Cloth Diapers (Seriously)

Cloth Diapers. Yes, they are still around and people do still use them. No, you will not have your child's poo all over the place (hopefully!). Since our daughter was 2 months old we have used Cloth diapers in the home (we sent her to daycare with Luvs disposables). Many of the modern cloth diapers look, feel, and operate much differently from the ones our grandmothers used many years ago (read: no need for safety pins!).

We sampled several brands (Mother-Ease, among others) before deciding on Fuzzi Bunz.

All of the cloth diapers we researched and sampled are produced in and sold out of Canada. The Baby Marketplace has been a tremendously reliable store for us over the past two years. We have placed several orders and have sent numerous email inquires to the store and have had nothing but positive experiences. Plus, they offer freebies with each order and free shipping when you spend $40 (they sell a lot more than cloth diapers - shoes, clothes, bath toys, etc). Another great online retailer, if you also decide on Fuzzi Bunz, is the Fuzzi Bunz Store. They to are helpful and a great online source for cloth diapers, tips, and information.

Fuzzi Bunz diapers come in various sizes and colors but don't come cheap, priced at just under $15 a piece (but can be had for a bit less if you buy a package containing multiple diapers and liners) and therefore are not an option for everyone. While this big upfront cost may seem outrageous, if they are used frequently and for multiple children (ie: you buy them for your first and continue to use them for your 2nd, 3rd, etc), they do begin to pay dividends. Plus it is less waste in your local landfill.

Basically, the diaper consists of two pieces. The first is the outer shell, which is a waterproof nylon on the outside and a very soft terry fabric inside. The second is a terry or hemp liner (your choice) which slides into the shell (there is a slit in one side of the diaper - between the nylon shell and the interior fabric). Typically, we would use one liner during the day and two for naptime/bedtime (often called a "doubler"). There are six snaps along the top and three on each side of the diaper for easy closing (allowing you to adjust how tight/loose you secure the Fuzzi Bunz around your child's waist and thighs). We found the terry liners to be quite absorbant and experienced very few leaks. When she would go BM, we would simply drop that into the toilet (BM should not be wrapped up in a diaper and thrown out anyway!). The messy BMs were a different matter which required a hearty rinse in the kitchen sink or bathtub.

There are more positive outcomes of using cloth, aside from the reduction of household waste. Your child should experience fewer rashes while using these diapers, compared to the disposables. Plus, they are far more comfortable and softer on their little bottoms.

The diapers wash up very well with a hot rinse and then a cold wash - tumble the liners and hang dry the outer shells. We do not have a clothesline, so we hung them on regular pants-hangers; you can fit three on one hanger. We purchased 15 diapers of each size (as she grew), meaning we were doing a load every couple days. While the Fuzzi Bunz waited to be cleaned they sat in a standard diaper pal. We registered for the Diaper Champ as a shower gift because we knew the more popular Diaper Genie was not compatible with cloth diapers. We also purchased a washable pal liner, however it didn't fit properly in the Diaper Champ and didn't wash up too well either (always felt slimy and retained too much water in the wash), so we dropped the diapers directly into the pail.

We have since moved on to underwear, as you may recall from previous posts, but we loved using these well made, comfortable, and attractive cloth diapers. Thanks to the variety of colors available, we often were able to let our daughter go with just her Fuzzi Bunz and a coordinated tee shirt during the warmer months. Our biggest problem was convincing folks that these were, in fact, diapers and not shorts or bloomers!

They are all clean now and packed away, eager for the arrival of our next child (before you ask: no, that last statement is not a new baby announcement!)

Additional Resources:

Official Fuzzi Bunz Website

Official Mother Ease Diaper Website

Real Diaper Association - Reasons to use Cloth


Jeff
Out With The Kids
http://www.outwiththekids.com