A Knitter vs. The Flu

Just thought I would pop in to say, the silence lately is all due to that mean flu monster. Baby and I have been battling it for over a week.  The worst part of it all is I have had no energy to do anything - knitting included. Last night I settled into my "sick couch" and knit a whole two rows on my sweater; hopefully this is a sign that the end is near.

On My Needles: January

Mittens for Helen

My Sweater

The Cloth Diaper Experiment

After two weekends of successful "part-time" cloth diapering, I am ready to share the outcome of our experiment. 

I am in LOVE with cloth diapering.

I cannot believe how easy using cloth has fit into the way we live.  And the diapers! Don't get me started on how soft and comfortable the diapers really are! They are.

Here is a breakdown of my weekend cloth diaper stash for our 27 lb, 34 inch tall, 18 month old who is currently wearing size 2T:

6 Fuzzibuns Size Large

• These are fitted pocket diapers with a microfiber absortive insert.  The material that touches baby's skin on the inside is a really soft terry-like material and they do not require a cover.  They have snaps and are adjustable to fit the waist and thighs of the baby between 25 and 45lbs.
• These fit our daughter beautifully - right now I snap them at the smallest setting.  The snaps are great - they don't snag other items in the laundry like aplix/velco can if it comes unhooked.

2 BumGenius 4.0 One Size

• These are also pocket diapers with both a large and small insert and also have a built in waterproof cover.  They can be adjusted to fit babies between 7 and 35lbs. I have one with snaps and one with aplix.
• We mostly use these as night-time diapers with both the small and the large inserts - and no leaks! They are however on almost the largest setting, and I am not convinced they will actually last us until potty training

1 Bum Essentials Organic One Size

• This diaper is adjustable from 7 to 35lbs just like the BumGenius and does not require a cover.  It comes with both a large and small insert but they are snapped in place instead of being tucked into a pocket.  This one has aplix.
• This diaper is also starting to be a little small for our daughter, and the snap-in inserts make it a bit more of a challenge to put on because they move around a bit more than the pocket inserts do.  I do however appreciate the fact that it is made of organic cotton.  

1 Kawaii Baby One Size

• I purchased this diaper as a part of a group of used diapers.  It has one insert and is adjustable from 7 - 35lbs. No cover needed with aplix.
• This diaper is definitely too tight in the thighs - it is reserved as the last resort diaper and I do not plan on buying any more of this style from Kawaii Baby.  It is a nice diaper, but just way too tight around the legs. They might have changed this with newer models.

1 Thirsties Fab Fitted Size Large

• This type of diaper is being discontinued. However, I hear from a reputable source that the Thirsties fitteds in the works to replace it are super super awesome.  This is a fitted diaper with built in absorption - no pocket or insert. It requires a cover, I use a size large Thirsties cover.
• We really like this diaper as well and hope to try the new style when it is out.  With this type you can use the same cover three or four times during the day and just change the inside diaper.

Our Cloth Diaper Routine

Friday night's first diaper change when we get home baby goes into cloth.  The first weekend we cleverly lined up the dirty diapers (she is pretty regular) with disposables, but for the most part she wore cloth all weekend.  The second weekend we took a deep breath and stuck with cloth 100%.  

Going out in cloth is easy peasy.  These diapers really don't leak (or at least they haven't yet!).  We change diapers like normal, bring one or two spares with us, a couple disposables "just in case", and since I don't have a portable wet bag for dirty diapers I just keep a plastic grocery bag in my diaper bag for the dirty diapers. And yes, you have to shake the poop into the toilet - but isn't it good to know that it won't be stinking up your trashcan anymore?

The biggest change to our regular lives is that we have started using a new laundry detergent: Charlie's Soap, for all of our laundry including the diapers.  Regular detergents can leave a build up in your washer that can cause cloth diapers to be less absorptive, and that is a bad thing!  Luckily, I really love the Charlie's Soap! It does a super job on all our laundry.

Sunday night, little sweetie gets her bath and goes back into disposables for the work week.  I immediately take all the diapers and dump them into the washer for a cold soak and wash, followed by a hot wash with a second rinse cycle.  This makes sure all the soap is out and won't cause irritation (did I mention no diaper rashes!).  Since they have the whole week to dry before we need them again, I hang the diapers over my metal drying rack in the garage and just let them air dry.  This will hopefully help them last longer.

To Sum this Long Post Up

Cloth diapering does take a little extra time, and it is a fairly substantial upfront investment.  We have spent approximately $130 on the diapers listed above and a few cloth diapering supplies.  However, we spend that much in 2 to 3 months easily on disposables so over time the investment should make sense - and will really make sense when the same diapers can be used for a second or even a third child. And yes, my husband changes the cloth diapers and doesn't think it is any more gross than changing a disposable!  

So, if you are considering cloth - give it a try, you might love it too!