clothdiapering: 6 month update

9:03:00 AM Unknown 4 Comments

I'm proud to say that 6 months in, we are still cloth-diapering! Here are some notes on our journey so far:

• When I first started investing in our stash I did a ton of research, and mostly bought Fuzzibunz One-size. They are great quality, come in a variety of colors, and are the trimmest diapers we own. We have a decent collection of Fuzzibunz that stay in our rotation. I was purchasing them through Fuzzibunz Store, and with free shipping (arriving as early as 2 days later) and 10% back on every purchase I thought I was getting a great deal. Until I found ALVA baby. 

• ALVA baby are great diapers. I never thought you could get good quality cloth diapers for less than $15, and these run from $4-6 each! They are shipped from China, I believe, but offer worldwide free shipping. They take a few weeks to arrive but are well worth the wait. These are one-size pocket diapers, and are always the go-to diapers in my stash. I love the colors and the fit. I've also bought a wet/dry bag from alvababy.com, but sadly it doesn't hold up as well as my Simple zipTote by CDI (bought from fuzzibunzstore.com). So buy your diapers from  ALVA baby, but spend a little more on your laundry and wet bags (our large laundry bag is also by CDI).

• A month or two into the cloth diapering game, I started making cloth wipes. It only made sense. Every time we changed little man's diaper we needed a wet bag for the diaper and a trash can for the wipes. I'm all about simplicity. So I bought a yard of cotton flannel at Hobby Lobby (for cheap!), cut 8x8 squares (or 9x9? I can't remember), and sewed a simple stitch around the edge to minimize fraying. I've made a total of 2 yards worth of wipes, and they are more than enough for traveling and at home. We never even come close to running out. I made a simple wipe solution of baby oil, baby wash, and water, and filled up a few squirt bottles I had around the house (you can find them in the travel aisle at your local drugstore). I keep a mini bottle with a few wipes in the diaper bag, and a larger spray bottle on the changing table. For the solution I modified a recipe found at As We Grow.

• We've traveled for weekend and week-long trips, and so far cloth-diapering hasn't been an issue. We have yet to go somewhere we didn't have an easily accessible washing machine, but I imagine if you have enough diapers or are willing to find a hose or sink it wouldn't be that much more difficult. Even easier if you use covers or AI2s (we only use pocket diapers). 
• Cloth diapering has been a conversation starter over and over again. Most people still think the only cloth diapers available are the traditional prefold+diaper pin combo, and they are amazed at what our cloth diapers look like. I really think more people would cloth diaper if they had a different image in their head. Although I'm not one to think everyone should cloth diaper, I just love to help people save money! (I guess saving the environment is okay, too)
• Diaper covers or pockets without the insert? An endless supply of swim diapers. Nothing else to pack, and we all know we already have way too much to pack.

• Now that Logan is eating food, poop is gross... and I'm a nurse for a living. It has definitely made cloth diapering more work, but not as much as you might think. Logan typically poops 1-2x a day, and most of it easily falls right into the toilet without much effort. Anything left gets sprayed and then thrown in the wet bag with everything else. We had an attachment sprayer for the shower lying around the house (we bought it for washing our dogs years ago), so for now we are using that. It actually works great... the only downside is our ridiculous water pressure, so if you aren't careful you'll blow the diaper right out of your hand. I plan on making this DIY diaper sprayer when I find time, because I like the idea of having something directly attached to the toilet. And there is no way I'm spending $30-50 for the diaper sprayers I've found. 

• We've probably spent $200 for everything we needed to cloth diaper our little man. If I had found ALVA baby diapers sooner, it would have been a lot less (another great option? Sunbaby diapers). I bought things a little bit at a time, starting before Logan was born, so it has never felt like a huge dent in the wallet. We have more than enough to make it until potty-training, and all of our diapers are one-size. I can't imagine the cost to diaper a baby for 2+ years with disposables! We will also be prepared for any other little ones in the future (although I imagine I won't be able to resist a few pinks and purples if we find ourselves expecting a little mini-me). 
• Nick has never put up a fight about cloth diapering. I explained how much money we would save, and he was sold. I think it also helps that we've never done anything else, so we don't notice the little bit of extra work or the extra load of laundry every other day. Cloth diapering is what we do.