If you don't use cloth, why not? - Page 6

[~LadyBug~]

Originally Posted by momma_unlimited

Also, if for some reason we had a busy week and I didn't get to wash the diapers within 48 hours, several times I found MAGGOTS. I do not know how the heck they got into my diaper pail, the thing looked like it sealed rock tight to me... maybe occasionally it wasn't shut just right? but it was so disgusting... I would have thrown the diapers away if they didn't cost like $17 each!!!

Oh. My. God.

[Jojo F.]

Originally Posted by LiLStar

I'm hardcore cloth to the extreme.. to the extent of packing an entire extra suitcase when we travel, just for diapers :

anyway, one thing I can think of that might turn lots of people off is how much research has to go into it! Theres SO many brands and types. prefolds, covers, fitteds, contours, aios, pockets, one size, pocket aios... then plain and simple, some work well, some don't work well. some are expensive, some are pretty cheap. they all have such vastly different fits and different babies are going to fit better in differen't ones. hook/loop, snaps, side snaps.. and wet bags, liners, inserts, doublers, snappis, washing routines, detergent, repelling, stinky build up, stripping.. rash creams that are safe for cloth, night time solutions that work for a heavy wetter, wool, wool wash, lanolizing!!! For us experienced cloth users, its pretty easy to keep it all straight, but I can see how the learning curve might intimidate less adventurous newbies who might find it easier to simply choose between huggies and pampers!!

I love cloth diapering!!! But this list here does make it intimidating, once you know it turns into an addiction (so there IS another con for cloth!)

For me it's about my child's sensitive skin, then it's the Earth, then it's the $$. But the $$ part is getting more important so more sewing and less paypaling And I never get a poopy blowout with cloth. When I tried sposies it happened all . the . time. Ohhh the onsies I changed!!!

We did the cheap route with DS- prefolds and covers for daytime and wool covers and hemp houblers for the night. That's all we could afford, we did not buy them all at once so it was a mixture of cloth and sposie but eventually I built a stash that worked. DD is using them now, I have added a few fitteds and am in the process of turning my stash into all fitteds, I can't wait!! Hopefully I can knit a few wool longies for the winter or turn some old sweaters into wool covers. If you can make your own diapers you can save even more $ and really customize them to fit your baby.

If we went camping, traveling of any sort we bought an eco brand sposie.

One good thing about cloth is it's resale value. If it doesn't fit, leaks, etc. you can sell it for almost the same price but, I have seen diapers selling for OVER the original price!! And I agree, get 1 of every style to see what you like and what works best.

The laundry aspect- my diapers are the only thing I keep on top of. My house isn't neglected but, it isn't neat as a pin either. Once a week I nag DS and DH to help do a deep clean, they made part of the mess too

[phrogger]

I do CD, but had considered not doing it just because it was overwhelming to try to figure out what we needed. I thank god I had a friend who made my son 10 fitted diapers and sent me a ton of covers. I bought 12 AIO's and they SUCKED and will never buy another one again. My mom bought some prefolds and now that is all we use, the fitteds and prefolds.

The laundry could very easily be a deal breaker for me, thank god my kids do their own laundry. One good thing with having kids 10 years apart.

I however make sure we only use cloth while traveling in the car. Disposibles have leaked so much more.

I do think I will consider disposibles once DS starts sleeping longer at night or he starts getting wetter and I will probably use them if I have to travel to visit family. I know my sister is grossed out by the idea of cd's in her washer and while she is considering cd'ing, she will probably get a second washer just for the diapers. I would if I have room for the second washer.

I am lucky though, I don't pay for electricity or water so that isn't a problem so cost, especially since I get free cd's from friends and family, has been REALLY cost effective for us.

[merryns.mom]

i wish i cloth diapered, but don't because. . .

-too expensive (at one time)
-have no clue where to start
-grandmothers kept dd for the first 4 months would not cd
-daycare doesn't cd
-our water bill is super high now, can't justify the water usage; and i hate doing laundry
-i'm obsessive about accessories and stuff and would buy every diaper cover and cd accessory even if i didn't need it
-dh will change a sposie, but never a cd

[mamakah]

I tried cloth at first, they always leaked, stained sons clothes, I hated having a tub that I was constantly soaking stained clothes in, I was overwhelmed as it was as a new mother and it was just TOO MUCH!!!!!

[zebrachick83]

Originally Posted by UptownZoo

You know, I CD'd all three of my kids, but I have to agree with those who mentioned snobbery as a turn-off. When I had my first two in 1993 and 1995, there was no internet and I didn't know anyone who CD'd (though my mom and all her friends had of course used cloth), so I didn't know any different than to go out and buy a stack of pre-folds, some pins, and vinyl pants. Worked fabulous, no problems every. Yes, my kids looked weird when double (and then later triple) diapered for bedtime, but they didn't care, so I didn't either.

Then I had my 3rd in 2002 and it was a whole new world. I mean, I used the same old system I'd always used and you'd have thought I'd chosen to diaper my child with chunks of moss covered with a bread bag. Yikes! Unreal. "Here, try this (aio, pocket, whatever) diaper and you'll never want those prefolds again!" "OMG, how can you use pins? You'll hurt him!" (FTR, I did once pin a diaper to my eldest baby in the middle of the night. He survived with no visible scarring.) Also, when I decided to CD my older two, a primary reason was we were really poor and it made sense to CD - way cheaper. When I had my youngest, we had enough money for sposies but I figured I'd save money again, just because that's a good thing to do. I couldn't figure out why I would want to make CDing just as (or more!) expensive as using paper diapers.

So, yeah, there's this weird culture around CDing that I really don't like. Actually, that's true about almost everything that has to do with parenting, but you didn't ask about sports, BFing, homework, or anything else.

very well said.....we cd here, but we do fine with the gerber pfs when they're little and the chinese pfs when they get bigger. (even though ppl keep saying they don't work) listening to some snobs, i actually spent 20 dollars a piece on 4 aio pockets and they leaked everywhere!!! (big waste of dollars) i did get into sewing dipes myself, which i like, but i will never ever buy a diaper that costs more than 5 bucks again!

[zoebugsmom]

I was pretty gung ho about cding my older 2. When I was pregnant with #3 I had major morning sickness and just could not deal. I couldn't keep up with the regular laundry, nevermind diaper laundry. The smell made me feel like I was going to hurl. Then #3 was born and it was just that much more work on top of having 3 kids 5 and under. After the first few weeks I managed to cd part time but was using sposies while out because I didn't want to lug bulky cloth every where and carry dirty diapers around. Then our washer broke. Now he's in sposies full time and while I miss the inexpensive aspect of cloth, I don't miss the work or the lack of clothing options.

[PPK]

I gave up for a few reasons:

I have very little time to do *anything* and I finally gave up, even though it doesn't take much time, it still takes *some* time...which I really just don't have.

I live in an apt. with a coin-op washer/dryer downstairs with no seperate "rinse" option. I was really wanting to CD so I bought a mini washer that hooks up to my bathroom sink to wash diapers with ($200). Works well, but added to the expense of the endeavor.

It took me alot of experimentation to learn I really just liked Indian PF's the best with a cashmere wrap..I spent a good chunk of $$ to figure this out though!

Probably the most deterring factor was when the Snappis seemed to be too tight across his belly, and I was intimidated by pins. That only left me the option of tri-folding for wen I know he woulden't be pooping.

Also, when he was 15 months he was using the potty like a pro, so I figured he'd be out of diapers soon enough (of course, he regressed for 6 months, but is starting to use it again more frequently).

I figured that since I'm only having one child, the environmental impact from using disposables isn't as bad as if I were planning on multiples.

Target diapers (w/coupon) are $11.90 for 70 count for my 30lb. son. They're cheap, unscented, and work better than any others.

[sisteeesmama]

I use both because sometimes I want ease and sometimes I don't care.

[Storm Bride]

hmm...there seem to be a lot of us who have used fewer cloth diapers with more kids. Maybe Aaron wasn't as big a factor as I thought...

[lilyka]

Originally Posted by mamaofthree

can i ask where you all live that there is a cd community that is snobby and even gives a hoot what you put on your child? the homeschool group we belonged too had lots of cd families and everyone used different stuff and no one said a thing ever about who used what. we even traded with each other if someone out grew something to help each other out. no one said "I won't use pins and prefolds" . it seems so strange to me... just wondering.

h

honestly most of the snobbery I encountered was here but also the few people in real life whocloth diapered all had super duper dipers and looked down on my "gerber system". the looked down on my washing system (or lack there of - rinse. wash. no special detergents, stripping, cycles. heaven forbid!). I didn't even have a good enough diaper bag.

[kriket]

OMG I never thought that I would get this kind of response! Thank you! I am going to have to print this thread and cross reference!

i have another question, for the people that mentioned they didn't know where to start. What would you have liked? A trial? An IRL mom that you could peek over her shoulder while she changed cloth? I know neither of these are always possible, but if the cloth stars were to aline, how would it happen?

While my piece will probably end up my biased unbiased piece, I really want to speak to people who encountered problems and people who are interested but overwhelmed.

[kriket]

and for the record, I have left poopy diapers in my car (on accident I SWEAR!) and didn't encounter maggots! That is an extraordinary circumstance! I love my cloth and would have probably thrown those away!

I also forgot to put a cover on my prefold when we were out the other day and me DS and the wrap were all soaked. I have no idea how I forgot that. Mommy brain I guess!

and I want to say shame on the diaper snobs. some people. but your right, you get snobs about everything. I've caught some flack here for not doing organic foods

[Sierra]

Originally Posted by kriket

i have another question, for the people that mentioned they didn't know where to start. What would you have liked? A trial? An IRL mom that you could peek over her shoulder while she changed cloth? I know neither of these are always possible, but if the cloth stars were to ali[g]n, how would it happen?

It wasn't exactly my response, and we did cd most of the time, but I'll answer anyway...because as I mentioned in my post, had I not had a God-mother who cloth diapered, I probably would have gotten overwhelmed.

I ran across a cloth diaper company online a while back that was offering a free trial diaper. I liked that idea a lot.

However, I still wouldn't order the trial diaper *if* I was going to have to return the diaper if it didn't work out...because knowing me I would forget, or not get it together cuz the baby had colic, etc. There would be some reason I would fail to return it, and then I would get charged, and it would just be a hassle...all for a diaper I was unhappy with. I don't think new moms are in a "space" when returning a free trial product as proof that it didn't work out is possible.

I would have happily done a no-effort trial, though, and if I liked the diapers, I would be so loyal to the company that let me try it first.

Also, like I said, I think diaper service is REALLY helpful. I think it is helpful in many ways, including the fact that there is usually an educational component (and I hope most sell good diaper covers to go with their prefolds). Even if a parent just uses the service for a month or two, the information they'll get will serve as a longterm benefit, and meanwhile, they won't have all the laundry until they get the hang of things. I wish every community had a diaper service.

And finally, I think some diaper services have instructional photos or videos, if not on DVD or in print, then online. I think that can be another really helpful thing. I think it would be great if someone made a diapering video that showed most popular diapering options: how they are used, where to get them, and the pros and cons of each.

But if I could really change the universe, honestly I'd just take away some options. Sometimes lots of choices isn't a good thing.

[Sierra]

Okay, so I just found some videos, including this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTaScsV5SWQ (and I totally disagree about the prefolds being the least preferred...I like that you don't HAVE to wash the diaper cover unless it gets soiled...but I actually just fold the prefolds into thirds as a rectangle and then put that in the cover without wrapping it around baby)

Oh my gosh, I can't find a video that does prefolds like I do LOL. I don't see any reason to wrap them around the child's waist. This is the way I learned to do it from my mom, and God-mom. Are we the only ones? Seriously....

Oh, okay, I think now I figured it out. Maybe I do tri-folds, not pre-folds??

Here's a video that seems similar to what I do...she calls it "the newspaper fold..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMcCYFpaRAM.

See, I am a mom who came from a cloth diapering family and have cloth diapered for four years, and I still have no idea what I am talking about. THAT is confusing.

[Tigerchild]

Most of the snobby communities I encountered were online. To be really honest with you, I didn't leave the house much when my kids were still babies, and I was the only person I knew for a long time who CDed. I even *started* a low key diapering community and was run off by the snobs and high maintenance people!

So, now, as a more "been around" mama, I know that probably much of the snobbery was the female equivalent of chest-bumping and strutting. But at the time, it was just a big turnoff.

Luckily for me, I worked at a daycare center that offered free CDs (via a diapering service) for kids that went there, so I learned how to change 5 prefolds in 5 minutes just about. ;> And when I had questions, I called up some of my older mentor-friends from that daycare, and I found a diaper seller that gave me a lot of advice about prefold folding and wraps.

But after awhile, you get tired of your pragmatic question thread being buried by 20 "ZOMG HAPPY HONKER HOOTER DIAPERS has RESTOCKED their STORE, AND THEY'RE ALL ONLY $40 FOR A FITTED!!!!!!!!!!" I get that it's a hobby for a lot of people, I start to get hot and bothered when I see a new bento box that I've been chasing forever surface on Ebay OMG!!! And of course there's always an element of cliqueness online. But at the time, I was a new mommy, a very sleep deprived mommy, one that occasionally needed help and encouragement mommy, and I didn't know that yet.

My kids have been out of diapers for 4 years now. I hope that there are more communities out there that don't revolve around boutique diapers, I'm sure things are a little different now. But if not, I'd put in that article that if at first you don't find a supportive community to ask questions that will actually be answered, don't give up, keep trying! And sometimes the best people to ask are the WAH store folks, especially if they sell what you have--most people don't stock things that they don't use themselves, and especially if you're a customer they'll knock themselves out trying to help you find the right folding technique/washing techique, ect.

[Bug-a-Boo's Mama]

I used cloth at home during the day. I thought the night time diaper was too bulky (heavy wetter) so we used disposables at night. I sometimes used cloth while out, but we almost always had wicking issues-with different types too-so didn't use cloth while out regularly.

The washing, poop, etc. never bothered me.

[Epona]

Originally Posted by KweenKrunch

We tried cloth with my first but switched to EC. Love it!

I've used EC with four children. But diapers are still occasionally necessary even for EC babies.

[mamaofthree]

so maybe the snobbiness is just people on line, you know how people on-line will say stuff they would never say IRL. i was just wondering. because that seemed really odd to me that anyone would say anything to anyone about what they were doing with cloth diapers. i love cloth and would be one to spend $40.00 on a diaper, that being said it was "my thing" and i know not everyone had the money or the desire to spend that sort of money on diapers. but my all time favorite system was the big flat diapers (because they dried on the line so quickly) pins and covers (either the velcro ones or wool). i would have aio for dh to use or when we went out, but when it was just me, that is what i used.
also i never found i needed that big of a bag to carry them in, the flat diapers were so thin to fold up, you could have 5 or 6 in a bag and a couple covers and it really didn't take up more then a couple disposibles. maybe it was because we were in AZ all of the time i cd'ed but i found we didn't use pants when i had put on a wool cover, because they were so pants like (plus they were so cute. lol)

oh well. i really miss it. i wish i had known we would have had a washer and drier.

lol

h

[leavemealone]

I didn't use them with my first child b/c I didn't have the money to outlay at the beginning to buy enough cloth diapers. It was easier to me to spend $8 a week on disposables than to shell out the money for cloth. I have seen the cost comparisons and haven't understood where the person comes up with the amount per week for disposables. It's usually something like $20 a week - who spends that much on disposables? Have those people never heard of "On sale with a coupon" or "generics"? I know some kids are sensitive to certain brands, but there are regular sales on most well-known brands.

For my second child, I used disposables until he was about 2.5 years old. Again, I didn't have the money to buy a supply of cloth yet. However, having two children in diapers was a reason why I've, at least part time, switched to cloth. I currently only have enough diapers for one day of cloth so I usually alternate one day cloth, one day disposables. I do still use disposables for nap and bed times, and for when we are out and about. It's just easier for me to do that. However, I use cloth when we are home or only making a quick trip out somewhere. I think some people see cloth as an "all or nothing" situation and it doesn't have to be.