Cloth Diapering

Yep, I'm going to give it a go! I'm not going to commit myself to doing it 100% of the time right off the bat, but it's something that I've been thinking long and hard about. Cloth diapers aren't what they used to be- they aren't simple cotton cloths and safety pins. They now make cloth diapers just like disposables, called All In Ones. They come in cute colors and patterns and are great for the baby's tush. It's easy when you are breastfeeding, breastfeeding poo is water solulable so the diaper can go straight into the washing machine. There are also cloth diapers called Pre-Folds which are more like the traditional cloth diaper, but they are made from a much more absorbent material. Because they are pre-folded, they are easy to put on, and instead of safety pins, they make little butterfly like clasps out of plastic.

Why am I going to do it you ask? Well sure, I would love to help keep disposable diapers out of our landfills, but the real reason is because of the MONEY! While cloth diapering can be a handsome expense right off the bat, you will save a lot of money in the long run.

Here are some numbers from a website that I've been using....

Cloth Diapers vs. Disposables
You will break even in 12.17 weeks or 2.8 months.
You will save $399.56 in 6 months.
You will save $899.27 in 10 months.
You will save $1149.12 in 1 year.
You will save $1898.69 in 1 1/2 years.

Here are some visuals
PRE FOLDS








































ALL-IN-ONES





















All-in-ones are usually around $25 each and you want enough to only do laundry every other day. However, like I said, I may do 50/50 with disposables until I really feel comfortable with it. Prefolds are a lot cheaper, you can get 12 for around $20, but then you need covers for them (so the fabric doesn't get wet on the outside, all in ones have a waterproof material built in) and covers usually run anywhere from $10-20. The clasp closures are cheap.

So, that's cloth diapering in a nutshell! I'm still trying to understand it all, but I'm excited!