Monday, December 29, 2014

Cloth Diapering Series Day 1: An Intro To Cloth Diapers


I decided to switch things up a bit and do a series. When your a stay at home mom (and for me I literally mean stay at home) most days go about the same. So today, I am introducing a series on cloth diapering based off my most popular post "The True Cost of Cloth Diapers". I have come a long way since writing that post and I feel like I have some wisdom I'd like to share for someone who may be thinking about cloth diapering to someone who may be wanting to try something new, but want a little more info about it first. So, during this series I will be reviewing every type and brand of cloth diapers that I own and also my cloth diapering accessories. I will also be doing posts on troubleshooting for different issues that may arise with your cloth diapers and basic to advanced "how to's".

We started cloth diapering Maddox (now 2 years old) when he was 6 months old. I had seen Charlie Banana diapers when I was in Target one day and I thought those are so cute! So I purchased one with the idea that he could wear this one every once in and a while,but I never dreamed it would actually be the start of a completely different lifestyle we live today. After I realized how cute he looked in it. I began to research more about them and I talked to a friend that had just started cloth diapering as well to get some advice of where to begin. Because of the plethora of info there is out there, I was overwhelmed, but my friend thankfully pointed me in the right direction. You can see my full story and first stash of cloth diapers in this post.

So now almost 2 years and 2 kids later, I am ready to lay out all I know about cloth diapers to hopefully encourage anyone thinking about using cloth diapers or are having a hard time with the ones they have or just looking to try something new because we all know no stash is ever really complete! ;)

Question #1: Where do I start?
The first question to ask yourself when you are considering cloth diapers is "What is my budget?" This is a huge factor in determining which way to go next. I had an initial budget of only $200 for everything (diapers, wet bags, laundry soap, etc.) and with that budget I was able to get 20 Alva brand diapers, 2 Wet bags, and all the laundry supplies I needed. If I had to do it all over again I would pay the extra money up front and go with either all Bumgenius or all Best Bottoms diapers and a few more accessories, just for simplicity because they will last through 2-3 kids. To do this would run you in the neighborhood of about $500 new for everything. Keep in mind the average person spends approx. $2,000 per child on disposable diapers from birth to potty training at age 2. So $500 for 2 to 3 kids from birth to potty training is a good deal!

Question #2: Where do you buy cloth diapers?
This depends on what diapers you are wanting to buy and how you feel about buying used diapers. I hope by the end of this series I will have reviewed a diaper or diapers that you think you will like. So I am just going to hit the high spots of where to buy cloth diapers, but I will go into greater detail of where to buy specific diaper brand when I review that diaper. So, first place I would look to buy diapers if you are on a tighter budget like I was is on eBay. They definitely have the cheapest diapers that are new. Other places to buy new cloth diapers are Kelly's ClosetDiaper JunctionCotton Babies,or Nicki's Diapers. Those are just a few of my personal favorite websites to buy from. Some of those sites have reward points or reward dollars where if you spend so much you get so many point/dollars which will translate to real dollars to spend on their site! If you don't mind buying used diapers (which I was opposed to at first, but it really saves alot of money and there is a way to sanitize used diapers at home when you get them so you know they are safe to put on your baby) then I suggest Facebook Buy, Sell, and Trade groups. Just about every brand of cloth diapers have at least one if not more groups on Facebook where moms from all over the United States, Canada, and even parts of the UK buy, sell, and trade their diapers. Just search "cloth diaper bst" or "Bumgenius BST" or whatever brand your looking for. I will make a post that goes into greater detail about buying diapers on a Facebook group. This is where the majority of my stash today has come from. You know my motto I go by, "buy used and save the difference" :).

Question #3: How many diapers do I need and what kind of accessories do I need?
If you are only cloth diapering one child, I personally recommend 20 one size diapers and 24 diapers specifically designed for newborns (if you plan to cloth diaper from the start). With cloth diapers you do have to change a little more frequently than disposables just because they are not filled with that gel made of who knows what that can hold a gallon of urine. I have used the "two hour" rule ever since I started cloth diapering and have rarely had a issue with that. Obviously, you would want to change sooner than two hours if they have had a bowel movement just as you would in disposables. So with this rule of thumb, you can expect 8-10 changes in a 24 hour period because you most likely won't change every two hours at night when they are able to wear one size diapers. As far as accessories, the options are limitless. My personal recommendation is at least 2 wet bags, a diaper sprayer (I will make a post that goes into more detail about this), Snappis (if you plan to use flats or prefolds), cloth wipes or baby wash cloths, cloth diaper safe rash cream, a diaper pail, 2 pail liners, and hemp doublers for night time.

These are just a few questions I get asked alot and will get you pointed in the right direction, but I hope by the end of this series you will feel confident in making the decision to cloth diaper or if you already cloth diaper will learn something new and/or be encouraged. Tomorrow we will dive into the world of cloth diaper lingo and all the different cloth diapering options you have in today's time. Cloth diapering doesn't have to involve flats, rubber pants, and safety pins anymore! ;)

-Hannah

*Disclaimer: I am in no way compensated or affiliated with the products, brands, or websites mentioned in this post. These are simply my personal favorites and opinions. :)

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