Cloth diapering is something I've been thinking about since Sophia was a baby. But frankly, it just seemed... hard. I can't tell you how much I loathe laundry. I could see the benefits: healthier for baby (far less rash!), better for the environment, and so much cheaper in the long run. But laundry? And washing poop, no less!
So it got put on the back burner. But about six months ago, I started thinking about it again. I was tempted to try something like gDiapers, where you can flush the poopy part, but when I calculated it out, it was even more money than disposables. That seemed ridiculous so I forgot about it. Then several months ago my sister-in-law announced that they had made the switch to CDing. Surprisingly, she seemed happy about it. But I was in the middle of preparing for a home birth and didn't have the energy to entertain such thoughts. It went to the back burner again.
Now that I have my little crunchy baby, I have lots and lots of time to think of silly things like cloth diapering. I poured hours (and I mean hours) into researching all the cloth diaper options. I'd like one but then I'd find another one that had different features I liked more. I probably thought a little too much about this decision, come to think of it. I was trying to find the best diapers for the lowest price.
Price was actually a huge factor in our decision, and what swayed Gary over to CDing. Can you imagine spending between $200 and $400 on diapers for the rest of your life? It's hard to swallow at first when you see cloth diapers run from $15-25 per diaper. Yes. Per. Diaper. But if you calculate how many times you'll use that $25 diaper, the savings are phenomenal.
Okay, so what did I ultimately go with, for all my researching? *Sighing happily here.* Urban Fluff's iCandy diapering system. First, I have to say how beautiful these diapers are. I still can't get over it. I'm not going to get into all the different kinds of diapers there but the kind I prefer is called an "AI2" or an All In 2 diaper. Basically you have a waterproof outer cover and a "soaker." The soaker you change at every diaper change, the waterproof cover you only change if it gets soiled. The majority of CD's out there have a solid colored waterproof cover. But the creator of iCandy took things a step furth. She created a cotton outer cover (she calls them Wrappers) which you place a waterproof liner and the soaker on the inside. The wrappers should rarely get soiled. In fact she has a wick-free and leak-free guarantee! The cotton wrappers are too-die-for cute and in dozens of patterns. In fact I woke up this morning thinking how cute a black and white print would be and surprise! She had added more patterns this morning including two black and white prints.
In light of her reading my mind, plus the buy three get one free sale and giveaway she started today, it seemed like the perfect time to take the CD plunge. I ordered 6 diaper systems and got 2 free. They won't be here for 2 to 4 weeks and I can't wait. I'll be sure to post some pictures of the world's cutest bottom when they do but until then, here's a few pictures of the world's cutest diaper!
