Green Baby

Yes, you heard right... we are using cloth diapers this time around. I did a lot of research and asking around while I was pregnant with Peter, trying to decide if this was something that would work for us. Luckily, Austin has wonderful cloth diapering resources for those who are interested, such as the Austin Baby Store. I guess we've lived here long enough that the green emphasis has started to rub off on us. But during the course of my investigation, I've determined that you really have to have multiple reasons for using cloth diapers if you are really going to stick with it. So here are my reasons for going green:

1. Better for the environment - I was starting to get the willies just thinking about all the diapers we'd be throwing away yet again.
2. Better for my baby - no chemicals up against his skin, which has turned out to be a very good thing since Peter has pretty sensitive skin. Also, I change him more often and don't have to worry about how fast I'm burning through the diapers.
3. Easier on the budget - I'll spend less than $300 on diapers that will last him through his first birthday - and can be used for subsequent babies at no extra cost! (I'm not counting the cost of water to wash them since I'm washing clothes anyway). Those of you with kids know that $300 worth of disposables will only last a couple of months!
4. Rumor has it that cloth diapers help potty train faster - not my main reason, but a nice side effect if it works out.

My mom thought I was crazy when I first told her I wanted to use cloth diapers, but then she saw how much they have changed since she had to use them... there are so many options that it's easy to find something that works for your lifestyle. As for me, I like the simple cotton prefolds and highly recommend the Bummis Super Whisper Wrap covers - I haven't had even one blowout on me.

Another nice byproduct of using cloth is that my laundry has gotten greener too! You can't use any detergents with fragrance or fabric softener on cloth diapers since they will make the stink stick, so we're now using a biodegradable, truly "free" detergent that I actually think works better.

So if you have ever thought about using cloth diapers... you should definitely find out more and give them a try! I don't think they're any harder to use than disposables, you just wash them instead of throwing them away. Happy diapering!