The Switch

We survived our first evening with cloth diapers! Cheers! Frankly, sometimes I wonder what the big deal is (or was! Because I was part of the "I could never do THAT group.)

Like most people I know, using cloth diapers seems a little extreme. Ewww... you're going to wash poop? Well, actually when Bombie was really tiny and exclusively breastfed, I did wash poop off her clothes. So it's not THAT different.

Here's the new routine: I'm using the regular 3 ply prefold Gerber diapers which I bought from Amazon. I have now mastered the angel fold and use pins to fasten the sides. Someone said pins are actually easier than Snappies and I'm pretty sure my mother used pins. I still recall how they looked, so there's a little nostalgia there I'm indulging. Then, she gets vinyl pants (also Gerber, also from Amazon) to cover.

We have a bucket in the bathroom with baking soda and water in it. For diapers that are just wet, they get thrown in just like that. The poopy ones are a little more work. Poop goes into the toilet and then the diapers get swished around in the toilet (after flushing, of course!) and then rinsed in the sink. Then they go into the diaper pail. I intend washing them every other day. We have 24. I think they'll last.

So far, Bombie has noticed no difference. If anything, I love how dry she is and how unchafed her skin looks when she is being changed. Lately it seemed like she had a rash every other day. She gets that from her father - James cannot stand any humidity at all.

All in all, I think this is a good change. It's saving money for sure. Bombie's diapers were costing about $30 a month, even with generic brands. With the new baby, it would be much higher. I just can't justify $50 in diapers every month. Plus, she's only going to get bigger and the bigger sizes cost more. Oh, also they say air-drying diapers makes them last longer. And that fits perfectly in my budget and lifestyle.

So far, my experience has been great. I give cloth diapers two thumbs up!