Lurker w/a question

TeacherMom2015

I've been lurking for a couple weeks and I have a question.  Obviously I know I'm speaking to a biased group, but I'd like honest opinions.

I'm due in May and we will be putting the baby in daycare starting in mid August.  I have checked with several daycares (previously I was a foster parent) and I haven't found any centers in our area willing to cloth diaper.  Apparently the restrictions sent down from the state are particularly hard core regarding this.  Baby will be in daycare for about 8 hours a day, so 40 hours a week.

IYHO  do you think it's worth it to cloth diaper just a home?  I'm a teacher, so I'm home all summer and during breaks, but otherwise it will just be evenings and weekends.   I'm wondering if I'll actually be spending double money with all the disposables we'll be buying for daycare anyway.

Thanks!

stoneycakes

There are people on this board who CD part time because of this exact issue.  I would say it's definitely worth it.  There's still 128 diapered hours left in the week after the 40 spent at daycare.  Don't forget that CDs have a resale value once you're done with them, so you make a lot of your investment back.

Mandmeesh

Agree with Stoney. But I would also urge you to investigate the daycare restrictions. And if needed, get a prescription from a doctor for cloth "sensitivity to disposables". I would fight it

caloneis

https://diaperwrecker.com/2013/09/cloth-diapers-in-daycare/

Check this link. Only a few states restrict cloth diapering.

bumpuser9353653

Yep, all of the above. I don't have to deal with daycare but I get the gist that a lot of places are just misinformed. Dealing with AIOs or pre-stuffed pockets is no different than dealing with disposables, and a wish wet bag is no different than trashcan.

Rrrrrachel

I would just because I find disposables so unpleasant.

Bigboneded

FTM, haven't started my own yet. But my brother was 16 years younger and we cloth diapered at home exclusively, but he had disposables at DC and traveling. I think we definitely saved money still. And it was a different time, but the prefolds got used for dusting, washing cars, etc once potty trained- didn't resell them.

freezorburn

I think probably the biggest challenge would be adjusting your wash routine for the smaller load size you will have during the week. When we started to send DS 2 days a week to a DC that would not use CD, I tried stretching our laundry out to every 3 days but then we developed an ammonia problem. Eventually I was able to time our laundry so that I don't have any diapers sitting longer than 2 days, and now if I have a smaller load I just make sure to rinse really well so that I don't have any unspent detergent hanging around on my diapers.

BethanyAnn27

Even if you can't CD 100% of the time, I am very certain that you will still save money. One day of diapering my DD in disposables costs more than my wash routine does for 2 weeks with a coin operated laundry. I did not have a lot of money to spend on starting up our diaper stash and decided to go exclusively for prefolds and covers.  It might be worth looking into creating a less-expensive stash using flats or prefolds plus covers if you can only CD part time...you can still get adorable covers and it is an easy system to get used to! GL!