Dapper Diapers

After learning babies go through about 12 diapers ever day and realizing the absurd amount of waste (and expense) that would create with disposable diapers, Chrissy and I decided to try reusables.

We came into this completely ignorant, but we are figuring it out pretty quickly.  We started by purchasing two sets of Angelicware diapers and some extra inserts.  That equated to eight diaper covers and 20 inserts.

We also bought reusable wipes, starting with 12, but quickly adding 24 more, which might have been a little excessive.  To go with the wipes, we bought some "diaper area wash" which seems to work well despite us diluting it mercilessly.

Finally, we bought a diaper pail and washable liners, making us totally trash-free.

As soon as we got Hope home, we realized we needed something smaller to start with.  We were using disposables for the first couple days while Hope got the really nasty initial poo out of her system, so we had time to quickly order a set of Alva Baby newborn diapers.  This set came with six diaper covers and 12 inserts.  However, the inserts are pretty small, so we usually double them up and they go fast.  We often use the Angelicware inserts in the Alva diapers, even though they are a little too big.

We saved a ton of money by buying little-known brands on Amazon, but the diapers still weren't that cheap, so I undertook a little project to help protect them.  I randomly came across a website preaching the wonders of fleece diaper liners and decided it seemed like a good idea, especially with the Alva's white inserts.

The liners are deceptively simple to make.  You just buy some fleece (of which there is a nearly overwhelming number of different types; I went for "anti-pill fleece") and cut it into rectangles that fit in the diapers.  That's it.  No sewing or anything.  I got a little fancy and rounded the corners on ours.

I went with a charcoal color because it matched the (thoughtfully colored) Angelicware diapers and it seemed likely to hide stains well.

This project is extremely cheap.  I bought one yard of fleece for about $5 and started by making 15 liners.  I still have enough fabric to make three or four times that many.

I didn't realize it until I read it, but fleece allows liquids to pass right through it while continuing to feel pretty much dry to the touch.  This is perfect for diapers.  Liquids go through the fleece to the inserts while the fleece liner catches the solids and keeps baby's bottom feeling dry.

Hope is almost a month old and the cloth diapering is going well.  We probably underestimated how many diapering supplies we needed, but we will continue to monitor it.  Hope's bathroom schedule is still pretty random, so we will see how things go when she finds her rhythm.  As it stands now, we are doing laundry every day, which isn't as bad as it sounds because the loads are really small.

One more thing.  To everyone who was skeptical of cloth diapering and didn't think we would follow through--bite me.  We got this.