We'Re Pregnant!

[Hasen]

Fist off the debate isn't about me. I want to convince the wife that we would be better off using cloth diapers for our little monster. I looked at what was availibule at walmart and you can get cloth diapers around a buck each (so jealous but not going there).

She hasa crazy friend who is telling her that you need to spend at least $12 per cloth diaper and that disposable is just cheaper.

I feel like a crapp human using disposables. I don't see how a small investment upfront can outweigh the continued and increasing cost of disposables.

So for thoes with children how did you do it? I would be fine using a mix. Cloth at home and where it's easy and disposables on away from the house and such. And how much should we spend if I convince her cloth is the better option ( diapers, liners, covers, etc.)

[LuvsGurl]

If you do a long-term cost analysis both cloth and disposable work out to be about the same.

Cloth costs more to get started and you also have to figure in the cost (in time and supplies) that you will spend cleaning those diapers.

Disposables are cheaper per-unit and have no laundering costs... but they're pretty much one-and-done.

IMO, try both at the start. Get a few cloth ones and a couple of packs of disposables. See what you like better, see what your baby likes better.

You may find that cloth is fine for around home, but the convenience of disposables is more suited for trips out and about.

[BBB]

I'm just gonna throw this out there, but also realize how fast children grow in the first year of life.

I've always used disposables, so I can't speak to how the plastic pants fit, or expand with growth. Just giving you something else to think about.

[LILJIM]

Congrats!!! $12 per diaper??? No around here it is like $12 per pack of 12 diapers. I'd just get some cloth & use them at home anyway.(I too wish the stores sold the old 21"x40" flat diapers instead of the prefold ones) I could wear them when younger so I like cloth better.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

WE'RE pregnant?

You are not gong to like Morning Sickness at all. and wait until you go into labor: Arrrggghhhh. For delivery, I think you will need a C-section if I understand human anatomy and how did you manage to do what so many people have told me to do?

[Hasen]

Yah the morning sickness has been more like evenings sickness. But I do like to think of it as we're. I don't think the wife could do it alone.

As far as growing goes can't you just fold cloth diapers to fit?

Ali does anyone know what thoes little velcro like diaper holders are? They are stretchy and look like a T with teeth?

[BabyTara]

They're called Snappis

http://www.snappibaby.com/products/snappidiaperfastener.html

[square_duck]

OK, here we go again with the "cloth vs disposable' debate erf

anyways, a couple of things

@ Jim, granitesmith on ebay sells the 21"x40" birdseye flat diapers, they are still pretty cheap.

As for Cloth diapers, you can go to target or KRU or BRU and get packs of either flat or prefolds pretty cheap, but finding plastic pants is getting tough.

I too am a "man of te cloth" and prefer cloth to disposables, even though 'posies are more convenient...some are amazing and very comfortable, but I still prefer my cloth ones...but thats just me.

Also, cloth diapers have come a LONG way from the old conventional flat or prefold days. If you do a search, you will find many WAHM's and cottage businesses that make cloth diapers from a wide variety of materials They have AIO, and pocket diapers made from advanced materials, and they are easier to wash and use and maintain than the 'old school' diapers, it might be worth a search It really is amazing.

SnapEZ is one of those manufacturers, who make both kids diapers and adult sizes as well. I bough a couple of their pocket diapers and they are amazingly comfy.

Another thought is something a friend of mind did with his kids. I thin they might have had a diaper service, so that helps cut down on laundry, but they also incorporated disposables into the mix (usually the generic and "green" brands) for travel, especially as the kids got older, since the cloth ones were so bulky! You can also add cloth (flat or prefold) into a disposable for added protection and so on, there really aren't any "rules" and you find what works best for you

The 'modern' cloth diapers are amazing, and you can find manufacturers with a google search, or you can start here:

http://allaboutclothdiapers.com/

It's amazing what is out there...and LOTS of it...have fun!

[Hasen]

I must say I am a bot excited about this part of having kids. Well actualy im excited about the whole thing. This is just goimg to be more fun for me than the wife. Something she wont have to worry about. :-)

Edit: And this debate will never go away as long as there ar dirty green hippies like me out there. :-P

[babylin]

My wife had no problems with our using cloth diapers and plastic pants, because I did the laundry. Still do.

She had no idea I got my diaper kicks this way. So learn to do laundry...all of it...and be the best.

P&G propagates this big lie that cloth is expensive. They paid millions in advertising to convince a generation that Pampers and Luvs are "better". Hogwash!

A couple can easily afford a good washer and dryer set with the first years savings.

The real savings with cloth though come with the second and third babies. You already have diapers and plastic pants to use. BIG, BIG savings.

And all the rags you ever wanted when the diapers wear out. Clean windows. Polished car. Clean up spills. No need for paper towels.

Cloth diaper give years of service and you are not just pissing your money away.

HAPPINESS IS WERING COTTON DIAPER

[curiositykilledthecat]

To quote my father, "If there weren't dispsoable diapers when we had you then you would have been a very naked baby." Do you really want to wash a cloth covered in mushy shit every day?

[waynecook52]

To quote my father, "If there weren't dispsoable diapers when we had you then you would have been a very naked baby." Do you really want to wash a cloth covered in mushy shit every day?

the thing with cloth is if you have more kids you can use those same diapers.That is if you treat them right.My mom used the same diapers on 3 kids.And as far as cost goes thay are $12 at toys r us.But its up to you two.We can give you all the info.in the world but in the end you got to make your owen choice.

[Hasen]

Seein how Im posting/asking this on a fetish forum, no I don't mind. If I did this would be on a parenting group.

I've also heard over the years that cloth helps kids get potty trains faster. I don't know how true that id but it seems reasonable to me. I don't really want to have my children turn out like myself.

How big of a stock of cloth diapers would be reasonable to start out with?

This is so kewl we have the first ultrasound today. :-)

Edit: my mind is made up. Just need to convince the wifeums.

[WBDaddy]

Go with disposables the first year, you'll be glad you did, changing 6 or more a day, especially the first time you have to clean up a poopy cloth diaper. YUCK! I tried it with my son, and we lasted about 2 months before we said "f*** this".

That said, when you want to gently encourage him/her to get interested in toilet training, switch to cloth. Kids hate the way they feel when wet/soiled in a cloth diaper, and they warm up quick to the idea of getting rid of it another way.

Again, from experience. My son was nearly 4 and not even remotely interested in training when we switched back to cloth. The light bulb went off immediately as he begged his mother to change him the instant he was wet/soiled.

[curiositykilledthecat]

Just because this popped into my head this morning. "You're pregnant? Who's the lucky face-hugger."

[Toddler Pampers]

Go with disposables the first year, you'll be glad you did, changing 6 or more a day, especially the first time you have to clean up a poopy cloth diaper. YUCK! I tried it with my son, and we lasted about 2 months before we said "f*** this".

That said, when you want to gently encourage him/her to get interested in toilet training, switch to cloth. Kids hate the way they feel when wet/soiled in a cloth diaper, and they warm up quick to the idea of getting rid of it another way.

Again, from experience. My son was nearly 4 and not even remotely interested in training when we switched back to cloth. The light bulb went off immediately as he begged his mother to change him the instant he was wet/soiled.

This is good advice. We did it the other way around. Disposables just seem so 'selfish' to me, like not recycling when you can, but we did loose our will finally, and, yes, toilet training probably took longer as a result. You may enjoy wearing a wet diaper, but real babies don't.

[Hasen]

You may enjoy wearing a wet diaper, but real babies don't.

So true.

[WBDaddy]

This is good advice. We did it the other way around. Disposables just seem so 'selfish' to me, like not recycling when you can, but we did loose our will finally, and, yes, toilet training probably took longer as a result. You may enjoy wearing a wet diaper, but real babies don't.

My viewpoint is this: The impact isn't exactly a chasm between the two, it's just different. Further, the last thing a new mother needs to add to the challenge and stress of handling a new baby is having to do an enormous amount more laundry because she's also washing diapers. Diaper services? Now you're adding more environmental impact, because they use industrial-grade cleaners, not to mention they're driving to your house every week for pickup and dropoff.

You'd be surprised - by the time they're in that range of being ready to start potty training, they're also eating table food full time, which means they're producing much more formed (read: easier to clean up) stool. You probably came up just short of that point when you gave up and went disposable.

[square_duck]

Something else that popped into my ever-so-fertile- mind is if you want to experience and practice what it will be like changing kids cloth diapers, you might strt wearing cloth yourself, and using them for EVERYTHING!!

Or use kids prefold diapers in what ever disposables you use, and learn to wash them and how to deal with wet and messy cloth didees.

One thing that I vaguely remember is the famous "toilet duck" its a kind of clamp that yo fasten a kids used diaper to for soaking in the toilet, so they don't get flushed down. This takes care of all the diaper contents, and lets you kind of pre-rinse the diapers out so you can put them in the pail before washing.

Also, something that helps a LOT with cloth diapers is a "diaper liner" which is a kind of sheet much like the inner liner of disposables, it lets wetness through, but not back, so the skin stays dryer. They are available on Amazon along with diaper doublers, which help increase the absorbant capacity of any diaper. The diaper liners also come in a biodegradable form, so all you do is remove it from the diaper and drop it in the toilet and flush, which takes a lot of hassle out of changing a messy diaper, and saves on clean up

Why people don't mention these things I don't know, but they work very well, and are relatively cheap.

have fun either way and remember, practice makes perfect!

[dl_ashlee]

Another suggestion is a diaper service, no need to take care of the nasty stuff this way. Of course it is more expensive, but that is what you get for convince. If you can afford it I would say this is the way to go.

[Aina]

First: many congratulations on your forthcoming event. Mine is a little sooner to arrive. If my due date is correct, Ruby Margaret will arrive in 4 days time lol. To the debate of reusable or disposible - she will go into reuseable, only using disposible where impracticable, ie travelling. Cost on my purse is one thing but cost on the earth and landfill is another consideration. You sound like an interested and caring husband too.