Cloth Diapers... revisited

Okay. Things have changed... not by a lot. But enough. So I thought I would share it with you. And I thought I would give you more information.

So. We changed our minds on the all-in-one diapers before Eliana was born. We switched from the Bum Genius Freetime (it was the all-in-one diaper) to the Bum Genius 4.0. They are still a one size fits all (from 8-35 pounds) kind of diaper. But they are pocket diapers instead of the all-in-ones. 

After a few more conversations with friends and some more time watching videos on YouTube, I realized why pocket diapers make more sense. 

1. You can manage the amount of stuffing each diaper has. If she is a serious pee-er, then we can add extra layers of absorbency.
2. Don't get all judgey and stuff yet, because we haven't done this and don't know if we WILL do this, but we COULD do this. If she pees, you can change the WHOLE diaper, but only put the liner into the wet bag. The outside will take about 5-15 minutes to dry off and then it COULD be reused with a clean liner. Just saying. It is an OPTION. Not necessarily a reality.
3. Pocket diapers have an extra step when they come out of the wash. But so do socks. You have to find the match and fold them over. Pocket diapers need to be stuffed when they come out of the wash. The all-in-one diapers we were looking at before had two interiors flaps (instead of liners) that had to be manipulated at the time of diapering. You know, when our baby is sitting there squirming or screaming. Of the two options, I pick stuffing ahead of time rather than manipulating at the time of squirming.

And since we have been using the diapers for the last few weeks here is what we think. We love cloth diapers. In response to the numbers above

1. Eliana is a pee-er and we have already started managing it with more stuffing. It makes everything easier. 
2. We have not tried this. I don't know if we ever will. I am a little afraid of a UTI in an infant. How would she tell me what was wrong? So I don't know if it will happen.
3. Stuffing ahead of time is easy. It is just like folding socks. You make time for it. And it is easy.
4. For the cost. We have loved not having to run out and buy diapers. We have loved not buying diapers at all. 
5. In 3.5 months we have only had diaper rash once. And just barely. The diapers wick away moisture so she isn't sitting in it. Because of this, we have had very few diaper related problems. 

So we have about 24 diapers. And Matt washes them maybe every other day. We put them through the washer on the white cycle then we air dry them. 

Cloth diapering is easy. It is not the cloth diapering nightmare of even 30 years ago. Even Matt enjoys it, as much as anyone can enjoy anything related to diapering. 

Cloth Diapers

Oh lord have I read and talked to a lot of people about this.

Reasoning? It is not about saving the planet at all. It is a happy bonus coincidence. For me? The cost of diapering a child is too much. And then how about a second child? Forgetaboutit! Not happening! I want to save money (for college). Once we have the diapers, we won't need to buy more. Duh. And we can use the same diapers for the first and second (and maybe third) kid. Only the elastic at the legs might need to be replaced. Not so bad.

Current plan:

Newborn diapers?
We are going to try to use our diapers as soon as they fit. But I am not buying more cloth diapers than we can use. I am not buying any additional extra small sizes - mostly because I bet our kid won't be small at all. Have you seen Reese babies? They are bigguns!

But before our baby fits into our diapers - we are going to use disposables. Because in the beginning, it is just about survival. Parent survival. Making it through each day and each diaper. 

Home?
In order to get Matt on board, I had to keep diapering as simple as possible. So I did some research. And I found Bum Genius freetime. I can't wait to have one in my hands to play with. What I know at this point? There is a waterproof outer layer. It is adjustable to three different sizes in terms of crotch length. And four different waist sizes. It also has two absorbent layers attached and permanent on the inside.

Know what else we did to get Matt on board? New fancy washing machine for Chanukah. Front loader. High efficiency. All the bells and whistles. No seriously. It has bells and sings each time you press a button. I wouldn't know about it because I don't know how to use it. He hasn't showed me how to use it. But Matt told me it plays music.

Traveling?
I originally was completely against cloth diapers with inserts because of the extra step. However, for traveling, I think a disposable insert would make the most sense. So I'm thinking about GDiapers. The outsides are reusable and the inserts (while expensive) will make diapering on the go easier. And you can use the outside over and over again and just change the insert. So yea. That's my thought.
Cons? They are not all-in-ones. So we will need different sizes. Which makes me think that they are not the one. That makes it less easy. And less affordable. EPIC LOSS.

So I went back to Bum Genius. Crazy right? And brand consistent? What is that about? So pocket diapers. They are the same on the outside as the other ones. The difference? Instead of having two absorbent layers that are attached, it has a pocket. And it comes with an insert. It shoves right down into the pocket. The reason I am thinking about these ones? Honestly? It is kind of gross... but you can change the insert and reuse the outside diaper. Imagine, just one outside diaper and changing the insert. You could even use the disposable inserts. The only reason for changing the whole diaper? Poop. Chunky stuff.