Cloth Diapering from a Not-So-Crunchy Momma!

There is a lot of debate going on in the baby world these days, about Cloth Diapering vs. Disposables.
A popular term for Cloth Diapering momma's?
Crunchy.
If you're anything like me, you're already lost.
What I've figured out so far is that I am about as crunchy as a burnt marshmellow.
My husband? He's somewhere in the Cool-whip category.
However, as crunch-less as we may be, I still feel it necessary to be informed about things like Cloth Diapers, in case we need to know someday in the future.
Luckily for me, one of my favorite blogging mama's has just made the cloth diaper switch herself, & I have been learning all kinds of things from her about them.
She is an absolute treasure trove of information, she's gorgeous, & she has one of the cutest babes evah!
If you don't follow her already, you should...just as soon as you get done reading this post!
So without further adieu, I give you "Mrs. Trophy Wife"!

Cloth Diapering from a Not-So-Crunchy Mama
by Mrs. Trophy Wife & Sullivan

(Pippy Comment: Holy cuteness!)

When I first told my husband I wanted to cloth diaper, he looked at me in disgust and said, "No way! There will be shit stains all in them." So, I dropped the subject.

Then life happened. Sullivan was born, and we quickly realized he was extremely allergic to Pampers. We switched to Huggies only to deal with at least one "blow out" a day and diapers soaked through to his clothes. Fed up and exhausted, I called my husband (over Skype. He's deployed, by the way), and said, "I'm switching over to cloth." I began my research of all things cloth. My Type A OCD personality led me to be overwhelmed by the hundreds upon hundreds of choices. Where the hell do you even start?

So when Pippy asked me to do a guest post on cloth diapering for mamas that aren't sure where to begin, I jumped on the idea. Hopefully, my obsession with cloth diapers will help you make a decision about what's best for you.

1) Making the Decision: If you're environmentally concerned, obviously cloth diapering is the best way to go. Our water bill has not increased since starting, and I line dry anytime it's nice out. Better for the diapers. Better for my wallet. If you're concerned about rashes or chemicals in the disposables, you can't beat cloth diapering. We haven't had a single rash since we started using them. Oh and money? We've spent about $600.00 on cloth diapers and we're set for Sullivan and the next baby or two. You can expect to spend about $1,600 every two years on disposables. Then you add in diaper creams, wipes, garbage services. It really adds up. The initial investment might seem high, but just look at the numbers in the long run. It's also VERY possible to cloth diaper for under $200.00. If you go with Prefolds and Covers, you can easily cloth diaper economically.

2) Starting Out: Start with a trial program. You never know what's going to work best for you and your baby. A good trial will have some of everything. The basics are;

Prefolds-Old school. Have to pin or snappi them in place. Need a cover.
Fitted-Soft and fitted. Requires a cover.
Pockets-Just like it sounds. They have a pocket you can stuff with inserts to make as absorbant as you need.
All-In-Ones-Most babysitter/daddy friendly. Work just a like a disposable. You put them on, take them off, stick them in the laundry. Not necessarily the cheapest.
Hybrids-Have a "Snap-In" insert so that you can re-use the cover.

The trials will let you try whatever you want, send back what you don't, and learn what you like in a cloth diaper. My advice? Don't cloth diaper a newborn if you're not sure if you want to stick with it. I was so overwhelmed as a new mama with my husband deployed, I probably would have given it up if I tried right away. You can start cloth diapering any time. Sullivan wasn't cloth diapered until he was three-months-old.

3) Traveling:
Super easy. Grab yourself a wet bag, stick it in the diaper bag, and you're off. For longer trips, take a pail liner instead so you have extra room. If you get one that's zippered, you can keep smell at bay. Easy peasy, for real.

4) Laundry:
Simple again. Get enough diapers, usually about 24 per child, to do laundry every other day. Cold Rinse, Hot Wash, Cold Rinse and a tiny bit of cloth diaper friendly detergent. Hang to dry, or tumble dry. Whatever works for you.

5) All or nothing:
It doesn't have to be. Don't start cloth diapering by tossing all your disposables and becoming immediately dependent. Ain't gonna work. You can cloth diaper part-time, during the day, during weekends. WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU! Don't pressure yourself.

6) Enter Giveaways:
If you're looking for a way to cloth diaper cheaply, just do a quick google search and enter some of the hundreds of cloth diaper contests. I've won twenty-six diapers. Seriously. And no, I don't spend my life entering contests. I keep a list of ones I'm interested, check them every day. It takes probably ten minutes and is so worth it.

So, that being said, be sure to check out my "Month of Fluff" on my blog http://www.exploitsofamilitarymama.com if you're looking to win some great diapers. I'm also doing lots of reviews, so you can read about them and enter what interests you. Also, email me with ANY questions at: mrs.trophywife@ymail.com

Finally, enter Pippy's Coddlelife Bottle giveaway! SO cool.

~Mrs. Trophy Wife