…DISPOSABLES. With the recent influx of very fancy WAHM-made custom boutique cloth diapers hitting online cloth diaper stores, and advertising in organic or natural parenting magazines, it is easy to lose the perspective that cloth diapering can ease a stretched budget.

Many parents tell us the reason they choose to cloth diaper has less to do with a heightened eco-consciousness, but rather, tough economic times. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, middle-income families will spend more than $200,000 to feed, house, and school a child born in 2007 until their 18th birthday. Given these statistics, it is understandable why parents are looking for ways to cut child-rearing costs without shortchanging their kids.

Simple, Economic Chinese Prefolds

As with any other kind of purchase, parents can select the newest rage, fabrics, and trends, or opt for higher quality, but perhaps slightly less ‘fashionable’ Chinese Prefold Diapers and simple diaper covers. Eight years ago, when I began cloth diapering, we were a single-income family; my initial cloth diaper budget was less than $80.00, so I purchased two dozen Chinese Prefolds, a few Dritz diaper pins, and a half-dozen Bummis Whisper Pants. Later on, as the budget allowed, I purchased Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers for night-time cloth diapering.

In time I opened an online cloth diaper store and was able to try several different styles, but when my children moved out of diapers the part of our diaper stash ‘worn’ from repeated use were my simple, economical Chinese Prefolds.

Simple Cloth Diapers for a Stretched Budget

Chinese Prefolds are an economical boost in any diapering budget and a cost-effective way to ease into cloth diapering. Two dozen Regular 6-ply Chinese Prefolds now cost just under $60.00. To purchase a half-dozen cloth diaper covers in rotation can cost anywhere from $33.00 to just over $100.00; this makes for a total cloth diapering expense of $93.00 to $160.00, depending on cloth diaper cover choices.

The Regular Chinese Prefolds are my favorite size; whenever my babies outgrew them I tri-folded them and stuffed them into the stride of a cloth diaper wrap or into the pocket of a Fuzzi Bunz. A very economical cloth diaper choice, my babies’ prefolds moved through three different stages: first, folded down as a cloth diaper for a smaller baby; next, wrapped around a growing, medium-sized baby; and finally, as mentioned above, tri-folded into a wrap or stuffed into a pocket diaper.

When I added up the cost of disposable diapers, I could have quickly exceeded my diaper budget, with nothing to show for it in the end. Yet, with my initial cloth diaper purchase behind me I could toss in a few fancy diaper covers here and there without exploding my diaper budget; they were fun, colorful, and made for interesting discussions with perfect strangers when we were out and about running errands. Still, for the most part, I viewed cloth diapers and diaper covers as underwear, so prints were not as important to me as function.

As a single-income family, we had less ‘disposable’ income - certainly less income to simply throw-away on single-use items like disposables. Chinese Prefold Diapers and diaper covers were, and are still, a cost-effective, high-quality way to ease the budget while keeping baby dry and comfortable.

Bumkins, one of the most recognized brands in the cloth diaper industry, has just released Version 2 of the popular Bumkins All In Ones. One of the first All In One cloth diapers on the market, Bumkins All In Ones have stood the test of time and use. The Bumkins NEW All-In-Ones‘ design is truly inspired - representing the best AIO styles and features merged into a single cloth diaper system.

Quick fitting and simple-to-use, Bumkins All In One cloth diapers have the most similarity to a disposable diaper, making them ideal for caregivers transitioning to cloth diapers for the first time. Because they are sewn as a single piece (100% cotton inner fabrics and PVC Free Waterproof outer exterior), and secure with ‘winged’ tabs, there is no need for diaper pins or diaper covers. Super trim by comparison to other cloth diapers, and yet, highly absorbent, Bumkins All In Ones fit nicely under baby’s clothes without the added bulk found in other cloth diaper systems.

Bumkins All In Ones Features

• The outer waterproof shell of the Bumkins All In One cloth baby diaper is FREE of VINYL, PVC, PHTHALATES, BPA and will stay silky-soft without cracking or breaking down. This durable outer material is machine washable and will remain bright for 200 washes!
• The inner absorbent material boasts six layers of PURE 100% cotton flannelette for maximum absorbnecy.
• A built in air flow panel keeps the Bumkins All In One thorough clean and quick drying.
• Gentle internal elastic is sewn at the legs and waist openings for superior leak protection.
• NEW! Generously sized rounded and overlapping Velcro closures provide a secure, yet adjustable, custom fit. The rounded tabs are more gentle on baby’s skin, without any pointy corners to stick into those precious belly and thigh rolls. SELF-CLOSING velcro flap back tabs are designed for snag-free laundering.
• NEW! The Front panel’s velcro strip is shortened to ensure, once again, that baby’s skin is ONLY exposed to 100% pure cotton flannel and the silky, waterproof, PVC-FREE outer fabric.
• NEW! The wider front panel allows for added leak protection along the front and sides of the diaper - giving baby more room to move about.
• NEW! Leak shield gussets are contoured and reinforced with internally sewn elastic, these gussets provide superior leak protection and a better fit at the thigh.

PLEASE NOTE: Bumkins has also added many of these new features into their Bumkins Diaper Covers.

Bumkins NEW All In One Diaper Testing and FEEDBACK!

The feedback we’ve already received is exciting. One momma of a one year old baby girl wrote, “Although the version one diaper is a good design and one of the best diapers I use, the second version is actually an improvement and not just a collection of updated and unnecessary ‘features’.

The first thing everyone seems to notice are the new and improved rounded closure tabs.

The first thing everyone seems to notice are the new and improved rounded closure tabs. The original Bumkins AIOs had logo covered, square tabs. “These tabs allow for a more secure fit and can even overlap one another!” writes another tester.

The wider front panel and new leak shield gussets of the Bumkins NEW All In One better prevent leakage. One mom wrote us…“The new leak shield gussets on the leg prevent wicking and leaking and also keep the diaper in one place to prevent what I call ‘bum creep,’ where the diaper is pulled-up by onesies and other articles of clothing.”

Least favorite of all the new features was the laundry tab. Whereas the traditional AIO laundry tabs are found on both sides of the diaper, the Bumkins NEW All In One has ONE laundry tab that connects to both closure tabs.

“At first, I was not thrilled with this design, but the more I used it, the more I could see the benefit…the connected tabs make a handle for easy dunking and spraying of a poopy diaper and insure that the entire inside of the diaper is open and easily cleaned.”

So far we’ve only heard one complaint - and with it came an ideal remedy…

“My only complaint with these diapers is their tendency to stain, however, that is to be expected with a cotton interior and can be prevented with the use of a stay dry liner and a laundry pre-treatment.”

As one of the ‘forefathers’ of this industry, Bumkins has longevity, experience, and considerable knowledge of their market. They can easily rule-out the passing fads for what they are, and yet, incorporate ideas and concepts that will improve their product. This is exactly what they’ve done with the Bumkins NEW All-In-Ones; caregivers talked and Bumkins listened. And boy do they have a lot to show for it.

Whether or not our country is in a “true energy crisis” is left to be seen, but as consumers, few of us in the United States have escaped the soaring prices at the gas pump, grocery stores, restaurants, etc…

Why the speedy rise in energy and transportation costs? Dow Chemical blames the cost of crude oil. Crude oil prices have doubled, even from this time last year, a 17 year high. To offset their soaring costs, Dow Chemical Co. announced a 20 percent price increase in their products, effective June 1, 2008.

Since Dow makes chemicals that go into everything from antifreeze and coolants, to toys, textiles, detergents and disposable diapers, it will come as no surprise that Americans are about to start paying substantially more to purchase basic staples and also, disposable diapers.

Dow is the biggest maker of polyacrylate, the absorbent chemical gel found inside every disposable diaper. When they raise the price of polyacrylate for their disposable diaper manufacturers, consumers will see the trickle down rise in pricing for disposable diapers.

They aren’t the only major chemical company affected either; just the first to announce a price increase-others are soon to follow.

How will this be reflected in the cost of diapering a baby in disposables?

A trip down the grocery aisle, plus a quick calculation of how many diapers a baby will go through in any given day, gives a rough expenditure of about 50 to 65 dollars a month spent on diapers–before the price increase. With Dow Chemical’s price increase of 20 percent on everything, YOURS and MY checkout receipt will reflect a rise of 10 to 18 dollars a month JUST IN DISPOSABLE DIAPERS.

For one reason or another disposable diaper prices have gone up considerably over the past few years. Day care providers who only 5 years ago paid about 22 cents a diaper for Pampers Cruisers^™ are now paying 34 cents for that same disposable diaper.

Beat the rising costs of disposable diapers - USE CLOTH DIAPERS instead!

Set aside any environmental argument you have heard regarding cloth diapers versus disposable diapers and simply focus on the FACTS - the actual COSTS. Following Dow’s announcement, cloth diapers have now become the most economical means to diaper your baby, period.

The Real Diaper Association has an excellent breakdown on the cost of disposable diapers in their Diaper Facts. According to the RDA, based on an average change of 8 diapers per day for a period of 2 years, a single baby will need about 6,000 diapers. Eight diapers a day might not seem like a lot, but 6,000 diapers certainly does-especially 6,000 disposable diapers with a trickle down price increase of about 20 percent.

Not only are disposable diapers expensive, but they are not a wise expense since a disposable diaper used just once is considered trash. Cloth diapers are REUSABLE; the initial investment pays you back, wash after wash, year after year, and through subsequent children.

Cloth Diapers cost less than one tenth the cost of disposables.

Based on estimations made by the RDA, the cost of using cloth diapers is about one tenth the cost of disposables. With the upcoming increased pricing, that will be less than one tenth. Now is the time for parents and caregivers to check out how far the cloth diaper industry has come in making modern cloth diapers that are easy to put on baby, easy to care for, much softer and more comfortable, and of course, considerably less expensive.

Having had more than one child, I remember a time when preparing the nursery meant more than checking my cloth diaper stash and purchasing a bit more Lansinoh for that first month of sore nipples.

In fact, it meant MUCH MORE. First, there was the rush to purchase an ungodly amount of “things”, the stress of finding the right “this” and “that”, and building a registry for everyone asking me what our nursery colors were and what did we want/need. I fell right into the trap of “Oh my, there is so much to BUY!” with my first child.

By the time my second child rolled around the nursery was still an issue, but we had saved many of the baby things from our first, so there was less to purchase - and even less that we realized we actually needed. And? I learned about and began to use cloth diapers on my baby. The use of cloth diapers changed my perspective entirely.

Third kid? I told everyone that I had my breasts and my cloth diapers, and there really wasn’t anything else I needed. I did suggest they could take me out for dinner and a movie, but few took me up on that.

So, with this experience under my belt, I’m more than a bit amused, and somewhat perturbed, by what the media tells us we NEED. Have you seen some of the suggestions passed off as “Nursery Necessities”? You could feed a third world country with what the layette alone would cost you.

One website had an Expectant Mother Guide” that included a “”Buying for Baby” Checklist. Seriously, how are Fireplace Bumpers a necessity? What about wallpaper or borders? Necessities? Really? Baby can’t live without them?

The truth is you don’t need much.

In your baby’s first days he/she will primarily do one of two things - eat and excrete.

Have breast? Feed.

Have cloth diapers? Catch the poo or pee.

Outside of a car seat, a few onesies, a blanket or two and some really small socks, there is not much more needed to bring baby home, everything else is relatively non-essential and can be picked up here and there as needed.

So save yourself the stress-enjoy your pregnancy, gather up your cloth diaper stash and prep your nipples for breastfeeding.

And you’ll be not just ready, but relaxed and ready.

When I ran my own online cloth diaper store, I would often listen to parents and caregivers voice arguments against cloth diapering their children. For instance, they would say, “I really want to cloth diaper full-time, but that’s a lot more money than I want to spend.” I never felt it was my job to coerce them into the decision, so I encouraged them to sit down and figure out what diapering their baby would cost over the duration of that baby’s diapering years; reminding them to consider (if only in their minds) that future babies could be on the horizon; cloth diapers aren’t for one-time usage, like disposables. I told them to record all their numbers and make sure to do the same across any other diapering systems (cloth and disposable) they were considering.

What did they discover? If the question was simply the difference between a cloth diapering package such as the Thirsties Fab Fitted Diapers in a full-time package of 12 fitted diapers to a package of 12 disposable diapers, then yeah, diaper to diaper the expense was higher. If however, they considered the price of that same fitted diaper 6 years later, on their 3rd child, to the disposable diaper that was used once and tossed in the trash, then…maybe not so much.

Often I wouldn’t even have to touch on the reduced environmental costs of cloth diapering before they realized I wasn’t pulling their leg; they could see there truly was an opportunity to SAVE MONEY when diapering their kiddos.

If whoever purchases the diapers in your home takes advantage of discounts found in cloth diapering packages, like the newest Thirsties Fab Fitted Diapers package, you WILL WIN OUT financially.

Don’t forget, when running those numbers to figure in the washing and drying, the detergent, the electricity, the labor, the “anything else you can think of,” right down to production, cloth diapers are less expensive and more environmentally sound.

No, full time cloth diapering doesn’t cost too much. What costs too much is full-time disposable diapering. And that costs all of us, not just you.

Earth Day is April 22, 2008 and there are many different organizations counting down, and planning events, for that day in the meantime. Challenges are being issued and topics are being discussed at the local and national levels. What are you doing? Did you ever consider that you can make EVERY DAY an Earth Day with a few simple modifications in your approach to the “stuff” you do and buy on a daily basis? You can.

Strong proponents of cloth diapering babies, we like to encourage parents and guardians to consider using cloth diapers as a way to cut back on the massive consumption of paper products and the growing landfills. According to the Real Diaper Association’s Diaper Facts, “Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.” We’ve covered the topic of growing landfills more than once here at CDB. It is a real concern and a really simple way of making every day an Earth Day.

In today’s DryBees Press Release, customer April Willis of Beaver, WV, said the ease of use of cloth diapers and not needing to go to the local store for a weekly disposable diaper run is wonderful.

“I can’t think of a better way to give going green a chance than adding super cute and soft cloth diapers to my baby’s wardrobe,” Willis said. “They’re just so cute and I feel better about my small contributions to a greener Earth and my son likes his contributions to a rash-free heinie. Once I started putting him in cloth, I knew I was never going back to disposables.”

An often belabored concern with going cloth is ease of use, but don’t let that get in your way. Cloth diapers, unlike disposable diapers, offer an endless variety of choices. One of the more popular choices are pocket diapers. When demonstrating how to use pocket diapers, ]parents are surprised when pocket diapers go on baby with the ease of a disposable diaper - it’s true, they do.

Though some might want to challenge the environmental soundness of some cloth diapers, it is common sense that a single use item will never beat out a reusable item, when it comes to which is the greener choice.

If choosing cloth diapers isn’t your choice for Earth Day, then make sure you choose something else. EVERY DAY is an Earth Day and whether or not we want to claim responsibility for where the earth is headed, we still remain responsible.

The bumGenius! All-In-One Cloth Diaper won a distinguished iParenting Media Award. That means that this one-step cloth diapering system was tested by an expert, a parent, a child care center as well as an executive review committee and passed with flying colors. Not just that though…the bumGenius! DELUXE All-In-One Cloth diaper is the first product of its kind (cloth diapers) to be awarded an iParenting Media Award.

What does this mean for you? Well, if you aren’t interested in cloth diapering, probably not much. If, however, you’ve been searching for a cloth diapering system that is easy to use, will easily be accepted by day care centers, not difficult for care-takers like grandparents or friends, and goes on no different than a disposable diaper, you really should try out the bumGenius! AIO.

Here are some of the outstanding features that makes this such an attractive diaper for parents and for baby.

The bumGenius! AIO Cloth Diaper has…

• tabs that stretch for a perfect fit
• easy to use hook and loop fasteners so you don’t have to finnagle with diaper pins
• soft internal fabric lining that keeps baby nice and dry
• super absorbent microfiber core that can absorb up to 12 oz. of fluid (depending on the size of the diaper)
• natural built-in gussets to contain blow-outs and other messes
• waterproof outer material to keep wetness inside the diaper where it belongs
• laundry fastener tabs so your diapers don’t get caught on each other in the wash

As with any cloth diapering system you buy, understanding how to wash your bumGenius! DELUXE AIOs is the best way to prevent issues with leaks and/or build-up.

The bumGenius! All-In-Ones are available in a variety of soft, fresh colors; white, butternut, pink blossom, twilight, and grasshopper.

Because it is a one-step cloth diapering system, you will not need additional diaper covers. However, there are a number of cloth diapering accessories that can make your cloth diapering experience even easier (if you can imagine that). Diaper doublers are good to consider for night-time diapering when extra absorbency may be an issue, or a couple of small to medium Bummis Tote Bags for when you’re out and about and need a place to put a soiled diaper until you get home.

Wool Soakers have long been considered a night-time cloth diapering option for heavy wetters. The double-layered knit design in the body of the original Aristocrats Wool Soaker gave extra absorbency right through the stride where baby needs it most. Now, with the addition of legs, these Wool Soakers took on the name “Longies.”

Absolutely breathable, yet dry to the touch, wool longies make for effective, leak-resistant pajama bottoms over your baby’s prefold diapers. The Aristocrats Wool Longies are too bulky to wear under more fitted clothing, like pants, however many moms use them over their child(ren)’s cloth diapers as pants when out and about; they also make adorable, natural “tights” under little girls’ dresses in cooler weather.

With all of the benefits how can you go wrong?

The Aristocrats Wool Longies, along with prefold diapers, are a sensible purchase for the pocketbook, environment and your baby’s comfort. The natural wool fiber is both thermal and yet, remains dry. In other words, even though it can store water vapour up to 35 percent of its own weight, it remains ABSOLUTELY DRY. The breathability factor of wool longies can’t be beat; ample circulation cools your baby’s most sensitive areas alleviating trapped heat.

We all know that keeping baby dry is one of the first ways to fight against diaper rash, but another way that the Aristocrats Wool Longies reduce infection is through the built-in anti-bacterial properties of lanolin. Yep, the all natural lanolin found in wool kills germs that cause odors. This means you’ll not likely have issues with your wool longies becoming stinky or, if re-lanolized occasionally, losing their water barrier.

Easy to use and easy to care for, wool soakers are dirt and dust resistant. The lanolin acts as a self-cleaner, reducing the time you spend washing diaper covers.

Disposable diapers. Are they “waste or watts? Feces or fuel?”

Yep, you read right, disposable diapers, the 3rd largest single consumer item in landfills which represents 30% of our nation’s non-biodegradable waste, might just be our future fuel. The process of making diesel from diapers is called pyrolysis, which sounds a lot to me like paralysis - a ceasing of movement. And honestly, if we were all a bit smarter WE WOULD CEASE the use of disposable diapers altogether and select from the variety of cloth diapers and cloth diaper covers available on the market today.

“‘A baby, from the time it’s born to the time it’s toilet trained, will go through a tonne of diapers,’ [Piciacchia] says, adding that the load will increase as aging boomers turn to adult incontinence products.” That is quite a bit of “raw materials” setting around. I’m all for chemically breaking down diapers into something reusable, especially as it does not involve combustion and emissions are strictly controlled, but let’s not forget that prevention is worth 2 pounds, or heck - even 3 tons, of cure.

Sure we need to clean up the past, but the future? Wouldn’t it make more sense to make the right choices, as opposed to churning up our mistakes? Disposable diapers have become our new fossil fuel only because we’re forced to do SOMETHING with them. The fact still remains that we are steadily depleting our tree supply as we’re cutting trees much faster than they can grow. Can you imagine a world without trees? Can you imagine a world without trees just so we can have paper pulp for the absorbent core of our diapers? Surely you’d rather cloth diaper your baby than look across the vast horizon and see nothing but processing plants for the new and improved diaper diesel, right?

I’ve got to hand it to Piciacchia and the boys over at AMEC PLC for their ingenius ideas of decreasing the amount of nonbiodegradable items sitting in our landfills, but should we really be working so hard to keep up with the demand?

No. I don’t think so.

Sources
Hamilton, Tyler. “Turning Dirty Diapers Into Diesel.” TheStar.com. 29 October 2007.

Elimination Communication, also referred to as Infant Potty Training, is steadily picking up speed in the United States as another alternative to dealing with baby’s waste.

In a October 9, 2005 article, A Fast Track to Toilet Training for Those at the Crawling Stage, Tina Kelley reported:

“About 2,000 people across the country have joined Internet groups and e-mail lists to learn more about the techniques of encouraging a baby - a child too young to walk or talk - to go in a toilet, a sink or a pot. Through a nonprofit group, Diaper Free Baby, 77 local groups have formed in 35 states to encourage the practice. One author’s how-to books on the subject have sold about 50,000 copies.”

Jumping forward 2 years later, the numbers are still growing as Lisa Poole reports that the diaper-free babies’ fad swells, despite critics. As mentioned, there are many skeptics, bit it isn’t stopping moms like Erinn Klatt who began practicing Elimination Communication with her son from the day he was born and says, “he has not wet his bed at night since he was six months old.”

If you’re interested in more information you’ve only to Google “Elimination Communication” or “Infant Potty Training” to turn up skads of sites with information and testimonials. Even MSNBC is asking questions, as Amy Robach looks at some of the pros and cons of potty training at birth in her interview of Lori Boucke, author of Potty Whisperer.

So why are we talking about it here? At a cloth diapering blog? Well, why not? One of the reasons that we even began using cloth diapers ourselves was to promote environmentally sound decision making. If diaper changes are eliminated altogether, I’d say those families are taking a considerable step away from massive consumption and should be supported.

For those who are interested, we say, “More Power to YOU!” However, as is mentioned in the video interview linked above, there will still be a need for diapers here and there. Perhaps night-time potty learning isn’t something your family wants to do and you need a night-time cloth diapering system. Maybe you want something for when you’re out and about running errands - a fitted trim one-size cloth diaper that’s easy to remove in a hurry. Maybe you are one of the families who have chosen to practice Elimination Communication on a part-time basis; consider the gentle approach of cloth diapering when you aren’t actively taking your baby to the potty.

For more information on Infant Potty Training or Elimination Communication, check out www.diaperfreebaby.org.