Another chaotic subject is diapers. Regular diapers? Cloth ones? Which brand?
I decided to go with cloth.
Marketed as a solution for eco-conscious people to minimise waste, cloth diapers have come a long way from what people remember from the 60s and 70s. New materials make the cloth diaper as versatile and practical as throw-aways.
Personally I chose cloth because it is easier on the skin (I have had my share of skin problems from hygiene products and wanted to make sure the little one doesn't suffer the same) and the huge difference in cost. Saving something around 3.000 euro is a big deal to me especially in these troubled times. The ecological aspect is a plus of course.
People made fun of me - although in many countries cloth is widely used and even subsidized by municipalities in some cases- here in Athens it is considered an eco-nut quirk.
I was soon vindicated, coming out of the maternity ward the kid had already a red bum covered with tons of cream which went away after the first day with a cloth diaper.
People will tell you, I am by no means famous for my housework... I'm rather lazy and will try anything to get out of household duty. So with this in mind, rest assured that when I say that cloth diapering is EASY it's because IT IS!
Caring for a baby will have you using a washing machine at least every 2 days, so its no big deal just to throw in a few extra diapers in there.
Still here? Cool!
The stash:
I chose one size diapers (baby from 3kg to 15kg) from various sellers. As the baby grows there are times that one brand or the other will not fit well for a few weeks (in between button setting stage) so having different brands in the stash helps avoid leaks.
My two favorite fabric for inserts are microfiber and bamboo. They both dry incredibly fast. I use pocket diapers with microfiber inserts for the night as they absorb the moisture better and leave the skin dry and mommy well rested. For the day I switch to bamboo because we are using the infant potty training method, elimination communication, and we want her to feel the difference between wet and dry.
All in all I have 26 diapers and here is what I think of them...
The scoop:
pop-in by close parent the bamboo edition left me so satisfied I added a pack of ten more to the first two I purchased. Used as a day diaper. Would love to see them with pression buttons on the waist instead of velcro, it looks frail but I could be wrong, time will tell...
oh katy less known but excellent! Never had a leak with this pocket diaper! If I could buy pocket diapers all over again, I would definitely have chosen this one over the others.
blueberry not a bargain by any means, but so cute! A good addition to the stash for those summer days when the diapers will be visible... The ones with the minky shell are so soft!
happy heinys I got the pocket diapers with pression buttons. my second choice after oh katy.
fuzzibunz love the adjustable elastic around the thighs (replacement included). The waterproof fabric looks a little thin compared to the others, but again, time will tell...
rumparooz was very happy with them until last week when we had leakage issues. I'm waiting for the kid to grow a bit and change the button settings...
bumgenius my least favorite of the bunch. The pocket one leaks often, (probably because of the few setting options in the buttons) and its insert is thinner than the rest. The all-in-one takes forever to dry.
Lastly I have two GroVia shells with four inserts. I like the fact that the shell can be reused but the cotton inserts dry slower than the microfibers. I'm hoping to use them more in the summer when its hotter and they can dry in the sun.
The accessories:
-a waterproof bag for the soiled diapers (got one as a gift with the grovia diapers)
-organic bamboo velour wipes (fabric form here) with homemade wipe solution (receipes here)
The bottom line:
My one month old uses around 8 diapers per 24 hours. 2-3 of them at night.
She also use the potty after every nap, so I guess we save a few diapers there.
Stay tuned for the long term review in a few months time!
I decided to go with cloth.
Marketed as a solution for eco-conscious people to minimise waste, cloth diapers have come a long way from what people remember from the 60s and 70s. New materials make the cloth diaper as versatile and practical as throw-aways.
Personally I chose cloth because it is easier on the skin (I have had my share of skin problems from hygiene products and wanted to make sure the little one doesn't suffer the same) and the huge difference in cost. Saving something around 3.000 euro is a big deal to me especially in these troubled times. The ecological aspect is a plus of course.
People made fun of me - although in many countries cloth is widely used and even subsidized by municipalities in some cases- here in Athens it is considered an eco-nut quirk.
I was soon vindicated, coming out of the maternity ward the kid had already a red bum covered with tons of cream which went away after the first day with a cloth diaper.
People will tell you, I am by no means famous for my housework... I'm rather lazy and will try anything to get out of household duty. So with this in mind, rest assured that when I say that cloth diapering is EASY it's because IT IS!
Caring for a baby will have you using a washing machine at least every 2 days, so its no big deal just to throw in a few extra diapers in there.
Still here? Cool!
The stash:
I chose one size diapers (baby from 3kg to 15kg) from various sellers. As the baby grows there are times that one brand or the other will not fit well for a few weeks (in between button setting stage) so having different brands in the stash helps avoid leaks.
My two favorite fabric for inserts are microfiber and bamboo. They both dry incredibly fast. I use pocket diapers with microfiber inserts for the night as they absorb the moisture better and leave the skin dry and mommy well rested. For the day I switch to bamboo because we are using the infant potty training method, elimination communication, and we want her to feel the difference between wet and dry.
All in all I have 26 diapers and here is what I think of them...
The scoop:
pop-in by close parent the bamboo edition left me so satisfied I added a pack of ten more to the first two I purchased. Used as a day diaper. Would love to see them with pression buttons on the waist instead of velcro, it looks frail but I could be wrong, time will tell...
oh katy less known but excellent! Never had a leak with this pocket diaper! If I could buy pocket diapers all over again, I would definitely have chosen this one over the others.
blueberry not a bargain by any means, but so cute! A good addition to the stash for those summer days when the diapers will be visible... The ones with the minky shell are so soft!
happy heinys I got the pocket diapers with pression buttons. my second choice after oh katy.
fuzzibunz love the adjustable elastic around the thighs (replacement included). The waterproof fabric looks a little thin compared to the others, but again, time will tell...
rumparooz was very happy with them until last week when we had leakage issues. I'm waiting for the kid to grow a bit and change the button settings...
bumgenius my least favorite of the bunch. The pocket one leaks often, (probably because of the few setting options in the buttons) and its insert is thinner than the rest. The all-in-one takes forever to dry.
Lastly I have two GroVia shells with four inserts. I like the fact that the shell can be reused but the cotton inserts dry slower than the microfibers. I'm hoping to use them more in the summer when its hotter and they can dry in the sun.
The accessories:
-a waterproof bag for the soiled diapers (got one as a gift with the grovia diapers)
-organic bamboo velour wipes (fabric form here) with homemade wipe solution (receipes here)
The bottom line:
My one month old uses around 8 diapers per 24 hours. 2-3 of them at night.
She also use the potty after every nap, so I guess we save a few diapers there.
Stay tuned for the long term review in a few months time!
well done Fifi
ReplyDeletere the baby
re the blog
re the cloth diapering
I did consider it my self but was way too overwhelmed to do. my way of cutting down diaper cost? asked granma to bring diapers instead of toys ;-)