Defenseload

One of the biggest questions about cloth diapering (aside from what to do with the poo) is about supply. From what Ive found on google, through mom friends, and the world of fellow bloggers, is the number is anywhere from 12-36. 12 may be cutting it a little close for some, and 36 is a generous supply. Im guessing the golden number is probably 18-24.

As mentioned in my previous post about our plan to cloth diaper, were using two different brands for two different purposes. gDiapers by day, BumGenius by night. This combination wasnt recommended to me, its just an idea I cooked up based on reviews, recommendations, and preference. I know a lot of parents use a combination of brands, and others are completely dedicated to just one. I should add - Im no expert (yet) and this process will require a little trial and error.

So, heres our supply:

1. gDiapers

gDiapers have 3 parts: outer pant "gPant", liner, and insert. Ideally, at any given changing youre only swapping out the insert. The insert is either cloth or disposable.


Unfortunately, "ideally" isnt always reality. Some days you may only need one outer pant, others you may go through 2 or 3 if things are particularly poopy/leaky/icky. But, the point is, for gDiapers the supply of outer pants is of less importance than your supply of inserts. At present, we have 12 cloth inserts. I imagine Ill buy 2 more packs, bringing our total to 24. Then, well keep a stock of disposable inserts on hand for days were out and about. The disposables are sold like traditional diapers.


At present, heres our supply of gDiaper Pants:


Total: Ive added 3 small gPants and 4 large gPants to our registry. So, well likely have:

• 5 Small gPants (8-14lbs)
• 8 Medium gPants (13-28lbs)
• 6 Large gPants (26-36lbs)

Why the sizes? gDiapers claims sized pants allows for optimal fit. Heres hoping!

Cost: gPants cost approximately $18 each. At present we own 12. That totals $216. The gPants photographed above cost $70 TOTAL. How did I stock up at nearly 1/3 of the price? A little bit of good luck and good timing. A friend passed along some gPants, and a member of a mommy group changed her mind on cloth and sold hers for a great price. We will need to purchase additional cloth inserts, which will be about $50.

2. BumGenius

BumGenius diapers are considered "all-in-one" diapers. They are one size, made to grow with your child. They come in two parts: diaper and cloth insert. (Im sensing the makings of a "how to" post coming on, so Ill document that next!)


I wasnt sure about using two brands of cloth diapers at first, but when Cotton Babies had their annual cloth diaper sale (buy 5 get 1 free) I went for it. Plus, with the reputation of being amazingly absorbent I couldnt help but think they would be perfect for overnights. (You know, because my kid will obviously be sleeping through the night).

Heres our supply of BumGenius Diapers:


Total: 6. I dont plan on buying/needing more. Estimating we may need 2 per night, well still have a good 3-day rotation. Seems like plenty to me!

Cost: A 6-pack is sold for $110.95. With the sale, I paid a total of $86.

And because theyre so cute, heres a glimpse at our colorful supply of diapers!


And if youve been keeping track, weve invested $156 so far. Typical cost of 1 year of diapering? $500-$800. And you know, kids are usually diapered for 2.5-3 years.

Cloth Diapering Posts Ive found particularly helpful:
The Much Requested Cloth Diaper Post via Young House Love
Cloth Diapers: Our Plan (So Far) via Never Home Maker, Baby!
Cloth Diapers for the Win via Oh!Apostrophe

Do you cloth? Hows it going? Have you blogged about it? Id love to read your post!

"Gross."
"Seriously?!"
"Sounds like SUCH a pain."
"Youve just got that new mom enthusiasm. Youll realize that its not worth the effort soon enough."

So, who knew wanting to cloth diaper your kid was such a controversial decision? Yeesh.

Ill admit I get where some of the skeptics are coming from. I once nannied for a 3 year old girl who was cloth diapered. They had these giant cotton pads that you had to fold just right, then add a liner, plus this bulky outer pant. I couldnt quite get on board with it, and when she had an adult-sized poop I wasnt super enthusiastic about walking it over to the toilet. In fact, I definitely said "gross" quite a few times during the process.

However, cloth diapers dont have to be a big, bulky, multi-layered, "gross" mess. Were opting to give gDiapers AND BumGenius a good ol college try. And, there are many reasons that make the effort worthwhile.


First: gDiapers. Theyre HYBRID diapers. How cool is that? They offer the eco-consciousness of cloth, but also have disposable inserts for when youre on the go (har-har). And, the disposable inserts are bio-degradible, flushable, or compostable. Extra points for not junking up landfills! The plan is to use gDiapers for daily use. Theyre less bulky than traditional cloth and allow us to go between cloth and disposable as needed. Best of both worlds, Id say.

• Theyre eco-friendly
•  Less waste in landfills/our trash
• No cardboard "diaper boxes"
• Manufacturing process of cloth is greener than disposables
• Cost
• Health 
• Fewer diaper rashes
• Keeps boy parts "cooler"
• Fewer yeast infections/UTIs
• Fewer/No blow-outs
• No chemicals
• Theyre cuter!