Mardy bums and cloth diapers

As I've mentioned before, we mainly use cloth diapers on North and only use disposables on him when we're away from home for more than a few hours.  A few people I know are interested, (and with upcoming babies on the way!) so I wanted to share a brief glimpse into our chosen system for absorbing our child's waste material.

While pregnant, I studied all the different types of cloth diapering and saturated myself in the cloth diapering world. Eww.  But I don't say 'world' lightly.  There is a lot of information out there and it can all be quite intimidating for sure.  Each time I learned about a different cloth diapering system, I would start spamming Dave with links announcing each to be the perfect solution for us!  

But the system that ended up working for us turned out to be the old standard prefold---well a diaper service quality, unbleached indian prefold, if you want to get specific. I bought these after I found out how small North was in utero and realized he wouldn't fit into the Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers or the Bumgenius one-size diapers I found for him gently used on craigslist.  (To anyone that is grossed out by the thought of used diapers, I want you to know they were not crusted in other baby feces.  They were not rank with the hundreds of layers of previous poop that came before we enveloped them around our kid's bottom, thanks.) But seriously, nothing about cloth diapering is what you've heard it is.  Either that, or I'm chugging my own kool-aid over here.

It is not my intention to get into all of the different types of cloth diapers out there.  I've linked to this guide several times now and I'm becoming worried they think I want sponsorship or something at this point.  But it is a good site that can get you quickly well-versed.  I'm no encyclopedia, but I'd like to list a brief explanation of why I chose each style.  This may get pretty boring, but I'll try to use the word poop a lot to keep it fun.

Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diaper---I snagged a good deal on craigslist for 12 small pocket diapers that fit 7-18 pounds early on in my search.  The train print on a few of them caught my eye.  They sell new for $15 - $20 per diaper, but I got mine for $10 each.  Pocket diapers require a bit more work in the laundry department because you have to stuff the absorbent insert into the pocket of the waterproof shell before putting it on your baby.  But once that's done, it's much like changing a disposable diaper.  They have adjustable snaps to help fit your baby as it grows. And they help wick the moisture away from your baby's skin and therefore help to prevent diaper rash too. But you have to buy a bigger size as your baby grows. (Edited to add, Fuzzi Bunz now makes one-size diapers like the Bumgenius ones discussed below.)

Bumgenius One-Size Pocket Diaper---As the one-size implies, this is a diaper that will supposedly fit your baby from 7 to 35 lbs.  In theory, it should be the only diaper you should ever need to buy and maybe that is true for some babies.  They sell new for $17 - $25ish per diaper depending on your organic needs. Again, I found mine on craigslist for $12 per diaper and they were still in the packaging.  Used diapers of the Bumgenius variety sell for roughly about 75% of their retail value depending on wear and tear.  But even that can add up to quite a chunk of change when you need about 20-30 diapers.  There is also the option of reselling them down the road too.  Although expensive, for a one-time purchase, this system can provide significant savings over time.

I also bought some all-in-one diapers that are the most like disposables of all the different cloth diapering methods.  The absorbent insert is sewn right into the diaper and no prep work stuffing is needed.  They take longer to dry because they are one big cushy piece.  Currently, they work great for an overnight diaper for Sir Peesalot.

And finally, our favorite current method: prefolds and waterproof covers.  They are only an average of $1.75 to $2.50 per diaper, whereas the covers are about $11-13 each.  We use a $2 - $3 snappi to hold the diaper in place and the covers have velcro closures.  This site has some packages that come with your choice of 6 or 12 prefolds, 2 covers and 1 snappi, plus free shipping (Click prefold diapers, then click diaper packages)  They work well for daytime use.  The prefold diapers get washed every time they are soiled obviously, but the covers can be swapped out at each diaper change until your next laundry day. 

We keep our cleaned-up but old stainless steel garbage can by the diaper changing station lined with a pail liner.  Each prefold is thrown poop and all (currently anyway) into the dry diaper pail.  Once his poops become more formidable opponents, we will have to address elimination methods for them before the diaper goes in the washer.  When it's time to wash, we just gather up the full waterproof pail liner and carry it to the washer.  Since we have to wash the diapers, I decided to use cloth wipes too.  I made mine out of flannel and terry cloth a few weeks before North arrived.  You can easily buy them online too.

Currently, we do diapers and light clothes laundry about 2-3 times a week.  The washing is not nearly as involved as I was afraid it would be.  In fact, I actually enjoy the process of cleaning North's diapers.  First, I throw the wet bag filled with diapers into my front loader washing machine and sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 cup of Borax.  I run them through a quick rinse cycle.  Once the poop and pee has gone through the initial rinse, I add other laundry to the load.  Then I add cloth diaper friendly soap (All Small and Mighty) and 1/4 cup of vinegar (no fabric softener!) to the load.  I add an extra rinse cycle at the end too.

Since it is summertime, I gather up all the freshly washed  cloth diapers and sun them outside for a few hours.  Once they are sunned and dry, I add them to the other laundry patiently waiting in the dryer.  This softens up the cloth diapers and helps to quickly dry the other wet laundry in a more green manner.

No system is a perfect system though and we've had leaks and poop explosions (hi this morning!) with cloth diapers.  That has more to do with us not putting them on properly and the awesome power of my child's butt than any failure of the diaper though.  As long as I don't have to fork over countless bucks every month to support my kid's pooping habit, I'll gladly do a little laundry.  Plus, I like that we're keeping some crap out of the landfills too.  

To all the naysayers I spoke to about cloth diapers while still pregnant that uhh...naysaid, "yeah, you say you'll use cloth diapers now...just wait until that kid gets here."  

Hi.  I'm still cloth diapering my kiddo.  Dave and I actually enjoy it.  But I appreciate your support about what we let North defecate upon nonetheless.  

It's thrifty time

With the tough economic climate we're living in, now more than ever is a good time to be as thrifty as possible. And while having a baby is an exciting time, it's also the worst time to behave in fiscally irresponsible ways. From our nine months of preparation and experience, here are our best frugal tips for saving money for your upcoming baby.

-Recognize first and foremost that having a baby has become big business and many stores would have you believe that you need so many things that you really do not need at all. Keep it in the back of your mind that people have been having babies for thousands of years and many of them didn't have *gasp* a glider and ottoman to sit in while they were nursing. Closely examine your wants versus your needs.

-Join an online forum like The Bump or Baby Center. You will learn a ton about raising a baby, find out what you really need in terms of supplies and preparation, not to mention access to product recommendations, and you might even find you've built yourself a nice little support system in the process. I think the online forum has become the modern day equivalent of the extended family that modern moms often no longer have access to due to distance from their families.

-Get as many free samples of prenatal vitamins from your OB's office as possible. I'm sure your OB would love to get rid of this stuff. Ask them about DHA prenatals and prenatals that help with constipation or prenatals with more iron added, etc. The more types you're interested in trying, the more samples you get!

-Buy your educational material used on Amazon or some other online site. Previously pregnant ladies will practically give this stuff away once they've read them. There is no sense paying full retail price for information. Better yet, go to the library.

-Embrace secondhand goods by going to consignment sales, yard sales and stalking ebay and craigslist. Babies outgrow products so fast and often buying secondhand, you pay only 25% of the retail price, if that. In fact, many of the things we purchased secondhand were brand new.

-Sign up for free offers for baby coupons with an email account set up specifically for that purpose.

-Read Baby Bargains before you register.

-If you are going to register at Babies R Us, register early! The sooner you are in their system, the sooner you will start to receive coupons in the mail alerting you to sales and savings.

-Read online reviews for the products you are thinking of registering for. Compare different products before deciding. Also research any recalls for the products you are thinking of buying.

-Remember that the most expensive product does not mean it's the best product.

-Never buy anything retail without first searching for a coupon code. Try this site or google the store and "coupon code" before heading to the store.

-Buy a bella band or equivalent and use it throughout your pregnancy. Using it will let you wear your non-maternity pants for much longer, not to mention let you wear your non-maternity shirts as your belly expands.

-If possible, borrow maternity clothes from friends and family. If this is not an option, buy non-maternity shirts that can grow with you and are long and stretchy rather than paying more for maternity shirts that will only make you look heavier than you really are. Secondhand maternity clothes are also easy to find online and at consignment sales.

-Your breasts will likely increase in size several times throughout your pregnancy. When you have no choice but to upsize your bra, consider the future room for expansion before making the purchase. If you need a bra later on in pregnancy, consider a nursing bra if breastfeeding is part of your plan.

-You will pay more for something marketed as "maternity" or "baby" than you will for a normal product. For example, there are pillows marketed especially for pregnant ladies (and granted some women absolutely swear by theirs) but often a few extra regular pillows or a $10 body pillow will fit the bill just fine.

-Use your skills and get crafty. If you enjoy sewing, make blankets, cloth wipes, burp cloths, curtains, clothes or cloth diapers. If you are an artist, create a mural to paint in the nursery thereby avoiding having to purchase artwork to fill the space on the walls. If you are talented photographer, create the artwork that will adorn your baby's nursery walls. You've got about 10 months of sobriety on your hands---plenty of time for creativity to flow!

-Return gifts you do not think you need or will use for store credit. Do not allow yourself to feel guilty for returning an unwanted gift if your plan is to replace is with something else you will use for the baby. You are not being ungrateful, you are being practical. There is a specific store I hate that will pretty much take anything back without a receipt and give you store credit. It rhymes with "mall fart."

-Consider white furniture in your baby's nursery. It's much easier to buy used furniture and paint it white than it is to find a matching set in the same wood tone. Plus, you will normally pay a premium for a matching set.

-Breastfeed if at all possible! A great resource for breastfeeding moms can be found here.

-Use cloth diapers on your child (this is an even better investment if you plan on having more than one child). Here's some great information for educating yourself about how far cloth diapers have come. And remember, you can always resell your cloth diapers after you're done with them.

-Make your own baby food. This website will help with ideas and recipes.

-If you are not planning on having any more children, sell the clothes and products your child has outgrown online or at a consignment sale. Keep original packaging when possible for higher resale value.

I'd love to hear any other money saving tips for not only pregnancy, but for raising our little one as well. Seeing as how we're now entering that stage of actually raising a child, I have a whole new skill set to hone.