Totally Bummed
This is a guest/cross post by Stephanie Precourt from Adventures in Babywearing. Stephanie blogs about here daily life adventures on being a mom to 3 handsome little boys and 1 beautiful baby girl and of course, she also writes about babywearing and the like!
It’s been a little over two weeks now that we’ve been cloth diapering and I love it.
I think I still might be in the honeymoon period, as it’s new and fun and the diapers are oh so cute. But I do hope it lasts!
I can’t say that I suddenly feel better as a person for being more environmental friendly or crunchy or anything like that.
To be honest, by the fourth kid I was just finally tired of that plasticky crinkly diaper and all the leaks (and I really all this time thought that cloth diapers would be the worst with leaking and have to say that not once! have we had a leak and last night when I had her in a disposable, she leaked!!)
But, it is a great plus that I might be doing something more eco-conscious and better for my baby at the same time.
So, I started off with the Bum Genius 3.0 pocket diapers (pictured on Ivy) that are one size- they adjust as baby gets bigger thanks to snaps on the cover and insert. I love these. They are by far my favorite so far to use and clean and change and for her to wear. I bought 6 at first from Cottonbabies and then ordered a few more through Mom4Life because they had a big sale.
If you don’t want to wash diapers every single day you’ll definitely need 10 or more of these diapers- at least that’s my experience with a 3 month old.
In between using the Bum Genius I also use unbleached Indian prefold diapers with a Bummis Super Whisper Wrap or Thirsties cover. I started out trying to use a Snappi to hold the prefold in place but then lately have just been laying the prefold in the cover’s pocket and it’s stayed in place just fine. I think this is easier clean up, too. I am not sure how long it would stay in place, especially once she starts moving around. Then I might have to go back to using the Snappi. I bought all these items from Jillian’s Drawers and I have to say that they have great service as well as the best instructions with how to care for your diapers- all brands and kinds and etc. I found that incredibly helpful.
I use a very large wet bag in our bedroom that I got from Monkey Foot Designs on etsy. I got a matching one for my diaper bag and it’s worked great even when we’re out. I do prefer using cloth wipes as well- which can just be simple washcloths or my favorite Bummas. I have a small spray bottle in our room made of a solution of baby wash, water, & a little olive oil. You can also add essential oils to fragrance. For my diaper bag I have a small squirt bottle of the wipes solution along with the cloth wipes. Of course in a pinch water works great! And, I still keep Seventh Generation disposables on hand but have only used them maybe three times in the last two weeks. I mainly just keep a few in the diaper bag just in case.
When I was starting out I have to say it was extremely overwhelming, but now it totally all makes sense. I think I had my diapers almost a whole week before I began using them because I was so scared about washing. It’s so much easier than I thought.
I do keep the instructions right there on my dryer just for quick reference! I run them in a cold rinse first, then wash hot with a cold rinse after. And I heard some people do a warm rinse at the end instead of cold, so I might try that next wash. I also wash the Bum Genius & covers separately from the Indian prefolds. I started off using Charlie’s Soap but it irritated Ivy’s skin. I tried All Free & Clear and have since completely become hooked on Maggie’s Soap Nuts!! That is my favorite!
I wanted to say thank you for the crazy cloth diaper love so many of you have and all the wonderful tips you shared. And a special thank you to my friend Erin who literally held my hand as I placed my orders! (On twitter she’s swonderful – she’s a great follow.)
So, there you have it. This is how it’s going and like I said, I love it. I might even say that they make me happy. And these days I am all about what makes me happy.
