One more day until the big reveal! I can hardly wait! But, as promised, I am back with some more info on our 3rd year of cloth diapering. I decided to keep the party going because let's face it...I am a novelist and I just could not fit everything I needed to say into one post. Today's topic will be an overview of what we are using now. I also have a controversial post coming...it is going to shock a few people...but it needs to be said. So, yeah, that is coming later on this week!
Okay by now we all know I might as well be a hippy because let’s just be honest, I like all things natural. Cloth diapering was no exception. Now, something I have learned over the years (3.5 to be exact) is that cloth diapering is not always the easiest solution. We love it and love the benefits so much that we never wavered in our decision, but more and more I am finding people that go into cloth blindly thinking that it’s all going to be wonderful and easy. This is where I picture people holding hands and skipping through fields of daisies. Is cloth worth it? You betcha! I just think you need to know that it will take some trial and error and you may not love it right away.
Let’s start with types of diapers. There are lots of them. We started with an All-in-One system, the BumGenius Elemental. That diaper was EASY. We never had to explain how to use them to any other caregivers, they were so much like disposables. However, we aren’t using them with Israel. Why? Sadly, over time, the natural fibers broke down to the point of them being unusable. I believe this happened because we did not have a large rotation of them so the fibers naturally break down (just like any piece of clothing) and we also had some bad bleaching advice (more on that another time). The other thing to note is that with Eden, the BGE’s fit perfectly from 10 lbs all the way until she was potty trained. Unfortunately, their fit is just not as great with Israel’s body type. So, do note that different diapers fit babies differently.
So, what are we using this time? Since the BGE’s we have tried MANY different diapers. We have narrowed down our “stash” to SoftBums, RockaBums, and Grovia shells. Our system of choice? All-in-twos. The way this system works is you have a shell (the outer layer of the diaper) and an insert that attach together. When you go to change the diaper, you put the wet insert into the pail, but you keep the shell out to reuse multiple times. We fell in love with this system because it was similar to what we were used to with the all-in-one diapers, but more cost effective since you get to reuse them which means you don’t need as many shells. This was extremely important for us since we were at a place financially where we just could not afford a whole lot. We do miss the ease of our AIO’s (Josh does especially), but these are pretty awesome. Each brand has reasons why we love them. I am not going to do a review on them at this point, but if you want to hear my opinions on all the ones we have tried I would be happy to fill you in...and trust me...I have tried A LOT.
So, the moral of the story is, one diaper does not fit all. Every time someone asks me what my favorite diaper is, I ask them what their needs are. If you are contemplating starting cloth, but don't know where to start, write a list of things that are important to use. Ease of use, cost, snaps vs. velcro, etc. Then, start asking around. Get ready for LOTS of opinions. We cloth diapering folk sure like to express our love for the brands we use. Also, if you happen to have a local cloth diaper store, ask if they do demonstrations. This is a great way to get your hands on the diapers and really see what you think. Tomorrow I will fill you in on the diaper that I feel fits all of the criteria we looked for in a diaper and why I think it's a good fit for most everyone.
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