Cloth Diapers

Some people have asked us if we still like cloth diapers as much as we did before Karis was born, now that we have been using them for a few of months. The answer is an enthusiastic YES!! I love, love ,love the diapers and even Kevin hasn't had any complaints about them (he took a bit of convincing to agree to use them). We chose to use cloth for a few reasons...mainly for the health of our baby (I absolutely hate chemicals and disposables are full of them!I I couldn't imagine having them on her 24/7) and for financial reasons(cloth is a big initial investment but in the long run can save you thousands of dollars...per kid!). Of course they are also a ton better for the environment and are supposed to help lessen the occurrence of diaper rash....and look super cute on babies!

I know a lot of people hear the words "cloth diaper" and their minds immediately go to white cloth and safety pins, I know that's what I thought of at first! But CDs (cloth diapers) have come a long way since those days. There are many types of CDs that come in many different styles so you can choose a type that best fits your needs.  You may be thinking "But isn't it a lot of work?"...well yes and no. I do have to wash them every couple of days but it really isn't that hard or time consuming(and I HATE doing laundry!). They get run through a couple of different wash cycles then I hang them to dry out in the wonderful sunshine for some natural stink and stain remover. Air drying them also helps them last longer since the dryer can wear the elastic out!

 The diapers soaking up some sun in the backyard! They smell and look so fresh and clean afterward :)







The diapers we chose to go with are called pocket diapers and we are using BumGenius 4.0s. They have a pocket on the inside of the diaper that you stuff an insert into which is what absorbs the pee! The pocket s also great for nighttime use....I just stuff extra inserts in so the diaper is able to absorb more. This means I do not have to get up to change her at 3 AM and there are no leaks!  Here's what the inside looks like:

<---that little flap covers the pocket so the insert stays in

The insert easily goes in and out---->







We are using the one size diapers...so they adjust to last from newborn to toddlerhood, meaning we don't have to keep buying new ones each time she grows!

There are lots of snaps on there to help get the best fit possible!








I also use cloth wipes and those are awesome as well and save us even more money! They just get thrown in the laundry with the diapers! The diapers do have to get washed with laundry detergent that doesn't have any additives, perfumes, dyes, etc in order to keep them from developing a buildup that would hinder their absorbency and waterproof lining! We Use Charlie's Soap right now and it works great (I even started using it on all our clothes!) but I might try some other natural brand just so I can compare :)

The diapers get stored in her dresser, below her changing pad,  for an easy grab during diaper changes. I used to pre-stuff them after washing but lately have gotten lazy and just throw the inserts on one side and the diapers on the other and stuff as I need a diaper!