How We Cloth Diaper--Part 1: The Supplies

PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Read as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. I know that the amount of information can make things even more overwhelming, especially when you have to read through paragraphs and paragraphs of detailed text. This is why I included a concise supply list at the beginning in bullet-form, making it easier to see what brands I chose. Following the supply list, you will find a list of details explaining each supply and why I chose what I did.

Three things to note: (1) We cloth diaper at home only and use disposables everywhere else. (2) We use disposables at night. (3) We didn’t start cloth diapering until Baby was two months old.  If you choose to cloth diaper at night, away from home, or at the newborn stage, you may need other supplies.

WHAT?

Supplies: (just a concise list of what supplies we use and the brands)

• 4-6 diaper covers
• Thirsties: 2 sizes, adjustable snaps
• Econobum: 1 size, adjustable snaps
• 18-24 prefold diapers
• OsoCozy: 2 sizes, 100% unbleached Indian cotton
• Econobum: 1 size, 100% unbleached cotton
• 2 diaper pail liners
• Planet Wise, 13-gallon
• Diaper pail
  • Safety 1st Easy Saver Diaper Pail
• Small wet bag
• Bumkins Waterproof Zippered Wet Bag
• Coconut oil
• Nature's Way
• Diaper liners (optional)
• Hemp Organic Cotton Fleece Fabric
• Fasteners (optional)
• Snappi
• Diaper sprayer (eventually)
• Brondell PureSpa

WHY?

Notes on Supplies: (a little more detail along with explanations for why I chose what I did)

• 4-6 diaper covers
• I chose covers that can be adjusted with snaps. I did not want Velcro since it wears out after being washed repeatedly, which we found to be true with the SwaddleMe infant wraps back when we were swaddling.
• I preferred having six covers. We generally alternated between two covers per day. A diaper would be changed, the cover wiped and set out to dry, and the other used for the next clean diaper. We used a minimum of four covers between washing, but it was nice to have two extras for the times that the load wasn’t finished drying and for extra poopy diapers, in which case the cover was also dirtied and emptied into the pail.
• Thirsties: 2 sizes, adjustable snaps
• I thought these covers were a little easier to situate on Baby’s little body and snap up. It’s just a matter of the shape. Plus, they come in cuter colors and patterns (even though I still prefer solid light colors and white so they don't show too much through clothing).
• Econobum: 1 size, adjustable snaps
• The Econobum diapers and covers come in a kit of 3 covers and 12 diapers.
• You have to be a little more careful with these snaps and make sure you don’t pull too hard. Out of the three covers we have, two have had snaps pulled out and they can’t be fixed.
• 18-24 prefold diapers
• You want to have enough to get you through two days plus some to use while that load is in the wash.
• OsoCozy: 2 sizes, 100% unbleached Indian cotton
• Because these had two sizes, we used Size 1 for many months (can’t remember how many) until Baby fit better in the larger Econobum brand.
• Econobum: 1 size, 100% unbleached cotton
• We’ve used these for a long time because they are smaller than the Size 2 Thirsties. Little Girl is 17 months old now and we’re still using the Econobum diapers and only the OsoCozy when all the Econobum diapers are dirty.
• 2 diaper pail liners
• Planet Wise, 13-gallon
• We alternate between the two. One is in the washer/dryer while the other is in the pail.
• Diaper pail
• Safety 1st Easy Saver Diaper Pail
• Honestly, you could probably use any 13-gallon trash can with lid.
• Small wet bag
• Bumkins Waterproof Zippered Wet Bag
• The need for this item depends on your system for diapering. We do all the diaper changes in the bedroom, and that’s where the diaper pail stays. I carry poopy diapers to the bathroom. Many times I can just put the wet diaper and liner inside the cover and carry it all back to the bedroom. However, sometimes it all needs rinsed, and I like having a wet bag hanging up on a towel rack in the bathroom where I can deposit all of it before taking it to the diaper pail.
• Coconut oil
• Nature's Way
• Any organic brand would do. We used this as diaper rash cream and applied it at every diaper change. Because cloth diapers do not absorb pee like disposables do, the coconut oil is also helpful is keeping the skin protected from the moisture. I just scooped the oil out of the large container and put it in a smaller one. You could also add essential oils to the coconut oil if you’d like.
• Liners (optional)
• Hemp Organic Cotton Fleece Fabric
• I just cut the fabric to fit along the center of the diaper—a long rectangle (will add approximate measurements as soon as I can). Sewing isn’t necessary.
• I made these and didn’t end up using them at first. I had made them because of other blogs I had read that said the liners added extra absorbency which I didn’t find to be the case. However, I realized that the liners did indeed help to keep a poopy diaper clean. It’s much easier to pull a small liner out and dump poo into the toilet. Many times, poo stays on the liner and never even dirties the diaper. (Of course the diaper still goes into the diaper pail, whether there’s poo on it or not!)
• Fasteners (optional)
• Snappi
• Maybe I just never figured out how to use these correctly, because when I did, they seemed to be much too tight. The covers keep the cloth diapers in place without the Snappis. In my opinion, the Snappi fasteners are completely unnecessary.
• Diaper sprayer (eventually)
• Brondell PureSpa
• I didn’t think we were going to need this. Breastfed poo doesn’t really need rinsed out, and it took a few months for it to really change after introducing solids into her diet. She was about 9 months old when we finally realized we needed a diaper sprayer. I chose this one based on its reviews, and it hasn’t disappointed. The water pressure is perfect for removing solids from cloth diapers. We rinse out the diapers, liners, and covers when needed using this sprayer, which is hooked up to the toilet.

I plan to include some photos once I get the time to take them.

In a following post (hopefully not too far from now), I will include a description of how we cloth diaper. It was helpful to me to read how others do it, but it did become quite overwhelming. Everyone diapers differently, and I had to choose what would work best for us. In the end, I took bits and pieces from everything I read and went with what seemed to be the simplest method.

We chose to wait until Baby was two months old before beginning with cloth. It’s not that we didn’t want to purchase the supplies for newborns; we just knew that we would have enough to figure out during those first two months. We do not regret waiting before starting with cloth.

I was very nervous about cloth diapering. When I made the decision to use cloth, I did so with a willingness to quit if it got to be too much. I was actually uncertain about it until about a month in to it. So much of it was a process of trial and error until I discovered what worked best for us. Don’t feel like you’re cloth diapering the “wrong” way and research to death for the “right” way. Gather the advice of others and do what works for you and Baby!

The road to discovering my purpose in the everyday

As I mentioned in my last post, I have a lot of questions for myself as I try to discover what my purpose is. My purpose in the everyday moments—how I’m supposed to be spending my time and energy. I already know my purpose is to be a wife and mother; that part’s obvious. What I want to know is what purpose I will serve beyond that.

As I was walking on the treadmill today, all those questions began resurfacing in my mind and I actually began to panic. They aren’t even big questions involving major life decisions, such as the possibility of moving or a new job or whether to have another baby or adopt. I just want to know how to spend every hour of my day. I want to know what being a wife, mother, and homemaker looks like for me.

When I was teaching elementary school, every hour was filled with very purposeful tasks. There was no need to question my place or my role. I knew exactly what I was supposed to do. In teaching, there was a clear vision of the goals I had to accomplish in a year. My days were laid out so perfectly, my classroom was organized in a very functional and efficient way, I had a system for managing paperwork and grading, and I worked diligently every minute to make sure my students were learning. That entire school world is the kind of place where I thrive. To be honest, one of the things I loved most about teaching was managing my classroom.

Now that I stay home with my daughter through the day, things are much different. I’ve realized that it’s definitely not as easy as I thought it would be! I still need my days laid out perfectly (instead of a lesson plan book, a very detailed planner), my home needs to be organized in a very functional and efficient way (from drawers to closets to filing cabinets), I must have a system for managing paperwork and files, and I have to work diligently every minute to make sure the most important tasks are getting accomplished (including playing with my little toddler).

In the previous post, I said that I was experimenting with different projects and hobbies, trying to determine what my niche was. However, in doing that, my mind has been drifting away from the Source of the answers to my questions. I’m trying to decide what things I enjoy most, what would make me feel like the person I want to be (if that makes sense), and what I think would make me most fulfilled.

While reading True Spirituality by Chip Ingram on the treadmill today, a strong sense of peace surrounded me as I was reminded that I am the daughter of the One who knows all. He knows who I am, who I am becoming, and what I am supposed to do with my time. Chip says:

My choices and your choices are always finite and limited—on our own, we will always choose second best for ourselves. There’s only One being in all the earth who knows all things actual and possible and who cares so deeply for us that He is committed to giving us the very best. (p. 42)

Of course I’m not questioning everything I’m supposed to be doing throughout the day. There are basic life responsibilities, such as doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning, that whether I enjoy them or not, I’ve just got to suck it up and do it. (And there’s a completely other wonderful topic we could discuss about practicing wisdom in the everyday mundane tasks. Read The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst.) I need to figure out how to manage my time in such a way that I can accomplish my responsibilities, be a selfless wife, train and nurture Molly, and serve God and others by using my gifts without becoming overbooked and overwhelmed. I want to be productive and intentional, whether it’s with household chores or nurturing relationships with others.

In order to do this, I need to quit asking myself what would most satisfy me and ask God how I can honor Him in everything I do. I have to surrender to Him who knows what’s best for me and what will bring out the best in me. As a wise person once said, the purpose of prayer is not for us to seek the answers but to seek God Himself.

I can start “finding myself” by asking God to reveal the gifts and talents that He has already given me. Fortunately, I’ve already discovered over the past many years what those are for me. It helps to know my spiritual gift, my “love language”, my personal interests, and my personality type. If you are a Christ-follower and you have not yet discovered your spiritual gift, I encourage you to take a spiritual gifts survey. Also, everyone needs to know their love language; you will find this quite helpful in not only your relationship with your spouse but in all close relationships. Reading The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman will help you learn how to put your love language into practice and how to love others in their language. Another book that was very eye-opening to me was The Me I Want to Be by John Ortberg. I feel like God used this book to help me accept the person I am as the person He created me to be. I made a lot of self-discoveries while reading it.

To conclude . . . whew

I’m still in the process of developing my life mission statement. Yesterday, I worked on ideas for a family mission statement, but that will have to involve my husband’s participation as well. More to follow on the development of a mission statement and how I plan to use “life verses” to help guide me.

Because contentment doesn't just happen.

I try to live my life with purpose, and there are many ways I do this. Since becoming a stay-at-home mom and wife, I find myself trying to figure out where my place is and who I'm called to be. Obviously, I 'm meant to be a wife and mother, but wives and moms don't all look the same.

What are my gifts and talents? What do I like to do? What hobbies do I enjoy? What's my parenting style? How do I create an efficient schedule? What routines work best for me? Where am I supposed to be serving? How should I teach and train my daughter? How can I be the wife my husband needs?

I have so many questions and new areas to explore. One thing I like doing is writing my thoughts, like I'm doing right now. For the past seven years, I've thought that maybe I'd like blogging. I've dabbled in it a bit, and I wonder if it's what I'm supposed to do. While I might enjoy it, do I have anything to say, anything that's worth reading? Not sure. So I'm going to start a new blog and see if that's where I'll find my niche.

One of my goals in life is to be content. Truly content. Not just comfortable, but satisfied--fulfilled. I think many people are under the impression that contentment just happens based on our given circumstances. But I know from experience that every area of life could be going perfectly and I could still be discontent. I believe that contentment is found when a person has a clear purpose and is intentional with everything—time, money, relationships, work.

So after a year and a half of being a mom, I’m still trying to find out what it is I’m supposed to be doing. I ask the above questions constantly. I experiment with different things to see what works for me. Sewing, knitting, crafts, reading, exercising (treadmill or Pilates?), and the list goes on. To my surprise, I’ve discovered that I do not enjoy some of the things I thought I would. At times I’ve felt guilty about it and thought that I needed to practice it more to get better. Now I’m realizing that when it comes to hobbies, I shouldn’t do them if I don’t enjoy them! Ahhh, that’s a freeing thought.

The second half of the year 2014 was survival. I was just learning how to cope with a baby. The year 2015 was discovering myself and my interests. This year will be dedicated to figuring out how to incorporate my interests and skills into my home life. I want to become better at managing my home; it is my job after all. I want to take my roles seriously and lay out clear action steps to accomplish my purpose.

I want to be intentional.

My first step: coming up with a mission statement.

". . . for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." -Phil. 4:11b