I feel like I'm failing at this!

[femalephish]

I use prefolds and covers and I love them. But I feel like I am ALWAYS using disposables! First, we use sposies at night, because otherwise DD gets a rash. (or I have to wake her up to change her, which is not happening.) And that is working for us.


But THEN- I am always leaving my prefolds at home, or not bringing an extra cover or forgetting to do the wash in time. (We have 4 dozen pf's, so I have a good three days in between washes!) How do you guys keep everything together? It really makes me feel like I should just stay home all day.

[Michigan Mama]

First, be gentle with yourself! Raising little ones is indeed a lot of work and adjustment with each one you add! I'm just sort of getting into a groove with the new addition of my little one who is 8 wks today. Now I have two in dipes.

You just have to find a routine that works and stick with it. I just always double check the diaper back before i leave teh house (which usually makes me late, I admit). I'm washing dipes every night after dinner or after ds1 goes to bed. If I go much longer than that, I either run out of dipes for ds2 or my diapers don't get clean i nthe washer because it is stuffed too full!

Can you pick selected days that are always your diaper washing days?

I've decided I'm going to keep a few prefolds with a cheap pull-on nylon cover in the car in a bag with some pins or a snappi so that I'll always have a back up when I'm out.

Don't worry too much. Look for practical solutions and just do the best you can!

[mariekitt24]

Being a mom is hard work, and I think you should go easy on yourself. I'm a fitteds girl myself and my son doesnt usually get rashes so I'm not sure how to help you there, but if using disposables at night works best for you, than so be it. Focus on how great it is that you are using prefolds during the day, that you are even trying cloth at all! I have to wash my diapers every other day at least, and it is really starting to wear on me. I think I'm going to buy some disposables just so I can get a break! I do stay home, so I can't relate exactly, but even as a stay at home mom I cant seem to bring order to my life. Maybe everyone else doesn't have it as together as you may think. You just gotta do what you can. I think that it is just the nature of being a parent and we should all just breathe and say this too shall pass. ya know?

[saoirse2007]

try sewing up a few fitted ones for going out....

even ritas rump pockets would be great....not so much fuss when u are out....
maybe make some recycled woolsweater pants and you wont need to bring diaper covers

nak

[lifeguard]

I had the same problems. When I let us run out of disposables & then didn't buy anymore I didn't have the luxury of not washing!

Unfortunately my washer is broken right now so we're temporarily doing only disposables.

[saoirse2007]

lol....when we first cd ds...we had no machin....bathtub wash...lol
don't miss that!!!!

would not do it now...with toddler and nb...

[Mom2SammyJoe]

I have also given myself set "wash days" M, W, and then F or Sat, depending on what we are doing. It helps to have a plan. I also keep a Dappi nylon pull on cover shoved in the corner of the bag because usually I remember diapers, but my covers get pooped on.
The emergency bag in the car is also a must. One of my husband's coworkers dropped his baby off at day care without the bottles, only the milk one day. When he had to leave work to get bottles, my husband asked, "Don't you have any in the emergency bag?" DH was surprised to learn that not everyone has such a thing in the car.
I stock my diaper bag everytime I finish a load of diapers. Sometimes I have to add to it in between, but this relieves a lot of the last minute scrambling.
You are doing great. Think of a plan that works for you!

[curiouscanadian]

I feel for you, because I too have days when I feel like a bit of a CD failure myself.

Some suggestions that work for us:

- Refill your diaper bag as soon as you get home. After all, you probably have dirty dipes you need to take OUT of it, so put some fresh ones IN at the same time!

- Try and set up a routine for laundry. I kept forgetting/putting off laundry for another night and then would run out, so now I do laundry M/W/F. No more guessing at when the last time I did laundry was, but no having to do laundry every day either.

- If you mostly drive (I realize not everyone does), keep an extra cover & prefolds in your car for those days when you forget to restock the diaper bag. This can also can apply to a change of clothes. Still awkward if you're in the mall in the middle of a change when you discover you're out of ______, but better than nothing!

Oh, and you could try using a somerthing with a stay-dry layer for overnights (either a liner or pocket with a stay-dry layer) if you haven't already. I could never use prefolds for that long with DS, he needs something wicking the urine away from his skin or he breaks out in a BAD rash, guaranteed.

But most importantly - be gentle with yourself mama! If you need to use disposibles to save your sanity, that's OK!! A happy mom is more important than cloth diapers...

[octobermom]

its okay to use both it doesn't mean CD failure.. As for one the go pack a CD emegancy kit and keep it in your car permently include a few prefold a spare cover a snappi and some wipes toss in a few sposies for back ups if you wish. Some people find using cloth jsut at home best if thats what works best for you dont worry about the rest.

Oh for us a full diaper pail meant time to wash it took around 18-20 diapers and covers to fill it and that meant about 80% of my diapers were now needing to be cleaned.

Deanna

[jadekat]

Originally Posted by lifeguard

I had the same problems. When I let us run out of disposables & then didn't buy anymore I didn't have the luxury of not washing!

Unfortunately my washer is broken right now so we're temporarily doing only disposables.

I agree! I have about 10 size 3 Huggies Pure and Natural sitting in a drawer for "emergencies". When they run out I don't plan on buying anymore unless we have to have them. I have a small stash of sposies over at gma's for when she watches him but I don't know if I'm gonna buy anymore. If you have them sitting around they are a temptation. Try going a few days without using one. It's a great feeling not throwing diapers away!