If you're wondering where I've been, why the lapse in postings, its not because I'm lazy. (maybe too tired to blog, but I've saved a bit of energy for this particular blogging, so you're in for a treat!)
I've been Cloth Diaper (CD) Stalking on Hyena Cart! Yes, I've lost my marbles. I've decided to start CD'ing my 9 month old son. And let me tell you: the start up to build a CD 'stash' is daunting. There ain't no Babies'R'Us trip and you're done... no ma'am. These puppies have to be hunted down (hence - "stalking"). And you have to put in the proper amount of research. One must decide between Prefolds, Pockets, Fitteds, AIO (All-in-One), AI2's (All-in-Two - variation of the AIO) and all the hybrids in between!!!
The picture includes: 4 g-Diapers (notice the tiny white lower-case 'g' on the solid colored dipes?) 2 g-Diaper liners that snap into the shell, 2 Fitted dipes with detachable inserts, and 2 BumGenius (BG) Pockets. g-Diapers are considered a cloth diaper hybrid that can be used with flushable, compostable (or tossable) inserts (that sit inside the snap-in/out liners) or you can 'stuff' them with plain tri-fold (prefolded) cloth diapers (the white ones that many a mother now-a-days use for a burp-wrag) Fitted dipes consist of a cloth outer "shell" (usually with a VERY CUTE print on it), and a snap-in/out insert (also called a 'soaker'). They are NOT waterproof, and if you're venturing out of the house, you might be so inclined to put a pair of plastic pants over the diaper, or you'll probably need to carry a couple of extra outfits... The BumGenius are pocket diapers that DO have a PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) layer that keeps the 'wetness' from going through the diaper (and onto his clothes.) They come with 2 seperate cloth inserts that you stuff inside the pocket.
I've decided that I'm a MAJOR fan of the BumGenius (BG) pocket dipes. Westin is a very heavy wetter, and the BG's last all night (Wes usually sleeps 12 hours without waking to breastfeed). The material that is up against his skin is a microfleece (I think) and it keeps his skin dry (even though the inserts underneath are COMPLETELY soaked)
Why did I feel the need, 9 months after his birth, to start such a circus? Well, I started to feel guilty about the 150ish disposable diapers a month that I was lugging to the curbside for the trash collectors to take to our local dump. To quote the g-Diapers website: "50 million diapers get tossed each day and each one takes up to 500 years to biodegrade." Who knew one sentence, 17 words, could cause a pit in my stomach the size of a grenade?? My son and his generation stand to inherit this planet. And the busy, consumer driven society that we've turned into don't think twice when we yank off a urine filled disposable diaper (also called a 'sposie in the CD'ing world -- yes, we're in our own world, but I digress) and slap on a new one, leaving the trash to rot in a landfill just a few miles down the road.
I realize I'm starting to rant, so I'll give you another statistic to justify my recently considered nutty behavior: while the initial cost of CDing can be staggering (one (1!) brand new g-Diaper costs $17, a BG - $18 and a Goodmama Fitted - up to $28) the cost in the long-run is much less in comparison to spending $80 a month on disposables (thats $1,000 a year!!!) Most of the CD's that I've purchased have been "One Size Fits All/Most", and Westin can wear them until he is Potty Trained!! Keep in mind: some kiddos don't potty train until they're 4 years old, or 5 in some cases. That's $5,000 in trash! (or a down payment on a car!) I have spent $166 so far on 15 CDs and 2 bags of disposable g-Diaper inserts. If you don't count the $30 disposable inserts, thats approx. $9 a diaper, so I have been doing some major stalking for deals! (Hyena Cart has a "Spot's Corner" shop where Mommies sell Second-hand (read: used) CD's. Most are in EUC (excellent used condition). I have, of course, washed and de-germed the 9 used diapers I have purchased, but I couldn't pass up the deals I got! I'm a bargain hunter to the core!!
And yes, one must take into consideration the costs of the 'up-keep': electricity to run the washing machine, the water, and the detergent to get them clean. (I line dry most of our CDs to cut down on some electricity costs, and to extend the life of the dipes) But here's where I get on my soap-box (pun intended) -- I'm already running our clothes washer everyday (some days I don't, and I pay for it when I have a mountain of laundry laughing at me) Whats one extra nightly load of cloth diapers??? Not much in my book.
Not to mention, CD's B R E A T H E. There is no plastic (or chemical/crystal absorbing materials) in a cloth diaper to sit against my baby boy's skin over night, making a warm, moist environment which is where many a distraught baby struggles with insufferable diaper rash!
10 points to you if you've made it this far! I'll even spend the extra 5 minutes to give you a Cloth Diaper Jargon/Language chart!:
CD's'ing = Cloth Diaper(s)(ing)
I've been Cloth Diaper (CD) Stalking on Hyena Cart! Yes, I've lost my marbles. I've decided to start CD'ing my 9 month old son. And let me tell you: the start up to build a CD 'stash' is daunting. There ain't no Babies'R'Us trip and you're done... no ma'am. These puppies have to be hunted down (hence - "stalking"). And you have to put in the proper amount of research. One must decide between Prefolds, Pockets, Fitteds, AIO (All-in-One), AI2's (All-in-Two - variation of the AIO) and all the hybrids in between!!!
The picture includes: 4 g-Diapers (notice the tiny white lower-case 'g' on the solid colored dipes?) 2 g-Diaper liners that snap into the shell, 2 Fitted dipes with detachable inserts, and 2 BumGenius (BG) Pockets. g-Diapers are considered a cloth diaper hybrid that can be used with flushable, compostable (or tossable) inserts (that sit inside the snap-in/out liners) or you can 'stuff' them with plain tri-fold (prefolded) cloth diapers (the white ones that many a mother now-a-days use for a burp-wrag) Fitted dipes consist of a cloth outer "shell" (usually with a VERY CUTE print on it), and a snap-in/out insert (also called a 'soaker'). They are NOT waterproof, and if you're venturing out of the house, you might be so inclined to put a pair of plastic pants over the diaper, or you'll probably need to carry a couple of extra outfits... The BumGenius are pocket diapers that DO have a PUL (Polyurethane Laminate) layer that keeps the 'wetness' from going through the diaper (and onto his clothes.) They come with 2 seperate cloth inserts that you stuff inside the pocket.
I've decided that I'm a MAJOR fan of the BumGenius (BG) pocket dipes. Westin is a very heavy wetter, and the BG's last all night (Wes usually sleeps 12 hours without waking to breastfeed). The material that is up against his skin is a microfleece (I think) and it keeps his skin dry (even though the inserts underneath are COMPLETELY soaked)
Why did I feel the need, 9 months after his birth, to start such a circus? Well, I started to feel guilty about the 150ish disposable diapers a month that I was lugging to the curbside for the trash collectors to take to our local dump. To quote the g-Diapers website: "50 million diapers get tossed each day and each one takes up to 500 years to biodegrade." Who knew one sentence, 17 words, could cause a pit in my stomach the size of a grenade?? My son and his generation stand to inherit this planet. And the busy, consumer driven society that we've turned into don't think twice when we yank off a urine filled disposable diaper (also called a 'sposie in the CD'ing world -- yes, we're in our own world, but I digress) and slap on a new one, leaving the trash to rot in a landfill just a few miles down the road.
I realize I'm starting to rant, so I'll give you another statistic to justify my recently considered nutty behavior: while the initial cost of CDing can be staggering (one (1!) brand new g-Diaper costs $17, a BG - $18 and a Goodmama Fitted - up to $28) the cost in the long-run is much less in comparison to spending $80 a month on disposables (thats $1,000 a year!!!) Most of the CD's that I've purchased have been "One Size Fits All/Most", and Westin can wear them until he is Potty Trained!! Keep in mind: some kiddos don't potty train until they're 4 years old, or 5 in some cases. That's $5,000 in trash! (or a down payment on a car!) I have spent $166 so far on 15 CDs and 2 bags of disposable g-Diaper inserts. If you don't count the $30 disposable inserts, thats approx. $9 a diaper, so I have been doing some major stalking for deals! (Hyena Cart has a "Spot's Corner" shop where Mommies sell Second-hand (read: used) CD's. Most are in EUC (excellent used condition). I have, of course, washed and de-germed the 9 used diapers I have purchased, but I couldn't pass up the deals I got! I'm a bargain hunter to the core!!
And yes, one must take into consideration the costs of the 'up-keep': electricity to run the washing machine, the water, and the detergent to get them clean. (I line dry most of our CDs to cut down on some electricity costs, and to extend the life of the dipes) But here's where I get on my soap-box (pun intended) -- I'm already running our clothes washer everyday (some days I don't, and I pay for it when I have a mountain of laundry laughing at me) Whats one extra nightly load of cloth diapers??? Not much in my book.
Not to mention, CD's B R E A T H E. There is no plastic (or chemical/crystal absorbing materials) in a cloth diaper to sit against my baby boy's skin over night, making a warm, moist environment which is where many a distraught baby struggles with insufferable diaper rash!
10 points to you if you've made it this far! I'll even spend the extra 5 minutes to give you a Cloth Diaper Jargon/Language chart!:
CD's'ing = Cloth Diaper(s)(ing)
Crunchy = think Granola, think hippy, meaning Eco-conscious (or Green)
Stalking = searching online for very cute CD's, and trying to buy them before other Moms do!
Stash = the collection of CDs one Mommy has acquired
Stuff = placing cloth inserts into a cloth diaper
OS = One size fits all/Most
AIO = All in one (meaning one entire piece)
AI2 = All in two (seperate pieces)
PUL = Polyurethane Laminate Layer- aka waterproof layer
Sposie = Disposable Diaper
Lastly, who can resist a squishy baby bootie???!!!??? When I pick Wessie up and hug him, tickle him, and play with him, his little Baby Bum is soft and cloth! CD's are called squishy because the thickness of the material under an adorable printed diaper is so irresistable!
I'm happy with my decision, and proud of myself for attempting to do right by Mother Earth, and my son!
Stalking = searching online for very cute CD's, and trying to buy them before other Moms do!
Stash = the collection of CDs one Mommy has acquired
Stuff = placing cloth inserts into a cloth diaper
OS = One size fits all/Most
AIO = All in one (meaning one entire piece)
AI2 = All in two (seperate pieces)
PUL = Polyurethane Laminate Layer- aka waterproof layer
Sposie = Disposable Diaper
Lastly, who can resist a squishy baby bootie???!!!??? When I pick Wessie up and hug him, tickle him, and play with him, his little Baby Bum is soft and cloth! CD's are called squishy because the thickness of the material under an adorable printed diaper is so irresistable!
I'm happy with my decision, and proud of myself for attempting to do right by Mother Earth, and my son!
No comments:
Post a Comment