Cloth Diaper Q&A

Cloth Diaper Q&A

June 12, 2012 -- 3rd Day

The sun is out! 

Which means it's a little hot and muggy, but that's how I like it. 

Just look at those billowy clouds. 

Just finished hanging some laundry out on the line. Somehow, it's completely therapeutic. Much more so than washing dishes...which is now a "by-hand" job, simply because I really, really, really don't want to take the racks out of the dishwasher and scrub the grossness (yes, it's a word now) off of the inside so it doesn't get sprayed onto my supposed-to-be-clean dishes!

I don't know where I'd be without cloth diapers. I think the average American spends about $3,000 on disposable diapers a year...and I don't have to spend a dime! A lot of people have a bunch of questions about cloth diapering, so lemme answer them the best I can.

Q: How many cloth diapers does it take to effectively diaper a baby?

A: About the same as regular diapers! My son is 7 months old and he goes through about 6-8 cloth diapers a day, from morning to morning. As of right now, I probably have a stash of about 60-70 diapers total. As pictured above, that's two rows of 15, so you're looking at 30 diapers there. I also have diapers in newborn size and small. My son is in mediums and larges (you can  fold them down to fit your needs, so there's no distinct sizes, really).

Q: Do you need diaper covers/how many do I need?

A: Only if you don't want pee and poop all over everything! And you probably need at least 5 in each size.

Q: How often do you have to change a cloth diaper?

A: As often as it gets soggy/poopy. Most people recommend every two hours, but I find that's not practical. Would you want to sit in a wet cloth diaper for two hours? I didn't think so!

Q: How often should you change the diaper cover? 

A: Only if it's got poop on it or if it's really wet. Diaper covers are really, really waterproof, so there's really no need to change it after every diaper change unless it truly needs it. Use your best judgement.

Q: How do you wash cloth diapers/covers?

A: With bleach and detergent. Be careful though -- you don't want to bleach or machine dry your diaper covers, because the elasticity will wear out faster. 

Q: Is there a difference in how you deal with breastfed/solid fed poop?

A: Yes! With breastfed babies poopy diapers, you want to just toss them in the wash (but not with your husband's work shirts on accident...they don't seem to like that...) With solid-fed baby's diapers, shake them out in the toilet and then wash.

Q: What about when you go out? 

A: Easy! Just take a convenience store/chain store bag with you in your diaper bag. As you use one, just pop it in. You may want to double (or triple!) bag depending whether the baby is breastfed or on solid food. Right now, I'm about to experiment with taking a cloth bag as well so I can just dump the whole thing into the washing machine when I get home.

Q: Are they really hot for the baby to wear during the summer time?

A: Not really. Civilizations have been cloth diapering since before air-conditioning came about. I just make sure that my son is fed on demand all the time (especially in the hot weather) to keep him hydrated and to protect from overheating. Make sure to dress lightly as well! A light t-shirt or a onesie with a cloth diaper/cover has never given me a problem before.

Q: Did you cloth diaper from birth?

A: No, simply because postpartum, I didn't feel like washing/drying diapers. Although, the next time around, after about three or four weeks, I will probably switch over to cloth diapers instead of waiting several months. Remember -- it's all about what is easiest for YOU after giving birth! :) It's like my midwife always told me: 5 days in the bed, 5 days around the bed, 5 days in the house and 5 days around the house.

I hope this information helps anyone who is looking into using cloth-diapers to save money and go green at the same time.