Cloth Diapering

I cloth diaper. I know. I am a freak of nature. I wash them myself too. Huh? On a daily basis our laundry sink is full of a vinegar/water mixture with soiled diapers in it. At the end of the night, I throw them in the wash and hang them to dry. I can't wait until spring when I can soak them in sunshine outside on the line. Lots of people support my radical viewpoint to cloth diaper...and cheer me from the sidelines. Some are quietly guarded, thinking I may be a bit odd, and pitying me for the lack of normalcy. Others think I'm just down right mentally ill. I go back and forth between all three descriptions myself. Believe me, if you’re shaking your head reading this, I totally understand. If you think I’m a nutjob, I completely get it. If you think my kids will grow up to be weird because they had cloth on their bum? You’re probably right (I hope they are weird and abnormal in a good way...but I don't think cloth diapering will have much to do with it).

But guess what? I save our family about $900 a year for cloth diapering. If I would have known about this little money saver with Alex, that would mean I would have saved $900 a year, for two years x 5 kids...that would be a whopping $9000 worth of savings. WOW! And, do you know that the savings for BREASTFEEDING a baby versus FORMULA feeding a baby is even more enormous for just the first year of life??? Not weighing in the health benefits (fewer doctor visits perhaps?), and not putting in the cost of bottles, nipples, washing, etc. and just comparing OUNCE per OUNCE for the actual liquid...breastfeeding saves about $1800 for the first year. Even more savings if you continue to breastfeed into the second year. Wow. For all 5 babies that is a savings of, once again, $9000. $18,000 in our pocket just for breastfeeding and cloth diapering. Who'd a thunk it? :)

I actually don't cloth diaper just for the savings. It is just my way of trying to save the planet. I mean, I am not a tree hugger by any means, but it definitely was a plus to realize I am not contributing to the 2 tons per baby that disposable diapers contribute to landfills. Crazy numbers, huh?

And, if you have kept reading for this long, I commend you. Mathematical equations as to how much the Hasse's save and where they put it must be pretty boring. Not to mention the descriptions of the random acts of whackiness and social outcast I do to our family;) Oh well. They will survive.

Here is a photo of Kennedy when she was about TJ's age in her personalized cloth diaper. Too cute! The pictures above are of TJ sporting a jungle dipe!