thinking about quitting cloth - just for this kid

[passionatemom]

I guess I want someone to tell me that it's okay to quit. But only if you're sincere :) (though how would I know if you weren't?). Here are my reasons.

Emmett is 3 and will have to start pottying in the next few months to a year - right??? What is the latest yours learned? I have never heard of a normal healthy kid going older than 4, but maybe it happens.

He actually seems to notice being wet more in a disposable - because it puffs up.

He fights changes a lot. We can make it through gently, if I have a lot of time to wait. Sometimes I don't have time, or I forget to apply the technique :blush (I just figured out the right ways to motivate him to cooperate). It's quicker and easier to slap on a disposable.

I'm pregnant, due in 3 months. So changes are harder for me physically, and soon I'll have two to change. (Though I vow to do cloth on the newbie!)

He still pees sooo often, and sometimes sooo much at one time! Yesterday I put on the most absorbent thing I have - a regular cloth diaper with a hemp prefold for a doubler, and a wool cover (not my thickest wool, but still). In less than 90 minutes, he had soaked the diapers, the wool was wet, and pee ran down his leg.

I also have a dog on meds that make him need to go out every 2-4 hours. He may be on these meds the rest of his life (not expected to be more than 6 months??).

And I'm racing against gestation to finish my master's degree.

I almost quit a few months ago, but bought new covers instead. It helped for a while, I don't know, maybe I just get discouraged too easily. Yes, I lanolize pretty often, every 2-4 weeks, try to do it every 2.

If you were me, do you think you would quit?
Do you have a super good reason why I shouldn't? (I know about the environment, the chemicals, . . . but it's only for a few months, and I can't be perfect in every way, I am not Mary Poppins!)

[WildOlive]

I say do what you need to do. :hug

I CD'd both my older two, but this third kid is a peeing machine. I could not find any CD combo that did not leak for him, plus I just do not have as much time to do laundry, so the dipes were sitting in the pail too long and getting nasty. Disposables have made my life way easier. At least he only leaks through those at naptime or bedtime. I think he's got a mini high pressure hose in there. :shifty

I still feel moderately guilty about it, but my life is much less harried, and I think it's worth it. At least I've saved two kids' worth of disposables from the landfill. It's ok to take a break. Maybe in the future you'll feel ready to CD again.

[Mother of Sons]

I wouldn't feel any guilt over quitting for now. There is nothing wrong with taking something off your plate when it is too full and if using disposables for awhile makes your life a little easier to manage, then I say go for it.

[ShangriLewis]

I quit for awhile this pregnancy because the smell of cloth made me so sick. I still do paper diapers at night because I have never had any luck with night cd.

I will use paper for the first month with the new one probably. I always ask for them and get plenty. It is so nice to not have to worry about changing. I don't function well on little sleep and if I use cloth I forget to change them:O

[milkmommy]

He actually seems to notice being wet more in a disposable - because it puffs up
This was Cecilia exactly. Cecilia was a late potty trainer (almost 5 before fully trained) she has some sensory delays and pottyins was one area it really showed. She could of cared less if her cloth diaper was dripping and dragging with wetness (not that we let it) and naked peeing all over her self again nothing not one reaction.. BUT a pull up she noticed she reacted when the gells clumped.. she didn't like that and wanted out.. She soon began to feel the change sooner and sooner and eventually could anticipate.. We pretty much switched to full time pull ups for a while with this new revolation once sehs got decent at it I switched to cloth pull ones trainers for day time and pull ups at night (till she naturally woke dry).
I'd do what works best. I know for me as much as I knew Cecilia PT issues were real and not somthing shes was trying to do.. I also saw soooo many kids years younger than her totally out of diapers. I struggled a lot with suddenly wanting her to also succeed and it wore on my patience. Honestly pull ups gave me some freedom.

Deanna

[ServingGod]

I would do what I had to do. My husband practically forbade me from cding our 3rd child because I was already so overwhelmed, and still had 2 in diapers.
To this day Im thankful he did! I couldn't have handled anything extra even though I think I don't have a limit. :-/

[passionatemom]

Thanks all. I may change my mind tomorrow, but I think it's the thing to do right now. Maybe I will at least check into some environmentally friendly disposables.

[OneSillyMommy]

In my opinion it's not the end of the world if you quite cd at this point. He's had 3 years of soft cloth on his skin and will probably be out of diapers in a few months. If it helps your sanity during this busy time of pregnancy/finishing your masters and caring for a needy toddler you have my permission.
(I hate changing and washing toddler poo diapers)
I stopped cloth with my #3 at the end of my pg with#3 and he potty trained during the day pretty quickly, within a few months after he was born.

[ShangriLewis]

I order seventh generation or nature babycare by subscription from amazon. You can cancel the subscription at any time.

[passionatemom]

I think I don't have a limit. :-/

I often think this about myself too - and it used to seem more true when I was single and had no one to take care of but myself. Even getting married seemed to change my actual (though not my perceived) capabilities a lot, though my DH has always helped with the housework etc.

Thinking I have no limits is why I signed up for classes to finish my degree while pregnant. :doh Oh well, by the grace of God I will skate by and finish. And it's not like it will be any easier after the baby, that's my rationalization :O.

[christineka]

You're pregnant. You have good reason to make your life easier. Go buy the disposables.

[raining_kisses]

That sounds like a lot on your plate! I would definitley do sposies iny your case. :yes :hug

Be sure to take some time for yourself mama, you sound super busy and you are making a little human afterall. :hug

[ShangriLewis]

I used to think I had no limits. I was really surprised when I had my first anxiety attack. Luckily I had a super doctor at the time who told me how amazing I was and how much I needed to slow down.

[Katiebug]

Quit cloth. There are way bigger and more important things to focus your energy and time on. And way bigger and more important things to feel guilty about :giggle

[newday]

Well, if you read my siggie you'll get an idea where I stand (or, waffle) on the issue :shifty

:hug

[amieids]

Do not feel guilty, you have done so well already getting to the 3 year mark. You've saved the planet plenty but now you have to save your sanity and switch to disposables (though I would use nature babycare or a nice chemical free alternative).

And you have number 2 to look forward to...nothing more lovely than a scrunchy newbie all clothed up :)

[allisonintx]

I quit with my ds :yes It was the only way to stop resenting him. :bag

He was my 'most' cloth diapered child, and potty trained the latest.

[Niphredil]

I CD Asher but not Eden. She poops 5 or 6 times a day! I quit when I was pregnant. I was exhausted and it was gross.:shrug3

[chasingbutterflies]

I quit about 2 years ago when PG with #3. One of the best decisions I ever made, seriously. Don't feel guilty if you need to quit to maintain your sanity. :hug

[Barefoot Bookworm]

I loved cloth diapering with babies one and two. When three came along and 1 and 2 were still in diapers, we still used cloth but we'd switch back and forth. These days, I'm burnt out on cloth and the rashes my kids keep getting randomly. I've been using sposies for months. :bag

[milkmommy]

there is no magic better momma award that comes from using or not using sposies or cloth diapers.. :shrug3
as commited and as much joy as I find using CDs I get a bit annoyed with some CD boards acting like CD there kids deserves some kinda global peace price and all others should be removed by CPS.


Deanna

[rjy9343]

Just the opinion of non cd mom, but when you are pregnant and caring for a toddler. whatever makes life easier is fine. As I recall, the balance b applies to everyone, not just baby.

[Llee]

We part-time CD here, with no guilt. :) The Mom Club through amazon.com is amazing. I get the biggest box of Huggies for a little over $20, delivered to my door in 2 days (unless Dallas has had snow :eyes).

[WingsOfTheMorning]

ITA w/ the others. I loved CDs w/ Lydia and plan to do it again, but right now I use a mix of panties and pull-ups w/ Lydia and that will probably become mostly pull-ups after I give birth so I don't have to clean up accidents. :shifty I'm also planning to use sposies for the first few weeks/month with the new baby too.

[passionatemom]

I feel very supported :O.

I will now officially quit cloth for DS without guilt.

And I don't have time (obviously!) to respond to each post, but thank you for your personal stories and for advice on how to get some good, earth-friendly, inexpensive disposables.

[Aerynne]

You said you may change your mind tomorrow, so I just wanted to say- do what you think is best today, and if you change your mind, you can always go back. Or you can cd when you feel like it and use sposies when you don't feel up to cd. It's not all or nothing- find your best mix (and sometimes that's all one or all the other, but sometimes it may be a mix of both)

[twentysixcats]

I recently set out to prove that disposables were so bad chemical-wise that I would never put another one on my daughter. I researched it for MONTHS. I tried to anticipate any argument, and went deeper if I was confused. I even wrote to Pampers & Huggies to ask them to clarify things! In the end... I changed my mind! I am still doing cloth, but am not convinced that disposables are going to sentence my kid to an early death from cancer. All three of the issues that most pro-CD sites claim could be explained away, IMO. (I can go further in depth if you want.) Anyways, that's just to make you feel better about potential health issues with sposies. :-)

Also, I looked into the "good" sposies and I think 7th Gen aren't really worth the extra money. They still have the same chemicals as Pampers/Huggies. That made me feel better about not springing for those. :-)

[passionatemom]

Ashley - thanks for your educated input. I certainly don't have time for a months-long, in-depth research project right now :). I started with cloth mostly for budget reasons, but I like the environment, less chemicals, etc.

So I can stick with my regular brand without feeling guilty too? Sounds too good to be true, but I choose to believe it right now! Nice.

[november]

Don't feel guilty. You have to do what you have to do and you have a LOT on your plate. There are a lot worse mommy "offenses" than using sposies. I don't deal with half of what you have on your plate and I still have days where I just don't want to deal with cloth so I use sposies until I'm back on board. Be gentle with yourself - you are doing such a great job juggling SO many different things - it sounds to me like sposies are the way to go for now. I know that's what I'd be doing!

[twentysixcats]

Ashley - thanks for your educated input. I certainly don't have time for a months-long, in-depth research project right now :). I started with cloth mostly for budget reasons, but I like the environment, less chemicals, etc.

So I can stick with my regular brand without feeling guilty too? Sounds too good to be true, but I choose to believe it right now! Nice.

In my opinion, if you have concerns about the chemicals, then really Tushies is the disposable brand you're going to want. (I didn't look at it from an environmental standpoint.) Some of the claims by the sposies are misleading - example, chlorine-free. Apparently, it's an industry standard to be elemental chlorine free. That means they use chlorine-dioxide instead of chlorine gas, which according to them removes the risk of dioxins (cancer). (Some moms might be skeptical about this claim, though; it's something that is largely untested and unresearched right now.) Only Tushies are totally chlorine free. Did you know that 7th Gen are DYED brown? :scratch Some kids have reactions to the chemicals, but if yours isn't one of them then I think you're fine.

So yes, don't feel guilty. :-) And stick with the sposies that fit your budget!! Think of how many sposies you kept out of landfills by doing cloth this long! :clap

[passionatemom]

I took a quick look at the Tushies website, just to see what's up with them, what they cost, etc.

I'll have to rule them out b/c they say you have to change more often. My 3yo can soak through a regular disposable and have wet pants within 2 hours! (I try to check him more often so it doesn't happen, but a couple of weeks ago while he was in the nursery at church . . . )

Chemical-wise and environmentally, yeah, I love that they don't have that icky gel in them. But I have a super-pee-er :shrug3.

And that is super weird that 7th Gen dyes them brown! Way to go for appearance over substance!