my questions about colth diapering....

Kim - posted on 02/05/2010

-I believe that health wise it does make a difference as you aren't exposing your little baby to the harsh chemicals in disposables. Bleaches, absorbent gels, pesticides, plus the plastics, yuck!!

-My son has very few rashes. The worst one was when he got a stomach bug and had diarrhea. Normally, if I can give him 10 - 15 minutes of diaper free time a day he has no rashes. Plus putting them in the sun for 10 minutes a day does wonders too.

-You use a "wet bag" it's not bad and it doesn't smell.

-Technology isn't that great. It can be an evil. Disposable diapers are the 3rd highest thing thrown into our landfills. We aren't sure how long it takes to biodegrade, yet, but it's estimated to be at least 500 years. Also it's illegal to throw away poop. If you read the instructions on a package of disposables it says to dump the solids into the toilet yet this only happens in 1/2 of 1% of solid waste in 'sposies. It then contaminates our water sources.

-All I had to do was tell my Dh how much money we'd save by using them and he was sold. I do all of the hard stuff like stuffing the pockets for him and just explained everything to him. The only accident we had was when he put a wool cover on him without a diaper because I didn't tell him it wasn't a diaper. He said well it was shaped like a diaper. Whoops!

-I don't know about diapers services as I don't use one nor looked into one. I'm thinking they're readily available as a friend of the family asked me if I wanted one for the first month and I live in the country, but I declined it.

-No you don't have to us one, I don't

-I don't use one because I use my own diapers. Some services don't let you use your own diapers with them. If they do let you use your own they can be harsh on them. I find it more convenient to take care of washing and caring for them myself. It's one of the easiest loads of laundry. It's right below towels for me.

-I got the majority of mine from my sister who used to make and sell them online. the ones I bought myself I got online. Nickisdiapers.com, kellyscloset.com, littleorganicfeet.com, pittsburghclothdiapers.com, clothdiaperclearance.com, bananapeelsdiapers.com those are all sites that I've ordered from. There is also diaperswappers.com and undermycrib.com to get gently used diapers in good condition.

-the covers can be bought at the same place as the diapers under the 'cover' category. Normally on most of the sites they explain the different terms used and each thing is broken down into its category to purchase.

-I have never put my son in a disposable ever, he's 8 months old.

-I'm not sure about your last question. For me it's just a belief that 'sposies are horrible in multiple ways. It's not a religious reason. I merely researched it and came to that conclusion. I feel that things should be reused and disposables are the epitome of waste. They utilize all new resources that then cannot be recycled. It's been looked into and the cost of recycling them was far too high.

Meagan - posted on 02/05/2010

Just so you know, we're cloth diapering to save money, and I'm pretty sure we'd go back to disposables if we could justify the expense. Also, we use disposables sometimes, like when we're traveling or whenever it's convenient, so my opinion may be different than others.

1) I haven't really any health benefits, so I can't really comment there.
2) My daughter gets worse rashes with cloth than disposables. In fact, she never got a rash at all until we switched to cloth. Mostly they happen overnight when she has a wet diaper against her all night. We use prefolds, and I've started putting a piece of fleece between her and the diaper and that seems to have helped a lot.
3) You don't have to bring them with you in public. Cloth diapering doesn't have to be all or nothing, so if you don't want them in public, use disposables instead.
5) My husband was hesitant, but he got over it when I told him how much money we'd save. Also, he hardly changes diapers anyways, so it's not a huge deal for him. The one gross diaper a month he has to spray isn't going to kill him.
- I don't know about delivery services, so can't really help you there. I do know that washing them yourself is no big deal at all, so I wouldn't recommend one.
-I bought all my cloth diapers online. We use prefolds with Thirsties covers. I also use a Snappi instead of pins. We have a diaper sprayer and 2 wetbags to put them in. All together, my stash cost about $300, and that's for birth to potty training, and they will last for at least 2 more kids, probably more.
- Cloth diapering does seem to be a sort of religion for some, but I think it doesn't have to be unless you want to. I don't "LOVE" cloth diapering. It was a choice we made for our family that saves us a lot of money and also helps the environment. It's not as bad as most people think. When I was weighing the pros and cons of the gross aspect of cloth diapering, I thought to myself, "if someone gave me a pair of gloves and $1000 and said to spray this poopy diaper, I would do it." My husband is in medical school and everything we buy is on student loans. Going into debt for diapers when there was another option seemed like a dumb idea, so we chose the other option. I hope you can figure out what works best for your family.

Hannah - posted on 02/04/2010

We use gDiapers and they are super easy! I use gCloth inserts at home, and the biodegradable/flushable gRefills on the go and overnight. Your hubby would prob like the gRefills- my husband is terrified of cloth but does not mind the flushables. See www.gdiapers.com for more info, or the FaceBook group! Or you can messgae me for more info, but their website it great! We've used g's since my LO was born 7 months ago.

I just keep the dirties in my Diaper Champ and wash every 2-3 days.
I use Bummis Bio-Soft liners to catch the poop, and then just flush it! You can wash the liners that are just peed on. (ie no hand in the toilet)
For washing, I use Maggies' Soap Nuts instead of detergent (www.maggiespureland.com), and I add a small scoop of Oxi-Clean and a big scoop of Baking Soda. Do one rinse-only cycle in the wash on cold, then a full wash cycle on hot.

I also use cloth wipes- just Gerber washcloths that I spray prior to using. Spray bottle with a home-made mix: 4 cups water, 4 Tablespoons Dr. Bronner's liquid castille soap (I use the one with Almond oil to moisturize), and 8 drops of Tea Tree Oil. I just mix it in a big bottle, shake it, and store. I have a small spray bottle to use on the change table. It lasts me a few weeks, and is definetly cheaper than buying wipes!

Good luck

Katrina - posted on 02/04/2010

We recently started cloth diapering (like this week) and before, I was like you... No clue what was what. I spent some time online (the two sites listed above are great!) and did research. We ended up getting some pocket diapers from www.theluvyourbaby.com They are only $6.99, which is less than half of what most of them sell for, and they are really good!
We started because of budget reasons. Disposable diapers are expensive!
My husband is cool with it, because he doesn't have to do much. Changing them is very much like a disposable. I usually just wash a load of them every other day, so they don't sit too long and start stinking. =)
I know there will be times I use disposable diapers, but I don't want to very often if I can help it at all!
As far as being out and having to carry the diapers, they make bags called wet bags, which are usually zippered, and waterproof and can be thrown in the wash with the diapers if needed. It keeps the moisture and the odor from getting out and into the diaper bag.

I don't think cloth diapering is a belief or a religion, and I don't think there is really a right or wrong way... I think it is economical, green (if you happen to think about ways to "go green") and is not nearly as hard as it used to be,and as many people think it is. I was surprised by how easy it really is. I plan on using these diapers on the rest of the kids we plan to have, and I know that it's going to save us thousands of dollars. That is enough of a reason for me!
Good luck with whatever you decide!

Sara - posted on 02/04/2010

You got a lot of your questioned answered for you already, but I wanted to chime in with a few things. I don't know why but for some reason whenever the words CLOTH DIAPER are muttered, people (like my in laws and friends) automatically picture these white triangles that have to be pinned onto a baby from 100 years ago. What I always say is "hasn't every other area of our lives been advanced in the past 100 years, like clothing and the way we wash them? So what makes you think that nobody in the past 100 years has developed a better diaper?" I get this shocked look and then, oh year, you're right! LOL
Try www.diaperpin.com. Its an easy reference to different types of diapers as well as washing instructions and common questions. It also has references to several hundreds of placed to buy your diapers. I've personally bought from cottonbabies.com, nickisdiapers.com, and abbyslane.com. I recommend all three sites though I've never shopped anywhere else except from mamas that sew.

I also wanted to add a story I read. I am a member of a group called "mamasource" its this forum where you email in questions and other mamas respond. Well a mama had a question about those little crystally things you see in a really full diaper and what they were. We told her it was just part of the diaper and sometimes that happens when it gets too full. Well this other mama chimed in and said "be super careful not to get these crystals in your eyes or breath them. I got some in my eyes and ended up getting chemical burns on my retina." Now that's not the norm and that mama probably had really sensitive eyes or something BUT the fact is those nasty chemicals can and do cause chemical burns, and those same chemicals are being placed on your baby's bare bottom. Think about it.
Personally I hate diaper services and the thought of them absolutely horrifies. Granted that is MY opinion and for some people it is a GREAT option, its just not my bag. The problems with a diaper service are that you are limited to JUST prefolds, which, hello diaper of the past, yes its cheap but if you are paying for a service, then its not. Diapers have evolved. Most of them change the same exact way as a disposable (or sposie as some of us call them) Elastic, velcro, I even have a lot with snaps for my older ones because they are harder to remove so when baby gets into that "take off my diaper" phase, they can't. My other problem with diaper services is that when they bring you new diapers, sure they are clean, BUT they have to use heavy chemicals to get them that way AND you aren't purchasing the diapers you are renting them, along with whoever else signed up for the service as well. So the diapers you get clean next week are the diapers that SuzyQ used last week. See what I mean. If you buy them and wash them yourself, they are YOURS. You control what chemicals are used to wash them and you know exactly how clean they really are because you did the laundry yourself. Even if you end up buying used diapers some day, those used diapers have been through 1 other family, not 8 or 9. Make sense?
There was a study done in Britain (I read this maybe 4 years ago when I had my first one) I believe that tested the environmental impact of a diaper service versus disposables. It was just supposed to be cloth versus disposables but tehy chose a service instead. By the time you factor gas for the delivery truck and emissions of the delivery truck, harsh industrial chemicals used to clean the diapers and more chemicals used to neutralize those harsh chemicals, not to mention the amount of energy it takes to run the big industrial washers and dryers...the result was that the environmental impact of diaper services was actually about equal to a disposable, which also has to go through similar processes to get made, then delivered to the store. If you buy your own diapers this carbon footprint is much much less.
Just something to think about it. Like I said services work for some people, like I saw a poster that said she didn't have a washer and dryer, so that's a great option for her. MY babbling point is, you have to find what works for you and your family. What works for me may not work for you. My budget may be smaller than your budget, things like that. Some babies are allergic to the PUL waterproofing, well not really allergic but can't have anything waterproof or they get a rash, but you can use fitted and wool or fleece. You just have so many other options that are healthier and better for baby.

Jenny - posted on 02/03/2010

I am just going to pick and choose a few to answer cause they were all answered pretty well below. :) We started with prefolds and covers and it worked well, but our son has nasty rashes and the prefolds, although they are cotton, kept his bottom wet all the time (he's a heavy wetter, so an hour is enough to soak one of those) so we switched to fuzzi bunz, which are a pocket diaper (they are ones you have to put an absorbant insert in between a layer of waterproof material called pul and a layer of microfleece that goes against baby's skin to pull the moisture away from the baby). Those worked great and although our son still gets rashes once or twice a month, its not weekly like it was with disposables and prefolds. Basically, if your children seem to have sensitive skin, you probably will need something that pulls moisture away from them like that, not just a prefold or fitted. I use disposables both at night and when my kids have rashes. You cannot use rash creams with most cloth diapers (though there are some creams you can get that are specifically for cloth but we can't afford any more things right now. :) ) We switch to disposable, cream them up, and the rash leaves within a day or two then we are back in cloth. As far as being out and about, we go to town (about an hour away) once a week and we do cloth. We use a wet bag (my mom made mine, it's just a zippered bag to put the diapers in) and when we get home we pull the inserts out, dump them in the bucket and I wash when the bucket is full. We got our fuzzi bunz as seconds (that means they have slight defects that do NOT affect their usability). We just googled fuzzi bunz seconds and checked prices at websites. :) Hope that helps. :)

Kristina - posted on 02/03/2010

Don't be sorry for questions, we were all there once... Linnea covered things pretty well but here's a bit I'd like to add... My daughter had chronic "mystery rash" that would not go away even with prescription lotions, switched to cloth diapers and it is gone! I use disposables for all three of my diapered kids at night but that's it... As far as gross factor, it's just putting poop in the toilet (where it belongs) and throwing the diaper in a pail or laundry basket instead of the trash... A quick bit of ref. on the terms... prefolds are the kind Gerber makes (although there are many better brands) and what usually comes to mind for people, you'll need diaper pins or a Snappi (never tried it, don't really know what the hell it is) and a cover... and inserts and doublers and both be put in to a diaper to make it more absorbent or wick wettnes away from baby.... AIO or All In Ones are just that, one piece no cover required, you would change baby just a disposable just put it in the laundry not the trash... Personally I used prefolds on my kids, I make my diapers and my covers.... If you're worried about the out and about diapering, try just using them at home for awhile.... Good luck and ask as many questions as you need to!!

Linnea - posted on 02/03/2010

Well I'm so glad to see you are considering this option now! Cloth diapering is a whole new world, but one that I am convinced is the best for everyone, and if only more moms would consider it and see how easy and affordable it is I'm convinced it would soon become the norm!

1) there are health benefits, What should be of serious concern to all parents are the toxic chemicals present in disposable diapers. Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Trace quantities may even exist in the diapers themselves! Dioxin is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer related chemicals. Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. Disposable diapers also contain sodium polyacrylate. If you have ever seen the gel-like, super absorbant crystals in a disposable, then you have seen this first hand. Sodium polyacrylate is the same substance that was removed from tampons because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-term effects of this chemical being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards of two years. Studies have also been done to show that the chemical emissions from disposable diapers can cause respiratory problems in children. Cloth diapers, on the other hand, are free of the many chemicals contained in disposable diapers.

2) rashes totally depend on your baby, some rash worse with disposables and some get rashes with cloth, but that is often tied to using the wrong kind of detergent - that's just a matter of trial and error. Overall babies are generally better off rash or not with cloth because of the lack of harmful chemicals in them.

3) You just bring a bag with you and it's not too gross to have to take it back home, I do it all the time.

4) Perhaps we have the technology to make disposables but why would we want to pay more, destroy the environment, and hurt our babies? Makes no sense to me. Cloth diapering has come a long way - we have the technology now to make it easy, efficient and doable for almost any family.

5) Just get an easy to use kind like one size pockets or all in ones and even the stubbornest of daddies will go along peacably!

6) You don't have to use a delivery service; you can only use prefolds through the service and those are less "daddy friendly" if you think he won't go for it. You can just buy them yourself which is a lot cheaper and you can get the ones you like the best, plus use them for any future children or re-sell them used (they have a high resale value). Peopel would choose to do it if they want to use prefolds but really don't want to wash them. Perhaps they don't have a washing machine or something. But if you do have a machine it's not a big deal, just a couple more loads a week.

7) You can buy cloth diapers online or in many cities there are stores you can go to and look at the options in person (but the stores are usually more expensive). Depending on what you are looking for I recommend www.juliesstuff.com, buying used on www.diaperswappers.com (if you know what you're looking for and how to ask the right questions to make sure they treated their diapers well), www.nickisdiapers.com, diapers.com - I recommend bum genius as a really good, one size fits all, super easy to use, cute and attractive diaper. $15 each is a good price, so look for something in that range (like on the sites I listed) and you will save thousands of dollars and help your baby be healthier! Go to www.diaperjungle.com to get all the lowdown on the world of cloth diapering, from terminology FAQs, detergent to use, types of diapers, why cloth diapers, and so much more!

8) If you use a pocket or all in one diaper you don't need a separate cover (you do need separate covers for prefolds and fitted diapers). You can get those online too if you decide you'd prefer prefolds or fitted diapers.

9) I do use disposables veeeerrrry rarely, I figure - I already spent money on diapers, why spend any more money if I don't have to? But I ran out of diapers a time or two and couldn't get them washed in time because of washing machine problems, etc... so I bought a package. But I've taken my cloth diapers all over the world - every vacation, even to China, and its worked fine!

10) There isn't a "right" and "wrong" way, I'd say there's what works for you...but I say cloth is better and if more moms would have an open mind to looking into it, more people would agree with me! I'd love to help answer any more questions - I have helped many friends get into cloth diapering and all of them are so glad they did and have kept it up, even the ones who to start off with said "NO WAY." They saw the benefits and were won over, especially after they realized how easy it is.

Sabrina - posted on 02/03/2010

oh geez! I just looked at some of the other posts & I think I'm a little overwhelmed!! what in the world are prefolds? or inserts or doublers?