Melissa is wanting to use cloth diapers with Haven. We’ve gotten mixed reviews from different folks who have used them with their own children, and it seems like the technology has improved quite a bit because the folks who are all saying ‘good luck with that’ were using just straight up 4 corner white cloth diapers held in place with bobby pins (ouch!), where now we’ve got some really cool ones like these:
http://www.willowbuns.com/
ahhh… the wonderment of velcro!
Over the last few months, I have learned more about these things than I ever thought I’d care to.
One of the more obvious issues with this process is that there is well… poop involved, and you need to figure out a good way to rid yourself of it before the diaper finds it’s way into your washer. I want one of these:
I had actually considered making a hose / sprayer for the toilet myself… as I’ve gotten rather handy as of late, but decided that the over-all cost would be about the same with parts from Lowes, and I could probably use the extra hour or more (between driving, shopping, building, installing) to do something else. 
This device seems so ingenious really, just sits right on top of the toilet, and all the poo goes down the drain!
January 19th, 2009 at 4:36 am
I’m pretty sure my mom used cloth diapers on all of us when we were kids, though I know she did with my youngest sister. So far as I can recall, we just had a large diaper bin filled about 1/3 to 1/2 full with bleach water (or some other cloth cleanser) which was sufficient enough to break away the poo as well as keep the smell under control. I think she had enough cloth diapers to last a week, so she didn’t have to do laundry every day. Your mileage may vary, of course, but I don’t think this is something that requires a hefty investment in specialty ‘poo claners’. Keep in mind that baby poo is soft and breaks apart easily enough.
Oh, and we did use the standard four corner style and they work just fine. It only took me a couple of times having to wrangle one that I got the hang of it, so it isn’t difficult. You just have to be sure you get the little plastic pants to go over them if you go that route (probably if you go any cloth diaper route).
Congrats again on the baby boy, and hope that helps.
February 19th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
I agree, it’s not that bad rinsing out diapers. You just put them in the toilet and let them soak if it is especially bad, which is after they start eating table food. Anyway, you have to be careful not to flush the diaper down the toilet while it is soaking. I did cloth diapers with three of my four kids. I loved the unfolded stretch cloth diapers from Curity. I don’t think they make them any longer as I have not seen them for at least twenty years. They fit so much better than disposable diapers and are more comfortable for the baby (when they are not dirty or wet of course). With the unfolded type you can fold them to whatever size your baby is and the poo doesn’t get caught in the seams of the pre-folded. I have never tried the new type of diapers listed on Willowbuns but am sure they are convienent. I acutally made a few diapers with velcro out of the cloth diapers which Heidi now has. I guess I was a little before my time. Heidi said Melissa may be leaking amniotic fluid as there may be a tear in her amniotic sac but that does not mean the baby is ready to come. Tears could even be caused by a vaginal exam. Whatever, the bayb needs to come out if she continues leaking fluid. Will be praying for you guys. If you haven’t heard, I am in Memphis with Heidi and her new baby girl born last Friday, February 13th. She is soooo precious! Where did you find the poo pail? Take care of Melissa and say hey. I am sewing her sling while I am here. I just got Heidi’s done and have used it. The baby (Esther Claire Leyshon) loves it!
See ya’ll later.
Fawn