My Experience with Cloth Diapering

A friend recently asked me to pass on my advice about cloth diapering, pros and cons of doing it, etc. So here's my two cents on cloth diapering vs. disposable:

So you're considering cloth diapering. GREAT! I have two kiddos, a 2 year old and a 7 month old. We have done cloth diapering off-and-on with both kids, never 100% fully committed but here are my experiences thus far:

Pros:

1. If you really use them, they save money. Each cloth diaper is about $20-$25. I bought in bulk and spent about $400 total, they have worked great for both kids though I dont think they will hold up for a third kid.
2. Eco-friendly.
3. Not as much work as you really think, especially if you're going to be a stay at home mom.

Cons:

1. More laundry, you have to wash them every other day.
2. Smell if you don't wash right away.
3. Pain to clean up if they have a poopie diaper.
4. Leak pretty easily if not changed often.
5. Diaper rash if not changed often, especially overnight.

So here's what I did, if you live in the Wheaton area, there is a cloth diapering store in Naperville off of Washington called Comfy Bummy. They will show you all the different options and types of cloth diapering. They are SOOO helpful. I chose to go with the brand, GroVia. Each diaper comes with a shell (outter part of the diaper that has a fun color or pattern), the soaker pad (bulky part of the diaper) and the liner (a thinner strip of diaper for extra soakage/protection).

I use cloth diapers when we're home, and depending on how long the errands are that we have to run. If I'm going to be gone most of the day and will have to change diapers in the car or in a restaurant or store, I generally go with disposable. The ladies in my church nursery have learned how to use the diapers so I can often send the kids to church in them.

I know there are lots of "cons" to cloth diapering and its definitely not for everyone, but if saving money is huge on your list, and making a smaller landfill with your kids name on it then if you did 100% disposable, then cloth diapers are something to consider. They are a committment, you would hate to spend the money on them, to then never use them. And it really only works if your hubby gets on board too. They're work, doing the laundry, cleaning the poopie diapers, etc. but I have been glad that I've done them.

And like I said, I never felt like I needed to kill myself and be a slave to them. If I'm not feeling well one day, or we're just too busy in life, I will stop using them for a few days or a few weeks until life gets a little normal again. I also chose not to use them when my babies were newborns, because they don't fit well when they are that well, newborn poop is sooo thin and watery, its very messy, and because you're adjusting to a million other things at that time.

Happy Diapering!