help! I need some encouragement!

Rochell

So I have no doubt in my mind that cloth diapering is the best for my LO's bum...

but I am having second thoughts. I am sooooooo scared! No one in my family has used cloth diapers (other than my grandparents that are 90yrs old) and I have no one that can help me through this process. I am scared about the clean up, explosive poop and leaky diapers.

I plan on investing in green mountain diapers prefolds ...but my DH isn't for it and I might have to purchase some disposables for DH to use when he's with LO - so it's basically all me and honestly, I'm getting a little discouraged...

Please please talk me out of this....ahhhhh!

wingedbride

do you have a local CD boutique you can go to?

I had some XS and S AIOs for my H because he didn't like prefolds. They are basically a disposable.

At the beginning it is trial and error with any diaper. You will have some leaks and blowouts whether you go with disposable or cloth. I did. But, now the only time I have blowouts are when I use a disposable.

Clean up is easy. I EBF so it just goes into the wetbag then the washer. It's an extra load every 2-3 days.

Also, I used disposables more at first and always had rashes. Now I don't.

No one I know CDs either, except a couple of friends who live far away. You can do it!!!

Mystery2B

My DH was ambivilant at first but now he loves cloth. And I did not know ANYONE IRL that used cloth, but we're going 10+ months strong now. 

As far as leaking and explosions we had WAY more problems with disposables than cloth (like every poop with disposables leaked vs a couple times EVER with cloth)...and washing the newborn dipes is super easy.  And now that we're on solids it's not TOO bad and DH just leaves the poop diapers for me to deal with.

Rather than getting DH disposables, what about getting him some velcro AIO's or pockets? They go on the same way but are cheaper in the long run. 

Have you shown DH the price comparisons? Does that helps sway him? We don't use prefolds anymore and we've more than broken even with our cloth investment (for both a newborn and bigger stash) and we've got at least another year till pottytraining so it's going to be MUCH cheaper for us. 

MWoodside

Honestly it's so easy.  It really just comes down to a few extra loads of laundry per week.  Blowouts are super rare with cloth.  Really the only difference is instead of throwing a diaper away you put it in a diaper pail & wash it.

flyer23

It's really easy! I didn't have anyone IRL to help me through it either, but there are plenty of people online!

My DH was super reluctant at first, but once he saw how easy pockets and AIOs were, he had no problem with it. He even uses prefolds and scrapes poop now.

Leaks are WAY more common in disposables. We used disposables on DD during the EBF stage, and she had leaks almost daily. I thought that was just how diapers were with EBF poo. DS has been in cloth since birth, and he's had fewer leaks total than DD had in the average WEEK! (And most of them were in the handful of days he's spent in disposables, while traveling.) Admittedly, DS does have pee leaks a little more often, but I'll take cleaning up a pee leak over a poo leak ANY day!

Just go for it. You'll figure it out... it's diapering, it's not rocket science Get some easy diapers for DH and he'll come around, too!

david_n_cole

My husband was horrified when I told him we were switching to cds for our toddler and would be doing nothing but cds for our next one.  I showed the cost comparisons, but to be honest he was for not touching poo and would have happily paid twice what we were paying for disposibles to keep from having any contact with it.  I had to do some major persuasion. 

I bought the trial and a sprayer.  I showed him the different styles and he loves the AIOs, pockets, and even the fitteds.  It took showing him once with each one how to put in on and he's been good ever since.  I told him that he had to clean the poop diapers with the sprayer if he took the poop diaper off and he's only forgotten twice.  He still hates poop, but the sprayer keeps him from having to touch it or dunk it.  I showed him how to fold it up and explained that if it was kept wet then it would be easier to be cleaned in the washer. 

I do an extra load (small to medium) two to three times a week, usually two times.  It's super easy once you start and you never look back.  Now I have to admit we still use disposables at night since I have a heavy wetter and can't find a good combo to get us through the night, but we're working on fixing that.

Our family actually made faces when I told them I was going to be cding...but then I remembered they had done the same thing when I had bf both my boys.  They just came from a different era or from families that didn't make choices that were best for baby even if there was some inconvience to them.  Either way, I don't care cause I know what touches my baby's skin all day (organics for us).  I won't ever go back.

Stay strong and just jump! You have a whole support network amongst ever cding mom, past or present.

P.S. I strongly recommend doing cloth wipes too. (wish someone had told me that when I switched) I had to toss poopy wipes into the trash for two weeks while I waited for the cloth wipes to arrive.

uluvfranke

I finally talked my H into them. It was a process, but when it comes down to it they are much better for your baby. Why not take an extra step to make sure he/she is comfortable? Besides we will be saving a LOAD of money! I couldnt be more excited about that!!!!

I know two people who do it, one I am not very friendly with and the other one is in a total diferent state. so I rely on the internet for help.

LoveEeyore

You'll get into a rhythm and it won't seem like a process or challenge.  I like the idea of getting DH a few sposies, and I bet in a few months he'll see how much easier, and cheaper your way is.  Make it difficult- he has to bag each sposie, take it out to the garage or something.  GUys like easy.  Make cloth easy for him.  Don't pressure, just showoff how you can wrap a prefold twice as fast as he can put on a sposie plus one handed, you know?

I had a 19 month old and twin NBs in GM  prefold and seriously, it was a no brainer.  It is overwhelmoing in the beginning with my first but in a few weeks it will be a breeze.  I would say, though, the first few weeks they poop nonstop, and the laundry for that stage was out of control so I had the twins in sposies for 4 weeks. 

Just do it.  Get yourself a dozen prefolds and a few covers.  It'll cost less than a box of diapers.  Try it!  It's addicting.  And the cloth-love is contagious!