I keep reading more about cloth diapering, and realized that I hadn't thought too much about wipes. I think the most popular ones I've seen come in the plastic case and are just tossed or flushed.
Bummas wipes are cloth and re-useable. If you are doing laundry anyway, why not use washable wipes? Mommies with Cents is hosting a giveaway for a set of Bummas wipes, enter by the 19th of March for your chance to win.
I've found some recipes for making your own wipes (so that you know exactly what's going on the baby's skin). These are also disposable but can be more economical and use less chemicals than the off-the-shelf wipes. Here's a recipe for homemade wipes if anyone's interested:
Ingredients:
Round plastic container (Rubbermaid #6 or #9 works well)
Quality paper towels (use a non-bleached one like Cascade for more green wipes)
Sharp knife to cut paper towel roll in half
2 cups water that has been boiled and cooled to room temperature
2 Tablespoons baby shampoo or baby wash
1 Tablespoon baby oil
How to do it:
Cut the roll of paper towels in half with a knife and remove the cardboard.
Mix liquid ingredients in container.
Put half the roll of paper towels in the container with the cut side down. Save the other half for making more wipes.
Put on the lid and let it sit until the liquid is absorbed into the paper towels.
Turn the container upside down and give it another 10 minutes to ensure absorption.
Open container and 'start' the roll by pulling a towel from the inside of the roll.
Your wipes are now ready to use.
This recipe is adapted from babyparenting.about.com, where they also suggest this (with the recipe printed out and included) as a great baby shower gift. I agree!
Friday, March 13, 2009
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That's funny.. I found this recipe before I had my baby, bookmarked it and even bought a special plastic container in which I was going to store my homemade wipes. And then my son was born, reality hit and making my own wipes was the last thing on my mind, plus Walmart had some pretty awesome deals on Pampers wipes, which I also happened to have coupons for... Nine months later, I still haven't made any wipes :D I hope you have more determination (and sanity) than I do :)
ReplyDeleteWe'll see... still a ways off. I have this feeling that most women think they'll be this ideal perfect mom, and then reality hits.... lol.
ReplyDeleteThough I am so frugal, if it saves me money I'm likely to do it! As long as I can get the DH on board, that is. He had such a negative reaction to cloth diapers when I brought it up, I can just see his face when I tell him I'm planning to make my own wipes!
I'm super frugal, too, which is why I was going to make these wipes in the first place. I even bought a big-ass bottle of baby oil which is still sitting unopened in a cupboard. But then Walmart had such an amazing sale, plus I had coupons, plus they sent me a GC rebate after I bought the wipes together with some diapers (which were also on sale and I had coupons for), so in the end the wipes were practically free and you can't beat that. :) However, if I ever run out (that's a big "if"), I might still consider making my own.
ReplyDeleteThat sucks that your hubby reacts so negatively to these things. Mine's reaction was more along the lines of "I don't care what you do, as long as you're the one doing all the work" :) I also considered cloth diapers at one point, but in the end the hassle, the "eww" factor and the questionable environmental benefits (you do end up using a lot of hot water and chemicals to clean them), as well as other people's not so great experience with them convinced me to stick with the evil disposables. :D
Sounds like the kind of deal I couldn't pass up, either! You definitely can't beat free. Well unless you get a rebate of the full price somehow or the cashier punches in the full value of a coupon when the product is on sale for less... ;)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was so sure he would be like your husband was - I AM going to be the one doing most of this stuff anyway (if/when we have a baby) so what's the big deal? But his main issue is the diaper pail, I think. Plus he's just got to have opinions about everything (lol).
I'm probably idealizing the cloth ones.. I have the irrational logic that personally I would prefer to wear a cloth one so wouldn't baby? But I'm sure baby doesn't really care that much as long as they're dry!
Do you have an idea of what your diaper costs are in a week? I called a diaper service locally just to see, and they're charging about $50 a week - that's for providing all the diapers, pick up and delivery, as well as laundering. I think I could do it myself for cheaper but DH seemed less resistant when I suggested the service so thought I would check it out. But I don't have anything to compare it to really.
Haha, sounds like your husband is very similar to mine, i.e. being opinionated and overly sensitive to "yucky" stuff. Back when I was first contemplating whether to have the baby at home or in the hospital his main concern about having the baby at home was the potential mess that he might have to clean up. The fact that I would have no access to any sort of pain relief at home didn't bother him at all, on the other hand. Men! :D Well, I ended up having the baby at home and luckily for both of us, there was neither considerable pain nor mess to worry about, but still... It's the thought that counts! :)
ReplyDeleteI used to think that cloth diapers are the only "right" solution at one point, as well. And I'm sure they are for some people. You're right, though, as long as the baby is dry and comfy, that's all that matters to him/her. And disposables have really come a long way in that respect (especially Pampers, my favourite). They are paper-thin, comfy, smell good :) and yet absorb an incredible amount of mess. You may still have the occasional "blow out" accident, but from what I understand, they can withstand a lot more use and abuse than cloth diapers do. In fact, I know some people who use cloth during the day and disposables overnight, so it really is a matter of personal choice and doesn't have to be 100% one or the other.
Of course I know what my diaper costs are. :) Being frugal as I am, I started off with some cheap no-name diapers, but eventually discovered that Pampers Baby Dry are simply the best (for my baby anyway), no matter what the cost. And actually, if you keep an eye out for sales and the coupons that are circulating out there (mainly on save.ca and the Pampers mailing list), you can get them cheaper than the no-name ones! Now that I've discovered these awesome deals, I'm averaging about $8 a week and this includes the cost for both diapers and (non-homemade) wipes. :)
I don't know which diaper service you contacted, but that seems pretty steep! I remember talking to some diaper service representative at a Mommy & Baby show last year and he said that with the taxes and everything (and all the features you mentioned) the cost for his service worked out to about $17 a week. I can't remember the name of his company, but I can try and find that out for you if you're interested.
Holy! I sure am taking up a lot of room on your blog with my diaper bs! :D
Whoa, $8 a week... that is very inexpensive. Especially compared to the $50 diaper service. I really had nothing to compare to and that definitely puts it in perspective! The one I contacted was just a local one that came up first on a google search, it was pretty random, I just wanted a feel for what it cost. Sounds like I picked a pricey one, compared to the $17 one you talked to! Even so that is twice the cost that you are paying for disposables. Hmm!
ReplyDeleteI think I'd like to try the cloth... but hearing your experience with the cost and quality of disposables, it makes them more appealing (if diapers can be appealing, lol) than they were to me before. I do like the idea of mixing the two which might solve the debate in this house.
I have lots of time to think about it though... we're not even pregnant yet :) Anyway I do appreciate you sharing your experiences with me! I'm trying to learn as much as I can in hopes that we do conceive.
For sure it's worth researching and trying what you feel comfortable with and then see how it goes from there.
ReplyDeleteI think the diaper service definitely makes things easier, if you decide to go with cloth diapers. I almost went that route myself, but in the end picked the easier/cheaper way. :) In any case, I think I would have gone insane if I had to wash/boil/disinfect cloth diapers myself, especially during the first few weeks when we were going through an average of 15 diapers a day.
Are you sure the diaper service company you spoke to didn't say $15 as opposed to $50? The quote they gave you just seems unreasonably high. Anyway, I found this diaper service: http://www.comfycotton.ca/ I think it may have been the same one that was at that show last year. They service your area and when I contacted them, this is the info they sent me:
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The following is an overview of our service including prices.
If time permits, please call Comfy Cotton about a month before your due date, so that we can make your first diaper delivery two or three weeks before the due date. The standard initial order is for 70, 100% cotton infant sized diapers. Setting the service up prior to the baby’s due date allows you to have diapers ready and available when the baby is born. Just call us when the baby arrives and we’ll arrange to resume the weekly diaper service.
Cost
The cost for the service, which includes the diapers, is $15.95/week plus GST with no charge when you go on vacation. We have a refundable sign up fee of forty dollars. As a way of saying thank you we return this to you upon completion of the first year of diaper service. The minimum sign up commitment for the service is 4 weeks. As a result of a pick-up being missed, and an extra delivery of diapers being required, please be advised that there is a $5.00 extra delivery charge.
Diapers and Covers
Comfy Cotton supplies a flat, rectangular shaped diaper called a Chinese pre-fold. It is not a fitted diaper. Their use is simplified when you purchase fitted Velcro diaper covers. Using fitted diaper covers to hold the diapers in place instead of old fashioned diaper pins brings modern convenience to the age old tradition that encourages early toilet training. We recommend you purchase 4 diaper covers and they cost 8 or 9 dollars each depending on the material you choose.
Pail and diaper care
You will also need to purchase a diaper pail for your soiled diapers. We sell a pail at cost for $20.25 + tax. It’s 14 gallons and has an area in the lid for a carbon filter to absorb odor. Every week we provide you with a plastic bag to line your diaper pail. Every two months, we provide a carbon filter.
In terms of diaper care, you do not need to wash or soak the diapers. You just throw them in the bag we have provided, in the diaper pail. The diapers are treated with an ingredient called bacteriostat, which prevents bacteria growth. When the baby is older and forming a full stool, you only need to shake the stool off into the toilet.
Oh, my gosh. I think you're right about the $15 vs $50! When I called, the lady I spoke to had an accent and I may have totally misunderstood her! I did repeat it back to her but communication problems go both ways sometimes! I think it was even the same place.
ReplyDeleteSo it's basically twice the price (based on the sale prices/coupons that you were talking about, I would be all over that as well).
15 diapers a day, omg... NOT the fun part of having a baby (well one of the not fun parts anyway along with labour, no sleep, barf, etc!!). Good thing they're so darn cute and grow out of these things :) Our washer has a sanitizing option that I think would take care of the boiling issue but I hear ya on the extra work, right when extra chores are the last thing you need.
Lots to think about!
You know what, I used to think that changing diapers would totally suck, but it's really not that bad at all! Even my hubby doesn't mind doing it and he's extra squeamish.. :) Funny thing, I was at Walmart a few months ago waiting in line when I noticed that some lady was buying a box of Pampers. I happened to have an extra $3 off Pampers coupon, so I just gave it to her. Some guy in line was impressed by my gesture and then proceeded to tell me how he wished his teenage daughter was still in diapers. I asked him what was wrong with her and he just kept saying "Oh my god.." and shaking his head. I thought that was hilarious! :)
ReplyDeleteI personally love the baby stage and almost wish my son would never grow up! For one thing, he's always smiling and laughing and doesn't talk back... :) It's all very individual, but I didn't really mind the mild nausea during pregnancy, the labour (which was definitely a lot easier than I had expected it to be) and it is incredible how little sleep one can survive on and still be happy. Once you have an amazing little person to take care of, it really puts things in perspective. My pregnancy was actually unplanned (and freaked me out at first), but now I realize it's the best thing that ever happened to me.
I hope you get to have your own bundle of joy soon! Best of luck!
I did a lot of babysitting as a teenager and remember that feeling, thinking that diapers would be totally nasty and discovering it wasn't so bad after all, it's pretty quick to change them and only rarely super-gross. What a great story about the store... :D teens, lol.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that children laugh between 200-400 times a day... what an awesome thing to share your days with so much joy and laughter. I hope we're lucky too, I feel like I've been waiting forever to be a mom and I am so excited to be in a place where we're working on it. Thanks for the good wishes!