One Year Cloth Diaper Anniversary...

A year ago I joined the ranks of cloth diapering. It was at this point our tiny daughter was big enough to fit into her Bummis and prefolds. These worked well for us during the day but not so great on outings or at night. The fit was just not yet right.

Just when I was starting to get a bit discouraged and thinking cloth might not be right for me, enter another mom (Caitlin) who was also exploring the realm of cloth. She had been doing a ton of research and actually purchased a few of the more "modern" cloth diapers. She offered to let me try the ones she had purchased.

Among these were three FuzziBunz size small diapers. She said these were her favorite. The first time we used them we had complete failure. Leaks, leaks, leaks. I liked that they were a pocket-style diaper but I was not big on snaps. But since they were her favorite, I decided I had to try them again. Remember, keep in mind, she and I were both novices and we did not have anything or anyone, other than the internet, to offer any suggestions. So, away to the internet discussion boards I went.

Aparently, I was not securing the diaper tight enough to the baby. I tried them again - LOVED, LOVED, LOVED them. I think Caitlin had to actually ask for them back. The snaps were still not my favorite, but the diapers were so trim that for the first time my tiny girl with her really tiny head did not have a diaper hanging down to her knees. And, outings became a pleasure. We even started venturing into trying cloth at night.

Well, these diapers have been used at least 3 times per week for the past year. This means each diaper has been used about 156 times. Multiple that by three which totals 468 diaper changes. This many diaper changes would cost an estimated $117 if I were using disposables. If these diapers were purchased new they would cost about $17-$18 each for a total of $54. Hence, you can see the cost savings is over 50%.

However, I did not purchase these diapers new. I loved the ones Caitlin loaned me so very much that I offered to trade her for them. She needed some air miles and I needed diapers. Worked out great. Therefore, I would say, this was a much more significant savings for us.

Additionally, these diapers still look as amazing today as they did when I first tried them out. Because they have snaps, you can hardly even notice the wear these diapers have endured. Not a single snap has needed replacing. Not a single stitch has come undone. Zip, zero, nada. One hundred fifty-six uses each and they still look amazing. Also, this has made me a huge fan of snaps, too. My velcro or hook/loop diapers have not held up as well. They still get the job done but do not look nearly as nice.

The most wonderful part is these diapers acted as my "gateway" diaper. They took me from being a part time cloth diapering mom who was considering giving up to a full time cloth diapering mom with an addiction for fuzzy, fluffy diapers!

I have many more FuzziBunz diapers in my stash adding two more size small (yes, my daughter at 19lbs still fits into these despite the sizing saying the upward size is 18lbs) as well as several one-size (these are adjustable to all the various sizes). We love them all but I still have a soft spot for the original three. I think they will be going in her hope chest. Maybe her daughter will wear them some day!