So here we are 2 months later-
Our journey started with me scared to even think about trying cloth diapers. (See parts 1 and 2 of my "Why didn't I do this sooner: A Diaper Story" series.)
I can't even tell you how many times I've been asked "why are you using cloth?"- sometimes with an inquisitive tone, others with a slightly... well confused bordering not on disgusted, but the "eew" factor is definitely present in their tone of voice. So let me answer that right here and now...
1) Cost! Once I did the figuring and realized we had spent nearly $4,000 to disposable diaper our son through potty training, it was crazy for us to continue to fork out money (that we really don't have) monthly (or more often) on something that you use once and throw away. Honestly- who can afford that? I don't think anyone really can, but people do it our of a sense of necessity and may not realize there's a better way. Now don't get me wrong, there are people who would not want the extra laundry even if it saved a ton of money... but personally, that just wasn't enough of an incentive for me to continue to justify the lost funds.
2) Adorable! How cute is it that you can make a diaper a part of your baby's outfit? I love it!
Now- let me expand on my choice of Softbums (http://www.softbums.com/ - check them out)
To start with- I didn't want to have to mess with stuffing and unstuffing pockets, I didn't want to keep spending a bunch of money by having to have multiple sizes for her growing bottom thus buying a new size up to 2 more times, and I didn't want to have to have a ton of shells because the insert AND the shell had to be washed after only 1 use every time.
My "a-ha" moment came when I found the Echo system on the Softbums website. You simply snap in an insert and adjust the "Slide2Size" toggles to make a perfect fit- THAT'S IT! When baby is ready for a change, you just open it up, unsnap the insert & toss it in your wet bag then lay the shell out to air a bit until the next change. If the mess has happened to get to the shell, well you just toss that into the wet bag too.
Let me tell you- this system is so user friendly that even our babysitter is on board. Now, don't get me wrong- this isn't an "even an idiot can do it" statement- she's a very smart gal! This is a "how many sitters would honestly want to mess with a family using cloth diapers?" statement, and the answer is... not many.
Our daughter is what we call a "super-duper-pooper" and a "wee-wee queen"... so when I tell you that these diapers are "tried and true"- I mean she has put them through the most "strenuous" testing she can offer... which is pretty extreme. I can count on one hand how many "blowouts" she's had in her Softbums- & 80% of those were "operator error" because they weren't adjusted properly; 10% was either how she was sitting in her car seat or the angle she was being held at creating gaps, etc; and the other 10% is explained by the first nickname listed above- enough said. We always try to use a Super pod and a Mini pod for bedtime- which works wonderfully and is a great amount of absorbency for her.
The best part is- we get to reuse the majority of her shells multiple times each day before it needs to be washed. She generally uses 4 shells a day- at the end of the day 1-2 are usually in the wet bag soiled, 1 is airing out and 1 is on her. This is nice because I can wash either every night or every other- but I currently prefer nightly since she only has the 8 shells (GTG pack 24/8/8)- but am hoping to get some more shells to give her more uses and variety and give me more days between washes.
I've seen a few comments about the Softbums customer service on social networking sites... I too have previously experienced a delayed response- but as a small business owner myself, I empathize with them. It can be difficult to get to emails and messages each day and especially so when you have new products that you are trying to get ready to go out. So take my advice- be patient with them... you WILL get a response. I was taught that a little kindness goes a long way- so if you don't feel you're getting a response fast enough, just email them a friendly reminder that you are awaiting their reply... they haven't forgotten you & they will get back to you.
Now that I have some experience under my belt, I remain confident in my purchase of Softbums cloth diapers and would most definitely recommend them to anyone considering or experienced in cloth diapers.
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