Jaxson is almost 4 months old now (when I started this post he was 8 weeks old!) and has been in cloth diapers almost exclusively for the past 3 months. How’s it going, you ask? Pretty awesome! I am loving cloth diapering and I love keeping extra $40 in my pocket a month not buying disposables!

I had planned to do cloth diapers from the very beginning but with my low iron after birth I didn’t have the energy to walk up the stairs, let alone keep up with diaper laundry. I also quickly learned that prefolds and covers weren’t for me, which were the majority of my newborn stash. I did like kissaluvs fitteds and prowrap covers though! But, I only had 2 so I just used them every now and then. He gained weight and cute leg rolls quickly and at about a month old we (*ahem*…I! Mark hasn’t changed one yet!) eased into cloth. I had enough for 1 day but wanted more so I could go longer between washings.  Mark’s coworkers gave us a  gift card that had more than enough  to double our stash (thanks guys!) from my favorite cloth diaper store Jack Be Natural (excellent customer service and rewards!).

I already had some Bumgenius from my short cloth diapering stint with Savannah, and had bought some Grovia hybrids and a Fuzzibunz, and I liked those, but I decided to try out Kawaii Baby diapers since I heard such great things about them and they are much cheaper! I’m all about getting more for my money. They are extremely similar to BumGenius or Fuzzibunz (depending on which style you get), I love them and are at the top of my favorite list. The Pure and Naturals are the trimmest cloth diaper I’ve used (very close to a disposable fit under clothes), but I prefer to use a fuzzibunz newborn insert to fit the smaller width better (which unfortunately only comes with a Fuzzibunz one size diaper and not sold separately, I looked). I also got some of Kawaii’s Minky Bamboo and they are my favorite for night time since bamboo is super absorbent yet the insert is really thin (and I’ll be honest I am too tired to change his diaper at ever night time feeding, so super absorbency is good!). They also are the softest thing I’ve ever felt.

So to sum things up that I’ve learned or liked about cloth diapering so far:

1. They really do keep in the breastfeeding poo’s better! Every single time he has had a famous baby poo-up-the-back-blow-out has been when he was wearing disposables. In fact, I can only think of maybe 1 or 2 times when his cloth diaper leaked pooped and even then it was only a tiny bit around the leg. I do find that pee will still leak around the legs or sides if I don’t change him soon enough (usually at night when not wearing a bamboo diaper). Still, I remember with Savannah having to treat so many of her clothes or my own sheets for stains at this exclusive breastfeeding stage and I don’t have to do that with his clothes!

2. Washing is easy and no big deal. I do a warm prewash, hot wash with Classic Rockin’ Green or Crunchy Clean, two rinses. Done. Everything goes into the dryer except the shells that I hang on this cool wire rack. Don’t ask me where I got it from, it came with our house. I almost threw it away because I was like, “What in the world would I use this for?!” But it’s perfect for drying cloth diapers inside and not taking up much space so I’m glad I held onto it. Also, our water bill hasn’t gone up much. I’d rather pay a few extra dollars a month in water than even more money on disposables that just get thrown away.

3. Have at least 2 wetbags! (or pail liners if you use a pail.) I use a Planetwise large hanging bag to store our dirty diapers and then it gets tossed in the wash with them. However, until recently I only had 1 bag so while it was washing I was left with a stack of dirty diapers sitting on Jax’s changing area. Granted, they don’t stink at this point because he is only breastfed but still….gross. It’s totally worth the extra money to have another one to keep rotating each wash. Plus, its nice to have a smaller one for your diaper bag when out on the go (which, cloth diapering on the go isn’t so bad either!).

4. He gets diaper rash from when we do use disposable diapers and wipes (which is very rare these days). There’s gotta be something to that! I feel better knowing those chemicals aren’t on him and bothering his skin 24/7.

5. I know some people worry about the “ick factor” of cloth diapers. At this point, its no big deal. I spray a cloth wipe with water, clean him, then shake out the insert into the wetbag. Occasionally, an insert needs help getting out and so I may have to touch a pee filled one but that doesn’t bother me. Right now breastfeeding poo’s are water soluble so no extra step needed, we’ll see how things change once he starts solids in a few months and the poop consistency changes. I know I’ll be investing in or making a diaper sprayer!

I think it is so neat how cloth diapering is catching back on in the parenting world :-) It really is very easy once you stop being overwhelmed by the choices and has so many benefits. I have many mommy friends that have taken the plunge and never looked back!

Jaxson is already a week old. Wow. This time last week I was slurping away at a castor oil milkshake and doing Christmas shopping with him in my belly. It’s so bittersweet to think that my pregnancy with him is over yet I’m loving having him in our arms. Here’s a rundown of our first week as a family of four:

1) Savannah loves him. She asks to hold him often and runs to him if he’s crying to see what is wrong. She was absolutely giggly when she finally got to meet him the day we came home (so glad we captured that on video!). She often tells him that she loves him and has been a great helper when he needs something. Yet, she is also having a hard time adjusting to sharing Mommy and the attention, as we expected. Some moments have been rough for all of us as we adjust, and I’m learning that I need to keep depending on God for strength and wisdom in how to deal with this life change. And to simply just relax knowing that this is normal and it will pass. Each day does get better and better though as we find our new “normal.”

2) I’ve felt pretty weak from losing too much blood after birth, not to mention exhausted from the many wake up calls throughout the night.  And again, each day does leave me feeling better, especially since I started an iron supplement and I finally knocked out a cold that wouldn’t go away (Floradix and Vitamin D3 are my new best friends).  I’ve also been dealing with a lot of back pain since Jax’s birth threw something out of wack.  Some times I couldn’t even sit down because it would shoot pain up my back, ouch!  I decided to be brave a try a chiropractor to help (I hate popping things!) and it definitely has made a difference.

3) I’ve been overwhelmed with the love overflowing from friends and family, even people I have never met.  We’ve had a meal brought to use every single night between my local mommy group and the church we’ve only been to not even a handful times. My own family came down and took care of us for a few days bringing gifts and cooking me even more meals. It’s been wonderful to be surrounded by such love!

4) Jaxson is doing amazing. He only lost 2 ounces from his birth weight and quickly surpassed his birth weight just days later. He’s hit  a growth spurt and changing already, getting fat rolls around his chin and little legs. He eats like a champ (obviously) and is a pretty laid back guy. He sleeps pretty well at night considering he doesn’t have any “awake” periods like Savannah used to, but he does wake up often to eat…some nights every 30 minutes to an hour. I’m so hoping this is just because of the growth spurt! I’d be happy with even waking up every 2-3 hours at this point, seeing every single hour on the clock between 8pm and 9am is absolutely rough.

5) On the cloth diaper front, we haven’t switched over yet. One, because I have been feeling so weak and couldn’t physically manage doing chores like washing diapers for a while. Two, I wanted to get past the meconium stage. Three, because while his cord stump has fallen off, it still has a scab and I want that to heal first. The few times I did try cloth diapers with a cover (I love the Kissaluvs size O’s! ) it messed with his scab and I’d rather that be left alone. But, hopefully in the next week or two we’ll make the switch :-) And since he’s gaining weight quickly and getting fat rolls hopefully we can use the bigger sizes like Bumgenius and GroVia too :-)

6) While going from a Mom of 1 to 2 has absolutely been an adjustment for all of us, I think parenting number 2 seems slightly easier so far. I’ve been down this road before, I’ve got breastfeeding down (no crying in pain and considering formula like I did with Savannah so far!), I know better how to handle the night time wakings and survive them, etc. It has come back easily and I’m enjoying having a newborn around again.  Yes, it’s hard to eat with one hand, balance taking care of two kid’s needs, and get only 30 minutes of sleep at a time but I’m finding that it’s all about perspective. I know how quickly this will pass now that I’ve had Savannah and have watched her grow rapidly before my eyes. I want to treasure this sweet, crazy time before it’s gone too…and that makes those sleepless nights worth it. You bet I’m “spoiling” Jax with cuddles constantly right now!

7) I seriously feel sad that the birth is over. It was such a looked forward to event that consumed my thoughts and actions as I prepared for it, that it’s almost like I’ve had to grieve that it’s over and may never get to do it again. I had such a great pregnancy and loved my experience using a midwife and birthing center (I have a post planned with more details on that!). I keep re-living my labor and birth over in my head, proud of myself and in awe at how quickly it happened (once it FINALLY happened). So bittersweet.

And lastly, what I know you really came here to see…Jax at one week old:

Please excuse any misspellings or mistakes. I’m tired.

If you’ve read this blog for a while, you may remember when we switched Savannah from disposables to cloth diapers around 2.5 years old.  And I’ll be honest, we didn’t stick with it.  The main reasons why? The stink of microfiber I couldn’t figure out how to keep away, the fact that I lived with my in-laws at the time so it was difficult to keep up with washing when I had to share the washer with 4 other people, and also with me being still in school at the time it just made it difficult to get a routine down. The biggest thing though is that Savannah started to not like them because she could feel she was wet unlike with disposables, which is understandably a big change after 2.5 years in Pampers. She wasn’t ready to potty train yet and so we switched back.

However, with Jaxson’s arrival I’m determined to try again and make it work. Why? The benefits are so worth it for me.  Now that our situation is different, where I am home 24/7, I can wash whenever I need. Also, I’m doing it for the cost savings. We spent about $50′s a month on diapers for Savannah in her 3 plus years in diapers before being potty trained. So roughly 39 months in diapers= $1950 (and that doesn’t include what my in-laws spent for when they watched her, disposable wipes, or diaper genie refills so the number is easily over $2,000). And honestly, one of the main reasons I’m starting from the beginning is for the breastfeeding poop blowouts that occur less often (if ever) in cloth diapers. I remember it was a constant battle and frustration with Savannah in her little Pampers until she started solids. She would poop right through her clothes and onto my lap, my bed, carseat, whatever.  Cloth diapers are just designed better in general, with leg gussets and a tighter fit around the back so hopefully no more  (or at least much less) shooting-up-the-back blowouts will happen! Plus, the fact I’m starting from the beginning with him there is no adjusting or not liking them because it is all he will know. And really? You should feel how soft these diapers are compared to paper disposables. I’ve heard that growing up being able to feel the wetness helps cloth diapering babies to potty train faster, too. If so, bonus! And of course, there are eco-friendly reasons of not throwing out thousands of diapers/wipes in our landfills.

Right now I have about a day’s worth of the tiny newborn stage (during which we will be using some disposables to get past the icky tar like meconium stage) and a day’s worth of larger baby sizes, which means at this point I’ll have to wash each night. My goal is to slowly buy some more once I figure out what works best for us so that I can wash every other day. I’ve decided to use mainly prefolds and covers in the beginning months because I’ve read they hold in the breastfeeding poo’s even better (and fit better on a tiny newborn) than other types such as pockets, plus they are the cheapest way to cloth diaper. When he gains some weight I’ll add in the pocket style diapers like BumGenius, Thirsties, and FuzziBunz.

Aren’t the fun colors so much…well…fun compared to disposables?!

It makes me happy to look at.

This is the whole stash so far, except for my stack of cloth wipes and what I’ve received since taking the picture: 2 newborn fitted Kissaluvs, a Kawaii pocket diaper, a GroVia (which is a Hybrid diaper so we can throw away the inserts to biodegrate when traveling to make it easier!), and a large size hanging Planet Wise Wet Bag to put his dirty diapers in before washing (Thank you again Kelley!).

I have had so many friends switch to cloth, or start from the beginning and have loved it so I’m glad to be surrounded by support and people I can turn to with questions. I’m excited to start this again and to try out different styles or brands unlike last time with Savannah. Mark  just rolls his eyes and is glad he is at work all day so he can avoid this kind of diapering, but I figure if I’m the one home the majority of the time then I can make the choice of what diapers to use :-)

Senior year started last week, which is why I’ve been a little more quiet lately.  School semesters mean busy.  I’ve spent this past week reading not one but two novels (thankfully for two children’s literature classes, so they’re easy and enjoyable!), writing responses, and reading articles.  Most of my classes are very interesting and right up my ally so I’m enjoying it so far.

Oh, and the fact that I think Savannah’s nap time is over. Like, she’s done with regular naps forever. So that means I have little alone time to actually get things done. Perfect timing, huh?  I will probably at least make her have “quiet time” to rest where she can look at books and play quietly in her bed, but still an hour of quiet time versus the three hours she was napping is a lot less time to get things done! We did try to shorten her nap but that still didn’t always help her night time sleep. She was staying up until 10 or 11pm because she just wasn’t tired anymore after naps.  The past two days she has gone without naps and though we had a few whiny moments, she was relatively good and now? It’s 8:40 and she’s still sleeping! Over 12 hours!  Amazing. I suppose no naps has it’s pros and cons.

Cloth diapers are still going well. Mark even changed a diaper (it was even number two!) all by himself!  I was proud.  The micro insert stink issue I had, I solved by soaking just the inserts in bleach. That got everything out and has worked well to battle the smell so I’ll probably do that one a month to maintain it. I also think I wasn’t using enough Charlie’s Soap, I read that with Charlie’s you need the full scoop with each wash to really get things clean. Cloth diapering (and motherhood in general…) is a game of experiments. Each person has to find what’s right for them.

And just a reminder, tomorrow is the last day to enter for the Music Giveaway!

So how’s cloth diapering going, you ask? Well, I’d say good!

It’s been about a week since we started…minus this weekend we took off because I went to the beach for a last girls weekend getaway before school starts (tomorrow!), so Mark watched Savannah and is still intimidated by cloth. Thankfully we still have disposables left over as we make the transition. Anyways, it’s going well. Savannah likes being able to choose which color diaper she wants to wear.  We’ve had zero leaks, even over night. The house doesn’t smell like poop nor have I had to touch poop.  We have less stinky trash now! And, as a bonus, since the diapers feel a little different it helps her to realize her “bodily functions” more and will probably help her potty train faster. We’ll get there.

What I’ve learned so far:

-The poop? Not a big deal what so ever, especially at her age when she eats only solids and doesn’t run/stick to anything. It  goes in the potty, Savannah flushes it and that’s that! No stink, no mess, not much different than disposables.

-The washing? I’ve been washing about every other day and it’s not too bad once you figure out the groove and understand the washing directions.  I follow the BumGenius manufacturer directions for the most part: I soak everything in cold with a half tablespoon of Charlie’s Soap for 30 minutes, then let it wash in that cold water and extra rinse. Then follow with a hot cycle, add Charlie’s Soap again, with extra rinse.

-Cloth wipes really are more effective than disposable ones. One wash cloth cleans far more and then it gets washed! Never going back.

-For night time I use one hemperoo inserts under a Bumgenius microfiber insert and it does perfectly. Mark was worried about leaks throughout the day/night, but this stuff WORKS! I’ll be anxious to see one day how well these diapers hold in newborn explosions.

-I decided to air dry my diapers rather than use the dryer, in hopes that it helps them last longer. We have a 25 year old dryer that only has super hot heat, and my bet it would ruin the elastic in no time. I hang the diapers on hangers in the laundry room and use the dryer for the inserts, wipes, and wet bag.

-Bleaching inserts or diapers in the sun to remove spots or just to dry? Doesn’t work to well without a line to hang them on. They blow away…

-I originally thought we would use just a wet bag in an open pail because I’ve read that the air circulation makes it not stink. But, the inserts overly stink (see below) and unless I figure out how to cut down the smell, I’ll need to get a pail with a lid.

My biggest issue right now? The Microfiber inserts REALLY stink like ammonia, especially after night time use. I’ve read that’s a common problem with the fabric and I’m trying to research about how it can be fixed. I love, love, love how absorbent they are! Do you guys have any suggestions? But really, that’s the only issue. That and my husband is scared of them.

Will I keep going? Yes. Is it worth it so far? Yes.

Received diapers today!  Now they are washed several times and ready to go tomorrow. Savannah is excited about all the pink and yellow, apparently they are way better than Elmo and Grover any day. (Although, a tiny part of me will miss all those pampers points…)

And yes, I realize this is a girly stash and yes, it is possible we might have a boy in the future. But, I (we) have always felt we’d have all girls anyway. And if we do have a boy? These can easily be sold/traded to get boyish colors. No sweat.

I suppose we’ll start our journey tomorrow, let the switch begin!

I’ve had many people commenting and emailing me about the switch to cloth and are now considering it for their own babies. Awesome!

One topic I definitely will be covering in the future will be the process of our switch, how it’s working out for us, and tips/tricks I have discovered.

However, since I’m not quite there yet though, how about some links to other people who know about cloth diapers already?

Basics of cloth diapering (even diaper brand comparisons!)

More Basics to answer questions

The day to day life of a one Cloth Diaper Momma and how she uses cloth while out and about

Make your own cloth wipes solution

Diaperswappers.com (Great deals on new or used items! And great support from expert cloth mommas)

Our diapers should arrive tomorrow so once I wash them we’ll start our journey this weekend! I’ll update in a few days to let you guys know how we’re doing :-)

It’s official: I’m switching to cloth diapers.

Go ahead, Gasp. Call me asking why I would do such a thing. Facebook me about it. Or comment simply to root me on. I’m changing and proud of it!

Yes, Savannah is 2.5. Sure, the logical thing is to potty train to save money but the simple point is this: she’s not ready to potty train and I’m not one to make her. I’m fine with changing diapers, but I’m not fine shelling out $50 (plus the cost of wipes) a month until whenever she shows me she’s ready (and yes, we’ve tried). Which, could be at least another 6 months for all I know. Or longer! In our tight budget, I don’t want to keep (literally) throwing our money away. Not to mention, the green mommy (not green with envy, of course! Environment conscious mommy) in me is emerging and I don’t like the thought of throwing out plastic and poop every day to sit in a landfill for 500 years. I just won’t do it anymore, and I so wish I was this brave when Savannah was still a baby and switched years ago!

So aside from saving hundreds of dollars until we potty train and doing a small part to protect the earth, I also am investing in our future child. I mentioned back when I found out I was pregnant last time that I had planned to cloth diaper that baby, and that still holds true whenever our time comes again.  So the bonus of the diapers I chose?  They change sizes! One diaper fits newborns up to toddlers, so as long as I take care of them I’m good to go for next time. I bought 15 Bumgenius 3.0 (pictured at top) for a super good deal (plus I already have 2 Haute Pockets), so Savannah can wear them now until she’s out of diapers, and the next baby can start wearing them as an infant up until he/she grows out of diapers. Which, let me tell you, saves a heck of a lot of money in the long run. I’m also switching to cloth wipes since I can just throw them in with the diapers.

So, before you knock my choices down and try to persuade me other wise (I’ve had enough of that, thanks): I’m not changing my mind. The diapers are bought, they are in the mail as I type.  Just be happy for me, even if it’s not what you would chose for your kids. Even if Savannah does magically potty train next month, this isn’t a waste, they can and will still be used in the future.

That said, cloth diapering mommas I need your help!  Mark is worried about the diapers stinking up the house between washes.  What worked best for you? I’ve heard of wet bags, diaper pails with liners with and without lids, and just a plain ol’ bucket.  Did you use baking soda or a product in the bag/pail? Is it true that not putting a lid on (so it has air circulation) reduces the smell rather than trapping it in with a lid? Any other cloth diapering tips I should know?

Seriously though, bottom line: I gotta do what’s best for us. If you don’t like my choices? Click away, click away…