Our quick story of cloth diapering
I knew right from the get go that I wanted to try cloth diapering with any child I had. The first week of my eldest being born, we ended up using disposables for the sheer sake of ease.
I couldn’t get up very easily/quickly. My husband was uncomfortable doing it in the hospital and didn’t take initiative to start when we got home because he had been spoiled by the simplicity of doing it in the hospital. Thankfully once I was feeling better I began the journey!
We received a ton of disposable diapers and wipes from a local food pantry when the government shut down a few years back. His boss literally forced him to take home a ridiculous amount of them since everyone knew we were expecting. Thankfully we had diapers when we needed them and if for some reason we needed a disposable, we had them. Although I tried my best not to use them.
Successfully I may add!
My second, I took the reins quickly and did it the minute he left my body. Been doing it ever since!
New to cloth diapering and want to dive in but don’t know where to start? This comprehensive, in-depth resource guide has EVERYTHING you need to know to get started with reusables!
A word of advice: a vast majority of people will tell you ‘oh you’re not going to keep that up for long’ , ‘that won’t last’ , ‘you can’t do that, you’ll get so sick of it’ , ‘man, cloth diapering is so hard!’ , ‘ isn’t that expensive?!’ The list goes on.
DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM!!
If you walk into it with a positive mind and a fires worth of determination, you’ll be fine!
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Getting started
Here’s a lightening round list of places to start:
- Put the diapers you want on your registry and SPECIFICALLY ask for what you want. It’s your baby don’t be afraid!
- Buy in bulk if you can. Wholesale is always cheaper.
- Buy secondhand if you can. I’ve bought A LOT of things via Facebook marketplace and offer up. In very good condition too!
- Lastly, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Decide what kind of diapers you want to use, what brands etc. I spent the last four months of my first pregnancy finding the best deals and how to do all this. It was insane but worth it.
Types and Folds of Diapers
Folds really only apply to prefolds style. There’s a lot of different ways which could be an entire post of its own so here’s someone who did that with good photos and how tos.
The different types are also a long list. The most popular ones are prefolds, pockets and all-in-ones, in my opinion at least.
My system is a blend of prefolds and pockets. Prefolds with pocket covers (to reuse with PULs) until they get to the age where they don’t want to lay down and be changed. Then it’s strictly pockets. Occasionally a prefold will float in for night time diapering.
Initial Investments
I haven’t calculated how much we’ve spent but I can safely tell you it’s well under $600. Whereas that may only buy you 6 month supply of diapers, maybe.
THE REAL COST OF CLOTH DIAPERING
Above is a fantastically detailed account of the laundering, purchasing of materials, water usage, etc. of cloth diapering. This was a really interesting blog post!!
I’d be interested to find a post about how expensive disposables are, how much they cost until potty training commences, and what the environmental impact is in the process of making them. If you find one comment the link and let me know!
The BIGGEST cost in my opinion is time and labor.
What you’ll need for successful cloth diapering
Simple stuff people, very simple!
- Wipes (preferably cloth)
- Fasteners (Snappis or safety pins)
- Wet bags (at least 4 for me personally, a diaper bag one, two large ones, and an extra small)
- A washable changing mat
- Natural powder and a bottle of water to use as wet wipes (you can make wipe solution etc, but water works just fine!)
And that’s it! It’s very simple once you get going. It takes a little time and practice to find YOUR specific system and rhythm.
I hope that I helped with just some of your research! Definitely consider switching or starting off with cloth diapers. It’s one of many ways to help the environment, supports a sustainable lifestyle, and the covers are just so darn adorable!
What inspired you to begin this journey?!
Tell me all about it, I’d love to know!
PS. Here are a few other links that I enjoyed!
[…] second I was determined and more experienced so we cloth diaper from birth. Both of my children’s cloth diapering stories are mostly the same but have some differences. Mainly wash routine and nighttime systems. […]
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