Cloth Diapering doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here's a guide to help when making the decision to cloth diaper.
There are so many expenses and decisions to make when having a baby. For most people diapering is an easy one, Pampers or Huggies. For a new generation of cloth diaperers the decision to diaper can often be daunting. These tips are here to help you when starting out on your Cloth Diapering adventure.
Know What You'll Need
First ask yourself, "Why am
I Cloth Diapering?". The answer will help you set your budget and
make it easier to start your venture. If your going for budget you'll
most likely start with covers and pre-folds. For those a little more
green, there are many companies that create up-cycled diapers from a variety of
materials. This can often be a more pricey route, but definitely
the most green option. Stay realistic and start with the necessities.
Set a Budget
Decide how much you are willing
to spend. Average costs to cloth diaper is $300-$1000. Set a price
point and start researching. There are many options you can mix and match
to meet your needs. The average cost to diaper a baby in disposables for
2 years is upwards of $2000. When you take into account the usability of
cloth with multiple children there is no comparison. Check for moms in
your area making cloth diapers. They are often made from the same
material as retail brands, but the cost can often times be cheaper.
Make a List
Before you go out and do your
research, make a list. There's lots of information out there and this can
quickly become overwhelming. If you set out to list everything you think
you need and what you are looking for in a diapering system you will eliminate
(hopefully) needless spending.
Seek Advice
Have a friend that cloth diapers?
See which brands and styles are there favorite. Talking to other
moms is the best source of information. The internet is filled with
blogs, websites, and YouTube videos giving tips and reviewing diapers.
Find out what works for other moms, but don't compromise for what you
want.
Don't Commit to One Brand
Don't feel you have to marry one
brand and diaper. Most moms have their favorites for daytime and
nighttime. The fun thing with cloth is you have a variety of options.
Cloth Diaper Resources
Retailers- Many
retailers offer trial sets. Try out the most popular dipes, wipes, and
accessories with just a small investment. Don't like some of the options,
return your worn diapers for just a small fee (usually the cost of
shipping).
Diaper
Junction- Does there own Daily Diaper Deal.
Blogs- There
are a variety of well know cloth diapering blogs out there. Many are run
by the online retailers, but a few mom bloggers are out there spreading their
love and knowledge of cloth. Most of the blogs post reviews and regularly
run giveaways.
Dirty Diaper
Laundry- Kim has done over 100 cloth diaper videos. She has
created an easy to use Cloth Diaper Resource app for iPhone and Android.
Kelly Wels-
Kelly is a well-known cloth diaper expert. She has recently authored a
book "Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth
Diapering".
Change-Diapers-
Maria posts a lot of cloth diaper reviews as well as a Cloth Diaper giveaway roundup each week.
Flash Sales Sites- Who
doesn't like a deal? Many of the children's deal a day sites out there
run sales on cloth diapers and accessories often. Signup for their
newsletter and keep your eye open for steals.
Baby Half Off-
Checkout their archives for past deals.
Thank you to Maysa White for
allowing my to use her beautiful photo for this post. You can find her on
Flickr and MaysaPhotography.com
No comments:
Post a Comment