Yes, You Can!

S0, we decided (or more correctly, I decided) to use cloth diapers with The Bean. Yes, I know what you're thinking..."ew..., are you KIDDING?, were you born in a cave? don't they STINK? don't they LEAK? aren't they a pain to manage??!!? do you have that much time on your hands?" Alas, my friends, today's cloth diapering is not your mother's cloth diapering. For today we have FUZZIBUNZ. *ah, yes* Fuzzibunz are revolutionary! The microfleece keeps baby's precious tushy dry and is super soft on her skin. The adjustable snaps make them so easy to use that even the most skeptical husband can't complain that they're just too much bother. So, this system is called a "pocket diaper" for those of you unfamiliar. Pocket diapers essentially are stuffed with a superabsorbent cloth, microfleece, or hemp pad...they are microfleece on the baby's butt side, have the liner in the middle, are plastic on the other side of the pocket (to keep pee pee in), and a nice sturdy cotton on the outside for looks. They have elastic around their countoured edges. They come in a delightful array of colors so baby is always styling a new look.

I suppose I just decided that one baby contributing on average between 6,000 and 20,000 diapers to a landfill in his lifetime (depending on your source), or 20 trees according to EPA, was just too much for my conscience; this made even more personal seeing as how I work in environmental health, including several very problematic landfills so far. So, we bought 24 Size Small Fuzzibunz (small goes from 0-6 months of age), assuming that would mean we have to do a load of diapers every 2 to 3 days. We have a garbage can with a washable liner to put the dirty diapers and liners in-no rinsing needed! I know, you're wondering how you can just put poopy diapers in the pail with no rinsing to sit for a day or two?? Well, one thing they don't tell you in every baby book is that breastfed baby poop really isn't all that stinky, nor does it stain. So, we always prestuff the diapers and have them waiting in her top drawer; we go to change her, clean her up, take the liner out of the dirty diaper, and throw the diaper and the liner in the garbage can (in the washable liner), take a new and already stuffed diaper out of the top drawer and snap it on and go! We only have to think about the diapers every 2 to 3 days when it is laundry time. Otherwise, we just think-how cute is that [insert color] diaper with her little outfit?!?

So next time you have a Bean of your own, consider cloth diapering. Save a few trees. Or a forest.