Sara's Opinion Ramblings - Cloth Diapering

A lot of people have asked me about cloth diapering. Here are my succinct feelings in the form of self Q&A.

Q: Why did you want to cloth diaper?
A: To save money. And the environment (aka less trash in the landfills). And save money.

Q: How does this work?
A: Completely depends on which diapers you choose. There are all-in-ones that most closely resemble a disposable, pocket diapers that you can stuff with inserts (trimmer option) or prefolds, or prefolds in a cover. We chose the last option because it's the cheapest. (see point one about saving money)

Q: Is it disgusting?
A: Sure, but so is parenthood. Parents get pooped, peed, vomited, drooled, and snotted on. That's just the facts. Shaking some poop into the toilet or swishing it around doesn't really bother me, but I'm not squeamish. Look into your heart and realize there are other options too - diaper sprayer, flushable liners to catch the poop, etc.

Q: Does it add to your laundry a TON?!
A: Meh. 2-3 more loads a week (I do 1 load every 3 days)

Q: Are you glad you did it?
A: Totally!

Q: Favorite brands?
A: I love Blueberry covers. Initially I thought I didn't like them because they felt so bulky when he was little, but once he got bigger, I loved them. When he was smaller I loved the Thirsties Duo Wrap covers. I personally prefer snaps to velcro because it stays on better, they don't stick to each other in the wash, and they have more longevity (I want these to last for all the Blum babies). Econobum covers are cheap and work. Not my favorite but great bang for your buck.

Also, if I had known about bamboo/cotton prefolds when I was building my stash, that's all I would have gotten because they are gloriously soft. They are more expensive but not horribly more and, like I said, they wash wonderfully and feel like a soft, comfy t-shirt. I just feel good about life when I put those soft prefolds on my boy's little baby tush. Unfortunately, I didn't discover them until I was buying the toddler sized prefolds so my infant and "premium" size are the standard cotton, which is fine, don't get me wrong, I just like the bamboo better.

My final musings: remember, you can cheat! I have disposables on hand at all times. Z wears disposable overnight diapers. I never travel with cloth because, in my opinion, it's too much work. If we're going out for a whole day, I'll often put him in a disposable. Do what works for you.

That's all she wrote.

*Here's my disclaimer about not being an expert. K? :)