Questions for the CD converts...

[etwahl]

I think you and I are VERY much the same on this diapering thing. I read some of your posts. I, like you, don't remember ever diapering a baby, although I know I did at some point. I used to babysit when I was 12-13...but now I keep wondering, did I change those babies, or just let them sit in a stinky, wet diaper for 8 hours without worry? Of course that can't be possible, but I REALLY can't remember. But I also lived with my brother's family for eight months in college, and I took care of my niece, so I know I diapered her. Maybe I'm just blocking those memories from my mind, I don't know!!!

But I also have no desire to go and diaper someone else's baby for practise. UGH! I just know that the only baby I will ever be able to and want to diaper is my own.

I'm actually very lucky with my DH. Pretty much every day I come up with a new (sometimes crazy) idea and he lets me go with it. I have to honestly say I never thought marriage could be this good with someone. Before him, my one serious boyfriend of three years was nothing like DH. So I really thank my lucky stars every day that I have him. He really is the best thing ever to have happened to me.

Well maybe we can learn this CD thing together. At this point, the only place I know where to start doing research is this board, but I'm sure I'll get tons of information.

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[KathyO]

Actually, I stopped having diaper leaks when I went to cloth. She's only ever had one serious blowout in 19 months, and that was right at the start, when I didn't quite have the hang of them, and plus they were still just a tad big for her.

Cheers,

KathyO

[KathyO]

How do CDs work for BF poops? It is more complicated than later, when you can just tip the turd into the toilet and that's that. I bought an old table knife and used it to scrape the diapers, then I'd spritz them with a bottle of diluted liquid detergent I kept by the toilet, then into the pail to be washed with the next load. For really catastrophic messes, I'd do like my Mom did and swish them up and down in the toilet, then wring them out. Rubber gloves help. And really, it's no biggie once you've done one or two. As I am fond of saying, "IT'S ONLY BABY DOODOO, FOR PETE'S SAKE! IT'S NOT PLUTONIUM!!"

And to those of you whose husband/partner is hanging back making skeptical noises... mine did too. He was the youngest child, so really had no experience at all with diapering, and was more than a bit intimidated by the whole idea. For the reluctant cases, I'd strongly suggest considering fitted diapers, since they are easy to learn, and hard to "do wrong". I admit that I don't force him to deal with the really poopy ones - he leaves them for me to deal with - but he takes care of the kitty litter box (three cats!) so it comes out even.

Cheers,

KathyO

[etwahl]

Neve, I just had to add this, and I think you'll find it funny. When I talked to DH tonight, I realized that he was so busy today when I emailed him that information on the punkinbutt site, that he didn't actually realize they were "cloth" diapers. He just thought they were a different kind of diaper that you still threw away. When I explained to him that we would be washing and reusing them, he wasn't quite on the band wagon (not that I'm sure about it either yet). Anyway, just wanted to tell you that he is probably a lot more like Steve than we initially thought when it comes to CDing.

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[mama2be]

that'll teach these guys to just "tune us out" and nod their head ("yes dear")... that was funny!!!!

I could see Steve doing that exact same thing!!!

[sparkeze]

I had so many BF poop blowouts with disposables!!! I thought it was just a fact of life, but with cloth even if DS is pooping for the first time in 3 days and it is of monstrous volume, it's still all in there. I've never even had the poop come out of the fitted diaper onto the cover! With that said, I hand washed (or at least rinsed thoroughly) all of DS's poopy clothes in the days of disposables so I kind of got used to his poop. Especially since BF poop dissolves away rather easily if you get to it right away. When DS was exclusively BF (only for about a month after I started CDing) poopy diapers got handwashed either by DS or myself. It may sound gross but it really wasn't bad!! I would run cold water over the poop to get all the solid stuff off, then run the diaper over a washboard type thing, then rinse again in cold water and throw it in the diaper pail. No stains! However, now that DS is eating solids it's a little yuckier and harder to get out. But it's still not too bad. Now I do have to use some type of stain remover, and it does take longer. I've read on a few websites that for exclusively BF babies you don't even have to bother rinsing - you can just throw it in the pail and it will come out in the washing machine. I've never tried that though.

I thought too that it would be so much work washing diapers and such but after a couple weeks we got used to it. We do more laundry, maybe 2 extra loads a week, but it's not bad at all. When I suggested to DH that I wanted to go for CDing, he said he didn't like the idea but would go along with it, and now I wouldn't say he's thanking me for an ingenious idea or anything, but he admits it's not as much work as he thought it would be. And we even use a coinop machine in the basement of our apartment building! If I had my own washer and dryer I think it wouldn't be any work at all! :)

Onesize diaper fold down. For Onesize fitteds they usually fold out and for onesize AIOs they usually fold in. You may want to try 1 of maybe 5 different types/brands and see what you like. Obviously you won't be able to CD fulltime with a few diapers but you can ease into it and you'll see that you'll develop a preference. Then you can decide what you want in your stash and start CDing full-time. That way you won't be stuck with a bunch of diapers that you have to get rid of because you have too many like me! :) I just kept adding and adding trying all these different brands. I need to stay away from the Parent's Place diapering board!!

[Melanie]

Thanks everyone...I'm still pondering it. I may buy a few after the new year and give it a shot when I KNOW he won't be pooping and full-time after he's done nursing. Those were pretty graphic descriptions. ;-)


Mommy to Jonah

[Melanie]

The latest Mothering magazine has a good article on CDing...

So now I'm searching again! We just don't have the financial wherewithall to do this now. I wish I'd been passionate about it before Ds was born (read: when I had a job!). I'm probably going to pick up a couple AIOs and rotate them in with our diapering to see how they work out and slowly add to the collection.



Mommy to Jonah