November 2008 Weddings
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Am I crazy? (baby related)
We're thinking of using cloth diapers. Is that crazy??
Any of you know anyone who uses CD? Have you heard any good/bad comments about it?
Re: Am I crazy? (baby related)
My mom and aunt used them and cautioned me against them.
They are not cheaper. You will do laundry constantly or pay for a service. If you have an older machine, it may not do a great job of cleaning them or process the solids very well. Urine leaks right through them, unless you use plastic over-pants which, like disposables, don't breathe well.
I have seen expensive but really nice new versions that seem like they would work better than traditional cloth diapers.
The people I know that use them actually use both. They use disposable when they are going out so they don't have to carry nasty diapers with them.
And here's where the yucky science comes out in me. If they poop you have to scrape it off the diaper into the toilet. Quite honestly you should run an empty load through your washing machine after you wash the diapers due to e.coli - this is especially important if you have a front load washer. I won't gross you out with the specifics but yuck is all I have to say.
Mainly eco-friendly reasons. It pains me to think about a ton of diapers in a landfill lasting forever.
And the cost is a factor too. According to the EFF board, you can save at least $1,000 just on the first year. And there's THIS website that brakes down costs per diaper change, and if we get the ones we want, even with washing costs it's a $0.16 savings per diaper change. (and they consider new cloth diapers for every stage, but you can get one size and save some more there, I think)
Honestly, I never truly considered it cause it seems like a lot of work, and it's a heavy investment at first. But in reality, we'll spend all that money on disposables anyways. And it may be worth the trade-off.
Dunno, thinking about it.
And Chris: you can get a little diaper sprayer you attach to your toilet to spray the goods off the diaper. I think that's pretty cool! LOL
A blog/website I like to read has some cloth diapering columns you might like.
http://www.alphamom.com/smackdown/2009/03/cloth_diapering_101.php#more
http://www.alphamom.com/smackdown/2009/06/the_lazy_moms_guide_to_cloth_d_1.php
diTTO!
We have a washer and dryer right next to the kitchen, so that's not an issue for us
Yes, we are using them and I know quite a few people who use them! To debunk a few myths:
Poo: EBF poo is water soluable so can go directly into the washer. People suggest doing a rinse cycle first (to dissolve), then do the wash cycle in hot water. When the baby gets older you can either scrape the solids poo into the toilet, or you can use flushable liners or they also sell a hose attachment for your toilet that you can use to rinse the diapers off. As far as poo in the washing machine, unless you are planning on throwing away a lot of clothes and sheets, you will be washing poo anyway. And not to be too gross, but you wash fecal matter anyway.
Cost: They can be just as much as disposables or faaaar less expensive depending on the diapers you use. If you are using prefolds with covers, the cost is minimal. Some of the all in one or pocket diapers can be more expensive, but with good care, you can use them for more than one baby, or sell them (yes, people purchase used diapers). You can establish a newborn stash of prefolds and covers for like $150.00. You will aim for a couple of extra loads of laundry a week (approx every two to three days depending on how many diapers you have). Most people say that their water bill goes up a couple of dollars a month. That's it.
Plastic Pants: You do NOT have to use plastic pants on your baby. Diaper covers can be made out of a plastic material (but not the rubber of days gone by), polar fleece or wool. Wool is prefered by most since it does breathe so well. And most of the diapers now are made to work just like disposables so you don't have to deal with pulling the pants on and off, many are velcro or snap.
We are looking into a service for the first month or two. A little more expensive, but I think that it will be necessary for sanity when we are first getting adjusted to life with a little one. The more research I do, and the more people I talk to I just think that it is the best decision for us. I am not opposed to disposables when we travel (I'm not crazy) but this just makes sense to me for day to day life.
Awesome! We're going to BRU in Phx next week, maybe I can convince DH to stop by the store. Thanks!
Its not too far from there. This is in N Scottsdale right off Scottsdale Rd, and BRU is just over the city line in PHX at the 101 and Scottsdale. Probably no more than 5-10 minutes. And BRU doest have anything in the store to check out.