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.

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.

Kiddopotamus Portable Changing Kit

The Kiddopotamus travel changing pad can turn any messenger bag into a diaper bag. What I love is the pockets that hold diapers, wipes and ointments as it keeps everything within reach. Most public bathroom changing tables do not have room for your baby and your bag and the last thing you want to do is bend down to dig into your diaper bag to find the wipes while your baby is flailing around on the table.

If you haven't been able to find a "diaper bag" that suits your style then just add this to a bag you like. Besides, most diaper bags are overly bulky causing moms to over pack as if they won't be returning for weeks.

Safety 1st Diaper Pail

If you have it in your mind that you need the Diaper Genie please reconsider. When we were registering for baby gear I was convinced that we needed a Diaper Genie. I had no idea why, I guess their brand marketing had brainwashed me into thinking this was the only diaper pail that would work.

Fortunately I procrastinated too long and never got the Diaper Genie. The Safety 1st Diaper Pail that my mother gave me as a hand-me-down works great. The Safety 1st version costs about $15 less than the Diaper Genie and it uses standard kitchen size trash bags, instead of the $6 refills. We are using scented kitchen bags and we have no problems with diaper smell in the house.

Baby Gear Pros: Less expensive, can get bag refills at any grocery store.

Baby Gear Cons: None

Carter's Lap Pads

I received my first set of Carter's Lap Pads as a gift and they have become an essential component of diaper changing. They are waterproof so we place them on top of the diaper changing pad cover and this saves us from doing tons of laundry. When our daughter decides to pee mid diaper change, all we have to do is throw the pad in the hamper, not the whole cover.

I also have a pad or two in our diaper bag. I place these on top of the diaper bag changing pad to catch any mess that may happen on the go. I am sure they have uses that I haven't thought of yet.

Huggies vs. Pampers

I have a feeling that diaper effectiveness is more dependent on the child's shape than on the design of the diaper. However I still thought I should share my early experiences with various diaper brands I have tried.

We started out using Pampers Swaddlers Newborn size as that was what was provided in the hospital. I then purchased a package of Newborn size Huggies after receiving a coupon for a couple dollars off. We had no issues with the Pampers but the Huggies could not contain anything my daughter produced. At one point I was nursing her and felt a warm liquid streaming down my belly. At first I thought it was milk but then realized it was pee that was pouring out of the side of her diaper. I didn't want to waste the diapers so we continued to use the Huggies until they were gone but we had to change her more frequently and only used Pampers if we were leaving the house. We now are using Pampers exclusively and I don't think I will try another brand unless we run into problems once we advance to a larger size.

Update: I tried Huggies size one because I had purchased a pack before my daughter was born. After 3 diaper changes my daughter's diaper rash returned. I have realized that it is not the fit of Huggies but the lack of absorbency. Pampers have a layer that wicks away the liquid immediately where as with Huggies it stays on the surface and sloshes around. I will never try Huggies again.

Update 2: I found out that the P&G website has a page that details when the next P&G brandsaver will be in the Sunday paper. This is normally when you will find Pampers coupons.

Aquaphor

Our daughter developed a horrendous diaper rash during her first week home from the hospital. It was red and raw and looked similar to a second degree burn. Changing diapers was excruciatingly painful for both her and us as her wailing brought us to tears.

We were desperate for something that would stop the rash. We stopped using wipes as we believed wipes had started the problem. We slathered her bottom with Desitin to no avail. We then switched to Balmex but that still didn't work either. My sister mentioned that Aquaphor was the only product that had cured my nephew's diaper rashes so we went out in search for this miracle product.

We had to visit a few stores before we found a drug store that carried it but it was well worth the search. After only a few diaper changes we began to notice improvements. We now use it after every diaper change and the rash has not returned. I would highly recommend that you stock your changing table with Aquaphor before your baby arrives.