Cloth Diapers on the Cheap

One of the biggest obstacles to switching to cloth diapers is the initial cost. Although the overall savings (not to mention the benefits for baby's health and the environment) are enough for many families to desire the switch, having to shell out many hundreds of dollars all at once can be a big deterrent.

Here's a couple of ways that we have saved on cloth diapers, and some corners you can cut to make that initial expense (and any further expenses) a little less burdensome.

1. Buy Used

This is obviously a big one, and the obvious first choice for many of us who already buy clothes at thrift stores and furniture off Craigslist.

Used diapers may sound gross, but many mamas treat their cloth diapers like fine linen - only using the best cloth diaper-friendly detergents, no bleach, line-drying, and sunning out all stains. The result is that you can buy used diapers that are in great condition for cheaper than new.

Most cloth diapers have great resale value, so treat 'em well and you could easily get some of your money back when you're done using them!

Stores that sell preowned diapers inspect them carefully and rate them according to quality, so you can be sure you're getting diapers in the condition you want.

Some great places to look for used cloth diapers:

Craigslist - ours usually has a couple pages worth of cloth diapers.

Diaper Swappers - a great site to buy, sell and trade all things cloth! (Another option on this site: many mamas have an "In Search Of" list, and are willing to trade dipes for something on their list. See #3 for more about trading!)

Fluff Swappers on Facebook

Cloth Diaper Outlet Gently Used Items

Jillian's Drawers Gently Used Outlet

Diaper Junction Preowned Diapers

How to Successfully Buy Used Cloth Diapers

2. Buy Clearance Items & Seconds

Many stores sell "second" quality items, overstock, discontinued or unused returned items for a deep discount.When diaper manufacturers come out with a new version of their diaper, the old ones need to be cleared out quickly - what a great way to get perfect diapers for cheap!

Usually seconds have minor flaws that don't effect the functionality of the diaper. I've gotten some great deals on seconds and haven't even been able to tell why they're less than perfect!

Some places to find clearance and seconds:

 

Cloth Diaper Outlet New Clearance Items

Diaperco Like New & Seconds

Tiny Tush Clearance

Swaddlebees Clearance Store 

Cloth Diaper Clearance

Cotton Babies Clearance

3. Trade or Swap for Diapers

Bartering is back! Even though cash may be limited, you may have items or skills that other people want! I've used Swap Mamas to get quite a few of my diapers. I've either traded items I have or sewn crafty little items to trade for diapers. Sometimes a diaper that just doesn't work for you is exactly what another mama is looking for!

There may be local diaper swaps happening in your area (check local natural foods co-ops, natural baby stores, and other baby-related businesses for swaps!). These are great places to meet other cloth diapering families and score some new-to-you diapers, while passing yours on to someone else.

There are online swap groups as well:

The Fluff Exchange on Facebook

Cloth Diaper Swap on Facebook

Diaper Swappers - buy, sell, trade!

Swap Mamas- no money is exchanged on this site. You can "swap" for almost anything, but there's also a specific cloth diaper category.

4. Trade In Your Used Diapers for New Ones

This is similar to trading and buying used. Some stores allow you to trade in your outgrown diapers to receive store credit for new ones.

Of course, if you're planning on diapering another baby, you might want to hang on to your outgrown diapers so your next baby can be diapered for FREE, but if you're diapering your last child or cash for new diapers is especially short, this can be a great way to "size up".

Keep this in mind as you use your diapers - you'll get a lot more value for your used diapers if you have kept them in excellent condition and stain-free. Line drying and sunning to remove stains are two of the best ways to extend the life of your diapers and maintain their value.

Trade 'em in here:

Cotton Babies Growing Up in Cloth Program - When your baby outgrows your cloth diapers, you may be able to trade them in for credit at Cotton Babies! 

Cloth Diaper Outlet Buy-Back Program 

Re-Diaper

Happy Baby Company Trade-In Program

5. Try to Win Diapers!

There are TONS of cloth diaper giveaways on the internet. Tons. If you have the time and desire, you could probably enter a dozen giveaways a day!

Most require things like leaving comments on blogs, "liking" Facebook pages, and signing up for newsletters. If those things aren't a problem for you, it could be a great way to get cloth diapers for free.

I personally have tried to win diapers on occasion but the amount of email newsletters and Facebook pages I had to join started to get to be too much. However, I do know that some people have built most of their stash via giveaways!

Here's a few places to start for giveaways:

Feed Your Stash Fridays at Diaper Junction

Cloth Diaper Giveaways  

Cloth Diaper Contests

Cloth Diaper Giveaway Friday Roundup

Fluff Fridays at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer

6. Watch For Sales

 

This is pretty obvious, but it's worth mentioning. Online cloth diaper retailers almost always have sales going on! Signing up for their newsletters will give you a heads up on which items are currently on sale. Also, diaper manufacturers will often offer deals on their diapers, regardless of where they're sold - for example, BumGenius is currently offering a Buy 5 Get 1 Free sale.

Your local retail cloth diaper store will most likely have periodic sales as well!

7. Earn Reward Points for Free Diapers

Many stores offer rewards programs to help you earn free diapers. Usually each purchase will reward you with a certain number of points, which you can redeem when you have enough. Sometimes you can also earn rewards for leaving product reviews, referrals, participating in polls, and signing up for their newsletter. Sometimes there's a time limit in which to use your points, and some products are excluded due to manufacturer regulations. Still, if you have a favorite site to buy diapers, a reward program can be a great deal! 

One of my favorite local cloth diaper retailers also offers a rewards program. Be sure to check for similar programs at your favorite local cloth diaper store!

A few online rewards programs:

Diaper Junction Stash Cash

Kelly's Closet Free Diapers

FuzziBunz Diaper Dollars

Clementine in a recycled wool cover.

8. Sew Your Own Diapers 

Wow, there are so many resources out there for sewing your own diapers if you have a sewing machine (doesn't have to be fancy!) and basic sewing skills. Cloth diaper fabric is easy to find these days (even Joann's is selling diaper supplies, patterns and fabric now!) and there are many patterns for sale & for free online. Often times you can use thrifted material to make your own diapers too! (See my other post on recycled wool diaper covers).  

Here's a couple great links to get you started:

Very Baby - a one-stop shop for sewing diapers! 

Little Comet Tails cloth diaper patterns

Mega-list of Sew Your Own Diaper resources

DiaperSewing.com

How to Sew a Prefold the Real Way 

Katrina's Soaker Pattern (I use this one to make ALL my wool diaper covers!)

Knit or crochet your own diaper covers/wool longies! Many patterns can be found on Etsy. (Like this one and this one).

Turn prefold diapers into fitted diapers (I've used this tutorial on some of my prefolds and I love it!)

Make Prefolds from recycled t-shirts!

 
 
9. Buy Less-Expensive Diapers

Kind of a "duh", but the easiest way to spend less on cloth diapers is to....spend less on cloth diapers. ;)

There are lots and lots of fancy diapers out there with lots of amazing features. But many times a big price tag comes along with the bling. The fancy diapers may be alluring, but going with something simpler will definitely save you money. When buying diapers, consider how much each diaper change is costing you. 

For example, Benjamin is 5 months old and I change him roughly 4-5 times a day. (He can make it through the night without a change). Now let's say I'm using BumGenius Elemental All In One diapers (I do own one of these that I bought used and it's a great diaper!). These cost $24.95 new and are one of the fancier diapers commonly sold at retailers. You snap it on baby and go, and toss the whole thing to the wash after changing. So these diapers would cost me $25 a change, or $100+ a day. 

Newborn Moses in a prefold & cover

Now lets say I'm using Diaper Rite Prefold diapers (which are my favorite and make up the majority of my stash!) in size medium, along with a Diaper Rite Cover.  The prefold costs $2.59 and the cover costs $8.95, so each change would cost me $11.54 - less than half the cost of the BumGenius! But that's not all! Often times only the prefold needs to be thrown to the wash - as long as the cover isn't poopy, I can wipe it off and hang it to dry for the next diaper change. In this way, I can use just 2 covers each day instead of 4 or 5, so my cost-per-change is reduced even more! Using recycled wool covers or homemade prefolds would cut the cost of each change down to only a couple of bucks per change.

There's obviously a lot of variables in how much each diaper change costs based on what kind of diapers you buy. If you use all-in-ones or pocket diapers, the whole thing gets tossed to the wash each change. Using prefolds or fitteds with covers, or all-in-two systems allows you to sometimes reuse the cover for more changes.

I like to have a few "fancy" diapers to keep in my diaper bag for on-the-go changes, but have found prefolds and prefitteds with covers to be the most economical for the majority of our diapering.


10. Special Discounts

Some people in special circumstances can receive discounts or free diapers. There are military discounts, diaper grants for missionaries, and free cloth diapers for low-income families. Check your area for local cloth diaper banks (like Heiny Helpers) if the ideas above are still out of your means. 

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And remember, if you care for your diapers properly, they should last for your next child to use! You could potentially diaper a second child for free!  Now that's a cost-savings you can't beat.  =] 

Linking up with: 

Recycled Wool Diaper Covers

Wool is a great material for covering cloth diapers. Besides being naturally anti-fungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial, warm in the winter and cool in the summer, easy to care for and durable enough to last through many babies, "wool can maintain three seemingly contradicting qualities simultaneously:"

First, a wool diaper cover is thermal - "it can store water vapour up to 35 per cent of its own dry weight yet it remains dry to touch and speeds up the body's own cooling system." (2) To attest to this fact, wool is most regularly suggested for night-time usage when leaks most often occur in abundance, although certainly can extend to everyday wear. Second, while absorbent, they still remain breathable, allowing for a maximum amount of circulation around baby's bum. This helps prevent diaper rash, but also alleviates the health concerns of trapped heat within a diapering system. Finally, wool contains natural lanolin which creates a natural waterproof barrier or repellancy. (From The Diaper Hyena, Diaper Covers: Why Wool's Cool)

(For more information about the amazing qualities of wool and why to use them in cloth diapering, read "Why Use Wool for Diaper Covers? Wool Science for Cloth Diapering Parents" by Marc Pehkonen!

I've made several wool diaper covers for my babes and love them, especially to prevent leaks at night. By felting, sewing and "lanolizing" old thrift store sweaters, wool covers can be affordable and fun. (Here's one pattern I've used.)

You can find more info on cloth diaper websites and discussion forums!

Here's one of my first attempts on baby Moses:

Richard loves this gray one...

...but I love this newest creation!

She'll be wearing this and a little t-shirt all summer!

Photo Contest Winner!

My little Moses has won a place in the 2009 Real Diapers, Real Babies Photo Contest! This means that he will be featured in their 2010 Calendar, available for purchase in October. You can go here to see all the winners.

The Real Diaper Association is a non-profit organization which provides support and education to parents all across the U.S. for the use of simple, reusable cloth diapers. The goal of the Real Diaper Association is to put more U.S. babies in cloth diapers. To do this they aim to create a cultural shift in understanding cloth diapers-their environmental impact, their ease of use, their accessibility, and their acceptability. The Association will help parents understand that cloth diapers are real diapers.

We have never regretted using cloth and many is the time I've put a freshly laundered cloth diaper up to my face and enjoyed the thought of putting something so fresh and natural on my baby's bum. We started out using them with Moses, used the same diapers with Judah, have loaned them out a couple times, and now are getting ready to use them with our newest baby. What a great investment!

You can read my previous post about cloth diapers if you're interested in learning more about them, or check out the Real Diaper Association Resource Center!

A Couple More Diaper Facts

I wanted to add a few more things about CLOTH DIAPERS. To be fair, I have to add a couple more CONS, just so I don't seem too biased. But I am biased, of course.

Pro:
•Many babies who wear cloth diapers potty train sooner! Cloth diapers do not have a chemical gel to absorb wetness, so babies can feel the wetness and will be more uncomfortable wearing a wet diaper. Many times this helps a toddler become more motivated to use the toilet, and helps him associate the wet feeling with going potty. Yeah for less time in diapers!

Cons:
• Most baby clothes these days are NOT cut to fit over a cloth diaper, which is going to be bulkier than a 'sposie. Even the really nice, trim cloth diapers by necessity have to be bigger than a disposable, because they're using cloth to absorb instead of chemicals. So those tiny little cargo pants for your 3 month old probably wont fit. As your baby grows and the clothes get bigger, this will be less of a problem. In my experience, I needed something stretchy to wear on the bottom half for about the first 9 months, and then I was able to find jeans and khaki pants that fit. That's about how long it took to find pants to fit Moses, too. :)

• There are so many cool, cute, fun kinds of cloth diapers, that you may find yourself "needing" a huge stash of diapers that ends up costing as much as disposables. This is a common problem among cloth diaperers. The good news is that even if you spend as much, they're still better for your baby than disposables, and they have GREAT resale value. Seems odd, but it's true. People will pay good money for your used cloth diapers.

If I think of any more, I'll let you know.

Cloth is Cool

September has been a busy month here, with getting back into the swing of school, co-ops, field trips, golf lessons, choir... but I'm so glad fall is here! I love autumn and wouldn't mind if it lasted 4 months of the year!

I wanted to post a little something about cloth diapers. I have a few friends who recently started their journey into cloth diapering and a couple others who have expressed interest. Well, maybe interest is too strong of a word. Perhaps it was more like morbid curiosity. But yeah, I really do love cloth diapers. A few of my reasons are as follows:

1. COST -
Yes, I will admit that this is the #1 reason for us using cloth diapers. The savings are really, really huge. I mean huge. I've read several different sources that have figured the cost of cloth vs disposable, and while the amount varies, it is always a big chunk of money. So far I've spent a grand total of $420.90* to diaper Moses. He is now almost 15 months old and he may or may not need one more batch of toddler-size diapers before he potty trains (about 2 dozen). That will run about $40.00/doz new from an online store, or $30.00/doz new from eBay. So add $60-$80 and our grand total for diapering one child is $480-$500*. Now figure in that I'll be reusing all these diapers once our new baby is born, and the cost is now only $240-$250* per child! (Feel free to email me if you want to see an itemized list of my costs). The only downfall is the initial up-front investment is a lot with cloth. At least with disposables, the cost gets divided up over the years, whereas you'll have to drop a chunk of money all at once with cloth. However, it certainly pays in the long run!

*This doesn't include the cost of laundering and detergent, because I have no idea how to figure that. It's probably between $100 and $200 a year, give or take. Even with those costs added in, we've still only spent a fraction of what it would have cost to use disposables. The figures I've seen put the cost of using disposables for 2 years between $1,200 - $2,000. And of course not every kid potty trains at 2, so it can be much more. So the cost of cloth is pretty cool.

Here's some links showing cost comparison of cloth vs disposables:

Diaper Pin Cost Calculator
Very Baby Dollars and Sense
Do Cloth Diapers Seem Too Expensive?
Cloth Diaper Review
Save Thousands of Dollars with Cloth
Diaper Decisions
The True Cost of Diapering: More Than Money

2. HEALTH -
The health benefits play a big role in our decision to use cloth. Because diapers are in contact with your baby's skin pretty much 24/7 for at least 2 years, and because they're covering such a sensitive area, it's probably a good idea to know what's in them! Here's some info from the Real Diaper Association:

Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S.

Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.

Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbancy tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome.

In May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis.

(Sources for this information are listed on their website).

No studies have been done on the long-term affects of these chemicals being in constant contact with a baby's skin (and reproductive organs) for several years. That's scary!

Having a little boy, I'm especially concerned about the link between disposable diapers and increased infertility in men:

Pediatric Updates: Diapers & Infertility?
In boys, the scrotal sac is marvelously designed to maintain the testicles within a narrow temperature range, just below normal body temperature. When it is cold out, the sac constricts and draws the testicles close to the body for warmth; when hot, the sac is loose to keep them cooler.

When an undescended testicle is left untreated (especially beyond a year), its higher temperature causes an increasing risk down the road of infertility and testicular cancer.

Here’s the news -- disposable, plastic-lined diapers keep testicles hotter than core body temperature (and as much as 1.8 degrees F higher than testicles in cloth diapers)! The October 2000 issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood speculates that perhaps the significant rise in male infertility over the last 25 years is due to the widespread use of diapers that keep kids too warm. This has certainly not been proven, but time will tell. For now, the reasoning makes a lot of sense to me.
Dr. Alan Greene MD FAAP

Diaper rash is also more common in babies wearing disposables. Here's a quote from an article entitled "DIAPERS! DISPOSABLE OR COTTON?",

"Widespread diaper rash is a fairly new phenomenon that surfaced along with disposable diapers. Reasons for more rashes include allergies to chemicals, lack of air, higher temperatures because plastic retains body heat, and babies are probably changed less often because they feel dry when wet."

Here's some great articles on the health concerns involved with disposable diapers. If you read nothing else, please read some of these!

An Apple a Day
Diaper Rash: Comparing Diaper Choices
Are Disposable Diapers Dangerous?
Health Concerns of Disposable Diapers
Cloth Diapers and Your Child's Health
Disposable Diapers Linked to Asthma


3. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS -
I'm not what I would consider "green". I don't drive a hybrid car or use solar power in my home. However, I do take seriously God's command to be good stewards of the earth, so this is of some importance to me. "Reusing" instead of "disposing" seems to be a good idea in many cases. We don't eat off paper plates (much). We use cloth napkins instead of paper. I don't stock my diaper bag with those handy disposable bibs and changing pads. We use washable cloth toilet paper (JUST KIDDING!!) But seriously, cloth wins in this department. Here's some of my concerns:

A study prepared by The Landbank Consultancy for The Women's Environmental Network shows that single-use diapers use 3.5 times as much energy, 8 times as much non-regenerable raw materials, and 90 times as much renewable material as cloth diapers.
(The Landbank Consultancy Limited, "A Review of Proctor & Gamble's Environmental Balances for Disposable and Re-usable Nappies" July 1991)

The fact that landfills are being filled with billions of plastic diapers that don't fully (if ever) biodegrade is not a happy thought. Then add in this fact: All disposable diapers in landfills are supposed to be free from solid waste! Read the small print on your package of diapers. It instructs you to rinse the diaper and dispose of the fecal matter in the toilet before throwing the diaper away!! Sending human waste to the landfill is a violation of the World Health Organization standards. This is raw sewage, a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria, being left untreated and posing a serious risk of contaminating groundwater. Poop is needs to go to sewage treatment plants. So do you rinse out your diapers before you toss them? I know I never did!

Here's a couple of articles that look at the environmental issues:

An Apple a Day
Real Diaper Facts
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS: What Do They Mean For You and Your Baby?

4. CUTENESS -
Yeah, I know, not the greatest reason, but it's true. They are so cute. I just love putting soft, poofy, fluffiness on my baby's cute little behind. I mean, look at some of these diapers!












Wouldn't you want to put your baby in one of these??


















Some Final Thoughts -
The convenience factor: I will be the first to admit that cloth diapers are NOT as convenient as disposables. And in a culture where convenience is the #1 thing everyone wants and is willing to pay up the wazoo for, that's a definite downfall for cloth. However, I think it's important to look at the real of this convenience. Yes, disposable diapers are easy. But toll on your budget, the health risks and the questionable stewardship of resources make me view the inconvenience of cloth as minor in comparison. I've decided that I don't mind having to change diapers more often because it means healthier skin for my baby. I don't mind rinsing poopy diapers out in the toilet, because now my conscience would make me do that with disposables as well! Plus, with today's technology, cloth diapers are easier than ever to use. My diapers don't leak or smell yucky. I have a diapering "system" that works great and really is not a burden for me. I'd be happy to explain it (or demonstrate it) to anyone who's interested.

Check out "These Ain't Your Grandma's Cloth Diapers", "Cloth Diapering: Simple and Sweet!" and "The Top 10 Cloth Diaper Myths" if you're not convinced.

If you want more info, I've listed some great resources on the side bar. There's a lot of time and research that goes into switching from disposable to cloth, so if you're interested but feel overwhelmed, I'd love to help in any way I can!

Happy Diapering!

No More Diapers... Ever

Some of you may think I'm a little strange for using cloth diapers with Moses. Why would anyone go through the hassle of washing diapers and *gag* rinsing poop off them when you could just toss it? Well I won't get into all me reasons for CD'ing here (I'll save that for another post.) I just wanted to point out that I'm not as far on the fringe as I could be.

Some families are using NO DIAPERS at all. And no, they don't just let the baby pee and poop all over the floor. They are so in tune with their baby's signals that they know when he needs to go and they take him to the toilet and there he goes. This is true. It's called Elimination Communication, or EC. In less industrialized countries where parent's can't afford diapers, it's common practice today. And EC is actually a modern adaptation of an ancient childcare practice that has been used for centuries. Mothers all over the world traditionally carried their babies next to their bodies throughout the day, usually naked, (even Inuits kept their babies naked under the mother's parka) and slept close to them at night. Because of this closeness day in and day out, mothers would easily observe the signs that baby had to "go" and take them to the appropriate place to do their business. It seems a bit primitive, but recently EC has been catching on in the U.S. and other developed countries.

How does Elimination Communication work, exactly? Here's some tips from DiaperFreeBaby:

Observation is the first step in EC. While observing, there are a few things to look for. One is timing patterns and rhythms. Many babies need to pee either immediately or a few minutes after waking up, several minutes after nursing, at frequent, regular periods in the morning, at less frequent, regular periods in the afternoon, either before, during or after nursing sessions at night.

Other things to look for are body language and signals. These could include squirming, "fussing," vocalizing, frowning or having a look of "inner concentration", becoming still and pausing in activity, stirring or waking from sleep, looking intently or reaching for you, reaching for the potty, or indicating towards the toilet place.

For an older baby, signals could also include crawling or walking to the toilet place.

When you think your baby needs to eliminate, hold her in a gentle and secure manner over your preferred receptacle. This could be the toilet, sink, potty, bucket, diaper, tree, or any other appropriate place. Generally, she will be more or less in a deep squat, cradled in your arms with her back to your tummy. The main thing is to keep her secure and to think about your aim ;).

Once your baby is comfortably in position, make a specific cueing sound to "invite" your baby to pee or poop. In most places where EC is practiced culturally, caregivers use a watery sound such as "psss". This sound, along with a particular position, is used to signal or stimulate the baby's elimination. When you are starting out, make your cueing sound every time you notice your baby peeing. Within a few days, your baby will associate the sound with the act of eliminating. By practicing EC consistently, your baby will learn to release her bladder at will upon hearing the cueing sound and/or being held in the potty position.

From this point on, a strong line of communication about elimination will establish itself between baby and caregiver. Continue to observe your baby's timing and signals and to listen to your intuition. When you think it is time, hold her in position and give your cueing sound. If it is near time to go, your baby will do so at your cue. If not, she will signal "no" by resisting being held in position, arching her back, or simply not peeing. Never try to force your baby to eliminate. Just go back to whatever you were doing and offer another pee opportunity later. If your diapered baby has wet or soiled herself, simply replace the diaper with a clean one as soon as you notice. This will help your baby learn to keep herself dry by signaling her needs to you beforehand.

Some parents choose to go diaperless full-time right from the start. Others will start gradually, offering pee opportunities just at certain times throughout the day or part of the day. Many parents practice EC full-time but use diapers as back-up, simply removing them to offer a pee if the diaper is dry, or changing it if it is wet. Remember that there are many ways to begin putting EC into practice. The way you choose will depend on your lifestyle, personality, and personal preference.

Here's what one proponent had to say:

Dr. Mark Wolraich, professor of pediatrics and director of the Child Study Center, said the practice essentially conditions young children to go to the bathroom at predictable times or show clear signs when they must go.

"To be truly toilet-trained, the child has to be able to have the sensation that they need to go, be able to interpret that sensation and be able to then tell the parent and take some action," said Wolraich, who is also editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics' book on toilet training.

"And that's different from reading the subtle signs that the child is making when they have to go to the bathroom."

Parents attempt the early training to forge closer ties with their infants, to reduce the environmental impact associated with diapers and to avoid skin irritation caused by a wet diaper, Parise said.

From the article "Parents begin potty training at birth"



Well, I don't think I'm ready to go diaperless yet, but I do see many benefits from doing away with diapers! (See "75 Benefits of Elimination Communication"). Especially appealing is the intimacy and attentiveness a parent would have to have with their child. So often I find myself distracted and not even tuned in to my child's really obvious signals, much less his subtle ones. Learning to pay close attention and understanding my child's needs better is certainly a valid goal. So who knows. Maybe we'll go even further off the deep end and go daiperless with our next baby!