The honeymoon is over...well, sorta.

In the middle of August I posted and said I would not neglect my blog. Well...things didn't exactly go the way I had planned. In late August we traveled to Ohio to visit my husband's grandmother, but had to come home early due to my mother-in-law being hospitalized. She stayed with us for about a week once she was discharged, but then Hank and I were off to Alabama with my mother to visit my grandparents. The trip went well, but Hank started to act funny. I brushed off his fussiness and increased appetite to the stress of traveling, but it kept up once we got home. A quick check of the scales showed he put on two pounds in three weeks! It was just a growth spurt...well, it WAS just a growth spurt. Then came the cold. The horrific cold that had us both up at all hours of the night, sweaty and feverish. I was so excited when the cold passed--we made it through! We kept up with our cloth diapers through the trips, the added company, the growth spurt (more goes in, more comes out), and even being worn out by a cold. I was so proud of myself for keeping up with the laundry.

As most mom's know, though, many colds are followed by ear infections. Hank was diagnosed about 2 weeks after the onset of his cold, and the doctor mentioned it looked like he had a couple teeth that were trying to poke through. I don't know if y'all know what all that means in relation to cloth diapers, but I will clue you in. The germs that cause ear infections can also wreak havoc on little ones' tummies. The antibiotics used to treat ear infections can also cause a change in stool. All that drool from teething tends to soften things up, too. Okay, yes, add that all up...OH MY POOP! I had 2 weeks of the NASTIEST diapers in ALL of creation. I am not even kidding! We are talking 5-8 stinky diapers a day. It was SO SO SO gross--and this coming from somebody with a "eh, it's just poop" mentality. For the first time in 5 months I felt like cloth diapers were work. Every time somebody has told me they are too busy to try cloth I have said "Oh, it's only 3 loads of laundry a week. Hardly any work at all!" I could not believe I was feeling burdened by my son's bum. But have no fear, I remained diligent. I did not give up--not a single sposie was used. I have a package of Gro Via disposable inserts in our stash in case the power goes out, and I was so tempted...SO tempted.

I am really proud of myself, though. I didn't give in. My love affair with cloth diapers is nowhere near over, but I've come to the point in the relationship where things are predictable. Things got tough, and I stuck with it, but now things are ho-hum. So as far as I see it, there is only one thing I can do to spice up my relationship with cloth diapers and take me back to the honeymoon phase...buy more fluff!

Hank & Mema on her porch in Ohio

Hank & Gigi - first carousel ride in Alabama

Sick Hank passed out on the floor in the middle of his toys
(you can see his Flip cover peeking out!)

Fluff-tionary: A Cloth Diaper Glossary

Quick and simple, here are some commonly used terms in the cloth diaper community...

1. AIO - All-In-One. These diapers are exactly what they sound like, one piece that does everything. They are constructed to go on similar to a disposable diaper, and are easy to use. Some users do not care for them because they take a long time to dry since the absorbent layers are built into the waterproof outer, but they are definitely the most effective in convincing husbands and grandparents to use cloth diapers.


2. AI2 - All-In-Two. These diapers are constructed of a waterproof outer shell, and a removable absorbent inner component. Many AI2s have snap-in inners.


3. Bamboo - an absorbent natural fiber, commonly used in cloth diapers.


4. Bagshot Row Bamboo aka BSRB - a popular WAHM brand of bamboo fitteds and AI2 hybrids, known for their squishy softness and adorable designs.


5. Contour Diaper - cloth diaper with an hour-glass shape, generally does not have elastic fittings, and are best used in the day. Contours require a pin or snappi and a waterproof cover.
   
6. Cover - exactly what is sounds like--it covers the absorbent part of the diaper. Most covers have waterproof PUL lining and are held on with snaps or velcro.
   
7. Fitted - fitted diapers have elastic in the legs and waist, and are often constructed of cotton, bamboo, or hemp. Most fitted have snaps or velcro, but some do require a pin or snappi. Fitteds do not have a waterproof outer layer and require a cover to prevent leaks, however some mothers are comfortable letting baby wear a fitted without a cover if they are at home.
   
8. Flats - your grandmother's cloth diaper. Generally a 27"x27" square that can be folded various ways, requires a pin or snappi and cover.
   
9. Fluff - slang term for cloth diapers
   
10. Fluff Mail - shipment of cloth diapers. Most cloth diaper retailers operate online, so most people get their diapers in the mail. Fluff mail is a cause for much excitement!
    
11. GoodMama aka GM - a popular brand amongst cloth diaper connoisseurs. GM is operated by a WAHM and the diapers are made by WAHMs across the country. They are known for their fitteds and ONE diapers in trendy fabrics.
    
12. Hybrid - generally refers to an AI2 that has a disposable insert option.
    
13. Lanolize - a waterproofing method for wool soakers using lanolin.
    
14. Longies - long wool or fleece pants worn as a protective waterproof layer over fitteds or prefolds.
    
15. OBF - organic bamboo fleece, a soft absorbent material often used in diapers made by WAHM moms.
    
16. OBV - organic bamboovelour, a soft absorbent material often used in diapers made by WAHM moms. Very luxurious feeling.
    
17. OS - one size, used to reference diapers with an adjustable rise and waist designed to fit from birth through potty training. Most OS diapers fit 8-35 lbs.
    
18. Pocket - a diaper with a soft inner layer and waterproof outerlayer with a stuffable pocket to customize absorbency. Pocket diapers are easy to use and resemble a disposable diaper in shape. They are held on with velcro or snaps. Pocket diapers are similar to AIO, but they dry faster because the absorbent inners can be dried separately.
    
19. Prefold - a flat diaper commonly composed of layers of cotton or hemp. Prefolds come bleach or unbleached, and can be held on with a pin or snappi, or they can be trifolded and laid inside a cover. Prefolds are the most cost-effective method of cloth diapering.
    
20. PUL - polyurethane laminate, a waterproof material commonly used in diaper covers, pockets, and AIO/AI2s.
    
21. SAHM - Stay at home mom.
    
22. Shorties - short wool or fleece pants worn as a protective waterproof layer over fitteds or prefolds.
    
23. Snappi - a plastic t-shaped diaper fastener with plastic teeth, the modern diaper pin.
    
24. Soaker - this term can refer to an absorbent insert OR a fleece or wool cover.
    
25. Sposie - a slang term for a single-use disposable diaper.
    
26. Stay-Dry - a micro-fleece layer that wicks moisture away from the skin and leaves baby feeling dry, commonly used in AIOs, pockets, and liners.
    
27. WAHM - Work at home mom.
    
28. Woolies - a short or long wool diaper cover. Wool is a naturally absorbent, anti-fungal fiber that can hold up to 40% of its weight in moisture. Woolies are great over any type of diaper, but are very popular with fitted diapers. Woolies are easy to care for as they only need to be washed and lanolized occassionally.
    
29. Wrap - another term for a cover.

I would like to thank my friend Camille for her help!
Check her out at http://camillesbloggy.blogspot.com/

Our First Adventure In Cloth

Once we made the decision to try cloth diapers, we had to decide just which route we were going to take. There are so many options now--these aren't your grandma's cloth diapers! After consulting with a couple friends, we decided to go the more economical route to start--prefolds and covers. I wanted to make sure I could handle the laundry and I was happy with the results before we invested any substantial amount of money into cloth.

Prefolds are what you think of when you hear the term cloth diaper--except modern advances mean you don't need diaper pins anymore! I purchased 6 medium sized Diaper Rite prefolds and 1 Flip diaper from Diaper Junction, a locally-based online retailer, for right around $30. Flip is a brand of diaper that consists of a one size cover and an absorbent insert. When you purchase a Flip, you get your choice of an organic cotton insert or a microfiber insert with a Stay-Dry liner--I chose the Stay-Dry insert. The great thing about the Flip diaper is I could use inexpensive prefolds inside and not just the inserts that come with the diaper.

When I picked up my order, I immediately came home to clean and prep our new diapers. The Flip diaper only required a washing, but the prefolds needed to be washed and dried 5-6 times to become quilty and absorbent. I was able to get everything ready to start diapering the next morning. The first time I put Hank in cloth, I used the Flip cover and the medium prefold. The prefold was a little big, so I folded down the top to make it fit. It was a little bulky, but it worked. Hank didn't seem bothered by the difference in diaper. I was happy with the performance of the prefolds and the Flip insert, and actually found myself a little sad at the end of the day when I had ran out of cloth diapers and had to put Hank back in disposables. I made sure I had all the cloth items washed and dried before I went to bed that night so I could try it again the next day.

The big shocker came the next morning. Hank was still sleeping in the bassinet next to our bed at the time, and I remember waking up and thinking, "WHAT is that horrid smell?" I look at Hank just sleeping away, and I realized it was his diaper! I had never noticed how bad disposable diapers stunk until that moment. I prepared a bottle for Hank and sat on the edge of the bed staring at him waiting for him to wake up so I could take that dipe off! I told my husband there is NO WAY that something that smells so bad could be good for him. I put him in a cloth diaper as soon as he woke up...and then proceeded my plan of attack to convince my husband we needed more diapers! After 3 days of cloth (and me staying up late to wash everything for the next day), my husband agreed to another diaper purchase. We have been using cloth diapers full-time ever since!

Hank in his very first cloth diaper!

Please reference my post titled Fluff-tionary: A Cloth Diaper Glossary if you have questions about any of the cloth diapering terms I use in this post.

Why Cloth?

We started Hank out in cloth diapers right around 2 months old. I was interested in cloth when I was pregnant, but my husband wasn't game, so we went the sposie route. When Pampers switched to DryMax, Hank's bottom didn't agree with it, so we went on a hunt for our new diaper. We tried everything, but nothing was just right. After I did some research, I was appalled at what I was reading about disposable diapers--not just the landfill/waste aspect, but the things they put in the diapers. After I showed Mike some of my research, especially the part about cost savings, he agreed to a cloth trial--and we've been a fluff family ever since!



Interesting diaper facts:

• The bleaching process used for most disposable diapers creates dioxins, which are known to cause cancer, birth defects, and reproductive disorders.


• A common diaper ingredient, sodium polyacrylate, is known to cause toxic shock syndrome.


• Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.


• A single disposable diaper can take 250-500+ years to decompose.


• You can save approximately $1,200 on your first child in diaper costs by using cloth, and save up to $2,000 on each additional child by reusing the cloth diapers.

The Real Diaper Association has a great information page set up:
http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog dedicated to my experience in cloth diapering! I am still a novice, but am loving what cloth diapers are doing for my child and what I am doing for the enviroment. Please join me as explore all that cloth diapering has to offer!