A year in cloth diapers

In 2 weeks we will have a new milestone under our belts. The Princess will have been in cloth diapers for a year. Over the year I have come across many different perseptions people have placed upon the cloth diapering concept. Some have been great and others have lead me to bite my tongue holding back tears.

Three years ago I toyed with the idea of doing this with Monkey but I didn't know much about it and was under the impression I was going to have to make them myself. Now I can sew but I can't follow a pattern, sew a straight line, or have anything come out presentable. My crafty skills look more like a kindergartner that was given a Monster and let to run loose in DisneyLand. I chucked the idea out the window and went with my ever trusted Pampers.

A little while later we were pregnant again and I toyed with the idea some more. The Man just rolled his eyes and wouldn't put much heart into the discussion because like a lot of things, I get these great ideas and plans but they fizzle out just as quickly as they appeared. Then the last week of December 2008 I decided to take the plunge. I wanted to do it. I wanted to try. With it being right after Christmas we didn't have much cash flow left so I started simple. Ordered..
dozen preemie unbleached Indian prefolds from Little Lions
a dozen hand dyed infant prefolds from another mama
3 Snappis

Of course had to get some covers and being clueless I tried a couple different brands:
Bummis Super Whisper Wraps
Thirsties
Proraps
Wiggle Worm Bottoms (absolutely has adorable fabric prints_

And for bed time:

6 Kissaluvs size 0

Upon arrival before her debut, the nerves and doubts crept in. Could I do this? How in the world do you fold the prefolds? What am I doing? This is going to be a disastour! But I convinced myself I could do this, whether it was doing it for her or for me I still wasn't sure.

We weren't in the hospital for a full day, the moment we got home I tried a preemie prefold. Oh man was I nervous. It fit her pefectly and then it hit me. The infant ones were way too big for this little 4lb 12 oz baby. Panic started to creep in, I quickly ordered some more and kept trucking. I haven't looked back once.

In the year we have used a couple disposables here there, like our move from San Diego to Oregon; wait that was it. No way I was going to do cloth on an 19 hour drive during that time. We have gone through different diapers, found ones that we like, love, and can't stand. We've gone from solely prefolds, to a combination of prefolds and fitted, to mainly fitteds and pockets; and now here we are with fitteds, prefolds and wool.

Likes
Nanipoos (too bad she isn't making anymore)
Goodmamas
FuzziBunz
Bumgenius

Hated
Mutts (absolutely adorable prints, just way too thin to be absorbant for a super wetter)

Loved
Bagshot Rainbamboo
Scuttlebutts
Piddle Poddles

And last month I found the wool love. I promised myself I would never get sucked into this crazy. However everyone around seemed to be liking it, it's always cold in the house, and they were just too adorable. Couldn't be happier with this new plunge I've taken.

I can honestly say that I am beyond ecstatic that we've gone a year in cloth, that I haven't fizzled in my love for cloth, and have let no one's rude comments change my choice for using cloth.


♥ ♥ A Muddy PAW ♥ ♥