Monday, May 24, 2010

Cloth wipes?

I was thinking why get cloth wipes too they seem like extra work when wipes really aren't that expensive anyways and I don't go through a lot having a boy. And one that doesn't have a bm every day or even every 3 days.
But..... you typically wrap the wipe up in the disposable diaper and throw it all away right?
Where do you put it when you have a cloth diaper? I though of having a small trash can on the changing table but thats one more thing sitting out and one more thing i have to remember to empty.
I'm thinking of making my own cloth wipes so save even more money and then they can just go into the wetbag along with the diapers. I have to wash the diapers anyways so why not wash a couple of wipes too!


On another note I looked into a diaper sprayer and they are all around $44.00 if you want an actual "diaper" sprayer. I found a guy on ebay who makes them using a sink sprayer attatched to your clean water supply on the toilet just like the diaper sprayer would. The best part it was only $27.50 plus free shipping!!! Took less than 4 days to get here and less than 30mins to have my hubby hook it up and it works like a charm.
This week we had two major blow outs in one day following a 3 day poop strike ;)
one did get the inside of the diaper cover a bit but no leaks! I am loving these diapers!

My goal this week is to get up a short clothes line to hang the diapers to dry. It shouldn't take too long seeing how hot it is and the sun will help bleach out any stains that might occur. (haven't had any staining yet!) Plus saving on the energy of running the dryer :)

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Poo!

So we finally had poo on friday... Haven't been on here in awhile....
The first dirty diaper I had used a biosoft liner which is supposed to "catch" everything so you can just pick it up and flush it. This didn't go so well though. I don't knowif I need to fold the diaper skinnier because it bunches up so bad and the liner bunched up and the poo got everywhere even on the diaper cover. But the gussets on the cover contained the blowout. So we just had to wash the cover this timearound.
The second dirty diaper went a little better still got some on the cover but it's to be expected I'm still learning how to fold and but the diapers on.
The diapers don't seem to bother little man so thats good.
We are dealing with some diaper rash today so we have been using disposables most of the day today. ( You aren't supposed to use diaper creams with the cloth diapers unless you have a special kind whichI don't yet have) Most diaper creams make the diapers less effective. Just like detergents, and fabric softeners can do.
On anoher note cleaning the dirty diaper was not so great. I haven't yet bought the diaper sprayer because it will put me back close to $50 dollars and I wanted to make sure I can stick with this before I spent too much money.
I did find some instructions onlie for making your own diaper sprayer using materials you can find at a lowes or home depot type store for a lot less money.
All in all it's still a good experience with cloth!

Friday, May 14, 2010

Lazy


So I must admit I'm having a lazy day today..... Still no BM we are going on 4 days here and i'm getting worried... I keep thinking he will have a major bm soon so I put a disposable on him this morning and no luck....

I will just have to suck it up and put a cloth on him and deal with the poo! lol
Look at that adorable diaper cover! There's another one in the background (the orange is a bummis super brite, and the one on him is a Thirsties)



Washing my first load of dapers today also.
Had 7 wet diapers yesterday So I washed them since we only started out with 12 I don't want to get too terribly low. (we will purchase more if we decide to keep upwith this long term)



This is how to wash them:
1 cold rinse cycle with no detergent
1 hot cycle with 1 tsp. all natural laundry detergent (I have a front loading machine
1 extra rinse cycle
dry on medium temp.



The diapers should come out smelling like water if they stink you need to wash them again.

My projectyesterday was a wetbag. I purchased one the other day and the more I looked at it I decided I could make my own with the fabric I have left over from his nursery bedding and curtains. It has PUL fabric inside which has a plastic liner. And I added some ribbons so that it could hang from an infant hanger on the closet door.
Well little love is waking from his nap and it's bath time so I should get going!
Happy Diapering!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Day 1 down.

it's 9:30pm on our first day in cloth diapers. And the day went great. I am finding that it's really not that much harder to diaper him than disposables! I have three diaper covers so I just put the prefold diaper into each one so that it's ready to go when I change him. You could just remove the diaper from the cover and add a new one to the same cover but...... I don't risk not having something under him at all times!
All in all it was a great day. I think i'm going to go with disposable for the night just because I'm not sure how absorbant the cloth are right now (they get better the more you wash them) and he is sleeping around 10 hours most nights.
The hubby is coming around to the idea of cloth diapering too! I really am surprised yet appreciate his willingness to try it for me!
Little man hasn't had a bm in 3 days now (the dr. says this is normal for breastfed babies) but I am afraid of the blowout he will have when he does as I don't have a diaper sprayer yet so cleaning the poo could prove problematic!
I was told that exclusively breastfed babies bm's are water soluble so there is no need to rinse the diapers they can go straight to the wash! He does get a few ounces of formula each day though so we have to rinse... bummer.
I plan on purchasing a sprayer(hooks into the clean water supply on your toilet so you can spray the poo straight into the toilet) once we have been on cloth for a few weeks to make sure we can stick with it before I shell out too much more money ;)

First Diaper

My little man has his first cloth diaper on this morning! I pre-washed them all 4 times and I think we are ready to go. I did put a biosoft liner in this morning since he is due for a BM and I want to ease myself into cleaning them! haha
Pros: It was very easy to use the prefold and diaper cover on my first try
Cons: It is Very bulky on him especially in the front since you have to fold it over in front for boys. I am thinking it might get less bulky feeling the more times I wash the diapers but we will have to wait and see.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Excited.....

I got home with all my loot and began the washing process.
They reccomend you wash your cloth diapers atleast 3-6 times before use as the more you wash them the better they absorb. I have so far done 4 washes and I think we will try them out tomorrow as I will be home all day.

I was asked today why I didn't just have a diaper service if I was going to CD.
Yes I am doing this because it is better for the enviroment but my main reasons behind it are the money we will save over years of diapering for our children. And the fact that it's organic and kinder to babys bum.

If I used a diaper service we would still have to pay a weekly or monthly fee to have our diapers picked up washed and dropped off again.

If I wash them all myself I have a one-time investment. Yes it will take more time but I am willing to give it a try!

I bought my diapers

So I found a lady who runs a business out of her home selling cloth diapers and teaching people how to use them in town! Her website is www.ecobuns.com
She was super nice, and helpful. She spent atleast an hour explaining everything to me and teaching me how to use and care for myCloth Diapers (CD)s.

Don't tell my husband but I will break down for you what I spent so you can get an idea of the costs of CDing.

2 thirsties duo wraps at 12.75 each.
these come in two different sizes I got the smalls today as they will fit him up to 18
pounds. They have a snappable rise and they close with velcro just like a regular
diaper.
1 Bummi super brite diaper cover at 12.25
these come in three different sizes but this size also should fit him up to 18lbs.
one size no snappable rise, also with a velcro closure.
2- 6 packs of Bummi's organic cotton prefold diapers at 15.00 (thats 2.50 each diaper)
These are what go inside the diaper covers. Organic so it won't irritate baby's bum.
They are the most cost effective way to cloth diaper and fairly easy to use although
not as easy as the all in one diapers.
1pk. Bummis biosoft liners 6.00 for 100 sheets
The biosoft liners will be nice when we are out and about. You place one liner over the
cloth diaper and that way when baby has a BM you can flush or toss the liner with the
poo and you don't have to carry around a very dirty diaper all day.
1 Allens Natural laundry detergent 1 qt. 18.95
I do make my own homemade laundry detergent. But it has a mild scent and I was told you
do not use any softeners or perfumes on cloth diapers as they can effect their absorbancy
I will only have to use 1tsp. of this detergent for each load of diapers so needless to say
it should last me quite awhile!
1 wetbag 17.50
To put used diapers in until its time to wash them.
Total came to around 106. Which is probably a couple of months worth of disposables. But this is a one time purchase. That I will be able to use for my baby now and any future children!

Cloth Diapers..... Where to start!

I have always wanted to try out cloth diapers, until I started looking for them I didn't realize just how many different kinds were out there! Here is a brief overview of the different kinds from my point of view.
All In Ones (AIO) these seem to be the most conveinent for diapering. But you have to wash the entire diaper every time as far as I can tell. Which means more diapers to purchase up front.

Pocket Diapers Also seem convienent except you have to stuff an insert into them each time and you also must wash the entire diaper after each use.

There are One Size diapers out there with snappable rises (how tall the front of the diaper will be). They claim you can buy one diaper that will get you through newborn to potty training.. From reviews I have read this is not always the case. They are too big for newborns and too small for toddlers.

Diaper Covers go over your simple prefold diapers (the diapers everyone uses for burprags) The nice thing I see with these is that you don't have to wash the cover every time you just put in a new diaper.

A lot of the cloth diapers out there also have the option to purchase disposable inserts. some of which are biodegradable/flushable others of which you just have to toss like a disposable diaper. This could be convienent for outings so you don't have to carry around a dirty diaper all day. But they are a lot more expensive than your regular pampers or huggies. So the way I see it you're better off buying disposables to have on hand for outings.

What I am looking to get out of my cloth diapers:
Something not too bulky
Comfortable for baby and reduces rish of diaper rash
ease of use (mostly for hubby's sake)
easy to wash at home.
a cover that can be reused a couple of times before washing
something durable that will hold up for future babies.
To reduce my footprint and not contribute to landfills.
Save money (duh!)
To be more self-sufficient.
Cloth diapers are also said to help potty train sooner!

I am on my way out today to check out a store that sells cloth diapers and will hopefully help me choose whats right for my needs!
check back as i chronicle my diaper adventures-