cloth diaper questions

[meggie]

If you spend $40 a month on disposable diapers for two kids and could get cloth for about $150 (prefolds and some covers), would you do it?

 

Can cloth diapers help with diaper rashes (Digby get awful rashes and I think it's because he's got sensitive skin/eczema. I keep the eczema under control on the rest of his body by using 100% cotton clothing, goat milk soap and goat milk lotion. I'm thinking the natural material cloth could help as well)? Also baby girl has eczema too and gets some diaper rashes, but not as bad as Digby's. Yet.

 

DH is very opposed. If you really thought it would be for the best, especially financially, would you keep pushing the issue or drop it (keeping in mind we make less than $2,000/month and need every penny)? Also, I don't believe that one spouse should just "submit" to the other based on gender, so just in case, please don't bring that up.

[Runningmom80]

I love cloth diapers, the money savings is just a bonus!

 

 

I'd get the prefolds and covers for sure! I've tried expensive pockets and all in ones, and we went back to prefolds and covers!

 

 

Sorry for all the !!! I get excited about CDs. :lol:

 

 

Eta, my husband was vehemently opposed, until I wrote out the cost savings. He changed his tune pretty quickly. We are also earth loving hippies, so that helped. Lol.

[krisperry]

I admin a cloth diapering website so might say I'm biased. ;)

 

Yes, you should cloth diaper. Yes, it can help with rashes. It seems the prudent decision to me.

[Parrothead]

What about both? Cloth diaper when you are "in charge" of the kids, but when dh has them let him put Pampers on them.

[UnsinkableKristen]

Yep, totally worth it.

 

 

However, keep in mind that what you are saving in money you are adding in time, effort, and laundry. :001_smile:

 

Two in cloth means you'll have a few more loads each week, which means you'll use more water and electricity. Probably not as much $$ going out as what you are spending on diapers now, but you should keep it in mind.

 

Also, if you are doing prefolds and covers then they take a little longer to assemble and change. Again, not a big deal, but something to be aware of.

 

You have to think about your individual situation. If you are already overwhelmed and stressed (not saying you are - just an example) then adding one more "thing" to your plate may not be the best solution.

 

That said, I LOVE cloth diapering and wholeheartedly recommend it and can't WAIT to wrap my new baby in teeny-tiny little cloth covers :D

[Ellie]

In a heartbeat. I love cloth.

 

Why is Mr. Meggie "very opposed"??

[MelanieM]

Yes, I would do it. It will only take four months to recover the cost of the cloth, so assuming you're going to be diapering for longer than that, it does make financial sense.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that you will go through more diaper changes with cloth than with disposable, so do consider that when making your purchase. You want enough diapers to comfortably last you through a laundry cycle... up to you how often you want to wash.

[ChristusG]

It's most definitely worth it. I cloth diapered my first, but haven't since then. It's a lot of work. You have to line dry the diapers. You have to make sure that you don't use too much detergent (and only use free and clear) because they can begin to repel water instead of absorb it. Particularly nasty diapers have to be washed off before throwing them into the wet bag. And going on vacation with cloth was really difficult.

 

I enjoyed it while I did it, but I just don't have time to do it now.

[TXBeth]

I would not do it if DH were totally opposed, but I do think it's worth it. But I would use CD at home and disposables when out and about because I hate dealing with a wet bag or with changing poopy CDs while on the go.

[8circles]

I loved doing cloth. But there came a point where I ran out of time to do cloth. I couldn't keep up with the laundry & lost patience with educating people. If you think you can keep up with the washing etc, then definitely do it.

[MelanieM]

You have to line dry the diapers. You have to make sure that you don't use too much detergent (and only use free and clear) because they can begin to repel water instead of absorb it. Particularly nasty diapers have to be washed off before throwing them into the wet bag. And going on vacation with cloth was really difficult.

 

I never line dry, use my regular detergent that I use on clothes (I only ever use a small amount, regardless of what I'm washing), never pre-wash diapers (but do use a pre-rinse cycle in my machine), and have successfully used cloth on vacation (with washing facilities -- when we did a resort we used disposables). So experiences can vary. :)

[Oakblossoms]

I keep paper around for daddy. But for the most part we cloth. My diapers are starting to wear our on my fifth child. I do hang up covers to dry. I love prefolds and thrities or bummies covers. I have used quite a few things and these work best and our cost effective.

 

Cotton babies is a nice site with free shipping. You could say buy 6 dipes and two covers this month.

Green Mountain has the sturdiest prefolds.

if you belong to any message boards you can probably pick up some used covers for a good price.

[AHASRADA]

I would dig deeper into your dh's opposition. What is his reason? Is it due to the initial investment in cloth, the "gross" factor of having dirty diapers in the washing machine, a stigma that it's a "hippy" thing, or just that he doesn't want to have to change them?

 

I agree that writing out the cost savings is usually helpful in convincing dh. I also agree that if he doesn't want to change them, just get a pak of disposables for him to use. There are certainly all-in-one cloths that are as easy to change as disposables, but they are much more expensive.

 

I didn't use cloth with my first 2 dc, only this baby, and I have found an enormous difference in the amount of diaper rash. As in none, unless I don't notice she's pooped and she remains soiled for a long period of time, and even that redness goes away quite quickly.

 

For some reason, I also find maintaining the cloth diapers to be therapeutic and satisfying. It sounds weird, but based on numerous blogs, I know it's not just me.

 

It sounds like a great deal on the cloth diapers. I would go for it, but again, I would get to the root of dh's opposition and try to sway him beforehand.

[SonshineLearner]

I have to say that a diaper service for 2 is usually less than disposables for 2. You could try diaper service for 2 and see how you like it. I think for the economical part, prefolds and bummis super whisper wraps are ideal. You want to buy diaper service prefolds.... and .... you wash them and then throw them in the dryer. You can either fold them or keep a clean basket to pull from... ;)

[indigomama]

We've used cloth on three of our four and I can't wait to use it on #5!!

 

I use prefolds and covers (wool and nikky's), Dh uses the pockets we have (Fuzzi Bunz) or AIO's (BumGenius).

 

We don't ever line dry (live in the PNW) and I use plain old Tide. I don't do anything special for washing.

 

My cloth diapered kids rarely got rashes, DS 7 wasn't cloth diapered and he had lots of rash issues.

 

DH was a little hesitant to start (5 years ago) but he's realized how much cheaper and better for our kid's skin it has been. You might want to invest in something like pockets or Aios for your DH, they are so easy to use.

[mama2cntrykids]

We mostly use cloth. Sometimes I get sick of the "extra" to do and want to go back to paper dipes, but then I think of all the chemials in the disposibles and I dislike that even more. So, I mainly just stick with cloth. It's better for dd AND the Earth. The cost for *us* isn't an issue at all. In fact, I've been know to make some pretty hefty cloth purchases with my other kids. Not proud of that, but I went a little cloth crazy previously.

 

You don't have to line dry or use free/clear detergent. The only thing I line dry are covers and I use Arm and Hammer detergent without problems.

 

All that being said, sometimes I just want to sell off everything and go with the easier (to me) 'sposies. Like now for instance, I have a pail full of cloth that need washing, a baby nursing/sleeping at my breast, and a house to clean before dh's family comes tomorrow and I just barely got the clean diapers put away yesterday that had been sitting in the dryer for a day. Sigh!

[WiseOwlKnits]

We were forced into cloth diapering with DS. He didn't have skin issues anyplace except his diaper area, where he had huge bleeding, raw chunks of skin that would slough off. We tried all different diapers, creams, etc. and nothing helped till we switched to cloth. The cloth alone didn't fix it, but it was enough between the cloth and making sure we put diaper rash cream on every single time we changed him that we kept it under control until we potty trained him at 22 months. Since pt'ing, he hasn't had a single rash or bum issue.

 

Having said all that, we HATED cloth diapering. We're having #3 in a couple of months and I still have all the cloth diapers we used with DS. (We used Bum Genius and Fuzzi Bunz diapers, FWIW.) I'm saving them just incase DD2 follows in DS's footsteps, but I just bought a box of diapers this week to start stocking up and I'm praying and hoping that we don't end up being forced to CD again. Short of an issue like DS had, you couldn't pay me enough to CD again.

 

We're huge environmentalists so it was surprising to us that DH and I both disliked it as much as we did.

[meggie]

Oh I forgot my other question: Would I be able to use the laundry detergent I make to wash them (it's the recipe with Fels Naptha soap, washing soda and Borax)? DH has been wondering about that too. Once our pediatrician told us about Digby's eczema, we switched to All Free and Clear, but that was expensive, so I started making our own. All the diaper website said for washing instructions said was to not use a detergent with chemicals, perfumes or dyes. It works well on our clothes and we don't have a HE washer:confused:

 

As to DH's reason for opposing, well it could fill a book:lol:. I've been trying to convince him for 2 1/2 years. He's tried to throw every excuse in the world at me (he did the same thing when I first brought up homeschooling too:glare:) There has times he has said we can go ahead and do it only to change his mind. I have told him that we can recoup our cost in four months. We have plenty of money in the savings account to cover it. Every month we can put $40 back in to "pay ourselves back". The cost doesn't matter to him, he says it's worth it to throw it away and not have to deal with it again.

 

In November when I brought it up, I was 7 months pregnant and to me we HAD to cloth diaper because we honestly didn't have the money to keep buying disposables (that was right before he finally found a job). His objection was that I would be overwhelmed. And that was true, so I conceded. Now I would not be overwhelmed; apparently having three kids is easier than having 2 and being pregnant. But I could manage it now. Baby girl has been having blowout after blowout after blowout, so I've been having to rinse and wash her clothes in the sink, it's not a big deal to me.

 

He has said that if I do it, he won't change anymore diapers. LOL. I told him "Ok you won't have to. I'll even wash them too". *sigh* oh well, maybe I'll try writing it all down and presenting him with all the pros. Hard to argue with that.

 

As for how many, with two kids, could I get away with 8 covers and 24-36 prefolds if I did the laundry every other day? We already have a bunch of Gerber prefolds that I got from Walmart and was using as burp cloths. Since she doesn't spit up much anymore (and I have other burp cloths in case she does) I thought I could save some money by using those. And I have already have 3 pocket diapers that can be used as well.

[bagel270]

I use the homemade laundry soap on mine. And that should be enough diapers. I find them at yard sales every year, too. Also, my cloth diapered boy was potty trained much sooner than my disposabled boys. Like, mostly trained by two. My husband didn't want to deal with cloth either, so I just kept a pack for the rare occasion I left the baby with him. Oh, and every once in a while the diapers can smell like ammonia when they get peed in, just wash them with a squirt of original dawn.

[BakersDozen]

We've used the prefolds/vinyl pants for years and love the $ we've saved. Even with twins on the way we plan to CD just for the cost factor alone. I do have disposable for when we are out of the house and at night. It's only been one load of extra laundry/week more so the work load isn't greatly increased.

[Carrie12345]

I use my homemade detergent, don't line dry (tried it, but hated the feel) except for covers, and I've loved cloth diapering #4 and #5.

 

All that said, my last 4 kids have been prone to horrible diaper rash no matter which type/brand of diapers I've used.

[sgo95]

As for how many, with two kids, could I get away with 8 covers and 24-36 prefolds if I did the laundry every other day? We already have a bunch of Gerber prefolds that I got from Walmart and was using as burp cloths.

 

I loved using cloth dipes!

 

Do you mean 4 covers and 12-18 prefolds for each child? The number of covers sounds fine; you can handwash if they get poopy and hang them up to dry; they'll dry by the time you need them again in the rotation (I'm assuming you're thinking of vinyl or nylon diaper covers). If you don't want to have to do that, having 6 covers would give you extra coverage. For the prefolds, I'd prefer to have 18-24 each child. Also, from what I've heard, the Gerber prefolds are not as absorbent as the Indian/Chinese ones you can order online.

 

I'm not sure if another poster's already mentioned this, but you'll have to change cloth diapers more frequently than disposables in order to keep baby's skin dry.

[LittleIzumi]

Want to come play with mine? :D I have everything from regular prefolds (with fleece liners to put in if it's a rashy baby--keeps the moisture off the baby) to the snazzier snapping diapers.

[CalicoKat]

If you spend $40 a month on disposable diapers for two kids and could get cloth for about $150 (prefolds and some covers), would you do it?

 

Can cloth diapers help with diaper rashes (Digby get awful rashes and I think it's because he's got sensitive skin/eczema. I keep the eczema under control on the rest of his body by using 100% cotton clothing, goat milk soap and goat milk lotion. I'm thinking the natural material cloth could help as well)? Also baby girl has eczema too and gets some diaper rashes, but not as bad as Digby's. Yet.

 

DH is very opposed. If you really thought it would be for the best, especially financially, would you keep pushing the issue or drop it (keeping in mind we make less than $2,000/month and need every penny)? Also, I don't believe that one spouse should just "submit" to the other based on gender, so just in case, please don't bring that up.

Go cloth. Use snappi's with those prefolds instead of pins. Your husband probably doesn't want to get his fingers wet.

 

My dh wasn't thrilled when we switched to cloth. He was happiest with prefolds, a cover and a snappi. I had bought a couple all in ones for him to use and he hated those.

[MelanieM]

Do you mean 4 covers and 12-18 prefolds for each child? The number of covers sounds fine; you can handwash if they get poopy and hang them up to dry; they'll dry by the time you need them again in the rotation (I'm assuming you're thinking of vinyl or nylon diaper covers). If you don't want to have to do that, having 6 covers would give you extra coverage. For the prefolds, I'd prefer to have 18-24 each child. Also, from what I've heard, the Gerber prefolds are not as absorbent as the Indian/Chinese ones you can order online.

 

 

Yep to all of this.

[linguistmama]

We switched to cloth when my oldest was younger. Your homemade detergent should be fine. DH didn't want to switch because he doesn't like changing cloth. So I told him I would change all the diapers. After awhile he got used to it, though he's still not a big fan. Have you looked at diaperswappers.com? There are tons of people selling used diapers there. I always throw the diapers in the dryer and have even used them when out of town if we had access to a washing machine. We have some prefolds that are nice, but I really like using old receiving blankets as flats with a Bummis cover. In our area I've found used blankets at Savers, DI and Kid to Kid for $1 a piece. I've heard bad things about the Gerber prefolds because some of them have a polyester core that isn't absorbent like cotton.

 

My kids are different in that they sometimes got rashes in cloth that only cleared up when we put them in sposies. They had food allergies causing the rashes and being wet even for a few minutes made them red and raw. But I really love cloth! I remember thinking how weird it was to hear people say they liked it, but now I understand :) I'm hoping that this baby will be allergy free.

[gardenmom5]

I did cloth for four kids. Nice prefold diapers. even had two in diapers at the same time a couple times. I'd kept them for years for our "next" child. I finally got rid of them two months before I got pregnant. two MONTHS! when there were more than 12YEARS between him and his next sibling. :svengo:

 

I refused to do cloth and did disposables.

Edited August 6, 2011 by gardenmom5

[WishboneDawn]

If you spend $40 a month on disposable diapers for two kids and could get cloth for about $150 (prefolds and some covers), would you do it?

 

I'm getting my diapers stocked by buying old receiving blankets at thrift stores to use as flats (or maybe sew into prefold) and either knitting up wool soakers (I have nice soft wool in my stash) or felting wool sweaters from thrift stores and sewing them into soakers.

 

I'll probably have spent maybe $20 bucks when I've got what I think I'll need.

 

My husband isn't keen on the idea either but frankly this is so cheap I'm not losing any money by giving it a try. We can always go back to disposables if we prefer those.

[WishboneDawn]

Oh I forgot my other question: Would I be able to use the laundry detergent I make to wash them (it's the recipe with Fels Naptha soap, washing soda and Borax)?

 

I make my own detergent and it's pretty much the same as yours (I just use whatever hand soap is cheapest instead of Fels Naptha) and wash old receiving blankets with it that I use as dish towels and they're as absorbant as they ever were.

[Melissa in Australia]

I would just start introducing them slowly, you know they would be in cloth half the time, and slowly increase it. I would have never thought ( or dreamt) of asking my DH about something like that. I would have just gone ahead and done it. I believe in submitting to my Dh and all that, but in reality, I am in charge of clothing the children, and I don't ask him about every single detail. It would drive both of us mad. I ask him about big things like fostering or something like that.

[meggie]

Want to come play with mine? :D I have everything from regular prefolds (with fleece liners to put in if it's a rashy baby--keeps the moisture off the baby) to the snazzier snapping diapers.

YES!!!!! Or you could bring them to park day ;) If I ever remember to go to park day again (How did I forget that today was Friday? You don't want to know how many times that has happened :glare: But I'm sure you understand :001_smile:) Let me know when and where (if you are serious; if you are not, pretend like this never happened or just laugh and go, "Oh that silly, crazy lady who thought I would really let someone look at my cloth dipes."

 

I would just start introducing them slowly, you know they would be in cloth half the time, and slowly increase it. I would have never thought ( or dreamt) of asking my DH about something like that. I would have just gone ahead and done it. I believe in submitting to my Dh and all that, but in reality, I am in charge of clothing the children, and I don't ask him about every single detail. It would drive both of us mad. I ask him about big things like fostering or something like that.

$150-$200 is huge to us. I just can't take that much out of the account without him agreeing to it. Speaking of.....

 

I talked to him after work. Started crying actually. "I'm so mad at you *sob sob sob*" And he's all :confused:. I was mad that he was so unwilling to discuss it, but according to him, texts messages during a 15 minute break are not the time to have a lengthy conversation. :tongue_smilie: Anyways, his answer is still no. He says maybe if I can stay on top of the laundry for the next two weeks (always have it folded and put away and no mountain of dirty laundry) we can revisit the discussion. I can't say I blame him as I am somewhat (ok, a LOT) impetuous and am always jumping into things just because I want to. Oh well.

[My3Monkeys]

I totally would. One really nice thing about cloth is it controls blowouts, so no more hand washing poop out of baby clothes :)

 

I'm curious as to how you are managing to diaper 2 for $40 a month though - one of the reasons we switched to cloth with my first was that we were spending $60 a month on diapers for one. I wasn't so great with the bargain shopping back then though :lol:

[MrsBasil]

My DH doesn't love cloth at all, but likes pocket diapers. I got a bunch second hand for free, I stuff them ahead of time and keep them accessible, and don't say a word if he doesn't unstuff before throwing them in the pail.

 

It works for us since his biggest objections were fear of poking DS w/ the pins and poopy diapers. I showed him a cost break down of what we weren't spending on disposables, primarily use pockets so no pinning, and handle dirties myself whenever possible.

[meggie]

I totally would. One really nice thing about cloth is it controls blowouts, so no more hand washing poop out of baby clothes :)

 

I'm curious as to how you are managing to diaper 2 for $40 a month though - one of the reasons we switched to cloth with my first was that we were spending $60 a month on diapers for one. I wasn't so great with the bargain shopping back then though :lol:

 

Big boxes at walmart and they've been in the same size for a few months now (Digby's a tiny little peanut, baby girl is.....a nice healthy sized child)

[LittleIzumi]

YES!!!!! Or you could bring them to park day ;) If I ever remember to go to park day again (How did I forget that today was Friday? You don't want to know how many times that has happened :glare: But I'm sure you understand :001_smile:) Let me know when and where (if you are serious; if you are not, pretend like this never happened or just laugh and go, "Oh that silly, crazy lady who thought I would really let someone look at my cloth dipes."

 

 

:lol: I've shown several people my cloth diapers. I think they're fabulous. Missed you at the park today! PM me & we can figure out a time. I use Tide on my diapers because of the hard water here. I used the homemade for a while and it was okay, but I like Tide better. FWIW, I stink at laundry & housework stuff and I have no problem staying on top of cloth diapers. It's not like there's a choice--hmmm, I'll be out of diapers soon. Time to start a load :tongue_smilie:.

[LittleIzumi]

Oh, and dh freaked out when I told him I was getting cloth, but he adjusted. He tells people how much they rock now. It took a couple of months. Heck, you could probably borrow a couple of mine to try out.

[scholarly]

I'm not sure what you are using, but I did want to throw out there that my little guy with eczema experienced rashes with every type of disposable wipes, so if you haven't already, you might want to try alternatives to those. On a side note, the disposable wipes also made my hands break out, so I know where he got that sensitivity!

 

We love our organic cotton prefolds!

[meggie]

I totally would. One really nice thing about cloth is it controls blowouts, so no more hand washing poop out of baby clothes :)

 

I'm curious as to how you are managing to diaper 2 for $40 a month though - one of the reasons we switched to cloth with my first was that we were spending $60 a month on diapers for one. I wasn't so great with the bargain shopping back then though :lol:

No wait!!!!! I think I did do the math wrong!!!!!!:smash: It's gotta be about $60-$80! That's it, I'm telling him again. Although I still doubt it will change his mind.

 

Little Izumi, I am going to set up a weekly alarm on my phone to remind me to go to stinkin park day! This is ridiculous, I need to be going! (side note, do you know if we're allowed to bring friends who are interested in homeschooling? I have a friend who wants to ask me questions so she's coming over for a play date and I may or may not have (MAY!) told her we do park days and she can come if she wants to talk to other homeschoolers too. My thinking is: It's a public park and no one would know she's not part of the Yahoo group, right? See, I had to ask you here while it was still in my head before I forgo.....oh look a bunny! :tongue_smilie:)

 

 

And if anyone else has any stories about how they are not perfect housekeepers but still stay on top of the diaper laundry, please let me know. I've totally tried telling him this before (ummm....hello? have any of us ever gone naked before? I don't think so.) And who cares if the baby dipes aren't folded, I'd probably just hang the covers up to try on the shower curtain and dry the inserts in the dryer and put them in a basket. How is that not easy?

[LittleIzumi]

Little Izumi, I am going to set up a weekly alarm on my phone to remind me to go to stinkin park day! This is ridiculous, I need to be going! (side note, do you know if we're allowed to bring friends who are interested in homeschooling? I have a friend who wants to ask me questions so she's coming over for a play date and I may or may not have (MAY!) told her we do park days and she can come if she wants to talk to other homeschoolers too. My thinking is: It's a public park and no one would know she's not part of the Yahoo group, right? See, I had to ask you here while it was still in my head before I forgo.....oh look a bunny! :tongue_smilie:)

 

I finally became an official member of the Yahoo group last month. I've been going to the park days for a year or so :lol:. And besides, my kid is starting at a *gasp* charter school this month and I still go to group with no issues, lol. I also have the park day set up with an alarm on my calendar. Just like gymnastics, and our other playgroups, and anything else I need to do as my brain doesn't seem to have room for that.

[UnsinkableKristen]

The biggest problem I've found with washing the cloth diapers is that it backs up my laundry if I don't stay on top of them. You have to wash them more than once (I rinse mine, wash them in hot twice, and then rinse in cold again - but my DD has had some wicked poops lately) and if you let them sit in the washer a long time between washings it takes your washer out of commission for any other loads.

 

You are right though, diapers can sit in a laundry basket unfolded forever and it doesn't really matter. In fact, I keep all of mine in a long wicker basket underneath our coffee table. It keeps them handy and when they are all done drying, I just dump them back in the basket.

 

I would suggest more covers, though. 8 covers for 2 kids will mean a LOT more of work for you. Especially if either of them gets diarrhea or soaks through the prefold often. You don't have to wash the covers every time, but they do start to smell like pee if you don't wash them pretty often. Start tallying up how often you change each child in a single day. Assume that you'll need to wash your cover every 2 - 3 diaper changes (I personally, wouldn't use a cover more than that) and then see how many you'll need. I have about 10 covers for my one in cloth and I do a load three times a week.

 

 

 

Regardless, good luck! I hope this works out for you!!

[My3Monkeys]

 

And if anyone else has any stories about how they are not perfect housekeepers but still stay on top of the diaper laundry, please let me know. I've totally tried telling him this before (ummm....hello? have any of us ever gone naked before? I don't think so.) And who cares if the baby dipes aren't folded, I'd probably just hang the covers up to try on the shower curtain and dry the inserts in the dryer and put them in a basket. How is that not easy?

 

My other laundry might have fallen behind, but diapers always got done. For one thing, there wasn't a choice - clean diapers were a need. They are also easier to deal with than other laundry - no separating, hunting for stains to treat, matching up socks, etc - just toss in and do whatever system you have worked out.

[jam4him]

I am a newbie here on posting but had to share my two cents ;-) on CDs.I love them as well . I have been CDs for three years now on baby number 4. It has helped decrease rashes. One of my kids had severe rashes from the wipes and switching to cloth wipes really helped. Also, food allergies like dairy and wheat can cause diaper rashes....lol

[Lilymax]

I only cloth diapered my youngest, and I really wish I had done it with my older two.

 

It really is a matter of figuring out what works for you. When he was smaller, I loved prefolds, snappis and covers. Now that he's a wiggly toddler, I find that I prefer pocket diapers that snap-on easily (and aren't easy for him to get off!).

 

We have saved so much money, even though we use a disposable for overnight (he's a terrible sleeper and it keeps him feeling dry longer) and when we go out and about, except for very short errands, when I'll just keep him in cloth.

 

Disposable liners help a lot with the gross older-baby poops. DS loves fruit so his BMs are often a little loose. I have never had him leak out of the leg openings when wearing cloth--but it happens all the time with a disposable on!

 

I just use regular Tide liquid, dry anything with PUL on my folding clothes rack and toss everything else into the dryer.

 

It really is easy once you establish a routine. Even if you only used cloth while your husband was at work, you'd save money over time...if he really is that adamant about not changing them. Mine was reluctant until he understood the savings and now he's a big proponent of cloth diapering.

 

Good luck!

[Lily_Grace]

DH is very opposed. If you really thought it would be for the best, especially financially, would you keep pushing the issue or drop it (keeping in mind we make less than $2,000/month and need every penny)? Also, I don't believe that one spouse should just "submit" to the other based on gender, so just in case, please don't bring that up.

 

I pushed the issue, mainly because I take care of the laundry in our house.

 

We've cd'd this baby since he was 3 months old. I bought a stash of prefolds, fitteds, covers, and some "daddy friendly" dipes, the Grovias, along with making my own woolies. It has saved us a TON of money over the past year and a half. When it came time to upsize I looked for cheap, daddy-friendly ones, like Coolababies and now Sunbabies. Dh has no problem with it at all. When we buy a pack of disposables for vacations/night, even he grumbles about the price - we've gotten so used to buying a box every 3-4 months that it makes both our mouths drop! :lol:

 

That's not saying he doesn't use the disposables sometimes when he's home, but that he's comfortable using either/or. And he's definitely seeing the bonuses - like that the baby is potty training himself. And we don't get stinky trash sitting there for a week. And we still haven't bought diaper cream since there's been no need for it.

[VeganCupcake]

I cloth diaper two. I am hoping that my toddler will potty train sometime soonish, so I'll be down to one. I have cloth diapered both since birth. My DH was skeptical at first, but now he is a big proponent of them. He changes cloth diapers without difficulty or complaint.

 

I've heard bad things about the Gerber prefolds because some of them have a polyester core that isn't absorbent like cotton.

 

 

Yes, those Gerber prefolds are very often filled with polyester. Those kind (and even the Gerber Diaper Service Quality, which are slightly better) will give you more leaks and are not really a good representation of a quality cloth diaper.

 

If you go with prefolds, get something from Little Lions, Green Mountain Diapers, Osocozy/All Together Diaper or some other good cloth diaper supplier. Prefolds are really durable and you can get a great deal if you buy them used, too.

 

And if anyone else has any stories about how they are not perfect housekeepers but still stay on top of the diaper laundry, please let me know. I've totally tried telling him this before (ummm....hello? have any of us ever gone naked before? I don't think so.) And who cares if the baby dipes aren't folded, I'd probably just hang the covers up to try on the shower curtain and dry the inserts in the dryer and put them in a basket. How is that not easy?

 

:lol: I am certainly not on top of the housework most of the time. With two in diapers, I have to wash every day or my washer won't get them clean. I just have a routine where I toss them in the washer after we put the kids to bed. It's just what I do--other housework may or may not get done, but I know I have to put the diapers in the washing machine. All I do is push a few buttons; it's not particularly difficult. My almost-three-year-old helps me put them in baskets in the morning--it's kind of a fun activity for us to do together and just takes a few minutes. Other laundry gets done during the day; diapers are done in the evening.

 

Our utility bills haven't gone up either, as a result of having two in diapers. We have really reasonable utility costs, though.

[MHowell]

I have to say that a diaper service for 2 is usually less than disposables for 2. You could try diaper service for 2 and see how you like it. I think for the economical part, prefolds and bummis super whisper wraps are ideal. You want to buy diaper service prefolds.... and .... you wash them and then throw them in the dryer. You can either fold them or keep a clean basket to pull from... ;)

 

:iagree:

 

But I am biased- I own a cloth diaper service. Honestly, you can get the cost MUCH, MUCH, lower than $150. Call your local cloth diaper service, and ask about diaper seconds. These are prefolds without holes but some staining that they can no longer use. I sell them for $5 a dozen. You can go on http://www.diaperswapers.com and find covers for $5-$10 each. I have clients who only have 4-5. I have a TON of printables that goes over how to wash the diapers, how to maintain your washer, etc. If you pm me your email I can forward them to you.

 

As far as your husband, my husband was a firm no at first. Once they were in the house and he saw how easy it was, and how little trash we had in comparison, it was no problem for him. Maybe if you look over the printables with him he might see it as an easier thing to do? Worth a shot... HTH!

[tmagee]

I chose to cloth diaper with my third baby, mostly for financial reasons. My hubby was less than thrilled with the idea (too many memories of relatives stooped over the toilet...dunk, swirl, flush...dunk, swirl, flush).

 

Anyway, we ended up going with a pocket diaper (fuzzi bunz, specifically), though they are a bit more expensive than prefolds and covers. For me, it meant the difference between having a hubby who continued to change diapers or not. They're essentially a diaper that goes on like a disposable...but you wash it instead of throwing it away.

 

Also, for what it's worth, we did try (multiple times) covers with prefolds, different inserts, etc. and could never get a cover that fit appropriately to keep out the leaks (our daughter is very tall, but very skinny for her age). We tried various ones that were supposedly better fitting for skinny babies, but no luck. We returned to our pocket diapers every time. We did get a lot of 30 of these (new) off ebay for around $300, I think, including the shipping to Alaska.

 

Honestly, even if you try it and it doesn't work out...they have pretty good resale potential to recoup some of your costs.

[MHowell]

You have to wash them more than once I rinse mine, wash them in hot twice, and then rinse in cold again

 

 

 

Unless you have a horrible washer or are over stuffing, you shouldn't need to wash THAT much!

 

WARM rinse, HOT wash cycle, extra rinse is all that should be needed. The only time you might need to extend it is is you are putting serious chunks of #2 in the washer.... Then I would do a WARM wash with a WARM rinse, HOT wash cycle and extra rinse.

[tmagee]

Despite all of my rambling...I forgot to add...

 

When our daughter was first born, we used disposables, just because the cloth diapers seemed so bulky on her skinny little body. However, she had the nastiest diaper rashes from the time we brought her home from the hospital (open, oozing red sores....terrible stuff). Anyway, a friend gave me a sample of a pocket diaper as a gift since she knew we were wanting to cloth diaper but weren't sure which route to go. We put one on her at night to try it out and her awful rash was gone by morning...every time! The fleece in those things are miraculous!

[_melody_]

I admin a cloth diapering website so might say I'm biased. ;)

 

Yes, you should cloth diaper. Yes, it can help with rashes. It seems the prudent decision to me.

 

Oh, which board are you admin on, Kris? I own ClothDiaperNation.com. We might have some things in common. :D We always love to work with other boards in order to keep the whole CD'ing community safe and help it grow stronger. I'd love to hear from you, and we'd love for any of you who are interested in CD'ing to come and visit CDN. I don't want to sound spammy, but I get excited when I see all these CD threads going on around here. :001_smile: