Diapers

I've been cloth diapering for about a year now, so I thought I might pop in with a little report.

We started cloth diapering pretty soon after M. arrived. We had two types, Kawaii pocket diapers, recommended to me by my cousin (who was also kind enough to send me a few to check out before M. arrived and bought any) and gDiapers, which a friend gave me after she had used them with her little guy. The Kawaii diapers were definitely too large when M. was first born, even thought he tipped the scales at 9 lbs. 3 oz. I don't know what it is about newborns, because even when they're quite chunky, they're just so squooshy that nothing quite fits on them the way they're supposed to, or at least that's been my experience. And even though M. was big, it was mostly in his length, not his width, so all those little diapers, which don't fit quite as tightly as disposables, would fall right off his skinny butt.

But within about a month we were able to start using the gDiapers in conjunction with our very LARGE supply of 7th Generation diapers (my mom went a bit wild in that department, already suspecting that the cloth diapers would be just a bit too big at the start). For the most part, we enjoyed the gDiapers. They did the job pretty handily, were easy to care for, cute, and economical (we never did buy any of the disposable inserts, so these were entirely free to me). I had two complaints, one being I felt they leaked fairly easily. Some people swear by them, which leads me to believe that perhaps there was something wrong with how I was using them or maybe those folks don't mind a leaky diaper or their kids weren't heavy wetters. I also didn't like that they weren't one-size fits all. Had I really, really liked them, I would have had to buy medium and large versions of the diapers as well, and these babies ain't cheap. Most of the other brands of cloth diapers we explored were supposed to be good to go from the newborn stage (or around there, as we already explored) to potty training. I really liked the idea of only buying a batch of diapers once and being all set for a few years.

After a bit (maybe a month and a half), the little man was ready for the Kawaii diapers. I have really enjoyed these. They fit nicely, rarely ever leak, if at all (my older ones that have seen a bit of wear are the ones that leak, the ones I got new do not - I think it's because of the newer, more absorbent inserts). I have a hodge-podge of both snaps and velcro and I like both. I will say, the velcro are the ones that tend to leak a bit, and as I mentioned, that likely has something to do with the fact that the inserts I use with those are older and don't absorb as much as they once had. They're also a bit smaller. BUT, now that we're at the extra wiggly stage of diaper changes, those velcro tabs are a life saver. They make changes very quick and efficient. But I do love my snaps, even if they take a bit more time. They 're big and fluffy and come in lots of nice colors. From a purely asthetic standpoint, I do wish there were more color/print choices offered by Kawaii, but for the price point (a bit more than half compared to a few other, more well known brands that offer the similar designs and quality), I'll take what I can get.

I had really worried when I was pregnant with M. about whether or not cloth diapering would work for us. Every time I looked anything up I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. Different types of diapers, different kinds of cleaners, different ways to clean them (A special attachment for my toilet? What?!), different types of materials, different combinations of materials... It was all so much and it amazed me that any mother would take on this seemingly impossible endeavor. But I was determined to at least give it a try.

I know a lot of people recommend taking a few kinds of diapers and trying them out and then making a big purchase of the kind that works best for you. I guess I'm not that kind of person. I had one kind recommended to me and I just sort of went with it. Pocket diapers made the most sense to me, both in terms of use and in the amount of money they cost. I figured I would make whatever I had work. If you're the type of person who will power through what you've got, then I honestly make the suggesting of researching as much as you possibly can, talking to other moms, thinking about your lifestyle and laundry habits, and then just go ahead and order the type of diapers you think will work best rather than fussing with all these different types and overwhelming yourself with choices and then having to remember to order more diapers while in the midst of having a newborn.

Another thing about cloth diapering that I found at first overwhelming and now rather interesting is the care of cloth diapers. They seemed like such trouble with everything I've read and now that I've been dealing with them for about a year it seems silly. Yes, you can take great pains to wash and maintain your diapers - special detergents, stripping them on a regular basis, line dry vs. in the dryer, and so on. But I've found that I can wash my diapers, strip them very occasionally, and they're not any worse for wear. I already use natural laundry detergents or make my own, so that wasn't an issue any way, but I don't wash them separately (usually, sometimes I have a pile up and I do just a wash of diapers) or do anything very special to them and both the Kawaii and gDiapers have held up nicely and still do their jobs.

And that's what I've got to say on the diapering front. I am very proud of the fact that we have not bought a single package of diapers and very few wipes (I tend to use cloth wipes as well, but the husband is less keen on that, so sometimes he splurges on disposable wipes if he knows he'll be solo with the baby a lot one week). It feels good to know that we're using diapers that are better for our little guy and much better for the environment. I remember feeling immensely guilty throwing away SO MUCH with E., who was mostly diapered with disposables, but we used really old school cloth for a while, too (pins and everything). If you're reading this and have any questions you think I might be able to answer, leave a comment or give me a shout on Facebook.