Getting ready for baby... diapers and MORE burp cloths!

We're planning on use disposables for Charlie (and probably Jack, too!) for the first few weeks of his life, just to simplify my life without the extra laundry. But this pattern for a newborn fitted diaper were just so cute, I had to make a couple. Besides, they'll probably fit on Jack's baby later on, too. We have these two, two others and two small covers, so obviously not enough to use cloth full-time, but maybe Charlie will be so cute in these dipes that I'll have to make more!

I have a new obsession- burp cloths. I found a tutorial for these flannel burp rags, with frayed edges, modified it slightly, and just had to make a stack. I used some of the flannel I have sitting in my bin upstairs that I've gotten over the years on the remnants cart. These are so soft and cuddly, and seem like they'll be super absorbent!

Cloth Diaper Extravaganza (part 2)

I've gotten lots of questions about cloth, so here are a few more "cloth factors" to consider.

The Icky Factor

So, the part of cloth diapers that everyone is afraid of is the whole washing thing. Specifically, the whole washing of the poop thing. Actually, this part doesn't really bother me. First, I don't mind doing laundry, except for the folding, and there is very little folding involved with diapers (even with prefolds, seriously, all you do is fold the thing in quarters). And the poop, well, it's just not all that bad to me. Sometimes I dunk and swish (you know, like your grandma did) and sometimes I use liners that make it easier to pull out. They sell diaper sprayers (like this one), which attach to the toilet and are cool, but I haven't found that I need one yet.

Washing Cloth

I wash every other day, which is mostly because that's the number of diapers and covers we have. I keep the diaper pail in laundry room to minimize smell elsewhere, and my "pail" consists of a laundry basket with a top, lined with a waterproof liner. I throw wet and dirty diapers in, and when it's time to wash, I throw everything in the wash, liner and all.

Here's my washing routine:

• Cold rinse and spin to remove debris and minimize staining
• Hot wash with 1/8 c of Tide (or any plain old detergent, no additives)
• Cold rinse and spin
• Hang to dry and finish up in dryer OR dry on high with clean, dry towel
• Fold and stuff
• Lay on changing tables (one on pack 'n play one in nursery) to put on Jack's cute behind

I've heard that eventually you need to strip diapers of the detergent/smell etc. and there are as many ways to do this as there are diapers. I haven't had to do this yet, but I'll update when I do!

Wipes

Sites that sell cloth diapers also sell cloth wipes. But we have a surplus of baby washcloths so I just use those. I have a little squirt bottle of water and give Jack's bum a little squirt, then use a washcloth. I throw the "wipe" in the diaper and it gets washed with the diapers. This is actually much more effective than disposable wipes and I rarely need more than one cloth wipe.

Diapering Out and About 

Cloth diapers out and about can be a challenge. My general policy is: I don't change Jack just to leave the house, whatever diaper he's in, he's in. I usually carry one clean cloth diaper in the diaper bag. If we're gone long enough to go through more than one diaper (which is rare) we use disposables. I have a couple of plastic sacks that I can put dirty or wet cloth diapers in to bring home, but I recently ordered  a wet bag, which is just a waterproof, machine washable bag. When we're out I use disposable wipes, which is just easier. You can throw them in the diaper, and they can go through the washer and dryer, then be thrown out.

Look soon for post #3, a review of my favorite diapers, what works in different situations, and folding and stuffing options. Feel free to comment with questions!

Cloth Diaper Extravaganza (part 1)

So, we've been using cloth diapers with Jack for a while now this summer. I have to say, I didn't post about them sooner because I was a little afraid I wouldn't follow through with it. But I'm happy to report I LOVE IT, and we've been doing great. I think Mike really thought I was crazy at first, but he's warmed up to it, in part I'm sure because I've handled all the washing, drying, stuffing, folding and all the poopy ones.

I researched online using the website DiaperPin.com and any blogs that came up when I Googled cloth diapers. I found the blogs to be the most helpful, with suggestions for daytime, nighttime, naptime, out and about, and any other kind of diapering you could think of. Basically there are three types of diapers (that we use, anyway).

Prefolds (which you fold into diaper shape) and contours (which are shaped like diapers but don't velcro- to the right) are the first type, and require a diaper cover. That's what we mainly use during the day when we're home. I fold a Gerber prefold into quarters (rather than into a diaper shape and pinning it- none of that for me!) and slip it inside a cover, and viola, a diaper! I alternate covers, letting them air out between uses. Some people think it's a pain to have to fold, but it doesn't bother me, and this is by far the cheapest way to go. Also apparently Chinese prefolds are much more absorbent, but we already had the Gerber ones. Sometimes I'll stick an insert in the middle of the folding, and that takes care of absorbency.

Fitteds are basically just like disposables, but they don't have a waterproof outer layer, so they also need a cover. This picture is of a Thirsties Fab Fitted diaper, which I love. It's stuffed with super soft fleece, super absorbent, and easy to use. No folding or stuffing required!

Pockets and All-In-Ones are basically like reusable disposable diapers. Both have a waterproof outer layer that means they are basically one piece- no cover required! Pockets are just like they sound... they need to be "stuffed" on the inside with an absorbent liner, which they usually come with. All-In-Ones are the king of cloth diapers- the liners are sewn in- no stuffing or otherwise altering required. They're excellent for leaving the house.

One thing I've discovered recently are One Size diapers, which have snaps that make them adjustable from 7-35 lbs. While these are quite a bit more expensive, in the end they will save money. The bumGenius One Size All-In-Ones are the crown jewel of diapers. Click on the picture to get a better look at all the features. All of the diapers we have, except maybe two, should fit until Jack is potty trained. But, we don't have many that will fit a newbie, if we do this whole kid thing again. So, knowing what I know now, I would definitely buy mostly one sizes over other types of diapers.

We started out with four diapers and a cover. That was only enough for less than a day, but I wanted to try them out first. Now we have enough for two days, which is coincidentally the amount of time between washings.

Here's what we currently own:

2 Medium (15-30 lbs) Bummis Super Whisper Wrap Covers

1 Large (25-40 lbs) Thirsties Wrap Cover

2 Medium (18-28 lbs) Thirsties Pocket All-In Ones 

2 Large (25-40 lbs) Thirsties Fab Fitteds

2 bumGenius One Size All-In-Ones

2 bumGenius One Size Pockets with 2 inserts each 

1 Happy Heiny's One Size Pocket (this one is cow print!)

2 All Together Deluxe All-In-Ones (cheap and durable... we've never had leaks but they're hard to snap and not the cutest)

2 Kissaluvs Contour Diapers (diaper shaped cloths made of fleece that fit into a cover)

12 Gerber Prefold Diapers (which we bought to use as burp cloths when Jack was itty bitty)

 

Pictures of Jack being adorable in his new nappies. (Left to Right) Chillin in a Turquoise Thirsties Pocket All-In-One, Crawling in a Butter bumGenius All-In-One, Playing Outisde in a prefold with Froggy Pond Bummis Super Whisper Wrap

To be continued...

Being a mom...

has changed my life. Duh. But it's changed my life in ways I never would have thought about before. A friend of my from bf group posted a little forward on Mother's Day about how being a mom changes you. So, as I was making Jack some more applesauce and pearsauce tonight (the kid can go though some fruit!) in a quiet house, I got to thinking about my own list. Here goes!



Being a mom has made me...



*make sleep a priority. I never really thought about sleep before I didn't get any.



*care more about the environment. All the sudden I'm looking up chlorine free wipes and cloth diapers. Don't get carried away... I said looking up, we're not ready to make that particular plunge. Apparently, I'm turning "crunchy."



*feel a more intense love than I can even understand.



*pray more.



*worry more.



*laugh more.



*talk for 45 minutes about "that look he just gave me" or "the way he curls his toes up." Like anyone but me cares.



*really think about what I put in my/his body. I never took note of all the crap I ate, and I don't just mean my McDonald's breakfast habit. I mean all the preservatives, etc. in my food. When you think about it... ick!



*feel more thankful than at any other point in my life.



*appreciate my mom and dad in an entirely new way.



*enjoy simple acts that make me feel like I'm a provider- making baby food, spending hours designing Jack's playroom in my mind, and yes, even doing dishes.



*want to make a difference in the world, so that can be the legacy I pass down to my son.



The list could go on and on. But, I'm sure you all have better thinks to do than read my endless rambling. On a side note, Mike is with is family tonight in his grandmother's hospital room. She is not doing well, and may not make it through the night. If you are inclined, pray that God's plan will be carried out, whatever that might be, and that his family have peace in this time.



Now, goodnight! Just kidding, I wouldn't end a post without a picture!