Thursday, August 30, 2012

.cloth diapering.

....and some pictures that really have nothing to do with the context of this post. 
At least the polka's are cute.
This has been a pretty hot topic over at the Trebaczkiewicz household as of late. Do we or Don't we?
And it'll be a very boring topic to those not interested in the day-to-day of having a new baby in the house so please excuse this post, but for any mommy out there, I require a little of your help.

We've decided that we're going to try our hand at cloth diapering our little wee babe.

Now, I should point out before I get going, that we think it'll be best to keep the cloth diapering to the house and stick with disposables while out-and-about. Just the ease of not having to tote around dirty diapers appeals to me and I think it'll make things a little easier for us and others around us.

I should also mention that the idea of cloth diapering I find both scary and exciting. Scary because of the extra work involved, and exciting because of all the benefits that cloth diapers bring.

Benefits, such as, after the initial shock of paying for them, you should never again have to fork out for diapers thus saving big buckaroos. Then there's the benefits of being green. Saving the environment one poop at a time! I also personally think that the cloth diapers now-a-days are way cuter than disposables. They have changed so much since my mom was cloth diapering my little sister and I, and they come in all sort of fun colors and patterns.
Then there are the disadvantages. Things such as the extra laundry and time associated with CD. And having to deal with the 'dirties' [which I may have found a solution with disposable diaper liners!].
Now, since I'm a [almost] new mommy, I really have no clue about what I need or what brand will work best. It'll all be trial and error, so here's where you come in......Any mommies that have gone the cloth diapering route and can send me any tips or recommendations?

Here's what I've heard.....
TYPES: I've heard that the one-size kind [it grows with your baby with adjustable snaps] is great for extra absorbency and night time sleeps, however isn't great for a super snug fit which can cause leaks on an everyday basis. This is also great as an economical option as you only buy one diaper for your babies growing body.
All-in-One size cloth diaper - Itti Bitti
I've also heard that perfect fit or pocket size type diapers [sized exactly for your babies weight and cannot grow with your baby] are great for a snug fit, thus preventing less leaks and less bulk. These appeal to me greatly as I like things fitting properly and the idea of less leaks kinda nails it. The con is that you have to get a bunch of different sizes, which can cost a little more.
perfect fit cloth diaper - Fuzzibunz

NUMBERS: So, how many diapers would you recommend?
I heard for a newborn, which poops alot, you will need quite a few diapers in those first precious few months. If you think about it, on average a newborn eats every 2 hours, which basically means they poop every 2 hours. This roughly works out to 12 diaper changes per day.
HOLY COW!!
So if I did laundry every day, I would need approximately 18 diapers!
Is this math correct?? Mommies help! How many did you need?

CLEANING: I also need help with cleaning methods.....what is your best way to clean them and dispose of the nasties? As I mentioned above, I heard of these disposable diaper liners that basically allow you to flush the solids down the toilet and then it's easy to throw in the wash. I guess this is the one thing I'm a little nervous about. ...Handling poop. Yuck. I don't want the smell floating around the house either, so I ask you, what's your secret methods? Do you store your dirty diapers in a closed diaper pail?

OR are we just crazy for trying this??

13 comments:

  1. Meghan MacMillanAugust 30, 2012

    Hi! I have used cloth diapers on my lil one since day one. She is almost 17 months. I would check out one posh baby. She's in Edmonton and fantastic. I have a mix of 3 different brands of the all in one size. Bum genius, rumparooz and flip covers with inserts. I love love love them all. We use the disposable liners as well. Genius idea! We use disposables if on a trip but still use our cloth when out and about, just bring a wet bag! They have diaper sprayers you can hook up to your toilet to spray away any of the nasties. And totally agree, prints are so cute. Our lil ones bum is always so plump and cute with the diapers (only downfall is might have to size up in pants because some can be pretty bulky)... For cleaning we wash ours in rockin green or laundry tarts, keep them in a wet bag til ready to wash (and the smell doesn't seem to escape the large wet bag).... I could seriously keep going on and on about my love of cloth diapers (even my hubby loves them) but I don't want to drive you bananas! Haha... Buti would be more that happy to share any info I can give you if you need it! (just I case my email is icequeen_0515@hotmail.com) :)

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    1. Meghan. Thanks so much for this comment! I've had a few people telling me not too, but after reading your post, I feel more compelled to at least try it. I mean with the disposable liners, I'm not really fighting with poop and we can just throw that part out. Easy.
      And I didn't even think about the extra bulk, so I appreciate the tip on going up a size. Makes total sense to me :)
      I am also going to check out those wet bags. I don't have any yet, so thanks again for the suggestions! Totally appreciated.
      xoe

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  2. I never tried cloth diapering but I have heard the disposable liners are only for when baby is eating solids. A newborns poop is super liquidy so I can't imagine the liner would contain it. Once they are eating solids those would make it a breeze though. I use disposables but I still flush the poop. Also my daughter only ever ate and pooped every three hours during the day and five at night so 12 could be high depending on your little one. A bigger/more absorbent diaper would definitely be better for night time as if you are changing babies diaper everytime they wake up to eat it is much harder to get them back down.

    Best of luck - I'm sure you'll figure out what works best for you and your little one

    Krystin


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    1. Krystin, I think you are totally right about the solids. I hear that newborns poop is super easy to clean, so I'm not too worried about that and I totally plan on breastfeeding, so I'm hoping things work out easy for me :)

      Thanks a bunch for the comment. Super appreciated.
      xoe

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  3. Meghan MacMillanAugust 30, 2012

    Oh yes and sorry forgot to say, we have about 20 diapers!

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  4. aww man you're a better mom than me - I seriously considered cloth diapers and got like 10,000 comments telling me to "go for it". I don't know what held me back - I think it had something to do with me being overwhelmed by all the variety, disgusted by the idea of a 'soaking pail' and our laundry room being in our creepy basement.
    I know A LOT of moms who use cloth and absolutely LOVE it/swear by it/etc. - just know that any decision you and your Mr. make for Baby T is the RIGHT decision. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise; advice is nice, but mama {and daddy} know best. period.

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    1. amen, Sara.

      p.s. Erinn you are the cutest preggo lady, ever. love your outfit here. Hope you're feeling well, you're soooo close!

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    2. Oh Sara! haha, I'm fairly certain cloth diapering doesn't make me any better of a momma! hahaha.

      But in all seriousness, your comment really has encouraged me to give it a try. I hear you on the soaking pail though, but then some have told me about these wet bags that you just throw into the wash and viola! Clean. Might give those a try :)

      And your last comment really made me just love you that much more. Super sweet and you are absolutely right. We'll try out best and see what works for us. Simple as that.
      xoe

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    3. and Christine! Thanks lady!! I'm feeling great and I seriously just can't get over how soon this is creeping up! Baby date in the near future?
      xoe

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  5. I just stumbled upon your blog but I can't resist commenting on a cloth diaper post! I've cloth diapered both my boys (now 5 and almost 3) and would do it again in a heartbeat. Doing it for almost 5 years I have tried pretty much every style of CDs out there, but honestly my favorites are prefolds with Thirsty covers and Thirsty fitted diapers. Super easy once you get used to folding the prefolds. I only used pocket diapers for my oldest and I found the PUL on the outside would start leaking after awhile. I couldn't use the pocket diapers for my 2nd which I didn't like, as a part of the initial draw was reusin them. My Thirty covers and diapers all still work fabulously 2.5 years later and I could use them for another baby if I wanted. I do recommend trying a little of everything, so you can figure out what works best for you!

    Kirsten

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    1. Oh, Welcome! I'm happy that you stopped by and I appreciate your comments on CD :)

      I am so happy that you are raving so much about cloth diapering! It's always good to hear tips and tricks from other momma's who have tried it before and I so appreciate the advice. I actually haven't heard of the Thirsty fitted diapers and am going to do some googling right now for them.

      Thanks again!
      xoe

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