cloth diapers

It has been just over two months since we transitioned over to cloth diapers and so far we LOVE them. Really, truly it's what all the cool cats are doing these days. MONEY was our number one reason for making the switch. (You'd gasp at the amount of dough were saving). I promise we are not going all hippy-save the world (although when you look at the big picture it is a really good reason).

Sadly we have found that there is kind of a social stigma attached to cloth diapering these days. I think it's simply because people don't know what to think.  Most associate cloth diapering with the olden days when they used pins, plastic pants and washed them by hand in the toilet. Yuck right? I was once one of those naive people until just a few months ago, when I brought into the light and was forever changed. Now, I want to share everything I've learned and convert all my friends! HA!

In this post i'd like to briefly introduce you all into the world of cloth diapering...

Behold, the modern cloth diaper-

We use AlvaBaby cloth diapers. They are one-size (meaning they fit a 8lb-40lbs baby) pocket diapers (meaning they are stuffed with a microfiber insert).

There are lots of different brands and types of diapers which makes the research process slightly overwhelming. The lingo can be confusing too. I won't go into a lot of detail about all the different types/brands out there but instead will post some links at the bottom to some helpful sites.

The picture above shows the diaper at the smallest setting.

The picture below shows the diaper at the biggest setting.

Rem still has lots of room to grow. We chose the one-size because of this reason. He (and our future children) can wear them from newborn until they are potty trained.

This is what makes a pocket diaper a pocket diaper. It has a pocket! Pictured below is the microfiber insert which is inserted into the pocket (pictured above) before the diaper is snapped onto Remi's bum. 

The outmost layer or the colored part of the diaper is a waterproof and breathable polyester knit PUL fabric. The inside fabric is super soft polyester suede-cloth. It's a stay-dry fabric that pulls moisture away from the baby bums to keep them dry and comfortable.  

After being snapped snugly around Remington's cute bum he does his business in them. Between wash days the dirty diapers are stored in wet-bags in our bathroom. Those help keep the stink at bay. As for the number 2 diapers, we never touch the poop. We have a handy dandy diaper sprayer attached to our toilet. This is a must have once baby starts eating solids. We simply spray the number 2's into the toilet then put the rinsed diapers into the wet-bags.

Once wash day comes (we have enough diapers that we wash them every third day) the soiled diapers are dumped into the washer. First in a cold soak and then a hot wash/cold rinse with the appropriate detergent. The microfibers inserts are tossed into the dryer and the diapers are hung on the line.

The end.

See? It's not weird. It's stupid easy.

So like I said before we love using cloth diapers because of the green we are saving by going green....haha. It also helps that they look cool and come in pretty colors. I mean really, isn't that the prettiest load of drying laundry? Makes me so happy. 

The whole washing process can turn a lot of people away. We do so many loads of laundry already, it was a non-issue for us. Once you get in the routine, it's so simple. 

So there you have it, the sweet and condensed version.

Happy Cloth Diapering-

here, here and here are some helpful sites to get you on your way.

Are you still confused/overwhelmed or have more questions? We are here to help! Some fellow cloth diaper mommies and I are hosting a Q and A diaper party at the beginning of next month where we will be answering questions and sharing all our cloth diapering wisdom. Shoot me as message if you want an invite.