Cloth Diapers – Two weeks in

In an effort to save money and help out the environment we’ve made the switch to cloth diapers. The decision to switch involved heavy thought on my part. I mean really, disposables are just so easy! Nevertheless CleverMom’s persistence paid off, we bought a dozen cloth diapers and haven’t looked back.

After some research, we decided to try out luck with KaWaii Baby cloth diapers. For $80 (cdn) we bought 12 outer layer/covers and 24 microfiber inserts. These are pocket style diapers requiring us to stuff the cover with the microfiber liners after washing. This extra step hasn’t been an inconvenience, and the money we saved from choosing pocket style over all in ones makes it worth while.

Now on to the important stuff: What are the pros and cons to cloth diapering. And is it worth the hassle?

Pros

• Cost savings. Duh! This is one guy who wouldn’t make the switch if there wasn’t any money savings. Add up the money you spend on diapers in 6 months. Chances are its more than $80! I know that the cost goes beyond the initial costs once you factor in the added electricity and water usage that comes with washing but it still works out to be cheaper than a box of diapers from Walmart.
• Environmentally friendly. I’m not the tree hugging type but it feels good to go that one step farther in reducing our monthly waste. One less diaper hill decomposing for a hundred years is okay in my book.
• Gentle on the baby bum. With microfiber, hemp, and even bamboo liners available cloth diapers are a more natural and chemical free option.

Cons

• Poop scooping. If you can’t handle a litter box you better stay away. Most of the time the poop can be easily scrapped off and flushed down the toilet. Other times, it might just be safer to burn the diaper in a barrel out back. I thank the man upstairs every day that my wife has volunteered to do the initial rinse and clean!
• Annoying when not at home. Probably my biggest pet peeve is the inconvience of not being home when we need to change Little Miss. It can be gross or mainly just a pain to have to worry about toting around a soiled diaper until we are home. Our solution right now is to pack extra plastic bags in the diaper bag to help reduce the yuck factor.
• Learning curve. For the first couple days, expect leaks. With the pocket style diaper it took a few tries to find the ideal way to stuff the diaper especially at night.

Final thoughts?

To set the record straight, I am not the pushy natural, look down on the scum of the earth type parent that I’ve seen on various forms. Little Miss drinks formula made with water right out of the tap. (oh my!) It’s up to you to figure out if cloth diapering is right for your family. If you think you can handle the poop scooping and the pain of washing then pick up a couple cloth diapers and give it a go.

Would I recommend cloth diapers? Why yes – yes I would.