Hello everyone.... :)
Life has been busy, fun, hilarious, exhausting, and a little achey for me these past few months. lol Just wanted to let everyone know how the pregnancy is going in general and a little bit more about my plans for cloth diapering.
I am nearing 34 weeks in my pregnancy (just a couple of days away from that) and feeling really good! I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and this should just be a regular OB visit. I'm hoping to have our second ultrasound scheduled at the end of this appointment, and will definately be bringing up the subject if the doctor doesn't! :) Ethan and I are so excited to get to see Trevor (that's our baby boy's name by the way) and an ultrasound would help ease a little bit of our anxieties about how he's doing in 'there.'
So far, I've managed to gain a little less this far into the pregnancy than I did with Preston, and hope that trend continues through the holidays (wish me luck on this one). ;)
Also, just wanted to share that Ethan and I have discussed how to save some money (in the long run) with Trevor and one way I thought was a good and reasonable way to do this was by shifting to cloth diapering. :) Believe me....you can get lost in the information that is out there and the numerous brands/types, and websites there are for cloth diapering! I had a bit of insomnia for a couple of weeks lately, and have spent countless hours researching and bouncing around from site to site, jotting down information that might be helpful, taking price comparisons from site to site on their products, and reading hundreds of reviews from consumers on the products they chose to try out. :) I must admit, it is definately addicting to learn about the pros and cons of each type of diaper style you choose to go with, and the various accessories that might be very helpful to you too.
We decided to jump in and invest in two basic types of cloth diapers: Fuzzibunz One-Size Pocket Diapers, and Thirsties Duo Wrap Diaper Covers. I do have one BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper that I'll try out as well. For the diapers that are just covers, you will need to place something inside (like a prefold, or a fitted cloth diaper, or an insert), so I purchased some cotton/hemp combo prefolds (supposed to absorb 25% more than just cotton prefolds), a package of regular Gerber cotton prefolds, and some inserts that are stay-dry inserts from the Thirsties brand.
In general, I chose to go with pocket diapers because they have a pocket in the diaper that you can place your soaker (or insert) in and take it or shake it out for laundering, thus the drying time is faster than an All-In-One. I chose the diaper covers because the covers can be used multiple times potentially (as long as they are not completely soiled) and just placing new prefolds or inserts inside. You also have a choice of using velcro (like a regular disposable) or snap closures (which tend to last longer). I chose to go with the snaps.
To help with the cloth diapering experience.... we purchased what's called a wet bag as a pail liner. The wet bag is waterproof on the inside (where the dirty diapers will be placed), and there is a cotton type of fabric on the outside. This wet bag will be washed in the washer along with the diapers. We also purchased a diaper sprayer that hooks up to our toilet (it's a mini shower, or bidet) which will help to rinse the more solid waste into the toilet without dumping and swishing the diapers (YAY).
There are so many websites to go to, but I've only really ordered from a few (amazon.com, diaperjunction.com, kellyscloset.com, cottonbabies.com, and snootybootydiapers.com).
I'm interested in maybe getting a couple more pocket diapers (because I think that daddy, relatives, and caregivers will feel more comfortable with those over the prefold/diaper cover option) as a Christmas gift. So...my Christmas Wish List does include: 2 Kawaii One-Size Pocket Diapers (that should come with inserts), or 2 Knickernappies (althought they are more expensive than the Kawaii ones) One-Size Pocket Diapers. :)
All this to say, that I'm just oober-excited to meet our little Trevor and Lord-Willing bring him home healthy and strong.
Love you all!
Hillary