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Monday, June 2, 2008

You never know what you'll try

It only took four children to get me to try cloth diapers. I realize that a few great minds jump on the cloth train with their first wee one, but alas, I am not quite as intelligent as some folks seem to think I am. I am, after all, the very same person who sent approximately $6,000 directly to the landfill in the process of diapering babies #1, 2 and 3. This is only an estimate, of course. I'll never know how many diapers I used in each child's pre-potty career. My children were all early trainers (22 mos., 23 mos. and 19 mos., respectively), thankfully. Otherwise, that number would have been much, much higher.

I'm not sure exactly how committed to this whole cloth diapering thing I am. I like the idea behind it; we'll see if it holds its romance when I'm swishing one of Oliver's squishy diapers in the toilet. That, I'm sure, will be the true test. After all, better for the baby, saving money and helping out the planet are one thing. Overcoming laziness and my gag reflex are another thing altogether.
To get us started on the journey to a greener bum for Oliver, I ordered the Try It Kit from Cotton Babies. For a little more than the price of a case of disposables, I got enough supplies to get me through a day. That seems sound enough to me, financially speaking. But here's the rub--the secret thing that no one tells you:

Cloth diapering is one of the cutest things ever. Yes, it's true. I have been smitten by the adorable options that I can now wrap around Oliver's already adorable little bottom. So what's the financial problem behind this? Cloth diapering can be one expensive little habit.

I've figured this out already, and I am only in possession of a day's worth of diapers. Granted, two of those diapering items are too cute for words:



See? I told you they were cute!

I'm waiting on my bumGenius order, which I am absolutely not going to tell you about until it arrives. Why? Because I am far too excited over a delivery of diapers, for goodness sakes. I can only embarrass myself so much in one post.

Off to dry and fold ...

6 comments:

Sarah said...

That is very cute. I continue to plug my ears and not listen to the praises of cloth diapers...

Anonymous said...

We found, however, that drying them in the dryer is not a wise idea. They shrunk (even on the lowest setting?!?!) just enough to be unusable for our little girl. :( More money down the drain, so to speak.

Until we can get a clothesline installed (which we're hoping to do soon), we've had to return to disposables. We're at least using the Seventh Generation chlorine-free ones now, though, so at least Hope Giver's bum is partly green ;)

(By the way, 7th Generation is the name of the brand -- I don't mean to imply that we're using ones that were used by our great-great-great-great-great- great-grandparents!)

Anonymous said...

I have also jumped on the cloth diaper band wagon (after both of my boys potty trained!). They are both heavy night time wetters, and they were leaking through the disposable pull-ups (which were costing at least $30 a month, with no end in sight, I was a bedwetter until about 4th grade). So I found clothdiaperoutlet.com, and have the cutest supply of knickernappies in an array of colors. I am wishing I had realized earlier how nice cloth diapers are. I could have saved a fortune! Unless, as you say, the gag reflex took over.

Rebecca in AR

Liz said...

none of my diapers have shrunk. i have used bummis, fuzzi bunz, dappi, and homemade.
diapers are an expensive habit. i LOVE folding them and putting them away. very satisfying!. i dont swish my dipes either, just shake off the chunks (yuck) and wash away. i am cloth diapering my 5th baby right now!! good luck :)
liz

Unknown said...

Umm. I've done this once.

My first.

I can't . . ..seem . . .to . . .remember . . .

Hm. Brain cramp.

But some really, really cute dipes.

Are you trying to tempt me??

EllaJac said...

I've been using cloth on my third little one... And love it. She's still in the mostly-breastmilk diet, so the diapers aren't bad at all. I used prefolds and bummis when she was tiny, but then got on the bandwagon to make my own, and then taught myself the knit the cutest woolly soakers ever. Cloth is DEFINITELY the cutest thing ever.