CD debate part 1

I've got two words for you, sure to bring on the opinions and raised eyebrows. Are you ready? Cloth Diapering.

Got your questions and opinions ready? Good.

Cloth diapering is something that I've considered since the very beginning of this pregnancy. My in-laws did it for their boys, Memaw did it for her girls (and, I quote, 'Only rich people used disposables back then), and one of the girls at work cloth diapers her twins. So I have a few resources to go to in addition to my beloved internets, and holy cow....I've spent a ridiculous amount of time researching the topic of cloth diapering. I'm not completely sold on it but I'm strongly leaning in that direction right now. Hear me out.

Nate and I can be 'crunchy granola' types sometimes--we like health food, pack our own lunches daily, are into fitness and the outdoors, we use re-usable grocery bags, and we try to be good to the environment as much as possible (never mind my SUV car, our long commutes to work/school, and the fact that we still use store-bought household cleaners....we are still 'semi' green if you ask me. Don't kill me, die hards!). I love the earth and all that jazz, and I know that cloth diapering saves space in the landfills but that's not the main reason I'm considering cloth. It's because.....get this.....they save butt loads of money if you do it right. Go figure, I'm into saving money at all costs! Oh, and many claim it's better for the baby but more on that later. Let's talk money first, shall we?

The very first thing I researched was the cost of disposable diapering systems versus cloth from the time the baby is born until the time he is potty trained. I found lots of cool charts and graphs to appease my detailed self. For instance, this awesome chart from Diaper Decisions shows the difference between many cloth systems and also a standard disposable choice. If I choose the most economical choice for cloth diapering, I'm looking at about $400 total from start to finish. For disposables, most sites agree that you'll spend between $2000-2500 if you are choosing the more inexpensive brands. So basically, this chart tells me I could save at least $1600 if I cloth diaper. Tell me more!

Then there's this awesome link to The Stork Wearhouse that tells us of savings considering multiple children. Nate and I would love to have more than one bundle of joy someday and if we cloth diaper we can re-use all of the supplies for our next baby, too. According to this site, depending on whether we go low-end or high-end styles, we are looking at a total of $2040-4140 for the disposable diapering of two children. Or it would be $225-1200 for cloth diapering two kids. Um, hello? HUGE savings. Huge.

Now of course, I'd have to be smart with my cloth diapering choices and not overdose on those freaking adorable but expensive 'All in One' systems, and the insanely cute covers, and the high-end versions like these guys:


But actually, the girl at work who cloth diapers twins is willing to let me use their newborn, x-small, small and medium sized covers which is a total score on my part. We'd still need to purchase the pre-folds/inserts but we'd be off to a great start. It's so tempting when I consider the cost saving powers of cloth.

Oh and it's good for the baby. Research shows that cloth diapered babies have less diaper rashes than disposable systems. The frequency of diaper rash jumped by 70% when disposables were introduced on the scene, and although I'm sure the chemicals are less harsh nowadays, disposables have hard core chemicals with insane absorbing powers. That is why it's hard to tell if babies are actually wet when wearing disposables, it's why babies take longer to potty train when in disposables (because they can't feel the wetness as well), and it's why disposables can cause more diaper rashes. Plus, cloth diapers are softer for babies sensitive skin which I'm sure feels pretty good, too.

I know what you are thinking: 1. Won't that be a TON of extra work and time that you won't have when you are working full time with a newborn baby? 2. Will your daycare even consider cloth diapering? 3. Isn't scraping poop off cloth diapers gag-worthy?

1. The Time factor:
Yes, we will have to do more loads of laundry if we cloth diaper. But not every day, more like every 2-3 days, and although I despise doing regular laundry cloth diapers would be a lot easier. No pre-treating, sorting, folding required. I SO wish the washer and dryer were on the same floor as us but I suppose going down two flights of stairs to the basement is just more exercise for me. Heck, we don't even have a dishwasher or garbage disposal so I guess we are used to 'more work' in some aspects of household life.

2. The Daycare factor:
I stopped researching cloth diapers in the beginning because I figured no daycare center would bother with the hassle. But lo and behold, the place we will likely use DOES deal with cloth diapers. They will put the dirty ones in a plastic bag for me and let me take those puppies home to clean as I so desire. Kind of gross to cart them around with me, but they have some pretty cool 'wet bags' out there to store dirty cloth diapers that would work just fine. I'd just add them to my pail at home and then in 2 days I'd do a load of laundry. Not so bad, right?

3. The Poop factor:
I totally pictured scraping turds out of diapers with my bare hands, gagging in the process. But apparently, when babies are exclusively breastfed (and I really hope breastfeeding works for me!) their poop doesn't smell that bad AND it does not need to be scraped before washing. You can just throw those suckers in a cold wash prior to a regular wash and you are good to go. When the baby gets older and eats solid food, that is when the stank comes on and yes....we would have to do some scrapage into the toilet. But it can't be THAT bad when it's your own baby. I won't go into details but I do work with sick patient in a hospital so bodily fluids from strangers are a part of my job many days of my week. If I can handle explosive diarrhea from the elderly I can probably handle smooshy baby poo:)

So this is where I am right now in my research on cloth diapers. I'm leaning towards it mostly because of the cost saving powers but also because it's better for my baby. The eco-friendly aspect is just a bonus, in my opinion. But I still have a lot more researching to do.

I thought I'd throw it out to my dear readers, too....do any of you cloth diaper? How about anyone who works full time, sends their child to daycare, while cloth diapering? Pros and cons? Do you who use disposables think I'm absolutely insane for considering this? :)


{As a side note, some of the sites I've visited talk crazy talk and I have to draw the line with 're-usable/cloth menstrual pads'. DISGUSTING! I know we all have our limits and that is mine:) }