Hello everyone! On a rainy day while the baby is napping before mommy & baby yoga, (I know, right? Perhaps another post, another time haha), I wanted to write a post on everything cloth diapers! I previously mentioned our interest in trying it out for our baby through a diaper service. So here is our little update!

SO- have we kept with the cloth diaper service at the 4 month mark for our baby? Short answer is YES, but with a small modification that works for us. To help YOU out in deciding whether it is for you, I thought a pro/con list would help.

Our Set Up:

Every Monday, Bear Bottoms requires us to have the big bag full of used diapers outside our door for pick up by 7am. They will then pick it up while dropping off a fresh bag full of clean cloth diapers. For a nominal price, we have also added cloth wipes to clean our baby’s bum as opposed to using disposable wipes (This explains the little bowl of water in the photo). In the baby room, we have a usual laundry bin with an empty bag to fill with the dirty diapers for the week. And that’s it!

Modification: Once our baby started to sleep longer through the night (around 3 months), we found that a single cloth diaper for that long couldn’t hold as much pee as a disposable. We would find her pyjamas and mattress sheet a bit damp. In order to keep her dry and comfortable through the night we have decided to have her use disposables during the night (typically we use 2). Once she wakes up fully for the day, we switch to cloth. Short trips to in-laws, parents, friends etc are easy and I will pack cloth diapers as well as a small plastic bag to collect and bring home.

PROS:

• Diaper service picks up/ drops off/ cleans etc the diapers you use- super easy, no work!
• No running constantly to the store to refill on diapers
• Need extras? No problem, it’s a free addition, just let them know
• You feel good for not filling up garbage cans & landfills full of used diapers
• No diaper rashes yet (I think people assume cloth diapers can somehow increase this)
• Fun prints! The covers come in a plethora of colours and cute designs

CONS:

• You need to be ready for pick ups/drop offs, even on holidays
• When traveling further from home or away on vacation, you will likely need to be reliant on disposables
• Costs are essentially equal, but you may need to purchase any extra disposables if supplementing
• Frequent changing! These do NOT wick away like typical diapers so be prepared to change diapers a bit more often
• Thicker cloth diapers makes for bulkier packing and you need to hold onto them to toss at home
• If in a condo, you need to be ready to buzz them in for pick up/drop off
• Bulkier means they are also a bit bulkier under clothing as you need the cloth diaper and the cover to keep clothing dry

Although the cons seem to outweigh the pros, we LOVE using the cloth diapers with the modification we made. Disposable diapers take a few hundred years to decompose- can you believe it?! Why not make a change and try something different? It’s very easy and so far, our own experience has been very positive and we will continue to stick with it. Have any questions? I’m happy to answer.

Whether you’re using a service or doing the cloth diapers on your own, there are plenty of options. Here are a few for Hamilton/Toronto/GTA beyond Bear Bottoms:

Diaper Services for Toronto/GTA:

Wonderwear– serves the whole Toronto/GTA

Comfy Cotton– serves the whole Toronto/GTA

Also check out your local stores that carry covers and cloth diapers if you prefer to do things at home!

Till next time!