We Love Cloth.

Before we had Patrick, Mike and I decided that we would use cloth diapers.  We got very mixed responses from people when they found out we were going to use cloth.  We (wait, who are we kidding. ME.  I did this.  Mike nodded in support with whatever I found) looked at a bunch of different cloth diapers and options--pockets, prefolds, etc...--and we even ventured down the path of trying to make our own (enlisting the sewing services of our skilled familiy members).  We eventually decided we'd use the prefold dipes with the "rubber pants" wrap/cover over them. (Side note: we use the covers with SNAPS.  These hold up wayyyy better than the velcro, especially when Patrick got more mobile and with washing them often).  This was the method that our parents used (evolved a little bit...instead of using those gigantic baby diaper pins, we would use a Snappi instead to hold the diaper closed) and since they were going to be watching the baby (which was just a baby to us until he was born--we were old school with that too and we didn't find out the gender), we wanted a cloth diapering method they'd be comfortable with too.

So, once we decided on the prefold/cover type diapers, we actually came across (from a friend's recommendation) Baby Care Diaper Service, which is a local diaper service that uses the same prefold/cover system that we use!  Score!  We went and spoke to the owners, saw their method and route, and then they told us that we could register with them and people could get us diaper service as shower gifts.  AWESOME.  So we did that: we registered with Baby Care with the assumption that we'd get a few weeks, maybe a month or two of diaper service (which would be great to not have to worry about washing the diapers those first few weeks/months when everything is still so new and chaotic!), get into a routine, and then start washing on our own.

Right after my last baby shower, we were contacted by Baby Care and they told us we'd received NINE MONTHS, yes, 3/4th of our baby's first year, of diaper service. OMG. Seriously?!!  We wouldn't have to worry about washing OR paying for diapers for 9 months.  HECK YES.  We were pumped.  We would just toss the used prefold diaper into a pail, tie the diaper bag up that lined the pail on Sunday nights, set out front, and Monday morning a fresh diaper bag with clean dipes arrived on our doorstep!  (side note: the diaper service just washes our prefold diapers; the wraps and covers we buy on our own and wash on our own...but these are super easy to wash and you just wash them with the rest of your laundry and dry them normally.  No extra work there for us!)   This was an incredible gift that we are still so thankful for (and will be for another week until our 9 months of gift service runs out)...however, we have in turn created a monster.  Since we love cloth so much, we want to continue to use cloth diapers even after our service is done.  The catch: we have NEVER washed our own diapers...AT ALL.  Oops.  NINE months of service has beyond spoiled us, and instead created a monster.  Mike and I have talked about starting to wash our own diapers, and we've concluded that now, when Patrick's poo (sorry, TMI here) is not the nice, breastmilk-only-food liquid that it once was, but instead thick and stinky and icky, and we'd have to do multiple steps to first even rinse out/clean the poo BEFORE we washed our own diapers, we are just gonna stick with the service.  I know, I know.  Any of you amazing moms out there that do cloth AND wash the dipes yourself (uh, um, Tiff, I'm talking 'bout you!!), you are SAINTS.  Seriously.  You have a place in my amazingly awesome mom book.  But we've decided we're going to stick with the service that we love so much for THIS kid.  The next kid we have committed that we'll start from day 1 washing the dipes ourselves so we can get into a routine, so when the crazy icky food poo comes it won't be that big of a transition from our routine into something a little newer.

Okay, wow. I rambled A LOT about our diaper journey.  Yikes.  And that really wasn't the intent of my post.  Oops.  Sorry.  Sometimes I get to typin' and my mind goes another place than it was meant to go.  Eeeek.  Anyways, so now you know how we came to loving cloth diapers AND the service we have, now I want to tell you my top 5 reasons why I--I mean we--love cloth diapers...so for any of you moms out there who are toying with the idea of doing cloth you can see the reasons why we love our fluffy bummed boy so much.

5. Cloth diapers aren't hard!  You just need a system!  And when you have a baby, systems (and routines) are a MUST...so having a system for cloth diapers just fits into this newness which is a baby.  We use cloth diapers ALL THE TIME, even when we go out: we use a wet bag to keep his used dipes in when we go out or when he goes to grandma and grandpas, we use a Snappi to keep the sides of the prefold cloth diaper together, and use either an Applecheeks, Thirsties Duo, Blueberry, or BestBottoms wrap over it.  Boom.  Easy peasy system that works for us at home or on the go.  We change him on the changing table, have a bin full of prefolds stacked and ready to use, a drawer just for his wraps, and then the diaper pail next to the changing table.

4. They are CHEAPER THAN DISPOSABLES.  This is a HUGE thing for us...obviously with the 9 free months of the diaper service we didn't pay anything, but we shortly will.  And even with paying for the diaper service (instead of washing them on our own, which is even cheaper!), what we pay for a week of diaper service is LESS than a box of diapers.  Yes.  We pay about $17 a week for our diaper service, and a box of Pampers is usually $20+, and you usually go through about a box a week.  CHEAPER.  Money saver.  This pin sums it up quite nicely.

3. Cloth diapering has a community...and it's a serious one.  I love it--I have made so many new friends who love cloth as much as I do!--and I love that I have a group of people to go to if I ever have any questions about ANYTHING and need to bounce ideas off of people.

2. Little/no diaper rash or butt irritations.  Seriously.  Patrick has NEVER had a diaper rash.  Okay, that's a lie.  He did have one, but I think that was a reaction to something he ate...which I guess is still technically diaper rash...eek. Okay. He's had one.  And that's it.  And I KNOW it cleared up wayyyy faster than if we'd have used a disposable.  His butt is always peachy colored and soft and un-irritated.  And with the prefolds we use, you can still use any normal diaper cream or ointment with them.

1. Cloth diapers are the cutest things EVER.  I can't tell you how many pics I've taken of Patrick JUST in his diaper.  No disposable diaper will ever look that cute on a baby as a cloth diaper does.  There are soooo many options for wraps/styles that I really have to tell myself to STOP BUYING ALL OF THE DIPES and use the cute ones he already has.  Sorry Mike, I have a cloth diaper buying problem.