Diapers, Diapers, Diapers

Ah, the controversy of cloth diapering vs. disposables.

Sheesh, there are a lot of opinions out there! You'd think choosing cloth or disposable was like choosing life or death. This is one issue I don't want to draw a line in the sand over. I do prefer cloth, mainly for two reasons. The first being that, in the long run, it's cheaper. The up front cost can seem daunting, but keep in mind that if well taken care of, the cloth diapers should outlast the use of several children. The second reason is that I don't really like the idea of adding another several thousand diapers to a landfill. That said, we have used a mixture of cloth and disposables up to this point. And really, you just gotta do your own thing!

Before Grace arrived, I purchased 1 package of disposable diapers. Someone had recommended using disposables that first week at least since most newborns are pretty busy pooping meconium, and the thought was "who want's to deal with cloth diapers and super sticky, tar-like poop"? Plus, all the cloth diapers I had at the time were too big for Grace, and I didn't want to spend a small fortune on more in newborn size.

So, I purchased 1 package of Seventh Generations chlorine free diapers. My assessment: they were terrible! I would never use them again. They were super stiff and when wet just bunched up and got really hard. I didn't even use the whole package. I then moved on to using either mom to mom, up & up (Target), or Walgreens generic brand--all of which I've found to work just as well as the more expensive name brands at a much cheaper price.

What I should have done, and I will try, Lord willing, with baby #2, is use a cloth diapering service for the first month. The diaper service can provide smaller cloth diapers until baby really fits the ones we already have. All the benefit of cloth without the work, giving an exhausted mom and dad one less thing to do. A dear friend recommended this to me, unfortunately just a little late. Her mother in law has gifted her this option with each of her children. What a great gift idea!

Like I mentioned, we have been using a mixture of cloth and disposables now for a while, but this next week I'm shifting to using mainly cloth. I would've done it sooner, but I only have about 10 small size pocket diapers. Grace has easily gone through the whole lot in a single day, and at times I've been too lazy to do diaper laundry every night. She's pretty close to fitting in the medium size, which should last until she's potty trained--and I have a ton of those. Although, I'm sure we'll still use disposables from time to time. They are convenient when traveling, and when you've got a babysitter. I know some people are intimidated by cloth diapers. How do you put them on? Aren't they more of a hassle? But really, pocket diapers are SO simple!


I went with Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers, but there are tons of other great brands out there. I had found a ton of "gently used" ones on craigslist before Grace was born. That may gross you out, but it didn't me. They were in great shape, and hey, if you're really trying to go green, then buy used. I did try out some Happy Heinys pocket diapers that are supposed to fit from birth to 3 years, but I found that they were way too big on Grace initially. This was mainly around the legs, so they often leaked. However, this is an even cheaper way to go than buying specific size cloth diapers and many people are happy with this option as well.

HERE is an excellent source for all kinds of baby paraphernalia. I abhor having to pay for shipping, but guess what, it's free on large orders. And, get this, they will let you return diapers! This is what really got me because it meant I could try out several different kinds and then return the ones I chose not to use in exchange for more of the specific type I did like. What a wonderful policy!

If your interested, you'll find a great series all about the ins and outs of cloth diapering at SimpleMom (I love this website!). I found it really helpful in the beginning!