Posts Tagged ‘Cloth diapering’
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We’ve been cloth diapering for the last 3.5 years. We started when Julia was about 6 months old and haven’t looked back. There are so many things I love about cloth diapering, the biggest being my belief that it has helped with smooth potty training transitions.
But one cloth diapering aspect I’ve never tried is cloth wipes. It’s always been in the back of my mind, I just haven’t made the plunge. Until now.
This week I found a yard of fleece for $2 at Hobby Lobby. And while fleece isn’t the number one choice for cloth wipes {flannel or terry cloth are}, I figured I don’t have much to lose. And the fact that it’s an awesome deer print pretty much sold me {I’m a sucker for random, off the wall fabric}.
I measured our wipes box {which is 8″x4″} and then cut my fabric to fit the box accordingly. The best things about fleece is that you don’t have to sew it, since it won’t really fray. However, I found that the wipes seemed a tad too small, so I decided to sew two 8×4 pieces together.
They aren’t the prettiest things in the world, but they are for a baby’s bottom after all. They are super soft and I’m hoping they will do the trick.
Have you ever used cloth baby wipes?
Visit Alicia at Alicia’s Homemaking for more Try New Adventures Thursday.
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There are times that I really do think our family {read: me} might just be a tad bit crazy. But I wonder, is crazy really all that bad?
Saturday we went toilet shopping. Yep, pretty much the best way ever to spend your Saturday morning. Eat pancakes, drink coffee, toilet shop. Seriously, we aren’t always this cool. Anyways, we came across these waterless toilets. Our interest was peeked {because, you know, we’re crazy}. I did a quick Google search and discovered composting toilets by BioLet.
I’ve not done a ton of research on the subject, but it seems harmless enough and something I would consider doing. And the more I thought about a composting toilet the more I thought about family cloth. What is family cloth you ask? Well, think about cloth diapers. Only for your entire family. Just let that sit for a minute. Ok, you’ve got it. Essentially, family cloth is a replacement for toilet paper.
I heard about family cloth about 2 years ago. It’s a pretty outlandish idea. At first I really thought “Are you kidding me?“, but slowly the idea has grown on me. I mean, we are using cloth diapers. And I am using cloth pads. So doesn’t the next logical step seem like cloth toilet paper?
What are your thoughts? Ever heard of family cloth? And just how crazy do you have to be to use family cloth?
The night we ran out of diapers
Posted on: July 1, 2010
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Because of some mama laziness forgetfulness, we didn’t have any disposable diapers for Hannah on Tuesday night. See, we’ve never done cloth over night with the girls, only disposables. Originally, with Julia we didn’t want anything else {wet cloth diaper} contributing her already bad sleeping habits. And with Hannah, well it’s just easier. That is, until you forget to buy diapers.
Which is why I love cloth diapers. No matter what, I always have them. I can reuse them. They go through multiple children. And depending on what style you get, they last the same child for their whole diapering life. Not to mention, they are really cute. You’d be surprised at how many people compliment us on Hannah’s wraps.
Especially the cow prints {which happen to be my favorite}.
We made it through Tuesday night without issue. And again Wednesday night. I still haven’t gotten disposables. I’m getting hooked on using cloth overnight and not planning to turn back any time soon. Eek!
For more TILT, visit Jill at Diaper Diaries.
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Once again, this really is for girls only.
No boys allowed (except for Jonathan, although, really, even you might wanna stay away).
Some of you might recall a while back I wrote about using cloth pads after I had Hannah. Well, here’s my update on my thoughts/feelings/ideas post baby.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being deeply in love with cloth, I’d go with like a 7. I don’t passionately love them (or rather why I need them), but I really don’t mind them at all. They’re quite easy, rarely messy (more to come) and serve their purpose well. Overall, I’m glad I’ve made the switch and imagine that I won’t go back to store bought pads.
The nitty-gritty of the truth:
You really do need to change frequently, because they aren’t as absorbent as disposable. I think you could push them a little further if they have PUL or some other waterproofing material, but to save money and time I opted out of having any.
Maybe it’d would have been a better idea of a cleaning system before starting to use them right after a baby. Since I don’t have anything disposable on hand, it’s very, very important to not miss a washing day. Which seems far more taxing right after having a baby. But I’m getting use to it. Good news is, they’re small and wash/dry quickly.
Since mine are handmade, I don’t know what others are like, but it took me some time to figure out a layering system to know what absorbency and coverage would be best. I’ve found that two inserts, slightly over top one another work best.
Thickness isn’t always the best option. I’ve found having three thin layers works better than one super thick layer.
I’ve found, just like with Julia’s diapers, it’s best to have the pads already ready to go, so I don’t find myself fumbling around at 2 in the morning trying to put in inserts. Just switch and go.
Overall I really like them. I spent under $30 for 12 and have to say have been really happy with the switch. I’m tempted to buy a name brand one just to see what the differences are, but figure they can’t be that much. My friend who made them did a really excellent job and said she’d be willing to make more for anyone who’s interested. 😉
TMI, or For Girls Only – Seriously
Posted on: May 4, 2009
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Seriously, if you’re a guy stop reading now. Really. Just close your laptop and walk away. No joke. If you keep reading you will forever be scarred.
Guys, I warned you.
Alright, is it just the ladies now?
Have you ever considered cloth pads? I’ve done quite a bit of research on them over the last 9 months and have decided to give them a try. They can get rather expensive, so I’m having some made. It seems kinda gross (Jonathan won’t touch this subject with a 10 foot pole), but I figured if I’ve got two kids in cloth, why not just add a third? Plus, from the research I’ve done they say that these things hold up for years. One blogger said that between her cloth and Diva Cup, she hadn’t used store bought products in ten years! How cool is that?! Last summer before getting pregnant, I used the Diva Cup for about 3 months. I loved it. Completely and totally amazing. I think what is so appealing to me is that 1) you don’t have to change it all the time, 2) I can leave my house without worrying about one more thing to have on hand, 3) it never leaks and 4) it’s so much more comfortable than a tampon. However, I can’t use it post-Dubya Dos which is where the pads come in.
So far I’ve found GladRags, Party in my Pants (they are sold individually at New Pi), and Lunapads to be the most recommended. However, just for a small postpartum kit the pads would run me close to $100. Which, if they last 10 years, is only $10 a year on pads. Not too bad at all, but outside of right after delivery, I never wear pads (maybe a liner for added protection), which means that these wouldn’t be used all that often. I’ve checked out some on eBay, but with shipping you don’t really save all that much, especially since you buy individually rather than in a kit.
Ladies, have you ever looked into cloth pads? If so, what are your thoughts? Do you use them? Would you ever use them?
***EDIT***
I did start using cloth pads after Hannah was born (June 2009). If you want to read about how that’s gone, check out TMI – the update.
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Dear Sarah,
Right now the world is your oyster. Well, not really, but you feel like you’ve discovered some new amazing world-saving idea. Cloth diapers. Sure, they are great. There are some benefits that you will love. But let’s face it, you need to know the cold hard truth. Who better to lay it out for you then you yourself. Older (only a little) and wiser (actually, that’s debatable).
Here goes; When Julia starts pooping like a crazy woman, you will think cloth diapering is the stupidest thing ever. Seems hard to believe, because right now Julia’s digestive system is as it’s always been. This will change. And you will suffer the consequences. Thankfully you (or do I need to say “I”?) are stubborn as a mule, so despite daydreaming about stopping this insanity you will push forward. In fact, you will set your mind to clothing the need baby (which, I should for warn you, comes sooner than you think).
I know you have a pact with Jonathan that you two will not travel with cloth. But, you will. Rest assured, it will be easier than you think.
Always have a diaper handing when you go out. I cannot stress this enough.
Start buying all of Julia’s pants for six months older than she actually needs. The truth is, your daughter will have a ghetto booty thanks to cloth. I suppose she should live it up, since this will never be the case again.
This coming winter will be lots of fun. Julia will really enjoy playing in the snow, however, be aware she doesn’t like snow on her face. A word from the wise, layering in cloth = impossible. Don’t even try it. You will get half way through bundling Julia up before you will need to strip her down to put on a disposable so that all her clothes actually fit over her bottom.
It’s going to be an adventure. One that you will find yourself doing alone more than you know. Julia will get a couple of gnarly rashes, but you’ll find a trick for preventing them. Oh, and it turns out, Jonathan can’t really handle poopy cloth diapers. Who knew?
Love,
You
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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