Disposable diapers, there are a few to choose from. You have Huggies, Pampers, Luvs, and the store brands. I use Huggies and Pampers. I love them both. Pampers are excellent with NB size in my opinion. They don’t do the gel balls like other diapers. Huggies have a little more give way with weight and size. But they do have the little gel balls if they are let on a little to long. Right now Kairi is in a size 1 going in to a size 2 to me the Pampers aren’t as stretchy around the waist as Huggies are but are just as absorbent. I don’t really deal with Luvs or the store brand much. Past experience had made me not like Luvs or most store brands. I find that they don’t last as long or they leak quite badly.
Disposables are easier for our life running after a 3 yr old. I personally think it would be to much of a hassle to have to wash and extra couple of loads a month of just diapers. And while on the go the diaper bag is smaller. While we might spend more over Kairi’s diapering period it’s worth it to us. We do $40 a month on diapers (the jumbo boxes), less if you have the lovely thing called coupons lol.
BABY UPDATE::::::
Kairi is 10 weeks old. She is growing so fast. 12 lbs of pure baby love and 23 ½ inches now. At birth she was 7 lbs 13 ozs and 20.4 inches She jabbers up a storm, loves to smile at anyone. Not such a fan of tummy time but she now has a tummy time mat to keep her entertained (we hope). She recently discover her self in a mirror and loves to talk to her reflection J. Our chunker eats 5 ozs every 3-6 hours, depending on if she’s going through a growth spurt. She sleeps from about 9-11pm to about 5-7 am. We don’t have a schedule. I fount out with my son that there is no such thing as a schedule till the get about 2. And if you have a schedule more power to ya! My life is a little more fun with out one lol. Stay tuned for more baby updates in the future!
Sarah's story:
Ohhhh the wonderful world of diapers! One of the many things that parents dread, especially the wonderful fathers out there. The hassle of changing the baby also comes with the hassle of having to buy diapers so frequently you are almost positive someone is stealing them. Surely this baby doesn't go through this many diapers, does it!? Well unfortunately, yes. They are eating, sleeping, and pooping/peeing machines and they are good at what they do. Most babies average about $80 to $130 in diapers a month (for those who don't get WIC or something similar)! That's about $1,600 to $2,300 by the time you little one is potty trained. They weren't lying when they said babies were expensive, huh? It's not a pleasant thought, that's for sure. But even more unpleasant at the time was my husband suggesting that we use cloth diapers. From what I knew about cloth diapers, which really wasn't much, was that they were a hassle to use, and leaked all the time. All I could think was of course he would want to use those; he probably won’t be changing any of them so he doesn't care how messy and ugly those things are! But then again, that was me judging a book by its cover. Once I found out how much diapers actually cost, cloth diapers didn't sound too bad, especially since he is the sole provider for our little family and anything I can do to help cut cost, I do.
So I started to do a little research about cloth diapers, not only did I find that they have come a LONG way since they first started, but they actually pose some health benefits, too! Here's a bit of what I found.
There are many pros and cons to each side. But here's a list for disposable:
PROS:
Disposables are easy to use
You can just throw them away
Good for traveling
Some say they leak less
CONS:
Way more expensive
Bad for the environment
Makes potty training a bit harder since the toddler can't feel when he/she is wet
78% more diaper rash prone whereas babies who use cloth diapers are only 7%
The chemicals in disposables to make them absorbent has been link to toxic shock syndrome, can impair the hormonal system, and can cause liver disease, asthma, and UTI in baby girls.
Not only do they absorb the pee from your babies bottom, but also his/her natural moisture making the skin more dry.
And here are the pros and cons to cloth diapers:
PROS
It's cheaper. Sure your first initial buy can be hefty (ranging from $200-$700, depending how what, and how many you get), but it's a one time buy that you can use for many children, not just one.
Less diaper rash and skin irritability.
Many places offer a diaper service that will wash your diapers for you.
They are also easy to use.
Better for the environment
They grow with your child.
Faster potty training.
A wide selection to fit your lifestyle.
CONS
You have to wash them
Once the baby starts pooping solid, you must toss the waste before you wash.
Not good for travel because you have to put it in a plastic bag when done.
Some daycares won't use them
Can leak if not used properly
If left on for too long, it can smell bad (but as long as you change them about every 2-3 hours you will be fine)
After doing my research, I ended up going with the bumGenius organic All in One (AIO) cloth diapers. I was hesitant at spending a little under $400 on only 18 diapers (the non organic ones are $100 less) but I figured it's worth a shot. But when my little man was born three weeks early he was simply too small for them. So for about two months I used organic and chlorine free disposable diapers. And once he got big enough, we began with the cloth ones I was so eager to use. Here are my experiences with both;
Disposable -- I didn't mind the disposable, but within the first two weeks he got a mild diaper rash. Nothing too serious, so I just used a little breast milk (I swear it cures everything lol) and it cleared up by the end of the day. I had a few diapers leak on me, causing me to have to change the baby in the middle of the night when I wanted to be sleeping lol. And I found that the poo would stick to my baby’s bottom if I didn't change him soon after he pooped, leading to a lengthy diaper change, having to add a scrubbing to his bottom which made him very uncomfortable. And I didn’t like spending about $13 on a pack of 44 diapers at all. It just seemed like such a waste. By the end of it I just couldn't wait to try the cloth ones.
Cloth-- I absolutely love the cloth diapers. They are so easy to use. Instead of velcro straps, I got the ones that have buttons that are really easy to snap on. And when it comes to leaks, they have leaked just the same as disposables, it just depends on how well you put a diaper on your baby. Diaper changes are much quicker because everything is still moist, it just wipes right off. And when it comes to laundry, I was expecting to do laundry every day, but with the cloth diapers I only have a load every two to three days. I have been pleasantly surprised. Sometimes I am able to smell when his diaper is dirty, but I don't think that is something to complain about because it allows me to change him when he needs it, instead of him sitting in it for hours (I know I would hate being left in my own pee or poop for longer than necessary) If I know that I am going to be out for more than two hours I will use a disposable diaper (organic and chlorine free) just for convenience, but if it's just a quick trip then I will stick with the cloth ones. The only thing I don't like about the cloth diapers is how easy they stain, but I would take the stain over spending a lot on something I am just going to throw away. They may look a little bulky on the baby, but they don't affect how his clothes fit at all.
So all in all, less than $400 later, and I won’t have to buy anymore diapers for a long time, if at all. I am glad that I go to see both sides of the diaper world, but for me the cloth diapers win by far. They are just as easy as disposable, and just as effective =) but once again, it's a personal choice to whatever fits your lifestyle.
Here's the link to the site I purchased my diapers from.
http://www.thanksmama.com/
Here is the link to the exact diapers I purchased.
http://www.thanksmama.com/bumGenius_Organic_One_Size_Cloth_Diaper_Package_18_p/bmg-0015.htm
Here is a link with a little but more info and a review about them =)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcGQrFoTZ3o
And here is a link all about cloth diaper basics.
http://www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiapers.php
What happened to my little baby? He used to be so tiny, I was sure I was going to break him. But now, I swear he is a little fatty. He was born 6 lbs 2 oz and 18 inches long, and at 11 weeks old weighed in at a little under 13 lbs and was 23 1/2 inches long. He is such a little bundle of joy though. The first thing in the morning he greets me with a huge smile and if he is really happy to see me, a very cute giggle =). All in all he is doing very well. He is pretty much always happy, I'd say about 95% of the time, and he has never cried for more than a minute straight (besides for when he had a little stuffy nose and we had to use that horrible sucky thing to get the snot out. He hated that. lol) The only time he is ever fussy is if he doesn't get fed quick enough, if he has a tummy ache, or if he is just bored of what he was doing. He is doing really well on his developmental milestones, being able to hold his head steady for longer periods of time, smiling when prompted, laughing, getting more control over his movements, etc. Since he was born three weeks before his due date, his adjusted age would be three weeks less than his birth age, so it's ok if he is behind on anything. But so far, the only thing that some sites say he should be doing but hasn't yet is notice his hands. I've seen him look at them once, but other than that I am pretty sure he is still oblivious to the fact that those are really his =) He is 13 weeks old, but his adjusted age is 10 weeks. For a 10 week old he is right on track, and he can do about 95% of the things that a 13 weeks old should. It is really nice to sit here and watch him grow and learn about the world around him. I try to show him as much as I can, but since it's just me at the house, sometimes I worry that he isn't getting enough exposure to everything that he should. But as far as I can tell, he is doing just fine. I really couldn't ask for a better baby.
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