Cloth Diaper Workshop

Yesterday J and I went to a cloth diaper workshop. I have been interested in CDing for a while now, and he had agreed to entertain the idea with me. I figured a workshop would be the perfect thing to give us a bit more knowledge about the whole process, and then we could make a decision on whether to do it based on that.

Going into it I knew there were a lot of different ways to do it, but not much more than that. I knew that CDs had come a long way in recent years, and that they could save us a shit ton of money. I'm not going to lie - that is the driving factor for me. The benefits for the baby are also very appealing. The environmental factor is just a bonus.

Going into it J knew absolutely nothing. Well, I am guessing that the cost benefits stuck in his mind a bit from me saying it over and over for the past year, but I think anything else I had mentioned to him about it went in one ear and out the other.

Coming out, we now know a whole lot more. I'll be honest, I would actually have tried the prefolds and covers after the workshop. When you get down to it it's not that different than using all in ones or pocket diapers, and it's the cheapest way to go.

J agreed that it's not all that different, but he likes that the AIOs and pockets are one step (like disposables) whereas with the prefolds you put them on, then put on the covers. Really, not a huge difference to add that one little step, but it was enough for him to say he wants to stick with the pockets and AIOs. As he put it, it's that little bit of technology that gives him more ease of use that had him set on the pockets and AIOs.

But did you hear that?! He agreed to CDing! I really can't argue about the prefolds, the fact that he agreed to any form of CDing is a win in my opinion. So our plan now is to start out with some pocket diapers, some AIOs, and even some pocket AIOs, which are quite simply a combination of pockets and AIOs. Pretty straightforward. We'll see which style we like best. I have a feeling we will end up liking all three styles, just using each one for a different circumstance (daytime, overnight, etc).

Green Baby Bargains actually had those Thirsties Pocket AIOs on again, so I ordered another last night. You really can't beat that price, and those were J's favorite style after the workshop. We also registered for Fuzzibunz Pockets, which were my favorite after the workshop, and some Bum Genius AIOs and Bumkins AIOs.

For those who may have no idea the difference between what I just listed, no worries, I was the same before the workshop. Here's a very brief overview:

- Prefolds are the cloth diapers your mom dusts with. Also known as the best burp cloths ever. Except they come in all different sizes and materials. They get fastened on the baby with pins or a snappi. (The snappi was one of the things that sold me on prefolds).
- Prefolds go inside covers, which come in all different brands, sizes, colors, etc. Basically they keep the baby clean and dry.

- Pocket diapers are like a cover with the prefold stuffed inside. It would seem like they would be the same amount of work as prefolds because you have to stuff them, but that can be done ahead of time. Every time you wash them, just stuff them and put them away. Then when you go to change the baby it's ready for a one step change, just like AIOs or disposables. The beauty of pockets is you can stuff them with different amounts of absorption depending on what the circumstances call for. And the ones I want are one size, so the pocket lasts for a while, you just use the appropriate sized liner as you need it.

- All In Ones (AIOs) are the closest you can get in function to a disposable without throwing it away. The liner is stitched right into the cover, and you just take it off and throw it in the wash all as one. They require the least assembly, so in that respect they would seem to be best. Personally, the idea of being able to stuff the diaper as much or as little as you need is a bit more appealing, even if it does take that extra step when you do the laundry.

- Pocket AIOs are a combination of the two. I'm pretty sure Thirsties are the only ones making these right now, but don't quote me on that. Basically they are an AIO with a pocket so if you need to add more, you can, but you can just use it as a basic AIO as well. I liked these a lot as well, but you have to buy one size at a time. Standing on this side of things I wish they had a one size, but after babyCam is here I might change my mind. We'll see!

- There are lots of other accessories I could go into detail about, but that would turn this entry into a novel, and I'm not even sure if anyone is interested. If you are, leave a comment, I would definitely be willing to elaborate. I'd also go more into the benefits for the baby if anyone would like to hear it.

Basically though, the other things we'll be getting to go along with the diapers are cloth wipes (which I am wondering if we can just make our own), wet bags, and a diaper sprayer. J is skeptical of the diaper sprayer - the way the lady at the workshop described it has him thinking it is a mini pressure washer that will spray poop all over our bathroom! But I'm thinking if this were the case they wouldn't be such a popular item. There are other things we will need as well, but those are the basics.

So, if anyone is still with me, that is my basic summary of what I now know about cloth diapers. As I said above, the main factor that got me looking into this in the first place was cost. I have seen lots of numbers thrown around, but what it comes down to is over roughly 2 1/2 years of diapering, you will spend thousands on disposables, versus hundreds on cloth. And that is just for one child. We do plan to have at least one more, and we can use the diapers again. For us it's really a no brainer.

One final thing that I can't go without mentioning. Something I was not expecting going into the workshop was that the last 15 minutes would be dedicated to cloth pads. And by pads, I mean for your period. Oh man I will never hear the end of it from J! Especially after the lady doing the class introduced us to the sea sponge - nature's alternative to a tampon. Don't get me wrong, she made good points about the costs, and with the pads you're washing diapers, why not wash pads too? But I don't use pads. I'm strictly a tampon girl (and hopefully will remain so post-partum). And you know what the odds are that I will be sticking a sea sponge up my vag? Pretty much nil.



~For those in Mass wanting more information about the workshop, it was located at Mother's and Company. It was only $15, and J and I agree it was $15 well spent. Totally worth it for how much we learned!~