Diapers!

Oh-So-Fun Baby stuff!

Nathan and I found these cloth diapers on craigslist! Usaully Kushies are 4 for $50, but we found all 20 infant size for $80! These are not the old cloth diapers that you need pins and covers for....come on now, we are hightech hillbillies! These come complete with velcro, fitted leg holes, a liner and a pocket to insert additional liners for extra heavy wetters! Some are very decorative and others are plain. :)

Above: The innards of Kushie diapers.

Sheppie tries out one of the baby's diapers.

(don't worry I am laundering this one again before I put it on the baby!) ;)

Fuzzibunz!

I also bartered online for 6 infant size Fuzzibunz. They have adjustable snaps (no velcro!) and a pocket in which the seperate liner is placed.

Which do I like better? Whichever one works best! Both are suppose to be leak proof and comfy for the baby!

How many diapers (cloth or disposable) does a baby go thru' in a day? 10-13! That is what I have been told. I don't like a baby to sit in wet or mess, so I know I may be changing more often then that. Would you like to sit in your own potty? I think not. ;)

So what is the plan? I have decided not to cloth diaper right away. For the first 2 weeks of life, Baby Black will enjoy the 7th generation disposable diapers that my mom found at Big Lots! The 2 weeks will allow the household time to rest and relax and let the laundry machine prepare itself for "baby use". ;)

7th generation diapers? Unlike Pampers, Huggies, Luvs and other diaper companies 7th generation DOES NOT put ingredients like....dioxins, tributyl-tin, sodium polyacralate and other harmful ingredient near and on baby's skin. While what is in a normal disposable diaper may compost (baby poo!), the diaper itself does not disintegrate. I am NOT a hug a tree girl (my woodstove feels quite nice thank you!) but my concern is my baby's health.

A lot of people have never even thought of what they are putting on their baby's bottoms. For them, this may be new info. OR some may not think the risks are great. They may have had 5 in regular pampers and never had any adverse reactions.

For me, it's a lot like the issue of vaccines, healthy eating, the way we live, etc. What is my conviction is not everyone else's. I don't expect every parent to be like me either! We gotta' do what we feel is right by our own children! :) For me, I am just writing to share what exciting things I have found and to educate those who have an interest! :)

After the baby's birth and once our household resumes routine and operation, my cloth diapers are going to be so fun to use!! I will have to give an update once the baby comes and share how the diapers worked (all 3 - disposable 7th generation diapers, Kushies and Fuzzibunz) and any other tricks I learn. I already found a fun diaper "cleansing lotion" that I am going to make! I will have to put directions up (with pics).

How does cloth diapering work?

This is just one way of cloth diapering that has been shared with me.

Have another way to launder cloth diapers? Share by leaving a comment! :)

Step one: Put diaper on baby.
Step two: Within 5 minutes to 3 hours the baby will have made a prize JUST FOR YOU!
Step three: Remove diaper, clean baby, put new diaper on.
Step four: Take the diaper (with your prize) and wipe out prizes into the toilet. Place the diaper into a laundry basket (that has a lid).
Step five: Every day or every other day you should have one load of diapers for the washer.

Some things I have learned from others about cloth diapering:

*You don't have to use a wet bucket. It can destroy fibers in the diapers.

*Don't use high tech detergents (the ones with enzymes) on cloth diapers. They eat the life out of your cloth diaper. I plan on using something fragrance free (less harsh chemicals). I hear both Ecover and 7th Generation are great for diapers. Also Dr. Bronner's Soap (liquid) is useable on diapers! We will hafta' see what is on sale. ;)

*Babies with cloth on sense they are wet sooner then babies with disposables. This is due to the "SAP" super absorbent polymer in most disposies'. It absorbs and holds in wetness making baby not realize it has a truck load of potty in it's diaper.

*Line drying is better for the longevity of your diapers!

Interested in seeing the $avings that cloth diapers can be?
http://greenbabyguide.com/2008/01/31/how-much-money-do-cloth-diapers-save-a-cloth-vs-disposable-cost-comparison/

Info on what is in regular disposable diapers (Huggies, Luvs, Pampers, etc.)....
"Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S..1
Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.2
Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbancy tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.3
In May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis."
Taken from: www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

Did you know? (odds and ends :)
**YOU were in your grandmother's womb? By week 13, your mom had over 2 million eggs in her ovaries! One of those eggs was you (or atleast half of you ;)!

***3 weeks after conception, a baby is the size of the head of a pin. At week 8, a baby is the size of a pinto bean! At week 13, a baby is about the size of a peach! At week 17, a baby is the size of your hand spread open! Some of you may wonder "how big is Baby Black right now?" Baby Black is 26 weeks and according to "the books" weighs 2 pounds! At week 27, a majority of baby's are 15 inches long from head to toe!