I'm a Bit Of a Skeptic, But I'll Cross My Fingers On This One!

As I wrote in my last post, it's super important to TRY out the different types of cloth diapers before you commit to buying a ton of 'em - because cloth diapers DO need to be washed in between uses (at least part of the diaper, if not the whole thing), there really isn't any way around having a decent stash of them. And I don't want to get stuck with a whole bunch of diapers that I don't like because of leaking or because Abby can take them off or...well, I could go on forever - but I won't.

So today, while the Abbigator is napping (her dad gave her that nickname - 2 guesses what she's going to be for Halloween this year! You only get 2 guesses instead of 3, because, c'mon, it's SUPER obvious!), I'm spending some time looking for ways to try out a bunch of different cloth diapers without having to take out a second mortgage on our house. I'm starting with your basic Google search, and we'll see where it takes me!

Diaper Junction
This website was the first result that showed up after I typed "cloth diaper samples" into the Google search box. There is then an actual category on the site entitled "Try Cloth Diapers" - well, heck, I know what link I'm clicking on! Now, this isn't a free sample like you'd get at the grocery store or at Sam's Club (my husband and I often go there on Sundays (prime freebie day) and can almost eat a complete meal by going around to the different old ladies at their tables!) - it's a little more complicated than that. What Diaper Junction offers is a risk-free 30 day money back guarantee on these diapers. Here is their return policy:

30 DAY TEST DRIVE

Look for the seal on qualifying product pages or visit our Try Cloth Diapers page for the full list.

Buy these products, TRY these products, WASH these products. You may return these products within 30 days of receipt if you are not completely satisfied!

To return, simply obtain a return authorization either by logging into your account and completing a return authorization request or by Contacting Us.

GET A FULL 30 DAYS TO TRY CLOTH DIAPERING!

Return packages on these products must postmarked within 30 days from the day you received it NOT the day we shipped it. Please Contact Us if you do not know this date. Because we use delivery confirmation/tracking on all packages, we know when you received it. Any packages that are not postmarked within this time frame will be refused and returned to you.

Returns on orders received with free shipping are subject to initial shipping charges.

Diaper Packages must be returned complete. If package is not complete then full retail charges as if purchased individually will apply.

Any free gift or promotion that may have been received with your order must be returned in new/unused condition.

Diapers must be washed clean and free of any odors including detergent and/or smoke, residues including diaper creams, lint, pet hair, in order to be accepted. If the diapers are not within this standard, they will be refused and returned to you.

Please allow up to 10 days for processing.

I read that whole thing over a few times, looking carefully for asterisks and loopholes - I'm not a lawyer or anything, but I'm fairly intelligent, so I can say with a fair amount of certainty that this seems legit and fairly straightforward. You buy the diapers, get your child to poop and pee in them (that should be the easiest part of this whole deal!), wash them, and if you hate 'em, you send them back and you get your money refunded (minus shipping charges - c'mon, did you really think this would be TOTALLY free?!).

Not every diaper on the website is available for this offer. Diaper Junction gives you 14 options for this 30 day diaper test drive - the diaper(s) that qualify have this badge somewhere in the description:



There are 6 different brands available: bumGenius!, GroVia, Happy Heinys, FuzziBuns, Flip, and Econobum. I'm sad to see that gDiapers aren't on this website for the test drive, but I'll look around more.

There are pocket diapers, one size diapers, an AIO, and bumGenius! even offers an organic option. You have the option to get just a single diaper, or to get an entire package (which can have anywhere from 3 to 24 diapers). I'm going to stick with just the single diaper for now - even with the risk-free return, the idea of buying more than one is just a little too scary!

So let's start at the top and figure out which one to get!

Brand #1: bumGenius!

• Type: One Size Pocket Diaper
• Price for 1 Diaper: $17.95 (organic option is $24.95)
  
• Weight: 7 - 35 lbs.
• Fastening Options: Snaps or Hook and Loop
• Colors: Blossom, Bubble, Butternut, Grasshopper, Noodle, Sweet, Twilight, and White
• Comes With: 1 shell (the diaper itself), 2 microfiber inserts (1 newborn size, 1 regular)

Brand #2: GroVia

• Type: One Size "Pocket" Diaper (this is not a true pocket diaper - instead of putting an insert into the pocket, there is instead a detachable "soaker layer" that snaps in and out of the shell of the diaper - this type of diaper does NOT need a separate cover)
• Price for 1 Diaper: $24.95
• Weight: no weight given, but the description says the diaper will take your child from "infancy to toddlerhood"
• Fastening Options: Velcro
• Colors: Vanilla, Mandarin, Kiwi, Blackberry, Ice, Cosmos, Wildflowers, Blue Birds, Seaside Stripe, and Sunset Stripe
  
• Comes With: 1 shell, 1 "soaker layer" (made of organic cotton)

Brand #3: Happy Heiny's

• Type: One Size Pocket Diaper
  
• Price for 1 Diaper: $18.95 (all the colors listed after Orange cost $1.00 more)
  
• Weight: 7.5 - 35 lbs.
  
• Fastening Options: Velcro
  
• Colors: White, Red, Pink, Blue, Periwinkle, Baby Blue, Aqua Blue, Spring Green, Sage, Yellow, Butter Yellow, Orange, Bright Flowers, Cheetah Spots, Butterflies, Peace Bears, Silly Monkeys, Groovy Squares, Cows, Blue Hibiscus, Pink Hibiscus
  
• Comes With: 1 shell and 2 inserts

Brand #4: FuzziBunz

• Type: One Size Pocket Diaper
  
• Price for 1 Diaper: $19.95
  
• Weight: 7 - 35 lbs.
  
• Fastening Options: Snaps
  
• Colors: White, Buttercream, Mac 'n' Cheese (cute name!), Cotton Candy, Crushed Berries, Grape, Tootie Frootie, Big Sky, Blueberry, Cocoa Truffle, Kumquat, Watermelon, Mint, Apple Green
  
• Comes With: 1 shell and 2 4-layer microfiber inserts (1 large and 1 small)

Brand #5: Flip

• Type: Insert/Prefold and Cover
  
• Price for 1 Diaper: $16.96 ($19.95 for the organic cotton insert)
  
• Weight: 7 - 35 lbs.
  
• Fastening Options: Snaps
  
• Colors: Blossom, Butternut, Grasshopper, Moonbeam, Ribbit, Twilight, and Zinnia
  
• Comes With: 1 cover and 1 insert

Brand #6: Econobum

• Type: Insert/Prefold and Cover
  
• Price for 1 Diaper: $9.95
  
• Weight: 8 - 35 lbs.
  
• Fastening Options: Snaps
  
• Colors: White
  
• Comes With: 1 cover and 1 prefold
  

Things To Keep In Mind:

• Many of these diapers cost less per diaper when you order several at a time - once you've chosen the diaper of your dreams (there's a thought, huh, ladies?), keep that in mind when figuring out the cost. Also, this is just one website - you can always shop around for a better deal!
  
• If you are looking for a 100% organic option, your choices will definitely be limited - and more expensive. But you already knew this, didn't you? ::smiles::
  
• Velcro may be a messy option once your baby figures out how to open her diaper by herself! I personally think snaps are the best option, but velcro seems to be the more prevalent option, so, in the interest of fairness, I will try one diaper with snaps and one with velcro - just for the heck of it!
• All of these options (except for the GroVia) can be purchased "certified pre-owned" on this website - look around for other places to do this! You can save a significant amount of money this way. I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable buying pre-owned inserts/prefolds, but I'd have no problem getting a gently used cover!
  

My Choices

1. #1 w/ snaps, in Blossom
   
2. #3 w/ velcro, in Periwinkle
   
3. #5 w/ velcro, in Blossom, with the Stay Dry Insert
   

I'm ordering a bumGenius, a Happy Heiny, and a Flip. I found a coupon code (ALFS25) that got me free shipping! Since I got the free shipping, I'm not 100% sure when the diapers will arrive, but that's okay - FREE SHIPPING! :) My grand total was $53.85, all of which I plan to recoup at the end of this trial run and put toward whichever diaper wins my test!

I searched more on the world wide interwebz since the Abbigator is down for the night, and, as I keep saying, there are TONS more options out there. This blog isn't meant to be a cloth diaper blog - that's my focus at the moment, but it won't be the only thing I write about. So there's no way I can research and write about and try every single freakin' cloth diaper out there - this is just meant as a rough guide.

I can't wait for my diapers to arrive (THERE'S a sentence I never thought I'd write!) - I'll try them out (and have Abby model them for you!) when they arrive!

-Jen

I Almost Didn't Pass Calculus - This Is Way Too Confusing!

Disclaimer: As I am just beginning my green journey, I have never actually used any of these cloth diapers - all of my information is from online research and the opinions and suggestions of people who HAVE used them. So take what I write with a grain of salt!

A few weeks ago, I utilized Facebook in order to gather some information about cloth diapers. Once people saw the phrase "cloth diaper" in my status, I was inundated (in a good way!) by comments about brands and types and other suggestions.

One person (my husband's cousin, who actually MAKES her own cloth diaper covers - how crazy-awesome-slightly-intimidating is that?!) recommended Thirsties and gDiapers, another suggested Chinese prefolds, another the Flip by Cotton Babies and BumGenius...and the list goes on and on. I was, of course, completely overwhelmed by all of the types and brands and unfamiliar lingo, so I spent several days attempting to make an "Idiot's Guide to Cloth Diapering." Here's what I've come up with:

• The most basic (and cheapest!) option is the cotton or hemp flat diaper - it's pinned or Snappied into place. Very similar to this is the cotton, hemp, or bamboo prefold - which is exactly what is sounds like - you don't have to fold it like the flat diaper, you just make sure it's around your baby's bottom properly, then fasten it (again, with either pins or a Snappi). Both these options MUST be used in conjunction with a diaper cover, or you might as well just let your child go around with her cute little bum hanging out - and my child has a VERY adorable little behind, so I must admit, it's tempting! But, seriously, there are a ton of choices for diaper covers (ranging from inexpensive to "my-first-car-didn't-cost-this-much"), so you really have a lot of wiggle room. I'll go into more detail about diaper covers later in this post.
  

• The next option: fitted diapers. These are more expensive than the flats or prefolds, but they are VERY simple to use - they go on exactly like a disposable diaper, and fasten with either velcro or snaps (depending on the brand). These also require a diaper cover to contain leaks, which, obviously, adds to the cost. You can find these diapers for as little as $9 (on average), but as you head toward the more organic fabric end of the spectrum, the price increases - of course!

• Next comes the pocket diaper - judging from what I've read and from what people have told me, these tend to be the favorite cloth diapers. They are really just like a disposable (and attach with snaps or velcro), and you have the option of placing material with different levels of absorbency (called inserts or doublers) into the pocket in the diaper. Having the option to put more material in for overnight (or for heavy daytime wetters) makes this an excellent option - I have often been frustrated with how many times Abby has wet through her disposable diapers at night! Many pocket diapers have an inner wicking layer to keep moisture away from your baby's bum! Another great perk with these diapers is that you don't need a diaper cover. The downside to this kind of cloth diaper? While you CAN get inserts/doublers that are made of organic material, it's difficult (perhaps impossible) to get an actual pocket diaper made of that type of material - so think carefully about that when weighing your options.
  

• All-in-one diapers are next on the list. They are exactly what they sound like, and are probably the easiest cloth diaper to use - there is nothing to insert, no diaper cover to put on, no pins to poke yourself with. It's a disposable diaper without the disposable part! But this diaper is not without its downfalls! Because there is no separate "dirty/wet" layer that can be separated from the outer layer, you can't reuse these diapers until they've been washed - once an AIO (as they are often called) has been peed or pooped in, it is out of commission until laundry day! They also can take a while to dry - thus, you need to invest in a fairly large supply of these fairly expensive diapers. You'll need to take these things into account when making a decision! Also, keep in mind that AIOs are usually made of non-organic materials.

• This next one is not a separate diaper option, but merely a variation. One size cloth diapers are really referring to diapers that have a special series of fasteners on them so they can grow with your child - when your baby is little, you use the set of fasteners closest together to make the diaper as small as you need; then, as your child grows, you just choose the sets of fasteners slightly farther apart. Realistically, unless you have a very large potty training-aged child, or your child doesn't get potty trained until she is several years old, and assuming the fabric doesn't wear out (a very real possibility), your child could wear this diaper from birth until the day she no longer needs diapers! That's a very neat idea to consider, but these tend to be tricky on children under 12 pounds (it can be hard to get them small enough to fit properly) and can be quite an expensive upfront investment. Also, remember that unless you get a one size pocket diaper or AIO, you will still need a diaper cover.

• Diaper covers are a whole category by themselves! They run the gambit from synthetic to natural materials, and are available with velcro or snaps. They either pull on (these tend to be the wool ones) or are fastened over the diaper of your choice very much like a disposable diaper. They can be made of wool, fleece, or PUL, and can be very budget-friendly or put a huge dent in your wallet! There are some absolutely adorable covers out there (I will admit that, since I have a girl, I tend to only look at the girlie covers - but I'm sure there are tons of great boy ones out there!) that I'm sure many mamas have a hard time resisting!
  

Things To Watch Out For

1. If you are a very green mama, make sure you check the prefolds to see what they're made of - if you're not careful, you could end up with polyester prefolds that are, obviously, NOT organic, and also not very absorbent! Many people fall victim to these at big box stores because of the "great deal" they get on them, but, as I'm sure you've already figured out, it's actually a terrible deal!
2. If you use flats or prefolds, make sure anyone who will be watching (and therefore changing) your child gets a lesson in how to properly put on and attach the diaper - many of us (me included!) have never changed this kind of diaper before and would really appreciate a quick how-to before Mom or Dad whisks out of the house!
3. Test before you commit: almost everyone I talked to recommended just buying one or two of whichever diaper you want to try before rushing out and buying 20 expensive AIOs - you might find out that you actually LOVE using the simple flats with a cover, or you might end up thinking that the pocket diapers are your one true love. Cloth diapering CAN be expensive (at least at first - but if you stick with the system you choose, it won't be long before it has paid for itself), and if it doesn't work out, you don't want to be out a ton of money.
   

So, to sum it up: flats and prefolds (with a cover) are the cheapest but take some getting used to, and pocket diapers seem to be the best way to go (even though they cost a little more). Fitted diapers, AIOs, one size diapers, and diaper covers all fall somewhere in the middle, and, depending on your lifestyle, your budget, and your personal preferences, can all work nicely into your child's diaper wardrobe!

-Jen

Maybe We Should Shake Hands or Something...

I really don’t what the proper etiquette is for introducing yourself on a new blog. I could spout off a random list of facts about myself, but that would be about as helpful as wearing one of those “Hello, My Name Is” stickers they make you slap on at speed dating – it’s just awkward and doesn’t really tell anyone anything useful about you.

So I guess I’ll try to explain why I’m starting this blog, and, hopefully, in the process of doing that, you, dear reader, will get a better picture of who I am.

Before I got pregnant, I had certain ideas of how I would raise my baby. I was a formula-fed, disposable-diaper baby of the early 80s, and, even at a young age, I associated cute infants with that plastic Pampers smell. To me, that petroleum-produced diaper WAS babyhood, and I had every intention of putting Muppet Babies and Sesame Street characters on my as-yet-unconceived child’s butt.

I had also assumed that my attitude toward the environment would stay very much the same, even after bringing new life into the world. I recycled, I tried to conserve, and I had a great talent for turning brown paper grocery sacks into totally kickin’ textbook covers.

Then Abby Rose came along

She is our little winter baby who was born on Elvis’ birthday, and everything I had ever thought and assumed turned out to be completely and totally wrong.

I still associate that Pampers smell with babies (and will probably always secretly lust after it in my heart), but once Abby hit 6 months, I began to realize just how many freakin’ disposable diapers we were going through – six, seven, or eight PER DAY. Taking out a small trash bag full of sodden and poopy diapers every other day became a disturbing visual that hit me straight on, like a freight train. Add to that the disposable wipes and the formula cans we were throwing out with alarming frequency, and I began to feel like the world’s worst parent.

What kind of world am I leaving for my child? One filled with diaper-laden landfills and smog-filled skies from the production of the petroleum products? This thought has begun to weight heavily on my mind, and I realized that something had to change.

So things are going to change – but they’re not going to change completely, quickly, or all at once. I know who I am and how I operate, and doing ANYTHING that way is an instant recipe for failure. I realize now that my “green” efforts were, overall, pathetic, and that there is much room for improvement – even at my slow and steady pace. I know that I can improve upon not just Abby’s diapers, but her food, her environment, and her life in general.

And so this blog is born – to chronicle this journey that my husband and I are taking to make the world just a tiny bit better for our precious daughter. I’m going to start at the beginning, and go from there. Step one is the diapers and wipes, step two – who knows? But it will be documented here, in a blog that I hope will showcase the daily frustrations of going semi-green, as well as the ultimate success and positive results that our actions will bring about.

I'm going to make mistakes - have no fear! But if I ever falter or lose my inspiration, I only have to look at this sweet little face to get back on track:

So grab your stainless steel water bottle and join my on what is sure to be a crazy roller coaster of an adventure!

-Jen