- I started thinking about the cost of disposable diapers around Junior's first birthday, and went looking for advice at BlogHer.
- I ordered a cloth diaper rental package, and he took quite a few different kinds of (expensive) cloth diapers for a spin.
- I (tried to) calculate the cost difference of disposables vs. cloth, and - with much navel gazing - we made the switch - to the cheapest option: prefolds paired with Thirsties Duo Wraps.
- I spent some time banging my head against the brick wall of daycare obstinancy, when we all found out that cloth diapers have germs...twice.
- I got discouraged by the bags of poop and (sort of) gave up on cloth. For a while.
We had some stink issues to deal with, as well as a problem with diaper rash, so this happened, and I felt like a washer woman from 1912. It was heady stuff, believe me.
I used a few drops of Dawn and boiled the crap out of those diapers. Quite literally, of course. I think they're clean, now, but if anyone has any suggestions for keeping them so, I'd be more than willing to follow your every word of advice.
What I won't miss (at all) is the cost of buying disposables every two weeks or so to the tune of $19.99, or $0.17 per diaper even for the cheapest of the cheapo brands. (As in: insert Tab A into Slot B.)
Little Miss Bean is going to be in disposables for a little while longer - mostly thanks to Shopper's Drug Mart and their five dollar diaper sale, but I plan to order about $140 worth of diaper supplies for her in the next few days, and get her started in cloth during the daytime as soon as her little belly button is all finished being gruesome and vile.
I'm keeping her in disposables overnight, though, because I'm just not up to origami in the middle of the night. Once she endears herself to her mother by sleeping through the night, it will be cloth then, too, but for now: I choose sanity. And trying to avoid putting the diaper on her head at four in the morning, in the dark.
I have another question to ask those of you who are cloth diapering gurus: wipe solution.
I know. Not a question. Let me rephrase: In the past, I used a few drops of baby soap and water for the wipes. I think this may have contributed to the stinks. Now I'm experimenting with using baby oil (about a tablespoon or so), a few drops of essential oil (grapefruit right now, but I also have tea tree and calendula)), and water, all mixed up in a one cup peri bottle (Thank you, midwives. Again.). Is this a good idea?
If not, send help.
Lots.
Preferably from Pampers.
This time last year: Project Grocery: Satisfactorily Un-Extreme
