thoughts + photos = a blog post

You know that commercial for Zyrtec? "Are you muddling through allergy season?" YES, YES I AM! I thought for a few days I was getting bronchitis or strep, and then it hit me. I have allergies. Spring is great and all; but when you literally live in a forest and that forest is begging to turn a lovely shade of puke green with pollen, you then can relate to those allergy commercials.

Today I realized that I really should have taken Mother's Day much more seriously as a kid. Being a mom is no joke and I am pretty sure that what ever I did for my mom for the past 23 years was certainly not enough to thank her for all she did. I guess this is one of those things you learn when you become a mom yourself, along with a lot of other things.

I'm not trying to pat myself on the back (ok, so maybe a little), but I really hit the meal planning out of the park this week. We have had a good meal every night and we haven't had to run to the store once! Hopefully I can do it again next week.

As these pictures depict, every night one the way up to take a bath, Ryan helps Nora climb the stairs. She is getting the hang of it, but I don't think I will have to worry too much about her doing it solo just yet. But she does think it is pretty cool to pull up using my shirt or the end of her changing table. I think she may go straight from crawling to walking.

"I got this dad."

"Um, I have the answer teacher!"

"Do you think we could get some of this installed in my crib?"

Cloth Diapering: Beyond the Basics

Last week I started talking about my experience with cloth diapers. While I didn't get into lots of detail, we have discussed the types of cloth diapers, why cloth diapering is a good idea, and on average how many you will need; but you're probably still wondering where you can get the best price, how do you know they fit and won't leak or even worse "blow-out", how in the world do you get the poop out and where do you keep them when they are dirty. Yes. It's tricky and a little more complicated than disposing of the diaper, but once you go for it and get a routine you won't look back.

Getting a Good Fit
If you are using a prefold, it will take a little more practice to get the hang of getting the exact right fit, but it can be done. I solely use what I call the sushi roll. If you are looking at your prefold vertically, simply take each side and roll to the thick middle, fold up on to your baby (keeping the roll intact), pull the back corners up and around, then fasten with a snappy. It's easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Roll

2. Fold

3. Fasten

Of course don't forget the cover on the outside or we'd be talking about a whole other mess. The trick with the cover is to ensure that none of your cloth is sticking out. The reason I use this fold exclusively is because it has been most effective. I have literally never had anything escape from the diaper. It works for both girls and boys too! If your diaper is a little long or big, you can fold the diaper down in the back or front. This will act kind of like the elastic waist band on huggies.

For a fitted diaper, you just secure it using the snaps as if it were a regular disposable diaper then put the cover on. You still want to make sure that the cloth is completely covered by the cover. No leakage! It's paramount!

Finally if you are using an AIO or Pocket diaper, it is rather straight forward. If yours has is size adjustable be sure you use that to get the best fit. Right now Nora weighs about 14 lbs, is 6 months old and is in between 3 and 6 month clothes. I snap the bottom row of snaps up to the third row of snaps on her BumGenius and JungleRoo diapers. Hopefully that can give you something to go by. The key to getting a good fit is to not have any space between their leg and the leg holes of the diaper. Of course you don't want it too tight to where it is uncomfortable. Getting the right waist and leg fit is key and once you figure it out it will be really simple.

Care and Cleaning
I bought my cloth diapers, what's next?
You know those tags that say "wash before wearing." Yeah, I never do that. But now is the time you should follow the rule. It's like if you don't wash your bath towels before using them they wont ever be as absorbent. Well the same is true for your diapers. You should wash and dry any prefold, fitteds, or bamboo or hemp inserts 3-5 times before using them. AIO and Pocket diapers need to be washed at least once if not twice. *Always read the manufacture's instructions in regards to pre-washing.

I was really confused as to what I needed in terms of storing the dirty diapers in between washes. I read so many different posts on what type of diaper pail to use, or if you should do a wet pail, dry pail, or both. Finally I decided to go simple. I bought an inexpensive diaper pail at Babies R Us. I don't use liners. Up until recently I have put the diaper straight into the pail no rinsing or anything. Nora has been exclusively breastfeed. Breastfeed babies stools are completely water soluble, so it is taken care of 100% by the washer. Since she has just recently started eating apples and pears, I have begun to spray them off and then squeeze as much water out as possible then put it in the bucket.

I wash every other night. Load the washer with your diapers, making sure the inserts are out of your pocket diapers. I run a COLD rinse cycle and add just a tablespoon of oxyclean every other wash. After that I turn it on HOT wash cycle with diaper approved detergent, right now I am using ECOS. I have read mixed reviews on this soap for cloth diapers. So far so good. I'll let you know if anything changes. I have ordered some BumGenius detergent to see how I like it. Finally I do one more COLD rinse. I then air dry everything. You can dry the inserts, prefolds, and fitteds in the dryer if you'd like, but I figure why not save the electricity and let them dry over night. Overall the process is super easy. I usually just start washing them right after Nora goes to bed and hang them to dry right before I go to bed.

STAINS!?!? Yes, stains happen. The good news is I have noticed that the oxyclean every other wash is really helpful in combatting stains. Also, the sun is a natural bleaching agent. During the summer I dried all the diapers out in the sun. Stains magically gone!

I could type all night, but it's time I go hang up the diapers to dry... and I'm tired.
Come Back next week. I promise I wont leave you hanging.

Links:
Cloth Diapering: Where Do I Start?

Cloth Diapering: Where do I start?

When we found out we were pregnant with Nora, we did some research and decided that we should give cloth diapering a shot. I knew very little about the whole concept in general. I had only ever changed a disposable diaper and had never even considered it before. Nora is 5 months and we have used cloth diapers for most of the time, except in the beginning when she was too small.
Like the internet really needs another blog post {or more} on cloth diapers, Right? Well, if I used that philosophy for this blog, it wouldn't exist, now would it.

So, with that said, I have decided to put together some posts about cloth diapering and what I have learned. I feel like I have learned so much through the process and am excited to share some of my knowledge.

Why should I even cloth diaper?
As if this picture isn't enough to persuade you to cloth diaper, I will give you a few other reasons.
Financially, cloth diapering is the most responsible "waste management" method. ha! Let's be honest. If you are going to have to pay money to dispose of the "waste" your newest family member produces, why not spend the least amount of money doing it. And spend more money on adorable outfits and toys!
On average, a disposable diaper costs $0.25 each, and the average baby goes through 8 diapers a day. That is $2.00 a day for lets say 730 days (2 years old). Leading you to a total cost of $1,460 dollars to diaper one child through the age of 2. I don't know about you but I can think of many other uses for almost 1,500 dollars.
If you shop smart for cloth diapers, {details later} then you can outfit yourself with 20 cloth diapers for 200 to 300 dollars! That is an upfront cost that is more like an investment if you plan to have multiple kiddos. Think of the savings!
Need I say more?

Cloth diapering is also the most environmentally responsible "waste management" method. I wont expound much here, because I believe it is rather straight forward. If you aren't filling the landfills with pampers and huggies, well then that is doing the environment in which we live a favor.

How do I get started?
The best way to get started is to decide what type of cloth diapers you are going to use. Prefolds, Fitteds, Pockets, and All-in-ones are the different types of diapers in order of least expensive to most expensive. When planning out what type of diapers I would use, I decided to try them all. I truly think they are all good options, and they each have their pros and cons. I like having a diversified set of diapers for different situations. I often use pre-folds and fitteds at home where I have all my supplies, but always use pockets or all-in-ones (AIO) when we go places.

If you are trying to spend the least amount of money possible, Pre-folds are the way to go. They are extremely cost effective and actually perform their duties extremely well. The snappy makes them safe and rather simple. Covers are inexpensive and can be reused multiple times as long as they are clean.

I suggest fitted diapers for newborns because they are extremely soft and absorbent. they also get a good fit for those pesky "blow outs." Not many down sides to these. I used them on Nora while she was a newborn.

Pre-folds are great for many ages. They can be folded extremely effectively to avoid "blow outs" and also come in larger sizes for toddlers. They also are super easy to come clean and take care of. While they are very cost effective they can be more challenging to put on and may make it harder for dads or family members to assist with diaper changes.

I also do think you can really go wrong with AIOs and pocket diapers. They are super absorbent, convenient, a little more "slim" fitting and can also grow with your baby. The biggest down size is the price. If you did not get the opportunity to register for these and receive them as gifts it could be more costly to purchase a large stock of them. {I will share some of my favorite brands and where to buy them for a discount in a later post}

Having a variety gives you some flexibility.

How many will I need?
The final starting out question that I did so much research about: HOW MANY??
Do the math. Newborns can go through 8-15 diapers per day. {Nora tended to be on the 15 side.} You will not want to have to wash on a daily basis. I suggest every other day. So anywhere from 20-30 diapers is a good number {in my opinion, other people with tell you different numbers}.

My stash looks like this:

Fitted Diapers: 5

Prefolds: 15

Pocket Diapers: 16

AIOs: 2

So there are some basics to get you started. Come back for more on my thoughts and advice on cloth diapers or just the cute pictures. I am fine with that :)

Links:

Cloth Diapering: Beyond the Basics