This weeks Monday Mommy is a little different from our past Monday Mommies. Katie has yet to take the plunge into cloth diapering but really wants to. Her husband is switching jobs so she hopes to be able to build her stash soon! She has lots of questions about cloth diapering that she would love to have answers too! So PLEASE help a fellow mama out and answer some of her questions in the comments section below! Thanks so much.
I am a mom who would love to start cloth diapering my 4 month old son. I have not tried cloth diapering yet, but I will very soon! I have answered these questions the best that I can with what little knowledge I have on cloth diapers. I would love to get some feedback from the expert cloth diapering moms out there. I don’t care if it is positive or negative advice, I want to hear everyone’s opinion. No one is going to scare me away from this decision, but I do want to make sure I enter this new world fully prepared with all the knowledge I can get. I hope you enjoy reading and I can not wait to read some of your feedback on the questions! Thank you!
1) Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you located? How many kids do you have? How many little ones do you have in cloth diapers?
I am a 26 year old SAHM to my 2 beautiful babies! I am also a new “trucker wife” as my husband is starting a new career in OTR Truck Driving. So I will basically be living the life of a married woman with children, as well as living the life of a single mom since my husband will be on the road so much. I am located in South Carolina, true Southern Belle. Right now I have 2 children who are my world! Staisha is 7 years old and she is my little angel. Colin is 4 months old and he is momma’s boy! As of right now, I do not have my son in cloth diapers. I have actually been using LUVS disposable diapers, but I really want to make the change asap!
(visit her blog here)
2) What made you decide to give cloth diapers a try?
A friend of mine, who is also a fellow momma blogger, posted a link to a very informative article. The article is called “First Steps: The Diaper Debate” and you can find it at:
http://ecochildsplay.com/2010/09/24/first-steps-the-diaper-debate/comment-page-1/.
This article opened my eyes to so many things! I couldn’t believe all the chemicals involved in the making of a disposable diaper, nor could I believe that it takes so long for a disposable diaper to biodegrade in a landfill. Just reading about the possible health risks associated with these diapers in the landfill was enough to sell me on cloth diapering. Just the thought of switching makes me feel like a better mom.
3)What did your family and friends think when you told them you were going to use cloth? What did they think when they seen the new modern diapers available?
When I first mentioned this to my husband, he looked at me like I was crazy. He didn’t think I would have enough time to handle this because our son is very needy when it comes to his momma. Then you add an ADHD 7 year to the mix that doesn’t take medication....there is no time! However, I read the article to him and he was shocked as well. He said he would like to see if it really saves money like the reports claim. We currently spend $30/month on diapers and this will last us from 1 month to a month and 1 week. I told him it was going to be an investment to build a supply, but we needed to start slow until we found the type of diaper that works for us & Colin. Not to mention with his new career choice, we can’t afford to foot out $400 for a complete supply right off the bat.
My friends and mother think I am crazy! They want to know why in the world I would want to add on anymore task for myself when I already have enough. They are basically referring to extra loads of laundry, but laundry honestly doesn’t bother me. I do a load every day, so what is 2-3 more a week? I told them this is something I want to do and they can choose to support me or they can choose not to, but regardless I am doing it!
4) What was your very first cloth diaper? Do you still use it?
I have not tried a cloth diaper yet. I am waiting on my husband’s paycheck, and then it’s off to search for my first cloth diaper. I have gotten some feedback from other cloth diapering momma’s via Facebook and my blog (http://diaryofmomma00.blogspot.com), but I am still in the early phases of my research! I would LOVE to get some feedback from other moms that cloth diaper. I feel the more information I receive, the better off I am at making a good decision for one to start with. I do know that I do not want to start with a diaper that requires a lot of folding. Why? I feel that if I start with a tricky diaper that needs folding I may get discouraged and give up to easily. I do not want this to happen. I want to give this a full fledge effort & I want to make it work. I really feel that this is a great thing for me to do for my son, as well as our wallet! So please...give me some feedback on your personal experiences.
5) What type of diapers does your stash primarily consist of: pocket, aio, one size, pre-folds, flats, hybrids, etc? Which ones do you prefer to use? The first one you grab?
Again, I do not have a stash at this moment. Currently, I am looking at GDiapers, BumEssentials, Thirsties, and Doopsy. I have picked these because I have read the most reviews on them, as well as heard the most about them. GDiapers seem like the perfect way to start because it is basically snapping in a liner, inserting the cloth insert, and then cut the baby loose. I think this would be a great diaper to start off with because there isn’t a lot of work involved. The one drawback to GDiapers is their price! A typical GPants runs you about $19 and then you have to buy the inserts for $30. If you own more than 1 GDiaper it is recommended you buy extra liners, which will run you an additional $20. So this may be more than I want to spend to just try cloth diapers out. The other diapers have GREAT prices and seem fairly easy to use. My son hasn’t learned that he can pull a diaper loose yet, so I don’t think it matters right now if I use snaps or Velcro. I think the Velcro is great for your smaller babies, but once they figure out that the diaper can & will come off...snaps are the way to go! Again I appreciate and welcome any advice you expert cloth diaper moms may have!
6) Do you have a favorite place to hang out and talk or learn about cloth: a blog, message board, Facebook pages, etc.?
I honestly read anything and everything that I can, so I can make myself more informed on this new adventure. I have quite a few blogs that I follow that are specifically about cloth diapering, this includes the Cloth Diaper Addiction. I have also been able to link up with a few cloth diapering mommas with the Facebook Fan pages out there for the brand of cloth diapers as well as retailers. I feel the best advice comes from the mouth of a mom/dad that currently uses cloth diapers, or one who recently stopped using them due to their child(ren) becoming potty trained. I am also keeping tabs on the Cloth Diaper Foundation’s website. This is a program where you can try Cloth Diapers for a small fee before making that big investment on your own. The company takes applications (closed at the moment for applications) and then once you are approved & pay your fees, they will send you some loaner diapers. These are for you to try on your baby, and then send back once you are finished. For another small fee you can also send back your current diapers and upgrade to a bigger size. This is a really great program and I am super eager for them to start taking applications again.
7) What cloth diapering items, besides diapers, do you consider to be a must-have accessory?
Well as stated before, I am in the early phases of my research. In my honest opinion it does seem like you need a lot in order to be fully ready to cloth diaper, but I will just have to slowly purchase these things as we go along. I do know that you need a wet bag and a dry bag. I am still not sure of the specifics behind these, but I have the general concept. I have read where many moms use a variety of cleaning procedures and products. It was all overwhelming to me, if you want my honest opinion. I would really like to have some great feedback on the necessities you must have to be successful in cloth diapering. All of the different products leave my head spinning & causing lots of smoke to come out of my ears! So tips, advice, etc is always greatly appreciated and welcome!
8) Do you have any special ways to wash or strip your diapers?
This is another topic that I need help on! I have read quite a few things about the problems some moms are having, and I have read some of the solutions. They all seem like great ways, but how do you know which is the best? I have read that sometimes it all depends on the diaper. Help is greatly appreciated once again on this topic! Feed my brain with knowledge mommas!
9) If you could share just one tip with someone who is just starting out with cloth or considering using cloth, what would be your best piece of advice to them?
Since I am no expert by any means, all I can say is to do tons of research on cloth diapers. This way you can make a good decision for you and your baby. Since I am just now wanting to start....please share with me any tips you may have! I feel that you moms hold the key to a vast knowledge into the cloth diapering world. Please share your wisdom with me! This way I convert to a full-time cloth diapering mom and feel 200% better about this new adventure Colin and I are about to start.
Katie, Thank you so much for sharing with us. I hope that everyone can help give you advise on how to get started at answer some of your questions!
