Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Update: Cloth Diapers

When I last mentioned our cloth diapering adventure, I had quit.  Well, took a temporary hiatus is a better description.  A few weeks later I was back in the game!  I've said it before, I'll say it again, cloth diapering is all about trouble shooting.  You figure one thing out, and sure enough another issue rises.  But I'm here to tell you there is light at the end of the tunnel.  It can work ... and beautifully too.  And that's where we are now.  A beautiful (although occasionally stinky), natural relationship withour Mother Earth.  Excuse me while I go hug my tree now.  Okay, just kidding.  Actually, using cloth is suddenly, shockingly easy at this point.  It wasn't like this a few months ago, and it might not be like this a few months from now, so I'll just ride this wave while it's here. 

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So what's changed? Well, Jude for one.  The kid has bulked up a bit these past few months.  Here I thought all our leaking problems were because I was a dunce and just didn't know how to put the diaper on.  I would literally spend 10 minutes fixing and tightening one diaper during a change, over and over, just to make sure I had a good fit.  And then be completely dumbfounded an hour later when it leaked.  Well, I feel much better now knowing it was not me.  Jude is a bit bigger now in the thighs and apparently that's all it took to get a better seal, at least one this particular brand of diapers.  I can diaper him in seconds, with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back.  And never get a leak.  See, totally not me!

My homemade inserts are still working wonderfully.  They don't look so nice - kinda frayed and all crooked, but man do they soak!!  In my last post I mentioned oversaturation being a problem (this was before the skinny phase fit problems).  And now that I have these new inserts I can definitely see a difference.  Another factor is that Jude is now weaned and not drinking as much liquids as he was a few months ago.  (Don't worry, he's still quite healthy!)  The weaning (and perhaps the heat) have made such a difference that he can easily go 2 hours now with an old insert, and more than that with my homemade ones. 

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I was also super excited to score a pile of 19 FuzziBunz and BumGenius diapers for $20 at a yard sale.  Apparently some people are weirded out by used cloth diapers but I assure you it is perfectly safe and sanitary.  That's the genius of cloth, they're reuseable AND they hold their value.  I knew if these diapers didn't work out I could easily sell them for double or triple the price online.  I've enjoyed being able to try out other brands, especially those that are more of your "typical" modern day cloth diaper.  I like them both for different reasons, but I'm happy to say I'm most pleased with my gDiapers.  I think we'll stick with them as our primary choice long as they keep working.

I did finally work up the courage to start using cloth overnight, and without any leaks.  It's nice knowing I can go completely cloth if I want to.  But right now I don't.  We still keep disposables around, mainly for the few times that Jon changes diapers.  And I like to use them most nights just to give Jude's bottom a "breather."  We still deal with a little diaper rash with Jude and cloth, but he seems to be much better as long as I use the occasional disposable. 

Lastly, we're ironing out some laundry issues (nice pun, huh!).  I learned the hard way that it's best to wash my diapers every 2 days (and definitely not more than 3), otherwise they'll start to stink up the whole house.  I've also moved the laundry pail from the hall bathroom to the laundry room.  For some reason I don't notice the smell as bad in there.  I switched to Rockin' Green detergent, which seems to be good for "getting out the funk" and keeping build-up off my diapers.  Especially after an overnight soak.  But I'm still not happy with the smell.  They just don't come out smelling fresh, even though they look clean.  I think I'll try Charlie's Soap next.  I've also read some good things about RLR Laundry Treatment that makes me want to give it a try.  In the meantime, I love drying my diapers in the sun.  Although they end up a bit crispy, they're also glaringly white and smell like fresh air.  Plus having cloth diapers hanging on the line (albeit a makeshift one) makes me feel all quaint and homey.  I just love getting in touch with my inner Ma Ingalls!

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I'm still debating over what to do with new baby.  I'm nervous about cloth diapering a newborn, since blowouts are so prevalent at that stage.  Plus with fit being such an issue before, I'm just not sure what to expect from someone so tiny!  Also, because we didn't start using cloth with Jude until he was older, I only have medium and large diapers.  Which means I'd have to invest in a whole new batch of small ones for the Little Miss.  I'm just not sure how much money I want to spend on something that, even if it works, will only last a few months.  Small diapers only go up to 14 lbs.  So if this baby ends up being as big as her oldest brother, she'd only be in them for 2 months!  So yes, still deciding, still hoping some marvelous deal comes along where I can score some cheap or free cloth.  And still have some time to think about it.

I love talking about my latest cloth diapering triumphs and failures, so feel free to ask questions or pass along any advice you can think of!

5 comments:

Keisha said...

I have been following your blog for quite some time and I think it is great that you are trying out cloth diapers! As soon as I seen your post I instantly thought of another blog I am following and I put a link to it below. Musings of a Homemaker has two little girls and has used cloth diapers on both of them. She was really sweet and shared all that she learned from her experience. I hope this is helpful to you. God bless!

http://ameliathompson.blogspot.com/search/label/Cloth%20Diapers

Keisha said...

http://ameliathompson.blogspot.com/search/label
/Cloth%20Diapers

J9 said...

Thanks Keisha, I'll have to check it out!

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