Cloth Diapers...

My investigation into cloth diapers (cds).... What will I find!?!?
(This is a totally informal look into cds. The things I read & videos I watched are all listed at the bottom of the page. Everything else is just my thoughts on things as I go through the info!)
(P.S. sorry if this post is a little jumbled, I'm writing this in my 3rd trimester and it has caused quite a scattered brain!)

We started looking into cds because they seem the most economical. We've heard so many parents talk about the money they save on diapers, even with the initial cost being pretty high. I've also heard some moms talk about how they start an addiction to them, getting cute prints, but it's all up to who the parents are. There are many different types or styles of cds.

Pocket diapers are suggested to be the best because they keep the waste off of baby pretty well.  What I don't really like about them is that you have to take them apart to wash them.

There are all-in-ones (commonly referred to as AIOs)  that are like disposable diapers in that they are just one piece. I love the idea of that, though it sounds like they are harder to clean, or rather to dry and they are more expensive for the convenience.

A Mama Shared This With Me: A Basic Run Down of Four Styles 

Pre-folds seem to be awesome in the newborn stage and can be used as liners or inserts in the pocket diapers (also as burp rags and cloth wipes.) They seem to last the longest, as in they can be used in many stages throughout baby life.

I don't like the idea of a big bulky diaper... there are different inserts that are thinner and can manage a smaller look, but in general, cds are bulky. Also, size! Making sure a newborn is in newborn size and so on and so forth will change how bulky the diaper looks and how bulky it truly is for baby.

So, I've never been in a situation where I've used cds before (with the exception of one babysitting job.) I've never had to wash cds before or fold them or (really) change a baby in a cd. Not only are there several types of diapers, but there are also different folds and cleaning practices. The best advice I'm hearing is to get or borrow (from other cd moms or there are trade groups in some areas) different types of cds and see which ones work best for you, baby, and the family lifestyle - this is not for everyone.

Some wash all their cds by hand and hang dry. Some clean their cds with a 'special' wash cycle, a 'special' detergent, and hang dry them. Some use an extra rinse cycle, use their regular detergent, and tumble dry in the dryer (no fabric softener - it causes the fabric to repel liquids, which causes leaks.) Some wash every day and some wash after about three days. It's all dependent on the cd that is being used and how lazy the user is I suppose. Personally, I would probably be one of the lazier users.

From all the articles and web sites I've read, from the youtube videos I've watched, from talking to parents who cd, and from talking to hubby, I think I've (we've) reached a conclusion for our family. I think we're going to give this whole cd-ing thing a try. We'll probably start with pre-folds while he's an infant and test out other options as Dexter gets older. I'm excited to start collecting my stash! Hubby isn't as thrilled as I am, he's not looking forward to the dirty laundry (which I don't even expect him to do or really be a part of. So I'm not sure why that's on his mind?)

We'll see how this works out!

Resources:
Fluff Love University (educational website) (-lots of information!-)
The Different types of Cloth Diapers (blog)
Cloth Diapering Girls vs. Boys UNWRAPPED (4 min youtube video)
Types of Cloth Diapers (and how to use them) (22 min youtube video)

30 Weeks!

Oh my goodness!  We're already in week 30!!  Where has the time gone!? The days are just flying by!

Dexter has gotten so big for my belly! He's been able to wake me up a few times from wiggling around. Usually when I wake up it feels like he's tap dancing on whatever side I'm laying on! I've been taking time randomly though out the day to lay back and just watch him move around.  He's gotten stronger and larger, I can see my belly move and I imagine the somersaults he must be doing in there!

Little baby Dexter is now right around three pounds and six-teen inches from head to toe! His eye sight is continuing to develop - he can respond to light and is packing on fat cells.  His brain is also continuing to develop!

I got the baby registry pretty much put together on Amazon so that I could get our online baby shower going and have some fun!

"baby registry"

The registry is not one hundred percent complete yet... we've decided to go with cloth diapers and I have no clue where to begin on those or which ones will work best for us. Our minds were swayed by a mom's group that convinced us that it will be more economical in the long run. So for now the thought is to go with disposal diapers till Dexter gets to the usual ten pound limit for the cloth diapers then transition into cloth diapers. Only using disposable when we're out and about so we don't have to carry around dirty cloth diapers in a bag.

I think I'm going to pull all of my thoughts and research together on another post. Keep it all together in one place!

Week - 22 - Twenty-two

Oh my gosh. I feel big. None of my regular clothes fit me any more.  I was down to one dress and my boobs out grew it. So today I dragged hubby out to get me a new wardrobe. We found a great deal at a consignment shop: all the clothes were sixty percent off and they were all marked under five dollars to start with!  I got some comfortable pants and cute tops. The store was packed with toys and baby gear, which we still don't have any of.  I wanted to get a lot of it.  Baby clothes are so cute!!! We also found a boa and sparkly hat for our photo booth. The lady took sixty percent off the whole stack! Everything rang up for about sixty dollars after the sale was applied I paid twenty-five. Oh yeah!

Then we headed over to a thrift store next door and spent just over twenty dollars there too. I found some holiday cards for this year, I got some stickers and a much needed cheese grater. I found a couple of formal dresses - the main reason for our adventure. I also got a large teddy bear for my boy ... and to use with newborn shoots. Hubby found a ten dollar super Nintendo. It came in a flavored rum box with a couple of games, the controllers, instruction books for the games and three others, a couple of "heavy duty" timers, an instruction manual for a cassette recorder, and a few other random things. He was very excited to find it. I guess he never owned the system before.

I was very pleased with our finds today!

Baby isn't growing in any interesting ways now.  Just bulking up for when the time comes to be apart of this world out side of the womb. He's getting stronger too.  I'm feeling kicks more often and stronger. According to babycenter.com his iris' have yet to develop pigment - that's interesting.  He is about eleven inches long and weighs almost a pound.  He's about the size of a spaghetti squash! (Perfect for the holidays!)