Cloth Diapers

Mrs.mom

New Member
They wash pretty clean, no stains. You take the insert out to wash and they're not bulky. They are fine in the dryer, a normal cycle. They dry quick outside, too. If I leave them sitting for more than 2 days I wash them twice. The all in ones are more expensive up front but it's worth it in a couple of months. I use disposables when she has a diaper rash because it's hard to get the cream out. My baby likes to poop in the car, and sometimes we have a 30+ minute drive.
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
Very interesting.

Yes, I remember what a pain cream was to launder out of diapers. Even baby powder presented it's own unique problems, as it would clump and bunch in the fabric.

My kids used to occasionally suffer sore bottoms, too, when they spent extended periods of time travelling in the car, especially on a hot day. I remember youngest dear son having a red, irritated bottom after we drove some 16 hours to visit family on the Island one summer. It was a heat rash caused by the rubber pants. He spent the next two days in plain cotton diapers to help calm his little bottom down. Fresh air and sunlight were the two best things (I found) for baby red bottoms in our home.

I remember laying oldest daughter out on the lawn out back on a blanket (on her tummy) one time when her bottom flared-up, and poof, on day three her bottom was clear again.
 
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Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
The all in ones are more expensive up front but it's worth it in a couple of months.
My sister-in-law and I, had it figured that the plain old-fashioned method of diapering that we used in our homes had already paid for itself (once over) within the first month of use.

1980's prices (from what I remember approx.)

Cotton flannelette diapers - .74¢ a diaper (dozen to a pack) - $8.88
Diaper pins - .25¢ per pin (4 pins to a pack) - $1.00
Rubber pants- .24¢ per pair (6 pairs to a pack) - $1.44
Plastic diaper pail - second-hand (passed-down to me from family)

With my oldest, I started off with 3 dozen diapers, a few sets of pins, and a dozen pairs of rubber pants. Total cost, $31.02

When baby #2 was due, I bought 2 dozen more diapers. Total cost, $17.76

Those 5 dozen diapers covered the entire diapering needs of both babies (newborn to toilet training), then went on to diaper the bottom of baby #3. The only expense I was faced with related to the old, was rubber pants and laundering, which equated to nothing more than pennies per pair (rubber pants), and pennies per wash-load (laundering).
 

Mrs.mom

New Member
Very interesting.

Yes, I remember what a pain cream was to launder out of diapers. Even baby powder presented it's own unique problems, as it would clump and bunch in the fabric.

My kids used to occasionally suffer sore bottoms, too, when they spent extended periods of time travelling in the car, especially on a hot day. I remember youngest dear son having a red, irritated bottom after we drove some 16 hours to visit family on the Island one summer. It was a heat rash caused by the rubber pants. He spent the next two days in plain cotton diapers to help calm his little bottom down. Fresh air and sunlight were the two best things (I found) for baby red bottoms in our home.

I remember laying oldest daughter out on the lawn out back on a blanket (on her tummy) one time when her bottom flared-up, and poof, on day three her bottom was clear again.
Very interesting.

Yes, I remember what a pain cream was to launder out of diapers. Even baby powder presented it's own unique problems, as it would clump and bunch in the fabric.

My kids used to occasionally suffer sore bottoms, too, when they spent extended periods of time travelling in the car, especially on a hot day. I remember youngest dear son having a red, irritated bottom after we drove some 16 hours to visit family on the Island one summer. It was a heat rash caused by the rubber pants. He spent the next two days in plain cotton diapers to help calm his little bottom down. Fresh air and sunlight were the two best things (I found) for baby red bottoms in our home.

I remember laying oldest daughter out on the lawn out back on a blanket (on her tummy) one time when her bottom flared-up, and poof, on day three her bottom was clear again.
I let her have naked time but she walks while holding on to furniture and crawls. She peed on the floor a couple times but it's no big deal. I wash her and let her loose. How did you do the pins when your baby was mobile? Mine does not stay still. Though it is funny to watch her crawl away really fast with her naked bottom. I definitely appreciate the little moments. They grow so fast.
 

Mrs.mom

New Member
My sister-in-law and I, had it figured that the plain old-fashioned method of diapering that we used in our homes had already paid for itself (once over) within the first month of use.

1980's prices (from what I remember approx.)

Cotton flannelette diapers - .74¢ a diaper (dozen to a pack) - $8.88
Diaper pins - .25¢ per pin (4 pins to a pack) - $1.00
Rubber pants- .24¢ per pair (6 pairs to a pack) - $1.44
Plastic diaper pail - second-hand (passed-down to me from family)

With my oldest, I started off with 3 dozen diapers, a few sets of pins, and a dozen pairs of rubber pants. Total cost, $31.02

When baby #2 was due, I bought 2 dozen more diapers. Total cost, $17.76

Those 5 dozen diapers covered the entire diapering needs of both babies (newborn to toilet training), then went on to diaper the bottom of baby #3. The only expense I was faced with related to the old, was rubber pants and laundering, which equated to nothing more than pennies per pair (rubber pants), and pennies per wash-load (laundering).
Wow!
 

Pink Elephant

Well-Known Member
I let her have naked time but she walks while holding on to furniture and crawls. She peed on the floor a couple times but it's no big deal. I wash her and let her loose. How did you do the pins when your baby was mobile? Mine does not stay still. Though it is funny to watch her crawl away really fast with her naked bottom. I definitely appreciate the little moments. They grow so fast.
You are so right, those little moments are the best, and as with life in general, it all goes by so fast. That's what I appreciated best about being able to stay-at-home, was seeing and enjoying all of my kids milestones and victories, while knowing they were being taken care of the very best way possible. Peace of mind for me.

As for diaper pins at change-time, there were accidents for sure. Over-wiggly, fretting, kicking younger babies were at risk of pin-pricks, but it was the older ones that remembered best when they suffered the business end of a diaper pin. They quickly learned to lay still while getting their pants changed. As fun as changing-time could be (the mock spankings I gave, the funny faces I made, etc), there was also a serious side to getting your diapers changed when the old-fashioned was in use. I'd tell my kids, even kids I used to babysit... "lay still, or you're going to get poked with a safety pin".
 
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