lets be realistic - am I a CD candidate?

[murphysaangel]

I'm expecting DS#2 in September and I would LOVE to CD this babe. I wanted to with DS1 but could never afford the up front cost and was seriously intimidated by the thought of all that extra laundry. I tried G-Diapers which I thought would be a PERFECT fit, but it was like the worst of both worlds!!!! I had the expense of a high end disposable with the liners (damn are they expensive!!!) and the hassle of a CD b/c they leaked terribly and I'd have to wash not only the plastic insert but the cloth outer shell all the time as well! Then I just switched to disposables, and was loving the (supposedly) biodegradeable Nature Boy & Girl until they changed the way they made the diaper and they started leaking and being very ill-fitting. So right now I'm using freakin Pampers and hating it.

Back to CD...I'm STILL intimidated by that much laundry. But...

I discovered there's a diaper service that serves my area! It's $20/week for up to 100 diapers (which I have no idea if that is cheap or not....?) but I could definitely afford that if I don't spend too much on diaper covers.

My plan was to buy a few covers per month up until the baby was born, but things have been extra tight and we haven't been able to swing that. I'm wondering, in the interest of saving money, if the OS covers like Thirsties would be a good option? Or is it better to buy in size?

Also, am I just kidding myself here? I will have a 16-month old (who I am NOT doing CD with, I am hoping to potty train him once the new LO comes and we get our schedule settled down) as well as a newborn, it's just one more bill to worry about, and wouldn't the gas they use and the H2O and heating expenses just cancel out the carbon footprint anyway?

I do know, though, that using CD's won't clog our landfills which is one thing that REALLY bothers me about disposables and why I always tried to use the biodegradable ones. I think I am most worried about being too overwhelmed.

My other concern is the FIT of prefolds. I really wish that the diaper service had AIO's. I just look at these tiny babies with cloth diapers on and they can't even close their legs right!!! That can't be comfortable! And what if it has long-term effects on the hips and legs?

Yeah, I know, I'm hopeless.

Any advice appreciated!!!

Thanks
Meghan

[Juvysen]

Well, you could just trifold the prefold, and stuff it in the cover and use it as an AI2

I'd go for it. I love cding. It's so much more fun/interesting/cute than disposable diapers... and I've done both.

It's also cheaper.

do you get to keep the prefolds when you're done with them or are they rented? Prefolds make GREAT cleaning cloths later on

ETA... if you do prefolds, and one size covers, you can use the same diapers on your 16 month old... my friend started cding her 18 month old and she potty trained IMMEDIATELY. Worked like a charm :

[painefaria]

Originally Posted by murphysaangel

Back to CD...I'm STILL intimidated by that much laundry. I have found that we did 1-2 extra loads a week with cloth diapers. It did not feel like extra... not that bad considering we mostly hang our laundry.

I discovered there's a diaper service that serves my area! It's $20/week for up to 100 diapers (which I have no idea if that is cheap or not....?) but I could definitely afford that if I don't spend too much on diaper covers. I am not sure if that is a good price but I know that I was able to get a pretty good stash started with about $200 and that was newborn to toddler.

My plan was to buy a few covers per month up until the baby was born, but things have been extra tight and we haven't been able to swing that. I'm wondering, in the interest of saving money, if the OS covers like Thirsties would be a good option? Or is it better to buy in size? I really liked the prowrap basic with snaps (on ebay for $30 for 4) I like these because they had a gussett to keep the BF poop in I only needed two sizes (NB and M) because DS was small in the middle. He is still wearing the mediums at 28 months.

My other concern is the FIT of prefolds. I really wish that the diaper service had AIO's. I just look at these tiny babies with cloth diapers on and they can't even close their legs right!!! That can't be comfortable! And what if it has long-term effects on the hips and legs? I was cloth diapered my parents were cloth diapered, and etc. People have been using prefold for many years and have not had issues with leg and hips. DS never was really bothered by the extra bulk. As for prefolds not fitting as well. It is up to you to make the fit around the legs and waist. YOU CONTROL THE FIT. Just like disposables you learn where to pull/adjust the diaper to get the fit you need to stop leaks. I liked the flexibility of prefolds because I had more control over the fit, with AIO they fit like they fit. I had more issues with AIO/pockets that I ever did with my prefolds with a cover/wool soaker.

PM me if you have more questions I LOVED CD and it was never a hassle.

[cschick]

Originally Posted by murphysaangel

I'm expecting DS#2 in September and I would LOVE to CD this babe. I wanted to with DS1 but could never afford the up front cost and was seriously intimidated by the thought of all that extra laundry. I tried G-Diapers which I thought would be a PERFECT fit, but it was like the worst of both worlds!!!! I had the expense of a high end disposable with the liners (damn are they expensive!!!) and the hassle of a CD b/c they leaked terribly and I'd have to wash not only the plastic insert but the cloth outer shell all the time as well! Then I just switched to disposables, and was loving the (supposedly) biodegradeable Nature Boy & Girl until they changed the way they made the diaper and they started leaking and being very ill-fitting. So right now I'm using freakin Pampers and hating it.

Back to CD...I'm STILL intimidated by that much laundry. But...

I discovered there's a diaper service that serves my area! It's $20/week for up to 100 diapers (which I have no idea if that is cheap or not....?) but I could definitely afford that if I don't spend too much on diaper covers.

My plan was to buy a few covers per month up until the baby was born, but things have been extra tight and we haven't been able to swing that. I'm wondering, in the interest of saving money, if the OS covers like Thirsties would be a good option? Or is it better to buy in size?

Also, am I just kidding myself here? I will have a 16-month old (who I am NOT doing CD with, I am hoping to potty train him once the new LO comes and we get our schedule settled down) as well as a newborn, it's just one more bill to worry about, and wouldn't the gas they use and the H2O and heating expenses just cancel out the carbon footprint anyway?

I do know, though, that using CD's won't clog our landfills which is one thing that REALLY bothers me about disposables and why I always tried to use the biodegradable ones. I think I am most worried about being too overwhelmed.

My other concern is the FIT of prefolds. I really wish that the diaper service had AIO's. I just look at these tiny babies with cloth diapers on and they can't even close their legs right!!! That can't be comfortable! And what if it has long-term effects on the hips and legs?

Yeah, I know, I'm hopeless.

Any advice appreciated!!!

Thanks
Meghan

Addressing the fit issue: there are newborn size prefolds, and they never really seemed to fit my son all that badly. And he was under 6lbs/18 inches when we started using them. The problem with that is that you really need to go through two sets of cloth diapers pretty quickly: the newborn size stuff only really fits for the first 8-12 weeks, then you purchase the next size up (which lasted us until he fully potty trained).

The diaper service doesn't seem that great a deal to me, simply because at $20/week, you could have a decent diapering setup in 5-6 weeks. Here, this kit:

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/produ...ondiaperingkit

I bet you can find it a bit cheaper elsewhere, because Jillian's Drawers tends to be a bit more on the expensive side. But for $145 there, you getting basically all you need to cloth diaper. To either of those kits, I'd additionally purchase 3-4 Snappis; with the toddler kit, I'd also additionally purchase 2 more wraps.

I never found an issue with the laundry: prefolds are pretty much indestructible and don't really require any special care even in hard water. All I ever did was dump the prefolds and their covers into a hot water wash with an extra rinse (my washer allows me to define a cycle and walk away; I used both Tide powder and Purex liquid without issue with prefolds) and then the diapers into the dryer for 50 minutes and the covers on top the dryer (they dry faster laying out on the hot dryer).

All that fussy washing tends to be for the AIOs and pockets. And trust me, having to switch part-time to pockets (because our daycare regs changed and forbade prefolds) was a pain in the ass. Those pockets are testy when it comes to being washed.

[MommaShark]

36 flats is about $45 (nickisdiapers.com) .....6 Thirsties duo size 1 (or whatever the smaller one is) is about $72 - you could get away with 3 or 4 - just rinse and hang between loads.....or make wool covers from old sweaters if you're crafty.....
If you went with flats - no need to buy premium prefolds - just get the next size duo covers and you're set!

Little lions is having a prefold sale now - they fit my LO great - the preemie size fit for 3 days - then needed more absorbency when milk came in (8lb3oz baby) - infant rock and not too bulky - flats are even less bulky on her though!!!!

The Bummis original covers work better for flats if you don't snappi - but aren't "wipe clean" so you'd need to wash more often - they are $9....fit 7-13 lbs.....

REMEMBER - our grandmothers used flats and did just fine - often times those of use with cloth diaper love get carried away and get caught up in the materialism of cloth diapering and the baby industry in the name of saving the environment.........you could and my friend has cloth diapered for free - with old blankets/t-shirts and repurposed wool sweaters - can you imagine people in the depression BUYING flats or prefolds if they had scraps?

You can do this for next to nothing if you choose.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

[SeekingJoy]

You can also check out www.diaperswappers.com or the Trading Post for used NB and Small covers for between $6-7 each with lots of life left in them.

Infant prefolds are cheap, difficult to ruin, and work well enough from birth to 5-6 months. You can always reevaluate how cloth diapering is working for you then.

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by SeekingJoy

You can also check out www.diaperswappers.com or the Trading Post for used NB and Small covers for between $6-7 each with lots of life left in them.

this is a good point. I had some bummis super whisper wraps that were borrowed that had been through two children and they were still in great condition. Used is really a lot cheaper, and totally worth it.

[octobermom]

babies hips are meant to be wide CD can actually help keep the hip in the correct position. For babies born with hip displacment a common rememdy is double or even triple diapering a cloth diaper actually does help keep allignment right. Plus frankly every person in the world born before the 1980s when trim disposables became on one market would have issues if cd bulk was really an issue.
I'd deffiently CD do it as a $20 a week thing through a diaper service if you like get a few dozen prefolds or flats a snappi and some pull on pants if you want really cheep or invest in a few wraps you can buy decent wraps for around $5-$9 each honestly you can easily get by with 3-6 wraps. I liked having 4 two to rotate during the day 1 extra in case of a bad bm and one for the diaper bag.

Deanna

[murphysaangel]

So just to be clear I am not so intimidated about HOW to wash the diapers, I am more intimidated by ACTUALLY HAVING TIME to do that much laundry. I struggle with it as it is - and it's just me, DH and DS. But DH is in construction and (especially during the winter - coupled by the fact that he's a big guy) he generates a LOT of laundry. I tend to have a MOUNTAIN of laundry next to the washer/dryer as it is - and never seem to catch up. Just 2 extra loads a week would absolutely bury me. So while the diaper service might sound more expensive in the long run, I would technically be paying extra just to keep my sanity. It's the ONLY way I could see myself CD'ing. Plus I don't have to worry about buying prefolds in all sorts of different sizes. The diaper service keeps up with that. I really only have to worry about covers.

But I REALLY appreciate the suggestions of buying covers used - and which ones.

THANK YOU!!!!

[flower01]

I think you are worried about things that are really not an issue. CDing can work for anyone if you really want to do it...and it sounds like you have a lot of good reasons to do it.

I started CDing with 2 covers and 24 Gerber prefolds and the few packs of disposables people gave me when the baby was born. Once the disposables were gone, I never bought another pack, but I think it helped to have them at night for the first few weeks. Having only 2 covers and using Gerber prefolds was not ideal, but I would do it again if the other option was only disposables.
My point is that you can make it work even if you have no money! 4 good covers will cost you about about $40...it's really not that much...i don't have any experience with one size covers, but I do like having sized diapers.

And I don't think i have ever heard of cloth diapers causing problems in the hip or leg development of babies.


2-3 loads of diaper laundry a week is not a big deal at all. Honestly, I find washing my husbands clothes much more time consuming.

I wish you luck. You can do it!

[natural_mama89]

If you will be using the diaper service, that means you will only have to wash the covers. That isn't extra laundry. Rinse them if poopy, then toss them in with the baby's clothes or towels or something.

[Juvysen]

You know... I think CDing actually saved me some "normal" laundry, too... breastmilk poo just explodes out of disposable diapers,in my experience, but when I was cloth diapering my son, we hardly had any diaper explosions. The diapers held it in soooo much better.

For what that's worth.

I was using kissaluvs, though, and some pockets. I didn't try prefolds, but I know a lot of people who have said the same thing about cloth holding the poo better.

[ChetMC]

So True

Originally Posted by flower01

2-3 loads of diaper laundry a week is not a big deal at all. Honestly, I find washing my husbands clothes much more time consuming.

This is so true. Diapers are probably the easiest load of wash that I do. They're in the washer for a long time, but there's no sorting, no real folding, no matching, no ironing, etc.

[SeekingJoy]

ChetMC, this was my experience, too. Even right this minute I have a huge mountain of laundry on my couch to be folded. But, the "easy" laundry is the stuff we don't fold: diapers, rags, dishcloths, dish towels and our primary bath towels, socks (each of us just has a dozen plain white socks of one brand), underwear, etc. It is the stuff like work shirts that always get me behind!

[ZoeyZoo]

I wash about twice a week so you're really not doing that much extra laundry. I have a bunch of one size pocket diapers. They are a pain to stuff the inserts but it only takes about 5 minutes per wash and then they are more like sposies when I'm trying to put them on the baby. I've been using mine since my 15 month old was born. I spent about $400 on the diapers but that work out to about $26/month so far for diapers.

I originally thought they would be a pain when we went out and ran errands so I bought a few packs of sposies at the beginning. I had leak issues, diaper rash issues, etc. so I actually found sposies more work and gave up on them.

[LiLStar]

diaper laundry is an entirely different beast than general household/family laundry.

family laundry: i have to fish out random toddler clothes from hiding places around the downstairs since dd is a compulsive stripper, and sometimes hides them. i have to make sure to collect things such as used wash cloths, towels, that kinda thing. dd loves blankets and sometimes fishes dirty ones from the hamper so i have to memorize which is dirty and which is clean so i can steal it back when its time to wash! Then sorting by family member, folding, putting away.. clothes in drawers, clothes on hangers, towels and sheets in the hall closet. I HEAR IT that laundry, in general, is a neverending pita :P

diaper laundry is just different. you don't have to fetch it from different places when it doesn't end up in the hamper. diaper laundry is VERY contained, because no one would ever just throw it on the bedroom floor before hopping into bed like with a shirt or something. You just dump it in the wash when the pail is full or your stash is running low. Simple. I find that the most time consuming part of diaper laundry is transferring from the washer to the dryer. Then, there's no sorting/folding necessary. I just leave mine in a laundry basket, or lately, in the top of the pack n play. (we have the kind with the built in changing table so its convenient for the diapers to be right there) i just throw them in there.

[murphysaangel]

Sorry, no one will ever convince me that even a tiny, easy load of laundry per week is not overwhelming to me. I am ALREADY OVERWHELMED by my laundry tasks. It's not just the folding, I hardly do any sorting as it is (it's either DH's clothes or everything else), the whole thing is a flight downstairs in our nasty, dirty basement, i never iron anyway, and really - I could care less how many eensy little baby clothes I wash - they never add up to much, etc. It's the ACT of doing laundry that I dispise and get behind in. ONE extra load and I will be buried.

I know you guys mean well but can we not try and bully me into the extra laundry thing? I'm not doing it. Again - the diaper service is THE ONLY way I'll be CD'ing. Please - leave it alone.

[poppan]

EDITED to add:
(Sorry OP, I wrote my reply before seeing your latest latest post about leaving the laundry alone!! Apologies -- and please ignore the parts that do not apply.)


I know you are intimidated by the laundry and want to go the diaper service route -- but I just want to address the prefold angle. You said the gdiapers were a PITA because they leaked etc. Well I think you will have the same issue with prefolds... IMO there is a pretty big learning curve before you get the fit good and have no EBF blow outs. No harm in trying the diaper service though -- maybe I'm way wrong and you'll be a prefold pro in no time!

But if it doesn't work for you... what do you think of these instead:
http://www.babybunz.com/Snugglebottoms-Velcro.html

It's $24 for a 6-pack -- although personally I would skip the NB diapers and go straight to size small for $25 per 6-pack. You can use the covers you bought to go with the prefolds/diaper service. For the cost of one month of diaper service you will have enough diapers (I'm figuring you need at least three 6-packs or 18 diapers). Washing isn't that bad, (again IMvHO) you just have to buckle down and make up your mind to do it.

[MommaShark]

Diaper service rocks!!! Go for it - try it for a month and see!!!! I haven't had a single blowout with a prefold and snappi'd baby - with DS I had tons of blowouts and more laundry!!! You have enough laundry with a newborn and DH clothes (mine gets dirty too!).......

Okay - Thirties Duo covers are great! Buy 6 of the smaller size and 4 of the larger size and you're set!!!!
I don't like one size - they don't tend to last........
I really like the Thirsties - right now with my 5 week old I'm using prefolds or flats and Thirsties and Wool. I wish all my Thirsties were the Duo! I am getting rid of my Bummis....the leg gusset is not big enough and they are too stiff.

[schreiberwriter]

It's possible you might be able to squeeze $11 a paycheck for a cover from Nicki's diapers or momsmilkboutique, which has free shipping. (or not, sometimes $11 is not doable in my budget). That's how much a single Bummis or Thirsties cover costs.

It does look weird at first to have the CD bulk. I remember thinking the same way.

Sometimes the laundry can hard to get done. It got easier when I had 24-36 diapers. Plus, oddly, it was kinda fun. Or I didn't want to have to go to the store to get diapers cuz I couldn't get the diapers clean -- a weird challenge?