My Cloth Diapering Experience: Part 2

This post goes along with the previous cloth diaper post, so if you haven't already, please read Part 1.

In this post, I'm going to address some of the questions and comments I've heard or received in regards to cloth diapering. This is not meant to be a guilt trip on anyone who doesn't use cloth diapers; I'm not trying to start an argument. I'm simply going to tell you how it's been for me.

1. "I could never cloth diaper: it would be too much work!"

My experience: Since I'm assuming that "work" here means "laundry", I'll tell you my laundry routine: One cold rinse, one hot wash with detergent, one cold rinse, once through the dryer. If bleach is used to get rid of stains, add two more rinses. [Btw, I don't bleach that often, maybe every other month, because it's hard on the diapers, and because it's such a long laundry routine.]

I wash the diapers every other day, because I only have 17 diapers in my rotation. I have over 50 diapers in my stash, but only 17 fit Sophia at the moment. As she gets bigger, I'll be able to add 19 more diapers to the rotation, and have fewer laundry days. I'm sure many moms think: "I already do so much laundry, I don't want to have to wash diapers too!" I look at it this way: "What's one more load of laundry every few days?"

Plus: washing diapers isn't a lot of work compared to how many clothes I have to wash due to diaper explosions. You want to talk about a lot of work? Dealing with this, every single day, sometimes several times a day is a lot of work.

This was an all too-common occurrence when Sophia wore disposable diapers. I'd have to wash her clothes, my clothes (because she loves to poop while she's in my lap nursing), any blankets she may have been wrapped in, plus run a bath for her. THAT is work. Work I'm not willing to do. The "work" involved with cloth diapering is so much more rewarding, and therefore, for me, doesn't seem like work.

2. "Cloth diapers are so expensive! I could never pay that much money for just one diaper."

My experience: I've looked at many, many cloth diaper websites, and seen many, many brands and types of diapers out there, at all different prices. Prefolds are the cheapest, at less than $3 per diaper. Goodmama diapers are the most expensive I've ever seen, at $35-40 per diaper! And then there's everything in between. Whatever your budget, I'm sure you can find diapers that will work for you and your baby.

I recently did the math, and found out that I own 51 cloth diapers, and 14 diaper covers. The retail value of my stash is about $465. Of course, I did not buy all my diapers myself. I received a lot of them as gifts. The ones I did buy, I bought over time. A few of them I purchased used. $400 is considered the average cost for an adequate diaper stash. But you could probably do it for half that cost.

Another way I look at is that I may be shelling out $20 or so per diaper, but those diapers will last for several months, or maybe until Sophia is potty trained. And I can use them for more than one baby (if they're still in good condition). Once I'm done having babies, and my babies are potty trained, I could resell some of my diapers for a small profit. Any way you slice it, I am more than getting my money's worth.

3. "I don't want to deal with the poop!"

My experience: Let me show you this picture again.

I think either way, you're going to deal with poop. I don't mind a poopy cloth diaper. But a poop-covered baby? And a poop-covered mommy? And poop-covered blankets? No thank you.

4. "Don't your laundry costs go up?"

My experience: Yes, our laundry costs have gone up. I have two thoughts on this.

a. I feel that having a baby makes your laundry costs go up anyway. Diaper leaks, spit up, drool...all of our clothes have to be washed all the time. Like I mentioned before, what's one more load of laundry every couple of days?

b. The cost of diapers plus the cost of laundry is still less than the cost of disposable diapers. We're still saving at least $1000 per year.

5. "I've heard that cloth diapers are less absorbent than disposable diapers. Won't all that moisture cause more leaks and diaper rashes?"

My experience: Sophia's diapers are not leak-proof. And she does get the occasional rash. If a diaper isn't tucked into a cover properly, or if she's in one for too long, there will be leaks. If she poops during the night and she's in that diaper until morning, she'll get a rash. But it really depends on the materials, and how the diaper is made.

This is yet another reason why I love pocket diapers. They can be stuffed to the max to make sure that nothing leaks out. And many pocket diapers are made so that the moisture wicks right through the pocket and is absorbed by the padding inside, so that the baby doesn't feel as much moisture.

Also, most cloth diapers are made from natural materials that are less likely to irritate the baby's skin. Having plenty of bamboo, hemp, and wool in a cloth diaper stash can go a long way in preventing both leaks and rashes.

Of course, if the diaper doesn't fit Sophia properly, it doesn't matter how absorbent it is, it will leak. But if we get the fit right, well, I've often been surprised just how much that diaper can hold.

Finally, if a rash does occur, I can always turn to Grandma El's diaper cream. It's cloth diaper friendly, and just happens to smell like Redbull! [According to Art and Wayne, who used to drink A LOT of Redbull.]

6. "Cloth diapers look like they'd be bulky."

My experience: Yes, they're bulkier than disposables. But I hardly see that as a problem. Sophia can still wear her clothes and we can still buckle her into her car seat. And I think she looks cute with a padded bum. :)

7. "What about the horrible diaper pail smell?"

My experience: my diaper pail really doesn't smell that bad. Because:

a. Breast milk poop doesn't smell that bad.

b. My diaper pail has a lid on it.

c. I do laundry every other day, so the dirty diapers don't sit in the pail all that long.

d. I have a Kissaluvs antibacterial pail liner, which I toss in with the diapers every other load.

e. If I was worried about odor, I could just add a little bit of Rockin Green pail freshener.

f. When she starts eating solids, I will spray the poop off of the diapers into the toilet before placing said diaper into the pail.

8. "Cloth diapers aren't convenient for travel."

My experience: true. But we don't do a ton of travelling. For most outings, I only have to take one or two diapers with me. And while you might think it gross to carry around a dirty diaper, well, that's what wet bags are for! I just toss the diaper and wipes in the wet bag, zip it shut, and when I get home, both the contents of the bag and the bag itself go into the laundry.


So there you have it. I've been cloth diapering Sophia for almost five months now, and I don't feel like it's been too much work. In fact, I quite enjoy it! I feel that we're doing the best thing for Sophia's health, for the environment, and for our wallet.

Besides, cloth diapers are so much more fun than disposables! How can you possibly resist these?

Someday I will own all of the above....I LOVE cloth diapers!!!

My Cloth Diapering Experience: Part 1

For those of you who don't already know, I am a cloth diapering mama. When I found out I was pregnant, Art and I agreed that we would do whatever we could so that I would be a stay-at-home mom. One of the areas where I knew we could save money was diapers. We don't have enough money in our budget to spend $1600-$2000 on diapers that we're just going to throw away.

So I hopped online and started to research like CRAZY. I spent so much time on cloth diaper websites that I had dreams about it. I looked at brands, styles, materials, prices, accessories, and how to care for them. My interest quickly grew into obsession. I had no problem admitting that I loved cloth diapers, and would enjoy putting them on my baby.

I registered for many cloth diapers, and received some at my various baby showers. My mom bought me several after Sophia was born. I used a few gift cards to purchase more and made my stash what it is today. So here is my entire stash (more or less), and my thoughts on how they fit and how they perform.

These are Econobum covers, and they each came with three prefolds (not pictured). [Prefolds are square diapers that get folded into thirds before they go on baby/in cover.] These are one-size covers (fitting approx. 8-35 lbs), but Sophia is only now able to wear them (and she is over 13 lbs). I bought them because they quite inexpensive (hence the name), and the covers are very thin, so they're a very trim option. They leaked the first time she wore them, but not the second time. So I'm crossing my fingers that they will work!
New - $9 each

Pictured above are two Mother-ease one-size diapers, one Bummis cover (sm.), and one Starbunz panda cover (med.). Sophia has yet to grow into the panda cover, and she is thisclose to fitting into the diapers and other cover. She wore them one time, and they worked just fine, but I won't be truly adding them into my rotation until she gets a bit bigger and I can be more sure of the fit.

M.E. new - $13 each

Bummis new - $13 each
Starbunz new - $21 each (quite expensive for a cover, but look how cute it is!)

These buttery soft diapers are Kawaii bamboo minky diapers. [Bamboo on the inside, minky on the outside.] I actually have three from this brand, not two, but the third is in the laundry. These are one-size pocket diapers. Pockets are very popular because they're (usually) not as bulky, a bit cheaper, and you can customize the absorbency. These each come with two bamboo inserts, so they're great for night time. These particular diapers are bulky on Sophia, so she's only worn them twice, and only at night, but so far so good!
New - $12 each [So cheap, yet so reliable!]

This is one of my Flip one-size covers with a few small Cloth-eez Indian cotton prefolds. Probably the most difficult system to deal with [fold prefold into thirds, lay it inside the cover, try to get it to stay that way while putting it on a squirmy baby], but it's cheap and extremely reliable. The Flip covers came with prefolds of their own (not pictured), but those are too big at the moment. Surprisingly trim. If your budget was really tight, you could easily have an entire stash of just these, and I think you'd be quite happy.

C.E. sm. new - $3 each (I have six)
C.E. med. new - $3 each (I have six, not pictured)

Flip new - $17 each, with prefolds, or $13 w/o prefolds (I have three)

These lovely fleece diapers and fleece covers were homemade by a friend of a former coworker. I just tried them on Sophia a few days ago and was excited to discover that they fit! Four more diapers to add to the rotation. I haven't used the fleece covers yet, because that would be way too bulky under clothes. But I'm sure they work wonderfully at night. [Now that the weather is so warm, Sophia sleeps with just a diaper, in a sleep sack.] One of these days I'll work up the courage to use a fleece cover. I hear it's super absorbent, but I have yet to put it to the test.


These are my one-size All-In-Ones (aka OS AIO) by bumGenius. [All-In-One simply means that the absorbent layers and waterproof cover are all one piece.] These are definitely my easiest diapers. Just snap it on - that's it! They're a bit bulky, but not too bulky that she can't wear them under clothes. They're fairly reliable, but they are prone to leaks, because the elastic around the legs isn't in top shape anymore (a risk I took by buying them used). I'm perfectly satisfied with them for daytime, but I wouldn't use them at night. (I might if they were brand new...)
Used - $17 each
New- $25 each


These are AIO x-small by bumGenius. Unfortunately Sophia has outgrown these now. It's a pity, because not only are they so easy, but they're also quite trim, for being an AIO. How did they perform when she did wear them? So-so. Sophia's such a skinny girl that even these were too big for her when she was a newborn, so they leaked quite a bit. I stopped having leaks only when she got bigger, and I had to make them quite snug on her. A chunkier newborn would have more success with these.
New - $13 each


These are my OS pocket diapers by bumGenius. Each diaper comes with two inserts: a newborn size insert, and a sizeable insert. Hands down, these my most reliable diapers (as far as leak prevention goes), so they have become Sophia's nighttime diapers. They are a bit bulky on her right now, but it's not a problem, since they're never worn under clothing.
New - $18 each


This is an Applecheeks pocket diaper. It can be purchased with or without an insert (insert shown is not Applecheeks brand). This is definitely Art's favorite diaper. He'll always reach for this one first. It's super soft, both inside and outside, and it's quite trim, even when double-stuffed. I was singing this diaper's praises for a while, but I've decided that I don't like it so much after all.

Applecheeks does a two-size system, so it will only fit her until she's approx. 18 lbs, then I have to buy the next size up. It does give a more accurate fit, but I'm not getting as much for my money as I would with a one-size. Also, I consistently have leakage problems with this one. I don't know why. I'm sad that it's not working out as I had hoped, because it comes in so many bright fun colors. And did I mention how soft it is?

New - $19 each (IMO, take the money you would have spent on this one and buy a different diaper.)

These are my Kissaluvs Size 0, with a Bummis cover x-sm. These were my go-to diapers when Sophia was a newborn. Even though it's a two-part system, it's very reliable. If the diaper is completely tucked into the cover and the cover is snug, Sophia could wear these overnight, with no leaks! (She doesn't now, because she's outgrown them, but she has.) If you're going to buy diapers for your newborn, I highly recommend these. They served me very well.
KL new - $14 each
Bummis new - $13 each


To go along with my cloth diapers, I also use cloth wipes. I got SO MANY baby washcloths (70, I think?), so I converted most of them to wipes. I stash them (usually a lot neater than that) in an old disposable wipes container. [I use the wipe pod for travel.] The wipes are dry, and I mix my own solution and spray the wipe right before I use it.

The recipe I use for the wipe spray is: 1 cup hot water, 1 chamomile tea bag, 1 tsp liquid baby soap, 1 tsp grapeseed oil, and 1 drop lavender oil. I make this in a jar, and refill the spray bottle as needed. One jar lasts about six weeks. [You can find more cloth wipe solution recipes here.]

And this is where I store everything. A basket, on the floor in the living room, near our couch. I nurse her on the couch, and for me, it's easiest to have her diaper station close to the nursing station.

So now that you've seen my stash, what I want to know is: how many of you knew that cloth diapers could be snapped or Velcro-ed shut, making them as easy to put on as a disposable? Or how many of you knew that diapers could come in so many pretty/fun colors and designs? These are not the cloth diapers from your grandma's day, and thank goodness!

Up next, addressing frequently asked questions and oft-made comments from those who think that cloth diapering is just crazy. :)

A Sneak Peak at Next Week

I just wanted to give everyone a head's up about a couple of posts that will appear here next week. I'm trying to build the anticipation until it reaches mass hysteria. ;)

I'm going to be publishing two posts about cloth diapers. It's taken me over a month to put these posts together, and they are finally ready! [I have no idea why it's taken so long. But I'm glad they're finally written.] The first post is scheduled to go up on Monday, and Part Deux will go up on Wednesday.

What's the reason for these two posts? [And my strange need to preview them like this?] Well, I am the only mom I know who cloth diapers her baby. [Besides the mommy blogs I read, and mommy Facebook groups. But I've never met any of those women.] I had never touched a cloth diaper or seen one on a baby until I bought cloth diapers and put them on my baby. I feel like a bit of a pioneer.

You know how they say "when it rains, it pours"? Well, when I found out I was pregnant, suddenly it seemed like every woman around me was pregnant. Women from my gym were becoming moms for the first time (and some were having their second babies). Women I used to work with were having their first or second babies. My cousin is pregnant, my sister is pregnant, blog friends became pregnant, college friends in Canada got pregnant, former high school classmates, several women from my current church AND my church back home announced their pregnancies.

Yet among all these, I am the only one whose baby wears cloth instead of disposables. [Okay, I think one of the women from the gym cloth diapers her boy. I would be surprised if she didn't. She seems like the crunchy type.]

I'm sure most of these moms have never even considered cloth diapers. Or maybe they just assumed it would be too hard. But maybe some moms would be interested, but they don't know were to start. And at least a few of these moms read my blog.

So I've decided to post about my journey with cloth diapers thus far, in hopes that some might find the information not only interesting, but also helpful.

By the way, if you are interested in cloth diapers, but aren't sure where to begin, check out AllAboutClothDiapers.com. This website is the reason that I feel confident and knowledgeable when it comes to the cloth diaper world.