My Week with Disposables

When I took my little guy for his six-month check-up, his pediatrician diagnosed his persistent diaper rash as a yeast infection.  This meant ten days of antibiotic cream and ten days with no cloth diapers, to let the infection clear up. Meanwhile, all the cloth diapers and cloth wipes were bleached.  That left us with disposable diapers and wipes for the ten day period.  After almost two and a half years of cloth diapering, it was quite eye opening.

Some things (I have to admit) were nice.  Disposable diapers have the advantage of being more compact.  I wouldn't need as large a diaper bag. Or I could fit even more into my diaper bag--like more wraps.  

On the other hand, I'm going to be really happy to get back into cloth. Here's why.  

1.  When we were out and baby boy pooped, I was unsure what to do with the diaper. Of course it was always at someone else's house. Or at the doctor's office where there is a big "no poopy diaper" sign on the trash can.  So, I ended up bagging it and bringing it back home. Not that different from cloth--except I was just carrying around straight trash.  And it was a lot messier than a cloth poopy diaper.  Which brings me to number 2 (pun intended). 

2.  The clothing changes.  Baby's spare clothes will stay in the diaper bag for weeks at a time--sometimes he even outgrows them without getting to use them.  But we had to change outfits for almost every poopy diaper.  Anyone who says they don't want to cloth diaper because they don't want poop in the washer doesn't know the power of the blowout.  

3. There's more about the poop.  It was harder to clean off with the disposable.  Slimier.  Ick.  I had to use way more wipes. 

4. Stink.  I discovered that I really dislike the combination of the smell of pee and plastic.  

5. I was naively surprised by the amount of trash.  We take our own trash to the landfill (country living), so we are super aware of the amount of trash we generate.  

6. It was inconvenient!  We were running low on disposables and snow was coming. Cue panic and sending of husband to the store, where he then had to text me with lots of questions because we've barely done this before.  Sure, we have to remember to wash diapers, but we always have back-up diapers.  

7. It was expensive.  We spent $20 on diapers for this ten day period. Granted, we have a few left over, but still!  We'd probably spend anywhere between $40 and $60 a month on diapers.  

Luckily, my son didn't react negatively to any of the disposable diapers we tried. My daughter broke out in a rash whenever she wore disposable diapers.  

The seventh reason is what really stands out in my mind.  We're really lucky that we can afford disposable diapers.  One in three families have to cut back on food or utilities to afford diapers.  This is why I have become a Share the Love host.  Share the Love is a cloth diaper donation bank run by Cotton Babies.  Local hosts collect donations and distribute them to families who just need a little bit of extra help.  If you have cloth diapers you are no longer using, I strongly encourage you to email sharethelove@cottonbabies.com 

JuJuBe Addiction

Diaper Parties started carrying Ju-Ju-Be diaper bags a few months ago. If you haven't heard of these diaper bags, you're in for a real treat.  And possible addiction. Here is what I love about these bags.

• Stylish prints.  These are all about mom's style and can serve double duty as purses or weekend bags without a baby or toddler in sight. 
• Light colored linings.  These make it really easy to find what you are looking for inside. 
• Metal hardware. It's going to last. 
• Lots of pockets.
• Machine washable.  This might be my favorite part, after the prints. 
• A range of sizes, styles, and prices.  

I have three JuJuBe bags now, and wanted to share with you how I use them.  

The Ju-Ju-Be Be Quick, which retails for $18, is the perfect bag for running into the grocery store.  

It's a very simple bag, with just one zipper pocket on the inside.  I use it when I think I won't need to do a diaper change, but know there's always a chance.  I also keep this bag inside a larger diaper bag so I can grab and go if I'm out running errands all day.

Here you see the contents of my Be Quick:

• Homemade lip balm
• iPhone
• Wallet
• Flip diaper cover
• OsoCozy Unbleached Flat Diaper with Snappi
• Plastic Bag (for soiled diapers/clothing)
• Planet Wise Wipes Pouch with BumGenius cotton flannel wipes

I like using flats diapers as backups because they can also double as a burp cloth or spit up rag.  They are super compact too. I just fold it before putting it into the bag so it's ready to go! Usually I use a reusable wet bag for dirty diapers, but here I use a plastic one because it's so compact.  This is my set-up for an hour's outing or less.  

  

The Ju-Ju-Be Be Light is the newest addition to my collection.  This is a great bag for a half-day out, and also makes a great large purse.  At $35, it's not a huge splurge to have in addition to a larger bag. 

I have a potty-learning two year-old and a six month old, and this bag is big enough for taking care of both of them. It has everything that I had in the Be Quick, with a couple of exceptions.  The plastic bag is gone, replaced by a reusable wet bag.  The flat diaper remains because of its dual purpose, but I took out the Snappi and cover in exchange for three other diapers.  Here's the breakdown: 

• CJ's BUTTer 1/2 oz pot (warm vanilla cake scent).  This is my favorite diaper cream, and it's cloth diaper safe!
• Lip balm
• iPhone
• Wallet
• Planet Wise Wipes Pouch
• Changing Pad
• Change of clothes for the toddler
• Grovia My Choice Trainer for the toddler
• Water bottle
• Planet Wise Wet Dry Bag
• 2 BumGenius 4.0 One Size Stay Dry Pocket Diapers 
• 1 BumGenius Freetime One Size All-in-One Diaper
• Change of clothes for the baby
• Osocozy Unbleached Flat Diaper

It folds up nice and small!

Finally, we have the Ju-Ju-Be Super Be.  When my son was born, my daughter was still in diapers.  And although I love cloth diapers, they aren't particularly compact.  Now that she's learning to use the potty, I only have cloth diapers for one but I often have to carry around multiple changes of pants (depending on the day--it's a long story).  This is the best bag for all day long, and I will be holding onto it as a weekend bag.  The bag itself is super lightweight, so you can really load it up.  I feel like this bag is the Mary Poppins bag of diaper bags.

A size comparison of the loaded up bags: Super Be, Be Light, and Be Quick

I have the Super Be folded up in the upper left hand corner to show how tiny it can be. It holds:

• Changing pad
• Pacifier Pod
• Water bottle
• Baby change of clothes
• Planet Wise wipes pouch
• Toddler change of clothes
• Grovia My Choice Trainer
• Wrapsody Stretch Hybrid Wrap 
• Six BumGenius diapers (4.0 and Freetime)
• Aden & Anais Classic Muslin Swaddle blanket
• iPhone
• CJ's BUTTer 1/2 oz pot
• Lip balm
• Wallet
• Large Planet Wise wet bag

I can go out for 12 hours with my bag packed like this. I love that I can hold a wrap or Tula in my diaper bag, with room to spare.  The best part about this large bag?  It's only $50 (slightly more for this print because it's a Legacy print).  

(In case you are curious about the prints, the Super Be is Marquess, the Be Light is First Lady, and the Be Quick is Royal Envy.  Marquess and First Lady are Legacy prints, which cost slightly more and have a gold label rather than a stitched label).

Whatever your diaper bag needs, Ju-Ju-Be is certain to have the right fit.  What appeals to you about these bags?


Note: I am a Diaper Parties consultant and work on commission.  These links are all affiliate links, and it helps me out if you purchase through these links and select me as your consultant at checkout!