Cloth Diapering

Okay I think I have briefly mentioned on here before about using cloth diapers on A.  With the impending arrival of Baby H I have been thinking do I or don't I want to continue using cloth diapers.  Surprisingly the answer was yes I do want to keep using cloth diapers.  The reason why I had to make the decision all over again is because we started cloth diapering A at 4-5 months and at the time we were debating between two different methods of cloth diapers.  One that would start at birth and grow as time went on which was a more hefty expense to begin with, or the system we chose that would start at 15 lbs and go to 30 lbs which according to our growth chart meant that we could probably have him potty trained by the time he would outgrow them.  Being the cheapskates that we are we went with the system that would be cheaper at the moment.  Which leads us to the fact that we have no cloth diaper system in place for babies smaller than 15 lbs.  So I looked up prices for buying a system that would start at birth and continue until we could use the already existing diapers and it seemed fairly reasonable to me and I felt that we could definitely save some money.

So our reason for switching to cloth was we felt we could save money.  I felt that we did accomplish this goal and am pleased.  We do use disposables at night but at this point I feel like we could probably be using cloth at night and A would still be fine.  With the new baby I am excited at the prospect of continuing to save money by also using cloth.  We will possibly still be using disposables at night with the little one as well.

Cloth diapering systems:  Cloth diapering is a very confusing system with lots of variations and products out there.  If you have an idea of what they were like when we were babies you will be pleasantly surprised to find that they are much more advanced and work better than you might expect.  A decent system however is not a light investment to make and different people cloth diaper for different reasons and babies have their unique shapes.  We use pre-folds 8x4x8 diaper service strength unbleached cotton for the liners and bummies covers.  I also purchased a few all-in-ones to use while on the go.  I also purchased some flannel and cut it into wipes.  After bleaching the pre-folds they have become extremely absorbent and the bummies covers work well and I have leaks about as often as I do with disposables.  This system works well for us but A is only 5th percentile for weight so the added bulk actually helps to keep his pants up.  Another mom that I know who uses cloth diapers has one of those cute chubby babies so she prefers more trim pocket diapers so she can get pants on her baby.  The pocket diapers are less absorbent and therefore need to be changed more often.  I want to use pre-folds with covers again and found some great looking thirsties covers that should work from newborn to 15 lbs.  Even if the next baby is chubby I will work around that by getting more stretchy knit pants or making my own pants using this pattern that I have purchased here.  I only own about 6 covers and two dozen inserts.  I prefer doing laundry more often than having smelly diapers around for a longer time.  They don't usually smell too bad after a couple of days.  I also have a diaper sprayer attachment for my toilet.

Cloth diapers are a little more work but not as much work as I thought they would be.  If a mom is interested I would tell her to go for it.  Although I find I am saving money I did choose one of the less expensive systems  and that makes a big difference in cost.  Everyone also has their own opinion about what kind of cloth diaper system is best as well.  I did link to one site where I have purchased many products in this post but the other site is here.  I have found the best service and prices at these sites and recommend them.  If you have any comments or questions about my cloth diapering let me know.