I put a request out there on Facebook with topics people wanted to know about and the first request was for tips on cloth diapering on the go/traveling. So you ask, I answer! And to date, the most popular post on the blog, so far, has been my cloth diapering post and I have had so many e-mails about them! Let’s tackle this side of cloth diapering.
Chad, Archie and I are on the go people. Whether it’s daily errands, outings to the zoo, walks, church, grabbing something to eat or traveling. I knew I didn’t want to worry about needing disposables for our outings so I made my mind up to CD (cloth diaper) on the go. We purchased a smaller wet bag such as this to keep in my diaper bag at all times. I also carry one ready to go cloth diaper with me and disposable wipes in A’s diaper bag.
When we are around town, changing his diaper and being prepared is no different than if we were using disposables. I just throw his dirty diaper in the wet bag, zip it up and unload it when we get home.
Now let’s talk about CDing while traveling for a trip. I’ve briefly mentioned in my first CD post about using up a pack of disposables someone gave us for our first out of town trip. I thought it would be one less worry or thing to think about that ended up being more of a hassle since Archie had numerous blowouts of the disposables. A problem we have only had twice in his 9 months of life in CD’s. Since that first trip we have taken several trips longer than 3 days and have hauled our CD’s with us. I make sure and have them all washed as close to the time we are leaving as possible and load them all up in a tote bag with his cloth wipes and spray bottle.
We take his large wet bag and Charlie’s Soap detergent with us. Thankfully we have had easy access to a washer and drier each time we have traveled so far but for any trip that is 2-3 days, I think we could make it on our stash of cloth diapers and then wash them right when we get home if we don’t have that luxury to wash where we are.
Archie seems to stay more comfortable and I am more comfortable because I know his routine and what he’s used to. While on the road, we change him in the car and if there is the unfortunate situation of poop then we just wait until we get to our destination and flush it or flush it if we are right where a toilet is. No biggie.
We even have 2 reusable swim diapers from Target that we took to the beach and plan on using all summer. They have been great so far and we’ll keep them around for the next babes too.
A few common questions I’ve gotten since my first post that you might find helpful too:
1. Which brand of cloth diapers do you use/are your favorite? We love our BumGenius pocket diapers. We currently have 15 of them and will probably round out our collection at 20 eventually. We also have 3 FuzziBunz pocket diapers and a couple of GoodMama diapers that were gifted to us.
2. Where do you purchase your diapers? I purchase ours through cottonbabies.com. And I’ll fill you in on our secret to having kept the cost down with purchases. They have a newsletter you can sign up for and every 3-6 months, they have what they call a “seconds sale”. These diapers might have a dirt mark or thread off kilter but nothing about the diaper performance or function is compromised. These diapers are typically around $18 a piece and while they don’t come with the inserts when they are on sale, they are only $11 a piece with free shipping. No big thing the inserts aren’t included because we bought 24 pre-folds when I was still pregnant so we stuff those in there and that has been awesome. Everything for one diaper comes out to only cost us about $13. Not too shabby and we have been so pleased with the “seconds sale”. I have not noticed any ‘defects’ at all.
3. How much does this really affect your utility/water bill? I’ll be honest, I really can’t tell a difference at all. Maybe a few dollars every couple of months if I’m guessing?
4. How much do you really save? Since Chad and I decided to go forward with cloth wipes and diapers, I have estimated that we are saving roughly $75 a month if Archie is in cloth for 2 years. Savings that I will gladly accept or use toward mommy and daddy date nights.
5. Do I really need a diaper sprayer? No. A sweet friend from church gave us an extra they had they never used. We did start to use it for his diapers but since Archie was just a breastmilk baby for the first 6 months, we decided to see how they did in the wash without rinsing. The poo dissolved and I never saw a remnant. I did use the sprayer for the few weeks while we were introducing solid foods but I definitely could’ve improvised in a sink or tub. Save money where you are willing and if that’s an extra that you want then go for it. If you want to try without one at first, just know you can always order one if you feel like you truly need it.
6. What about cloth diapering full-time? Is it still worth it? Honestly, that has to be up to you and your household. If Archie was in daycare and they didn’t accept cloth diapers, then I would still cloth diaper full-time at home because I’ve just found that it’s worth the savings, gentleness on his sweet baby skin and peace of mind. Use whatever you feel is best for your family.
7. What do you family/friends that take care of Archie think about it? All of our parents were definitely curious about why we were choosing this route and nervous when they saw the diapers because they’ve never dealt with cloth before like the cloth diapers are made now. No stick pins, crazy contraptions, folding and washing techniques anymore. Most of our family and friends have changed Archie’s diaper while we’ve gone on date nights or had meetings to go to. They’ve all admitted how easy it is and most of our friends want to cloth diaper because they’ve seen A being cloth diapered, changed him, seen first hand how easy it can be and how much money we’ve saved.
8. What diaper rash cream do you use? We use California Baby Diaper Cream because it’s acceptable to use on cloth diaper’s. So when you are checking out diaper creams at your local baby stores or Target, just make sure it’s ok for cloth diapers. If it isn’t, then your cream won’t rinse properly off your diaper.
So, we truly love to CD and think it is the perfect fit for our family. You just have to make the best decision for your family because everyone is different but if you are discouraged while you are traveling and still wanting to CD then have no fear. It’s totally doable and no real extra effort!
Happy Diapering!
The Highlands Life 