Wanting to Switch to Cloth Diapers

Hi V.,

Do it!!!!! :O)

Used cloth diapers with all 3 of my kids. It was a wonderful thing for them as they had that wonderful soft cotton on their little bottoms. When we traveled we used the disposables, trying to use cloth on the road was very difficult because I could not wash them right away. It cut down on the rashes as well - I felt it was worth the cost and the not putting all that plastic into the earth!

I felt good about helping the enviroment as also. A diaper service is a must - you just don't have the time to keep that many diapers clean.

Hope that helps in some small way :O)
dene'

we used dy-dee diaper service and they were great!!!
http://www.dy-dee.com/

here's some more info a friend of mine wrote -

Re:cloth diapers
You are right to question those studies that claim disposables are BETTER for the environment than cloth. They never factor in the environmental impact of the chemicals used to create those diapers, the trees cut down to make the paper, the plastic and ink used in packaging, the diesel needed to drive those diapers to stores, AND LASTLY the impact of having 3 plus years of diapers (that is over 7600 diapers PER child) that take 500 years EACH to decompose sitting in our land fills. PLUS cloth-diapered babies are usually out of diapers a WHOLE YEAR (OR MORE) sooner than disposable-diapered babies -- so that fact alone means you are taxing the planet less.

To answer your other questions:
* Fuzzi Bunz -- LOVED them for my first daughter. We ONLY used them at night though, because they are made of poly-fleece (which is great for wicking away wetness, but I preferred to have 100% cotton/natural fibers against my child's bottom the majority of the day. PLUS, baby #2 was actually ALLERGIC to poly-fleece, so we couldn't use them at all with her.
* I haven't tried BumGenius, but have heard pretty good things about them. Personally, from experience, I am not a BIG fan of "all-in-one" cloth diapers. Reason being, is that the outer part really does need to be washed differently than the inner. That said though, I think it's great to have a few on hand for sitters -- or others who are afraid of cloth diapering : )
* My favorite diapers are:
NEWBORN-6MONTH STAGE: any fitted ORGANIC cloth diapers (witht gussets around the legs) as these keep ALL the poop in. I never had any explosions using these. I mean, ZERO. With fitted or wrap wool covers (www.loveybums.com are my all time favs --for fitted dipes and newborn covers!)
SIX MONTH TO POTTY-TRAINING: Simple, unbleached prefold cotton rectables -- laid into a wool wrap cover (Imse Vimse Bumpy are great!)
* G-diapers are A LOT more work than cloth, but I admire ANYONE who chooses that wrote over disposables!

Good luck -- and feel free to email me off-list if you want further recommendations on what to buy, how much to buy where to buy, and how best to wash at home.

hope this helps!!
J.

I used cloth diaper with all my kids for different periods of time....I like disposibles for travel and when Im not at home...I only use cloth when at home, because they have to be changed much more often. My twins didnt use them very long bcause they ended up with more rashes than with the disposables. Even using them part time I save money on disposabels because I dont use as many. My oldest used them almost the whole time and it was fine....if you feel the need to change go for it!

Hi V.,
I use cloth diapers, but not exclusively. I use regular diapers for travel and overnight. The cloth diapers leave the wetness next to their skin, so they tend to wake earlier from sleep (sometimes).
I don't care that they are stained, so I don't use anything but vinegar to wash them. It is more natural and doubles as a fabric softener too.
Is there a diaper service in the area? I didn't know. I save so much money by not using a service and by using cloth throughout the day. I love it.

My husband and I made the switch to cloth as well. I am in love with FUZZI BUNZ!! They are so easy to use. They are all in one diapers so you don't have to bother with covers or anything. Also, when the diaper is soiled, most of the poo falls off into the toilet so you don't have to worry about extensive cleaning at the toilet. They were designed by a mom who didn't want to put too much time into laundering, and she did a great job! All my husband and I do each time we change our son is take out the insert, put the insert and the diaper into the diaper pail and put on a clean diaper! At the end of the day, everything goes straight to the wash. We hang dry the diaper portion and then dry the inserts in the dryer because they take a little longer and we didn't want to purchase a ton of diapers. They may be more expensive than prefolds, etc. but the convenience is worth it! Hope this helps you out!

Hi. When my daughter was about 8 months old she developed a diaper rash so severe that it looked like her skin had been burned. We tried every prioduct out on the market, desitin, A & d etc but nothing worked. We finally tride Dy dee diaper service. Her rash was gone within the week. Honestly they were less expensive than paper diapers, better for the environment and easy. they charge a 10.00 new acoount set up fee and then depending on the amount of diapers you use that is what you are charged for. you leave the dirty diapers on the porch and they are replaced with clean ones. they sell diaper wraps which are fabulous too. i loved using that service. I recommend it highly.

I am a new mom and am loving the diaper service...only about $20 a week and if you pay in advance they give a 5-10% discount. not only is it better for the environment(saves a lot of water and trees), it seems like my son does better in the cloth diapers. I have had no diaper rash or any problems. We use Didy(sp) Diapers (800)803-9333 and I highly recommend. you can always try it for a month and see how it goes. also, you can still use disposables for travel. target has nature baby product line with biodegradable diapers...a bit more expensive than pampers etc. but better for environment. once you get into a routine its no harder than the disposable thing! the pail doesn't smell either! good luck!