Help me convince DH

[mom2huskies]

Ok, I always planned for cloth and never really thought I would need to bring DH on board, but with twins on the way I really need him enthusiastic about this. Unfortunately, talking to my sis on the phone I started planning my stash and he heard...

"Oh, I didn't think we had decided that together yet." oops!

So we talked about it and it seems that his major objection is poop in the washer. Now I think it's no big deal, considering what we normally throw in the washer, but can anyone give me some articles that talk about this? He's a scientist, so I need a third party authority :)

I searched the board archives, since I could have sworn this came up a while ago but couldn't find it. I've also done a google search and tried sites like hyena and diaper pin, but I'm just missing what I need. Hyena had some good stuff about cleaning your washer which embarrassed me somewhat lol.

Help me win him over to the fluff side!

Cate
ttc 04...twins in 06!!

[JBaxter]

Get a mini shower it sprays off alot of the poop before it gets to the washer. There will be poop and pee in the washer no matter what. Leaks and blow outs happen. Sorry I dont know the article :(

[mudder17]

Okay, if you have blowouts with any diapers, disposables or cloth, you're going to have poop on clothing and how do you think that's going to be washed? And as you say, consider what we normally throw in the washer! That said, an easy solution would be to get a minishower, even for an EBF or EFF baby. All you have to do is spray the poop off the diaper and toss the diaper in the pail. To make it even easier, you line the diapers with fleece liners and it sprays off even more nicely. My friends at church have CD'd their twins since day 1 and they're doing great. They chose to keep it simple and have used Kushies exclusively since they outgrew the Kissaluv 0s and preemie prefolds that I lent them (the Kushies small were too big for them when they were first born). So it's been relatively easy for them.

Oh, and IMO, poop in a disposable in a landfill is much worse because it can leach into the groundwater, whereas the water we use in our washer goes to the water treatment center where it is treated for human wastes.


Eileen

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http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 15 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[mom2huskies]

Thanks ladies! I'll look into the mini-shower. I wasn't going to bother, but if it helps him change his share of the diaps, I'll spend the money! I don't think I'll try the blow-out argument on him. I don't want to scare him too much lol.

My youngest sister is 11 years younger than I am and mom used cloth, so I'm an old pro. DH is the baby of the family and a total baby-novice. Wish me luck!

The poop in the landfill doesn't concern me as much as the plastic and chemicals. At least the poop and pee is degradable :)

...next: to work on the doula idea (sigh)

Cate
ttc 04...twins in 06

[mudder17]

Well, if you ever need to convince him with the blowout argument, know that many people here (not all) who have used both have had more blowouts with sposies than with cloth. I've never had a blowout onto clothes, although I have gotten poop on her covers, and I've had some leg leaks (mostly choosing the wrong diaper for the particular purpose).

Good luck on convincing him both for the CD's and for the doula. At least you don't have to convince him to try for a homebirth! THAT might be a trick! :D

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 15 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!

[momceecers]

Not an expert here, but maybe the dilution factor would appeal to his science background. I would also put in the argument of the second rinse. I do an extra rinse on my dipes (mostly to make sure all the detergent is gone which is more a concern to me than poop in the washer). So, you wash the dipes with soap and then the washer drains, rinse, drain, rinse drain. So even if there is some residue post washing and rinsing, with a second rinse the molecular poop to water ratio is going to be insignificant. Does that make sense to anyone but me? :) Good luck!

Cindy

[ribbit1019]

http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/diaper2z.htm

That article isn't from a scientist though.
I think that there are arguments both ways out there on the web.
Though the reason I think the water/energy argument is negligible is this: we recycle other products like glass, newspaper, cardboard and aluminum using other energy resources and machines to do so. Unless the plants that recycle the products are solar powered, which I doubt ;) The fact that due to lack of oxygen a disposable can take ~500 years to break down, along with the fact of water being contaminated because of human excrement being introduced into landfills that are not designed for that.

I might make the argument that the more natural/chemical free and comfortable way to go is cloth.

I can tell you what worked for me: cost.
Nothing fancy, but DH is thrilled that we don't spend ten bucks a week (or more when she was small) on sposies. RE-usability is also a factor too, that is why I am holding onto my fluff instead of selling it. I can use it for the next baby, which will save sooo much money next time around, except for the occasional cute dipe purchase of course. ;) Also, DH does far less diaper changes than I do, though he helps, since I am the one changing her most of the time, I find that I use what I want. We have sposies in the house if he truly doesn't want to use them, but after a year of cloth, he is used to her having a fluffy butt.

Find out why he is hesitant and work from there. And if he is worried about the complication factor then you can always do pockets.

Oh and I promised DH he wouldn't have to wash them, which I do most of the laundry anyway (preserving MY clothes' integrity :D, case and point my favorite blue blouse that now has pink streaks all over it) so that wasn't such a large part of the argument.

GL!


Christy
Maddy aka "Little Miss Squirmy Monster"

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[Crisyn]

I am due to have twins in August, so I am facing some opposition from DH for using cloth too! I convinced him by telling him that babies that are exclusively breast-fed, their poop is different than adults - it is soft and dissolves in water, leaving no residue at all in the washer.
Is this correct or did I lie to my DH?

[stillplayswithbarbies]

The whole point of a washing machine is to wash away stuff, so if there is poop left after washing then there is something wrong with the machine.

Also, make sure you explain to him that poop gets dumped in the toilet, so it is not like there are logs rolling around in there while the diapers are washing.

[ribbit1019]

lol karen...logs...lol

Christy
Maddy aka "Little Miss Squirmy Monster"

How old is Maddy? "UN! AAAYYYY!" ClapClapClap

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[mudder17]

That is correct, but of course, at some point the babes are going to start solids. But the minishower will do wonders regardless. Even though I supposedly didn't have to worry about getting rid of the poop, somehow it always made me feel good to blast away the poop! :)

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 15 months & counting
Kaya's cousin, due October 9th!!!