Ew.
So why are we cloth diapering? Well, it's easy: It's what's best for our daughter!
With all the researching that I've done, I surely have not missed out on CDing (cloth diapering). Mark has never questioned CDing once -- he pretty much just trusts me to make big decisions on this since kids are my thing. And he's excited too! ... I promise.
Let me first come out and say: Cloth diapering is cheaper. A lot cheaper. On average, a child will need 6,000 diaper changes before their second birthday. Based on the average cost of 25.5 cents/diaper, diapering with disposables will cost about $1600 ($66.00 per month) to diaper for 2 years, excluding the cost of disposable wipes (Earth Angels Diaper Co). That's a lot of money to poop on something and throw it away.
An entire set of cloth diapers costs about $400. And you're set. Forever. And if you can take care of them well, you can use them for your next child and really save. That alone is enough reason for us to switch to cloth. Why wouldn't we save money where we can? Really. We'd rather use that extra money for trips back to Kentucky. Just sayin.
Point 2: I've changed my share of dirty diapers in my lifetime. It isn't fun, it really stinks, and poop is gross. But I am here to announce: changing disposable diapers is gross too. Just because you use disposables doesn't mean that you escape the "gross factor." I've never changed a CD, I'll admit, but I will say that it looks just as easy and you actually touch the diaper the exact same amount of time. I think people dwell a tad too much on the ick-ness and forget that, GASP, our ancestors ONLY had cloth diapers!!! Yes, our buff great-grandmothers (and hundreds of grandmas back) had to deal with poop. And lots of it. They survived. It isn't a new concept!! :)
Cloth-diapered babies potty train faster. They are more apt to feel wetness than a child in disposables. "Studies" show that CD kids potty train about 6 months earlier. This is good news to me!
It's rare to obtain diaper rash while in a cloth diaper. There are no chemicals, and you're using all-natural soap. So you can nix out all the Butt Paste since you won't need it. If you need to apply a little cream every time you change your baby's diaper, isn't that kind of a red flag? Maybe all those chemicals in disposables aren't very healthy. (I seriously urge you to click that link and read what EXACTLY is found in disposable diapers. Um, SCARY!)
It's actually illegal to throw poop away. Did you know? Yes, it's against the law. You're actually SUPPOSED to flush the poop down the toilet and then throw the diaper away. I know of no one who actually does this. I promise. You can even Google it.
It only adds up to 2 or 3 extra loads of laundry a week. And you use a fraction of the amount of soap for regular clothes. Not a big deal at all. No one likes to do laundry, but it isn't a huge deal.
Last of all, they're cute!! Yes, what a vain reason, but it's a reason nonetheless! Cloth diapers are extremely adorable. I'm torn between bumGenius & gDiapers. I don't know how I'll ever choose.
G's:
orrr bumGenius:
baby legs!
baby legs!So there you have it. If you still think we're nutty, at least you have to admit that cloth diapers are insanely adorable. I can't wait to begin our stash!!! Soon, I'll be doing a post on why we will be toting our baby in a sling. Babywearing is an aspect of attachment parenting, which I mentioned we are "fans" of. I know, I know, you CANNOT wait! :)
