My new adventure...

Hi friends!  I want to share my (our) new adventure with our little baby... cloth diapering!!  Now before you start rolling your eyes and think I'm totally going crazy let me briefly tell you my story : ).  The first time I heard about it I didn't think much of it... then I started looking into it a little bit more and then a little bit more and I caught the bug!  I've learned that by cloth diapering we could potentially save up to $1,000 per year, per child (and that includes washing) and more if I use the same diapers for future children.  Also, a child can use up to one ton of disposable diapers from birth to potty training!  That's a heck of a lot of diapers sitting in our landfills!!!  I'm not even going to get into the whole chemical process that goes into making disposables.  When I told my hubby that I wanted to try cloth diapering he looked at me like I had three heads!  I'm slowly weaning him into it though : ).

my first diaper "stash"

I took the plunge about a week ago when I purchased my first newborn diaper set : ).  The set came with different types of diapers so I can figure out which one I like best and which ones are the best for baby (see pic on right).  Below is a brief description.

• The rectangular sheets to the left are called "pre-folds".  These are the most economical to use.  They are not washed yet but once I wash them they will become soft and quilty.  These are organic cotton.
• The top two diapers are a "fitted diaper" and a "cover".  I'll show you in a bit how they work.  These are newborn size and so cute!
• The bottom three are a little more expensive but easier to use for the hubbies that are resistant to use cloth diapers or for the occasional babysitter.  They are AIO (all-in-ones) diapers, one size diaper and a pocket diaper.  

The Pre Fold Diaper

These are inexpensive but they take some getting used to and have different types of folds. They look like burp cloths and once the baby outgrows them I can use them like that! Again, these are supposed to be pre-washed so they can become more absorbent but I haven't gotten to that yet.  The pre-folds can be folded in several different ways. The picture below to the left shows our lovely monkey model sporting the pre-fold diaper which is being held together by what's called a "snappi".  That's right friends, no more pins that our grandmothers used to use.  They are still available but if you prefer you can use a "snappi".  This will assure your child won't get pricked by a pin.  The picture to the right is a cover over the pre-fold in the event of leakage.  The cover and pre-fold should be snug so to avoid blowouts or leaks.  I'm probably going to try to use these the most since they are the least expensive to purchase.  I just ordered two dozen and that should hold me over until the baby is ready to wear bigger diapers (around the 3 month mark).

The Fitted Diaper and Cover

The next type of diaper is the fitted diaper (the natural color on the far left most picture) and is normally used with a cover (the cover is yellow on the far left most picture).  The fitted diaper is already shaped like a regular diaper and you don't have to do any funky folds like the pre-fold diaper above.  This diaper is organic cotton.  The middle picture shows the fitted diaper over the cover ready to be put on baby.  The picture to the right shows the cover closed over the fitted diaper.  This is easier to use than the pre-fold and I will most likely take a few of these to the hospital to use on the baby right away.

All in Ones, One Size, Pocket Diapers

The last three I have are more expensive because they are used much like disposables except you don't throw them out.  We'll probably used these when we go out with the baby to make changing easier or we'll have it for someone who babysits who is not familiar with cloth.  These are cool because they come in different shapes, sizes and color and generally go for $12 -$20.  I've seen some of these sell for up to $60!!!  Now, that takes away from the affordability factor but some people go really bonkers for cute dipaers!  I hope I don't become one of them!  Anyway, I don't plan on having a lot of these, just a few.  They kinda look the same with a few differences so I'm just posting a picture of one. 

You can see from the left most picture that the diaper looks like a regular disposable diaper (ok, but let's face it, cuter : ).  All you have to do is put baby on it and velcro close!  The middle picture shows an extra insert in case I want to use it as a night time diaper or if I have a baby that is a heavy wetter.  I bought a few of these inserts just in case I need them.  If this was a pocket diaper then the insert would go inside. 



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Well, that's pretty much it!!  There is a WHOLE bunch of information out there than what I have in my blog but for now this is what I plan on using.  I'm really, really excited!!!  Oh, yes, the washing--  that's the number one issue other people see with cloth diapering.  Washing is going to take some getting used to, I'll admit that much!  I'll go through this quickly because this post is becoming too long.  Basically once a diaper is soiled, the poop is thrown out in the toilet.  I have an odor sprayer that I will spray on the soiled diaper and then I will place in a dry/wet bag.  I just ordered one so I will show you a picture next week.  I plan on washing every two or three days depending on the odor and how I can handle the washing.  Alot of this is going to be trial and error for me since I'm so new at it, so yes, I expect it to be challenging at first but I really want to make this work so I'm going to do my darndest (is this a word?) to do a good job.  Wish me luck!  This is something I'm really excited about!