Potty Training (and diapering!) Update

SUCCESS!!!!

Jakob is a Super Star!

It’s Friday, day five of potty training with Jakob – and he is doing wonderful!!!  He has had one or two accidents a day, but the other %75 of the time, he had gone to the bathroom great!  He even goes on his own, without being asked, jumping up saying, “I have to go, I have to go!”  He hadn’t had any successful “number twos” in the potty until today!    He again, went on his own volition and did great!  I am so grateful and SO proud of my little (I mean big!) boy!!!

After starting potting training with Jakob on Monday, I started cloth diapering Mercedes on Tuesday!  I have been wanting to make the switch for a few months now.  But I was nervous about trying something new, that could possibly be really gross and messy!  But with multiple kids in diapers, the money drain was really starting to bother me.  Also, a hesitation with cloth diapers was investing the cash into them.  It’s not the same cloth diaper world as when I was a baby!  It has really taken off with the green movement and there is a whole market out there, some are quite pricey!  Now, I know there is much long term savings, but still – not sure what to buy, not wanting to waste money on diapers I didn’t like all while not even sure if I could handle cloth diapering!!!

Flannel Cloth Diaper Prefolds

So, as in line with my personality, I avoided “taking the plunge” and I am stepping lightly into the world of cloth diapers.  My mom bought me a bolt of diaper flannel through her store, and generously gave it to me to begin my journey.  I have decided to go a bit of the old fashioned route to start, and not spend $100-$500 dollars on a set of cloth diapers (really, they are so fancy these days!).  So she brought me the flannel late this Spring and I looked online for instruction on how to make “pre-folds” (I just learned this term myself as I searched online).  I spent just

The "Snappi" fastener

over $10 buying one “snappi” (a stretchy clasp to hold the diaper closed – no more need for pins!) and two different kinds of “plastic pants.”  Just the white, crinkly pants that I remember from when I was young.

It’s been going surprisingly well with Mercedes, no major explosions or anything!  As I am cautious, I am still using disposable at night time.  But saving money all day long with cloth!  It’s funny too, how once I started looking to cloth diaper, I realized how many people I know here that do it.  I had been surprised actually beforehand, asking my friend why no one here did it?  But I guess you just have to start asking!  At a baby shower last month I got a bunch of tips from friends and felt like I could actually do this!

So for now, I like that I’m saving money, filling the landfill less, and the latest reason I found – the possibility that disposable diaper use may contribute to infertility issues when they grow up (yikes!).

Maybe one day down the road, when I find some extra money (Isn’t it supposed to grow on trees somewhere?), I’ll invest into some fancier diaper systems.  Or just maybe I’ll even learn how to make some of those diaper covers on my own!

But then I’d have to choose; “All-in-One,”  or “Pocket Diapers,” or “Fitted Diapers,”  or “Diaper Covers,” or “Flats,” or “Pre-folds?” (I told you they get fancy!)

There are so many brands and styles to choose from!

Tags: diapers, potty training