Cloth Diaper Update

Henry (in his bumGenius diaper) and his friend, Ellie Cate (she wears Fuzzi Buns)

I haven't done a Q & A segment on this blog like I've done over at 2000 Dollar Wedding, but I received a question via e-mail that I've been meaning to address:

My husband and I are now expecting our first child (we found out it's a girl yesterday!) and I was hoping to get more of a real-life perspective on the cloth-diapering system. My husband and I don't seem to have any friends in the area that have done cloth diapering--in fact, they actually look at us like we're a little crazy when we mention that it's something we're interested in. (Can you tell we've had a difficult time finding like-minded friends after we moved?) Anyway, everywhere I look online is mainly about selling the product, and I'd just like a more realistic view of the whole ordeal.

Matt and I always knew that we wanted to use cloth diapers because it aligned with our budget-friendly and Earth-friendly values. (I know someone could make the argument that cloth diapers waste water and electricity and are therefore just as bad for the environment as disposables, but I still can't fathom throwing so much waste into the land fills.)

When it came time to make the decision, we didn't have too many friends-with-babies to turn to as mentors. Instead, I turned to my online mentors--John and Sherry--because they are uber-researchers. They recommended the bumGenius Elemental One Size, since it's an all-in-one, organic cloth diaper.

As I wrote in this post before Henry was born, here are the benefits (from my perspective) of these particular diapers:

1. They are made with organic cotton, which is super-soft.
2. They are "all-in-ones," which means you don't have to mess with separate covers and inserts.
3. They are designed with many, many snaps that supposedly allow you to adjust them to fit children from 7 pounds to 35, so you don't have to waste a lot of money investing in different sizes that your child inevitably grows out of way too quickly.

Here's how cloth diapers work with our lifestyle:

• We started using cloth diapers right after Henry stopped pooping meconium. Since he was a big baby from the get-go (all 9 pounds, 4 ounces of him!), the diapers fit him right away.
• We pretty much use cloth diapers all the time, even when we go out. We just bring along a plastic bag to stuff the used ones in (which we use over and over; we never received the wet bag from our registry and haven't been motivated to spend the money to buy one ourselves).
  
• However, we sometimes use a disposable diaper at night, since it absorbs more and keeps more moisture away from his skin. We need all the help we can get in the sleep department!
• We also use disposable diapers when we go on a weekend trip or an extended vacation.
• We basically wash a load of diapers every single day. We have 18 diapers--which I think is plenty--but we do have to wash them frequently.
• I have not yet gotten my act together to line dry them. It's hard enough for me to spend my days as Henry's babysitter. Whenever I have a free moment, I want to do something intellectual; I don't want to spend more time on laundry. But I'm sorry about that, Earth.
• We put a towel on our bathroom counter as a changing table. I love it. We have easy access to water. We use old receiving blankets cut into squares (which is essentially just flannel) with water as our wipes. We do have to be very careful never to take our hands off our little Squirrely Bug. He loves to roll!
• We use this trash can with two of these liners to hold our dirty diapers. When one is in the washer, we use the other one.
• When Henry gets a rash, we protect our cloth diapers from the cream by using one of our flannel wipes to line the diaper.
• We installed this sprayer on our toilet to rinse off Henry's poop, but since he still has really mild, yellow breastmilk poop, we haven't started using it yet. However, one of my friends pointed out that we should still use it since waste belongs in the septic system, not the water system. (It's just another thing I'm too lazy to do!)
  

I'm so glad we're cloth diapering because I do think it's better for the Earth, and it's definitely better for the budget. Also, cloth diapers supposedly help children learn to use the real toilet more quickly because they can feel the wetness against their skin. The one drawback is the bulkiness (especially with the diapers that fit all sizes). I don't mind the bulkiness aesthetically, but I do think it must hinder their movement somewhat.

If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have gone with the cloth diaper my friend uses: Fuzzi Bunz One Size. They seem to have all the benefits of the bumGenius without some of the drawbacks. For example:

• The Fuzzi Bunz have adjustable elastic. I imagine that being able to adjust the leg elastic would help prevent leaks. Henry definitely has leaks with his cloth diapers (although he has leaks in disposables, too). Adjustable elastic just makes a ton of sense for diapers that are supposed to last until the child can use the toilet independently.
  
• The Fuzzi Bunz have replaceable elastic. Rumor has it that the elastic is the first thing to wear down in cloth diapers. Since the budget benefits and Earth benefits are even more significant if you can use them for a second and third child, I think elastic that can be replaced is a great feature.
• The Fuzzi Bunz also have snaps like the bumGenius. I hate the way velcro snags on stuff, so I definitely prefer snaps.
• The Fuzzy Bunz have an insert that adjusts the level of absorbency. Yes, it's a slight pain to have separate pieces to put together and take apart, but the benefit is that they dry much, much faster than the bumGenius diapers.

The only thing I don't like about the Fuzzi Bunz is that the internal material is microfleece instead of organic cotton like the bumGenius we have. I try to avoid synthetic fabrics whenever possible. I guess one additional drawback is that the Fuzzi Bunz require you to snap six times instead of four like the bumGenius.

The only other problem we're having with cloth diapers is getting them clean enough because we have an eco-friendly washing machine that doesn't use enough water. Henry's diapers get an ammonia smell, which we've read all about on the bumGenius page. We just haven't prioritized fixing this problem. Oy vey!

So, long story short, I wholeheartedly recommend cloth diapers! Our generation is lucky that they are so easy-peasy!

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