Ditching Disposables

So, I know there's lots and lots of information about making the switch to cloth diapers but well, it's my blog so here's my ten cents. Haha

I have my very close friend and fellow homegirl Lorien to thank for switching to cloth diapers, though I think she would probably also credit me with providing her with the incentive to switch. Cloth diapers is something I always intended to do. However....when I first had my daughter, my husband and I were living in a 700sqft, one bedroom apartment in Boston and using a shared laundry facility, and the good intentions were quashed with the inconvenience of hauling a bag of "stinking diapers" down five flights of stairs to an always busy and over used laundry room. So naturally I started using disposables and well, disposables ARE great, they worked wonderfully for us and they are super convenient, but it has always bothered me that I was contributing so greatly to diaper island somewhere out in the Atlantic Ocean. I was being lazy and compromised my values, even when we moved to our much larger townhouse in DC and I finally got my very own washing machine, yes, the heavens did open that day. I still didn't make the switch, I thought at that point, well I've been using disposables for five months, what's the point in switching now?

I was talking with my friend Lorien over coffee one morning in January and we were calculating just how many disposable diapers we had used since having Children. I figured 8-12 diapers a day for the first 3 months and then an average of 6-8 diapers a day since. My daughter was 12 months old at this point, that's a whopping 2300 diapers in one year, and that's a conservative estimate. Lorien had used over twice as many. We felt, well a little ashamed and a week later she called me to say, "I've made the switch"! Quite honestly, at first I thought, is she mad? Surely its too late in the game to change now, with two babies, a 20 month old and a 5 month old!!!! However, she persevered and when she came for play dates or vice versa, I really was amazed at how simple cloth diapering could be! She did the research, I did no research whatsoever, I followed her lead.

Becoming a gmama
gMama, Mama who uses gDiapers, such a cute name, a name to unite us all in our cloth diaperimg determindness. Lorien discovered them and we both now use them. gDiapers covers, also known as  gpants are soft, breathable cotton covers with Velcro tabs. I use my cover with the snap in insert and  a standard Gerber Prefold insert. The gpants are excellent. I haven't tried other diapering systems, but I'm 100% happy with gDiapers. They are convenient and are just like using a regular diaper only with Velcro fastenings that extend around the back. This is quite ingenious as it actually prevents my daughter from taking off her diaper, which she was starting to do with the disposables. The covers come in an array of colours. I went with neutrals as I'd like to reuse them in the future if we have a son and although I really wanted to customise a fushia pink diaper, I can't see a boy baby Wilbur having any appreciation for me circulating those pictures of him when he brings home his first girlfriend, or boyfriend for that matter. The starter packs actually only come in cream or orange, but I've heard of people dying them in pink or purple or blue, or even embroidering them or adding flowers or ruffles. You really cam customise these diapers to your own personal taste.

Orange gpant and a snap in waterproof insert

Lorien actually bought several in a size medium and needed to upgrade to a large fairly quickly, I do think they actually fit a little on the snug side, so consider getting the larger size if you're unsure. If the cover is too tight, you're more likely to get leaks. The covers come with a snap in waterproof insert, however i would recommend investing in a few additional snap in inserts. I wash these with the prefolds and then I tumble dry the prefolds. I have roughly two dozen prefolds that I rotate with this system.

A standard Gerber Prefold diaper tri folded

Common Misconceptions

People have asked me, 'isnt it stinky, what about poop'?

Not really, no more stinky than regular diapers, and not more messy either. I actually think the cloth diapers smell less. I mean, yes, if you leave them to sit and marinade for a week before washing them, yes, they very well may stink. But if you wash them every few days, the smell is fine...some people soak them in soap and water. I just tip the poopy contents into the toilet and give them a quick rinse. Then I put them in a pail in my laundry room and then wash them when it's full, usually after 2-3 days. I don't soak them, I don't prewash them and remarkably they don't stain.

diaper folded and tucked into the gdiaper

Cloth diapers on the go
It's just as easy as disposables, I take prefolds with me in my diaper bag, I take an extra Gdiaper cover and snap in insert ...just in case she has an unpredictable blow out, however, ive never actually gotten a poop blowout on the gpant itself, it has occasionally leaked onto the snap in insert, but i usually just clean this away with a wet wipe. My daughter has fairly solid stools now, but occasionally when she has a loose bowel or explosive poop the diaper has performed very well. I take a zip lock bag to store the dirty diaper insert and when I get home, I just follow my usual routine and replace what I used and I'm good to go!

For further convenience gDiaper also manufacture a disposable insert....also known as a 'flushie' I've never needed to use them as I am more than happy utilising the cloth inserts but they are flushable and biodegradable.

Insert alternatives
gDiapers run at a cost of $17.99 per diaper, however you can find them in babies r us (2 for $29.99) quite a good deal. I have four large covers that I rotate and the covers will usually last a day or two before they are washed. I hand wash the covers and air dry them to preserve the Velcro. I've also seen them available on eBay in a pack of 6 for $79.99! Which is the cheapest I've seen unless you buy second hand, which I have also. I picked one up on eBay in orange for $5.00 including shipping and it was like new. The inserts made by Gdiaper are quite expensive, Sorry Gdiaper, I like your covers but the inserts (wags the finger) too expensive by far in my opinion. I believe inserts are 6 for $25 bucks, my daughter, E, goes through at least that many diaper changes a day, so I'd need at least 4 packs of inserts and that's a large expense. Prefolds are much cheaper in comparison and do exactly the same job. You could also make inserts yourself by layering Muslim and stitching them together or using microfibre cloths or hand towels even. Since I haven't actually started those sewing lessons just yet, I purchased mine in packs of 15 for $16 dollars a package at a well known retailer!!' The prefolds are trifolded into a long strip and inserted into the Gdiaper waterproof cover, they are slightly too long, so I fold about a 1/3 of the end over on itself and insert this at the back of the diaper for extra protection. For boys, Lorien inserts the folded part at the front of the diaper instead.

The Look Baby
The diapers are a little more bulky than disposables, my husband always jokes that my daughter has a Booty, when she has her g's on. However. They are super cute and my daughter has not once had diaper rash since we switched. The gDiapers do look much less bulky if you use a flushie insert instead of a cloth insert....and really, they are sooo much cuter than disposables.

My ONLY Complaint
The only problem I have currently is that at night time she still requires an overnight disposable diaper. E just pee's like a fountain at night and the Gdiapers leak through with the amount of liquid she produces. One disposable a day is a lot better than 7/8 in my opinion though and I could use a flushie instead and still be environmentally conscious as I have heard they are wonderfully leak proof. I just have a stash of disposables left to use up, so I have avoided buying flushies, but it really is my next step.

The Bottom Line
I'm saving $50 bucks a month in diaper costs for a one time investment of so far about $100 bucks. I'll definitely use these diapers for our second baby and afterwards I'm quite positive I could sell them, if I keep them in good shape, and recoup some of that investment.

I'd be really interested to hear of other moms experience with cloth diapers and share the knowledge!




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