Cloth Diapering - Even for the Faint of Heart

I love me some gDiapers. I've been a faithful gMum since Lucas was six weeks old. For such a small company, the people at gDiapers know what's going on. I've spoken with their customer service  (which, buy the way, is awesome!), and they really stand behind their products.

Granted, when we travel for days-on-end for Robotics, cloth isn't really an option for us, so we end up using disposables, but when we're back at home, it's always our g's! 

When people hear me say that I use cloth diapers, there's always that moment when their mouth is agape, and this whooshing sound comes out of their mouthes. Seriously, people, it's not that difficult. Have a look-see.

How gDiapers Work

The kind folks over at gDiapers have an awesome website that explains how this amazing product works, but I'm gonna give you my own two cents. 

Basically, it's like lined underwear for your baby or toddler. Rather than putting the nylon pants on the outside of the cloth (like the diapers your momma probably used on you!), it snaps into a super cute underwear-like pant.
When your baby goes potty, just take out the soft cotton gCloth, and toss it in the wash (we have a dry diaper pail that we store the dirties in, and wash them separate from Lucas' other laundry). If there's a poopy, then you may have to wash the liner, too. Reuse the gPant, and that's it! Easy as pie (although not quite as good-smelling), and cute, too!

Ahhh, the Choices!

Our main purpose in choosing cloth was to save money, so I did the math a while back, and wrote this article about it. Basically, what it boils down to is that we saved almost $725.00 in the first year simply by using gDiapers with gCloth. Not a bad gig, if you ask me.
With this mindset, we've infrequently taken advantage of gRefills. Also, because we live in an apartment, we don't really have the option to compost, so flushing or tossing the gRefills was our only option. You, on the other hand, may have more choices than us. So go ahead, dare to be a gMum or gDad. The Earth will love you for it, and your wallet will, too.

Plusses and Deltas of using gDiapers with gCloth

Life is full of plusses (good things that make you feel happy!) and deltas (not necessarily bad things, but something you wish you could change), and so are gDiapers. Here's some helpful tidbits of advice that I feel it necessary to pass along.

Delta

  1. Any cloth diapering system is an expensive initial investment, but once they're purchased, they're yours forever and ever!
  2. Cloth diapers make more laundry, which may raise your utilities. Do the math to see what's cheaper for you!
  3. If you forget to bring your diapers in, and it happens to rain, they get all wet (a lesson learned the hard way!).
  4. gDiapers are a little hard for toddlers to take off when trying to use the potty independently.
  5. Boys don't look so cute in pink, ruffled gPants, so you may want to consider neutral colors.
  6. As your child grows, you have to buy bigger gPants and gCloth inserts.

Plus

  1. Cloth diapers are "free" after about 10 weeks of use (less the cost of laundry), and can be used by multiple children
  2. Cloth diapers make less trash, and are better for the environment.
  3. In the summer, you can put your cloth diapers outside to dry! Plus, the sun is a natural brightener!
  4. It's easier to potty-train children who wear cloth regularly because they sense "wetness".
  5. gDiapers are MUCH cuter than those disposable ones, and come in a variety of colors and styles.
  6. Size Medium-XL use the same gCloth, and even with more gPants, it's STILL cheaper than disposables!