Working Moms Question

Marymak07 · January 2012

Working moms - how is it going to work (40hr/wk) and keeping up with cloth diapers? I am considering using cloth, but nervous about managing that (and a million other things) when I go back to work (I'm a teacher). I'd love to hear your experiences! Thanks!

veruca5839 · January 2012

It's totally fine. I don't even notice it. It only ends up being about 3 extra loads of laundry a week.

Jcraul · January 2012

veruca5839:
It's totally fine. I don't even notice it. It only ends up being about 3 extra loads of laundry a week.

She is right. The only thing that really takes any extra time is when you have to strip them. I am pretty sure most Moms do that once a month or so.

I actually explained to DH I am not Super Women (I only learned that after I had LO) and I cannot do it all. I asked him what he wanted to do.... Bottles or Diapers.

He chose diapers and it has been going pretty well except for the small repelling crisis we are having currently.

LottaLattes · January 2012

I found working FT and having a baby was the big challenge. The diapers were just a little extra laundry (and fewer groceries to have to buy!) overall. Finding a good routine will help, like dumping them for the first wash when you get home, rinse and then dry at night, and then you're not having to scramble in the morning when you're also trying to get out of the house.

cookiemonster03 · January 2012

I wash most nights (I have twins, its a volume control thing - we have a 3+ day stash). I dump them in the washer after dinner, move to the dryer before bed (run a low cycle), and in the morning pull out the AIOs to air dry and turn the dryer back on for a high cycle. In the evening I pull them out to fold, and repeat. It takes maybe 10 min a day, all said and done.

Indiechixor · January 2012

Agreed, it really should be broken between you and your SO to keep up with it, but if DH didn't help then I would just make a point to do it more often.

Honestly, with one kid it's only an extra 3 loads a week...once DS#2 arrives, i'm sure it'll be kicked up a notch to every other day.

Since he is the primary care giver (I work 40+ hours a week, he barely breaks 10hrs) he does the majority of the laundry.

heyitsme · January 2012

I do laundry 3x/week. As soon as I get home from work, I put a load in and rinse it. Go down and start dinner, come back up and add the soap and run the wash. By the time dinner's over I can go up and turn on the additional rinse. When I'm heading upstairs with DS for bed (about 7:30) I transfer all inserts and doublers to the dryer. I run them all on low 2x, and then the next evening I stuff/assemble diapers.

Indiechixor · January 2012

Oh and BTW, there is no reason to pre-stuff diapers- DH prefers to assemble each diaper while putting it on DS, because he uses 100% pockets (I do PFs) and he likes to customize how much absorbency based on if we're home, going out, or a night-time diaper.

YaraC · January 2012

It's no biggie. I throw a load in every other evening and hang the covers to dry overnight. I have a big stash so I'm not usually scrambling to stuff diapers in the morning before leaving the house or anything.

I would definitely recommend having more than enough diapers so that you have some leeway in getting everything done.

YaraC · January 2012

Indiechixor:
Oh and BTW, there is no reason to pre-stuff diapers- DH prefers to assemble each diaper while putting it on DS, because he uses 100% pockets (I do PFs) and he likes to customize how much absorbency based on if we're home, going out, or a night-time diaper.

I think that would be dependent on your care giver. Mine likes them to be as much like disposables as possible so I could never send an unstuffed diaper to daycare.

DaisyJanie · January 2012

YaraC:
Indiechixor:
Oh and BTW, there is no reason to pre-stuff diapers- DH prefers to assemble each diaper while putting it on DS, because he uses 100% pockets (I do PFs) and he likes to customize how much absorbency based on if we're home, going out, or a night-time diaper.
I think that would be dependent on your care giver. Mine likes them to be as much like disposables as possible so I could never send an unstuffed diaper to daycare.

Yep, mine are required to be stuffed for daycare. I have a 3-day stash but usually wash every other day. Some days I get a little behind and have to grab the daycare dipes from the dryer in the morning and stuff them. But most of the time, the wash is started during dinner, and DH & I stuff them while we watch tv after LO goes to bed. I've been back to work for 4 months now and we've never had to use disposables just because we're behind on laundry.

hispenguin · January 2012

veruca5839:
It's totally fine. I don't even notice it. It only ends up being about 3 extra loads of laundry a week.

This exactly. It's a little less work for me being I have childcare in my home. Otherwise there would be the added step of packing up diapers to bring to DC every day.

snoopy3319 · January 2012

We've been at it for about 5 months, and I don't see much of a difference. If nothing else, it helps me to stay on top of the regular laundry more, too. I generally take the bag down, throw it in, start a rinse. Then I do some stuff, remember it, throw some soap in and start the wash. The extra rinse is automatic from a setting. Before bed, I remember to throw them in the dryer on low and they're done by morning. I have other laundry to constantly do (we have pets, so with all the fur, it's a must), so the dipes never stay in the dryer long. We also use daycare, so I have to have about 6 or 7 of them ready to go each day.

pixy_stix · January 2012

It works because it works. We generally wash in the evenings, and fold the previously day's diapers in the evening as well. Both my husband and I work full time. It really doesn't take more than 15 min a day.

PureMama · January 2012

I have a similar system. I've been doing it for about a year now, and just like the others I start a rinse as soon as I get home. After dinner, start the wash cycle with built-in extra rinse, and before bed hang the covers to dry and start the dryer with the inserts. Unfortunately, my daycare doesn't support CD so we only do it at home. Even still, I wash 2-3 times a week. And since it's just me doing it at home, I stuff as I change my LO's diaper.

LaRue86 · January 2012

I started out with disposables at daycare and then switched to cloth. Using cloth while working FT is really no big deal. We throw a load of regular laundry in the wash before we leave for work and diapers go in as soon as we get home. If anything it has helped us spend less time on our laundry

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