A couple of weeks ago Hubby and I were sitting at dinner with Hayley and Todd, waiting for Troll 2 to begin, when we started talking about Todd’s coworker’s decision to cloth diaper her baby. This girl thought she’d save $3000 over the the 2 1/2 to 3 years a typical kid wears diapers. So I went home and figured up that if I am going to spend $20-$25/week on diapers for 2 1/2 to 3 years, I’ll be spending anywhere from $2600 to $3900.
Daaaang.
That amount of money is a good start on a trip to Disney World.
So after my calculating I sat down and started researching cloth diapers. Not the cloth diapers my parents used on me for a very short time, but the new fancy ones that actually wick moisture away from the baby’s bottom and resist staining and may just actually work.
Hubby came home from work during the middle of my research and I had to break the news to a man who does not believe in cloth diapers.
“So… I’m researching cloth diapers.” I shrugged my shoulders as if to say It’s completely normal to look into cloth-diapering. It’s not only weirdo hippies who do this. “I can at least look into it.”
“That’s fine,” he said as he walked away, ” as long as we don’t end up getting any.”
Hubby is…undecided. He is not against it, but he also knows that I’m the one who’ll be stuck with more laundry and will have to rinse out poopy diapers in the toilet (with one of these handy contraptions!) more often than him, and he is concerned because he knows my penchant for throwing away underwear that the kids have barely pooped in. I hate poop. But I also love the thought of saving a few thousand dollars. The mantra I’ll be repeating to myself as I wash the diapers will be “More money for Disney World. More money for Disney World.”
This isn’t for sure, but I am seriously considering these. And also these . And we’ll have to see how I feel when I have a newborn and two active preschoolers and a mountain of laundry that has been pooped and peed on. But it does deserve serious consideration.
And yes, I might be crazy.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Erin – Kim uses cloth diapers (and disposables when traveling), but I know she really likes them and has learned a lot about them. She might be able to give you some insight into some different brands too. I used to think they were for “hippies” to until Kim looked into them. It seems that they can be a pretty good option these days! Do you have Kim’s email? If not, I can give it to you if you want to chat with her. Hope you are having a great day!
hmmmmm.
Okay lady….my vote would be for the smart pants…but I will admit, Aunt Manda probably won’t be changing any!!! Remember when Sophia was left with me during skiing last year…she ended up with the disposibles!!! But these look like they would be easier than fumbling with the pins!!
Love ya!
You are a better woman than I ever dream of being. Poop stinks (to be a stater of the obvious) and if it takes rinsing my child’s poo out of a diaper to get to the magic kingdom, I’ll have to decline. But good for you for your willingness to take the road less traveled (even if you are driving it in a minivan)!
Jess-
I’m friends with Kim on facebook so I’ll get ahold of her that way. Good to know!!!
Amanda-
NO WORRIES. One of the stipulations is that we don’t make anybody else–whether family or friend or nursery worker–use cloth diapers. So I will be buying a few disposables, too
. IF this happens. Big IF.
Power to you sister…Disney world is a lot of fun….but maybe you could just make your own baby food instead.
But seriously, one of my friends uses cloth diapers and really thinks they are the best. If you’d like her information to ask questions to I’d be happy to forward that to you!
Good Luck!
Hey! My friend uses the GroBaby diapers. She is far from crunchy granola, too… it was the same situation as you, third child, etc. I guess it ends up saving them a lot of money, though. The Grobaby ones are cute, adjustable for size and have extra pads you can add in there for absorption. I think the thing I can’t get past is that you have to carry the poop with you if you change them in public somewhere! She has this special used diaper holder thing that is part of the system, but I don’t know… carrying poop… eesh.
Good luck!
My sister and sister-in-law have both “liked” using cloth diapers (and neither of them are hippies!) I’m all about saving money but I didn’t like the idea of rinsing them out and washing them either. : )
This place is supposed to have good cloth diapers – http://www.facebook.com/pages/McPherson-KS/Baby-Bradley-Diaper-Co/68219098962
Love it! I’m too lazy- but being around the Boulder area almost all my friends use them… They recommend the ones w/o velcro because the velcro wears out. Snaps are better. General consensus round these parts is Fuzzibunz. http://www.fuzzibunzworld.com/index.html?crtag=Google&gclid=COG81Nvn_J8CFRD7agod_BVEmg Just please don’t go the reusable wipes route.
OR you could go all-out hippy…
http://www.loveybums.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=35