It's hard to believe that its been over two years since Christopher was born. It has flown by. It has also been over two years since we made the cloth diapering commitment.

While pregnant with Christopher I frequented a mommy discussion board and learned that cloth diapering is making a comeback. I also learned that these are not your mother's or grandmother's cloth diapers. In fact, they are very close to disposables. They are super easy to use and have I ever mentioned how cute they are?

Christopher - 1 month old

Now that its been over two years since we made that cloth diapering commitment, do I still feel the same way about cloth diapers?

My short answer? Yes. And honestly, I probably even feel more strongly about the cloth diapering cause. Looking back to when we I decided cloth diapering was the way to go, it was for a couple of reasons, but mainly the cost effective reason. When it comes down to it, you are saving a ton of money in the long run if you go with cloth...even in the toddler years. Let's say Christopher went through 4 diapers in a 24-hour period.  That's 28 diapers per week, 112 diapers per month and 1,344 diapers per year. And that's only 4 diapers each day! Imagine when they are newborns and you are changing them constantly.

So let's say you go with the Costco brand that is sold in bulk at $47.99 per box. The size Christopher is currently in now only comes with 186 diapers in it. That means you would need at least 7 boxes for the year. Not too bad, right? That adds up to $335.93 per year. That's about how much I spent on all of Christopher's diapers that have lasted over two years now. And remember, we are diapering a toddler. Newborns go through about 8 diapers per day. That means you are spending an average of $47.99 on Costco diapers each month ($575.88/year).  And if you are lucky and your child potty trains at the age of 2, you spent almost $1,000 on just diapers alone. Remember, that most children don't potty train until the age of 3.

I am happy to know that I have paid for our stash at least 3 times by now (and I didn't even choose the cheapest diapers out there).

Christopher - 11 months old

But, let's get real. While you are saving money with cloth diapers, the more disturbing fact is what the millions of other parents are doing to our planet. I have heard, "You aren't making a difference" when it comes to cloth diapering. But, indeed, I am. I am saving our planet from having at least 3,000 diapers (in a 3-year time span) from being dumped into our landfills.

Imagine your standard kitchen trash bag. That thing could probably hold (ewww) a weeks worth of disposable diapers (let's say 28) if you're lucky (and that's one smelly ass bag). Now imagine 52 of those trash bags filled with disposable non-biodegradable diapers. If your child potty trains by the age of 3, you have now contributed a total of 156 kitchen sized trash bags of poopy diapers.

It is estimated that it could take about 500 years for a the "organic" matter of the disposable diaper to decompose. As far as we know, plastic never decomposes. So those 156 trash bags of poopy diapers you threw away will still be around longer than your great, great grandchildren.

Awesome.

::steps off soapbox::

Christopher - 14 months old

Whew! Now that that's out of the way, back to my answer - yes, I am still happy we chose cloth over disposable.

Here are a few tips for cloth diaper "newbies:"

• get snaps - aplix is super duper easy, but it will wear and its just a pain in the butt to replace
• use cloth diaper friendly detergent and follow washing instructions carefully (no, I have not had any mishaps with our dipes)
• you can use cloth diapers even when you are out and about - all you need is a wet bag!
• wash your dirty diapers 2-3 times per week
• have enough diapers in your stash to last you 2-3 days (probably about 15)
• there are many different styles of cloth diapers - get the ones that work for you and your little one
• try one diaper of the brands you are interested in before you buy an entire stash
• you don't need a cloth diaper service - just wash them at home
• you are already dealing with poop when changing a disposable, so get over it and try cloth if you are on the fence
• many companies offer a cloth diaper trial - check one out if you aren't sure which way to go

our stash

Taking the first step into the cloth diapering world was scary, but honestly, cloth diapers are just as easy as disposable. I wouldn't have it any other way. And did I mention, they are cute?

-------------------------------------------------
Did you enter the What to Expect giveaway yet?