Poop Post, Part Deux

I wanted to do an update to my last post about cloth diapering. In that post I stated that we were using- at one point- four different cloth diapers: Baby City, ProRaps, Fuzzibunz, and KaWaii. Mila-bird grew out of ProRaps within 3 weeks as the size that I had was for newborns only. That left Baby City, Fuzzibunz and KaWaii.

Since my last post the Baby City diapers (pictured above) gave out on me. While doing a wash I noticed that the inside of the diaper was de-laminating. I tried a higher tumble dry but had no luck. De-lam can happen in two ways: the diaper was not being dried at the proper temperature or there was a manufacturing issue. I KNOW that the first option was not the problem as I line dried these. The second option is the issue since these diapers are not a name brand, came straight from the manufacturer in China and cost me about $12 for 9 of them. I knew this prior to purchasing them but some people had good, long-lasting results so I figured I'd give them a whirl. I will miss the fun colors, stretchy close tabs and how fast they line dry. I will not miss the leaks, cheap material, lack of inserts (didn't come with any) and the bulkiness of the diaper.

Bottom line: I wouldn't purchase these again and would not recommend them for someone who is new to cloth diapering.

This also means that I'm officially done using my prefolds. (Pictured below) I was using these as inserts for the Baby City diapers. Sure, I can still use them as inserts as needed but, for now, they will remain packed away for the next baby to use.

So, it was now back to deciding which diaper to invest in. In the end I went with buying 12 more KaWaii Heavy Duty One Size diapers. (A $72 purchase) That brings my total diaper stash to 18 KaWaii diapers and 6 Fuzzibunz One Size Elite.

Ultimately I decided to go with this brand for the price per diaper, ease of use, washing instructions, and overall performance on Birdie. Each diaper came with 2 micofiber inserts. I still like my Fuzzibunz diapers but I'm starting to question if they'll fit Birdie's booty until she's about 2 years old... they look really tiny compared to KaWaii.

Here's a few extra thoughts that have popped into my head:

- It's important to wash according the the manufacturer's instructions but you can still vary how you wash within that. How one mama washes her baby's diapers may not work for you. Mila-bird is a heavy wetter so I do more soaks, extra rinses, and sun bleach to keep the ammonia smell/ build up in check.

- Cloth diapers RARELY produce a diaper rash. If there's a diaper rash situation one might want to look into what you're eating (if breastfeeding) or how good of a wash your diapers are getting. Usually one needs to strip the diapers completely as something is building up on them. The only rash Birdie has had was from when I was downing fruit Odwalla drinks everyday. Once I stopped her rash disappeared.

- Cloth diapered babies need to be changed more frequently than disposable. Disposables are designed to wick moisture away from the baby as they're in the diaper, making it last longer. Cloth diapers are not made to do that- babies feel what they're sitting in. I change Birdie's diaper every 2-3 hours no matter what as it's usually pretty done by then. Some families need to change every hour, hence the need for so many cloth diapers. (Minimum of 24 is recommended in a stash) With my new KaWaii purchase I've pushed my washing from every other day to every two days.

- Cloth diapers are much bulkier than disposable, especially when you add in extra inserts. For Birdie, I've added two inserts to her Fuzzibunz for better performance... but it doesn't mean it's lasts longer. I stick to one insert for her KaWaii diapers. Because they're bulkier you might have to go up a size in clothing, particularly outfits with little pants like this:

This Carter's outfit is a 6 month size. The onesie will last her awhile as there's still length left to growing into. The pants may not last as long depending on how she grows. We'll have to see. She still fits into some 3 month onesies but in little pants I have to buy a 6 month size to allot extra bulk from her diaper. (And maybe it's just me but I've noticed that Carter's clothes run a little big.)

Cloth diapering isn't for everyone. It can seem very overwhelming, a little odd and even gross to some. My posts on this topic are merely for those who have inquired about how it works. Bottom line- we love how well it works for our family.

The One Where She Talks About Poop

PREFACE: 

We are a cloth diaper family.

I love it. 

One of the best decisions we've made. 

Now that Mila-bird has made her debut, and now pushing into her fifth (what!?) week of life, this mama gets a lot of questions about how we tackle this. 

When I was pregnant I debated whether to start cloth diapering from the second she was born or wait until we came home from the hospital. I'm REALLY glad I waited until we got home. Having to deal with an unplanned c-section and a long hospital stay (and almost an even longer one for Birdie) would have made diapering more tedious. Who wants to come home with a ton of laundry, anyways? So, her little booty stayed in disposables for four days. 

Honestly, it was a little challenging? Difficult? Strange... getting started once she was home. Each baby has their own shape and unique "way" of ...er... going... so getting the right fit and diaper type can take some trial and error. During this time, since we were exclusively co-sleeping, I kept a little piddle pad underneath her while she slept. 

WHAT WE SPENT: 

24 Diaper Service Quality cloth diapers: $40

3 Snappi's: $9

6 KaWaii diapers: $35

9 Baby City diapers: $20

6 Fuzzibunz diapers: $86

7 (gently used) ProRaps covers: $15

48 baby wash cloths: $12

2 small spray bottles: $3

2 wet bags: free, thanks to grandma

1 trash can: $15

1 travel size Dr. Bronner's lavender soap: $3 

TOTAL: $238.00 

WHAT WE USE: 

(Thanks a heap, blogger, for not letting me rotate.) 

What we use: (clockwise from top) 

Yellow- KaWaii Heavy Duty one size diaper 

White- Fuzzibunz one size diaper

Pink- Baby City one size diaper

White- ProRaps newborn cover 

Note: "one size" means it will fit a baby from birth (or about 8-10lbs) until about 30 lbs. They cost more but are a better investment in my personal opinion. 

When Mila came home 99% of the time she was in a traditional cloth diaper (think of a traditional spit up rag but higher quality) with a ProRap cover. In the picture you can see the the cover has a little notch at the top that prevents the diaper from touching little belly buttons. Whenever she was soiled the cloth diaper would go into the pail and the cover- if not soiled- would be reused. Otherwise it, too, would go into the wash pail. I only used the newborn size as she grew out of them very, very quickly. (Uhh... two weeks later.) While she was growing out of these I started putting her into Fuzzibunz. These have an insert that go into a little pocket. When it's soiled you remove the insert and throw it and the cover (pictured) into the wash pail. The snaps are adjustable and there's elastic in the legs and waist that let you customize the fit to your baby. (Perfect for Birdie's chunky thighs AND skinny waist.) 

Now that Mila-bird has filled out and lost her belly button cord we're using only KaWaii, Fuzzibunz and Baby City. Each has their own washing instructions, look, "pro," and fit. Am I happy with them? Yes. Definitely. 

 Birdie wearing a traditional cloth diaper and a snappi to secure it. (ProRap cover would go over this) 

Birdie-girl sporting a KaWaii diaper before bath time. 

HOW WE WASH: 

Directions for each cloth diaper brand posted inside a cabinet in the laundry room.

Top of the line cloth diaper detergent. 

Our trash can wash pail... complete with dirty diapers and inserts. Most people use a pail liner but a Febreeze-scented trash bag works just fine. 

Grandma made Birdie two travel wet bags for her diaper bag. This holds dirty diapers (and sometimes clothes) until we get home to wash them. 

Because I invested in these diapers and plan on using them for other children I do a wash every other day. Waiting longer can build up some funk and risk the chances of diaper rash appearing on a booty. Each diaper has their own specific washing instructions, but I always do a 30 minute cold water soak before I toss them into the washing machine...this also includes the travel wet bags. (To eliminate chances of stains, lingering smells, etc.) You'd be surprised to learn that with all of the diapers we use you're only supposed to use anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 the detergent amount you'd use for the load size. Detergent can actually build up on the diapers and make them ineffective at soaking up what it needs to. Also, cloth diapers cannot be washed with just any detergent. I use All Free & Clear as it has no additives, dyes, perfumes, etc, etc. I use this on Birdie's clothes as well instead of Dreft. I wash on a regular cycle but once a week I do a sanitize setting to really make sure everything- including the washer- is clean. I just purchased the Rockin Green detergent last week to help prevent ammonia build up. So far I think it's a great product. The package is really tiny but it doesn't take much per load. 

I know what you're thinking... what about poop. Mila is exclusively breastfed so her poop breaks up really easily. Poopy diapers are stored in the wash pail until I'm ready to do a load. I use our laundry sink to spray out the poop. Yes, sometimes that means I touch it. I don't mind it... it's JUST poop. Once it's sprayed out I soak all diapers and reuseable wipes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Then I wash the diapers according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Wipes go in the load with the hottest setting.) 

Sounds like a lot? It's really, really not. In the time it takes me to load up an infant, drive to Costco, stand in line, pay, and drive back home I could have all of the diapers washed, dried and assembled... with time to spare. 

HOW WE STORE: 

Baby City diapers with reusable cloth wipes.  

KaWaii and Fuzzibunz's with a pile of extra inserts.  

Our wipe system: a small spray bottle of water mixed with three drops of Dr. Bronner's lavender soap. I spray the wipes to moisten them but sometimes I just spray her directly. LOVE the smell! 

All of the diapers I'm using are pocket diapers- they have two inserts that are stuffed into the pocket to create the fluffiness of the diaper. I stuff all of the diapers with just one insert but sometimes I add the second if Birdie will be asleep for awhile or if we're going to be in the car for a long time. It just adds more absorbency. 

After everything is dry it takes me approximately 10 minutes or less to get all of the diapers stuffed, organized and put away. 

ON THE GO: 

There's not a big difference in cloth diapering at home versus on-the-go. Instead of throwing away diapers and wipes as they're used they just get tossed into that green wet bag until we get home. I usually have at least 2-3 cloth diapers in my baby bag... sometimes a couple more just to be safe. I also have a small stack of reusable wipes (baby wash cloths), a piddle pad, a travel-sized spray bottle of water, and a cloth diaper friendly diaper rash cream. (Mila breaks out if I eat a lot of acidic foods) 

Will we ever go back to disposables? Yes. I purchased a pack of disposable Seventh Generation diapers (wipes, too!) for a weekend trip that we took last week. We stayed in a hotel the entire three days and I knew that I wasn't going to have access to a washing machine. I don't mind doing this again in the future if I needed to. 

WHY WE DO IT: 

Each cloth diapering family has their own personal reason as to why they do it. For our family it breaks down to two reasons: 

1) The cost- It absolutely blows my mind to think that I'm literally throwing money away each time I change a diaper that's been worn for such a short amount of time. I once read that to cloth diaper a child from birth to 2 years old (including electricity/ gas costs) can cost as little as $300. To diaper a child from birth to 2 years old using disposables can cost at least $1,300. HELLO! 

2) Chemicals- Sounds silly but it's true. D and I are silent, closeted hippies are heart. The thought of all of those disposable diaper chemicals touching our Birdie's skin makes us both cringe. This is why we use mostly water with our reusable wipes. 

Call me crazy but I think little bums look a little bit cuter in cloth diapers.