But while I get that it's not for everyone, I just want to clear up the whole "it's insane" part. Because it's not, really. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I don't get my jollies out of creating extra work for myself, and domestic goddess I am not. So here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to explain to you how you can cloth diaper without any hassle, and then you can think about whether or not it matters to you from an environmental standpoint to actually do it. Because as the defense will show, it's really not any more work or mess than disposable diapers. If you don't think there are actual environmental advantages, or if you don't care if there are or not, (I'll accept both answers) then fine. But if you're one of the 50 people who have said to me since the birth of my son "Oh, I thought about using cloth diapers, but then I realized they were SO MUCH WORK/waaaaaaay too complicated/totally gross!/insert objection here" (or, in the short version "were INSANE") we're gonna setchoo straight, right here, right now. Reasons for using them: debatable. So much work: not.
Here we go! A primer.
First of all, pick a cloth diaper that's easy to use! Folding and pinning is SO 1953. (Shout out to Colleen M. - not that there's anything wrong with 1953. You rock on with your Ghandi fold). There ARE plenty of people who still use old school cloth diapers - those squares of cloth your dad still uses to wash his car with - which involve folding, some sort of fastening system, and usually a diaper cover. But I am not one of those people. For this reason, I chose to use an all-in-one diaper. A cloth diaper that looks just like a disposable diaper. The brand I use is BumGenius. Behold:
above is the bumgenius 3.0 all in one diaper. (note: bumgenius is not the only brand, just the one I use. there are others. I've heard Imse Vimse is great, too) It is essentially foolproof in terms of getting it on the baby. If you could put a paper diaper on your kid, then you could put this diaper on too. There's nothing to it. There is only one difference between this and your standard pampers or luvs - you don't throw it away when you're through. Clearly, this is the sticking point for most people. But I ask you, really, is it a fear of poop that's stopping you? Look, when you have a baby, there will be poop. Oh yes, there will be poop. If you think you can avoid it, you're deluded. Accepting poop as a baby given, here's how you handle it.
First of all, buy some of these:
these are diaper liners. They are basically a fabric/paper hybrid liner that you put in between baby and diaper each time you change the baby. They have major value in that they act as a poop catcher. When the baby pees, it just goes through the liner and into the diaper. When you change the (just wet) baby, you simply flush the liner or throw it away. But, if there's poop inolved, you'll really appreciate the liner. The liner protects the inside of the diaper from the majority of the poop, so you just fold it up and throw it away or flush it down the toilet. Flushing is the best option, as the whole goal is to eliminate landfill waste, but there are times and places when that's just not feasible (note: one of those times is when you have private septic. Just throw it away. you will thank me.) So far: No more work than a disposable, as you'd be throwing something away anyway, right?
So hypothetically, you've opened the diaper and found either just wet, or poop surprise. In either case, you've either flushed or thrown away the liner, and wiped up the baby's butt. So far, where have we encountered more work than a disposable? we haven't. Just instead of throwing the whole diaper out, you just throw it in a diaper pail. And then, every other day or so, you just wash the diapers.
Since so far there's no difference between cloth and disposables (you take off dirty diaper, wipe baby's butt, and throw something away in either case, yes?) the hangup must be the laundry. It's not that bad. Believe me.
We're talking about one extra load of laundry every three days. And no, poop will NOT get in your washer. All you have to do is buy this:
this thing is fabulous - and listen, I know from fabulous. They don't call me JJFabulous for nothing. this is a nifty attachment to your toilet - it will spray off any poop that the liner didn't catch before you throw your diapers in the washer. That way, all actual feces get flushed into the waste water system (where it BELONGS, might I add) and your diapers enter the washer largely poop free. Thanks to the microfiber of the diapers, it's basically the teflon of the fabric world. The poop just doesn't stick. The sprayer gets everything off except the slightest of staining, and the washer takes care of that. When I tell you my diapers have been through 6 months of poop and look brand new, I am not exaggerating. This sprayer does it's job.
So we've sprayed the poopy diapers - and since babies only poop once per day, we're talking 2-3 poopy ones per load. The pee ones you just throw in without doing anything - and put them in the wash. here are the special washing instructions for diapers.
1) put diapers in the washer, with some detergent, on cold to prevent staining.
2) have a glass of wine
3) when wash cycle ends, thrown knob to "hot" and do another cycle, to disinfect
4) have another glass of wine
5) transfer diapers from washer to dryer
6) have another....um. go to bed and get up early and go to the gym. Yep. that's what I always do. really!
et voila. you're done. what's so hard about that? Then, after the diapers are dry, you just reuse them. Advantages: you never run out. You're always a load of laundry AT WORST away from having diapers. No 4 am runs to CVS for you. You save a lot of money - by my accounting, in 6 months I've already saved about $500 on diapers. You're doing something good for the environment - if you consider the entire lifecycle of paper diaper manufacture, from petrochemicals to shelf, the advantages of a cotton product you reuse are clear. And most of all, cloth diapers are cute! they come in lots of fun colors, and they're not covered in marketing images - dora and big bird and blues clues would never show up on a cloth diaper. because cloth diapers are classy like that.
so anyway, there you go. Cloth diapers are EASY. daycare tip: take a diaper with you when you ask if they will use them. Most places will hear "cloth diaper" and immediately think of the rags they wash their cars with. But if you show them your all-in-one, they'll realize how not a big deal it is. When they change the baby (which they'd do anyway) they just throw the used diaper in a plastic bag they give back to you instead of a plastic bag they don't give back to you (which they'd do anyway). Like I said, my daycare lady does it - and she's not one for extra work.
plus, if you take my earlier advice? the extra laundry you incur by washing diapers is more than offset by the laundry you save by feeding the baby naked.
One last product plug:
this stuff is the SHIZZ. Even my pediatrician says Owen has the best butt skin he's ever seen and asked what I use. I dunno what's in this stuff, but it's magic. Pricey, but worth it. Trust.
more pictures soon, I promise.
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