Monday, May 30, 2011

Cloth Diapers

We have been using cloth diapers on Dominic since we brought him home from the hospital. So I thought I would write a blog about it to share my experience so far. First of all, I have to say that I LOVE cloth diapers!! Pros-They are super cute, I love the colors and how they look on Dominic, they are effective- we don't have many leaks(but disposable diapers leak too), but we have never had a blow out! Dominic has never had diaper rash, they are easy to use and easy to clean.  Cons- They are more work than disposables, more expensive upfront (but cheaper in the end).
Here is Dominic in his newborn sized gdiaper (6-10 lbs)
Here he is in a size small gdiaper (8-14 lbs)

This shows how these diapers work. You put the cotton liner inside the plastic cover, which attaches to the orange outer part. When Dominic goes to the bathroom you switch out the cotton liner and if the plastic part gets dirty too then you switch out both, but the orange outer part can be used multiple times. These diapers are fastened with velcro in the back.  

Here is Dominic in his bumgenius 4.0 diaper.

This diagram just explains how this diaper works. This is called a Pocket diaper, on this type of diaper you put the insert in a 'pocket' at the top of the diaper. This diaper is a one time use, once it gets dirty you have to wash it before using it again.

These are one size diapers, meaning that they can be a different size depending on where you snap them. Kinda confusing but this picture shows the different sizes. Dominic will be able to use these diapers until he is potty trained! Woohoo we don't have to buy anymore diapers!!

To clean the diapers, we use a diaper sprayer which looks like the sprayer in your kitchen sink, but it's attached to the toilet and it's pressurized. I just spray off the diaper right after it gets dirty then I put them in a bucket. I then wash the diapers in the washer about every other day. I use cloth diaper laundry detergent, because it is free of additives. This prevents soap buildup so that the diapers stay absorbent. Super easy! And if the diapers get stains on them I just put them out in the sun when they are still damp and the sun bleaches them.
This is Dominic after the cloth diaper fashion show that he was in at the Live Green Festival in SLC. So cute!!

Cloth diapers were a little intimidating at first, but they are actually really easy to use. And they are better for the environment and save us money! I highly encourage everyone to look into them when they decide to have a baby! :) If anyone has a question about them, please ask!