why I cloth diaper: part II.

Okay, so I decided I'm not done talking about cloth.  I will be perfectly honest and say that this was not one of the original reasons I had for cloth diapering however, after reading several articles about the contents of disposable diapers (and the way this information is protected by manufacturers), I can't help but feel even more confident in my decision.

(Disclaimer:  I'm not trying to say that these companies are all "big and bad".  I just didn't even think about the contents of disposable until I started researching cloth diapers in general.  Call me naive.)  That being said, if you're interested in some reading:

http://www.diaperjungle.com/Disposable-Diapers-Exposed.html

http://www.babycenter.com/0_whats-in-disposable-diapers-8211-and-are-they-safe-for-your_10335425.bc?page=1#articlesection1

And while I'm at it, why not share some of my favorite brands.  The world of cloth diapers is huge and you can easily get swallowed up in the decisions on what style you should use and why.  This is one of the reasons I was so hesitant during my pregnancy and eventually let it go.  I didn't know where to start.  There are still many things I don't know, but I'm glad that I now have resources where I can find the answers I'm looking for.  As I learn, I love to educate as well.  If I can convince any one person to CD, I will be happy!  (Btw, my sister who is expecting her first in April is going to and I'm sooo happy about this.)

Before I decided what style and brands to buy, I used this chart to help me figure out what's what.

http://www.diaperjungle.com/cloth-diaper-types.html

I also asked mom friends a lot of questions.   I decided that pockets would probably be the best decision for my life, at least to start out.  My intentions were to buy a few at a time (since it can be costly up front) and cloth diaper part time until I was able to build a stash that would allow me to do laundry every 2-3 days.  The majority of our diapers are Bumgenius 4.0s and I can't say enough good things about them.  They are one size which means they are adjustable and will fit from 10-35 lbs or something in that range.  Bought brand new, each diaper comes with an adjustable microfiber insert and a newborn size insert.  I use both inserts for overnight since the diaper obviously needs to hold a little more but to date, I haven't had any leaks.  During the day I just use the adjustable insert.  When I do my laundry, I stuff the pockets and they are ready to go for the babysitter or dad since he doesn't like to get too involved.  The rest of my diapers are an odd assortment of brands since it's a good idea to try a few out and see how they work for you before committing to something.  We have Softbums, Rocky Mountain, Kawaii, Fuzzibunz, WAHM (work at home mom - custom made diapers) and I'm waiting on a few Sunbabys that I ordered.  I also have some prefolds and flats which require a cover.  If you refer to the chart in the link above, you will see the difference in these styles.  Prefolds are what most people think of when they hear cloth diapers.  You no longer have to use those old huge rubber pants though.  Now they sell adorably cute waterproof covers.

I could honestly talk about this topic for awhile but I won't.  We didn't even cover laundry detergent, dirty diaper storage, extra inserts, doublers, liners, rash cream, ect.  I just wanted to share a little more about this world since I was clueless prior to taking the leap.  If you are seriously interested though, please feel free to ask me questions.  I will do my best to inform you from what I have learned or at least find the answers for you.