I am no enemy of landfill. Half of my city is built on it. I am mindful, though, that it takes about 500 years for a diaper to degrade. That's just part of the logic behind our hybrid cloth/disposable system.
When it comes to the cloth part, there have been a bunch of cool innovations since the dingy cotton rags of the '60s. My wife has used the power of the Internet to find all sorts of diaparatus, including these cool stuffable things lined with fleece or suede that wicks the whiz into the hemp liners. So they're still comfy for little TwoBert, but they're also big wads of ungainliness that are a real drag to walk in. I'm sure that's a big reason why OneBert potty-trained himself at 2 years and 3 months.
And then of course, there's the money. We still use disposables for specific needs, like when we're traveling and loath to carry around little poop loaves in our carry-ons. But the disposables we buy, which have no bleach or any of those nasty desiccants, cost a bundle; washing our re-washables is saving us thousands. If swirling baby poop in the toilet helps feed the 529, so be it.
By "big wads of ungainliness" do you mean the diaper gives OneBert a big behind? My wife commented on the same issue, worrying that a larger diaper would impair learning to walk. Nope, our daughter was walking and running quite early.
Your diaparatus is probably classified as a "pocket diaper." Regulate its thickness by experimenting with different inserts (the absorbent material). I prefer Chinese prefolds. My wife prefers a single thin hemp insert. I never imagined I would argue with my wife about such things.
Posted by: AJ | Feb 7, 2006 2:21:36 PM