Diaper Dilemma

In August we had our first child, a beautiful baby girl. Like all parents we only want the best for our baby - and have decided to give cloth diapering a go, after carefully reviewing the pros and cons of cloth versus disposable.

Disposable Pros
  • convenient
  • cost spread over diaper wearing time
  • maintenance free
Disposable Cons
  • not environmentally friendly (though uses less water and detergent)
  • chemicals next to babies bottom
  • costs more in the long run (according to the research)
Cloth Pros
  • costs less over time
  • environmentally friendly (though increases water consumption and use of detergent)
  • less chemical exposure for baby
Cloth Cons
  • large up-front investment
  • larger time commitment
  • maintenance
We have been using disposables since birth and have had a couple of bad episodes of diaper rash, a few blowouts and a lot of garbage. Will cloth prove to be the answer? Will we make the switch permanently?

Here goes nothing - we have purchased a variety of cloth diapers for the test drive.
  • Kushies Prefolds with Bummis Covers
  • Mother Ease Sandy's Fitted Diaper with Mother Ease Air Flow Diaper Cover
  • Fuzzi Bunz Pocket Diaper
  • Bum Genius 3.0
  • G Diapers
Each diaper will be rated on ability to withstand soakers, stinkers, naptime and overnight use - as well as, appearance, fit, cost, ease of use, durability and baby's comfort (though sort of subjective as she is only 2 1/2 months).

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

My Super Sleeping Soaking Baby

Last night was the first night of the cloth diapering experience. First observation, we might need to buy larger sizes in all her clothing. The sleeper would not do up...and she has a serious case of big bum. But maybe they won't all be so bulky.

So my superstar sleeps from about 10pm until about 6am in the mornings, I picked her up this morning and the swaddle blanket wet, the sleeper wet, the diaper - not a dry piece of cloth to be had and her bum and back were also wet.

We used the Sandy's with the waterproof cover which apparently cannot withstand the soaking abilities of my baby girl. A disposable always could. I think if we try this diaper again for nighttime we will need to put a liner inside to help increase the amount of absorbency.

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