Cloth Diapers

A few months ago I started to realize how many diapers we have used over the course of Makenna's life. Since disposable diapers don't degrade for a long, long time then they just end up in a landfill and they just sit there. As I have gotten older I have become more aware of my ability to be impact the condition of our planet. So I started to realize how wasteful it was to use disposable diapers. However I was still being selfish in that I didn't want to have to do a lot of work. I wanted to use cloth diapers but only if it wasn't going to be a hassle. Selfish I know, but hey what can I say. I have a friend named Jessica who has always used cloth diapers for her daughter. So I knew she would be the expert on what kind I should get. I also talked to her about how much trouble it was and how she liked them. She loves cloth diapers and had a lot of good advice. It turns out that cloth diapers have come a long way since the old days. No more pins and folding diapers. Well, you can still buy that kind if you want to but they make much easier ones now. She said they have tried a lot of brands and the one she liked the best was Bumgenius. She likes the Bumgenius Organic One Size All In One diaper. It is a diaper that is just like a disposable. No folding, no inserts, no nothing. Just put it on like a disposable diaper, velcro tabs and all. When you are done with it, you take it off and wash it. No assembly, no pins, just wash as is. I looked at those for a while and actually ordered some but ended up sending them back because they are very expensive. What I ended up buying was something similar. The Bumgenius One Size Pocket diaper. It has snaps in the front so it goes from 7-35 lbs so you don't have to buy any sizes. The one diaper works from newborn to toddler. This one is very similar to a disposable diaper. Same shape, same velcro. The only difference is there is a pocket on the inside where you put an absorbable insert. You put the diaper on just like a disposable, velcro and all. When you are done you take it off, pull out the insert and wash the diaper and insert. What I do to make it easier is when they come out of the dryer, I go ahead and put the insert in the diaper. That way they are all ready to go when I need them. I love them. They are a little pricey, so it is a significant investment in the beginning. However, they save a lot of money in the long run. Not only are they good for 7-35 lbs but they last a long time so we can use them for the next child. I bought 6 of them and am going to try them for a week. If I continue to like them as much as I do then I'm going to order 6 more. They come in lots of cute colors. I also bought cloth wipes and these little squares that you dissolve in hot water. You put it in a squirt bottle or pour it over the wipes. Its easy because you are already washing diapers so you might as well wash wipes with them. The solution smells great and is made several different oils that help prevent diaper rash are good for babies skin. So far I am more than pleased I switched to cloth diapers. They are so absorbent and I feel great about the fact that we are not being as wasteful. The only thing I don't like is that they are very bulky and they take a long time to dry in the dryer. So, Makenna now has a getto butty. But that will be good when it comes to buying new clothes because we won't have such a hard time finding pants and shorts that fit her!! One more reason to use cloth diapers!! If you are interested in them I recommend a site called Nicki's Diapers. They offer free shipping on many items and any order over $75. They also have a large selection. Here is a few pictures of one of the diapers.