Cloth Diapers: The "Downsides"

Thank you for the great response on my last post about cloth diapers. I've been able to communicate with several of you with more details. Thanks for inquiring! Talking with one of you ladies gave me the idea to post the downsides of cloth diapering. If you're considering cloth diapers, I totally think you should do it!!! But I want you to consider all angles before you jump in so that you're not taken by surprise. So here are what the downsides would be:

1. Time - It takes a little more time
2. The Poo- You have to spend a little more time with the poo. If baby is just breastfed, you can throw the diaper in the bag as is, and just wash! It'll all come out in the wash (the inserts might stain a little, but just wash them with bleach every so often, and you'll be fine... and don't worry, washers are MADE to clean very dirty things and then to totally discard the dirtiness from the washer, so none of the poo will be left in the washer- I promise!). Once they start solids it's a little harder. Most of Sophie's poo's are easy - I can just turn them upside down over the toilet and it comes right out. Occasionally they're not that easy, and that's when you want a diaper sprayer! I rarely have diapers like this, but I know some Mamas have babies who have grosser poo's. If you have a diaper sprayer though, you should be fine!
3. Water Bill- If you pay a water bill, it'll probably go up a little (but it shouldn't be much).
4. Diaper Creams- You have to be careful about diaper creams you use- BUT you shouldn't have rashes often (we've only had one- when she was teething the first time)
5. Learning Process- It's a learning curve at first- you have to be diligent in the beginning to learn what diapers work best for you and what wash routine works best for you.
6. # of Changes- You will probably have to change more often since baby can feel the wetness easier with cloth
7. Big Bum- Cloth is bigger so clothes might seem to fit weird to you at first and baby's bum might seem huge. This doesn't bug me, but I know it bugs some ladies

8. Night Time- If your child is a heavy-wetter, it might be hard for them to make it in one diaper for the whole night. You won't know until you try. We use a BG 4.0 with 1 MF insert and 1 hemp insert.

9. Going Out- Traveling with cloth takes more space than disposables :)

I really had to sit and think for a while to come up with these downsides because honestly, none of these really bother me. I suppose the poo factor sometimes can be frustrating, but it usually doesn't bother me. It also took me a little while to figure out what worked at night, but once I figured out what worked, it's been easy enough.

I hope this post will help those of you who are considering cloth. I hope it won't intimidate you but rather encourage you... these are the only 9 things I could think of, and I sat here a long time to think of them, and quite a few of them are fairly simple factors.

Cloth Diapers: Easy as 1-2-3 (and 4-5-6)

Save money. More attractive. Better for the environment. Better quality. Easy.

If I told you that by using one product, you could achieve all of the specifics listed above, you would be interested in that product, correct? Through my research and experience with cloth diapers, I have discovered that all of these qualities describe cloth diapers!

Save Money: My original interest in cloth diapers began before I even was pregnant with Sophie. I had heard about cloth diapers from a few friends, and began to research them online. To me, the most intriguing quality about cloth diapers was and continues to be the money-saving factor. I have spent around $500 on cloth diapers. This includes both my newborn diapers as well as one- size diapers. I am an amazing bargain shopper though, so I’ve gotten a good deal on almost all of my diapers. I’ve read the average that people spend on cloth diapers is between $600 and $800. Disposable diapers for one child costs, on average, $2000 (some spend less, some spend more, depending on brand and child). This means that I should save around $1500 for diapers on Sophie! But wait, it gets better!! I should be able to use most of my cloth diapers on my second child as well which means I will save even more! Saving $3000+ over the years sure does sound like a bonus to me! I absolutely love saving money.

More Attractive: Have you ever seen cloth diapers? They are super cute. I have solid colors as well as printed ones. They definitely are more attractive than disposable diapers. Of course, they are only diapers, so some might ask why it even matters. But if you can save money WHILE choosing a more attractive option, why not?! J

Better for the Environment: When I originally decided to use cloth diapers, I admit that the environment wasn’t the factor at the forefront of my mind. However, the longer I use diapers, the more I feel good about what I am doing for the environment. Let’s say a child goes through 7 diapers a day (which is on the lesser end, to be honest) for 2 years. They would go through 5110 diapers. While I admit that I am not the most environmentally conscious person, 5110 diapers from one child sitting in a landfill still sounds like a lot to me! It is estimated that it takes 250-500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose.

Better Quality: When I say that cloth diapers are better quality, I mean that they are better for a baby’s bum. They are soft against a baby’s bottom. They also do not contain the chemicals that disposable diapers contain. Also, when used properly, cloth diapers result in fewer blowouts than disposable diapers! We had a few leaks in the beginning when I was still learning how to cloth diapers, but it has been months since we have had leaks of any kind! For more information on chemicals (and other cloth diaper info), read here.

Easy: I know cloth diapers are intimidating to some people because they think they will be too much work. Some cloth diapers can be a good amount of work, but I use pocket diapers, which are really easy! I have to wash the diapers, but other than throwing them in the washer and then hanging them on my drying rack, the washer and dryer do most of the work. They come with an insert inside that adds extra absorbency, so I have to stuff the diapers with the insert after they are washed. Otherwise, they work just like disposable diapers! I grab one at a diaper change, snap it on (they have Velcro too which is even easier, but I prefer snaps), and the diaper is good for another 2-3 hours! Another thing people wonder about is if the diapers really come out clean. The majority of the time, I just have to put the diapers through the wash one time, and they come out looking white and fresh!

Easy 6-Step Process of Cloth Diapering:

1. Stuff the insert into the pocket diaper

2. Take the old diaper off and position the new one

3. Snap on the new diaper

4. Discard the old diaper into the pail liner or wet bag

5. Throw the diapers (1-3 days worth) and pail liner into the washer

6. Hang the diapers to dry (dry the inserts in the dryer)

Summary: I am so glad we decided to do cloth diapers! My husband bought disposables for a trip we took last week, and when he came home he said, “Do you know how much those cost?!” He couldn’t believe it. As a result, he told our friend last night that he was glad we use cloth. For my husband, the price is definitely what wins him. I love saving as well, but I admit I’m also addicted to the cuteness factor. My favorite two brands of cloth diapers are Bum Genius and Sunbaby. I have tried MANY brands, but Bum Genius is the best for their quality, fit, and appeal. Bum Genius diapers are GREAT quality and are my favorite nighttime diaper. They also have some beautiful colors and a few cute prints too! My absolute favorite website to buy cloth diapers and accessories from is www.cottonbabies.com. I have bought a few new diapers as well as some used diapers from this site. This is where I buy my Bum Genius diapers, and I have gotten some really great quality ones from them for just $10! They also have excellent customer service, and they constantly have great deals in their clearance section and used section. We are in Bible school right now and hope to go into missions in a few years. Cotton Babies supports missionaries by giving them diapers, so I absolutely love supporting such a great company!

I wrote this blog entry because I love cloth diapers and would love to convert the whole world! But I also wrote it to get entered into a contest. One winner will be chosen, and the winner will receive 12 free Bum Genius diapers! One person who comments on the winner’s blog entry also received 12 free diapers!!! I’d love to help someone who is new to cloth diapering get 12 diapers, so comment below! (I am not receiving any compensation for writing this blog entry).

I have a Word document typed up with even more information about cloth diapers that I’d love to pass onto anyone who is interested that gives more information about specific brands, washing and cleaning routines, and sizing of diapers. Please leave comments if you have questions, would like more information, or simply love cloth diapering yourself!

First Haircut

Those of you who get to see Sophie are familiar with her rat tail/ mullet. Her hair in the back just grew so fast, and most are amazed at how much she had!

We finally decided it was time to cut it. And who better to give Sophie her first haircut than Aunt Nikki, the beautician? (She also got her bangs trimmed up)
This is what the back of her head looks like now. I'm a true mom because I admit that I was a little sad to see the rat tale/ mullet go.

Milestones

1-4 Weeks

Hold Head Up

Rolls Over (Front to Back)

First Smiles

2 Months

Laughs for the First Time

Sleeps through the Night (10pm-6am... doesn't last, haha)

3 Months

Grabs for Toys

4 Months

Rolls Over (Back to Belly)

Finds Toes

5 Months

Pushes Self Backwards

Says "Dada"

6 Months

Gets 1st Tooth

Gets 2nd Tooth

Sits Up

7 Months

Waves "Bye Bye"

Crawls

8 Months

Gets 3rd Tooth

Learns to Grab Food and Put in Her Mouth

Gets 4th Tooth

Pulls Up

Gets 5th&6th Tooth

Food

Sophie loves food! She is an awesome baby when it comes to the area of food because she'll eat anything, and she eats it well!

As a nursing baby, she only had problems in the beginning with latching. After a month of me using a shield, she got it, and we've been soaring ever since! I've never had to cut anything out of my diet which is awesome.

We started occasionally giving her solids at 5 months. Before that, breastmilk is the only thing she ever had. We started out with applesauce and avocado. She loves applesauce. She thinks avocado is "meh," but she'll eat it.

She eats a whole banana every day. She loves any and all fruit- in both baby food jars and in their actual form. She will eat any vegetable, but likes some more than others. She tends to like orange better than green veges. She likes sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and corn a lot. She doesn't like pees and green beans as much.

She loves cheerios and puffs too! Our current schedule is baby food jar of fruit in the morning, banana in the afternoon, and baby food jar of vege - or some of whatever vege we're eating- at night. She also still nurses 5-6 times a day.

Schedules from Sophie's Life

I wish I would have done better with keeping track of Sophie's schedule at least once a month just so I could have it for future children to look back on. Here are a few of her schedules though:

1 Week:

1:20am- Nurse

Sleep

3:50am- Nurse

Sleep

7:00am- Nurse

Sleep

10:20am- Nurse

Up for the day (small naps between all feedings)

12:30pm- Nurse

4:00pm- Nurse

7:20pm- Nurse

10:10pm- Nurse

11:40pm- Nurse

Down for the night

Phew, those were exhausting days!

I didn't keep track of it, but I remember when she was a month old, she went through a week where she would nurse 1-2 hours STRAIGHT before going to bed. It was tiring!!

5 months:

3:30am- Nurse (back to sleep)

6:20am- Nurse (back down until 7ish)

9:30am- Nurse

10:45- Nurse to sleep

11:20- Falls to sleep

11:45- Wake

12:10- Nurse

1:15- Down/1:30- Sleep

2:00- Wake

2:30- Nurse

3:30- Down/3:40- Sleep

5:30- Wake/Nurse

8:00- Nurse

8:15- Down/Sleep

This was at the beginning of our sleep training- the 2nd day of it. She comfort nursed often at this point!

8.5 months (now!):

6-7am- Nurse/Back to sleep

8:00am- Wake/Nurse

8:30am- Solids (baby food fruit)

10:00am- Nap

11:30am- Nurse

12:30-1pm - Nap

2:30pm- Nurse/ Banana

4:00pm- Nap

5:00pm- Nurse

6:00pm- Solids (baby food vegetable)

7:30pm- Nurse/down for bed by 8pm

She still is not the greatest napper (for instance, she's in her crib crying/whining right now), but she is MUCH better at sleeping through the night!! Praise the Lord! I appreciate my sleep :) She still eats often and a lot, but she's a growing girl so I'm ok with that :) Ours days never look EXACTLY the same, and her nap times vary, but we have a relatively good routine by now.

Sleep Training

*Disclaimer: I don't think that sleep training is what's right for every family, but it worked wonders for us, and I'm glad we did it*

Sleeping is one of the hardest parts about a baby. They aren't good at it usually, and as a parent, especially a first-time one, you have no idea what to do to help them.

Sophie slept well for the first 2 months of life. She went from waking up every 4 hours to eat to sleeping 7 hours straight. I had read sleep books like "Babywise," and thought, "Man, this sleep training stuff is easy. Why did they have to write a whole book about it?" Well, that changed at 2 months. She started waking up more often. I couldn't do much about it since we lived with family over the summer, so for the next 2.5 months, I just fed her when she woke up. By time we came back to school, she was waking up 2-3 times every night (roughly every 2-4 hours). I was also nursing her to sleep for bed and every nap. And often, she started not even falling asleep and she was getting overtired. Once I started classes again, I was tired and it was too hard trying to nurse her to sleep and be in class. I decided that something had.to.happen.

The first thing I decided to try to tackle was to get her to go to sleep without needing to nurse. Which meant cry it out (CIO). CIO was hard, but SO beneficial. The first night she cried for 45 minutes. The 2nd night she cried for 10 minutes. Since then, she always goes right to sleep or I just have to go in to give her her pacifier.

The next thing I decided to tackle was the 12am time that she was waking up. She had more of a whimper cry for this one, so I thought it might be easier to drop this one. My "rule" was that I would let her cry for half an hour and then if she was still crying, I would get her. I turned off the baby monitor and set my alarm just incase I went back to sleep (if I heard the monitor, it was too hard not to go to her). Often she went back to sleep. Occasionally she didn't, and then I would nurse her. She dropped this feeding in about 2 weeks.

Then she was just waking up around 3am. This one we never necessarily dropped, we just kept pushing it back. I did the same with this one- let her cry for 30 minutes. Sometimes she would go back to sleep, but often she didn't. But over time it got pushed back, and within a month, she was waking up between 5am-6am consistently.

Now she goes to bed at 8pm. Wakes up at 6am-7am to eat. Goes back to sleep and then wakes up for good around 8am. I am positive she wouldn't sleep this well if I hadn't done sleep training.