Ups:
- They are a breeze to put on and take off, at least with the "pocket" diapers than I'm using. Once you figure out which settings of the snaps work best, putting on the diapers is no harder than disposables.
- They are not overly bulky. This was a worry of mine, since I've heard that sometimes cloth diaper users buy a size up in pants to accomodate the diaper. However, I expect LuLu to be able to wear all of GiGi's old clothes (they were born at the same time of year), so I didn't want to have to change sizes. So far, no problem!
- They are completely not scary to wash. This was one of my biggest reasons to avoid cloth in the past, but it's turned out to be no big deal. What is working so far is running a cold "soak" cycle, then a hot wash with an extra rinse. That's it. I've been hanging the diapers to dry overnight, and they're dry by morning.
- They are super cute! See below!
Downs:
- There's really no other way to say this: dealing with "#2" is not so fun. You do have to dispose of the waste in the toilet, so this definitely is a chore that you don't really have to deal with when using disposables.
- We're still having some leakage problems, so that I am definitely not ready to use cloth out of the house. I'm still working on figuring out the problem by tightening the diapers, adding extra inserts, etc. From what I've read, there is definitely some trial and error involved until you figure out what works best for your child.
I think overall what I've realized in the past week is that cloth diapering definitely has a lifestyle changing element to it. For instance, you do have to change cloth diapers a little more often, and you can't use regular diaper cream with them. You also have to make sure that you wash them regularly, whether you feel like it or not! In some ways, you do have to make somewhat of a commitment to them.
However, I'm not saying this is a commitment I'm unwilling to make. Once you have all the supplies you need (which I was able to obtain for a lot less than I'd heard) and once you master the learning curve, cloth diapering does not seem to be too much more difficult or time-consuming than many other parenting chores.
I'll continue to post updates as our cloth diapering journey continues!
I think it is GREAT that you have chosen to use cloth diapers. There is a great cost savings and I was always told they were better for "baby's bottom." In your blog you commented that you are dealing with them leaking. I had both my babies in cloth diapers and I found the "old fashioned" flat flannel diapers were better to use than the preformed what's that you have chosen. They were also alot cheaper. The benefits to the flat ones is that you can get a better fit and tighten them more easily. Also, the preformed ones have lots of curves and wrinkles in them so it is hard to get the "mess" out of them. With the flat ones you can flip it around and knock the mess into the toilet. For the real bad messes you can rinse the diaper in the toilet by flushing the toilet, holding on tight to the diaper and rinsing it in the water. The up and down action, as well as, the moving water helps to clean the mess off the diaper.
ReplyDeleteHope this helps. Just some suggestions. My babies are now 19 and 17 years old.
Anon., thanks so much for your advice! It is so helpful to hear from experienced cloth diapering mamas!
ReplyDelete