We have been using cloth diapers for over 3 years, since our first child turned 1. We bought all one size diapers and were happy with our choice. As he got bigger, he outgrew some of the one size diapers and we ended up purchasing a few larger sized diapers. When our second child arrived, we did a mix of cloth & disposables to start. I purchased a few newborn pockets, AIOs, fitteds, covers and prefolds. Since my oldest was still in diapers at the time and we were both working full time, we purchased a few more one size diapers to help us get by. Now that we are down to one in diapers, we have a pretty decent stash for one – but many of them have been used constantly for 3 years! Somehow, I have managed to not make any cloth diaper purchases (for my own children) for almost 2 years!
Soon after getting that positive pregnancy test for baby #3, I found myself taking inventory of my newborn stash and checking out what else would need to be fixed or replaced for the new babe. I must have sold off some of my newborn AIOs and fitteds, but I do still have covers, a couple adorable AIOs I just couldn’t part with and some prefolds. I think my newborn purchases will consist of a few fitteds and prefolds as that is what worked best for us last time.
Next, I took a look through my current stash. The bumgenius pockets that have been in use for 3+ years are well loved. I have never replaced the elastic and while they work fine on my 2-year old, I don’t think they will hold up on a small baby anymore. After looking more closely, I noticed that the casing around the elastic is really thin, in some spots the elastic is showing & there are small holes and tears on other areas of the covers. At this point I’m not sure it’s worth replacing the elastic. I am not disappointed in the least. I got a great deal when I purchased them and if I had to guess, I would say they have been used probably 350-400 times, which brings the cost per wear to about $0.03…not bad at all! The PUL is in excellent shape & the snaps are still perfect.
I also have been looking at my inserts. The microfiber is holding up great but many of the hemp inserts I use as doublers are nearing the end of their life. I also have several flip organic inserts I use as inserts in pockets that are falling apart. But again, after 3 years of constant heavy use, I really can’t complain.
One of the minor changes I did make was putting away some of my “better condition” one size diapers and getting out the larger sized diapers that our son now fits into. Since he mastered aplix removal at an early age, I also have a few of them tucked away that will be perfect for the new baby.
After taking a look at what we have available, I started making a wish list. Did you know you can do that on Kelly’s Closet? If you didn’t, now you do. I hope to take advantage of sales coming up to snag a few items I will need to beef up my stash. I’ll need some Rockin Green soon, so I’ll be adding a few of my items from my list to complete my order & hopefully score a new *free* diaper as well.
Here are some items I’ve classified as a need for the new baby:
- Hemp inserts
- Flip organic inserts
- Newborn/small prefolds (hope to purchase used)
- Newborn/small fitteds (hope to purchase used)
- A new carrier – either an Ergo (have had previously) or a Onya (which I just drool over)
There’s no need to hurry with these purchases, but it feels good to start being able to plan something. Finally, I’m this close to earning a gift certificate from Kelly’s Closet rewards program. Should I buy something useful like hemp inserts or should I put it towards that Onya carrier or something else that I want?
By: Anonymous mama expecting baby #3!
Would you like to be a contributor on The Cloth Diaper Whisperer? We're always looking for creative writers who would like to share their cloth diapering tips. To find out more Contact Us
No comments:
Post a Comment