gDiapers Test - Part 2

We have gone through 50 gDiapers now and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to make the switch from disposables. Sure there is a little extra effort involved since you can't just toss the dirty diaper in the pail and walk away. But after a few changes you develop a system and the whole process becomes very easy to manage.

What this experiment has made me wonder though is if we would be better off switching over to cloth diapers. gDiapers are expensive and even though I live in a major city, they don't have great distribution at the stores closest to our house. Now that we have gone through our first pack of inserts I have switched back to disposables simply because I would have to drive 15 miles to pick up a new pack. Sure I could order refills online but my daughter is on the cusp of switching to the next size so I don't want buy bulk packs until she switches over. Plus am I really doing the Earth any good if I have to drive 15 miles or have a package shipped to me on a regular basis?

If you are considering switching to gDiapers I encourage you to buy a starter kit and give them a try. You may find that they are easier for you than cloth and they certainly are better for the environment than disposables. If they don't end up working for you, then you can always sell the diaper covers on ebay. I have found that they have an insane resale value and you will probably recoup your costs completely.

Baby Gear Pros

• Absolutely adorable - the colors are great and I can picture my daughter running around in just the covers this summer.
  
• If you flush the inserts, then it is better for the environment than throwing away disposables.
• After a few diaper changes the flushing process becomes very easy to manage.
• Did not experience any leaks or blow-outs, even when used overnight.

Baby Gear Cons

• Expensive
• May be hard to find depending on where you live
• Not great if you are traveling as even though the liners decompose faster than disposables will it really matter if they are inside a garbage bag?

Update: I have been researching cloth diapering over the past two days. The amount of information available is mind boggling to the point that I am unable to make a decision on what diaper style to use. The one thing I have learned is that washing cloth diapers takes about two wash cycles which makes me wonder if they are better for the environment than gDiapers. Consequently my husband and I are making the 15 mile trek to our nearest gDiaper retailer today to restock.

Munchkin Bottle Drying Rack

The Munchkin Bottle Drying Rack is a great way to keep bottles and other baby items separate from the rest of your dishes. You can dry up to 8 bottles, nipples and accessories at a time. I use it to air dry breast pump accessories as well. It is easy to clean, we just toss ours in the upper rack of the dishwasher. The best part is that it has a slot to hold a Munchkin bottle brush upright so that it doesn't sit in the sink collecting germs.

The gDiapers Test - Part 1

After much debate, my husband and I have decided to give gDiapers a try. If you haven't heard of gDiapers, they are the happy medium between cloth diapers and disposables. Given that disposable diapers, like Pampers or Huggies, take 500 years to decompose in a landfill, we thought we at least owed it to the Earth to give gDiapers a shot.

We first learned about gDiapers this summer while I was still pregnant. Having changed a few diapers in my life, including really messy blow-outs, I thought that gDiapers sounded like too much work. I just couldn't imagine having to take a poop-filled diaper to the toilet to shake out and stir around before flushing the remnants down the toilet. My husband however was sold on the concept and kept pushing the issue until I broke down and agreed to give them a try.

We bought the gDiapers starter pack at Whole Foods for $24.99 and a 40 pack of refills for $9.99. Normally the 40 pack of refills is $11.99 at Whole Foods but everywhere else they run about $14.50 for a 40 pack. At about 11 cents more per diaper this whole experiment could really add up over the course of the year but I guess that is price you pay for trying to save the environment.

As of this post we have made it through about 5 changes using gDiapers including one overnight. So far I have no bad news to report, there haven't been any leaks and the whole process isn't that much extra effort. The diaper covers are also really cute and fit my daughter great. I am going to report back at the end of the week and let you know if my opinion changes but as of right now I am felling good about the switch.

Tiny Prints Birth Announcements

After spending over 5 hours scouring the internet for companies that printed birth announcements I decided to use Tiny Prints. What did it for me was their online design tool that allowed me to customize the announcement and view the end result. The tool was extremely easy to use and I was able to instantly see what my daughter's birth announcement would look like with her picture and name.

Since I had procrastinated a little too long I opted for the rush printing service and it was worth the extra $15. Our order arrived faster than expected and I am so happy with the end product. The paper is really great quality and it is not glossy so you can write a personal note to the recipient on the back. I would definitely recommend Tiny Prints to anyone looking to do custom birth announcements or holiday cards.

New Mom Class

After spending 6 weeks couped up in my home with no one to talk to except a crying baby I reluctantly joined a class for new moms. I had prepared myself for it to be a cheesy class full of signing and cooing at my baby. I expected all of the moms to be perfect and boasting about their tiny geniuses. Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised and now feel it is the best thing I have done during my maternity leave.

Each week we learn something new to do with our child such as massages for gas pain relief or other soothing techniques. In the first week I learned a new way to swaddle my daughter that kept her wrapped up tight and sleeping longer at night. That alone was worth the money spent on the class, it was better than any swing or bouncer I could buy. At some point I will take pictures and post a how-to guide.

It was also relief to meet other moms who were dealing with the same issues and having the same concerns as I was. I wouldn't say that I created an instant bond with these other mothers but it definitely helped to know that I wasn't alone and that they were as stressed and unsure about motherhood as I was.

If you are a first time mom, then recommend that you sign up for a class during the first few months of your child's life. If you are in the Boston area, check out the Great Beginnings class at Isis Maternity.

SafeFit Baby In Sight Mirror

We bought the SafeFit Mirror because it was the only one we could find at Babies R' Us that matched our car interior and didn't have goofy stuff all over it. The mirror is huge and allows me to view the entire rear facing car seat. My daughter doesn't miss all the stuffed animals on the other versions as she enjoys looking at her reflection. I feel that the other mirrors covered in objects could be distracting for the driver as well as a potential hazard if we were to be involved in a crash.

The First Years Sure Comfort Tub

This tub has worked great for our now 2 month old daughter. For the first few weeks we were using it to give her sponge baths without any water in the tub. We didn't receive the model with the mesh net and I don't feel it is necessary. The infant side has a back that reclines enough to keep the baby tilted back without falling forward. Of course we always kept one hand on her just for security.

My daughter now really enjoys baths with water. The First Years Sure Comfort Infant to Toddler Tub is deep enough to have the water around her legs and torso so that she is warm. At the same time it keeps her sitting high enough so that her head and ears are above the water. At this age, I don't want her submerging her head in the water for fear of getting an ear infection. We have also used the Safety 1st Funtime Froggy bathtub at grandma's and while it was better than bathing her in the real bathtub, I felt that it didn't sit her up straight enough and her ears were getting wet.