We’ve talked about what each a prefold, a flat, and an insert is. Now, let’s talk about why you would chose this option, or why this is making you scared to death of CDing!

Advantages of prefolds, flats, inserts:

• This is the cheapest way to cloth diaper. I got a dozen pack of flats for $14 and 2 covers for $10 each. Prefolds are around the same price (this will be enough diapers for approximately 2 days before I have to wash again).
• It’s the easiest kind of cloth diaper to get completely clean. Also, quickest to dry.
• The water proof cover is separate from the cloth so it’s easier to keep in good condition and you won’t have to wash it as much.

Disadvantages of prefolds, flats, inserts:

• Least convenient way to cloth diaper. Because, there are more pieces to deal with (cover, insert or prefold, snappi) most husbands and child care providers are scared of this method. So, this leaves you with the task of teaching them the method and hoping they don’t hate you for it 🙂

I have heard this is the best method for a newborn because of the price factor. Because they fly through diapers, it will be very cheap and easy to do it. Also, the “flat method” (using flats and a cover), allows you to fold the diaper as small as you need. So, for a newborn who is itty bitty, this is ideal. I ordered a pack and am anxious to try them! 🙂 Below is a picture of a prefold, a flat, and an insert (Left to Right)

Below is a picture of a cover, the one on the right as an insert inside. For a prefold, you would trifold it and place it inside the same way.

Below is a picture of a snappi holding a flat on my model 🙂

So, where to start? I will try to break this down as easily as possible and give all the details so that it is easy to follow. This is my outline for a class I am teaching in August if anyone is interested in coming 🙂 I plan to have all my types of diapers so everyone can get a feel for what each one is like.

Also guys, I’m going to post some pics as soon as my dear husband can show me how! 😉 That way you can get a visual for what each diaper is now!!!

1. Prefolds/inserts/flats and Covers

• a prefold is a piece of cloth folded up and sewn

• an insert is much like a prefold, but normally is made of hemp, terrycloth or microfiber

• a flat is a large, square piece of fabric that you fold to fit your baby’s shape

• a plastic cover to go over the prefold or insert to keep liquids from leaking

• a snappi, a stretchy piece to hold the prefold or insert to the baby instead of a pin, resembles an ace bandage.

2. Fitteds and Covers

• Instead of a prefold/insert/flat, it is already the shape of a diaper and usually has snaps or velcro.

• Covers are plastic and cover up the fitted so that liquids will not leak through.

3. Pocket Diapers

• Like a fitted, but has the plastic cover already sewn on the diaper, leaving an opening in the back, top end. This creates a “pocket”. You insert either a prefold or another type of absorbent insert.

4. All-in-ones

• Exactly as it sounds! Everything is sewn together to be one diaper. There is the insert and the plastic all together and ready to go.

So I told you already I have a passion and it is CLOTH DIAPERING! At this point it really isn’t even a passion, more like an obsession. Why might you ask? Well, there are quite a few reasons. Let me list them:

1. Saves money!

Did you know the average family spends $1,500-$2,000 a year depending on the cost of diapers. It will cost (at most) $300-$400 to start your cloth diaper stash. This will last from birth to potty training! AND can be used again and again with other children for FREE!

2. Eco friendly

Each year, 18 billion diapers are thrown away in landfills, taking around 500 years to decompose. They make up 1/3 of the items in landfills. Even if you wash diapers every 3 days, you are using around 50-70 gallons of water, a renewable resource, which is the equivalent of someone flushing a toilet 5-6 times a day! And, the manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.

3. Earlier potty training

Before disposables existed the average child was potty trained at 18 months, now the average is 40 months (bet diaper companies love that!) Babies feel the wetness in cloth diapers, whereas they don’t as much in disposable diapers with chemicals to aid in absorption of fluids.

4. Sensitive Skin

Many children have sensitives to diapers or wipes due to chemicals used to aid in absorption, which in return causes rashes. Many of these chemicals are banned is some countries (NOT here, in the good ole’ USA where we know everything and are so health conscious). A recent study revealed that some of these chemicals are being linked to low sperm count later in life in males and are causing issues with testicular function. (OMG!!!!) (www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php got that bit of info here)

I first started CDing when my daughter was 8 months old. I read an article online talking about how much money you could save and started to research it. I figured it would save a lot of money but when I got deeper into some of the reasons people were doing it I was blown away! Low sperm count, 500 years to decompose, earlier potty training??? WOW! I had made my decision. I got creative and found “pre-loved” diapers online and new ones on Ebay and slowly built a stash because I was scared to spend a lot of money incase I didn’t like it. I am now in LOVE with it. I tell everyone I know that I saved so much money and about how easy it is, however, I don’t think everyone believes me! My mission is to make every momma aware of the benefits and if they chose not to do it I will curse them and call them dumb (not really, it isn’t for everyone, that is for sure!) But I do hope people will at least listen and give it thought! YOU CAN DO IT!

I have put together a complete category of “Cloth diapering how to’s” for you guys!

Here’s a funny pic that sums it all up!

First and foremost, THANKS to all my new followers! 🙂

This particular episode(s) did not happen today but is worthy of sharing. It started like a normal trip to Target to get a friend’s child a birthday present. I arrived and parked just like usual. I happened to park next to the cart return so that made me smile. I figured that was a special blessing because having a cart right next to me was going to allow me to place both kids inside that cart and walk to the door. There would be no struggling with holding hands, break downs because they could carry all they wanted and walk, it was going to be easy…Looking back I now laugh to myself. I first placed Noah inside the cart because the return was on his side of the car. I wheeled the cart up to the side of the car where Berkeley was located and proceeded to get her out of her carseat. While unbuckling her I heard a panicked, loud, scream sound that was mixed with the words “MOM, HELP!!” I turn around to find Noah booking it down the parking lot in a runaway shopping cart. I ran after him with my all my might while carrying Berkeley. Man, I bet that was a site, a 7 month pregnant woman carrying her 2 year old running after her other child in a cart rolling down the lot. I deserved a Mom of the Year award! A car, a bus, a crazy teenage driver, a motorcycle, a crazy old person, all could have crushed that cart in seconds! Never did I dream that Noah would think it would be funny to push himself away from the car. I have learned my lesson!

It doesn’t stop there. I composed myself, wiped the sweat from my brow, and my chest, and everywhere else it accumulated (it was like 100 degrees and I am 7 months pregnant you know!) and proceeded into the store. I thought I would treat myself (because I deserved it at this point) to a new shirt because when you’re this pregnant you have grown out of most of your items and feel like you where the same things every single day. I found a few things and made my way to the dressing room. I was informed that I could not take my cart with my kids inside the handicap/family dressing room that I would have to leave it outside. Some kid apparently fell from their cart inside the dressing room and there was a lawsuit pending…so we all had to suffer. I got my kids out of the cart and no quicker that I did they were running for the rooms. That would have been fine, except they both bent down to look under this poor lady’s door and were yelling, “Oh gosh! She’s NAKED!!!” Embarrassment flooded me, I snatched them up, threw them in a room (didn’t actually throw, just harshly directed) and made it a point to tell them that was very inappropriate. That they do not look at naked ladies under doors or make comments about being naked in general! They apparently didn’t understand that because they were giggling in amazement that mom was “NAKED TOO!” GEZZZZ!!! I wanted to run from that area of the store but wanted to make sure that the poor lady who had gotten checked out from my 2 and 3 year olds was long gone.

Once again I composed myself and hurried to do the rest of my shopping. While in the book section (at the very BACK of the store) my precious Berkeley informed me that she had too poo poo right then in there. I very quickly (almost running) made my way to the family bathroom to deal with the upcoming situation. Boy was it going to be a situation. As soon as we made it into the bathroom I smelled a horrendous smell and I knew…we did not make it. It was EVERYWHERE! And it was not a pleasant, easily cleanable consistency. Mothers, you know what I mean. All over her underwear, her shorts, her shoes, the floor. It was great. I did my best to practically bath her in the crappy (no pun intended) sink. The one that has the stupid faucet that only stays on about 3 seconds. Sure did make my job a whole lot easier, let me tell you. So, once Berkeley was washed off it then occurred to me that in all my infinite mommy wisdom, I did not grab the diaper bag with the change of clothes. I mean, why would I need the kid’s bag. She’s potty trained, right?! HA HA HA! Was this trip to Target going to get any worse? I mean, COME ON!!! I washed her underwear and wrapped them in a million paper towels. I took her shoes off and did the same. I had to put her shorts, washed to the best of my ability, back on her and just make the best of it all. I was in that bathroom a good 20 minutes and I then became that parent. The one whose child smells of lingering poop, with their hair a mess, and that has no shoes. I can not tell you how quickly I got out of that store.

I came to many conclusions on the way home. First, I may never go to Target again. Second, if I do go which is probable, because I am addicted to that store, I will always take a support person with me. Third, I am going to write Target a letter, let a 7 month pregnant momma with 2 kids in a cart into the stinking family dressing room! If I share this experience they may just have pity. And fourth, I believe there should be a bathroom in every corner of the store so I may just start a petition….not really, just wanted to vent.

Oh, and I did not at all, in any way, feel guilty for buying that dumb maternity shirt!

Blogging is something I have wanted to do for a while now. I feel like I have so many thoughts and stories about mommyhood that need to be written for others to enjoy…or feel so they can share my pain. I just don’t know where to start. So, this is my attempt to share, here it goes…

I will start by telling you about myself and my life. I am full of randomness. I can change my whole outlook on life in a matter of minutes, minutes that may include tantrums, messes, the whole world coming to an end (which normally tends to happen a few times a day in this house), or anything that happens that may make me want to jump off a cliff. I feel as though randomness gets you through parenthood though. That and chocolate. I’m a wife of 6 years and a mom of 2 with one due in October. Noah is 3 and Berkeley is 2 (yes, I pop them out, many have made me aware of this). I love being a mom. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am exactly where God wants me to be. I don’t regret any decisions I’ve made or the direction my life has gone. I am very blessed and am thankful for what I have. There are just days that I tend to feel a little overwhelmed and would like to run away (there are also days that go pleasantly but let’s face it, people want to hear the stories that make them feel better about their own lives!) So, I will share those days, along with the stories that make up my exciting, mommy-drama-filled life. More randomness, I have 2 passions in life…or passions this year…I am madly in love with cloth diapering and am a lactation consultant. You will tend to hear a lot about these subjects because that is just the place in life that I am at…feeding children and changing diapers! I hope you guys enjoy it!

And if no one ever reads these blogs, then at least I get to vent and share things with my MacBook 🙂