Cloth Diapering!

One of the things I knew I would do with my kids is cloth diapering. My parents did it with us and I've always known I've wanted to do it too! There are a few reasons. First, I know I want a lot of kids, and with the amount of diapers filling the landfills already, I knew I didn't want to add to that with all of my children! It would be environmentally irresponsible! Secondly, the cost! We have spent maybe $200 on diapers in Sophie's life, because my parents bought our stash for us, so we only need to buy them on occasion. We did use them for the first two weeks or so of her life, until her belly button healed, and we use them occasionally if I don't wash on time or if we go on trips. But I try to minimize that as much as possible. Third, cloth diaper butts are SO CUTE! They are big and fluffy and adorable, and the covers are so fun too!

Look at that tiny baby and her tiny cloth diapered butt! So cute!

I do want to say though, our circumstances are very lucky that we can do this. I stay at home, so that's easier. I know it's harder for working parents to find a daycare that will do them, and then find time for an extra load of laundry! Also, I have no sense of smell and have a strong stomach when it comes to this kind of stuff. It's not for everyone, and I don't want anyone to think I judge them for not using them! 

Now that I've put that disclaimer out there, back to it! I use the Kanga Care Rumparooz that my friend Camille suggested to me. She is my cloth diapering guru - at my baby shower she walked me through her system and I basically just copied her! They were really great with cute prints and colors, although they have partnered with an anime company so their print diapers aren't as cute in my opinion anymore. They still have some gorgeous solids though!

My set up is pretty simple. Sophie's dresser is also the diaper change station. We used to have a separate thing for it but her room is not huge and we want to conserve space! This works perfectly though!

We have the bottom drawer as her diaper drawer. Two baskets hold the covers and the cloth diapers. It makes it really easy for me, and she hasn't figured out how to open it yet so she doesn't throw them everywhere!

Then on the top we have the changing pad, fasteners, and her cloth wipes. We started using regular wipes but it was such a hassle, and we had to switch brands because her skin is so sensitive, so we just went with good old cloth wipes and a plastic bottle full of water. It works a treat!

One of our biggest tricks is coconut oil! Regular creams clog up the cloth, making them less absorbent, but coconut oil doesn't, so we use tons of it! Keeps her skin smooth and helps ward off infections!

Finally, how we clean them: I put them straight into a bucket of water and borax. This stops them from smelling until I can throw them in the wash! We tend to go about three days in between washing them. They stay under the sink in Sophies bathroom, out of her and Nellie's reach. 

So useful and patriotic!

I don't do a lot of touching poop, most of it goes straight into the toilet. We have also been doing a kind of early toilet training with Sophie - if I can tell she is about to poop/pooping, I just take her to the toilet and sit her on it! So we haven't had too many poops to deal with! And that's that! If you have any questions let me know!