Week 17- The Onion

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

I had another doctor's visit yesterday morning. It lasted exactly 11 minutes. Everything is progressing as it should. I only gained 2 lbs since my last visit. I am not quite sure what I weighed before my first visit, but I am guessing that I have gained about 10 lbs total in 17 weeks. Which I think is a good rate. I have not switched to maternity clothes yet. I am still holding out.

So, I thought that mention a bit about cloth diapers. Yes, we are planning on using cloth diapers. No, we did not make that decision because we live in a granola hippie town. I was actually introduced to clothe diapers by a friend back in Indianapolis (so I've had a few years to do my homework). They aren't the same cloth diapers our grandparents or parents had available to them. Cloth diapers now pretty much offer everything disposable diapers have to offer except you don't throw them away. We chose to use cloth diapers for environmental reasons,

Disposable diapers are the third most common consumer product in landfills today.
A disposable diaper may take up to 500 years to decompose.

One baby in disposable diapers will contribute at least 1 ton of waste to your local landfill.

and for economic reasons. I won't do the math on here, but I can buy a set of 12 cloth diapers for $203 that will last from newborn until potty training. I am pretty sure that $203 worth of disposable diapers won't last more than a few months.

There are TONS of different kinds of cloth diapers:

AIO - All-In-One - AIOs are fitted diapers that have a waterproof outer layer. This layer usually consists of fabric that has a PUL (polyurethane) backing, polar fleece such as Windpro, or wool. These are the closest in similarity to disposable diapers since they are a one-piece diapering system. The absorbent soaker material is often sewn into the diaper; it may also be detachable. Read more about AIO cloth diapers here.

Fitted Diapers - Fitted diapers closely resemble disposable diapers. They are contoured and fitted with elastic around the legs and back. They fasten with Velcro or snaps, and a waterproof cover must be worn over them. They are the next step up from flat pre-fold diapers and much easier to use. Read more about fitted cloth diapers here.

Pocket Diapers - Pocket diapers are like AIOs orAI2s. They have an outer layer of a waterproof material and an inner layer of a stay dry material, like microfleece or suedecloth. They close with Velcro or snaps. They have a pocket opening that allows for the absorbent material to be stuffed in the pocket during use and then removed for laundering. The absorbent material for stuffing can be an insert that comes with the diaper or a pre-fold or doubler. Some moms use terry wash cloths. Pocket diapers are a popular choice among cloth diapering moms because you can customize the amount of absorbent material. Read more about pocket style cloth diapers here.

Pre-folds - Pre-fold diapers are rectangular shaped diapers that must be folded into the shape of a diaper. They are similar to flats, but have multiple layers with more layering in the middle. They often have 2-4 layers of absorbent material on either side and 6-8 layers in the middle. The amount of layers varies according to the size you choose, generally ranging from preemie to toddler. You may see a pre-fold described as being 4x8x4. This describes how many layers there are in the outer and inner sections: 4 layers in both outer sections and 8 layers in the inner or middle section. Pre-folds are usually the cheapest type of cloth diapers available. They must be used in conjunction with a cover. Read more about prefold cloth diapers here.

The diapers that I have been looking at are the bumGenius 3.0 One Size Cloth Diaper.

The picture below illustrates how they grow as the child grows. There are a series of snaps and Velcro that allow for the diaper to keep up with the growth of the child. They are machine washable. For nighttime, you just add an extra absorbent insert for more protection. For more info on this particular diaper or other clothe diapers go to cottonbabies.com, there are some really neat options out there. I just found out that some friends of ours here in Flag, use cloth diapers as well. Once they get back into town I plan on picking their brain on what they like and don't like about the cloth diapers.