Guest Blogger: Stephanie from My Life As Mom

So I promised everyone Guest Bloggers in our Cloth Diapering Series...So here we go!!

Today we have the opportunity to meet Stephanie from My Life As Mom while she shares her adventures in recently converting to cloth diapering.  After reading her Q and A, check out her blog, enter to win a Wonda Wedge for FREE (ends Wednesday so go now because it is cool!), and while you are there admire her ohh soo cute little Monkey!!  She has become a great blogging friend and I love that she is a "Cloth Convert".  We can now share our cloth diapering stories and become obsessed with fluffy together!  Anyone on the edge about converting to cloth should definitely consider talking with Stephanie as she was skeptical at first also, and now she has a happy cloth diapered monkey!! 

How long have you been cloth diapering and how old is your child?    

I have been cloth diapering for a couple weeks, now. My son is 4 and a half months. 

What, if any, were your fears/ misconceptions before cloth diapering?   

My fears and misconceptions of cloth diapering was that it was a very time consuming process, it was expensive, I would have to fold 900 diapers and use those horribly ugly plastic underwear looking covers. SOOOO not cute.  

What convinced you that you should cloth diaper?

What convinced me to cloth diaper was that I've recently met a lot of friends who cloth diaper and all of them mentioned how easy it was to do, despite the "bad rap" that people give cloth diapers. 

What is your best advice about starting cloth diapering? 

The best advice I could give to someone who was thinking about cloth diapering is: buy a couple of each brand. You'll quickly figure out which one you like the best and won't loose money on buying ones that don't work. Also, buy the best that you can afford.. the resell value is a great pro to cloth diapering. 

Were you intimidated? Is there anything that still intimidates you?

I was intimidated about the possible work load when it came to washing them. Am I still intimidated? No! It's so simple!   

Why do you prefer cloth diapers over disposables?

Oh my gosh! For so many reasons!!!!! There so much softer on his skin. They keep tons (literally!) of unneeded waste out of the landfill. They keep harmful chemicals off my sons skin and they prevent him from having diaper rash like he had SOOO often with disposables. OH! Cloth are SOOOOOO much more cute!  

So far, what’s your favorite brand(s) and why?

Every single person that I've talked to has a different favorite when it comes to cloth diapers. My favorite just happens to be FuzziBunz. My second favorite would have to be KnickerNappies. The reason FB's win out over KN's is because the FB's have adjustable leg elastic. It's SOOOO helpful to tighten those up at night time to prevent leaks. I do have to say, however, that I love how the back pocket is sewn in on the KN over the FB's. FB's are just kind of a wide open pocket and the KN's have an elastic strap sewn in to keep it tight up against the cover. Ultimately it doesn't really matter when it comes to the use of the diaper.. it's just my visual preference when I'm stuffing them. 

What would you tell someone who is skeptical of cloth diapering?

If I could talk to someone who's skeptical about cloth diapering (which I have) I would simply tell them not to dog it unless they tried it. While cloth diapering is not for everyone, it IS for me. If it takes me a bit of extra time to prepare my son's diapers in order to keep those chemicals off his skin, prevent diaper rash and keep that much garbage out of landfills, then so be it. I would do it ten times over. When we become parents we vow to do anything to protect our children and if 99% of people KNEW what they were putting on their child's skin when it came to a cloth diaper, I bet they would change their mind, or at least think twice about it. 

What’s the best part about cloth diapering?

The best thing about cloth diapering is a few things; keeping my son rash free and chemical free and of course that the diapers are sooooooooo cute! 

Do you find them harder, easier or the same to use as compared to disposables?

I find cloth diapers different than disposables. For me it's like comparing apples and oranges. They're not the same. Yes, cloth are a little more time consuming because you have to wash them and depending on the style, stuff the inserts back in them once they're clean. However, overall, it's not nearly as bad as it seems. I am also one who HATES doing laundry and I don't mind the work, at all. 

Do you have any funny cloth diapering stories to share?

I have only been cloth diapering for a couple weeks so unfortunately I don't have any good stories to share, yet. 

What is your cloth diapering routine?

My cloth diapering routine is pretty simple. When I change diapers, I have a laundry bin on the side (cloths in one, cloth diapers and reusable wipes in the other). Once I remove the diaper, I remove the insert and throw both pieces into the diaper bin. Put the new one on and go about my day. When it comes time to wash them, I simply dump the bin into the washer, run a cold wash (no soap), run a hot wash (with 1/4 amount of soap) then an extra cold rinse (just to remove a much soap residue as possible). Next I tumble dry the diapers on low for 20min, remove the outer "diapers" (leave the inserts and wipes in the dryer) and rerun for another 20-30min until the inserts are dry. Once all the pieces are dry, then I insert all the inserts into the diapers, snap the buttons and put them away so they're ready for use. 

Do you have any tricks, shortcuts or fun information about cloth diapering?

The only trick that I've really figured out, as of yet, is to prep them and get them ready to go once they come out of the dryer. It's so nice to just be able to throw a new, clean diaper on without having to take the time to put the inserts in before being able to change it. 

What is a must have when you are cloth diapering?

My "must-have" item would have to be my homemade wipes and homemade "wipe water". If I am going to go to the trouble to wash diapers to keep the chemicals off my sons skin, why would I use disposable wipes which have chemicals in them, also? It's just as easy to use cloth wipes and throw them in the washer with the diapers and inserts.  

How is the husband handling the cloth diapers?

Due to just starting cloth diapering, my husband is still getting used to it. He's done what I call "sticking his toes in the water". He's removed a dirty one and put a new one on, but he didn't know what to do with the dirty one, once done so he came out of the bedroom and said, "the dirty one is on the dresser, I'm not sure what you want me to do with it". I'm sure things will get better with time, as he gets used to the whole routine. 

Have you had any funny comments when cloth diapering?

I've had a few comments when it came to cloth diapering. Things such as, "are you turning hippy?", "are you doing it to save money or go green?", "are you doing it because of skin sensitivity issues". I've also had comments go as far as, "wow, you must be bored!". However, the most common one seems to be, "I couldn't handle cleaning up the dirty diapers. Do you have to rinse the poop off in the toilet before hand?" I do try to answer each question with as much information as I can without feeling like I'm pushing it on someone. As I said before, cloth diapering isn't for everyone but it IS for me. Don't dog me because I cloth diaper, I don't dog you because you use disposables. It really is easier than one would think and I would recommend it to everyone!