The straight poop on cloth diapering.

We're a few weeks into the cloth diapering gig now. Nearly a month. Seems like it should be much longer than that by now. But it's going well. Really well.

Evelyn has about 30 cloth diapers, with 15-20 extra microfiber or hemp stuffers (also called "doublers" I think?). Her cloth diapers are either FuzziBunz one size or BumGenius all-in-one one size organics. Pictured here is Evelyn in a FuzziBunz diaper. The Fuzzibunz are technically "pocket" diapers because they are a shell with an open spot in the back where you stuff in the thick, absorbent pad (microfiber). The BumGenius are true all-in-one diapers because there's no stuffing or different parts. It's all sewn into one diaper. Super convenient.

We love both of our diaper options. The FuzziBunz are super soft, even after line-drying (more on this later) and they don't leak due to the adjustable leg holes and waist. They're adjustable with the snaps but also through a button and elastic system that's too complicated to explain. (It's really not that complicated but I don't want to explain it. So if you're interested you can watch a video of it here.) The BumGenius are easier and more "lazy friendly" because there's no taking apart or putting together. It's grab and go and it's all right there. But they are a bit more prone to leakage on the legs because the leg openings are not as adjustable as the FuzziBunz.

I wash a load of diapers every 2-3 days to stay ahead of the Mouse. I prefer to line dry them because the sun bleaches out any and all stains and because they take quite a while to fully dry using the dryer. But due to the rain I have had to machine dry them a few times. Cest la vie. As I mentioned earlier, the FuzziBunz are quite soft even after line-drying. The BumGenius can get a little stiff from line-drying, so I sometimes stick them in the dryer for just a couple of minutes when I bring them in from the line, just to soften and fluff them a bit. I use Charlie's Soap, thanks to the recommendation from my sister-in-law, and I haven't had any problems with it. I'm careful not to use any fabric softeners or dryer sheets/bars/etc. because those can mess with the diapers' absorbency. Oh and I wash my diapers here in this gorgeous little laundry nook ;)


We haven't had any issues with diaper rash, but cloth doesn't necessarily prevent that from happening. I think it just hasn't happened yet.

I haven't found it difficult or inconvenient to use cloth. We have a small (and adorable) wet bag that I have in the diaper bag so I can bag up dirty diapers and put them in our diaper pail when I get home. Said pail is simply a trash can with a step-flip lid and a large wet bag inside. (I got my wet bags here but you can find them lots of other places too if you don't live nearby.) And so far our pediatrician has been the only one to admit defeat and ask us to "do the snaps" on Evelyn's diaper. I think they're pretty foolproof. (I mean no ill will toward our pediatrician. He was just a bit rushed and figured we'd probably help her out more quickly than he could.)

That's probably about it on the cloth diaper front for now. I mean, there was this whole Pampers causing chemical burns thing in the news this week. And the subsequent Pampers attacks cloth diapering thing. I didn't really get into cloth because I was concerned about the safety of disposables. Or because I was feeling totally green. It was really driven by money. Somewhat by a desire to not produce so much trash, but honestly more because I didn't want to constantly be throwing money at diapers. And from a financial standpoint it's been awesome to use cloth. Totally worth it, and I highly recommend it to anyone who will listen.

Oh - one last thing- I don't think it's really any more or less messy than using disposables. I do touch the diapers when I put them into the wash (I suppose this could be avoided if I had only all-in-one diapers but I have to touch the FuzziBunz to separate the thick pad from the inside of the shell). But I wash my hands after I load the washer and it's no big deal.