Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Cloth Diapers

We have been using cloth diapers since we left the hospital. We have 2 Lil Joeys and 23 Kissaluvs, size 0, fitted with 8 Pro Wrap extra small covers. It has been working to change Josiah after each feeding, so it fits well with his every 3 hour feeding schedule. So far, no leaks, no blow outs- even with large meconium stools. We used disposable, flushable liners at first to try to reduce the staining and the need to rinse those first tarry stools so much. It was such a sticky mess, though, that it didn't really help. Now that his stools are yellow brown, we don't even need to rinse the poopy ones, because breast milk is water soluble. We throw them in the pail with the others, then the whole load in the washing machine, run a rinse cycle, then wash.
Josiah doesn't fuss much when his diaper is wet. He acts just like he did with the disposables in the hospital. We've had no rashes at all. No trouble with fit. Not even strange comments at the postpartum care clinic or doctor's office, when they are dealing with it to examine him.
Cloth on the go seems to be working fine too. I just keep 4 Kissas, an extra cover, a travel sized spray bottle of wipe solution, 6 wipes/wash cloths, and a wet bag.
Bryan wanted to bring home the rest of the disposables from the hospital. I didn't ask why, but I packed them, figuring we could give them away to someone who did want them if all went well with cloth. He is doing wonderfully with the cloth, though. He even came up with the excellent idea to put a thermos of hot water in the bathroom to wet the wipes with at night so we don't have to wait 3 minutes for warm from the sink, or use the spray which also feels cold. Josiah will cry if the wipe is cold, but doesn't if it is warm.
We have three diapering setups; one in the nursery with the whole stash - all the creams, wipes, solution and the diaper pail - one in the master bath with a portable diaper pad, a large wet bag and a small stash of diapers, some wipes and solution. The third setup is in the diaper bag.
I have done laundry twice so far. Every 2 days seems to be working. My mom made me a movable clothes line on the patio. I am excited to try it out. I also have 8 wool dryer balls to help reduce dry time when using the dryer. They work. It seems to take 15 minutes less to dry than when I was washing and drying to prep the diapers for use without the balls.









1 comment:

  1. I hadn't really thought about how uncomfortable a cold wipe would be. Thermos is a good idea. When we took the class a couple weeks ago they said in their experience you don't have blowouts with cloth diapers. (The lady teaching the class had a multiple-times-a-day-blowout baby, but didn't have a single one after switching to cloth. She said she hasn't talked to anyone that has experienced the opposite.)

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