Bums

The time has come... We finally got the rest of our diapers in the mail and have completed Round 1 of cloth diapering! We decided to use cloth diapers for two reasons- 1) to save money 2) the negative environmental impact of disposables is ridiculous. I probably would have been less inclined to use cloth except that my cousin has had great success with her brand, BumGenius (which Jimmy and I also decided to use). After seeing how easy and modern the diapers were and after calculating how much money we would save, I was sold! If Grace Louise is potty trained at 2 1/2 years old, we would have spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $2600 on Pampers. 24 of these diapers (including the liners) cost $400 and thanks to the generosity of great family and friends, we only had to pay for half! These diapers will last at least until Grace Louise takes the "throne" and perhaps even for her brother or sister (perhaps, perhaps, perhaps a brother or sister).

We use a dry pail to store dirty diapers in and have enough diapers to wash every third day. As long as she is breastfeeding there is no toilet dunking or spraying the poopy diapers out! Everything goes in the washer on a short cold cycle first and then on a longer hot cycle to get squeaky clean. Line drying is preferred, but they can even go in the dryer! Everything comes at a cost to the environment, but washing these diapers (especially in an energy efficient washer) is undoubtedly the lesser of the evils.

Still not convinced?? Here are a few facts about cloth vs disposable diapers from DiaperShops...

• Over 27 billion disposable diapers are sold and 92% of them are put into landfills in the US.
• It is estimated that it takes between 500-700 years for a disposable diaper to decompose, under optimal conditions.
• Disposable diapers use twenty times more solid waste than cloth.
• Disposable diapers use twice as much water in manufacturing than cotton diapers require for washing.

Sporting the pink- her first time in the diapers!

Mmmm... look at them fine thigh rolls!