Going Cloth

What can I say they are a need, but at the cheapest 16 cents per diaper they are an expensive need.  Up till now Nolan has only been in disposables but that is about to change.  gDiapers have come to save the day.  What are gDiapers you ask?  They are the reincarnated plastic cover for cloth diapers.  Instead of being a bubble of white over your child's cloth diaper they come in multiple colors.  They come with a choice of disposable inserts or cloth inserts...I am being cheap and just using the classic cloth diaper folded to fit. 

In theory it should be a quick switch between disposables and reusable cloth...but it's not.  When going cloth there are a few things you need to set up in order to make your cloth diaper experience enjoyable.  First, like you did with the disposables, make a stack of cloth inserts that are easily accessible (since, I am using classic cloth diapers as the insert I need to pre-fold them to fit).  Second, you need a place to put the soiled diaper.  Right now I'm using a trash can filled halfway with soapy water.  Just throw the soiled diaper in the can and either at the end of the day or every other day, depending on how many diaper inserts you have, wash the inserts. 

For newborns don't worry about pre-washing the poopy diapers.  Instead, just throw the whole mess of soiled diapers and water in the washer, and set on pre-wash and then through a regular cycle.  For older children, you will have to rinse the poopy diapers in the toilet, but friends that have older children and also use cloth diapers say if you just place the diaper in toilet, while still holding one corner to keep it from going totally in the water, and flush it gets the job done. ALWAYS use hot water when cleaning diapers and NEVER use softener or dryer sheets; the softener and dryer sheets will hamper the cloth's ability to absorb.

BONUS! Make your own cloth wipes and throw them all in the same soiled container!  To set up your area for cloth wipes you will need small scraps of cloth (any type of soft cloth will do.  We got a lot of swaddling blankets from Nolan's showers, so, I just cut two up for his wipes.), and a plastic container that can hold water. In your plastic container mix water with a squirt of baby bath wash and a couple of squirts of baby oil. When you are in need of a wipe, grab a dry piece of cloth and wet it down with the mixture.