The Good, The Bad and the Poopy

A few months ago we threw out the disposable diapers (pun intended) and began using cloth diapers with Isaac. I am probably the last person in the world to choose cloth diapers over the convenient disposables. I’ve never really cared about what the kid’s diapers were doing to the environment as long as it meant I had as little contact with their poop as possible. My view on cloth diapers changed one day when Remie and I calculated how much we had spent on disposable diapers thus far for the three darlings. Let’s just say that Remie and I could’ve taken a beautiful trip to Hawaii TWICE with the amount of money we have shelled out for diapers and that’s not even counting how much we have paid for wipes! After the initial shock wore off I started researching and using cloth diapers.

Here’s my experience with the cloth diapers:

THE GOOD

-I used to buy diapers at Costco about every 3 weeks which means I am now saving about $50 a month

-We chose to use the Bum Genius 4.0 cloth diapers which mean that I can use the same cloth diapers for Isaac that I use for the new baby. I don’t have to worry about buying different sizes because these particular diapers fit a newborn to toddler.

- They are simple to use! The cloth diapers have snaps on the front and are so similar to a disposable diaper that even Charlotte could figure out how to work them (wait… she already has)

-It’s really not that gross using cloth diapers.  You barely even know that the baby is wet because they wick moisture away from that ever-so-cute baby butt.

THE BAD

-I’ll be honest, it took a little time getting used to throwing turds in a toilet but now I don’t even flinch. My kids actually fight over who’s turn it is to dump Isaac’s poop out (I know, I know, they are so strange!)

-The poop smell isn’t bad but the ammonia in the pee will make your eyes water!

-The actual washing of the diapers aren’t bad at all. I actually don’t mind it but you do have to make sure you are using detergent safe for the diapers otherwise you will ruin the absorbancy.

-Don’t expect other people to volunteer to change your child’s diaper once you start using cloth. It’s like it scares people away. It doesn’t matter to me though, those diapers are so easy to use that I don’t mind changing them.

…AND THE POOPY

-Yup, poop is disgusting. You’re not always going to get easy-to-fling logs and sometimes will have to deal with poop the consistency of peanut butter- that shit is the absolute grossest and I tend to find myself dry heaving into the toilet as I’m trying to deposit it. Thankfully we bought a diaper sprayer and it helps get rid of the mess a lot easier. However, make sure you are holding the diaper low in the bowl otherwise you will have poop spraying all over you and your bathroom!

So there you have it- my analysis on cloth diapers.