Sunday, January 16, 2011

Cloth Diapers - Day 1

And it was interesting.

Friday night, I "pre-stuffed" all the diapers.  I figured then it would be easy to just grab one and change her.  I had her changing station all set up to do cloth diapers (it was all ready to do disposable), by rearranging her drawers to make one for cloth and setting up the pail to put the wet/dirty diapers in.

Her first diaper of Saturday morning was a disposable.  She usually wakes up in a really good mood, but there is a very small window of time to get her changed and fed before she looses her patience, so this was not the time I wanted to figure out her sizing.  And really it was a blessing because she pooped and again it was super runny and mucus filled.  I am glad that wasn't our first diaper.

We got it on her.  Kaitlyn helped.  I wished I would have gotten the velcro closure diapers.  She is in an inbetween size on the snaps.  With her chubby thighs, it can't get tighter there, but the tummy isn't as tight as I wanted.  But she sure was cute!



At about 2 hours and 15 minutes, I went to change her and she leaked out the top.  Not a lot or anymore than she did the night before in a Huggies, but enough to be irritating.  I changed her, loaded up my diaper bag with some cloth diapers and off we went.

This time, I was at the fabric store with my sisters and mom (look for some fabulous designs this week!) and she needed to be changed.  It was 2 hours and 45 minutes since the last change.  She leaked.  Aunt Samantha and Grandma decided they did not like the cloth diapers. 

When we got home, she was changed again, no leaks this time (just about 2 hours after the last changing), and again an hour and a half later (she was about to go down for her nap) without a leak.  After her very short nap, she was very fussy.  I was having a hard time figuring out what it was.  She had been fed, wouldn't sleep and so in a moment of trying anything to figure it out, I put her in a huggie to see if maybe she wasn't liking the cloth diapers.  She still cried, but I figured she was probably overly tired, I mean she had maybe slept a grand total of an hour and a half through the day and was just fighting off sleep.  And she was a little feverish (99.5) so who knows why she was so upset, she just was.

So our first day was ok.  She had 2 leaks, 3 that didn't, and they are cute.  I know that I am going to need to add some velcro styles to my stash and I am going to need more inserts.  I'm thinking about making them, I've looked up how and it's super easy, and the average cost to make them is about 50 cents, so I'm going to give it a try.

And that was our first day of cloth.

4 comments:

Lori said...

Oh my gosh...you are right...she sure is cute!!!! We have been going back and forth between the swaddlers and the BG newborns because of Luke's stump still being on. The BG cover the stump, but with a nice soft cloth and we haven't had any real leaks yet (well, one blowout, but that would have happened with either diaper because of his little chicken legs!)...but the swaddlers fold under the stump and don't cover it so it can dry out. Although, it sort of rubs when he curls up, which he does often as he's 12 days old! Not to mention, those swaddlers leave the gel crystals on him EVERY change. EWW! Love to know how making them goes...although I am SO not even close to that talent or ability!
xoxo

Mommy D said...

Saw this and thought of you :)

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/green-living/articles/37303.aspx

Stephanie said...

Just a thought. . . how many times have you washed your cloth diaps. before using them. Often times, they don't reach maximum absorbency until they are washed about 5-8 times. Another thought, have you been using doublers (an extra piece of fabric, usually contoured to fit)?

Hang in there, a lot of cloth diapering is about figuring out the baby's output and how often changing needs to happen. I have used cloth since my oldest was born (almost 9yr old now:) and each brand is a bit different as well.

I personally didn't like the velcro at all, since they are a bear to wash (stick on everything) and the velcro wears much faster than snaps. Hang in there mama!

By the way, have you checked out "Heyena Cart" yet? There are TONS of amazing Work At Home Mom's who sew an amazing diaper that lasts! I too sew, but am just not up for it this time around. Instead, I am currently repairing the elastic in many of my diaps so they will work for this baby.

Mama P said...

I agree with Steph completely! Also, unlike disposables, you have to "adjust" after you get them on...make sure only the outside is showing, "roll"/push (not sure how to describe it) the insert down so that the outside of the diaper pushes all the way against her tummy. If you can see any part of the inside of the diaper when you look at her tummy, you need to kinda skooch it down, etc. You will have to be more vigilant about changing sometimes, but that's just part of CD. Funny that you dont like the snaps, b/c I dont like the velcro! You just gotta find what works for you. Remember that CD is like disposable diapering in that not every brand works for every baby - that's why they sell sampler packs of different kinds.