Introducing... The Diaper Pail.

A friend of mine asked about our diaper pail today, so I figured I would share.



We use a Wahmies Pail Liner (the laundry is in right now) in a plain old plastic, foot-pedaled trash can. It works pretty good. It smells when we open it, but it contains the scent pretty darn well. When picking out a trash can, choose ones with a lip on it so that there is more of an air tight seal.

We also own a Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag for emergencies, some laundry days, and travel. It's awesome, and the prints are fabulous. This might also be a good option for extra smelly diapers, though they do not offer the same amount of storage as the trash can.

In other news, we've been searching for a daycare, and I am so excited to let you know Gabriel will be able to sport his fluffy butt even when I work full-time!

Cloth Diapers and Childcare

Currently, Gabe is with me most of the time. I work part-time, three days per week, only five hours or less per shift. One of those days, Gabriel is with my Mom, and she is awesome enough to use his cloth diapers. On the other days, Goober is with our babysitter, and she is cool with him being dropped off in cloth.

Today, I did a little exploring in the world of childcare and cloth diapers... because I'm curious like that.

In fact, I actually stopped into a daycare and asked, among other things, if they allow them. The response?

"I've never even been asked that before. I don't think so-- it is probably against state standards. I'll have to find out. The director is on vacation."

Well, I didn't need the director to let me know about the state regs. I found them. And in New Jersey, it actually is permissible to use cloth diapers. Here are the stipulations, starting with part of 10:122-7.8 of the state's Child Care Center Manual...

"iii. Diapering supply requirements are as follows:

(1) A supply of clean diapers shall always be available.

(2) Diapering supplies, including diapers, shall be stored in an area out of the children's reach but easily accessible to staff members during a diaper change.

(3) Equipment used for cleaning the diapering surface shall be restricted for use in this area only and shall be disposable or laundered in hot soapy water.

(4) Staff members who use disposable rubber gloves during a diaper change shall dispose of these gloves after each use and shall wash their hands.

iv. Soiled diapers shall be disposed of as follows:

(1) Soiled disposable diapers shall be placed in a closed container that is lined with a leakproof or impervious lining. Such diapers shall be removed from the center daily and placed in a closed garbage receptacle outside the building.

(2) Soiled non-disposable diapers shall be placed in a sealed plastic container that has been labeled with the child's name. Such diapers shall be returned to the child's parent at the end of that day."

As a cloth-diapering Mommy, I figure this is good information to know, that despite what a center may say is legal, cloth diapering my baby in a childcare center is legal. Would I keep Gabriel in cloth if I were working full-time? I cannot be absolutely positive of that answer, but I would do everything I could for it to be a beneficial, sanitary possibility for my little man and the environment.

What about you all? Are you working with a cloth diaper baby? What do you do?

The Night Diaper.

For those of you looking for a good overnight cloth solution, this is ours. It does the job very, very well. We have had less than a handful of overnight leaks due to myself or my husband putting on the diaper off kilter. When we put the diaper on correctly, which is easy, everything is held inside. AND Gabe's skin feels dry at 6:50 a.m.




1. Bumgenius One Size 3.0
(compare to the current new and improved 4.0, which we are yet to purchase)
2. The large insert snapped down 1 button
3. The newborn insert between, pulled to the front.
4. The Bumgenius microfiber "Stay Dry" diaper doubler (this is the key to the dry baby)

Behold: Night Fluff.

I know many Mommies love hemp for overnight. If you have a favorite fool-proof overnight option, please comment and tell us!

Things that Go Stink.

This is a quick post to let you all know about stink issues.

1. We are currently trying to identify and correct a slight diaper stink issue. It seems that after Gabe pees in his microfiber pocket diapers, the inserts are stuh-hinking, not horribly, but enough that sometimes I have to do a vinegar rinse to rid the smell from the diapers. We used Rockin Green Classic Rock the first two months of diapering, but then switched to Country Save when we ran out in an attempt to be even more economical. We had no smell issues while using Rockin Green. What I am trying to figure out is if the issue is not enough Country Save, too much Country Save, Country Save itself, or something else entirely. We are probably just going to order some more Rockin Green (maybe in a scent this time, wee!) to correct the issue.

2. Per my post on hair mats for oil, I was planning on donating my hair for hair booms. Well, I received my address from Matter of Trust earlier this month, just to receive another e-mail almost one day later to let me know that address was no longer valid because the warehouse was full. I feel silly, but I just don't want to get my hair cut and have the hair sitting around my house waiting to get shipped away. I also am reading in some places that the hair booms are not being used at all, but Matter of Trust ensures the public on its PR page that this hair will be used for booms at some point in the clean up for this spill or a future spill. I am frustrated, and I still need a hair cut.

In the meantime, you can watch this ironically and sadly funny video of a sardonic sketch on the oil spill:

Chlorine Free at the Moment We Wish to Be.

First of all, today is my birthday. So happy year 25 to me! I'm not a big birthday person so we didn't do much today, but it was great spending quality time with my boys. What else does a wife/Mom really need anyway?

Secondly, this was a weekend involving chlorine issues. As in, Gabriel went swimming for the first time...



We did use a FuzziBunz without the insert as his cloth swim diaper, and it worked just fine. He was not into the pool. I didn't really expect him to be because he isn't really excited by baths, either.








The other chlorine issue was our switch from regular old disposables to chlorine free disposables (we only use 'sposies when Gabriel is with his babysitter, and I always leave him in cloth so we use about 4 disposables per week). As a cloth diaper family, we might surprise you that we were using typical name brand "natural" diapers, but we were. And today we bought a pack of Seventh Generation chlorine free diapers. As far as disposables go, I really like them.


Gabriel wore one this afternoon (and you can see him in the process of pulling himself up to standing-- he is really on the move trying to cruise now) so I could sort of scout it out before we sent him off to the races with them. It worked just fine, it absorbs with all natural wood pulp, and it doesn't nauseate me with perfumes. Less chemicals = happier me. So that's all good.


And that was pretty much our weekend. I hope you all had some fun in the sun with or without chlorine, too!

A Post in Which I Kick Myself.

I've been postponing the purchase of Gabe's first cloth swim diaper. He grows like a weed. I told myself-- at the end of May, weigh him and order one so he can debut with the pools. But did I order a swim diaper? No.

So yesterday and today I spent my afternoon attempting to find a place that first of all has any swim diaper in my son's size-- pretty much every cloth diaper baby boy in America must be between 21-30 pounds right now because just about every diaper for my almost 22 pound son is sold out. And then, ya know, I tried to find a diaper that I think is cute. And oh, we need this diaper, mmmm, Saturday... so how 'bout affordable 3 day shipping.

I guess maybe more than anything this little neglecting to order a swim diaper in a timely fashion is just a reminder that I am always behind anymore. I got so excited that I finally got the piles of clean laundry in our bedroom put away, but it doesn't take long for other things to start piling. I know it's mommyhood, but I wish I could keep up and keep a Martha Stewart-worthy home. More than anything, I just want a darn swim diaper solution. (If that's my biggest issue in life right now, I know I have it pretty good.)

So this post is a lament. And a call for help. Anyone have any swim diaper suggestions asap?! I pretty much refuse to buy a disposable swim diaper.

Stash Family Photo

Faves
Bumgenius 3.0 One Size Pocket
Go-to for overnight, poop always stays in, good fit.
Downside? bg velcro wears quickly

Happy Heiny's One Size Pocket Aplix Closure
Great fit on chubby thighs.

Thirsties Duo Wrap
Great fit, never leaks, lovely colors and prints.

Prefolds
Quick, easy, cheap, and absorbent.

Least Fave
Kissaluvs Contours (Not Pictured)
While nice for when baby goes coverless with diaper rash, these just soak through very quickly.

The Secret Life of Prefolds.

For the cloth diaper newbie, prefolds are probably what many people imagine when the word cloth diaper is spoken.

Prefolds are generally a rectangle of cotton fabric pre-folded lengthwise so that there is a thicker strip of fabric in the middle. Many CDers do use prefolds, owning either Chinese prefolds (normally bleached, supposedly more durable) or Indian prefolds (generally unbleached, more soft, and possibly more absorbent). We own and happily use both varieties, and I will say the prefold stereotypes mentioned above do hold true in our house.


Generally, my husband and I use prefolds folded in thirds, positioned in a diaper cover. This is a nice, easy option for at home. As long as your baby has not made a disturbing mess on both the diaper and cover, you can easily pull out the dirty diaper and replace it with a clean one. That means you can reuse the cover. If your baby got the cover insides a little wet, you can let the cover air dry while using a different one on your baby. I have used this method out of the house, too, and I have no real problem with it as long as I have a considerable changing area for Gabe (i.e. this is not easy in the back of a car with a squirmy munchkin).

Larger, diaper-service quality (DSQ) prefolds cost around $2.00 each, and covers range in price from $8-$17. My favorite covers are both just about $13. You can imagine how inexpensive diapering is with the cover/prefold system.

And as I said, generally, my husband and I just fold the prefold in thirds and position it inside the cover, but every once in awhile, we do the twist.

The Bikini Twist
Gabe Style

(And meet Gabe's Owl. He has no name. I figured I would wait for Gabe to name him.)

Your baby goes on top of the prefold so that the diaper will cover his bottom when wrapped around him.

Twist the prefold so that what is facing toward you faces the ground.


Pull the bottom up to your baby's belly.

Fold some fabric down to make a double layer for absorbency (The amount of fabric folded will depend on the size of your baby and the size of your prefold. Gabe is 20 pounds, and we can make a nice double layer in a premium.)

Snappi time! (Snappis are stretchy little monsters with inward facing teeth at each point. They grab the fabric and hold your fold in place in one-two-three-- without risking any injury to your baby with ye olde pins).

The fold created a little gusset to help hold the mess inside the diaper.

After folding, just add a cover!

Happy Prefold-ing!

For a stack of awesomely helpful prefold tutorials, head to the Eco-Friendly Family Blog here.

It's a New Pediatrician Kind of Day.

Today was our first appointment with our new pediatrician, and we were so much happier with this doctor!

The biggest note on the appointment? I am no longer being told it is imperative Gabe has solids and meat by 6 months!! The new doc said G is clearly thriving, and while solids are a good idea to ready a baby for real eating at around age one, theoretically, he would be FINE on breastmilk alone. Thank goodness.

And then there's Gabe's size.

20 lb. 2 oz., 27.5 in.
My son is very big.
His weight and height are both in the 90% range-- matching percentiles is a good thing.

You may think I would be serious on the day of my 6 month shots...

...but I'm all smiles!


(Yes, Gabe is wearing the new Blackbird print Thirsties Duo Wrap with the new Snap Closure. I'm in LOVE.)

Imagine all the diapers...

I've always loved the song "Imagine" - John Lennon, and tonight I am happily imagining a world without the below being buried in our earth. But unfortunately, there are lots of diapers being buried.

Cloth Diapers "In Real Life"

As proud and happy I am to be a Cloth-Diapering Mama, I haven't perfected the art of time and diaper management so that disposables never come out of our home. The above picture is from last weekend-- so, no, we haven't dismantled the Diaper Genie just yet, though it was the first time it was emptied since early February (that sounds gross, but I assure you no scents were permeating from it).

We are planning on taking the DG apart this weekend, though. While we do use a disposable here-and-there-very-rare, at this point we might not fill up a DG again until the end of the year. Not exaggerating. We're getting closer and closer to managing and mastering cloth.

But here are some cases of disposable use for thought.

1. We miscalculated how many diapers we needed while out, and all we have to use is that disposable stuck at the bottom of the diaper bag "just in case." (We've sort of gotten away from this by now-- you get used to using more space in the diaper bag for unused and used diapers).

2. Gabe has a truly bad diaper rash so much so that I am afraid we will destroy the cloth with butt cream/paste/vaseline (This situation has only occurred once, and I recently started lining his diapers with fleece for ultra protection).

3. Somehow all of Gabe's night-friendly diapers are dirty when he is headed to bed (This, too, has only happened once. We finally have the right number of diapers/ I am now good at knowing when diaper laundry needs to be finished so as to avoid this situation again.)

4. Gabe is at the babysitter's while I work. I spend approximately 15 hours away from Gabe due to employment. My Mom watches him during one shift, and she happily uses cloth-- she's a big fan of BG 3.0s, and whenever people make any sort of face or weird comment regarding our cloth choices, she is the first to be ultra supportive of our cloth diapering (Thanks, Mommy.).
...So Gabe spends about 9.75 hours away from family per week. And he heads to the sitter in a pocket diaper, but with his current peanut butter poop/rolling and rocking EVERYWHERE craziness, I really am not comfortable asking the babysitter to keep him in cloth while she cares for him. So he does wear disposables with her... probably about 5 or 6 per week tops. It makes me cringe, but that's just reality of life situations. I can only hope that if and when we are blessed with our next babies that I can be with them pretty much always (in a healthy way) and no disposables will come out of our home.

And for awhile we were still using disposable wipes (which easily slipped into the DG), but we are on a full-time cloth wipe regimen now. We have changed our system just slightly, and I will be posting an update about it soon.

So, lovely readers, what are your cloth diaper pitfall situations? Am I just a fool to have had the issues above? Tell me true!

--
And while we're on the subject, here's another diaper issue at hand.

Overnight Weekend Travel

We are currently brainstorming our cloth diapering tactic for a trip we are taking at the end of May. I will be writing a very nice post about this trip later, but for now, I will just give some basic deets and our "math problem."

-We are leaving here around 12:45 p.m. Friday.
-Including pitstops to nurse and change diapers, it should take us 7-8 hrs to reach our destination.
-We will be staying in a lodge Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening.
-We will be returning home on Monday morning, again taking a 7-8 hr trip to reach home.

There is no laundry available to us at the lodge that I am interested in doing while on this trip. You'll totally understand why when I elaborate later.

So, what to do?
I'm thinking of doing pockets while driving, the Flip System Covers with Flip Disposable Inserts during the day, and then using pockets at night. I am fairly certain we have enough diapers for this to work. What I'm concerned about?
-We've never used the Flip System Disposable Inserts before. We usually use prefolds under Flip covers.
-We only have 3 Flips covers. We have 3 Econobums covers and 3 Thirsties Duo Wraps. ...So, that is probably enough to get us through, but will Econobums and Duo Wraps work with Flip Disposable Inserts? I don't know.

We will be heading to Vermont on vacation this summer, and we do have access to laundry in the home being rented up there. So, I'm happy to know we won't have to do this sort of hybrid system often.

Please leave comments with suggestions about weekend travel!

Cloth Diaper Shout Out: Mass Media Style

Sara Snow was on Good Morning America today promoting her book and explaining the "green, greener, and greenest" diaper options for babies. You can watch the clip here.

It's too bad that morning show spots are so short because a clip that demonstrates just how easy it is to use cloth could truly use exposure. This one didn't get to emphasize how very modern cloth has become because it was just too brief.

But it's wonderful that this was on GMA. Hooray for that!

Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire.

After 2 months of cloth diapering, we've taken the dive into cloth wipes tonight.

To start things off, I made
A Very Basic Wipes Solution...
2 c. very warm water
2 tsp. baby wash
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Body Oil with Vitamin E

From what I have read, I do want to switch from the Burt's Bees to tea tree oil for its anti-fungal properties, but I didn't have any in the house, and I just wanted to get my feet wet in getting cloth wipes together (we only have 24 for now-- I'll be ordering some more asap so that we use cloth wipes full-time).
Basically, I heated the water in the teapot, poured two cups into a measuring cup, added the rest of the measured ingredients, stirred them up, and poured the solution over the wipes. We let it sit for a few minutes so that the wipes could soak up all the goodness and cool a bit. Honestly, I'm not worried about keeping wipes warm.

How are the wipes set up?
Thanks to The Feminist Breeder and her awesomely-clear method of wipe-folding, they're nestled all snuggly-wuggly in a disposable wipe container so that they pop up just like disposables.
It is fairly simple to set up-- just lay a wipe flat and place another wipe halfway over it.
Then, fold the first wipe over, overlapping half of the second wipe.
Then, add another wipe on top of the fold.
Then, fold the wipe below over, overlapping half of the third wipe.
Etc. Etc. Etc.
Get the Feminist Breeder's awesome step-by-step directions here.

We've done two or three changes with the cloth wipes so far tonight, and we love them. They are gentle on Gabe, and they are easy to use. How wonderful to just plop the wipes into the diaper pail with the dirty diapers!


I'll keep you posted if I have any Eureka moments as we further our journey in cloth wiping.

Husbands Say the Darndest Things

My husband and I decided we need to invest in some powder for the diaper pail to keep things as pleasant-smelling as possible in the nursery (we originally planned to buy some, but then didn't). He asked me to describe the scents available.

Me: Rockin' Green has a Fresh Linen and a Vanilla Lavender.
Husb: Oh, I need more Vanilla and Lavender in my life. (sigh)

He then went on to say Fresh Linen sounded better.

Who has some recommendations?

--
More info on my first work week (we're surviving, but tired!) soon.

The L word (no, not love)

Don't be afraid...

...of Laundry Day.

It's really not that bad!

Every time I inform someone we have switched to cloth, among the many rumble grumbles of, "You're crazy," comes the comment-- "Oh it's SO much laundry. And it's gross."

Well, SO much laundry is really about 3 or 4 loads per week. And 3 or 4 loads per week is not a lot of time! I stick it in around 8 p.m. so that we get the drying process going before too late, and if it's not done by bedtime, it gets fluffed up first thing in the morning.

And, for now at least, it is not gross and it hardly smells because Gabe only gets breast milk. But even when it will smell more, the amount of time to carry the bag and dump them into the washer is so nominal. I am not afraid.

Here are the dirty details:

1. Store dirty diapers in a foot-pedaled trash can with a pail liner (A PUL bag with elastic at the top-- basically a reusable 'trash' bag). Once your stash has been seriously dented, it's time for washing. (For us, this is when our bumgenius 3.0 pile is down to 1 or 2-- we have 6, and we only use them double-stuffed overnight, on the go, or during morning nap time-- and we only have 2-3 prefolds left--we have 11, and I love using them with flips or thirsties duos. For more info on our stash, go here.)
2. Grab your pail liner, and dump the contents into the washer, turn the liner inside out, and lay on top.
3. Do a cold rinse.

4. Add whatever the appropriate dose of your chosen detergent to the load. This is usually 1/4 the normal amount for a load. We use Rockin Green right now (review of RG coming soon), and we sprinkle 2 tbsp. of the powder.
5. Wash HOT. Rinse COLD. With Rockin Green, this is where the washing ends.
6. Move the inserts and dryer-friendly items, such as contours and prefolds, to the dryer. Tumble dry low.
7. Hang/Line Dry the covers and bumgenius 3.0s. (Right now I hang them in the laundry room. In the summer, they'll go outside for some sunbleaching sometimes.)

another reason I am happy to switch to cloth...

"The one study that does give cloth diapers a leg up in health benefits for baby boys appeared in the October 2000 issue of the Disease in Childhood medical journal. In that article, German researchers found that the scrotal skin temperatures of baby boys were significantly higher when they wore disposable diapers than when they wore cloth. While the scientists called for more research, their article suggested that prolonged use of disposable diapers as infants was an "important factor" contributing to the decline of sperm production among adult males. Proctor & Gamble conducted its own study and also found that scrotal skin temperatures increased for boys in disposable diapers, although not to the degree that the German scientists showed, Kuta said."

-Wired, 2004
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/04/63182

I'm gonna be an econobumgenius.

I am pleased to announce that all systems are go--
We are switching to cloth!


I am so pleased, excited, and well, terrified. There were so many things to consider when signing on with cloth diapering. I am going to spill the beans here, letting you know what went through my mind and what we decided to do.
What type of diapers do we want to use? ...cloth with covers, and if cloth with covers, fitteds, flats, prefolds or contours? which covers? which fitteds? which prefolds? which contours? how do I close folded diapers? ...all-in-twos? which ones?...all-in-ones? which ones? ...how about a combo of everything? hmm, what is the RIGHT combination for our baby, for our laundry needs, and for my husband not to run away?
Where do we purchase these diapers? ...there are so many helpful online retailers...

How much do we want to spend and how do we maximize what we are spending? ...wouldn't we love to strictly be saving money here? ...and even though we will have used disposables for the first three months, shouldn't we still be able to save almost $2,000 by cloth diapering?

What accessories do we need? ...wet pail or dry pail? which pail or just a trash can? which pail liner? where do we buy this? ...which wet bags? do we need travel wet bags, as in, will we cloth diaper when out of the house? ...do we need disposable liners? actually, what are disposable liners? ...what is a doubler and do we need that?
What in the world does this mean for our laundry?
...how do I choose a detergent? ... and which of the detergents that are choose-able will not make the diapers stink?

Oh,
crap.

I didn't know there were so many CHOICES involved here. I have not blogged since Tuesday because every second my child slept in daylight hours and/or my husband was home, I was busy reading, reading, reading diaperpin.com, the eco-friendly family blog, and the cloth diaper report to get a better picture of what cloth diapering entails and just what each choice in cloth diapering will mean for our family. So I did a lot of listing, a lot of number crunching (moneywise), and a lot of review reading, and we decided to purchase the following (and a what's what of our buys):

12 Contours (15-35 lb.)
8 Chinese Prefolds (15-30 lb.) 3 1-size Prefolds (econobums) 2 bumgenius bamboo fitted (15-22 lb.) - 3 1-size econobum covers 3 1-size flip covers 1 bummis super whisper wrap (to 30 lb.)
1 thirsties duo wrap (to 18 lb.) 1 thirsties duo wrap (to 35 lb.) -
4 bumgenius 3.0 1-size pockets 2 fuzzibunz size small
2 fuzzibunz size medium - 3 bumgenius doublers 200 bioliners
4 snappis -
1 Wahmies Pail Liner 2 Kushies Wet bags Trashcan
Rockin Green Cloth Diaper & Laundry Detergent (unscented)
Rockin Green Pail Freshener
Wooden Detergent Scoop (Teaspoon)

Diapers and Covers

12 Kissaluvs Contour Diapers ($77.88)

These diapers are shaped just like a disposables so they fold right around your baby without doing anything fancy at all. You just have to close them with a snappi. We chose to buy 12 of these so that there would be a stash of easy-use cloth diapers-- no folding necessary. These do not scare my husband, and I figure they will be a good diaper/cove option when we are in a rush or out of the house. They are also almost the same as a fitted diaper-- the difference is simply in the closure (contours need a snappi or pin while fitteds snap or velcro shut), but they are much more afforable. And let's be quite clear here-- money matters.


8 Diaper Service Quality Chinese Prefold Diapers ($1.75 each)
are the diapers that do scare my husband, and they intimidate me, too. Are they going to be excessively bulky? Will I be able to effectively fold them? How do I fold these with a squirming baby? Won't these be messy? I am figuring there will be quite a learning curve here, but I am hoping to get the swing of this diaper. We only bought 8 of them, thinking that I only will use just a couple of these per day while we are at home. I am ready for the challenge. And why Chinese over Indian prefolds? According to what I have read, for just about 25 cents more per diaper, the Chinese wash up cleaner and last longer. And I want these to last. I chose to use some of them because it would save us big bucks.

2 Fitted bumgenius Bamboo Diapers in Size 15-22 lb. ($7.77 each)

These fitteds have wonderful reviews and they are being discontinued. I could not even find them in a bigger size than the 15-22 lb. So they are super soft, and I would like for our little one to have a little luxury-- I think about him having a diaper rash or maybe on a rough reflux night, and I like the idea of having something disgustingly comfortable for him-- and for something like $7.77 a piece, we can afford to have these little fitteds for him.

3 Econobum One-Size Diaper Covers with 3 One-Size Prefold Diapers ($9.95 each)

As I understand it, the econobums are fairly new to the market and are made by cotton babies (the makers of bumgenius). For $9.95, you get a 1 one-size prefold and a 1 one-size snap-closure diaper cover that should last us from now to the end of diapering. The reviews are decent, though not amazing, but because we are also purchasing a few other "more expensive" diaper covers, it seems worth it to have these in rotation.

3 Flip System Diaper Covers (13.95 each)

These are also newer on the market from the makers of bumgenius, and they are a snap closure, one-size fits all cover. I figure they will be durable (snaps rather than velcro that can destroy itself) and last until the end of diapering, hopefully even onto our next child. This cover has rave reviews in many places. In order to purchase the cover without the system with inserts, you have to order from cottonbabies.com.

1 Bummis Super Whisper Wrap in Size Medium (15-30 lb.) (Free) This came for free with the Kissaluvs, and I figure it should last us awhile, and the reviews on diaperpin are decent. I also like the idea of having both snap and aplix closings on the covers, which leads me to my purchase of...

1 Thirsties Duo Wrap in Size 1 and 1 Thirsties Duo Wrap in Size 2 ($12.75 each)

They have good reviews, cute colors (I chose meadow and honeydew), and aplix closures. Case closed.

All-in-Two Diapers

4 Bumgenius 3.0 One-Size Pocket Diapers (Paid with Gift Card...)

These diapers have wonderful reviews, other than a few warnings about the material stinking after long-term use (wait for my detergent choice). I have read they are great for overnights with doublers as well long car rides. They are all in one piece so they will be very handy when out of the house, too-- just take it off, shake it out, and put it in the wet bag and pull out the next as if it were a disposable.


2 Fuzzibunz (7-18 lb.) and 2 Fuzzibunz (15-30 lb.) (Paid with Gift Card...) I liked the idea of a sized pocket diaper for easy use, too. I figure this way we will have 2 go-to diapers for his size, so as not to kill the bumgenius diapers with overuse. We also had a gift card to Target, and it seemed worth it to make the investment now.





Accessories

3 Bumgenius Doublers ($4.95 for pack of 3) I learned quickly that these 'double' the absorbency of diapers, and I figure this will be great for overnight, long car rides, or when baby is sick and explosive. We may need to purchase more of these, and I actually am thinking now we definitely will, but for now, we will have 3.

4 Snappis ($4.99 for pack of 2, but we got them on sale for 2.99 for pack of 2) These are the modern gal's diaper pin. They are y-shaped 3-part hooks that hold a prefold or contour together underneath a cover. I ordered 4 regular size for now, and I know I will need more later, especially when he moves to toddler size. Oh, it was only 2 weeks ago when I did not even know what these were.

200 Bio-Soft liners ($6.29 per 100-liner roll)
They line diapers to help with the whole poop situation of things. They are flushable and compose IN 8-20 DAYS so now bio-hazard there. While I don't really need these until Gabe starts solids (exclusively breastfed babies' poop doesn't need to be dumped out before washing), it seemed a good idea to purchase them now.

1 Whammies Pail Liner
We needed a liner for the trash can that will house thee dirty diapers, and this one came in seaspray. Pretty and Poopy at the same time.

2 Kushies Wet Bags ($9.98 for 2, but used gift card)
I really wanted to order a cute one from etsy.com, but this was a great deal for 2 not-so-bad looking bags. Definitely worth it.



Laundry Detergent

First of all, choosing a laundry detergent to order was insanely hard to do. I read lots of reviews, including this informative guide to detergents. I was about to order Planet, but then I read it leaves a nasty smell after awhile. Then, I was all about Charlie's Soap, but I read it can cause out-of-this-world diaper rash. And then, I read all about Rockin Green, and my fears were allayed.

Rockin Green Cloth Diaper and Laundry Detergent (softrock- Unscented)
($21.95 for the bundle of soap, freshener, and wooden scoop)
No dyes, enzymes, scents, phosphates, or fillers. It claims and is reviewed to kick butt on microfiber stink (alla bumgenius). Great for sensitive skin, and $.13/load. Worth a shot!! Maybe this will turn into household detergent?

A NOTE ON OUR CHOICES

Total Spent: $233.93 (and that's diapers plus accessories!)
(Remember, we had some gift cards, and I found some coupon codes.)
Purchases made from...
cottonbabies.com, thanksmama.com, amazon.com, target.com, rockingreensoap.com
In approximately 11 weeks, we are strictly saving, and next week, our household waste production PLUMMETS. Nope, we will not be sending over one ton of non-decomposing waste into the world after all.

These purchases reflect our needs for now until Gabe is done with diapering. We did not purchase diapers with the thought of using cloth on a newborn because a)Gabe is not a newborn-- he is almost 14 lb. and b)I do not think I will use cloth on any newborns in the future-- I just do not see myself making that kind of effort while I am healing the way I was with Gabe. I also know we may need more diapers (contours, fitteds, and/or pockets) as Gabe gets bigger, and we are ready to make those purchases should we need to do so. For now, I hope we are all set.

What we chose to purchase was based on our current suspected needs, our budget, my willingness to try certain things and MAKE THEM WORK, and my husband's comfort level. This is by no means a map for anyone to follow, unless it somehow matches perfectly for you, and maybe it will.


taking the
PLUNGE.