It's happening again. I followed an interesting link today, and found myself yet again drooling over various cloth diapers...
Perhaps I should back up for a moment and give some history.
Before LW was born, I swore I was going to cloth diaper her. Better for the environment (at least marginally), better for our bank account, better for her bum. Or so I thought.
But then.. the trials and tribulations began. First the diaper covers made her umbilical stump bleed, so into Huggies she went, "just for a few weeks".
Then, when the yucky-ucky stump finally turned into a cute bellybutton, back to the cloth, only to start The Rashes.
I swear, I did everything, and then some, to figure the problem out. Different wash routines, different laundry soap, baking soda, vinegar, bleach, boiled the diapers, sunned the diapers... nothing worked. I'd put her in the 'sposies for a few days, clear everything up with rash cream, try again, and then back to The Rash we'd go.
Finally around 6 mos I'd had enough. I LOVED the cloth diapers for their ability to never, ever leak, despite massive... explosions... but LW's tush apparently didn't feel the same way. Incidentally, even with the disposables, she pretty frequently requires rash cream.
But now... we've gone awhile without really needing the cream. The explosions are a thing of the past, and her digestive tract seems to have settled into some sort of happy harmony that would seriously limit her exposure to anything more problematic than wetness. And I am again wondering whether maybe, just maybe, cloth might be worth it? I know better than to think that the prefolds will work, because she *is* sensitive to too much moisture and heat. I find myself wondering, though - might pocket diapers actually work for her? It would cost around $350 to buy enough one-size diapers to last through the rest of her diapering years (they might still be around for a second baby, as well), plus the laundering costs. We're spending $40/mo on disposables right now. Should I do a "trial package" from somewhere, just to see if "The Rash" comes back with pocket diapers? Is doing my small part for the earth worth it?
Or should I get the message that maybe, LW in cloth diapers just wasn't meant to be?
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3 comments:
Try washing with this: http://almostdomesticmama.blogspot.com/2010/02/were-all-little-nutty-around-here.html
Is there any chance that the rashes were connected to teething? Babies/kids can get horrid rashes when they are teething...
Karen - I'll have to try those soap nuts! I've seen mixed reviews, but it's worth getting a $2 sample to try.
Coffee Catholic - I don't think it is a teething rash, as it always seems to happen in conjunction with moisture and heat, regardless of what's going on with her teeth or her diet. Car seats and car trips, for instance, used to give her a rash every time, even when we would change her frequently. That's why I'm wondering whether the pocket diapers (with a "stay dry" liner of fleece) would help, or whether they would just be too hot... and whether maybe I should just stick with the disposables at least for this baby. But I so want cloth to work!
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