Cloth Diapering
Hi! I'm new here on South Bend Moms. My name is Anna, I have a 5 year old daughter & a son, who will be 10 months old on Halloween. I am breastfeeding my son currently. I also use cloth diapers. I was just wondering how many other moms out there cloth diaper too! I have noticed that breastfeeding & cloth diapering tend to go hand-in-hand so I figured I'd post here & see what I get. Thanks!
Anna
Welcome!
Welcome to SouthBendMoms, Anna! I also breastfeed my 5 month old, but we don't use cloth diapers. I have actually never even tried them! Do you clean them yourself, or do you use a diaper service? I had talked to a mom awhile back that was given a certificate for 1 month of a diaper service. She said the cost was about the same as using disposable diapers. Is that true? I've heard that cloth are much better for baby's bottom, but we've never had diaper rash problems, so I guess I never even thought about cloth. Since you use cloth diapers, what are the benefits, compared to buying disposable? Very interesting topic :) Thanks!
Hi! Yep, I wash diapers
Hi! Yep, I wash diapers myself! :) It sounds strange, but i actually love doing it! I used a service for 2 weeks & i've since taken over! I started out using basic prefolds you can buy locally & bought some used covers online. I have now swapped out for an All in two - a pocket diaper in this case. it opens in he back & you "stuff" it with an insert & put it on baby. when you're done you remove the insert & toss in the pail to wash!
IMO, the service does cost the same as disposables, but DIY cloth is much cheaper... just a bit $ to get started.
#1 advantage is it is better for baby. even though you might not deal with diaper rash, there are actually soooo many chemicals in sposies...
#2 better for the environment. if george washington had worn sposies, they would still be in landfills!!!!
#3 so many options!!!! talk about fashion! ever feel guilty letting baby sit around in naught but his diaper? if it is warm enough of course... think about the statement of a tye-dye wrapped bottom! i mean, there are so many choices!
#4 if you are a bit crafty, you can save more $ by making your own! either buy fabric & sew or buy wool & knit or crochet. or if you are super-crafty you can make & sell diapers & covers! instant WAHM!
these are just a few o the highlights! please feel free to ask more questions!
-Anna
"slightly crunchy, NAK mama!"
Diapers
Well My mom used clothe with my little sister she only breastfed her for 6 weeks we used cloth the whole time.
With my daughter I used disposable diapers and breastfed until she was 13 months old and I will use disposable diapers with this one also. I hated the clothe diapers. And we had a diaper service.
tried them!
I normally used disposable diapers. I never really had any kind of diaper rash problems with pampers. Once my daughter had a rash that was a yeast infection and I tried cloth at that time. I hated it! I used most of my cloth diapers for burp cloths. I still have whats left over after three kids. The youngest love to stuff the burp cloth in his mouth to suck on and fall asleep. It was nice as any of the two dozen cloth diapers I had would work!
cloth diapers
ps..
I did nurse the 2nd one until she was 10 months and 3rd child until he was 13 months
Cloth diapers
I used cloth diapers from a service for a month with my first baby, but we had a lot of trouble with them leaking. I know there is an art to rolling the edges to make them more secure, but we just couldn't keep them from leaking slightly on the diaper covers so with every change that meant a new diaper cover too. The service also said that they treat the cloth diapers with enzymes to help break down wastes and control the odor. They didn't consider it to be "bad chemicals" like in disposable diapers, but personally I felt like there were still chemicals in the cloth diapers.
cleaning cloth
For those that clean their own cloth diapers, I'm curious, what do you use to make sure they are clean? I guess that would be my biggest concern using cloth. Does regular laundry detergent clean them enough, or do you use something special? Also, yes, I know a washing machine is to clean, but I always hate putting something in my washer that is really dirty. Do you pre-wash, or do they go straight to the washer?
Anna, cute ideas on the fashion diapers! :)