Bet ya didn't see that first sentence coming after reading the title of this post, did ya?
Seriously, though, it does tie in with the cloth diapering thing.
Brad is in classes and is friends with quite a few men who are part of the Jesuit brotherhood. We've gotten to know several of them over the past few months; they're really nice guys and have invited us over for meals, given us free tickets to sporting events at BC, and even gave us a ride to the airport at Christmas. So, last week, we had two of them over for dinner at our house (two different nights). Funnily enough, with both guys, we somehow ended up talking about our diapering plans (they introduced the topic...we don't just offer it up as prime chatting fodder on a regular basis. Unless you're related to us or close enough to have that conversation.).
This brings me to our actual diapering plans. We decided a while back to give cloth diapers a whirl. We live in Boston, which is a very green/environmentally-aware locale, but that's not our primary motivation (although, what a nice perk, right?). We literally sat down with a calculator and projected time tables for Claire's diapering needs. We based all of our numbers on how long we're anticipating being here (currently: through Brad's graduation in May 2014...plus a few summer months), an average of how many disposables we would go through a week, how many times a week we'd pay (in quarters) to do loads of diaper laundry, plus start-up costs of acquiring the diapers...you know. The usual.
Our final cost calculations pretty much made the decision for us. It was a massive number. And, since we're on a graduate school budget and living in a rather pricey city, we like the look of discounts.
After the calculations, we narrowed down our choices of brands and styles. The winner was/is Bum Genius Freetime All-In-One One Size Snap Closure (what a mouthful). Our reasoning?
* I read about one zillion reviews of various brands, and this one seemed to fit our preferences best overall.
* We really like the idea of "all-in-one," which means that Claire's diapers won't have inserts to put in or take out. When there's a dirty diaper, we'll rinse it out and put the entire diaper in the washing machine. We like our laundry straightforward like that.
* According to all the reviews I read, the snap closures are more durable that the velcro options. I'm all about durability.
* This particular diaper's snap system is designed to be a one-size-fits-all, meaning that she'll grow into them. That part of the equation tends to confuse people at first; there is a fairly extensive system of snaps that will allow us to adjust the size of the diaper based on Claire's size. The snaps will enable us to expand them in width and length as she grows.
We do love efficiency around here. Theoretically, if there are future Boswell babies, we can reuse the same diapers (I read quite a few reviews by people who've successfully done that, too). So far, we have 3 of our diapers (pink, yellow, and white). We'll most definitely be upping that number very shortly. By a lot. The Jesuit friends got quite a kick out of checking out the diapers and figuring out how they work. One of the guys even texted his mom a picture. How funny is that?
We're definitely going into this diapering scene with a flexible mindset. For instance, we realize she'll probably be too small for her cloth diapers for quite a few weeks after she's born. We're cool with that and will have plenty of disposables on hand until she fits. We're also practical in the sense that we know traveling will be easier with disposables, and if anyone is watching Claire and isn't comfortable with the cloth diapers, we'll be sure to have a ready supply of normal diapers for them. We definitely like to consider ourselves reasonable.
I'll probably keep you posted on our adventure (you know, minus any graphic details). And, if you're in the area and haven't played with the crazy nuances of cloth diapers, you are more than welcome to drop by and figure it out. Or, we could direct you to the Jesuit community and they can explain it to you. :)
This brings me to our actual diapering plans. We decided a while back to give cloth diapers a whirl. We live in Boston, which is a very green/environmentally-aware locale, but that's not our primary motivation (although, what a nice perk, right?). We literally sat down with a calculator and projected time tables for Claire's diapering needs. We based all of our numbers on how long we're anticipating being here (currently: through Brad's graduation in May 2014...plus a few summer months), an average of how many disposables we would go through a week, how many times a week we'd pay (in quarters) to do loads of diaper laundry, plus start-up costs of acquiring the diapers...you know. The usual.
Our final cost calculations pretty much made the decision for us. It was a massive number. And, since we're on a graduate school budget and living in a rather pricey city, we like the look of discounts.
After the calculations, we narrowed down our choices of brands and styles. The winner was/is Bum Genius Freetime All-In-One One Size Snap Closure (what a mouthful). Our reasoning?
* I read about one zillion reviews of various brands, and this one seemed to fit our preferences best overall.
* We really like the idea of "all-in-one," which means that Claire's diapers won't have inserts to put in or take out. When there's a dirty diaper, we'll rinse it out and put the entire diaper in the washing machine. We like our laundry straightforward like that.
* According to all the reviews I read, the snap closures are more durable that the velcro options. I'm all about durability.
* This particular diaper's snap system is designed to be a one-size-fits-all, meaning that she'll grow into them. That part of the equation tends to confuse people at first; there is a fairly extensive system of snaps that will allow us to adjust the size of the diaper based on Claire's size. The snaps will enable us to expand them in width and length as she grows.
We do love efficiency around here. Theoretically, if there are future Boswell babies, we can reuse the same diapers (I read quite a few reviews by people who've successfully done that, too). So far, we have 3 of our diapers (pink, yellow, and white). We'll most definitely be upping that number very shortly. By a lot. The Jesuit friends got quite a kick out of checking out the diapers and figuring out how they work. One of the guys even texted his mom a picture. How funny is that?
We're definitely going into this diapering scene with a flexible mindset. For instance, we realize she'll probably be too small for her cloth diapers for quite a few weeks after she's born. We're cool with that and will have plenty of disposables on hand until she fits. We're also practical in the sense that we know traveling will be easier with disposables, and if anyone is watching Claire and isn't comfortable with the cloth diapers, we'll be sure to have a ready supply of normal diapers for them. We definitely like to consider ourselves reasonable.
I'll probably keep you posted on our adventure (you know, minus any graphic details). And, if you're in the area and haven't played with the crazy nuances of cloth diapers, you are more than welcome to drop by and figure it out. Or, we could direct you to the Jesuit community and they can explain it to you. :)
2 comments:
I think you should buy her the diaper pattern called "Lovelace". Simply for the sentimental quality that name has. It will remind you of your college years when you didn't have to worry about things such as cloth diapers.
http://www.bumgenius.com/freetime.php
I have quite a few of the the exact cloth diapers you mentioned. They are a very good choice!
You may or may not know that their are TONS of other tools out their that make cloth diapering easier. For instance, there is a very cool tool that somehow attaches to your toilet so that you can spray the poo off the diaper. Very, very handy! I never had one, but I saw it in action with a friend of mine. Also their are wet bags and travel wet bags and special pails to store soiled diapers in until you actually wash them. Bet you already knew all that though, right?
When I'm on a cloth kick, I usually use them all day then wash them in a load by themselves over night. I know that might not be as easy for you with your situation.
I always feel so good and thrifty when I'm using the cloth diapers, but I have to admit that I use disposables more.
One last tip just in case you haven't heard this from someone else...in my experience you have to change cloth diapers more frequently than disposable ones, because my babies tend to get irritated quicker with the cloth ones. I think it's because cloth doesn't lock away and absorb the moisture like disposables do. BUT cloth diapers are OH SO CUTE!!
Blessings!
Jennifer
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