Just as I was heading out the door for work, one of my adorable Bichons pooped in their crate. It had to be cleaned. They were both scaling the side of the crate trying to avoid stepping in the smeared tootsie roll that neither of them would claim. The smell was noxious, and there was no way I was going to do whatever was necessary to remove the offense and clean the stained sheet. So, what did I do? I took out the sheet, placed it in a garbage bag (with every intention of hauling it to the backyard trashcan that evening), and laid a fresh blanket in the crate.
If I can't handle a little Bichon poop, how do I expect to clean my son's diaper after one of those explosive poos I keep hearing about from moms? What's more, I've resorted to using disposable plates because I can't find the energy to handle my share of the dinner dishes. Do I really think I can throw a newborn into the mix and keep up with cloth diapers?
Before I frantically remove the bumGenius diapers from my registry, I'm trying to give this fair consideration. My midwife friend insists that bumGenius is the only way to go. Her daughter leaked out of every disposable diaper, and she'd end up having to clean both mom and baby clothes. BumGenius contained the mess and was much easier to clean, she says.
It looks like I'll be cleaning messes no matter which diapering option I choose. What else should I be considering? I'd love to hear from parents with diapering experience.
I would say that, as a mother, you will become intimately acquainted with your child's poop! It is simply the reality. As someone who both cloth diapered and did disposables, I preferred the cloth. And, as a plug for breastfeeding, breastfed poop doesn't stink...it's kinda sweet.
ReplyDeleteI'm intent on breastfeeding, so that's good news for me! Thanks for your advice, Amber MC.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a mom yet, but I'm pretty familiar with gross dog poop! :) From the bit of research I've done, cloth appears to be better for the environment (waste flushed/treated, no plastic in landfills) and probably less expensive. I've also been told that unlike when we were babies, washing machines now can handle cloth diapers with no trouble. Good luck with your research--your little one's bum will be pampered no matter what. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same boat as you. I don't do poop. I make Kyle deal with the litter box; the smell makes me gag. And it did even before I was pregnant. Still, I really want to cloth diaper, but I've had a hard time imagining what that will look like for us. I can't even stay on top of my own laundry, let alone diaper washing! Shaking poop out into the toilet? Say what! But the thought of poor sensitive baby bum being surrounded by bleached out chemically treated diapers makes me uncomfortable also. The plan as of now for us is to use a diaper service, so that we're not responsible for the actual cleaning of the diapers, but do get to reap some of the benefits. Is there a service in your area? Is it something you've considered?
ReplyDeleteI've been using cloth diapers for 3 years (two kids) but I still won't have anything to do with dog poop. You'll survive. And like you said, you'll be cleaning up poop regardless. It's just that with disposables you may be cleaning it up from head to toe (no joke). And, personally, I think poop smells MUCH worse in a disposable. Diaper fragrance and poop do NOT make a good combination. :) Christy @ pureMotherhood
ReplyDeletehmmm, I haven't looked into a diaper service. I've just assumed it would be too expensive. But considering the extra money I'd spend if I went the disposable route, maybe it would even out? I'll look into it.
ReplyDeleteI've been cloth diapering for 14 months, so clearly I think it doesn't suck. EBF poo goes straight into the washer. I only rinsed really huge EBF ones (got a Potty Pail and a diaper sprayer) and then rinsed regularly while introducing solids (www.rapleyweaning.com for my favorite tips on that). Now that he's eating lots (and still nursing! yay!) his poops plop off into the toilet with no rinsing. I have a pretty large stash and I've found that different things worked for different stages: prefolds or fitteds + gusseted covers at first, then a little bit of everything, and now that he's doing solid poops and running around nonstop I prefer AIOs (GroVia) and pockets (Green Acre Designs and BumGenius).
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