Why Cloth?

When I first announced that I wanted to cloth diaper H, I didn't have many supporters.  That isn't to say most people were adamantly against my decision to use cloth, but they certainly weren't going to be enthusiastic about it either.  And let's be honest, hanging onto a dirty diaper for up to 3 days and throwing it in the same washing machine that washes regular clothes doesn't sound too appealing.  But, I made the plunge when H was 6 weeks old, and we haven't used a single disposable since.

To be honest,  I'm not sure what the main reason was for my desire to cloth diaper.  I'd like to tell myself that it was for the environmental benefits, the cost savings, or even the lower risk of diaper rash.  While I'm sure those reasons did occur to me, I think my main reason is just because I wanted to be different.   It wasn't until I'd made my decision to use cloth that I really discovered all the benefits or the options.  In my early days, I still thought all cloth was traditional prefolds, pins, and rubber pants - and I was still on board!  Much to my pleasure, I discovered that cloth diapers have evolved much like other technologies, and there are now cloth options that are just about as easy as disposables.

J never really seemed to have an opinion on the cloth option, so when H was 5 weeks old, I just went ahead and ordered a small stash of gDiapers (which I'll review at some point).  Once I put them on H, I was a goner.  An addict.  I now have enough to diaper the infant population of a small country.

In the last 6 months, we've used cloth exclusively.  I have tried most of the major brands, and some of the hidden gems.  We get comments on the cute prints every time we leave the house, and J's mom (the only other person who changes him) has no problem using the cloth.  H has not had a single rash, and leaks have been rare and all caused by user error. 

And now it's time for bed.  I won't worry about changing H's diaper tonight.  He easily goes 12 hours in his overnight diaper!

Next time: It's a surprise! (That's code for I don't know yet - if you have a request, let me know!)  

Welcome to In-N-Out Baby

Well, the name says it all. Here you will you find a collection of my experiences with what goes in and comes out of my little guy.  I'll be nice; I won't give you all the grizzly details of every output.  Really, what I'm interested in is what catches the said output.  Yep.  My name is Rachel, and I'm a cloth diaper junkie.  But, before we can get to the output stage of things, we must have an input.

I decided to try Baby Led Weaning with H.  After exhausting research, I determined that the healthiest, easiest, cheapest, and most natural way for H to learn to eat solid food was by allowing him to eat real food right from the start.  No cereal.  No mashed and mixed purees.  No bowl of green goo that came from what used to be a casserole.  Nothing that looks or smells like canned cat food (unless my cooking is atrocious). Instead, H will get whatever we are getting, with a few minor restrictions. 

As for cloth diapering, I originally chose to catch H's output in stylish diapers for the traditional reasons: cost, environmental impact, H's health.  I honestly expected pins and rubber pants before I started.  Much to my pleasure, cloth diapers have come a long way in the last few years, and I now have a new reason for using cloth: they are adorable! Seriously, how cute are these?!

Since I didn't start this when we began cloth diapering or solids, I'll need to play catch up a little, and I'll do so during my regular posts.  Otherwise, this introduction post will be a 10 page essay, and let's be honest, you don't want to read a 10 page essay as much as I don't want to write a 10 page essay.   Hopefully I'll get images and some custom logos and stuff up soon, but I  wanted to get something up today, so we're going the quick and easy route for now.