The last {and only} time I wrote about cloth diapers on this blog was in my 2009 Earth day post. I wrote about how I was going to transition Landon from disposable diapers to cloth diapers. I was so excited and passionate about this step. Unfortunately, our transition was unsuccessful and I hadn’t revisited the thought of cloth diapering . . . until now.
A bit of back-story. I went to the class on cloth diapering at one of the only “green” baby stores in our city. Frankly, I found the owner to be unhelpful and quite judgmental. It had been a bad day of teething so I understand that my emotions were running a little high {and we were running a little late} but her attitude didn’t help me want to come back to her store.
Still, I decided to stay through the class and learn about all the different types of cloth diapers. There are so many kinds. Pre-folds, All-in-ones, Pockets . . . it’s like learning a new language and can be completely overwhelming for newbies like me. After the class I decided that I wanted to buy some of what I thought would be the most convenient for us. This would be our trial period.
I ended up choosing two different brands; bumGenius and Fuzzi Bunz. I chose bumGenius one-size diapers because they are known as an all-in-one. This means that it’s one piece and I don’t have to fiddle with “stuffing” the diapers with extra inserts. I loved that it was a one-size diaper meaning that it would grow with Landon from 7 months {our time of transition} to whenever he was fully potty trained.
I chose Fuzzi Bunz as an alternative diaper to try. I bought the medium size but it came with all kinds of snaps so that it too could grow with your child up to 35 lbs. The difference is this is a pocket diaper meaning I could stuff it with an insert {or two or three for overnight}. I wanted to try that option too just in case the BG didn’t work out.
I loved the way they looked. So cute and fluffy. So soft next to my skin. They just felt better than pampers or huggies or any of the disposables. I really felt like I was doing what was best for my baby.
The next day, with a big grin on my face, I got them out to try them for the first time. Imagine my disappointment when both diapers leaked when Landon peed. I didn’t understand the problem!
Naaman was standing there watching the utter failure of our trial and because he was only on board to save money he was not too keen on me going back to the store to buy a bunch of others just to try. The bumGenius cost $18.95 and the Fuzzi Bunz cost $17.95. So the diapers were washed and shoved into the back of the closet. Never to be used again . . . or so I thought.
Fast forward ten months . . . Landon is now 17-months-old. I was bored to tears two days ago, sorting through some things in the closet when what should I spot but those beautiful, barely-used cloth diapers. I hesitated only for a second but then reluctantly pulled them out to be used at the next changing.
First I tried the BG all-in-one diaper.
Made sure it was tight enough around his legs and let him move around just like normal. He is a VERY active little boy. Jumping, running, climbing, dancing. Guess what? They did not leak! I changed him after 2 hours when I realized he had peed. There was much less moisture on his skin than when he wears pampers so I was very happy about that.
Next up, I tried the FB with the insert in the pocket.
About 2.5 hours into play time he began to look suspect. He is now pretty good at letting me know when he is pooping. So I went into change him and he had peed and pooped, none of which leaked out anywhere! I was so impressed and excited that they were working. I don’t know if the previous leaks had to do with his smaller size or if I just wasn’t putting them on tightly enough. But now they work like a charm! I have since learned that there are diaper trials on the cheap. This could have helped us save money while we found the diaper that worked for us. We’ll probably do something like this when B arrives.
Even though Landon is already 17-months-old it’s never too late to transition. Especially since cloth diapers can be used for more than one child. I always told Naaman that when our next child was born we would definitely cloth diaper from the beginning so I’ve been doing research on the best newborn cloth diapers.
Seriously folks, these are NOT your mother’s cloth diapers anymore! The myths and misconceptions just don’t hold up. The choices are a plenty and they are awesome for your baby, your pocketbook and the planet! If we cloth diaper B from the beginning it will be a savings of between $1,200 to $2,000. That’s not just change in the bucket. Yes, it’s an investment up front but there are good deals to be had if you look around.
For instance, I found a woman willing to sell me 18 Fuzzi Bunz diapers. They are all brand new except for one that was used once. She sold them to me for $10 each! So that’s $180 to start. But brand new that purchase would have cost me $324. That’s a big savings! Especially when you factor in that we will use them for B too.
There are still details to sort out like how to wash the diapers, what detergent to use, etc. but I am so happy that this alternative might work out after all. I promise I will keep you guys updated on our progress!
