They have bands in the waist and also both legs. The snaps are just right and not too bulky.

Our next step is putting up a clothes line so the sun can do its thing by helping with drying and also disinfecting. But its been raining....which we are thankful for!

Another thing I plan on purchasing are disposable diaper liners once Ruthie begins solids. These are biodegradable liners that resemble a "dryer sheet". You basically put that in their diaper to catch the poo so that the poo comes off easily. Some of these liners you can even flush and they dissolve over time in the near future.

That is my .02 so far in cloth diaper world. I'm by no means an expert yet. Just a momma venturing into the world. Cloth diapers took up my "weird" factor up a notch. But, I'm now a fan of just embracing the weirdness instead of running from it. I'll post more about cloth diapers. As with anything, it was better for me to just jump in with both feet and figure it out as I go.

If you are considering making the switch to cloth diapers don't be afraid to find a momma who is using them and ask lots of questions. I've talked with a few gals and made phone calls right smack dab in the middle of changing Ruthie with probably the most obvious questions. My cloth diapering peeps have been more than helpful.

There is also a wealth of information online. Don't be overwhelmed. Just pick a few sites and jump in reading. Every mama has their own opinions and techniques. That is the beauty of gathering information from various sources. You can pick what will work for your family and discard methods that may not work so well for your lifestyle.

Since I'm a newbie, if you gals out there have any tips, I'm all ears! Throw them out there. We can all benefit from learning from each other.

Here are some questions:

What is your favorite brand of cloth diaper?

What is your method of washing?

What detergent do you use?

Oh, and we can't forget pics of little Miss Ruthie sporting her new diapers. She is smiling and laughing a lot now! I love this age. Ruthie is still extremely content and laid back. She is so sweet! She is teething right now (yes that's right) at 4 months. All of my girls have had their first tooth by 4 months. I've heard teething is hereditary so we seem to be keeping with the same pattern. I had no clue she was even teething until I stuck my hand in her mouth and felt the tiniest tooth about to poke through her bottom gums.

Here are some pics!

Smiling at Daddy!
Sucking on her hands
I love this face!
Diaper Bliss:)

11 comments:

Steph said...

Way to go, mama! I did not cloth diaper with B, but hoping to make a switch with baby #2. Now...just need baby #2 ;).

And thanks for that blog link. I've gotten a couple new blogs from you lately. I'm learning a lot. Thanks!

Williams Five said...

Hey Lyns,
She is so cute!! Where did you get her headband?

Grace said...

I seriously thought about cloth-diapering J. but was discouraged from it by Aaron...he didn't like the thought of washing out poo in the washing machine...maybe with the next one I'll be able to convince him to let me do it! I can't wait to hear how it goes with Ruthie. She looks adorable in her new diaper duds!

Brandi Tejeda said...

Well you know I HEART cloth diapers. Good luck! Its so fun!!

as for my favorite brand?
prefolds-little lions
covers- wool (disana and handmade),pul would be proraps, thirsties, bummis in that order.
fitteds- RRP made by me
pockets - fuzzibuns, Kawaii, and bumgenious
all in ones- bumgenious
I have hard water. This is how I wash
1. rinse cycle on cold no detergent
2. hot wash on highest water level with a scoop (yes a WHOLE scoop)of Tide, a squirt of dawn,and a cap ful of calgon water softner
3. 2 full rinse cycles
4. line dry or dryer..whatever I feel like and whatever the weather allows.
And as I said before, I use Tide powder

Rachel said...

Yeah! I am so proud of you for trying it out. You made a great choice in getting only snaps. My velcro dipes are a mess after two kids. As for your questions, I'm not sure if I have a favorite brand. My favorites tend to change as the baby ages, if that makes sense.

For washing, I do a cold rinse cycle. Then I do a long, hot wash with about 2 tablespoons of Purex Free & Clear and 1/2 cup baking soda. Then I do an additional cold rinse cycle with 1/2 cup white vinegar.

Be sure you take it easy on the soap. Buildup is a very real thing and it stinks! Literally...

mandi said...

su-weet pea!!!

i love that cow print diaper!

and i love your weird self- now we can relate even more! : )

i agree with rachel- build up is the worst! my poor little man had a burnt bottom most of the time because of our build up issue...

Anonymous said...

She is so Beautiful and Cute!!
I have been wondering if you would take the leap to cloth diapers and even a cloths line-- I am aware of the demon laundry so this is a big investment!!- but the cloth diapers are adorable!!!
Love Aunt Terri

Anonymous said...

What a cutie, good luck with the cloth diapers!

Amy

http://goatpod2.wordpress.com

LaundryTree said...

Have you heard of LaundryTree SoapNuts? They're amazing for cloth diapers.

Soapnuts are a totally natural dried fruit that will clean cloth diapers -- or any kind of laundry. We're in Houston -- just down the road from you!

http://www.laundrytree.com

larissa said...

Loving your blog...

We talked cloth dipes briefly at Mops Thursday.

I learned to knit so that I could do wool over prefolds and fitteds.:) It's for the breath-ability factor. I do have pockets and AIO's for the diaper bag though, which is what I showed you on Thursday.

I love them. Rafe leaks out of paper diapers much more than cloth.

My favorite all in ones are bumgenius aios and Dreameze aios. I also really like Green Mountain Diapers prefolds. They are by far the best quality pfs I've found.

My wash routine is cold rinse, hot wash with half a scoop of Surf. No build up issues here. I keep it simple.

Gail said...

I am pretty sure I'm going to use cloth diapers....we are expecting our first this Nov. and so I thought, why not try it out now? My guess is if I start on disposables it'll get harder and harder to make the switch over. Anywho, my question is, now that you've been using them for awhile now, how do you like them? Any more ideas/tips?

A few things I wonder about are:

*How many diapers do I need to get for an infant...down to potty-training age?

*When do you start using the liners? (the ones you flush or throw away)

*How many days can you go in-between washes? If you put the wet diaper freshly rinsed from the toilet into a hamper, won't it start to mildew?

Thanks for any help you can provide! I'd love to hear your new take on this whole CD thing since you've been doing it for a little while now since you posted this last.

-Gail