Well it's official, I am now a cloth diapering mom! We've been CD'ing for about a month now and I think we'll stick with it for good. Oh I've already gotten the comments,
"Are you crazy?!" - Just a little.
"You must be brave..." - *rolls eyes*
"Isn't that unsanitary?" - I really don't understand this one.
Well I must admit it can be a pain going down to the river and beating them against rocks, but it's totally worth it! Here's why:
1. So much Cheaper than Disposable! - I didn't believe it at first but I did my research. Taking into account the cost for my initial cloth diaper stash for both Noah and the new baby, the extra energy used for laundry, and random needs such as; laundry soap, cloth wipes and buying a disposable here and there for bewildered babysitters, we'll still be saving a ton of money. In these hard economic times this is so worth it!
2.Good for the Environment - OK so I'm not that into the "green" movement but it feels good to know I'm not littering the earth with hundreds of diapers. These diapers take many years to biodegrade only then to contaminate the soil with toxic chemicals and untreated waste. Yucky!
3. Just as Convenient and Efficient as Disposables! - Take it from a mom who has been using disposable diapers for almost 4 years straight, this is not an exaggeration. With everything in parenting there is a learning curve and because I didn't know anyone who CD's, I had to teach myself the basics. But once I figured it all out, I find cloth diapers to be just as convenient and efficient as disposables. Forget about the pins and folding, today's cloth diapers range anywhere from economical pre-folds to the ultra-convenient "all-in-ones"(AIO's).
My Journey to this Decision- Last Fall is when I got this crazy about idea about cloth diapering. I was trying to be creative about saving money and being thrifty. When I first started looking into cloth diapering I was so overwhelmed and decided that it wasn't for us. But then, a few months later, the thought came to me again. I had an increased desire to save monthly costs and so I embarked once again on my cloth diapering investigation. I joined a couple of on-line groups and looked through many, many web-sites. A few of my new on-line friends helped to point me in the right direction and gave me the run-down of cloth diapering basics. After I felt comfortable with my decision, I presented the idea to Pete. He thought I was crazy, but once I showed him how much we'd save a year he was on board! We began to buy a few diapers at a time and tried them during the day. As soon as we were comfortable, we ordered and small stash and worked with that for a couple of weeks. Pretty soon we weren't using disposables at all and I've never looked back!
I thought I'd throw out a few suggestions to anyone who may be interested in cloth diapering. So here are some random thoughts:
- Become familiar with the types of cloth diapers. There are so many options now-a-days that fit into anyone's budget and life-style.
- Buy used. I think this is the best advice I can give. Look at craigslist.com or diaperswappers.com. The ladies at diaperswappers know what they're doing! You can buy gently used diapers at a fraction of the price of buying new. This is my main source of diapers and I have not been disappointed. This website is also good for used/second-hand baby clothes, maternity and breast-feeding items, and more!!
- Look into non-profit organizations that donate diapers. MiracleDiapers.com is a good place to start. It's really easy. Once your application is approved they will lend you a starter stash of cloth diapers, all you have to pay for is the shipping. Once your little one has grown out of the diapers, you send them back and they'll send you more. This is how I got my starter stash for Noah and the new baby.
