My fourth child is the second child that I have used cloth diapers on. I did not use them, and I wish I would have on my first two. I came about using cloth diapers by reading of someone else using them on their blog. In my mind they were something that was used when I was a kid. Kind of old and out of date.
There is a memory of my aunt using a diaper service who came and picked up the old, dirty diapers and left clean ones. That was early 80’s. For me, I am thinking…this is the age of technology. Why would someone use cloth diapers? Too save money. Using a cloth diapering system is very frugal. They can dry on the clothesline, and really the only out of pocket expense is buying them.
Actually using the cloth diaper itself is easier to me than a disposable…a couple of buttons and done! The ones that we purchased are adjustable and work for any size baby. I have a very healthy baby and most of the ones that I bought are still being used.
There is no preference really of button or velcro. They both work well. I don’t look at name brands, I look at price. The whole point is to save money. So, that is what I do…save money. We spent close to $50.00 the first time and used pins. With my fourth baby I knew that I did not want to use pins, but buttons or velcro. Pins are cumbersome.
The second time I purchased diapers (we used the first ones out) I went to a consignment shop weekly and bought every used diaper they had. They were still clean, no stains and usable. The most I have spent on a diaper cover is $5.00. Yes, I did try to make my own but that is just a headache for me. It is easier to buy used. My total out of pocket was $200.00 and I think I got that back the first month…a lot of accidents!
Cloth diapers are easier:
For me I love the fact that I do not have to go to the store each week and add diapers to my list. Or worry when I am out and run to the store. Cloth diapers are no different other than washing.
Cloth diapers are messy:
I do rinse them in the toilet. That part does not bother me, I wear gloves and wash my hands. Really, I touch as little as possible. There is not a smell because I rinse them, then wash every other day. No worse than leaving disposable in the trash can until it is full. I have seen some people do that! Do not use bleach and then put on the baby. I use bleach (1/2 c.) then wash again on quick cycle. Bleach will break out the baby.
Cloth diapers are bulky:
They save money so I can deal with bulky. When we go on vacation I do take disposable due to lack of a washing machine. At night I use disposable because they hold in the moisture better, and I need my sleep 🙂 But during day hours it is ok to be bulky. He has a really cute one that is a Mickey Mouse print. No one notices the bulky.
Cloth diapers have multiple uses:
They can be used as rags when finished using them, and are great for cleaning windows. Cloth diapers can be converted to be used for toilet training. I think pull ups are very expensive. If they have been taken care of they can be used on multiple children.
I am an advocate for cloth diapering. It is wasteful and expensive to use disposable. They also contain harsh chemicals that are against the baby’s skin for long hours. Preference: cloth or disposable? Leave your vote in the comments!
Cheers,
Michelle
this is my fourth baby and first time cloth diapering. we love the best bottoms covers with the inserts. they’re actually very trim even on my 2week old! so easy to use!
I loved using cloth diapers on my newborn….they were so cute too!
We have 2 kids. Used cloth on the 1st and reusing the ones on the second child. I am like you, I use cloth during the day and then at night we do disposables. I usually use disposables whenever I leave the house for ease as well. So usually our little one is running around in a shirt and his cloth diaper.
Mine too! In the summer it is sooo much easier. Disposables work better in the diaper bag.
Just wondering what you use for diaper cream. My kids have sensitive skin and I have had trouble finding a cream that I can plaster on (as per the doctors instructions) without ruining my diapers.
I use plain vaseline. It has never given my babies a rash, it is frugal, lasts for a long time, and does not ruin my diapers. Hope that helps!
Thanks.
We LOVED our cloth diapers! They saved us money and I felt good about the fabric we used for our sweet little one’s tushy… besides the fact that he looked Super cute in them 😉 as for messy, that never bothered me, we had a toilet spray thing that made it SO much easier, so clean-up was a breeze 🙂 Great post, thanks!
When I saw a cloth diapering post at Modest Moms Link up, I had to check it out! 🙂 I’m a cloth diapering mama too! Baby Boy is my first and he’s 10 months old now and i LOVE to cloth diaper! Every point you mentioned I was nodding my head in agreement! I use all kinds of brands: BumGenius, Lalabye, Kawaii, Happy Endings, Nicki’s Diapers, Blueberry, and some Etsy shop owners! So fun to use! Such cute prints out there! I’ll have to keep having babies so I can keep using cloth! Loved your post! Have a great day!
I love that…I’m not sure that is why we have four but I really love cloth diapering! It is not any harder than disposable. Glad yo liked it!
We cloth diaper and I, too, love it! Although we’re transitioning Baby Boy through potty training, it’s always been great to cloth diaper. The cost savings is tremendous, the headache is much less for us, and the health/exposure matters to us! 🙂
I always like to do what I can to help our environment. It is astounding how long a disposable lasts, and whatever chemicals they use to help keep baby dry. That was never the case with mine and since I use cloth I change him without soaked clothes.
I vote cloth!! Our baby is 6 weeks old and I have been using prefolds with pins and a snap waterproof cover. I have used disposables a handful of times and have not been impressed. They have been so much more leaky than my cloth diapers. I have been very happy with my discission to cloth diaper our son.
Yes, disposables leak! That was huge with my newborn.
Michelle, I love using CDs too. While I do prefer snaps to velcro, which tends to wear out fast for me, I’m with you on brands- most are similar though the “big” names, like BumGenius are great quality. I’ve never done the toilet dunk, but rather we keep a small plastic spoon (like from takeout) behind the toilet and scrape the diapers if necessary. Glad to meet a fellow CDer!
That is such a great idea! I have never thought of using something to “scrape” with instead of dunking. Velcro wears out really fast for us 🙂