CD Parents: What made you start?

[sarack]

I'm not CDing yet, but I've wanted to CD since I was little. My mom did, and I always thought it was a great way to try to save some waste from the environment/landfills. Plus, there are lots of chemicals in disposables, however babies use them all the time and are fine. I've just always wanted to! oh, and you save money.

[picksthemusic]

So, I think once we get into a house with more room and (hopefully a laundry room) perhaps with next baby we'll be a CD family. But still need to get the new house, so it's on hold for now. LOL

[niq]

I guess msniq has friends who CD. I had heard of it a little but I always thought it was done either by dirty hippies who want to save the planet or hyper protective parents who think disposables are unhealthy for baby (along with everything else). I would not have considered it if she hadn't, and I would be more on the fence without the people on the. board.

Even on a tablet, I blame all wring words on Swype

[jennlin]

Mar 27, 2013 19:08:00 GMT -5 niq said:

I guess msniq has friends who CD. I had heard of it a little but I always thought it was done either by dirty hippies who want to save the planet or hyper protective parents who think disposables are unhealthy for baby (along with everything else). I would not have considered it if she hadn't, and I would be more on the fence without the people on the. board.

Even on a tablet, I blame all wring words on Swype

i have a friend that does CD, and she was the one that worked really hard on convincing me. before bjl, i always made fun of her for being a hippie bc of it...but i totally get it now. they're so cute!

[dana86]

I switched for a few reasons. One being the cost of diapers. Being a SAHM I felt like I could do my part to save money and diapers was a good start. Not to mention I heard CD babies had easier times potty training which was another big reason. So I bought a few and was hesitant at first because I got a detergent that didn't do well with M's tushy and that made me frustrated but I stuck through it and am so glad I did. I hope to start CD any other kids we may have much sooner since I didn't start with M until she was 18 months

[catbus]

Mar 27, 2013 18:33:35 GMT -5 sarack said:

I'm not CDing yet, but I've wanted to CD since I was little. My mom did, and I always thought it was a great way to try to save some waste from the environment/landfills. Plus, there are lots of chemicals in disposables, however babies use them all the time and are fine. I've just always wanted to! oh, and you save money.

Ditto; I remember my mom using cloth for my younger brother and sister. These were just prefolds, diaper pins, and rubbery covers, and they'd go in the pail and be picked up weekly by Baby Diaper Service for laundering. But I kind of just assumed that's what I'd do, too. Then my first friend to have a baby was doing CDs; this was 2009, so things had evolved so much and I was completely convinced that CDs are the way to go. I don't see a reason to add more waste to the world if it can be avoided. We used disposables the first six weeks or so of E's life, until he was big enough for one-size pocket diapers and we felt "in the groove" with a baby. Those initial weeks I felt so guilty about the mass amount of trash we were creating. We have one of those mini-bins for our garbage (the smallest bin option through Seattle Public Utilities), which is typically not even full each week--we usually fill about half a tall kitchen trash bag), but those weeks with disposables we could barely close the lid on the bin on trash day. It was obscene.

[ashleyp728]

I am going to ask a maybe dumb question... I have been looking into CDing and I am really leaning towards it, as is H, but... what are the prefolds for? Do they go under the liner for *extra* protection?

ETA: 
I found a video on youtube that helped. So my question now is, if I use liners, do they take the place of the prefolds? I was considering the gDiaper disposable liners. I am just wondering if I will still need prefolds, or if its a one way or the other deal?

[jennlin]

disposable liners make CD's not worth it, IMO. washing really isn't all bad. and like jennuinne said, unnecessary until they start eating solids (or formula).

prefolds, to my understanding (i don't use them) are a type of insert you use inside of a "cover". a cover is the water resistent outside, that keeps MOM dry. the prefolds go inside the cover, and get wet/dirty. prefolds have to be changed at each diaper changing, covers do not...which makes prefolds/covers combo even less expensive.