Cloth Diapers - If I can do it, so can you!

Just when I think I've got things under control, there's something new I have to learn all about. First it was cloth diapering, then it was making baby food and I'm sure I'll find out soon what I have to learn about next.

My husband strongly believed we should use cloth diapers. I didn't know where to start, which brand to choose, how to clean them and was just too overwhelmed with the newborns to worry about it. I promised myself once they reached ten pounds I would look into it. So after a couple months of using disposables, and feeling dismayed about the amount of trash we were producing, I started doing some research. With the recommendations of friends and strangers online, I chose Fuzzibunz (one-size) and Easy Fit pocket diapers. After I learned how to use and clean them (one rinse cycle with no soap, one wash cycle with soap, then dry), cloth diapering really just became part of my routine. I bought 29 diapers and a large wet bag to keep the dirty ones in, for a total of $675. These diapers last until the babies are potty trained, or until they weigh about 35 pounds. Disposable diapers cost about $50-$80 per month, per child so I estimate I would spend at the very least $2500 in two years.

The cost savings and savings to the environment justify the extra 20 minutes or so every other day it takes me to use cloth. I have enough diapers to last me two days, so every other day I do laundry. I do so much laundry anyways that the extra loads really don't stress me out. It takes about 20 minutes to fold up all the diapers (most cloth diapers come with inserts you have to stuff into the cover). Cloth diapers have come a long way since my mom's generation and are so easy to use. My babies are comfortable in them and they come in cute patterns too.

Feel free to contact me if you are interested in cloth diapering and don't know where to start. A friend of mine runs a business that sells cloth diapers, if you're looking for info you can check out her website: seatoskybabies.vpweb.ca  If I can do it, so can you (as long as you have an in-house washer & dryer!)