Future Planning

During the past 2.5 years of trying to conceive (yep it's been that long!), aside from researching everything infertility related, I can't help myself but look up all that baby stuff on-line in anticipation for when we indeed FINALLY get pregnant.  I've gone plenty of months where I refused to look, think or talk about anything baby related thinking it would jinx our chances. Well screw that! That seriously has nothing to do with whether I get knocked up or not, so I've continued.

It ranges from all those cute little outfits, clothing, toys, bedding, nursery ideas, colors, themes, names, labor, etc, etc, etc. (yes I know torture!)  We may not be able to control when we'll get pregnant. Or how we'll get pregnant. Or if we'll have a boy or girl. But there is one thing I have decided I really want to do when we do.....cloth diaper!!

Yep, you read right!! Cloth diapering is back baby!

Cloth diapering is not like it use to be! It's not like what you parents or grandparents went through. No more sharp pins or gross, stinky cloths and no plastic underwear covers.

Nope no longer these...

New and improved CD!

It's just so typical these days to not even question using disposable diapers. They are everywhere. They are easy to find, easy to use and easy to toss. However after doing some research on the Internet, I've come to the realization all the benefits to cloth diapering and it seems like a no brainer!!

Reason to Cloth Diaper:

1. Comfort - Disposable diapers are plastic, how comfortable can that really be? Cloth diapers are made of cotton and natural fibers so they are breathable.

2. Safety - Disposable diapers contain chemicals! There are traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process.  It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals.  It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S. They contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. And they also contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet which no one really knows what the long term effects are yet. It also leaches moisture from your babies skin.While non-organic cotton cloth diapers can also have dioxins, they typically are washed out within the first few pre-washes (before your baby will ever wear them), however one-use-only disposables are never rid of them.

3. Environment - Leaving a cleaner earth for my children, grandchildren and great-grandchild. It's estimated disposable diapers can take 250-500 years to decompose. They leave behind an average of 2.7 tons of non-biodegradable waste (not to mention the waste produced to manufacture them alone) per child. They are the 3rd largest single consumer item in landfills and in a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

4. Saving $$ - With disposables, some estimate you spend an average of $2,000 per child. Cloth compares at only an average about $350 (with the added but minimal cost of electricity and water to launder them). Plus, your able to re-use those cloth diaper with baby #2, 3, and 4 :)
5. Easy to Clean & Care For - The truth is you need a minimum of 24-36 cloth diapers throughout your baby’s entire lifetime. Many parents are scared of the “poop” factor, but the reality is, it’s a part of parenthood and not that big of a deal. Once you get the hang of disposing of the poop and tossing the diaper in your diaper pail or washing machine, you’ll be on cloth diaper cruise control. And it will prepare you for potty training....

6. Easier and Earlier Potty Training - It's a little-known fact that cloth diaper children potty train earlier, and with less effort on their parent's part. This has mostly to do with the fact that when a cloth diaper is wet, they can feel the sensation. Chemical laden disposables can feel so dry, your baby never gets a chance to understand what their body is doing.
 
7. Dryness & Rash - The most common reason for diaper rash is excessive moisture against the skin. Cloth diaper users tend to have less issues with diaper rash, irritated bottoms and other common complaints from disposable diaper parents. Fewer chemicals touch the baby's bottom and the less likely they are to be sensitive.
 
8. Convenience - Convenience? Yes, convenience! You'll never have to worry about making another late-night trip to your grocery store for a package of disposable diapers.. You'll never have to hold your nose while emptying and re-bagging one of those complicated "Diaper Genie" contraptions.. And you'll have approximately two bags less of garbage to haul to the curb every week!

9. Adorable -Okay, it's also important to look at cloth diapering as a fashion statement. Cloth diapers are cute! They come in fashion colors and prints. Have fun with it!

How cute is that?!?!?

I recently told Dave how I want to cloth diaper when the time comes around. At first he said "hell no". Even after I tried telling him all about the reasons why we should and how easy it would actully be but all he could think was that cloth diapers would lead to only eating organic, drinking soy and almond milk, becoming vegetarian or vegans and all these crazy things. He then brought the subject up while we were over at Chad & Kelsey's for dinner the other night, he said "Get this, Brenda wants to cloth diaper!!" like it was the craziest idea anyone has ever thought of. But to his dismay Chad was intrigued and started asking questions. As soon as I told them the money we would save he asked Kelsey why they hadn't used cloth diapers. I thought it was funny that Dave brought it up because he thought they would be on his side but they didn't shot the idea down and might just have helped me open him up a little more to the idea!! YAY!