{Benefits of cloth diapering}

This is a long post, so be ready!
A few people have commented lately on my blog & emailed my personal email asking me to be a little more specific about the benefits of cloth diapering & Why we are choosing to do it! I will try to do that today, forwarding some of the knowledge i have gained from my own research, & tips i have gathered from mamas who are already cloth diapering pros! I am no pro, by any means {not yet anyways ;)}

Well to start off, there are many different cloth diapering brands. Cloth diapering isnt like it was back in the old days, no safety pins or diaper service. It is very different now, more "high tech" if you will. 

Some of the more popular brands that i have become familiar with are:

Thirsties, Grovia, Bummis, Bumgenius, Fuzzibunz, flip, G diapers, Happy Heinys, & Lovely bums.

 

 

All of these brands are very good brands to look into, but they are all very unique in their own ways. It is best to choose according to your needs & expectations. We, of course chose to use Fuzzibunz, as i have mentioned many times in the past, reason being, it was the brand i was most familiar with because i  have had first hand experience with them, & I just like the different features a fuzzibunz diaper has to offer!

The Cloth diapering benefits we considered 

Cost effective

Inititally, purchasing your cloth diapers may cost a bit of money. but it is a one time cost versus a monthly cost of the same amount for disposable diapers. They are reusable, & most cloth diaper brands have a "one size" option that gives you the option to cloth diaper with the same diapers from birth to potty training. All of these brands are very durable & your diapers may last you for ALL of your children through out the years!

Better for baby

Cloth diapered babies have less issues with diaper rash & irritated bums. Reason being, no chemicals are in them that can harm the babies bum. Here is something i read recently about disposable diapers that  freaked me out:
"one of the chemicals found in most disposables is called sodium polyacrylate, which is the chemical that was removed from tampons because of its link to TSS (toxic shock syndrome) in 1985. It is used to make diapers more absorbent (it can hold 100 times it’s weight in liquid), but some sources say it can cause bleeding in the perineal and scrotal tissues of some babies and has even been found in the urinary tracts of some infants."
{Not to scare anyone or make anyone feel bad.  I know we will still use disposable diapers sometimes with our little girl, like on trips & stuff, just not extended long term use.}
The difference with Cloth diapers, is that they are very absorbent simply because of the absorbent material & keep your little one happy & comfortable all day, no yucky skin irritantants! 

Better for the environment 

Reduce, reuse, recycle! best way to put it i guess. Since you reuse & reuse & reuse your cloth diapers, you're not throwing anything away that eventually ends up in a landfill somewhere. 

They're just so darn cute :) 

You have to admit it, if you have seen some of these cloth diapers in person, they are just adorable! They are a part of an outfit automatically. No pants needed! haha 

Other things i Have learned about cloth diapering recently:

A lot of products that you would use for your cloth diapers, such as rash creams & detergents, have multiple beneficial uses.
Many cloth diaper friendly diaper creams, im learning, can also double as a skin moisturizer for little ones with troubled skin. I have eczema & so do many of my family members, so this is a plus in my book! Also, it can be used for minor cuts & scrapes, kind of like a neosporin. & mama can use it for her sore nipples after breast feeding & it is safe for babies mouth!

The diaper cream we chose to use for our little one is Cj's bum BUTTer. We bought many samples of this diaper cream in different scents {they are all so yummy!} and tested them out on our own skin.. {not on our bums, dont think we are that weird} We just purchased our big 12oz tub to have ready for our little girls bum when she arrives :) 

Cloth diaper safe detergents such as Rockin' green {The brand were using} are really wonderful detergents i am learning. & again, they dont just have to be used for your diapers. You can use them for ALL of your laundry & they are actually better for your laundry! They are very strong so they fight stinky diaper odor but gentle on your clothing & diapers & made with natural ingredients. I also am finding out that it can be used for "non laundry" related house chores too. Here is a Link to a site where people are talking about the different uses they have found for Their natural detergent.  {Too many for me to type}
Will give a full report very soon on my results :)


Some tips i have gotten from you Cloth diapering pros!:
use Cloth wipes at home {another money saver & health benefit}
The use of throw away liners make cloth diapering easier when out {throw solids in toilet easily }
Have a good diaper cream {makes clean up easier}
Have a good "Wet bag" for when out & about {no leaks of smells or liquids}
Have a good amount of cloth diapers on hand, atleast 25 {makes laundering easier}
A good diaper pail that is water proof & holds smells!
Get a good diaper sprayer that attatches to toilet {prewashing diapers}
DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER {will make diapers non-absorbent}
Be sure to read & follow the washing instructions for your specific diaper brand.
Use a cloth diaper safe detergent to prevent stinky diapers
The sun is your friend! If diapers stain, after wash leave them out in the sun to help bleach out stains.

Uhm.. that is everything i can think of at the moment!
Told you it was going to be a long post :)

If any of you cloth diaper pros have anything to add, please feel free to leave a comment! Im sure our readers will really appreciate it if you could answer some of the questions i don't have an answer for! 

{& yes, its almost midnight & i am posting... but baby G is dancing around like crazy & wont let me go to sleep! Soon enough though, she will be squirming in my arms instead of my tummy!}